The Revelation of the Holy Trinity and Hypostatic Union in Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” Prophecy

The Hypostatic Union and Tricompositeness of Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy aligns perfectly with the Church’s understanding of the Holy Trinity and Christ as the God-Man, Fully Divine and Human.

The Seventy Weeks Prophecy found in the Book of Daniel is one of the most complex prophecies to understand and interpret in the whole bible. This prophecy can be found in Chapter 9 in the Book of Daniel, but it is a short prophecy only four verses in length. It is also a very complex prophecy and one of the most difficult prophetic passages to understand and interpret in the whole bible. As we move from start to finish through the prophecy, the more obscure the text becomes to decode and understand.  It is often considered a messianic prophecy. That is, the Seventy Weeks prophecy provides the only “timetable” in the Old Testament which was used to calculate the arrival of the messiah, and this arrival was expected to occur prior to the destruction of the second temple. Since the time of the apostles and the early fathers of the church, the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks spoken of by the prophet Daniel has often been used by the Church to show proof that Jesus is the messiah. Today it is still one of the most controversial and disputed prophecies, primarily because it often used by Christian missionaries to preach the Gospel to the Jews and non-Christians today to show Jesus was the messiah.

Still, many of the early interpretations provided by early fathers are incomplete, as there was a seal placed on the book for a certain period of time before it would be possible to interpret the meaning of the text. Certainly much of the analysis by the Church fathers such as Jerome provided strong evidence which would to point to Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy. 

Today, many Full Preterists and Jewish anti-missionaries teach that the prophecy does not have anything to do with Jesus, but points to an earlier time period during the Maccebean revolt and Antiochus Epiphanes. These ideas were primarily first promoted by the pagan philosopher Porphyry, who promoted the idea that the Book of Daniel was was written by someone in the 2nd century around 150 BC and written about events written about the Book of Maccabees and the 2nd temple battle with Antiochus Epiphanes the IV in 168 B.C, around the time of the Seleucid Dynasty. As a result, many Preterist scholars and Jewish rabbis and commentators up to the present day have sought to discount this evidence and weaken any arguments pointing to Jesus as fulfillment of the prophecy… to the point that they claim that the prophecy has been grossly misinterpreted and mistranslated and cannot be trusted. 

Regardless of these skeptics, what if it can be demonstrated that, regardless if the prophecy was written at the time of the 6th century BC Babylonian Captivity or written at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 BC, the prophecy can accurately reveal the following theological concepts and historical fulfillment:

• The idea of the God as three persons in one?
• The evidence that Daniel’s 70 Weeks is actually three separate prophecies combined into one text, to give glory and honor to the Holy Trinity?
• The coming of the “Messiah the Prince”, not once, but twice, with two separate timelines combined to reveal the single hypostasis of the divine and human natures of Jesus Christ?
• The arrival of another “prince to come” or antichrist (eight hundred years after Antiochus Epiphanes)?
• The timing of the of the Jew’s return to Israel from Babylonian Captivity
• The eventual acceptance of the messiah thousands of years later?

If Daniel 9’s most famous prophecy can demonstrate all of these ideas and concepts, certainly then it would lead us to conclude that it was the most theologically complex, most mathematical, and thus the most perfect prophecy ever constructed in all of the scriptures.  The prophecy itself, we shall see is conducive to the glorification of the Holy Trinity. If this idea can be demonstrated through the calculations and found to be true, then the skeptics and critics are silenced.  The book of Daniel can not be a forgery! It would mean the book shows a level of authenticity if it predicts something to occur hundreds, if not thousands of years later. Then the skeptics are forced to acknowledge some “divine hand” in the creation of the prophecy.

Before examining the tricompositeness of the Seventy Weeks prophecy, and single hypostasis of the messianic timelines described in the prophecy, we will briefly review the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the two natures of Jesus. 

Theology of the Holy Trinity – One God as Three Persons

In the Trinitarian doctrine of the Church, God exists as three persons or hypostases, but is one being, having a single divine nature. Each of the members of the Trinity are co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence in their nature, power, action, and will. The Athanasian and Nicene creeds teach that the Father is uncreated, the Son (or Logos) is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated, and all three are eternal without beginning. The diagram below demonstrates this relationship. God is one God, but three coeternal co-substantial persons or hypostases — the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit — as “one God in three Divine persons”. 

The Hypostatic Union of the Son and Logos, Jesus Christ

As we focus on the Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, we consider the hypostatic union of His two natures.  The most basic explanation for the hypostatic union is Jesus Christ being both God and man. He is both perfectly divine and perfectly human.  The God-Man or Theanthropos.  He is God and has a Divine Nature from one essence with the Father, begotten before time. He has a Human Nature from the essence of the Virgin Mary, born in time.  The “Word became Flesh”

Jesus Christ is “one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [co-essential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead” – Confession of Chalcedon

These concepts are expressed by many Christians today when they make the Sign of the Cross.  In the Eastern Orthodox Churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the sign of the cross is made with the tips of the first three fingers (the thumb, index, and middle ones) are brought together. The last two (the “ring” and little fingers) are pressed against the palm. The first three fingers express one’s faith in the Trinity, while the remaining two fingers represent the two natures of Jesus, divine and human. So “3” fingers and “2” fingers are used in this gesture. This is shown in the picture below.

