Finally, The Correct Interpretation of the 70 Weeks Prophecy in Daniel

Why do you feel the 70 years should have these gaps and not be contiguous?

Also, how would you convince someone who thinks the putting an end to sacrifices was the Messiah?
 
dizerner said:
Why do you feel the 70 years should have these gaps and not be contiguous?

Also, how would you convince someone who thinks the putting an end to sacrifices was the Messiah?
Click to expand...
I'll reply to the second question first. I don't understand the assumption. "putting an end to sacrifices"? Don't understand what that is referring to exactly.

Why are the 70 Weeks (not years) not possible to be contiguous? Because that is what the Hebrew text says. That is not what English translations say - obviously. But studying the original Hebrew very closely shows that it must be this way. And Gabriel even say this at the end of 9:23. He tells Daniel to understand the words AND the blueprint/pattern.
 
Examining the original text from a Hebrew viewpoint of the period leads to some conclusions:
1. the word is not "sacrifices". It is singular
2. it is paired with the word meaning "offering" and very often referring to "grain offering"
3. the entire prophecy has been dealing with Jerusalem and the temple. This pairing of words is shorthand to refer to the system of jewish religion - the daily animal sacrifices and grain offerings
4. to make this refer to Messiah is reading into the text
 
dizerner said:
What do you think of this:

Can Hebrew linguistics help clarify the 70 weeks in Daniel 9:25?

One major issue in discussions of the prophecy of the 70 weeks of years in Daniel 9 is whether and how to break up the sets of weeks among the predicted periods in Verse 25. The NKJV has for Daniel 9: 24. “Seventy [e]weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the...
forums.carm.org
Click to expand...
Good overview of some of the issues. But very disappointed that even this writer does not understand that Hebrew does not have capital letters. He puts in capital letters for the supposed transliteration from the Hebrew. All his deductions after this are flawed.
 
Here's another clue for the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.

After comparing the various alternate English translations of Daniel 9:25 and showing just how much they vary in timing the periods of Weeks, there's another major issue to consider. Anyone whose interpretation combines the first 7 Weeks together with the next 62 Weeks needs to also combine the following 1 Week with the final 1/2 Week. They MUST deal with the 70 1/2 Weeks Prophecy. Yes. 70 and 1/2 Weeks as their text reads.

How is that possible? Why have they missed this all this time? They just don't know what the Hebrew text says.

Daniel 9:25 Hebrew text literally says "weeks seven and weeks sixty and two". They take a look at this (usually just in the English) and happily combine it all together to get 69 Weeks.

But they MUST be consistent and do the same with Daniel 9:27. The Hebrew text literally says "week one and half the week". Add it together in the same way. 1 1/2 Weeks. If you add it together in verse 25, you must do the same thing in verse 27.

69 + 1 1/2 = 70 1/2 Weeks.

What's the problem? Well, of course back in verse 24 Gabriel specifically says there are 70 Weeks in total. It can't possibly be 70 1/2 Weeks. So these people who don't treat the text in a consistent manner have a problem. They don't realize they have a problem. They will deny they have a problem. But that doesn't change the fact that they do indeed have a problem.

This is all part of the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.
 
Here's another clue for the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.

We've compared the various alternate English translations of Daniel 9:25 and showed just how much they vary in timing the periods of Weeks, And we've discovered the inconvenient issue for those who combine the 7 Weeks with 62 Weeks as they need to be consistent to then combine the 1 Week with 1/2 Week and then explain away the resulting 70 1/2 Weeks. Next, there's the glaring error for those that want to use the 457 BC decree as the starting point of the 70 Weeks timeline.

Daniel 9:25a is very clear that the start of the whole period is "from the going out of a word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" [LSB]. "Sub" and "bana" in Hebrew. And very specifically tied to restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem.

Ezra 7 contains the narrative for those that want to use 457 BC as the start. Putting aside the issue about combining the 7 Weeks with the 62 Weeks inconsistency, the purpose for the decree by Artaxerxes in his 7th year simply doesn't support the 70 Weeks prophecy. No where in that chapter does it mention restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem. No "sub" and "bana". Nothing. The decree was about beautifying the temple.
[Ezr 7:23 LSB] 23 "Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
[Ezr 7:27 LSB] 27 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who has put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem,

The Temple. Not Jerusalem. Yet, some will counter with this:
[Ezr 7:25 LSB] 25 "And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in [the province] beyond the River, [even] all those who know the laws of your God; and to anyone who does not know [the laws], you shall make [them] known.

