DANIEL'S SEVENTY WEEKS
By Ward Fenley

Before you spend too much time reading this article, I thought that I would warn you that I do not have the answer to this difficult passage: rather, this is my rather 'inquisitive' explanation of what I see concering the seventy weeks of Daniel. I think the observation about Messiah being cut of AFTER the 69 weeks is important. This seems to necessitate the death of Christ IN the seventieth week:

Daniel 9:26  And after threescore and two weeks 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.
But then it says:
Daniel 9:27  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, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Now, some people say this is referring to the death of Christ putting and end to sacrifices. But it says HE shall make it desolate. Who is the HE? In verse 26 is speaks of the prince that shall come. Well, Messiah is called the prince of Life. The Devil is called the prince of the power of the air. So who is the prince? I ask this question especially in light of:
Daniel 12:11-12  And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12  Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
Compare with:
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. Daniel 9:27  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 oblationto 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.
I know that the 3 and 1/2 years-42 months-1260 (1290?) days are all mentioned in Revelation. But I just see the abomination of  desolation taking place at somewhere near AD 70:
Matthew 24:15-16  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Is there some relation to:
Matthew 23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Also, consider these events with the 3 and 1/2 years-42 months-1260 (1290?) time-frame references:
Revelation 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
This seems to be referring to the Romans taking Jerusalem.
Revelation 13:1-7  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. {2} And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. {3} And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. {4} And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? {5} And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. {6} And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. {7} And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
This seems to be still referring to the time period around AD 70.
Revelation 12:14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Likewise this last reference. This one seems to be referring to AD 70 because of Christ's words in Matthew 24:
Matthew 24:15-16  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)  16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Therefore, it appears that the abomination of Matthew 24 may be the event in Revelaton 12 that preceded the woman flying into the wilderness (the Christian Jews fleeing into the mountains:
Revelation 12:1-6  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: {2} And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. {3} And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. {4} And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. {5} And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. {6} And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Some have interpreted the woman being with child as referring to Mary about to give birth to Jesus. They have also said that Herod is the one who was going to try to kill the child. Though it is true that Herod tried to do this, what I see is this. The child represents the birth of the new spiritual Israel composed of Jews and Gentiles:
John 16:20-21  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
So we may ask: If the child is referring to the new spiritual nation, how then was this man-child to rule all nations with a rod of iron? Is
this not referring exclusively to Christ? Well, let's look at who is ruling with the rod of iron:
Revelation 2:26-27  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
"He that overcometh..to him will I give power over the nations...shall rule them with a rod of iron." This seems to be referring to the reign of Christ through His people in judging the world. Even Paul taught this:
1 Corinthians 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Yet Christ is said to have this position:
Acts 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Romans 3:6  God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

Therefore, Christ and HIS BODY who are all one IN HIM are now judging and ruling the nations with a rod of iron (the law and the Gospel used to judge:
John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall
judge him in the last day.

Psalms 149:5-9  Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. {6} Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; {7} To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; {8} To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; {9} To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

So, that is pretty much the extent of my knowledge. I know it probably did not seem to conclusive, but I have not seen any argument yet to really convince me that there is or is not a gap. One thing seems to be clear and that is Messiah would be cut of AFTER the sixty-ninth week, which implies that He was cut off IN the seventieth week. So the question is, if there was no gap, then what happens 3 and a half years after Messiah's death? If Christ died in AD 30 and there was something significant that happened in AD 33 1/2, then was there a gap between 33 1/2 and AD 70? Was there a gap at all? Was there anything significant that took place seven years after Jesus died? Paul's conversion perhaps? Also what is the significance of this:
Daniel 12:11-13  And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. {12} Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. {13} But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
Why does God say "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days?" It seems clear that the resurrection took place once these days came, which would be 45 days after the 1290 days. It says Daniel would stand in his lot (or get his inheritance) and the end of the 1335 days.