The Sign of The Cross – 3 Fingers and 2 Fingers

Quick Review of the Text of the 70 Weeks Prophecy of Daniel 9

In order to get the proper context and interpret the Seventy Weeks prophecy correctly, we must examine the entire contents of chapter 9. It is not possible to understand what is going on by just reading the last 3 or 4 verses in the chapter. This is the criticism often made by Jews with our interpretation, but we will also show it provides more of a context than they realize. The earlier chapter discusses what Daniel requested of God, why he requested it and how the prayer was answered by the Archangel Gabriel. Daniel begins chapter 9 by praying for the return from captivity and for the Jews to be allowed to rebuild God’s holy temple once again. Studying the prophecies of Jeremiah, Daniel saw that the captivity would last seventy years.

Jeremiah 9:10 – “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (KJV)

He realized the time was at hand, but didn’t see an ending to their captivity any time soon. So when the seventy year captivity was coming to it’s conclusion in the first year of Darius King of the Medes in 539 BC, Daniel began to fast and fervently pray to God in order that He might forgive the sins of his people end to the captivity, end the desolation of city and temple of Jerusalem, and help the Jewish people to return to their land.

“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” – Daniel 9:16-19 (NKJV)

The entire prayer is contained within verses 4 to 19. If we examine this amazing and wonderful prayer of repentance by Daniel, it describes how the Jews sinned and rebelled against God and his laws which lead to their captivity, how they were driven far off in countries away from Israel as a result, how they have not yet repented and yet he personally asks God to hear his prayer on behalf of the Jews to end the desolation in Jerusalem to forgive and act without delay! What is amazing about this prayer, is that it could have equally been applied as a timeless prayer even after the desolation of the second temple in 70 AD. We then wonder, similar to Daniel chapter 4 (which itself could be a prophecy foretelling an extended SEVEN TIMES punishment of the Jews), if the prayer itself was actually a prophecy about a much longer exile and desolation of the Jews? We shall examine this mystery as we further dive into alternative meanings of the 70 weeks prophecy later in this article.

It was during this emotional prayer that God hears and answers Daniel by sending the Archangel Gabriel in verse 20 and 21, who said to Daniel:

Daniel 9:23 – “At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I came to show you; for you are greatly beloved”.

Gabriel then asks Daniel to consider the exile and punishment of 70 years, and to understand what he is about to be told – “consider the matter, and understand the vision”. He was seeking an answer to the return from exile of 70 years. But he was given much more than he had bargained for in hearing an answer to his prayer!

Daniel 9:24-27 – “27 Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. 28 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.” (King James Version)

The Six Conditions/Requirements For Fulfillment of the Seventy Weeks

Overall, we can observe the meaning of the passage is very similar between the various translations, and it appears to be a messianic passage about one or two anointed rulers or anointing of a temple to come. The Jewish commentators will criticize the translations with a capitalized “Messiah” which they claim is not in the original text. However the older Greek translations also include the word Xristos in the original Greek. In any case, we know that the prophecy itself is the arrival of a messianic age because of the following six conditions spelled out in verse 24 that need to be met in order for the prophecy of a “Seventy Weeks” time period to come to pass:

1. “To finish the transgression” – to finish the breaking of the laws of God
2. “To make an end of sins” – to defeat sin or stop further actions of sin
3. “To make reconciliation for iniquity” -to enable a restoration for wicked behavior
4. “To bring in everlasting righteousness” – i.e. “who’s kingdom will have no end”
5. “To seal up vision and prophecy” – to fulfill the prophecy unto completion
6. “And to anoint the Most Holy” – The anointing of a Holy Person or Holy Temple

The Full Preterist and Jewish scholars try to tell us there is nothing that is momentous that happened during the time of Jesus, and he did not fulfill any of these six conditions. They say “it just doesn’t fit.” But it is very obvious for Christians to see how Jesus fulfilled many of these requirements with his death on the cross and his resurrection.

There are several ways we can interpret the “Anoint the Most Holy” or “Holy of Holies.” The event could represent anointing a holy person or holy place the temple. Or both. A Holy of Holies could be considered a High Priest. In fact, in the book of Revelation, Jesus is referred to as the “King of Kings” and “Lord or Lords.” The Messiah’s presence in the reconstructed second temple could have been the anointing of the temple itself. Or a change in a new covenant will establish a new “spiritual” temple. Either way, we can make arguments for for both points that an “anointing” is a messianic figure or blessing of a temple. In reality, will can see both the 490 year and 2520 year interpretation timelines we will examine for Daniel’s 70 Weeks are applied to an anointing of a messiah, and/or temple. For example, the Most Holy could refer to the consecration of the Ezekiel’s temple in the future after the abomination of desolation temple is removed from the temple mount.

Are there 2 princes or “anointed ones” discussed in the passages? Perhaps. We shall see. The proof is in the calculations and history behind the text. 

Daniel 9:24-27 Viewed as a Tricomposite Prophecy

It can be demonstrated that Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy is a simultaneous combination of three separate prophecies within the text, that co-exist side by side and combine into one prophecy.

