Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city . . . from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks . . . (NASB) Dan. 9:24-25   These “seventy weeks” are 490 prophetic years. They are divided into 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and one week (v. 27). In our last study, we saw that each week was 7 years in length. When we added the 7 weeks and 62 weeks, we discovered that there were only 69 weeks or 483 prophetic years from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given in 444 B.C. to the time of Messiah’s death. The prophecy predicted the week in which Jesus would die for our sins. He died on 14 Nisan (Jewish calendar). According to our calendar, He died on 01 April 33 A.D. The prophecy was literally and precisely fulfilled. The weeks are not symbolic.       The Last Week. Sixty-nine weeks have been fulfilled but not the last week of the seventy. It is yet to be fulfilled. Just like the previous weeks, the 70th week is literal too! In this study we are going to answer the question, “What happened to the last week?”     And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (NASB) Daniel 9:27   But first we want to examine a few other viewpoints about the last week. We will look at five.       One view says the 70 weeks end at the time of Antiochus III Epiphanes. Those who believe this usually do not believe the Bible contains fulfilled prophecy nor that it predicted the time of Jesus’ death. They look for another explanation. We must remember that many people did not believe the Bible when it said the world hung in outer space on nothing, either. Yet the Bible was correct (Job 26:7).       Some Jewish scholars say the 70 weeks were fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This view treats the weeks as merely symbolic.       The third view says the 70 weeks are symbolic and represent unknown periods of time. They believe that the first 7 weeks are a period of time until the life of Jesus, the next 62 weeks are the time to the end of the world, and the last week takes us to heaven. But this is contrary to the precise detail found in the book of Daniel. So far great attention has been given to dates, sequences of events, the meaning of symbols, the length of different events, and numerous small details. Daniel has not left us with vague or unexplained symbols.         < Back   Next >
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