Now here are the events that seems to mark the beginning of this 45 day period before the resurrection:

Daniel 12:11  And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Is this saying that there are 1290 days between the daily sacrifice being taken away and the abomination of desolation? At least we can know that the blessing at the end of th 1335 days comes exactly 1335 days after the daily sacrifice is taken away. That is why I tend to lean toward the daily sacrifice being taken away as the Jews being unable to offer sacrifices due to the war with the Romans. The sacrifice being taken away does seem similar to:
Daniel 9:27  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, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
If this is referring to the sacrifice of Christ, then you would have to say that the blessing that would come at the end of the 1335 days took place 1335 days after the sacrifice of Christ. Therefore I would ask: what event was that? Certainly the resurrection of the dead is not in mind, for that had not happened. It could not have been Pentecost, for that would have had to have happened 1285 days previously. Therefore, we must establish what the blessing was at the end of the 1335 days. I see the blessing as the resurrection of the dead, at which time Daniel would stand (be resurrected) in his lot (inheritance).
Revelation 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
Forty-two months equals 1260 days. Is this time period related to the 1290 days of Daniel 12? If so, when was the beginning of the treading under foot of Jerusalem by the Gentiles? It seems that this could be the same time in which the Christians in Judea would flee into the mountains:
Revelation 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore (1260) days.
This is exactly how many days the two witnesses were said to prophesy:
Revelation 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Now a very tricky element enters:
Revelation 11:7-11  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. {8} And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. {9} And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. {10} And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. {11} And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
My personal opinion is that the witnesses represent the law and the Gospel:
Zechariah 4:1-7  And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, {2} And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: {3} And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. {4} So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? {5} Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. {6} Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. {7} Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Zechariah 4:11-13  Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? {12} And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? {13} And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zechariah 4:14  Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
Zechariah 5:1-4  Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. {2} And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. {3} Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. {4} I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
The answer as to the identity of the witnesses seems to be found in verse 3 of Zechariah 5:
Zechariah 5:3  Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.
Notice that the transgressors are judged and shown as cursed according to it (the law and the Gospel):
Romans 2:12  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Romans 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
What is very difficult to understand whether the two witnesses are the law and the Gospel or Peter (to the Jews) and Paul (to the Gentiles) is how were they resurrected after the three and a half days? Here is where I see the slight possibility of the resurrection of Jesus Christ being the establishment of the goodness and holiness of the law and the life-giving power of the Gospel. This took place 3 and 1/2 years after He began His ministry of witness against the Jewish nation.

But the problem with this argument is that this seems to be directly linkes to the treading of Jerusalem under foot:

Revelation 11:1-3  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. {2} But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. {3} And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
So this seems to deny that the time of "witnessing" is referring to the ministry of Jesus while He was on the earth. Another alternative is that the two witnesses are still the same (the law and the Gospel) but this refers to the preaching to the Jews from AD 30-70. But how do we explain the witness for 1260 days? The fire proceeding from their mouth is clearly the judgment of God's word. But in what sense were the law and the Gospel (the curse over the earth, which Zechariah seems to imply are the two olive trees) resurrected after two days? If the curse (the two olive trees) actually represents the preaching of the word through two actual people, then who are those people and why were they resurrected only 3 and 1/2 days after the 1260 days were finished? This would precede the actual resurrection was supposed to have happend at the end of the 1335 days. There does not seem to be any indication of this in the words of the New Testament writers.

It does seem very possible that the two witnesses could be Peter (the minister to the Jews) and Paul (the minister to the Gentiles):

Galatians 2:7-8  But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;  8  (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
Another event that was to take place at the end of one of these time periods (thousand two hundred sixty-42 months-3 and 1/2 years) is:
Revelation 13:1-7  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. {2} And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. {3} And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. {4} And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? {5} And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. {6} And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. {7} And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
This seems to be the same blasphemer in Daniel:
Daniel 7:7-27  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had
great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that
were before it; and it had ten horns. {8} I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. {9} I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. {10} A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. {11} I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain (compared with Revelation, this would imply that the beast was slain right at the end of the 42 months), and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. {12} As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. {13} I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. {14} And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. {15} I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. {16} I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. {17} These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. {18} But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. {19} Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; {20} And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. {21} I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them (the two witnesses included???); {22} Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. {23} Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. {24} And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. {25} And he shall great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time (42 months-1260 days). {26} But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. {27} And the kingdom and dominion, and
the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an
Everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
As you can see, it may take a mathematician to figure out this problem, but the Bible seems to speak in such a way that the answer is not
missing. Why would God take so much time in pointing out the numbers if He did not also give the answer.

Because God is so very consistent, I am not real comfortable saying there were no gaps in the first 69 weeks and yet a gap either between the 69th week and the seventieth week or some gap interjected within the seventieth week.

The only gap I can affirm with certainty at this point is the gap between my two front teeth. I am comfortable with that one.

If all things are set open on a table, it may be figure-out-able. But until then I have to try to be patient and really take this verse seriously:

Proverbs 25:2  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
How appropiate considering:
Revelation 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Much love.

Ward Fenley


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