How could the prophecy construction and delivery to Daniel by Gabriel be considered three parallel and separate prophecies?

It is because certain key phrases are applicable in only one use case, and other phrases might offer a dual or triple fulfillment. These key phrases need to be separated or extracted to see the prophecy properly.  Is such an option possible when interpreting this  complex prophecy?  Of course.  Let’s consider a scientific analogy. Consider the concept of a 3-band graphic or parametric equalizer in the field of audio signal processing. Typically we have controls to boost or cut low, mid and high frequencies from an audio signal through control of the equalizer “sliders” or parameters. This analogy and approach can also be applied to Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, in which we are required to split apart, or “filter out” the required words for each of the three parallel interpretations.

The result of the parsing of the key texts reveals to us that Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy is a single prophecy that consists of three revelations:

1. A Messianic Interpretation of the Christ/Prince
2. An Antichrist Interpretation identifying another “prince to come”
3. A Timetable measuring a Jewish return from a Babylonian “exile” or “diaspora”

This tricomposite combination of these three distinct prophecies form the full text of Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy.  And while the might be inter-related, they are completely separate from one another.  That is the prophecy and calculation for the “Christ the Prince” is separate from the calculation from the “Antichrist” that would come in the middle of the “week”. And the Jewish return to rebuild the town and walls “after 69 weeks” is a separate calculation compared to the “69 week” calculation to the Messiah the Prince.  These separate concepts in one prophecy offers a glorification of the Holy Trinity in the Book of Daniel.  The following diagram shows the parallels of the prophecy to the Holy Trinity diagram we discussed earlier.

Let’s consider an example of how these three prophecies can be examined for decoding by extracting the following three interpretations taken from the King James version of the text in Dan.9:24-27 for the Messianic, Antichristian, and Diaspora interpretations:

Messianic Interpretation –  Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; (…) Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.”.

Anti-Christ Interpretation Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, (…) to seal up vision and prophecy (…). Know therefore and understand (…) the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”.

Jewish Diaspora/Return Interpretation – Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. (…) The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. (…) even until the consummation, which is determined.”

Thus, Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy appears to be a tri-composite combination of 3 different prophecies which describe 3 different distinct events:

1. The arrival of the Christ the Prince (Messianic Interpretation)
2. The arrival of the Prince to Come (Antichrist Interpretation)
3. The return of the Jews from a long period of exile to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the Temple (i.e. the Diaspora Interpretation).

Glorification of the Holy Trinity with Trinity Themes Throughout Daniel 9

In addition to the three possible simultaneous but separate prophecies of the Seventy Weeks, there are other “trinity” themes throughout the chapter.

It becomes apparent that we can derive three different “70 year” time periods based on the exile or return from Babylonian captivity described in Chapter 9. Remember previously, we reviewed Daniel’s prayer in desiring a return from the 70 year captivity prophesied by Jeremiah. The Angel Gabriel gave Daniel more than he requested and asked him to listen attentively, as Gabriel’s reply to Daniel appears to predict 3 distinct time periods of “Seventy”:

A Trinity of Exiles Periods

1. A return from 70 year captivity from Babylon to rebuild the temple (“Seventy Years”)
2. A 70 Week time period for rebuilding the temple (“Seventy Weeks of Years = 490 Years”)
3. A second return from captivity measured as “Seven Times” to rebuild once again to rebuild the temple a second time (“Seven Times divided by Seventy Generations of years” = 2520 Years). It is this time period which almost all commentators of Daniel 70 Weeks completely ignore. This will be a major focus of discussion in the next section.

A Trinity of Calendars To Be Used In The Messianic Calculations:

Another “trinity” theme of Daniel’s 70 weeks is that it appears we need to consider the use of 3 different calendars in the calculations of the prophecy – the Biblical, Solar and Lunar:

• 365.24 days/year = solar calendar
• 360 days/year = biblical/ancient calendars, used in geometry/trigonometry today
• 354.37 days/year = lunar calendar

The Holy Trinity Revealed In The Reduction of the Numbers

When the cross is made upon oneself, the Christian will often recite the trinitarian formula: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

If we examine the numbers of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, we seem a similar pattern of these numbers “3” and “2”, possibly highlighting this concept of the sign of the cross, with God as “3” persons, with Jesus being the 2nd person in the Trinity, and he has 2 natures as the God-Man, i.e. both a human and divine nature. 

In mathematics, reduction refers to the rewriting of an expression into a simpler form. Let’s take a look at some reduction of the numbers in the 70 Weeks and “Seven Times” calculations:

7 x 70 weeks = 490, 4 = 2 x 2, 9 = 3 x 3. 2^2 and 3^3

69 Weeks is a composite of the numbers 6 = 3 x 2, 9 = 3 x 3

Dividing 69 by 3: 69 / 3 = 23 x 3… “2” and “3” times 3

69 Weeks = 483 Years. 483 is a composite of ‘4’, ‘8’ and ‘3’, that is, 2^2 and 2^3 and 3

We will also review an alternative view of Daniel’s calculations based on a “Seven Times” period representing Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. These numbers seem to indicate a similar pattern and we will discuss here since it is a related discussion.