They assume that because Ezra was supposed to set up the ruling council that somehow meant a connection with rebuilding Jerusalem. It simply does not say this. This ruling council was the start of what would later become the Great Sanhedrin. A group of religious rulers that had their headquarters in the temple. The decree of Artaxerxes in his 7th year does not meet the requirements for the start of the 70 Weeks prophecy in Daniel 9:25.

This is all part of the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.
 
Here's another clue for the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.

What is with the first 7 Weeks anyway? What is the purpose behind carving out that period of 7 Weeks of years? 7 x 7. 49 years.

Every interpretation put forward must explain the reason for this period. Very few do. I have yet to see a Scriptural reason given for this period. Except for the correct interpretation, of course.

The only reason that I've seen given when someone is honest enough to tackle this inconvenient sticking point, is it took 49 years in order for Jerusalem to be restored. Really? Really! That's the best they can come up with?
So hypothetically 457 BC - 49 years = 408 BC
or hypothetically 444 BC - 49 years = 395 BC
or hypothetically 445 BC - 49 * 360 day years = 397 BC

Will someone ever make the case of where there is evidence that Jerusalem was completely rebuilt by any one of these choices: 408 BC, 395 BC or 397 BC? It's actually really shocking that some expert Biblical scholars propose this theory with a straight face (ahem, Tommy Ice) and quickly move past this hoping that no one will notice. But some of us DO notice these things.

Jerusalem faced multiple periods of destruction; it was truly a time of hardship. This period included the conquest by Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabean revolt. Josephus chronicled this period. Here are some passages relating how Jerusalem fared during this period with emphasis added.

“And when he [Antiochus] had pillaged the whole
city[Jerusalem], some of the inhabitants he slew, and
some he carried captive, together with their wives and
children, so that the multitude of those captives that
were taken alive amounted to about ten thousand. He
also burnt down the finest buildings; and when he had
overthrown the city walls, he built a citadel in the lower
part of the city, for the place was high and overlooked
the temple, on which account he fortified it with high
walls, and towers, and put into it a garrison of Macedonians.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XII, 5, 4

There were threats of annihilation against the people.
“When King Antiochus heard of these things, he was
very angry at what had happened: ...and that he should
conquer Judea, and take its inhabitants for slaves, and
utterly destroy Jerusalem, and abolish the whole nation.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XII, 7, 2

“Judas also rebuilt the walls round about the city; and
reared towers of great height against the incursions of
enemies, and set guards therein.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XII, 7, 7

“...they went out of the temple. But when Antiochus
came into it, and saw how strong the place was, he
broke his oaths, and ordered his army that was there to
pluck down the walls to the ground; and when he had so
done, he returned to Antioch.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XII, 9, 7

“I [Alexander, the son of Antiochus Epiphanes] also
give you leave to repair and rebuild your temple, and
that all be done at my expences. I also allow you to
build the walls of your city, and to erect high towers,
and that they be erected at my charge. And if there be
any fortified town that would be convenient for the
Jewish country to have very strong, let it be so built at
my expences.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XIII, 2, 3

“When Simon and Jonathan had finished these affairs,
they returned to Jerusalem, where Jonathan gathered
all the people together, and took counsel to restore the
walls of Jerusalem, and to rebuild the wall that encompassed
the temple, which had been thrown down, and to
make the places adjoining stronger by very high towers;
and besides that, to build another wall in the midst of
the city, in order to exclude the market-place from the
garrison which was in the citadel, and by that means to
hinder them from any plenty of provisions; and moreover,
to make the fortresses that were in the country
much stronger, and more defensible, than they were before.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XIII, 5,11

“Some time after this, when Alexander, the son of Aristobulus,
made an incursion into Judea, Gabinius came
from Rome into Syria, as commander of the Roman
forces. He did many considerable actions: and particularly
made war with Alexander, since Hyrcanus was
not yet able to oppose his power, but was already attempting
to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, which Pompey
had overthrown although the Romans, which were
there, restrained him from that his design.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XIV, 5, 2

“And now Herod, in the eighteenth year of his reign,
and after the acts already mentioned, undertook a very
great work, that is, to build of himself the temple of God,
and make it larger in compass, and to raise it to a most
magnificent altitude, as esteeming it to be the most glorious
of all his actions, as it really was, to bring it to perfection.”
[Josephus] Antiquities XV, 11, 1

Jerusalem, the walls and the temple faced multiple times of destruction and rebuilding over the centuries. Yes, "in times of distress". This claim that 7 Weeks of years was how long the construction took is just not accurate to history. Is there some other alternate explanation? At this point, any interpretation that combines the 7 Weeks with the 62 Weeks can not be defended.

