the goals of the seventy weeks

The Goals of the Seventy Weeks

To finish the transgressionTo make an end of sinsTo make reconciliation for iniquityTo bring in everlasting righteousnessTo seal up vision and prophecyAnd to anoint the Most Holy

Punishment of the TransgressorsSalvation of

the RighteousConsummation

of the Divine Purpose

Six Goals In Three Pairs


Rebuilding of the city and templeAppearance and cutting off of the

MessiahCessation of the Sacrificial SystemDestruction of the City and TempleConfirmation of a Covenant with

the ManyThe Abomination of Desolation

These Events Coincide

“AFTER the 62 weeks” – Dan 9:26-27 Messiah is cut off. AD 30 People of the prince destroy

the city and sanctuary. AD 70 Prem. say 70th week begins

2000 years later. For one week Antichrist confirms a covenant.

Middle of the 70th week puts an end to sacrifice and offering.

Abomination of desolation. AD 70!

Jesus said the 70th

week is to be fulfilled in AD 70.(Matt. 24:15;

Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20)


Every goal and event occurred by the time

of the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Cannot postpone the 70th Week as the Premillenialists do.

A literal 7-year interpretation of the 70th week cannot be sustained

& is without basis.

The Point?


Every goal and event occurred by the time

of the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Cannot postpone the 70th Week as the Premillenialists do.

A literal 7-year interpretation of the 70th week cannot be sustained

& is without basis.

The Point?But why 70

“Sevens”?

And why 7-62-1?

Three Keys Unlock the Proper Interpretation

1. The Context of Daniel’s Covenant Prayer

2. The Goals Completed Within the 70 Weeks

3. The Deeper Symbolism of the 70 Years of Babylonian Captivity

The Context of Daniel’s Covenant Prayer

Daniel knew of Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles. (Jer. 29:10-13)

Recognized captivity as legal punishment under Law of Moses. (Lev. 26:32-33)Also aware that covenant provided for restoration. (Lev. 26:40-42)Offered a prayer of national repentance. (Dan. 9:11-19)


God answers faithfully with a decree as Daniel begins to pray. (Dan. 9:23)

The decree of Cyrus in 539 BC (Ezra 1:2-4; cf. Isa. 44:28) is the earthly counterpart to God’s decree.The starting point of the 70 Weeks is Cyrus’ decree, not either of Artaxerxes’ decrees in 458 or 444.


God answers faithfully with a decree as Daniel begins to pray. (Dan. 9:23)

The decree of Cyrus in 539 BC (Ezra 1:2-4; cf. Isa. 44:28) is the earthly counterpart to God’s decree.The starting point of the 70 Weeks is Cyrus’ decree, not either of Artaxerxes’ decrees in 458 or 444.

All Premillennia

l Views Mistakenly Start with

the Decrees in

458 or 444 BC


To finish the transgressionTo make an end of sinsTo make reconciliation for iniquityTo bring in everlasting righteousnessTo seal up vision and prophecyAnd to anoint the Most Holy

Punishment of the TransgressorsSalvation of

the RighteousConsummation

of the Divine Purpose

Six Goals In Three Pairs

The Use Of Numerical Symbolism

The 70 Year Captivity Was Rooted In Israel’s Violation

of the Sabbath LawsLeviticus 26:31-35

2 Chronicles 36:20-21



of the Sabbath LawsThe Sabbath was designated

by God as the sign of the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

Exodus 31:12-17



of the Sabbath LawsThe Sabbath laws included

a Sabbath year every 7th year. Also, the Jubilee celebration of

a ‘double Sabbath’ every 49

years.Lev. 25:1-12, 18-22


All of the Sabbath laws (day, year, Jubilee) were

well-suited to be a sign of the covenant because of the faith required to keep them. One of the first laws to be ignored during periods of

unfaithfulness would be the seventh year Sabbath law.


1. 70 years of Babylonian captivity is therefore a SYMBOLIC NUMBER (10 X 7) chosen by God to get Israel to see the MEANING of the captivity.

number for completeness (10)

number for Sabbath (7)Although 70 approximates the actual length of their captivity, that is secondary. It was far more important for them to know WHY they were going into captivity.