7 x 360 = 2520 years, with “3” and “6 = 2 x 3”
2520 years / 70 “generations” = “36 years per generation”
36 = 9 x 4, or 3×3 x 2×2, that is, 3^2 x 2^2

Thus, the implicit idea of a “Trinity” is also demonstrated through the analysis of the numbers, the use of 3 calendars in the computations, the idea that three distinct “70 year” exile periods and deriving three different parallel interpretations from the text of Daniel 9:24-27.

The Single Hypostasis of “Messiah The Prince” – Two Timelines or Natures of the Seventy Weeks Prophecy

It can be demonstrated that Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy glorifies the God-Man and Theanthropos.  That is, the calculations used in the Seventy Weeks’s prophecy are under two timelines:

1. 7 times 70 weeks or a 490-year calculation for when Jesus first appeared (“The word became flesh and dwelt among us”
2. A “seven times” calculation of 2520-years which was foretold in Leviticus 26, Daniel chapter 4 and Daniel 5’s “writing on the wall.  We can superimpose this timeline over the Daniel 70 weeks text instead of the 490-year calculation.  This is useful for determining the end of the dispersion of the Jews and the eventual second return and acceptance of the Messiah.  This timeline also can be used for the antichrist interpretation to identify when in history the prince would come. 

The FIRST TIMELINE contains characteristics of the HUMAN NATURE of Jesus, as the 490-year prophecy revealed that the Logos would appear in human form to begin his ministry in 70 AD

The SECOND TIMELINE contains characteristics of the DIVINE NATURE of Jesus, as the much larger 2520-year prophecy when the Jews who initially rejected the Word in the Flesh as their Messiah the Prince will at the end of this time period accept the DIVINITY of CHRIST, that is, the acceptance of Jesus as God, and when the Son of David will rule as their king upon their acceptance foretold in Romans 11.  

This single hypostasis of the two “Messiah the Prince” Tmelines can be expressed in the following chart:

Therefore, we can identify through the Daniel 70 Week’s prophecy, a single hypostasis of three prophecies in one revelation, and also a single hypostasis of the Messiah the Prince consisting of two timelines, one for the arrival of God as Man, and a second timeline for the acceptance of the Son of Man as God!  The following chart summarizes the complexity and uniqueness and awesome grandeur of the Seven Weeks prophecy, in glorification of the Holy Trinity:

We will now examine all three prophecies and the two timelines in the remainder of this article. 

The Traditional Messianic Interpretation of Daniel 9 – “The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us”

With the six different translations of the prophecy shown above in the previous section, we can see that the prophecy explicitly showing a duration of 70 “sevens”, 70 “weeks” which typically we interpret as a rough mathematical calculation of: 70 x 7 days = 490 days. The seventy weeks are not measured as literal days, because in literal 490 days, it was not possible to build a large city in Jerusalem with its completed walls, nor was it possible for Christ the Messiah to be sacrificed 490 days after the issue of the royal decree about Jerusalem’s temple rebuilding. So the Seventy Weeks prophecy speaks about weeks of years. This prophecy is one example where Preterists, Futurists and Historicists all agree and apply the Day-Year Principle of prophetic interpretation to this prophecy. A day is equal to a year in the prophetic timetable.

The Archangel Gabriel gives Daniel an explicit starting point to begin measurement for the anointing. It is with an official “word” or “decree” by a king, prophet or government official to proceed with the task of restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem. However, there are 4 distinct decrees with respect to return from Babylon and the rebuilding and construction of the temple and city. Which one do we use for our our calculations? This is the subject of strong debate between Christians, and is a point of contention between Jews and Christians. The Jews often accuse the Christians that they incorrectly chose the wrong decree and “fudged” the numbers to make it look like it points to Jesus’s exact year he died on the Cross. So then what is the right decree? The amazing part about this, which I will show, is the answer to which of the four decrees is: ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!

Let’s examine the four decrees stated in scripture, and their associated dates in history:

We do not necessarily have to argue which decree is the correct one. One thing is certain from the prophecy, the Seventy Weeks end with the destruction of the temple. We know this is the final end point of the 70 weeks and what has to happen after the arrival of the anointed one. It is clear to see in the text through the various translations, but yet the Jewish scholars seem to overlook the fact the messiah has to come before the destruction of the temple, not after.

The different translations appear to divide the 70 Weeks as follows: 7 weeks, stop, 60 weeks and 2 weeks, stop, and 1 week then the times are finished. That is:

70 Weeks = 7 Weeks + 60 Weeks + 2 Weeks + 1 Week

The Messiah or Anointed One (or anointing) appears to happen after completion of the 69 Weeks. That is:

69 Weeks = 7 Weeks + 60 Weeks + 2 Weeks

Since 1 Week = 7 Days, and applying the year/day principle, we can equate these weeks as:

70 Weeks = 7 x 70 Years = 490 Years
69 Weeks = 7 x 69 Years = 483 Years
69 Weeks = 7 + 62 Weeks = 483 years = 49 years + 434 years

It is a common belief among many Protestant Dispensationalist Christians that there a gap between the 69th and 70th week. This has lead to new strange theories about the end times, much of it speculative and heretical. We will answer this question: Are there gaps between the 69th and 70th week? Not really.

