There are 70 weeks that have been determined for your people and your holy city, in order to terminate the transgression and to finish off sin, to make atonement for error, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and the prophecy and to anoint the Holy of Holies. [25.] You should know and understand that from the issuing of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also 62 weeks. She will be restored and rebuilt, with a public square and most, but in times of distress.
[26.] And after the 62 weeks, Messiah will be cut off, with nothing for himself. And the people of the leader who is coming will destroy the city and the holy place. And its end will be by the flood. And until the end there will be war; what is decided upon is desolations. [27.] And he will keep the covenant in force for the many for one week; and at the half of the week, he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease... [Daniel 9:24-27]
The Prophecy Explained
THE prophet Daniel lived more than 500 years before the birth of Jesus.. Nevertheless Jehoah [God] revealed to Daniel information that will make it possible to pinpoint the time when Jesus will be anointed, or appointed, as the Messiah, or Christ. Daniel was told. 'You should know and understand that from the issuing of the word to restore and to rebuilt Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be 7 weeks, also 62 weeks". [Daniel 9:25]
Timeline showing prophetic 70 week of years
To determine the time of the Messiah's arrival, first we need to learn the starting point of the period leading to the Messiah. According to the prophecy, it is "from the issuing of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem." When did this "issuing of the word" take place? According to the Bible writer Nehemiah, the word went forth to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem"in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the King. " [Nehemiah 2:1, 5-8].
Historians confirm that the year 447 B.C.E was Artaxerxes first full year as a ruler. Therefore, the 20th year of his rule was 455 B.C.E. Now we have the starting point for Daniel's Messianic prophecy - the year 455 B.C.E
Daniel indicates how long that time period leading to the arrival of "Messiah the Leader" would last. The prophecy mentions "7 weeks, also 62 weeks" - a total of 69 weeks. How long is this period of time? Several Bible translations note that these are not weeks of seven days, but weeks of years. That is, each week represents seven years. This concept of weeks of years, or seven-year units was familiar to Jews of ancient times. For instance, they observed the Sabbath year every seventh year. [Exodus 23:10,11]. Therefore, the prophetic 69 weeks amount to 69 units of 7 years each, or a total of 483 years.
Now all we must do is count. If we count from 455 B.C.E, 483 years take us to the year 29 C.E. That was exactly the year when Jesus was baptized and became the Messiah. Note that from 455 B.C.E. to1 B.C.E. is 454 years, from 1 B.C.E. to 1 C.E. is 1 year (as there was no zeo year). And from 1 C.E. to 29 C.E. is 28 years . Adding these three figures gives us a total of 483 years.
Now notice what verse [27] says in part, "And he [Jesus] will keep the covernant in force for the many for one week; and at half of the week, he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease..."
Yes! Jesus was actually "cut off" in death during half of the 70th week, precisely in 33 C.E. And by his death, all forms of animal sacrifices and gift offering, such as thithing, which formed part of the Law covenant had cease to be valid in God's eyes, even down till today.
