An assertion I receive regularly from visitors to my site is that I am wrong to believe that the Seventy Weeks of Daniel have a gap before the 70th week. They believe there is no precedent or rationale for this. Most of the people saying this believe the 70th week has already happened as part of their Preterist or Historicist view as opposed to the Futurism that my view would be categorized under. For example, here’s the latest email I have received along this vein:
I believe you are right about a lot of your insights to what the future holds for all of us. I too have spent years researching out bible prophecy and have come to some of the same conclusions. I could write a book on a lot of things I disagree with you but will leave it at only one problem with your view. Let’s talk about the tribulation period that many including yourself believe is from the book of Daniel 9:24-27. Nowhere in scripture is there a prophecy split in time. It is not biblical or logical. My belief is that the 70th week followed the 69th week just as the 2nd week followed the first week.
Why There Can and Must Be A Gap
My response to these arguments is as follows:
- It is often overlooked that the 70 weeks have natural divisions of 7, 62 and 1 weeks. This is ready-made for a gap if there need be. In other words, the 2nd week must immediately follow the first week, but it is no necessarily so that the 70th week immediately follows the 69th.
- There are gaps in the original periods of broken Sabbath years from which the 70 years of punishment and 70 years of restoration are derived. Thomas Ice has a good series on the 70 weeks that covers the gaps of years in part 4 about this. If there are gaps in the original source of the 70 weeks, then there can be a gap in the fulfillment of prophecy based on it.
- A gap is implied by how it says the Messiah will be cut off “after 62 weeks” (Dan 9:26). Many never slow down to ask why it does not say he is cut off “in the last week” or “in the 63rd week?” That would be more natural and confirm the theory that the final week immediately follows the 62nd/69th week. Instead this “after the 62nd week” phrase implies that the last week does not follow directly but instead a period that is not the 1 week or 63rd week does. In other words, a non-week gap period before the final week.
Given the above I see there is a precedent for a gap and the language of the Seventy Weeks prophecy also implies a gap after the 62nd/69th week. We have been in this gap period or delay between the 69th week and the 70th week ever since Jesus came and declared a Sabbath year and himself Messiah in Nazareth by claiming Isaiah 60:1 had been fulfilled by him. Thus, we’re awaiting the final “one”/70th week of the Seventy Weeks when most of what we read in Revelation is fulfilled including the literal 3½ year/42 month/1260 day Great Tribulation in the second half of that seven year period. After Wormwood comes.
Is the 70th Week Half Over?
A related question to this is how much of the 70th week is left to be fulfilled: All in its entirety (7 years) or only half (3½ years)? I think this question comes up because of a perfect storm of assumptions from a couple of commonly accepted teachings among Christians:
- The idea that Jesus had a 3½ year ministry instead of the 62 week ministry implied by Daniel’s “after 62 weeks he shall be cut off.” The 62 weeks are a dual prophecy. Added to the 7 years before them, the 69 weeks come to the year Jesus announced himself as Messiah late in the Sabbath year of 28/29 AD. Then 62 weeks, on Passover of the year 30, he was cut off. As I said above, it would be improper to call that period when he died the 63rd/70th/final week as Scripture itself calls it a period “after 62 weeks” only. I think for a good reason, as explained above.
- The idea that the covenant of the final/70th week is the New Covenant made by Jesus through his death. However, the context points to the “coming prince” of the people who destroyed the temple (the Romans) as being the “he” who makes a seven year covenant cutting off the sacrifices in the middle (without breaking it or a “peace treaty” contrary to what is believed). Daniel 11:31-32 talks more about the person who cuts off the sacrifices and creates the abomination. He flatters and corrupts people. This is not Jesus, obviously. The end time Beast/Antichrist/King of the North (Dan 11:40-45) is the one who does this in the 70th week.
The 70th week is completely unfulfilled and yet future. The seven year pact made by the coming prince spans its entire period of exactly seven years. It is not already in effect and spanning 2000 years. When it happens there will be sacrifices again to be cut off and a temple for the prince to take over, defile with his abomination/image of the beast and make his headquarters (Dan 11:45) as he proves to the world he is God (2Th 2:4).
I try to get here as much as possible to get a opinion on what I know about the bible, your research is very close to what i understand, but, like all things my understanding is mixed up with the teachings of my past, Methodist, Baptist, even Jehovahs Witnesses.