Where do we start our timeline measurement? Let’s examine the four decrees and determine which one. There is great debate about it:

1. Is it the Decree of Cyrus in 539 B.C.? Well 490 years lines up well before Jesus. Nothing happened in the first century BC that would fufill the six conditions at the end of the 490 year period. But we will see later that this decree is still important for a different calculation.
2. Is it the Decree of Darius in 520 B.C.? This was a command to start the actual construction of the temple, but it it still out of the timeline of Christ. Nothing significant happened during that time to fulfill the six conditions. But we will also see this decree plays a significant role in the history and city of Jerusalem.
3. Is it the Decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C.? This decree was used to authorize the rebuilding of the city and restoring the local government in Jerusalem. This can certainly be the decree to consider for Daniel’s 70 Weeks. It fits very close to the timing and arrival of Jesus as Messiah.
4. Is it the Decree of Artaxerxes from 444 B.C.? This also is another decree to consider for the rebuilding of the walls of the city of Jerusalem. Using solar calendar conversion between 360 day years and 365.25 solar years, we can arrive very close to the time of Christ… The problem is, it is an obscure decree to state that is the correct decree. But very close. 

It appears that options 3 and 4 are the closest decrees. But do we have to “fudge” the numbers as today’s Jews scholars, skeptics and atheists claim? Well, if we start at 457 BC and follow our calculations specified in the prophecy, we actually arrive at the start of the 70th week in the same year it is proposed that Jesus began his ministry, either in 27 AD or 29 AD. If we start from 444 BC, we come close and convert our 483 years to the solar calendar equivalent of 476 years, we arrive at a 33 year AD crucifixion. Notice however, I have proposed an alternate solution by converting solar to lunar years which would translate 483 years to 469 years. This 444 B.C. decree then aligns very closely with the 457 B.C. decree which is not translated with an approximate 27 BC start of Jesus’s ministry.

We can certainly be confident that Jesus’s ministry began around 27 BC? How? Well the evidence in Luke 3:1 states that Jesus was baptized in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. We know that Tiberius co-reigned with Augustus beginning in 12 A.D. The 15th year from that point would be 27 AD. Jesus’s ministry lasted for 3.5 years until 30 AD.

Thus we can easily see why the 70 Weeks is broken apart as follows:

70 Weeks = 7 Weeks + 60 Weeks + 2 Weeks + 1 Week

There were 2 weeks (weeks 67 and 68) which are measured from the start of Tiberius in 12 A.D. until Christ appears in 27 A.D. The fact that these 2 weeks are isolated by themselves were so that they would be combined with Luke 3:1 to confirm the timing and expectation of Christ’s ministry start time frame. Let’s examine the chart in more detail which should to visualize this calculation in the figure below. It becomes clear then, that the 457 B.C. decree provides an amazing degree of accuracy to the start of the ministry of Christ and his crucifixion in 30 AD.But 33/34 AD is also a candidate. So to be sure, we need to verify from historical records and scientific analysis to see when Jesus was crucified.

Is it it possible through research of historical records and scientific software to determine the exact day of the death of Jesus on the cross? We know of course that this happened sometime in the first century. How can we determine the exact day? Here are some clues:

1. The ministry of John the Baptist began after the 15th year or Tiberius Caesar from St. Luke 3:1-2: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar . . . the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness”. This places us between 27 and 29 AD, depending on if we start from his co-reign with Augustus in 12 AD, or his first year 2 years later after the death of Augustus in 14 AD.
2. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea between AD 26 to AD 36. According to Daniel’s 70th week, he would be “cut off” approximately 3 and a half years or middle of the 70th week.
3. Caiaphas served as high priest from 18 to 36 AD according to historical sources.
4. The Gospel of Luke records that Jesus began his public ministry when he “was about 30 years old”. Most historical records place his birth in between 2 to 4 BC. This would point to between 26 to 28 AD. It is thought that Jesus was about 33 years old when he died on the cross so we add 3 years from the start of his ministry, which would place the time frame between 29 to 31 AD. This also agrees with the text of Daniel’s 70th week saying that the anointed one would be cut off in the middle of the last or 70th week.
5. All 4 Gospels say Jesus during Passover. We already know our range of dates would occur between 26 AD to 36 AD. So if we search historical records we can narrow down the range of possible date. But we also know according to the Gospels that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. So looking at possible options, we can narrow this down to 2 dates:

• Monday, April 18, A.D. 29
• Friday, April 7, A.D. 30
• Tuesday, March 27, A.D. 31
• Monday, April 14, A.D. 32
• Friday, April 3, A.D. 33
• Wednesday, March 24, A.D. 34
• Tuesday, April 12, A.D. 35
• Saturday, March 31, A.D. 36

Jesus died around the 9th our, which would be 3:00 PM. The only two options that align with all of the above conditions and restraints are highlighted above, either Friday 4/7/30 or Friday 4/3/33. Scholars provide valid arguments supporting both dates, but the later 33 AD date would require Jesus to have a longer ministry than three years, based on Luke 3:1. However, it then becomes clear that if we start the timeclock of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks from the 457 B.C. decree and add 483 years (“69 Weeks”) we arrive at 27 AD. Adding three and a half years to this date woudl support a crucifixion date of April 7th, 30 AD. It also is in line with a 469 year period (7 and 60 “weeks”) to the start of Tiberius reign in 12 AD. We can confidently conclude from our analysis that the 457 B.C. Decree with no scaling of calendars is valid, and the 444 B.C. Decree is also valid if we convert from solar to lunar years. Thus, both decree dates of 457 BC and 444 BC validate the death of Jesus on the cross on April 7th 30 AD as a fulfillment of Daniel’s 70 Weeks.

