THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL AND THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST

God’s timeline in the Bible is an amazing thing to consider (Eccl. 3:1; Isa. 46:10). The only one who could have written a book like this is God, for only God knows the future (Isa. 42:9; John 13:19). When we consider prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled later, or even prophecies in the New Testament made by Jesus and the apostles, we see that the Bible is a divine book (2 Pet. 1:19–21; Luke 24:44; Acts 3:18).

The prophet Daniel spoke of seventy weeks—or 490 years—in what was an absolutely staggering prophetic prediction with pinpoint accuracy (Dan. 9:24–27). This prophecy had to do with the amazing work of Christ on our behalf to save us (Matt. 1:21; John 3:16), the culmination of God’s redemptive plan (Eph. 1:9–10), and the institution of Christ’s spiritual body, the church (Eph. 3:10–11; Col. 1:18). The church is the true Kingdom of God (Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:28; Rom. 14:17).

Daniel’s Prophecy and God’s Redemptive Plan

God worked in the lives of His people in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and continues working in our lives today (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; Rom. 15:4). God brought about redemption through Jesus Christ, and everything in the Bible ultimately points to Him (John 5:39; Luke 24:27).

We must keep this in mind when approaching difficult or mysterious passages. While these things were written for us, they were not written to us (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11). We do not need to understand every detail of Daniel’s prophecy to grasp its main point: Daniel was speaking to people of his day about events that were fulfilled in the first century (Acts 2:16–17; Heb. 1:1–2).

Daniel’s prophecy came while the Hebrews were in Babylonian captivity (Dan. 1:1–2). It spoke of the restoration of Jerusalem and what God would accomplish through His Messiah (Dan. 9:24). The people at the time could not have fully understood what God had planned (Isa. 55:8–9), but we now see, through Jesus Christ, the spiritual mission God intended: to save the world through His blood (Eph. 1:7; Rev. 1:5).

Though Old Testament prophets didn’t fully understand what they were saying, they spoke by the Spirit of God (1 Pet. 1:10–12; 2 Pet. 1:21). Daniel knew he was speaking about God’s promises and the coming Messiah (Dan. 9:25–26). This wasn’t about some far-off tribulation or modern nation—it was about the salvation of the remnant (Rom. 11:5) and the uniting of Jews and Gentiles through the Cross (Eph. 2:14–16).

Daniel’s prayer was answered when God sent Gabriel to give him insight (Dan. 9:21–23). God did this because He cares for His people (Ps. 103:13; 1 Pet. 5:7). Gabriel revealed the coming of the Messiah, His anointing, and His sacrificial death (Dan. 9:26; Isa. 53:5–8). Our salvation through Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New (Luke 24:46–47).

The 70th Week: Christ’s Ministry and the New Covenant

Though God planned to save us through Christ, He did not cause the religious leaders to reject Him—they did that of their own pride and hatred (Matt. 27:18; John 19:15; Acts 2:23). Because of this rejection, judgment would come upon Jerusalem, the Temple, and the entire Levitical system (Matt. 23:37–38; Heb. 8:13; Dan. 9:26–27).

The 69 weeks concluded with Jesus’ appearance (Luke 3:21–23). The 70th week represents His ministry, and in the middle of that “week”—about 3½ years in—Jesus was crucified (“cut off”) (Dan. 9:26; John 19:30). He was the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrifices (Heb. 10:10–14).

After His sacrifice, animal offerings were no longer necessary (Heb. 9:12; Col. 2:14). To show the world that the Old Covenant had ended, the Temple was destroyed (Matt. 24:2; Luke 21:6). This judgment confirmed Jesus as the Messiah and revealed the New Covenant of grace (Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 9:15).

All of this occurred during the lifetimes of Jesus and the apostles. There was no long gap between the 69th and 70th week. These events were seamless and complete (Luke 21:20–22; Acts 2:16).

This prophecy of the 70 weeks points to Jesus’ life, His atoning death, and the judgment upon Jerusalem for rejecting Him (Matt. 21:43; Rom. 11:20–22). That judgment culminated in AD 70 with the Roman destruction of the city and the Temple (Luke 19:43–44; Dan. 9:27).

Jesus’ Interpretation: The Abomination of Desolation

To know for sure what Daniel’s prophecy meant, we must let the New Testament interpret it. Jesus clearly explained it when He spoke about the destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15). This warning about the “abomination of desolation” was directed to first-century believers, not to us today (Matt. 24:16–20).

Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience and recorded Jesus saying, “When you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place… flee to the mountains” (Matt. 24:15–16). Luke, writing to Gentiles, interpreted it more clearly: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20).

This was fulfilled in AD 70 when pagan Romans desecrated and destroyed the Temple. The presence of Gentile armies in the holy place was an abomination (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15). Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled, not in our modern age, but in the first century (Luke 21:22).

God has always used even pagan nations to carry out judgment (Isa. 10:5; Hab. 1:6). The destruction of Jerusalem was God’s judgment for rejecting His Son (Acts 7:52; 1 Thess. 2:14–16). This final judgment brought the age of types and shadows to an end and publicly displayed the reality of the New Covenant (Heb. 10:1–2; Col. 2:17).