This is all part of the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.
 
Here's another clue for the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.

The Challenge has identified the following facts.

1. Ezra says there were 4 commands given allowing for the completion of the temple. When was the first one done; where is this literal decree?
[Ezr 6:14 LSB] 14b So they built and completed [the Temple] according to the decree of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

2. The words to restore and build - Hebrew "sub" and "bana". Where were those actual words used in Jeremiah and what exactly did they signify?
[Dan 9:2 ESV] 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3. In Daniel 9:25 the phrase "the going out of a word...". The "word" is the Hebrew "dabar". It means speech, utterance, words. Daniel never uses this word to refer to an official decree by an earthly king. Never.

4. The entire contents of Daniel's prophecies would be hidden from proper interpretation until the time of the end.
[Dan 12:4 LSB] 4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the time of the end; ..."

5. Bible translations of the 70 Weeks passage vary all over the place with the timing of the Weeks in the prophecy. It's so confusing since every translation puts their particular bias into the text. They have to. Hebrew does not have capital letters or punctuation so any translation will be an interpretation. The proper interpretation is all tied to the original Hebrew text. No one will understand the prophecy correctly by reading an English translation.

6. Many combine the 7 Weeks with the 62 Weeks to get a combined 69 Weeks. But they don't realize that in order to treat the text consistently, then according to the Hebrew text, they MUST also combine the following 1 Week with the 1/2 Week. All this adds up to 70 1/2 Weeks. It obviously must be 70 Weeks so they must explain this issue with their assumption.

7. There are those who use the 457 BC decree of Artaxerxes as the start of the period of 70 Weeks. Daniel 9:25 is quite specific to state that the start has to do with restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem. The 457 BC decree had nothing whatsoever to do with that; it allowed for the beautification of the Temple.
[Ezr 7:27 LSB] 27 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who has put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem,

8. There must be a specific purpose behind carving out the first period of 7 Weeks of years? What exactly is the reason for those 49 years?

All these facts must be addressed and properly explained by any interpretation of the 70 Weeks. This is all part of the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.
 
You haven't convinced me, honestly, but I can tell you put a lot of work into it.

I would avoid any specific predictions for the date of the final week—it seems clear to me Christ said this is not revealed.
 
It's not about convincing. It's about those with open minds to investigate for THEMSELVES. The source and references and evidence are there for anyone.
That's been the problem with this. Hardly anyone investigates and checks this for themselves. Be like the Bereans and check it out.

[1Co 2:15 LSB] 15 But he who is spiritual examines all things,...
 
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When people are convinced within themselves, have closed minds and who are set in their interpretations - when they are challenged to defend their views against Scripture, how do they react?
  • You've got the trolls who have nothing to offer - they just put childish emojis on anything they don't like
  • Then you have those who just deflect and change the subject back to their pet view.
  • Then you've got the twisters - the ones who use pieces of pet Scripture totally out of context to bolster their views.
  • Then you've got the ones who make things up, totally against historical evidence and defend it by saying "it means that to me, so I'm right".
  • Then you've got the ostriches who think if they don't look at anything else, their own opinion is safe if they can stay in ignorance.
  • Then you've got the projectors who accuse people of behaving and thinking exactly like they are behaving and thinking
And all of these types of people have one thing in common. They are unwilling to weigh their interpretations in the balance against the facts which can be easily shown. Facts which most people either are not aware of or choose to stay ignorant of.
 
It seems most people are not interested to investigate the very many interpretations that people come up with. Most are very closed minded after they settle on some interpretation that checks whatever theological baggage boxes they have. I have never come across this kind of study that I will be talking about. There might be someone who has done this before. But I'm saying I haven't come across it.

There is no English translation of Daniel 9 that is truly accurate to the original Hebrew text. The closest I've come across is Young's Literal Translation. But even that one contains obvious errors. An English translation is going to have to present the text in proper grammatical structure and phrasing. Just that act alone will distort any particular language structure of the Hebrew text. The second closest English translation is the ESV. So let's use that translation as a base. You'll see why in a second.

