I’m going to give a short into to this series, then I’ll get right into Part 1. This new series is going to go over the timeline of the tribulation – what the triggers are, what to look for, expected events, periods of time that are given, and – I need to be careful about how I word this – expected dates for the events. God gave us a series of appointed times or Moedim. Some have been fulfilled by Jesus and others are yet pending to be fulfilled in the last days

Part 1:  The 70 Weeks of Daniel

Introduction to the Series

Thanks for joining me on this new series.  I’ve been praying about the topics I should be sharing and exploring on this channel, and this past week I was really sick with the flu – in fact, I’m still getting over it and I’m having to record a few sections of this video multiple times just so I’m not having a coughing fit during the presentation.

I’m going to give a short into to this series, then I’ll get right into Part 1.

This new series is going to go over the timeline of the tribulation – what the triggers are, what to look for, expected events, periods of time that are given, and – I need to be careful about how I word this – expected dates for the events.  God gave us a series of appointed times or Moedim.  Some have been fulfilled by Jesus and others are yet pending to be fulfilled in the last days.  But the times ARE appointed.  I’ll tell you right now, I’m not going to tell you what year Jesus will return – because I don’t know.  And you should be wary of anyone who tells you that they do know! 

We’ll start with Daniels 70 Weeks Prophecy, then discuss the Beasts of Daniel and Revelation. The statue of Nebuchadnezzar.  We’ll look at Habakkuk and Joel, Matthew, Exodus, and more – as they all point to the return of Christ.  We’ll review Antiochus and the Antichrist and talk about their connection.  I’ll explain the traditional view of a revived Roman Empire as the final beast and why I believe it may be wrong.  We’ll discuss where the Antichrist is likely to come from based on scripture.  We’ll discuss the Jewish Feasts, and which one Jesus will return on. We’ll go over why these final events are yet to happen and why they have not already happened.  I’ll discuss what or who the restrainer is and why it or they are keeping the Antichrist from coming now.

I’m going to do my best to post these pretty videos regularly – but they take a lot of research, preparation, and prayer.  I will be honest with you throughout the process and even now tell you that this is an interpretation, though based on prayer and scholarly research – one you may not agree with, but one I hope you find blessing in.  I’ll present multiple points of view, then I’ll tell you which I believe to be the most relevant, most accurate, and the one with the most biblical support behind it. 

Let’s Get Started

Daniel Chapter 9 verses 1 through 3

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—

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.

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel prays to God and repents on behalf of the people of Israel

Then in verse 20, he receives an answer from the angel Gabriel

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God,

while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.

He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.

At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

Why is Daniel allowed to understand the vision?  Because he is greatly loved.  What else do we see here? Gabriel tells Daniel the “word went out” and Gabriel is just giving it to Daniel.  God sent it. Gabriel continues.

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

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. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

That’s the prophecy – and it’s one of the most important given in all of scripture.  This timeline must have also been a punch in the gut to Daniel – who was expecting the exile of Israel to be nearly over.  Now he’s being told, no.  It will continue. 

Let’s start unpacking what this prophecy means.

The first part is: from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

Actually, before I get too deep into this, I want to note that I’m not looking for something here to be exact.  But it should be pretty close.  Why?  Because there are a few ways to calculate this.  Are we using the Hebraic years of 360 days with additional days added here and there depending on circumstances?  Lunar calendars?  Are we using 365-day years?  What about leap years and leap days?  No.  Let’s see how close we can get with the information given to us.  Let’s see what sticks.

Genesis 29 and Leviticus 25 tell us the answer

Jacob, Leah, and Rachel.  We know the story, right?  Jacob visits his uncle Laban and is told that if he works for him for 7 years, Jacob can marry Rachel.  But he’s tricked.  And he marries Leah instead.  Laban then tells him he must work another 7 years and then he can marry Rachel.  Check this out.

Verse 25: 

And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”

Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.”

Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

Here we clearly see the establishment of the week as being 7 years.  Let’s take a look at Leviticus chapter 25 starting in verse 8.

“You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years.

Now we have God directly commanding his people how to count weeks of years.  So this is an established method of counting weeks of years.  And now we can return to look at the 70 week prophecy.

