A little more than 2500 years ago, a man named Nebuchadnezzar ruled the Babylonian Empire, which was then the greatest empire in the world. He ruled from the city of Babylon which was about 30 miles south of present day Baghdad, Iraq. The prophet, Daniel, had been captured in Jerusalem and taken to Babylon, but Daniel was aware of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the return of the Jews to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity (Daniel 9:2, Jer 25:11). Daniel must have also known about Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Israel's New Covenant Kingdom (Jer 31:31) because he asked God when that kingdom would come. In Daniel 9:24 the answer came.

Dan 9:24-27
24 "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
25 "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 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. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate." (NKJ)

It would be 70 weeks from the Jews' return to Jerusalem to the New Covenant Kingdom. Daniel also found out that it would be a total of 69 weeks before the Messiah would come and be killed. After 69 weeks and the "cutting off" of the Messiah, a dark prince would come who would destroy Jerusalem and the temple. This evil prince would make a treaty with the Jews for one week and rule until the consummation or until the kingdom was established.

Did Daniel know how long each week would be? We do not know. But from the time Cyrus the Persian made the decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem until Jesus Christ was killed was 483 years. This would make 69 weeks with each week being 7 years. Following the same time scale, the evil prince (the antichrist) was to make a treaty with the Jews for 7 years before the New Covenant Kingdom was established.

This 7 year period is known as the 70th Week of Daniel, and, based on Matthew 24, it is also called the tribulation period. Daniel 9:27 is the only scriptural reference to indicate that the tribulation period will last 7 years. As John wrote about the tribulation period in the book of the Revelation, he never mentioned this seven year period, but in three different ways, he referred to a 3 and 1/2 year period of tribulation. He referred to "time, times and a half time" (Rev 12:14). He referred to 42 months (Rev 11:2, Rev 13:5). And he referred to 1260 days (Rev 11:3, Rev 12:6 - The Jewish calendar had 360 days per year). Daniel said the antichrist would break his treaty with the Jews in the middle of the 70th week, and it seems that the Apostle John's prophecies in the Revelation concentrate more on those last 3 and 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th week.

As one reads Daniel's prophecy, it is clear that the 70th week is set apart from the other 69 weeks, but there is no indication of a break in time between the 69th and the 70th week. It has now been nearly 2000 years since Jesus Christ was killed and neither the antichrist nor the kingdom has appeared.

It is obvious that Daniel did not see the age in which we now live. Our present age is a parenthetical age with a unique program which God did not reveal to the Old Testament prophets. This program was revealed to the Apostle Paul as a special stewardship concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ.

Col 1:24-26
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (NKJ)

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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