CHAPTER ONE

THE PROPHECY
OF THE FIRST "SEVEN"—
THE LAST WEEK OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS

Scripture Reading: 2 Pet. 1:19; Matt. 24:32-44; Luke 21:25-36; Rev. 3:10-11; Dan. 9:24-27 (new translation)

In this series of messages we want to study the prophecy of the four "sevens" in the Bible. If we are going to know the prophecy concerning the consummation of this present age, we need to know the truth concerning these four "sevens." In this message we want to see the prophecy of the first "seven," which is the last seven years of this age spoken of as the last week of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9. The three other sets of "sevens" are in the book of Revelation. They are the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. Revelation may be considered as a book of prophecy constituted with these three sets of "sevens." The first "seven" in Daniel 9 is related to these three sets of "sevens" in Revelation. The prophecy of these four "sevens" is related to the Messiah (Christ), the nation of Israel, the New Testament believers, and the church.

For our study of the prophecy of the first "seven," we would like to read a new translation of Daniel 9:24-27:

24. Seventy weeks are apportioned out for your people and for your holy city, to close transgression, to make an end of sins, to make propitiation for iniquity, to bring in the righteousness of the ages, to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place.
25. Know therefore and understand that from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to Messiah, the Prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again with street and moat, even in times of distress.
26. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing; and the people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end of it will be with a flood, and even to the end there will be war; the desolations are determined.
27. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week; and in the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation [or, meal offering] to cease, and replace the sacrifice and the oblation with abominations of the desolator, even until the complete destruction that is determined will be poured out upon the desolator.

The seventy weeks in Daniel 9 are apportioned into seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week. In Daniel a week is seven years, so seventy weeks is four hundred ninety years. Seven weeks are forty-nine years, sixty-two weeks are four hundred thirty-four years, and the last week is seven years. The last week of the seventy weeks will be the last seven years of this present age, the age of the church. After these coming seven years, God's kingdom will be on this earth and that will be the thousand years for Christ to reign in the millennium.

The last week of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9 will be cut in half. The last half of this week is three and a half years, referred to by Daniel as a time, times, and half a time (Dan. 7:25; 12:7). These three and a half years are the very hub of John's prophecy of the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. If we are going to understand the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls, we have to understand the last half of the last week of the seventy weeks of Daniel 9. This will be the last three and a half years of this present age. The overcomers will be raptured before these last three and a half years. The believers on earth at that time who are not matured will be left on earth to pass through the last three and a half years, which will be the time of the great tribulation. We must understand the prophecy concerning this period of time because our destiny lies there.