From the going out of the decree there is 49 years until the rebuilding of Jerusalem

Then another 434 years for a total of 483 years until the Anointed one Comes.  I noted the word comes here because it specifies arrival.  Not a death.  An arrival of the Anointed One.

So the question is:  When was the decree given?  We have a few options.

1. The first decree given to build the Temple by Cyrus in 539 B.C and overseen by Zerubbabel
2. The second decree given by Darius the Great 522-486 B.C (what year was this decree given… 521 B.C?)
3. The authority given to Ezra by Artaxerxes in 7th year of his reign (458/457 B.C)
4. Or the letters given to Nehemiah by Artexerxes to build the city walls and gates? (445/444 B.C)

What are the criteria for finding the correct date?

1. It must allow the “coming” of the anointed one AFTER the 69th week
2. It must allow the “cutting off” of the anointed one AFTER the 69th week
3. It must allow 40 years between the “cutting off” and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD as described by the Talmud and records of the priests

We need to understand the events of the Talmud before we continue.

Beginning in AD 30 the temple doors would not remain shut for 40 straight years.

the Temple doors swung open every night of their own accord. This too occurred for forty years, beginning in 30 CE The leading Jewish authority of that time, Yohanan ben Zakkai, declared that this was a sign of impending doom, that the Temple itself would be destroyed.

There was a seven candle-stick Menorah in the Temple that was supposed to remain lit.

Every night for 40 years (over 12,500 nights in a row) the main lamp of the Temple lampstand (menorah) went out of its own accord no matter what attempts and precautions the priests took to safeguard against this event!

The crimson red cloth put on the Azazel goat (scape goat) and also put on the temple door once a year did not change color.

Each year the red cloth on the Temple door turned white as if to signify the atonement of another Yom Kippur was acceptable to the Lord. This annual event happened until 30 CE when the cloth then remained crimson each year to the time of the Temple’s destruction.

Each year at Yom Kipur a lot was chosen to determined which of two goats would be “for the Lord” and which goat would be the “Azazel” or “scapegoat” to be released in to the wilderness.

Each year, on the day of atonement, a lot was cast to determine which goat would be the scape goat and which would be slaughtered in sacrifice.  Some years, the lot was in the right hand.  Some years it was in the left.  The then designated scape goat then had a crimson cloth tied to it, representing the sins of Israel.  The custom was to cut a portion of the cloth and tie it to the temple doors.  The strap then turned white to signify the successful atonement of Israel.  For 40 years this lot came up in the same hand.  The odds of this are 1 in a Trillion.

The first decree given to build the Temple by Cyrus in 539 B.C and overseen by Zerubbabel

If we start with the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC, then to Christ’s death (the cutting off) at either of the years 30 or 33 AD, we are at over 80 weeks (560 years). If we start at 535, then we’re still at over 80 weeks. Or even if we only count to Christ’s birth, we are still looking at more than 70 weeks.  For those reasons, this can’t be the correct decree date.

The second decree given by Darius the Great in 521 BC

This decree takes place in 520 BC. It is basically a reiteration of Cyrus’ decree. It also has the same problems as the decree of Cyrus. It takes too much time between the decree and Christ and the decree is not about rebuilding Jerusalem, but only the temple (house of God).

The letters given to Nehemiah by Artexerxes to build the city walls and gates? (445 or 444 BC)

This decree begins to fulfill Daniel’s prophecy, but has a timing problem. The decree was given in 445 or 444 BC. Counting to Christ’s death in 33 AD, we get to 69 weeks. This matches partially. The problem is that the Talmud records 40 years between the crucifixion and the destruction of the temple. The temple was destroyed in 70 AD (70-33 = 37). 

Also this is when he is cut off, not when he arrived.  “coming of the anointed one” doesn’t match

Plus, we have to use prophetic years (360 day – years) to count the years (483) between 444 and 33 AD.  This isn’t necessarily a problem if it actually worked to reach the correct timeline, but it doesn’t.

This places the Crucifixion at 33 AD with only 37 years until the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.  So this doesn’t align correctly.