Jesus died around the 9th our, which would be 3:00 PM. The only two options that align with all of the above conditions and restraints are highlighted above, either Friday 4/7/30 or Friday 4/3/33. Scholars provide valid arguments supporting both dates, but the later 33 AD date would require Jesus to have a longer ministry than three years, based on Luke 3:1. However, it then becomes clear that if we start the timeclock of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks from the 457 B.C. decree and add 483 years (“69 Weeks”) we arrive at 27 AD. Adding three and a half years to this date woudl support a crucifixion date of April 7th, 30 AD. It also is in line with a 469 year period (7 and 60 “weeks”) to the start of Tiberius reign in 12 AD. We can confidently conclude from our analysis that the 457 B.C. Decree with no scaling of calendars is valid, and the 444 B.C. Decree is also valid if we convert from solar to lunar years. Thus, both decree dates of 457 BC and 444 BC validate the death of Jesus on the cross on April 7th 30 AD as a fulfillment of Daniel’s 70 Weeks.

The Hidden “Seven Times” Interpretation of the 70 Weeks – The Second Extended Diaspora & Return

As we briefly discussed in the last section, the computations of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks do not just end with determining when Jesus would come to fulfill his mission and fulfill the six requirements of Daniel 9:24 with his death on the cross in 30 AD. There are some additional computations which can be derived in Daniel’s 70 Weeks.

As we highlighted before, Daniel received much more than he requested and bargained for. Gabriel stated the prophecy in such a way that the “seventy sevens” could have either been interpreted as a multiplicative operation or a division operation. That is, do we multiply “7 times seventy” or do we divide the “seven times” by “seventy”? It is the second potential mathematical calculation that provides further evidence that God had intended to use this prophecy to give us the true identity of the Antichrist, and to also show to the Jews that the time will eventually come when they would accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah! Is this really possible? The proof is in the details.

Let’s review once again EXACTLY what Daniel requested from God, and what details God provided back to Daniel. Daniel requested of God the forgiveness of the people’s sins, its return to Jerusalem and the cessation of the desolation. But as we know, the Jewish people returning to Palestine and Jerusalem, they would once again at a later time behave sinfully, that is, in their expected Messiah-Christ’s advent they would kill Him and then kill and persecute the Apostles and early Christians. As foretold in Daniel 9:26-27, the city would be delivered to desolation in 70 A.D. and, and they would again be captives and dispersed to all the nations. For these reasons God gave to us this complex “Seventy Weeks” or “Seventy Sevens” prophecy with such wisdom that it should fix:

• The time of the people’s return from Babylon in 537 B.C.
• The time of duration of their building the town and the temple from 457 B.C.
• The time of Christ’s coming in 27 A.D.
• The time of His crucifixion in 30 A.D.; and finally
• The second destruction and second desolation of the town in 70 A.D. until the “time of the end” spoken of in Daniel chapter 12, which would be the period when the Jews would again, later on, return to Jerusalem.

So this prophecy of the seventy weeks has a DOUBLE interpretation with the mathematical calculations, as it also happens with certain further facts in this prophecy. In this prophecy it was impossible to say nothing about the time of the Jewish people’s second return to Palestine, about which return St. Paul speaks (Romans 11:25-26) and Christ also (Luke 21-24), and many other prophecies of the Old Testament as well. Let’s examine this in the next section.

The Jewish Return From Babylon Interpretation  and the Significance of the “69 Weeks”

For a more complete study and background on this interpretation, see a previous article titled: The Prophecy of Ezekiel 4 and the Modern Jewish Return.

The Seventy Weeks Prophecy can alternatively be used to calculate another SECOND return by the Jews in the 69th week. And their return would be during a “time of trouble” when the city and nation would be rebuilt. And most certainly more than any other time in history since the scattering of 70 AD, the Holy Land is in crisis.

It would have been almost impossible for Gabriel to not speak of a second return from an extended Babylonian captivity. Where is the evidence? There are two verses of this 70-weeks prophecy clearly speak about the events of the second gathering of the Jews in Palestine, which we can find in the translations from the Septuagint:

Daniel 9:25 (Septuagint Version) – “Until Christ the Prince there will be weeks seven and weeks sixty two, and (“the people” or “the time”) will return and both town and walls will be built, and the times will come to an end.”

It is interesting to note that the Jews did not return from Babylon after the seven and sixty two weeks, but as soon as the decree was issued in 537 B.C. Neither did the “times” come to an end when the town was rebuilt, because the building work finished in 408 B.C. But it the text says that after the seven and sixty two weeks the people of Israel returned. We know historically, the nation’s second return was achieved in 1948 A. D., when Israel’s state was founded in Palestine, on May 14, 1948.

