The “70 Weeks” prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 is one of the most significant prophecies of Scripture, being a timetable for the first coming Of Christ, the destruction of Jerusalem, end time events, and the restoration of Daniel's “people” [the Jews] and “holy city” [Jerusalem], and yet, it seems, most Christians are either ignorant or apathetic about it.
This may be due to a “Preterist” view of prophecy-- a view that all prophecy has been fulfilled, including the 70 Weeks prophecy in the past, which may or may not include the Second Coming of Christ—though most Preterists believe in the Second Coming of Christ as future. It may be that little is said or taught on it in the Church today because of the Preterist view, or it is just avoided because of the general ignorance and apathy.
The Futurist view is that the 70 Weeks prophecy has not all been fulfilled, and some significant end times events fit within the timetable of that prophecy, particularly the 70th or final Week of the prophecy, being a period of 7 years (the “weeks” are understood as a unit of 7, and that of years, and so the 70 Weeks is 490 years: 69 Weeks have been fulfilled, being 483 years, terminating at the first coming of Christ; and the 70th or final Week of 7 years is yet future—according to the futurist view, but it is already fulfilled, according to the Preterist view).
The second half of the final Week or 7 years is that period of “Great Tribulation” spoken of by Daniel in 12:1 and Jesus in the Olivet Discourse, being referenced in Daniel and Revelation as 1260 days or 42 months or time, times, half a time, each time reference being the 3 ½ years of the second half of the 70th or final week of the prophecy.
Preterists believe that great tribulation was fulfilled long ago, while futurists believe it is yet future—the completion being with the “second coming of Christ: Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse: 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31
Daniel 9:20-27: 20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.”
24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 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. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations [the abomination of desolation] will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” NAS
Daniel 12:1: 1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress [tribulation] such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. “
Matthew 24:15-23: Jesus said: 15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. … 21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”23
Revelation 7:9-14: 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ... 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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