And so, this one is out.

That only leaves us with one option:

The authority given to Ezra by Artaxerxes in 7th year of his reign (457 or 458 BC)

The year given for Nehemiah’s first arrival is accurate at 445 BC, but using the same starting point, the year of the decree to Ezra would be 458 BC, not 457. This decree actually is the valid starting decree.

It is based on a “normal” solar year from 458 BC and stops at the end of the 69th week: 

The year of Jesus beginning his ministry and the year of his baptism:  26 AD

This does not use prophetic years, but rather, it uses solar years to count (458 BC to 26 AD = 483 Years)

This places Christ’s death in 30 AD with a 3.5 year ministry

This allows a perfect 40-year span until the destruction of the temple in 70 AD

Remember the prophecy:

AFTER 69 (7+62) Weeks, the Anointed One shall ARRIVE (Jesus starts his ministry) – does this align?  Yes – it points directly to the arrival of Jesus and the start of his ministry.

And AFTER the 69 (7+62) weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. (Jesus is Crucified / Cut Off) – does this align?  Yes.  Only after the end of those 69 weeks is Jesus cut off.  It’s not during the 69 weeks.  It’s After.

Notice the prophecy:  both the arrival and cutting off of the anointed one are noted as “after” the 69 weeks.  His arrival is immediately after the end of the 69^th week.  While his death is 3.5 years after the end of the 69^th week.  Both are AFTER as the prophecy requires.

This decree also satisfies the dates for Christ’s death 3.5 years after his arrival.  And allows a perfect 40 years of the events described in the Talmud until the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. 

Okay – so that covers the first 69 weeks.  What about the 70^th week?  Let’s go back to Daniel 9 verse 26 and 27.

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. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

I’ve highlighted in varying colors all the potential players in this scenario.  We’ve got the Anointed one – we know that’s Jesus.  Then we have the Prince.  Is that Jesus or someone else?  If Jesus is the Prince, did his people destroy the city?

Then in verse 27 we have a “he” who strengthens a covenant.  Then another “he” – but this time the “he” puts an end to sacrifice and offering.  Then finally we have “shall come one” – who is this “one”?  And we have the “desolator”.

Starting at the bottom, with the green text – we know the desolator and the “one” in this text is the Antichrist. 

Matthew 25:15 and 16

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Jesus is explaining to us here, we need to understand that this is who Daniel is talking about.  Jesus is confirming for us that the Desolator is the Antichrist.

We know that the Anointed one is Jesus – who was cut off.  But who is the Prince that is to Come?  Is Jesus the Prince?

Jesus as the “Prince Who Is To Come”

If we take this view, we have to interpret this as the Jewish people being responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem. If Jesus is the Prince Who Is to Come, his people must be the Jews.

The Jewish Revolt broke out in the reign of Nero, who sent his Roman armies to crush it. The horrors of that war almost defy description, but in the end, Jerusalem was razed to the ground, and the temple was destroyed. The “people of the prince,” who came to destroy Jerusalem and the temple, then must be the Roman armies.

Are we then blaming the Jews for the destruction?

A Roman as the “Prince Who Is To Come”

Note that it is not “the prince who is to come” that does the destroying, but “the people” of that prince. “The city and the sanctuary” in context is clearly a reference to Jerusalem and the Temple, which were destroyed in 70AD by Roman troops led by Titus Vespasian.

Thus the first valid interpretation of “the people” are identified as Roman and “the prince” will arise from the Roman Empire.

A Middle-Eastern Take

The phrase used in Daniel is Am Nagid. Am means people but it has roots in ethnicity and bloodline. It can imply a nation or empire, but not always.

After the reforms of Emperor Augustus, that were in 14 AD, soldiers were no longer recruited from only the ethnic people of what is now Italy, but rather, the armies were recruited from all provinces in the Empire.  The peoples in the provinces they conquered.  There were so many different people groups in the Roman Empire which were conquered and then later recruited to fight in the army.  The Empire was massive!