This second interpretation which was incomprehensible before Jerusalem’s second destruction in 70 A.D. Daniel 12:7 in only the Septuagint Translation sheds light on exactly when it would be possible to comprehend this portion of the prophecy.

“In a time of times and a half of a time, when the dispersion is consummated, all these things will become known” – Daniel 12:7 – Theodotian

See the similar translated text below, taken from the English translation of the Septuagint – by Sir Lancelot, published by C. L. Brenton (year 1851) :

At the consummation of the dispersion after 1260 “days”, that is 1260 years, we will be able to understand the full meaning of Daniel’s prophecies as the “seal the vision” comes to completion. Under this alternative interpretation of Daniel’s 70 Weeks, we have have multiple starting points:

1. In 606 BC, when the Jews were first deported to Babylon
2. In 586 BC, when the first temple was destroyed in the siege by the Babylonians
3. In 537 BC, the year the first royal decree was issued, exactly 70 years after the first deporation and captivity to Babylon (according to Jeremiah’s prophecy)
4. In 520 BC (i.e. 517 to 520 BC), the year of the second royal decree to finish construction fo the second temple.
5. Based on the evidence of 1 to 4, we need to also consider the realization from the starting points of the third decree in 457 BC and fourth decree in 444 BC, possibly pointing to events unfulfilled. That is, given the fact the times can be verified with earlier dates leads us to believe there is a potential pattern of a “parallel of times” within the divine calculations. These last two decree dates would be considered “foward-looking” projections, that is, they do in fact derive dates in the future. This is a similar concept of “linear equations” where some of our system inputs for our algorithm point to unfulfilled events in the future. If the algorithm is correct, then the result should be fairly accurate. The proof is yet to be determined.

For the first unrepentance by the Jews, they were punished with their seventy-year captivity in Babylon in 586 BC, while for their second unrepentance, they had to suffer a dispersal into all the nations, a scattering to last for almost 1900 years. Twice Jerusalem was besieged and captured, being the capital of their state, with the result of a general slaughter of the Jews, their captivity and dispersal, and the destruction of town and Temple, in 586 BC, and 70 AD. Twice the Jews returned from Babylon, in 536 BC with the royal decree to return and rebuild the temple, and again in modern times in the year 1948, with earlier related dates, including:

• 1878 (Petah Tivka settlement)
• 1882 (Aliyah Jewish Immigration from the Land of Israel)
• 1897 (Zionism Movement for home in Palestine)
• 1917 (Balfour Declaration)
• 1948 AD (Modern Israel)

How are all of these dates related? Well they are all related to demonstrating the validity and proof of the SIXTY NINTH WEEK calculation. That is, for each 69 week time period we can observe a significant event in Jewish history which is initially based around the deportation to, exile and return from Babylon. Daniel 9:25 tells us that this second return (like the arrival of the Christ the Messiah) will occur in the 69th week, i.e. the 7th and 62th week added together. This is confirmed with the following calculations shown in the chart below.

With the Jewish Diaspora interpretation to Daniel’s 70 Weeks, we have SEVENTY GENERATIONS of Jews who would be scattered in exile and return in the Sixty-Ninth Week. In fact, it can be mathematically demonstrated that the “Sixty Nine” Weeks of Daniel is equivalent to “Seventy Weeks”, or the “Seven Times” punishment foretold in Daniel 4, Leviticus 25 and Ezekiel chapter 4. How can we say that: 70 Weeks = 69 Weeks? The math just does not add up? Actually it does, if we add in a scaling factor:

m x 70 = 69, or n x 69 = 70. where “m” or “n” = our calendar conversion scaling constant

There is a beauty and mystery behind the ratios of 69 to 70 and our solar conversion of years between lunar, biblical and solar years! We can demonstrate an an equivalent ratio to four significant digits.

One 360-degree Revolution Around The Sun Takes 365.25 Days Per Solar Year

When we examine the following fractional relationship:

360 degrees /365.25 days per year = 0.9856

You will notice that this scaling factor is equivalent to the 69 weeks out of 70 weeks of Daniel 9:25.

69 weeks / 70 weeks = 0.9857

Equivalent Ratio between Daniel 9 and the the Solar Calendar Conversion

This is a very significant relationship of Daniel 9:25 to converting between solar and biblical calendars! The ratio of the two numbers are both equivalent numbers to approximately 4 bits of precision, or to the ten-thousandth place. The conclusion we can draw here is that Daniel 9 provides a clue that the Jews would return in the 69th week from exile, that is at the end of 70 weeks, but we have to scale between calendars. Here is the critical verse from the Greek Theodotion (2nd century AD) translation we apply to the return of the Jews from exile:

Daniel 9:25 (Theodotion Version) – “Until Christ the Prince there will be weeks seven and weeks sixty two, and (“the people” or “the time”) will return and both town and walls will be built, and the times will come to an end.”

So returning back to Ezekiel 4 and Leviticus 26, taking in mind the return of the Jews in the “69th week” of our Seven Times calculation, we can derive our actual solar year measurement of all of the exiles spoken of in Ezekiel 4.  How do we derive our starting points?  Let’s take a look.

