““At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book..”
Daniel 12: 1
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
Matthew 24:21
There is no doubt, there is predicted a “time of trouble” by Daniel and Jesus in these two verses, but how long is it?
The length of the time of trouble in the verses above is not specific about the time. It is the same for other Bible writers. It is just a “time of trouble.” It can be said with absolute certainty; there is not one verse in the Bible that uses the phrase “7 years of tribulation” or “7 years of trouble.” The attempt to make it 7 years comes from a fanciful misinterpretation of Daniel 9: 24-27 prophecy.
The Daniel 9 prophecy is powerful when interpreted in its setting. History confirms the angel’s words sent to Daniel; words to help him understand a portion of a much longer time prophecy. A correct understanding validates the accuracy of Scripture and the God who inspired holy men to write them. Daniel’s vision of the 70-week prophecy has helped many believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. I am one of them.
In previous posts, we have explored What the Rapture is Not. Please read this before continuing. It will help in the understanding of what happens when Jesus returns and how the time of trouble fits in the timeline.
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Let’s read the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 and compare it with actual history and dates supported by the Bible to see if there is a 7-year tribulation hidden somewhere in it. We will discover the power of this prophecy in Daniel, written almost 500 years before Jesus!
Please follow and study closely. When we are finished, I recommend you verify the dates at your local library or other resources. Beware of the confusion of the internet. Also, I have included a chart at the end in the “Appendix” to make these dates easier to see and follow.
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Ready? Here we go. Be sure to pay special attention to keywords and the context.
Daniel 9:24-27
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (7), and threescore (60) and two weeks (2): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
And after threescore (60) and two weeks (2) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (1): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Daniel 9: 24-27
If you count up the number in parenthesis, you will have the 70 weeks mentioned at the start of the prophecy. There is a reason why they are split up that way. I will not go into those historical reasons in this writing for the sake of staying on point.
The setting for these verses is important in understanding the prophecy. Daniel and his people (The Jews) had been taken captive by Babylon and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and lay desolate as prophesied by Jeremiah. It was predicted by Jeremiah that they would be in captivity for 70 years!
“In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the *desolations of Jerusalem.”
(*notice how the word desolations is used here. Jerusalem was empty! A place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation. This will come in handy as you study the abomination of desolations later. Sadly, as I write this, Russia has made certain cities of the Ukraine-desolate)
Daniel 9:2
As the 70 years of captivity for God’s people drew near to the end, Daniel began to pray and confess his sins and the sins of the people (Verses 4-20). Then Gabriel (an angel) came and informed Daniel that he had…
“come to give thee skill and understanding.”
Daniel 9:22
Then Gabriel gives the vision, as stated in Verses 24-27 above. This is the skill and understanding Daniel needed to understand the message. Daniel knew from Jeremiah’s writings the 70 years of captivity would soon end. But now 70 weeks is introduced. A quick summary of Daniel 9: 24-27 reveals six actions that were to be accomplished in an apparently short period of time:
Six Actions For God’s People:
- Finish the transgression
- Make an end of sins
- Make reconciliation for iniquity
- Bring in everlasting righteousness
- Seal up the vision and prophecy
- Anoint the most Holy
So God was giving the Jewish people (Daniel’s people in captivity) 70 weeks or 490 days to do all those things; ending with anointing the most Holy. We shall see that the anointing of the most Holy is not in regards to the apartment in the sanctuary necessarily, but the Holy One of God-Jesus
The 70 weeks given to the Jews are are calculated in the verses in sections:
“seven weeks” (7) and
“three score” (60) and
“two weeks” (2)
“one week” (1)
Simple arithmetic shows this is a total of 70 weeks. In days, this is 490 days (7 X 70).
A Day Equals a Year in Bible Prophecy
Often in Bible prophecy, the day = year principle is used to unlock the timelines for the coming events. The verses that support this principle can be found in the passages below:
“After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.”
Numbers 14:34
This was a prophecy given by God Himself. He used the 40 days they spied out the land to represent the number of years (40) the children of Israel would wander in the wilderness. A day=a year principal disclosed a literal time period. Here is another example:
“And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.”
Ezekiel 4:6
God commands the prophet, Ezekiel, to represent the siege of Jerusalem for 40 years. The day=a year principal at work again.
So God was giving the Jewish people 490 years for their assignment. He sent prophets and others to inspire and help keep them close to him during this time. But as one reads their story, it is quickly seen that they often went after other gods and forsook the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Most of all the one and only true Creator God and their mission was minimized.
Eventually, the religion of Israel became stiff and legalistic, often relying on their heritage than on the God who delivered them many times in miraculous ways. The scripture became so twisted that they denied their Messiah, who would have made them the greatest nation on the earth. Their actions would not be without consequences.
But let’s not be too judgmental of their plight. Today’s Christians are a similar position as Abraham’s seed. It is no wonder Paul stated,
These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days.