The people who comprised the legions that destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD were a majority provincial recruits.  Not ethnic Romans.  Rather than marching an army hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, Rome would simply use the local recruits.  It was quicker, easier, and a lot cheaper.  And this is documented by scholars, that the legions that made up the attacking force at Jerusalem were Syrian and Arabs from Syria, Asia Minor, and the Maghreb.  That means Syria, the region of what is today Turkey, and Northern Africa. 

Let’s go back and read verses 26 and 27 again, but this time – let’s fill in what we know:

And after the sixty-two weeks, Jesus shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince (from Rome or the Middle-East) who is to come shall destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come the Antichrist, the one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the Antichrist.”

Okay this still leaves us with an unknown “he” in verse 27 and the covenant that this person strengthens.

We have two options here.  The he is either Jesus or the Antichrist.  I’m going to start by saying that I don’t have a clear answer on this, but I do lean a particular way – and I’ll tell you what that is after I explain both positions. 

If the covenant is created or strengthened by a future Antichrist, then the he here is the Antichrist.  And the Antichrist puts a stop to the sacrifice and offering.

In this view, at the beginning of the final week of Daniel, the 70^th week – a new covenant is created or one is strengthened by the Antichrist.  The implication then, when taking this view, is that at some point during or before the 7 year period, the temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem and sacrifices are restarted.  But half way through the week (3.5 years) the Antichrist puts an end to these and causes the Abomination of Desolation.  Triggering the final 3.5 weeks and the Great Tribulation.  This is, in my opinion, the view a majority of Christians take. 

Daniel 12 verses 11 to 13

And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.

Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.

But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

Daniel 12 supports the view that the final Antichrist will cause the Abomination and stops sacrifices and offerings at the end of days.

The other view is Jesus as the “he”

Hebrews 9:15

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 

Jesus didn’t really truly cause the sacrifice and the grain offering to stop. After He had paid the full price for sin, they were no longer needed.  But the Jews kept offering the sacrifices until AD 70, but as far as God was concerned, they were useless. They stopped having a purpose when Christ rose from the dead.

This verse, as we know uses the word “week” to symbolically portray seven years, each day of the week representing one year. Half of 7 years is 3 1/2 years. Verse 27 says, “and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering.” Jesus began confirming the covenant at the beginning of His ministry in 26 AD However, in the midst of the week [and 3 1/2 years of ministry], He was cut off by being killed, so by giving His life, He caused NEED of the sacrifice to end.

This view requires the reader to understand that the first half of Daniels 70^th week was completed at the Cross and paused.

What covenant did Jesus strengthen?  The Abrahamic covenant and Mosaic Law.  We are no longer bound by the Jewish laws – which Peter has clearly told us we were no longer bound by, but that we were brought into the fold.  Israel remains the primary focus of the biblical story – even until the end of the age – but the gentiles believers were brought into the fold of Israel – grafted in.

So what does this mean?

As I said earlier, I don’t necessarily hold either of these positions significantly higher than the other. 

On one hand, I agree that Jesus strengthened the covenant by dying on the cross – Hebrews 9 supports this!  But he also didn’t really stop the sacrifices and offerings – he only removed the need for them.

I lean towards the traditional view – the Antichrist will stop sacrifices and offerings just as Daniel 12 states.  This has support throughout the bible.  While there is support for Jesus stopping the sacrifices, it’s a weaker case to make and one I don’t hold firmly to.

With either view you take, we are to be watchful – to keep our lamps lit for the return of Christ but also we are to be awake and paying attention to the world around us.  God tells us there are signs to watch for and we should be watching for them.

Regardless of which position you hold, it doesn’t change the fact that there will come an Antichrist and a Great Tribulation and finally the return of Christ. 

It also doesn’t change the fact that there is a gap in the storyline.  You either put that gap between week 69 and 70 – or you put it in the middle of the 70^th week.  But there is a gap.

Please take a look at the timelines I shared – I’ll put bookmarks in the video so you can easily reference them if you want to.

The next video I’ll be posting will be about the Beasts of Daniel and Revelation and we’ll drill down on the Revived Roman Empire or Middle-Eastern Antichrist, so keep an eye out for that and Subscribe if you aren’t – that way you’ll get notifications when my next video is released.