The first seven weeks, of forty-nine years, was the time apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the completion of the rebuilding. Even though the environment was extremely distressful, Jerusalem was rebuilt, with street and trench (Dan. 9:25).
The following sixty-two weeks of four hundred thirty-four years were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off of the Messiah (vv. 25-26). “After the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing” (v. 26). This refers to the crucifixion of Christ. The cutting off of the Messiah—the crucifixion of Christ—was the termination of the old creation with its human government and the germination through the resurrection of Christ of God’s new creation with God’s eternal kingdom as the divine administration in God’s new creation. Thus, the cross of Christ is the centrality and universality of God’s work.
This prophecy concerning Messiah’s being cut off is good news, not bad news. Through His death on the cross, Christ terminated the old creation. Then in His resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) to germinate those whom God has chosen and make them a new creation. If we see the issue of Christ’s death on the cross, we will realize that the word in Daniel 9:26 about the death of Christ is good news.
Whereas the first part of verse 26 speaks of the death of Christ, the second part of this verse speaks of another matter: “The people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” This was a prophecy concerning the prince of the Roman Empire, Titus, who came with his army to destroy the city and the sanctuary—Jerusalem and the holy temple. The Lord Jesus also prophesied concerning this destruction in Matthew 24:2. This prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70. The last part of Daniel 9:26 says, “The end of it will be with a flood, and even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”
Finally, verse 27 speaks of the last week of seven years. This week will be for Antichrist to make a firm covenant with the people of Israel. Between the sixty-ninth week and the last week, there is a gap, which has already lasted for nearly two thousand years. There is an insertion in Israel’s history between the first sixty-nine weeks and the last week. This insertion may be called the age of mysteries, the age of grace, or the age of the church. This age includes many mysterious things, such as the resurrection of Christ, regeneration, Christ living in us, and the life-giving Spirit. The history of Israel is physical, with nothing of a mysterious nature, but the history of the church is altogether mysterious. In this gap the children of Israel have been suffering, having lost their fathers’ homeland and having been scattered to all the earth. Nevertheless, God has not forgotten His people, Israel, but continues to grant them some degree of mercy. Eventually, the last week of seven years will come.
Antichrist will make a firm covenant with the people of Israel for one week. The covenant that he makes with them will be a peace agreement. However, in the middle of the seventieth week Antichrist will change his mind, fight against God, and cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (v. 27). This will be the beginning of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), which will last for three and a half years. During the great tribulation, both the faithful Jews and the Christians still on earth will suffer Antichrist’s persecution.
After he causes the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, Antichrist will replace them with the abominations (idols of Antichrist—2 Thes. 2:4) of the desolator (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15). The desolator is Antichrist.
The end of Daniel 9:27 says, “Until the complete destruction that has been determined is poured out upon the desolator.”
The vision that Daniel received regarding the seventy weeks was not only a vision but also a report. Daniel understood the seventy weeks, but because we are near to the end of the gap, we understand this matter even better than Daniel. By studying the vision of the seventy weeks in relation to God’s economy, we know where we are, who we are, and what we should be doing today.
Verses 24 through 27 of chapter 9 are the most precious portion in the book of Daniel. The seventy weeks spoken of in these verses are the key to understanding the prophecies of the Bible. The purpose of the seventy weeks is to close the 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 Holy of Holies. First, seven weeks of forty-nine years were apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the completion of the rebuilding. Even though the environment would be extremely distressful, Jerusalem would be rebuilt, with street and trench. Second, sixty-two weeks of four hundred thirty-four years were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off of Messiah. Then, “the people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary” (v. 26). This prophesied that Titus, the prince of the Roman Empire, would come with his army in A.D. 70 to destroy Jerusalem and the temple, the end of which would be with a flood, and even to the end there would be war. The desolations had been determined. Between the sixty-ninth week and the last week, there is a gap, which has already lasted for nearly two thousand years. This gap is an insertion in Israel’s history between the first sixty-nine weeks and the last week. This insertion may be called the age of mysteries, the age of grace, or the age of the church. Eventually, the last week of seven years will come, and Antichrist will make a firm covenant with the people of Israel for one week. However, in the middle of the seventieth week, Antichrist will change his mind, fight against God, and cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This will mark the beginning of the great tribulation, which will last for three and a half years. During these three and a half years, Antichrist will replace the sacrifice and the oblation with the abominations of the desolator. Eventually, as prophesied by Daniel, the complete destruction that has been determined will be poured out upon the desolator, Antichrist.