1 Corinthians 10:11 CEV
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The Start Date for the Prophecy
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…”Daniel 9: 24
If we can determine where the 490 years begin (with certainty), we can understand the other events of the prophecy. The timelines start here:
“….from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem”
Daniel 9: 25
This command to restore and build Jerusalem can be found in Ezra Chapter 7 when Artaxerxes gave the commandment in 457 BC (See the *notes at the end).
So, now that we have a starting date let’s see where it takes us: The first stop is the coming of the Messiah, the Prince
The First Event of the Prophecy:
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince….Daniel 9: 25
The Messiah the Prince can refer only to Jesus himself. He is both the Messiah and a Prince
He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).
John 1:41
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
John 1:45
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
So we know that from the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince (Jesus) would be a certain length of time. How long? The answer is 69 weeks, (483 days or 483 years)
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (7), and threescore (60) and two weeks (2): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Using the day=a year principal…We start at 457BC and move forward through history 483 years. It brings us to 27 AD Jesus was baptized and anointed for the beginning of his ministry on this date just as the prophecy in Daniel predicted! Remarkable!
Here is an important verse that connects Daniel 9 with Jesus’ baptism:
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:”
Matthew 3:16
A dove represents anointing. Another exciting passage that makes sense in the light of Jesus beginning his ministry precisely on time according to Daniel’s prophecy some 500 years before Jesus is this one:
“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son…”
Galatians 4:4
The time was “full.” In other words, Jesus came to this earth and began his ministry right on time! It may be possible that this quote is about this particular prophecy in Daniel 9!
We know that God knows the future and will not do anything unless he reveals it by his prophets:
“Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7
69 weeks or 483 years of the 70 weeks or 490 years has been explained. Isn’t it comforting to know that God, through the prophet Daniel let the world know when Jesus would come on the scene?
The 7 Years Explained
Now let’s look at the last week or 7 years. This is where Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, and others use the 7 years as a period of tribulation. They disconnect it from this timeline and attempt to run it down to the end of time after Jesus “raptures the church.”
But we are going to let the verses speak for themselves. We will keep the last week on the timeline as intended. If we do, we learn the most exciting and powerful part of this prophecy!
Daniel tells us after Jesus began his ministry that Jesus would be cut off:
“Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:….” Daniel 9: 26
But before He is cutoff he would do the following:
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, Daniel 9:27”
Jesus was to “confirm the covenant with many for 1 week or 7 days, which is 7 years in prophecy. But He is “cut off” in the middle of the week or 3 1/2 days or 3 1/2 years Jesus’ ministry was exactly that long (3 1/2 years) before He was “cut off” or crucified on a Roman cross in 31 AD! Again, this is remarkably accurate!
Jesus ministered from 27 AD to 31 AD. As Daniel 9:27 stated, the sacrifices and oblations also ended at the time of Jesus’ death. The law of ceremonies had served their purpose of teaching the Jewish nation about the price of sin, the sacrifice for it, and the plan of salvation. Those ceremonial laws were the School Master to bring people to Jesus and help them understand the lesson of sin, forgiveness, grace, and the sacrifice of Jesus! The School Master died forever the day Jesus died on the cross as the true Lamb of God.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:24, 25
All the festivals, drink, meat offerings, and special Sabbath days (Not the weekly Sabbath found in the 10 commandments) were shadows pointing to the body of Jesus. All those had served their purpose and were fulfilled in Christ:
“Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Colossians 2:17
On the other side of the cross, the people looked forward in faith to Jesus (the Messiah) and what He would do for them (Die for their sins). All of us on this side of the cross look back in faith at what Jesus has done for us (Die for our sins). Something extraordinary occurred at the crucifixion of Christ to demonstrate the truthfulness of the two verses above:
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;Matthew 27: 50, 51
Thus ended the rounds of ceremonies and the laws put in place by Moses to teach about Jesus. (Please note: These laws did not include the 10 commandments, as some would assert. A study for another time. )
Jesus told His disciples this:
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew 15: 24
Jesus was “confirming the covenant” with the children of Israel during His ministry. With them, he spent most of His time. His plea about the coming Kingdom of God was a message primarily to the Jews. He also told His disciples to do the same:
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 10: 5, 6
This the disciples did for 3 1/2 more years after Jesus was “cut off” or crucified in 31 AD. This takes us 3 1/2 years forward to the end of the 70 weeks or 490 years.
In the year 34 AD, specific and relevant events took place to mark the end of the 490 years “determined” or given unto the Jewish nation:
In this year Stephen was martyred and Paul was converted to be the teacher to the Gentiles
“I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”
2 Timothy 1:11
Another important passage of scripture also marks the end of 70 weeks given to the Jews to do all those things of the covenant listed in Daniel 9. It is a point where the burden of carrying the gospel to the entire world is taken off the shoulders of the Jews and given to the Gentiles. It is the point where God reveals who is a real Jew or seed of Abraham.
