Sixty-two-weeks followed 7 weeks: Dan. 9:25 leading to Jesus

Daniel 9:25: The Messiah will arrive after the sixty-two weeks.

This prophecy of the sixty-two weeks has confused biblical scholars for two centuries. So don’t worry if you’re a little confused as well. You’re in good company.

The angel Gabriel told Daniel that the Messiah would arrive at the end of sixty-two weeks. Those sixty-two weeks would follow the first seven weeks of the prophecy. In this article, we’ll touch lightly upon some of the challenging math. But, being real, it’s not the math that’s challenging, but settling on the precise dates is where the challenge is. And we’ll also highlight what would happen shortly after the sixty-two weeks.

But, In order to keep the proper context, let’s first look at all three verses of the seventy weeks prophecy. This is a prophecy from God, to Gabriel, relayed to the prophet, and directed toward the Jewish people.

As Gentiles, that’s most of us, we are greatly affected by this prophecy. In it, we learned of Jesus’ first and second appearances on the earth. The Lord has dealt with the Jews and will finish that work in the near future. There has been a nearly two-thousand-year gap since the finish of the first two-thirds of the prophecy timeline.

We are about to enter the final seven weeks.

Gabriel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks

Daniel 9:24-26

Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of distress.

Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end, there will be war; desolations have been decreed.

What happens after the sixty-two weeks?

Below is our key verse for this article, but you can see in the words I emboldened in the verse above and right here. After the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off. That’s the crucifixion of Jesus. I’ll address that in the next article but I use it here to answer one of my earlier questions. Jesus dies and then the prophetic timeline gets put on hold.

Daniel 9:25

“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.”

“Know and understand.”

Daniel didn’t fully comprehend this prophecy once he heard it. It has been shrouded in controversy and debate for two millennia. I don’t believe we will fully understand it until the end of the prophecy is unveiled before the unbelieving masses. When Jesus returns to judge the earth in the last days, understanding of this prophetic timeline will finally become clear. All the experts will be wrong in many of their proposed solutions to the debate.

For that reason, I will decide to avoid any firm conclusions on the general timeline. I’ll leave that to the Lord to reveal in his timing.

The Issuing of the decree.

It’s universally accepted that there are two obvious choices regarding this decree. The decree was either issued by Cyrus or Artaxerxes. They both issued decrees, but the question is, which one did Gabriel refer to?

I think it was Cyrus. Many scholars disagree but the Bible points toward King Cyrus.

So which decree was it?

Ezra 6:14

“And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.”

In the Ezra verse above, we see that three kings had a part to play in the issuing of and then the advancement of the decree. But in the very first verse of Ezra, he indicates that the decree of Cyrus held a more prominent role.

Ezra 1:1

“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing.”

And if we look at another verse in Ezra, we see where much of the debate has hit a roadblock.

Ezra 5:13

“However, in his first year, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.“

In the Ezra 5:13 verse, we have a challenge that biblical scholars have wrestled with. Gabriel’s words to Daniel said this, “to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.”

And in the scholarly wrestling match that ensued, many decided to move away from the Cyrus decree and put their scholarly weight behind the decree of Artaxerxes. But I think that was a mistake.

The next verse will help prove my argument.

Isaiah 44:28

“It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

It should be obvious in this last verse. About one hundred years before Cyrus was king, the Lord told Isaiah this decree would happen. And the decree would include the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the founding and rebuilding of the temple. When Isaiah received his prophecy, the city and temple were still standing.

Whenever we read or study the scriptures we must consider a key fact. One verse doesn’t always tell us the whole story. And in considering Gabriel’s prophecy to Daniel, the prophet apparently didn’t write the whole thing down. Remember, Gabriel gave the message, but Daniel wrote it down. The Holy Spirit inspired Daniel and Isaiah. When we compare both verses of these trusted prophets, we can conclude something.

Daniel included the “rebuild Jerusalem” part. Isaiah said the decree of King Cyrus would include rebuilding the temple and the city. So Daniel’s words were correct, but so also Isaiah’s words. Isaiah said the decree of Cyrus would start the rebuilding of the city and the temple.

The problems with completing the projects were enormous. But that’s part of the prophecy. Daniel wrote, “It will be built…in times of distress.”

King Cyrus’ decree started the process. That was the prophetically significant decree. Other decrees were needed in order to finish what was started.

The math and the sixty-two weeks prophecy

I’ll make it easy for those who don’t like math. That includes me. I’m going to barely touch on it. The reason is that there’s a general consensus that the prophecy reaches up to the days of Jesus Christ. The prophecy pointed to Jesus and none other. Of course, there is a minority view held by Jewish scholars but we can all understand why they don’t want the prophecy pointing to Jesus.

But most biblical scholarship accepts as fact that the seventy-week prophecy pointed directly at the ministry of Jesus. But there are several differences of opinions regarding the timeline.

Here’s an example of those opinions.

Because the starting date (which decree) is hotly debated, the finishing date is also. So the suggested finish among scholars ranges between the following.

Scholars suggest these as possible end dates to the sixty-two weeks.

• The birth of Jesus.
• John’s baptism of Jesus.
• The triumphal entry of the Lord.
• The mount of transfiguration is when the Father declared the Son to the disciples.

The most commonly accepted end date is the triumphal entry. I lean toward that view and think the math and more importantly, the scriptures support that conclusion.

So, I’ve thrown my two cents into the mix, but the debate will continue. 🙂 Some will even try to continue their arguments into the millennium if they can.

Other links to help you explore the timeline.

The decree of Cyrus

The decree of Artaxerxes

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