The Seventy Sets of Seven

The "seventy weeks" (or sevens) in Daniel 9:24–27 have always been difficult to understand. Although it is difficult to connect them to a specific historical period, these "seventy sets of seven" are important. They show God's control over history and emphasize his power to fulfill his plans for his people. The number seventy is seven times ten. This symbolizes completeness. For instance, the seventy years of exile for God's people were enough time to discipline them (9:2).

Here are the two main ways people understand the seventy sets of seven:

1. THE RULE OF ANTIOCHUS IV (175–163 BC). According to this view, the seventy sets of seven is a time period that begins with Cyrus II of Persia and ends with Antiochus IV. Cyrus II (also known as Cyrus the Great) was the king of Persia who ruled from 559 to around 530 BC. In 539 BC, Cyrus allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland (see 9:25; Ezra 1:2–4). Antiochus IV was a Greek king who ruled over Syria and the surrounding areas from 175 to 163 BC (see Daniel 8:23–25; 11:21–39).
   
   In this understanding of the seventy sets of seven, "the Messiah" (or chosen one) was the high priest Onias III, and the “prince” was Antiochus IV (9:26–27). Antiochus made a treaty with the people of Judea in 174 BC, allowing them to practice their faith peacefully. But in 170 BC, Antiochus attacked Jerusalem, killed many, and stole from the temple.

   Then, in 167 BC, Antiochus ended the sacrifices and offerings. He forced the Jews to abandon their faith under threat of death. He made the temple ceremonially unclean with "the abomination of desolation" (something that showed disrespect for God and his holy temple). Antiochus placed a statue of the Greek god Zeus on the altar of burnt offering. He also sacrificed pigs on the altar and other ceremonially unclean animals (compare 11:21–35).

   God punished Antiochus with a painful disease, and Antiochus died in 163 BC. "The decreed destruction" was “poured out on him” (9:27; see also 8:25; 1 Maccabees 1:10–24; 6:7–16; 2 Maccabees 9:1–29).

   According to this view, when Jesus spoke of the “the abomination of desolation,” he referred to the Jews’ experience during Antiochus's time as a model for future events (see Matthew 24:15; compare Luke 21:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).

2. THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST (AD 30 or 33). According to this view, the seventy weeks are a prophecy about Jesus Christ, the Messiah (God's chosen one). People who support this view think the seventy sets of seven began with Cyrus's decree in 539 BC (Ezra 1:1–4). Or, it may have begun with one of the decrees given to Nehemiah in either 458 or 445 BC (Ezra 7:8–26; Nehemiah 2:1–10). Jesus may have died at the end of sixty-nine sets of seven (seven plus sixty-two, Daniel 9:25–26). Or, it may have been halfway through the seventieth year (9:27).

   These two options affect how the seventy sets of seven conclude. In the first option, the seventieth set of seven is a future event not yet fulfilled. In the second option, the seventieth set of seven finished when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. If Cyrus's decree is the starting point, the 490 years are symbolic. Yet, if the decree given to Nehemiah in 445 BC to rebuild the city is the starting point, then nearly 483 years (69 times 7 years) passed between that date and Jesus' death in AD 30 or 33 (see Nehemiah 2:1; Daniel 9:25).

   Scholars have two different ways of explaining what happened to the seventieth set of seven years:

   1. The Seventieth Set of Seven is Yet to Occur. Many interpreters believe that Jesus' death happened at the end of the sixty-ninth set of seven. They think the seventieth set of sevens has not yet happened. This means there is a long gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth sets. The seventieth set is still in the future and links to the antichrist's rule during the final troubles (the tribulation) at the end of history (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12; 1 John 2:18–22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7; Revelation 13:1, 5; 16:13–14; 17:11; 19:20–21; 20:10).

   2. The Seventieth Set of Seven Completed When Rome Destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Some interpreters believe the seventy weeks ended with the coming of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

      In this view, Jesus started his ministry at the end of the sixty-ninth set of seven, around AD 28. He ministered for about three and a half years and died in the middle of the seventieth seven. The remaining half-seven concluded when the "prince" (one or more Roman leaders) destroyed Jerusalem and its temple in AD 70. The conflict and suffering between God's people and the world's kingdom continue until the end. This is when Jesus will return, judge the wicked, and establish his kingdom.

Passages for Further Study

Daniel 7:8, 11, 20–21, 24–27; 8:9–14; 9:24–27; 11:29–31, 40–45; 12:7, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12; 1 John 2:18–22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7; Revelation 13:1, 5; 16:13–14; 17:11; 19:20–21; 20:10