Paul and Barnabas were preaching to a large group but were interrupted by the Jews because of the large following of the two disciples. Those religious leaders who were interrupting contradicted Paul and Barnabas and blasphemed God! But it is what Paul and Barnabas say that marks the transition and end of the 490 years given to the Daniel’s people (Israelites)
“But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Acts 13: 45, 46
The appointed people of God had rebelled continuously and failed to keep the covenant (agreement). At this transitional period in history God turned to the Gentiles and made them heir to the promises of God:
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galatians 3:29
No longer was there a distinction between literal Jew and Gentile if one belongs to Christ. God’s chosen people are identified as belonging to Christ:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Romans 2:28, 29
Thus the 70-week prophecy came to an end! There is no room or context in the prophecy for 7 years of tribulation or the Anti Christ. It is simply not there. To try to force it takes away from a beautiful and essential part of the ministry of Christ of keeping the covenant with them while He was on this earth.
While Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, and others have everyone looking at Jerusalem for the rebuilding of the temple to mark the soon return of Jesus, the Anti Christ is at work elsewhere in the world. This we will see in future studies. The Hollywood-produced Bible fiction is so deceptive that almost the whole world is taken in. What a great diversion by the enemy of humanity! It teaches an incorrect story about Jesus’ return and gives false hope of a 2nd chance after Jesus returns.
In conclusion, the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9 is mishandled to try and support 7 years of tribulation at the end of time and the work of the Anti Christ. If the prophecy is kept in its context, it becomes a prophecy to support Jesus as the Messiah, his crucifixion, the spread of the gospel, and God’s long-suffering with the lost sheep of the house of Israel!
Below is a summary chart of the dates we have discussed above:
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APPENDIX
Below is information about the start date of this Daniel 9 prophecy (if you want more detail). I hope this study helped you see how God is in control and provided proof of Jesus’ ministry hundreds of years before He came to pay the price for our sins.
*Notes about the dates described in this writing:
Ezra has three decrees with different dates that could be used. Nehemiah has a date also. But the decision as to which one to use, you must keep in mind the key words of the prophecy: “the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.” The four decrees are :
The decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-4)
The decree of Darius I (Ezra 6:1-12)
The decree of Artaxerxes I (Longimanuus) (Ezra 7: 12-26)
The decree of Artaxerxes (Nehemiah Chapters 1 and 2)
Let’s eliminate some of the dates based on the guiding verse of Daniel 9:25 Ezra 1-gave instruction only for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Said nothing about the whole city. We can eliminate this date. Ezra 6-simply the endorsement by Darius of the decree of Cyrus. It only mentions the building of the “house of God.” We can eliminate this date. Ezra 7 makes provision for complete restoration of the Jewish state, including the right to appoint magistrates and judges, hold trials, and pass and execute sentences upon violators of their national laws. This date fits the idea of “restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem.”
Nehemiah 2-Wording has not been preserved but was simply a reinstatement of Artaxerxes original authorization to Ezra recorded in Ezra chapter 7. Determination of the date of the decree: It was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes’ reign (Ezra 7:7,8) . Biblical evidence for the 457 BC start date: The dates for Artaxerxes reign are well documented in the ancient sources:
- Greek historians, Ptolemy’s Canon
- The Babylonian business tablets
- Elephantine papyri from Egypt
- From the above documents, we know that Xerxes was killed in late December of 465 B.C. and the reign of Artaxerxes began at the time.
| Artaxerxes Reign | Fall to Fall |
| First year | 464/463 B.C. |
| Second year | 463/462 B.C. |
| Third year | 462/461 B.C. |
| Fourth year | 461/460 B.C. |
| Fifth year | 460/459 B.C. |
| Sixth year | 459/458 B.C. |
| Seventh year | 458/457 B.C. |
Therefore, the seventh year of Artaxerxes, according to Jewish reckoning, extended from the fall of 458 to the fall of 457 B. C.
Note: the references in this prophecy to destruction of the city and temple and desolations:
“….the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined… for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate”
Daniel 9:27
This is not a reference to a minor historical character called Antiochus or a future Anti-Christ but to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD as predicted by Jesus himself when he told the disciples. There has never been a temple since then and never will be!
“Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Matthew 24:2
“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not e in the winter or on the Sabbath. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
Matthew 24: 15-22
The total destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman soldiers was horrible. Many who tried to escape were crucified outside the city. At one time, the number of crosses outside the city almost made it look like a forest of trees. Those who heeded the advice of Jesus escaped the city and remained alive.
This was a time of trouble unlike any seen before…But there will be another time of trouble just before the Lord comes. While the Christians will be here, the plagues will not touch them, just as it didn’t when the plagues fell on Egypt when they were in captivity. This is a topic we will discuss in the coming weeks.
Until then, may the Lord bless you and your family and keep you under His wings.