The subject of the end times seems as convoluted as there are versions of the bible, so i stick to KJV but have read different editions of the bible, I also, as you know, follow very closely the current events unfolding in both the EU, Israel, Russia, China and United States Of America, as these 5 countries will play the “Key” roles in prophecy.
Question, Do you think there is “human intervention” reason in this “gap” between the weeks of prophecy, I think this gap can be explained by what we do to resist the advance of the NWO, both publicly and privately by speaking out against evil and taking an active role in politics which is our responsibility according to my interpretation of my favorite scripture:
Ephesians 6:17 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
My reason for this, in the EU the people did not resist the EU roll out “Gun Confiscation, Banking Consolidation..etc” subsequently it has overtaken europe very quickly, with christians now being a minority and are being persecuted rather severely.
Your thoughts would be appreciated, or point me to a place where you have already covered this on your website.
I have seen some teach that the Kingdom could have come sooner if Judah had accepted Jesus, etc. But it seems like there has been a 6000 year waiting period planned before the kingdom could ever come. See http://www.escapeallthesethings.com/6000-year-timeline.htm
I have read numerous books on the subject as well as the Bible itself, all in their entirety and it is also my, strong, belief that the 70th week of Daniel is yet to occur. I believe we are experiencing the birth pains Christ foretold in Matthew 24:8 and more prophesy detailing the Tribulation Jesus revealed to John in Revelation as well as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 . Now looking back in the Old Testament, which is full of end times prophesy and the coming of the Messiah we can look at Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12:9-11 and we can confidently conclude that in 30 AD after Christ’s crucifixion the clock stops at 69 weeks and Romans 11:25 gives us a great clue and refers to this period in the phrase “that blindness in part has happened to Israel” or the “paused week” which leads us into the “times of the Gentiles” which will not end until all the Gentiles, our Lord God Jehovah wills to be saved, has come in. Then Romans 11:26 informs us that all of Israel would then saved…which has accepted Christ as the Son of God. So the clock will start ticking again after the “times of the Gentiles” has been completed to the Fathers satisfaction. One must under stand the parable of the fig tree and learn and look the the signs of the times. We can also give thanks and glorification, through prayer, to The Lord our God through His Son Jesus Christ that believers in Christ will be spared His wrath and demonic persecution from our adversary and his fallen demonic angels by reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9. I hope this sheds some light on this prophesy as it requires much more reading, understanding and meditation, through prayer, to understand it as fully as we as imperfect beings can. AMEN
Another thing you can mention when you talk to people who believe this, is the example from Isaiah 61. Jesus read it in the Nazareth synagogue, up until the end of the things He did in His first coming, and the rest are unfulfilled until His second coming, without explaining to the reader that there is a gap.
Good point, Annette, I should have thought of that myself!
Weeks weak 3+1/2 to complete Rev 11-13 three perspectives of the Great Tribulation Period Jesus already complete first half of 9:27 Thee Lamb of God Who takes away the”SIN” unbleif of the world ,the reason Jesus had to stop in middle of prophecy concerning His Ministry in Luke 4:18-21, At the beginning of His 3.5 year mission Isa 61:1,2a/stop/ 2b,3 beginning Luke 21:22 …This week is MOST Unique and stands out above all others as Isaiah 53 (The Holy of Holies) and Luke 22:42 can you see in the mouth of two or three Rev 4-10 message of the end, given by messenger Rev 14-19 same little book, only later perspective look, message of End given by John*. Like cause and effect . The second half of His Ministry Adoption process of Romans 8:18-23 in biblical times being the tutoring of a child into Mind ,Will, and Purpose of the father, to receive Inheritance and signet ring of authority this adoption in Ephesians to bring about 4:13 As in Rev 20:4-6,11-13
Jn 14:12,20 1:20,21 20:21 Heb. 5:8,9 Plus, The Preacher, Ecc 7:8
Better is the End of a thing than the beginning thereof and Patient in spirit better than proud in spirit 7=Covenant, Kingdom, Divine Completion 8= Rebirth, Revelation In Greek Jesus 888
As in Jn 2:9, 1:Pet 1:23 ,Reborn in us Jn 11:25 us together in Him !
*40+ similarities between Messenger and John Paul in 1 Cor.15:23-28 ,51,52 Resurrection and Rapture simultaneously thus Acts 14:22 in harmony will Rev 3:18 till end of world Matt 28:18-20. Hebrews 3:12-14