II. 70 years of captivity makes up for 490 years of unfaithfulness. (70 missed Sabbath Years = 490 years)

We are not to press for a literal 490 years, but as

with the 70 year captivity, it may be approximate.


III. Now God tells Daniel of a NEW period of 490 years (70 sevens).

The result of this NEW 490 year period will be salvation and

redemption because of God’s faithfulness to the covenant.

Again, we are not to press for a literal 490 years, but as with the

70 year captivity, it may be approximate.


Why did God divide the 70 weeks into 7 weeks, 62 weeks and 1 week?

490 = 49 + 434 + 7Answer:

God was pointing to the meaning of the Jubilee.


The first 7 weeks equal 1 Jubilee.

Lev. 25:8-12490 years equals 10

Jubilees.number for completeness (10)

(The Jubilee was actually the 50th year, but was

also included as the 1st year of the next 49 year

cycle, so 490 years would equal 10 Jubilees.)


Why the Jubilee? It was an ideal SYMBOL for the

accomplishment of the GOALS of

salvation defined in Daniel 9:24!


The Sabbath laws were the most

Messianic of all of the OT laws, and the

Jubilee was the grand culmination of

all of the Sabbath observances.


Sabbath laws commemorated 2 things:

God’s rest – Ex. 20:11Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt – Deut. 5:15

Rest and deliverance from enemies are closely related – Deut. 12:10


The rest Israel was to enjoy in the Promised Land was a type or symbol of God’s own rest. Under the New Covenant, all are delivered from the bondage of sin and will enter this rest.

Hebrews 4:9-10


Deliverance and rest tied to the Sabbath helps us to understand Jesus’ miracles on the Sabbath – Luke 13:16

Trying to get the Jews to see the real meaning of the Sabbath.


Every Sabbath observance of the Israelites was intended to be a reminder that God was preparing for His people a true and eternal rest.


Every 7th year Sabbath was a reminder that, in the future rest, God would provide for their every need, and that the curse of sin which made it necessary to till the ground (Gen. 3:17) would be done away.


And every 7th year Sabbath, which required the releasing of slaves and the forgiveness of debts (Deut. 15:1,12-15), was a sign that in the future day of rest God would truly deliver His people from the bondage and debt of sin.


And every Jubilee, which would occur at least once in the life of most Jews, was the occasion when the whole meaning of the Sabbath laws was summed up in the command in Lev. 25:10.(written on the Liberty Bell)

The Deeper Symbolism Of The Jubilee


Back to the 490 years of Daniel.If one Jubilee was an occasion to “proclaim liberty throughout all the land” . . . How much more the 10th Jubilee?



To the Jewish mind, the 10th Jubilee would symbolize salvation and rest for the people of God.Because of Israel’s unfaithfulness, the preceding 10 Jubilees had brought bondage, the opposite of what the Sabbath stood for.



Now Gabriel announces to Daniel a new period of 10 Jubilees, 70 Sabbath years, to bring in the true salvation and deliverance from bondage that God was preparing for His people.



This understanding was not foreign to the Jewish mind. The Jews at Qumran, just before the time of Christ, anticipated the coming of the “Messiah spoken of by Daniel” at the end of a “tenth Jubilee”.



This also makes good sense of the 7-62-1 breakdown of the 70 weeks. The physical restoration of the Jews to the land during the first Jubilee serves as a kind of down-payment or foreshadowing of the spiritual restoration that will occur at the end of 10 Jubilees.

Faith comes by hearing the word of

God.Has your faith in God and the magnificent unfolding of His plan

been strengthened by this study?

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Will You Become A Christian?

Hear the Gospel (Rom. 10:17)Believe in Jesus as the Son of God (Mark 16:16)Repent of Your Sins (Acts 17:30)Confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10)Be Baptized for Forgiveness of Sins (Acts 2:38)

Live Faithfully until You Die (Rev. 2:10)

the goals of the seventy weeks

Documents

sevens of daniel

week antichrist

pairsthe goals

years of babylonian

weeksevery goal

destruction of jerusalem

year interpretation

recognized captivity