There are a few basic facts about Hebrew which have to be taken into account. First, Hebrew does NOT have a difference between capital and lower case letters. Second, the original Hebrew did not have any indication of punctuation. Third, sentences and change of thought were signified by using the word "and".

So here is the ESV text with some words (in blue) changed to more accurate renderings. No capitals. No punctuation. Every "and" starts a new line.
[Daniel 9:24-27 ESV]
24 "seventy weeks are decreed concerning your people
and your holy city to finish the transgression
and to put an end to sin
and to atone for iniquity
and to bring in everlasting righteousness
and to seal both vision and prophet
and to anoint holy holies

25 and know therefore
and understand that from the going out of the word concerning to restore
and build jerusalem until anointed one prince [there shall be] seven weeks
and sixty-two weeks will be returned to
and will be rebuilt with wide flat spaces
and upright sections even in a troubled times

26 and after the sixty-two weeks an anointed one shall be cut off
and shall have nothing
and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary
and its end shall come with a flood
and to the end there shall be war
desolations are decreed.

27 and he will confirm, re-enable covenant with many for one week
and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and grain offering
and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate
and until the complete destruction
and the decisive decision is poured out on the desolator."
Click to expand...
This already gives quit a different picture of the prophecy than is found in most English translations. And remember, this is based on treating the Hebrew more accurately and not putting in any particular bias of interpretation like most English translations do.

Next step. Combine the "and"s where it is obviously referring to similar items.
[Daniel 9:24-27 ESV]
24 "seventy weeks are decreed concerning your people and your holy city to finish the transgression
and to put an end to sin
and to atone for iniquity
and to bring in everlasting righteousness
and to seal both vision and prophet
and to anoint holy holies

25 and know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word concerning to restore and build jerusalem until anointed one prince [there shall be] seven weeks
and sixty-two weeks will be returned to and will be rebuilt with wide flat spaces and upright sections even in a troubled times

26 and after the sixty-two weeks an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing
and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary
and its end shall come with a flood
and to the end there shall be war
desolations are decreed.

27 and he will confirm, re-enable covenant with many for one week
and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and grain offering
and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate
and until the complete destruction and the decisive decision is poured out on the desolator."
Click to expand...
Things are even more clear. Final step is to remove the verse markers. And arrange the Weeks into definite beginning and end based on change of thoughts

[Daniel 9:24-27 ESV]

Purpose
seventy weeks are decreed concerning your people and your holy city to finish the transgression
and to put an end to sin
and to atone for iniquity
and to bring in everlasting righteousness
and to seal both vision and prophet
and to anoint holy holies

7 Weeks
and know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word concerning to restore and build jerusalem until anointed one prince [there shall be] seven weeks

62 Weeks
and sixty-two weeks will be returned to and will be rebuilt with wide flat spaces and upright sections even in a troubled times

After
and after the sixty-two weeks an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing
and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary
and its end shall come with a flood
and to the end there shall be war
desolations are decreed.

1 Week
and he will confirm, re-enable covenant with many for one week
and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and grain offering
and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate
and until the complete destruction and the decisive decision is poured out on the desolator."
Click to expand...
This is a much clearer rendering of the original Hebrew which follows the grammatical structure and characteristics of the language. It leads to the proper interpretation of the prophecy.
 
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70WeeksTimeline.jpg

The missing puzzle piece is that it was God Himself who gave the command to return to and rebuild Jerusalem. Gabriel told Daniel to reread Jeremiah to find out where and when this had been done. He gave him a play on words. That it would not just be the subject matter but the very words themselves he should look for. "sub" and "bana". Where did God use those words? And Jeremiah includes the date when this was done. He doesn't just give one date. He gives two so that it was very specific. This was in 587 BC.

Each group of Weeks has a specific purpose. And a particular start and end. They are not combined. In fact, what no one has noticed in the modern era, is that there isn't just one gap. There are two gaps. But that's not all. Each gap is itself a grouping of Weeks. The first gap was 14 Weeks (98 years) long. The second gap is approaching 290 Weeks (2030 years) long. The entire prophetic timeline is made up of groups of Weeks.

This interpretation is the most accurate because:
1. it takes the prophetic text literally (the years are proper years)
2. it syncs with the historical information in the Bible
3. it syncs with the prophecies in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel
4. it confirms the purposes given for the 70 Weeks
5. it provides a proper and accurate understanding of the Hebrew text and customs

And it passes the Ezra 6:14 Challenge.
 
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