The 70 Weeks Prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 Explained!

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To begin, let’s quote from “Halley’s Bible Handbook”: “The Captivity, which was then drawing to a close, had lasted 70 years. Daniel is here told by the angel that it would yet be ’70 weeks’ till the coming of the Messiah [see verse 24]. The ’70 weeks’ is generally understood to mean 70 weeks of years, that is, 70 sevens of years, or seven times 70 years, that is 490 years. As if the angel were saying, The Captivity has been 70 years; the period between the Captivity and the Coming of the Messiah will be seven times that long. Seven, and cycles of seven, sometimes have symbolic meanings; yet the actual facts of this prophecy are most amazing, as follows:

The date from which the 70 weeks was to be counted was the decree to re-build Jerusalem [see verse 25]. There were three decrees issued by Persian kings for this purpose … The principal one of these was 457 B C [the one given by Artaxerxes]. The 70 weeks is subdivided into 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week [see verses 25 and 27]. The 69 weeks (including the 7) equal 483 days, that is, on the year-day theory, Ezek 4:6, which is the commonly accepted interpretation, 483 years. This 483 years is the period between the decree to re-build Jerusalem and the coming of the ‘Anointed One,’ [see verse 25]. The decree to re-build Jerusalem, as noted above, was 457 B C. Adding 483 years to 457 B C brings us to 26 A D, the very year that Jesus was baptized and began his public ministry. A most remarkable fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy, even to the year. Further, within 3 1/2 years Jesus was crucified, that is, ‘in the midst of the one week’ ‘the Anointed One’ was ‘cut off,’ ‘purged away sin and brought in everlasting righteousness,’ [see verses 24, 26, and 27]” (End quote).

There is however one slight correction to be made in Halley’s Bible Handbook. The overall calculations are correct, but it does not account for the ONE YEAR which is gained in making the transition from B.C. to A.D. dates. Because there is no year 0, one year is gained and must be added to the A.D. date. It was A.D. 27 when Jesus was baptized and began His ministry — not A.D. 26.

In conclusion, it is extremely noteworthy that in Daniel’s prophecy of the ‘seventy weeks’ (Dan. 9:24-27), Jesus was to be cut off ‘in the midst of the week.’ While this prophecy has the application of a day for a year, so that this 70th week became a literal seven years, Christ being ‘cut off’ after three-and-a-half years’ ministry, as He was, also denotes that He was ‘cut off’ on the middle day [Wednesday] of a literal week.”

Who Are The 24 Elders Of Revelation 5?

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Some falsely teach that the 24 elders of Revelation 5 are taken from among saved mortals. This assumption is based primarily on a mistranslation of Revelation 5:8-10. According to the original inspired Greek, the last half of verse 9 and all of verse 10 should read: “…for thou wast slain, and has redeemed them (the saints, not us, the 24 elders) to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made them (not us) unto our God kings and priests: and they (not we) shall reign on the earth.” The Jamieson Fausset-Brown Commentary agrees that this refers to God’s Church only.

We know that the 24 elders are not redeemed human beings because no man except Jesus Christ (John 3:13) has ascended to God’s throne. The elders then are powerful spirit beings – not men – who assist God at His throne in heaven. They are a part of the created heavenly host that have been given positions of responsibility in the government of God, through which He rules the universe.

On the other hand, the resurrected saints will reign on earth! (See Revelation 10:4). All human beings – those who are Christ’s true servants – will be given immortality when Christ returns to earth to rule (I Cor. 15:22-23.