The Kingdom of Christ and Our Hope Today

With the destruction of the Temple, God showed the world that those who believe in Jesus—Jews and Gentiles alike—are the true people of God (Gal. 3:28–29; Eph. 2:19–22). God’s prophetic judgment on nations belongs to the past. The Great Tribulation and the Antichrist were first-century realities, not future events for us to fear (1 John 2:18; Rev. 1:1–3).

We learn from these fulfilled prophecies about God’s justice and grace (Rom. 15:4). The Bible is not centered on earthly kingdoms or world rulers—it is centered on Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2; John 18:36). Daniel’s prophecy is ultimately about salvation through Jesus (Dan. 9:24; Heb. 9:26).

The 70 weeks prophecy testifies to God’s faithfulness (Num. 23:19; Lam. 3:22–23). He keeps His promises—to save and to judge. Those who reject Christ will face final judgment (John 3:18; Heb. 10:26-31).

Those who are in Christ are saved because God has established a New Covenant which will last until the end of the world (Heb. 8:6–13; Heb. 13:20). Jesus promised His disciples that He would be with them to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). This did not have reference to the end of the world, but to the end of the Jewish age—the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (Matt. 24:1–3; Luke 21:5–6, 20–24).

The Kingdom of God is the body of Christ (Col. 1:13, 18; Eph. 1:22–23). We are saved by the accomplished salvation of Jesus Christ—His finished work on the Cross (John 19:30; Heb. 10:10–14). We trust in what He did and not in anything that we can do (Eph. 2:8–9; Titus 3:5).

We are not looking forward to some literal millennial reign of Christ in an earthly kingdom here (John 18:36; Luke 17:20–21). We are looking forward to the return of Christ to take us home to heaven (John 14:1–3; 1 Thess. 4:16–17; Phil. 3:20–21).

The destruction of Jerusalem is the final type in the Bible (Luke 21:20–24; Heb. 8:13). It represents the judgment of God upon those who reject Christ, which will take place at the end of time when Jesus comes again (2 Thess. 1:7–9; Rev. 20:11–15). Trust in Christ and we do not have to worry about anything that is to come in the future (Rom. 8:1; John 5:24; 1 John 4:17–18).

           Bryan Dewayne Dunaway

Appendix: The Prophetic Timeline of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks

If we want to get technical, we see that Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 9 is one of the most remarkable in the entire Bible. It lays out a timeline for the coming of the Messiah, His redemptive work, and the ultimate judgment on Jerusalem. If we want to understand this text rightly, we need to take the time to look at the structure God gave through His servant Daniel.

“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city…” (Daniel 9:24).

This “seventy weeks” refers to seventy weeks of years — that is, 70 × 7 = 490 years.

Daniel breaks this period into three distinct parts:

7 weeks (49 years)

62 weeks (434 years)

1 final week (7 years)

1. The Starting Point: The Decree to Rebuild Jerusalem

The timeline begins with “the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:25). That command was given by King Artaxerxes in 457 BC (Ezra 7:11–26), allowing the Jews to return from Babylonian captivity and rebuild the city and the Temple.

Starting year: 457 BC

2. The First 7 Weeks (49 years)

457 BC to 408 BC

These 49 years cover the period of rebuilding Jerusalem, including the city walls and the restoration of worship in the Temple. This was fulfilled in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 6:14–15; Neh. 6:15).

3. The 62 Weeks (434 years)

408 BC to 27 AD

From the completion of Jerusalem’s restoration to the appearance of the Messiah spans 62 weeks or 434 years. That brings us to 27 AD, the year Jesus began His public ministry at His baptism (Luke 3:21–23; Acts 10:38).

“Until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks…” (Daniel 9:25)

So, the total at this point is 7 + 62 = 69 weeks, or 483 years.

457 BC + 483 years = 27 AD

4. The Final (70th) Week

This is where the prophecy becomes most significant—and often, most debated.

“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering…” (Daniel 9:27)

The “He” is Christ, who confirmed the New Covenant (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 8:6).

In the middle of the week (after 3.5 years), Jesus was “cut off”—crucified (Dan. 9:26; Isa. 53:8; Luke 23:33).

His death put an end to sacrifice and offering, as He became the once-for-all sacrifice (Heb. 9:12; Heb. 10:10–14).

The remaining 3.5 years after Jesus’ death marked the time when the Gospel was still being preached primarily to the Jews (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:5; Acts 3:25–26).

Many believe the 70th week concluded around 34 AD, with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7), a moment symbolizing Israel’s full rejection of the Gospel by its leadership.

5. The Aftermath: The Destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD)

Although the destruction of Jerusalem falls outside the 490 years, it is still part of Daniel’s prophetic message:

“The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…” (Daniel 9:26)

This was fulfilled in 70 AD, when the Roman armies under Titus destroyed the city and the Temple—God’s final judgment upon the nation that rejected its Messiah (Matt. 23:37–38; Matt. 24:1–2; Luke 21:20–24).

Conclusion

Daniel’s prophecy is not about distant future events in our modern times—it is about Christ, His sacrifice, and God’s faithfulness to fulfill His word. There is no gap between the 69th and 70th week; the entire prophecy unfolds seamlessly with the life, ministry, and death of Jesus, followed by the Gospel proclamation to Israel and the judgment on Jerusalem.

“Seventy weeks are determined…” (Daniel 9:24)

God determined it—and He brought it to pass with perfect precision. BDD