Seventy Weeks of Literal Days

Introduction The analysis contained herein is a Bible study of the renowned prophecy of seventy shâbu‘îm; a prophecy given to Daniel (Dan. 9:24 – 27) via the angel Gabriel. Shâbu‘îm is the transliterated Hebrew word which means sevens and is interpreted in most Bible translations as the English word weeks. Despite centuries of attempts at deriving an irrefutable explanation for this biblical passage, there are still major inconsistencies and flaws with the various postulated interpretations of the seventy weeks prophecy. Almost all expositions of the prophecy are based on the injudicious principle that shâbu‘îm represent sevens of years or that a week-day should be counted as a year, giving the time unit count as sevens of weeks of years or (70 × 7) years. The work of Sir Robert Anderson in The Coming Prince (1984, first printed in 1894)—which has been dubbed the standard for the interpretation of this prophecy—has been at the forefront in concretizing the understanding of shâbu‘îm as weeks of years. Both contemporary and liberal commentators have adopted this concept, that the time unit for the weeks is years rather than days. These commentators contend that the shorter time of 490 days will not constitute a comprehensive prophecy (Walvoord, 1990)—but this conclusion has been drawn exclusive of an evaluation of such an interpretation. No explanation yet offered has been able to either truthfully harmonize the four verses of the prophecy without belying the prophetic text, or authoritatively verify the seventy shâbu‘îm timeline from the Holy Scriptures, science or history. Montgomery (1927) labeled the varied interpretations in his day as a “dismal swamp of Old Testament criticism”. This categorization still applies to current interpretations as many negating issues are raised of them. Unfortunately, it has not yet been recognized that the major problems with these analyses arise from two erroneous assumptions—that the holy city which the Jews were commanded to rebuild refers to the corporeal, earthly city of Jerusalem and that the time unit for shâbu‘îm, measures weeks of years. Dating the chronology over 490 years has proven to be problematic in validating the accuracy and precision of the prophetic timeline from a biblical, mathematical (calendrical) and even historical perspective. Most Messianic interpretations look into the historic record to find a date for the starting point of the prophecy. Once a date close to the traditional dates postulated in orthodox theology for Jesus' birth, baptism or triumphant entry into Jerusalem is encountered in approximately sixty-nine weeks of years after the starting date in history, it is assumed that the timeline is authenticated, without due regard for the prophetic chronology. These expositors have not been able to corroborate the dates of the foretold events within each of the three time-periods as it is specified in the prophetic text. Some go even further, to show a chronicle up to the middle of the seventieth week then fail to prove a confirmed agenda for the conclusion of that week. But no lie is of the truth (1 John 2:21). Truth is accurate and precise, without any fabrications or errors. All of these foretold events concerning Jesus of Nazareth took place on specific calendar days which are revealed in the Bible. Thus the conjectured dates of tradition in these timelines can be verified, but they do not coincide exactly with the corresponding biblical dates in which they were either prophesized to occur or revealed as fulfilled in the New Testament record of the Bible. The prophecy of the seventy weeks clearly identifies the persons who were to accomplish the six assigned tasks for the seventy weeks timeline as Daniel’s people (Dan. 9:24) who were by heredity, the Jews (Dan. 1:6). Nevertheless, most of the assignments had to be spearheaded and managed by one of them. Scripture prophesized of the man who would direct most of the tasks: turn God’s people away from iniquity (Mal. 2:4, 6) bring everlasting righteousness into their holy city (Psa. 72:1 – 2, 4; Isa. 11:1, 4 – 5; 45:24 – 25; Hos. 10:12; Mal. 4:2) make an end of sin by offering himself as the perfect atoning sacrifice for the remission of sins (Isa. 52:13 – 15) confirm the vision for many by ratifying a covenant for them (Isa. 49:7 – 10) and fulfilling prophecy (Zec. 8:3, 5 – 15) and anoint the most holy (Isa. 19:19 – 20; Exo. 29:36 – 37; 40:10) with the precious blood of his holy sacrifice (Lev. 8:15). The Bible’s Old Testament reveals this man who would organize the rebuilding of the house and temple of God as the Branch and servant of God (Zec. 3:8; 6:12 – 13; Jer. 33:15 – 16) while the New Testament identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the man who accomplished these tasks (Acts 3:18 – 26; 13:22 – 31, 38 – 39; 15:16 – 17; Heb. 2:9; 3:1 – 6). This Branch and servant was prophesized to be the holy arm of God (Psa. 98:1; Isa. 40:10 – 11; 59:16) the only ordained shepherd of the flock of Israel (Eze. 34:23 – 24; 37:24) as well as God’s anointed son, the Prince (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; 61:1) and right-hand man who was to revive the vine in his vineyard (Psa. 80: 8, 14 – 15, 17, 18)—the vineyard of the Lord being the house of Israel (Isa. 5:7). The Jews therefore knew that their Messiah would be the son of God (John 1:41, 49) because they understood what the law and the prophets spoke of him (John 1:45). He was born a prince, being the son of the great king of the universe, King Jehovah (Psa. 47:7) and all of Israel was awaiting the coming of this servant, savior and Prince who would be anointed (Isa. 61:1) to become the Anointed One or Messiah. The prophecy of seventy weeks is therefore Messianic—as most early church fathers have attested (Tanner, 2009, Part 1)—but most expositors have faltered in not acknowledging the similitudes employed in the prophetic text. In seeking to unravel the mysteries of prophecy, it is important to remember that God used similitudes in the ministry of his prophets (Hos. 12:10). Therefore an examination of the analogies, signs, counterparts, shadows and parallels utilized in the prophetic text play an essential role in its understanding. This is especially so regarding those prophecies concerning Israel’s Messiah and his first advent. Similitudes were the means whereby the wisdom of God foretold prophecy in a mystery and were applied to hide the prophetic message from the princes of the world (1 Cor. 2:7) until after its fulfillment; “... for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). We are told that Daniel understood the prophecy of Jeremiah (Dan. 9:2) that the Lord would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem (Jer. 25:11 – 13; 29:10 – 13). As a prophet himself, Daniel would have known that God used similitudes in his prophecies and that Israel’s physical deliverance out of the land of Egypt was analogous to his salvation plan for redeeming the souls of mankind from bondage to sin. Daniel understood from the books that God would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of earthly Jerusalem, when their time of exile would end (Jer. 25:12; 29:10). What he did not understand and what was not revealed in Jeremiah’s prophecy was God’s timetable for accomplishing the restoration of the heavenly Jerusalem. In other words, Daniel also wanted to know God’s plan for the redemption of his holy mountain and sanctuary or his holy city—the heavenly or New Jerusalem—which is described in the Bible by these same expressions (Jer. 31:23; Zec. 8:3; Rev. 21:3, 10). This in fact was the purpose of Daniel’s supplications to the Lord (Dan. 9:3, 16 – 20) and Gabriel’s commission was to give him the answer to his prayers (Dan. 9:21 – 23). Daniel’s prayer request pertained specifically to the city Jerusalem that was also called the holy mountain and sanctuary of God (Dan. 9:16, - 17, 20).