First we need to establish our starting points for the Seven Times exile and scattering.  The original 430 year period is multiplied by seven, then we scale or calendar convert the number:

430 years x 7 TIMES = 3010 years
3010 x (360/365.25) = 2697 years
3010 x (69/70) = 2927 years (this yields the same result)

Our starting point for all calculations is the year King David ruled from Jerusalem, around 1000 BC.

To find our starting point for the Northern Kingdom exile, we have to subtract out the “40 days” and use our 390 day calculation. 

390 x 7 TIMES = 2730 years
2730 x (69/70) = 2691 years

Our starting point for the Northern Kingdom exile must be 7 x 40 years, and scaled to the solar calendar. i.e. 

7 x 40 years = 280 years
280 x 69/70 = 276 years
1000 BC + 276 years = 724 BC 

724 BC is is the year when the Northern Kingdom was attacked by the Assyrians

The punishment duration for the Southern Kingdom of Judah would last for a period of 7 Times 360 years remaining (out of the total 430 years)

360 x 7 TIMES = 2520 years
2520 x 69/70 = 2484 years

Our starting point for the Southern Kingdom exile must be 7 x 70 years. Because they served 70 years out of the 430 years. 

7 x 70 = 490 years
490 x 69/70 = 483 years
1000 BC + 483 years = 517 BC. 

517 BC is the year the 2nd temple was completed, and is exactly 70 years after the first temple was destroyed

What is remarkable is that from the start of David’s reign in Jerusalem, and from the start of the Assyrian fall and scattering, and from the return of the Jews from Babylon, we calculate a converged return to Jerusalem from Exile in 1967!
Here is how:

430 year exile: 1000 BC + 2967 years  = 1967 AD
390 year exile: 724 BC + 2691 years = 1967 AD
360 year exile: 517 BC + 2484 years = 1967 AD

The results of the calculation is truly remarkable!  What it tells us that from the time of King David’s conquering of Jerusalem, until the six day war in 1967 when Jerusalem was recaptured, we have a convergence of the termination date of SEVEN TIMES to the same exact year as the termination date for the scattering of the “lost tribes” of Israel to return and also a convergence of the termination date of the Southern Kingdom’s return from Babylon to rebuild the second temple. The chart below provides a summary analysis and graphical view of the calculations:

In addition, we can calculate a series of exile and return calculations from many significant events within the history of Israel, starting from the time of King Saul, David, Solomon’s divided kingdom, the the scattering of the Northern and Southern kingdoms, the royal decrees and rebuilding of the second temple, and realize a noticeable parallel series of SEVEN TIMES restoration aligning to significant dates in the modern history of the nation of Israel today, such as:

• The first modern settlers (Petra Tivka) arrived in Israel in 1878 AD, exactly sixty-nine weeks of years (or 2484 years) from the first deportation of Babylon in 605 BC
• The founding of the Zionist movement was founded in 1897 AD to establish a homeland in Israel, exactly 69 weeks or 2484 years after the temple of Solomon was destroyed in 587 BC
• The establishment of the modern state of Israel occurred in 1948 AD, exactly 69 weeks or 2484 years after the Jews initially returned from Babylon in 537 BC, and exactly 69 weeks after the start of the Assyrian Captivity in the Northern Kingdom in 740 BC (based on a 390 day/year times calculation taken from Ezekiel chapter 4).
• The capture of Jerusalem in the Six Day War in 1967 AD, exactly 69 weeks from the completion of the second temple construction in 517 BC, and exactly 69 weeks after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 724 BC (based on a 390 day/year times calculation taken from Ezekiel chapter 4)

The Book of Daniel teaches us that the Jews would return to Israel after “69 weeks” a SECOND TIME.  Ezekiel 4 and Leviticus 26 confirms this fact with the Northern Scattering and from the United Hebrew Kingdom as well. Whether we look at is a a 69/70 weeks conversion factor, or a 360/365.25 days per year conversion factor, it is all the same.  The Jews returned after SEVEN TIMES scaled to the Solar Calendar in 69 weeks.  The chart below provides the proof, over multiple SEVEN TIMES starting points and calculations.  This cannot possibly be a coincidence.  There are too many calculations to prove the same theme over and over.

We can see that “seven times” exactly pass over a 390-year cycle from the Assyrian Scattering in 744 BC until 1948 for the Northern Kingdom. This timeline ends and converges to the same year that the Southern Kingdom of Judah returns from exile a second time measured from Cyrus 537 BC decree based on a 360-year “seven times” cycle, also to 1948. In addition, we see three convergences to 1967 measured from “seven times” from King David’s reign in Jerusalem based on a 430-year “seven times” cycle, converging at the same time as the 724-BC “seven times” fall of the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians ending in 1967 AD based on a 390-year calculation.  Also converging from the “seven times” return from Babylon and the second temple construction in 517 BC, we have a 360-year cycle terminating also in 1967 AD.  1967 AD is a significant fulfillment of bible prophecy in that Jerusalem was “liberated” by the gentile rule for the first time in over 2500 years.  From King David to the Six Day War, SEVEN TIMES passed over the land until Jerusalem was free once again!

SIXTY-NINE WEEKS OF SEVEN TIMES “UNTO MESSIAH THE PRINCE”

Does the prophecy of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks actually predict when the Jews will come to the realization that Jesus was their Messiah? Perhaps it might, and only time will tell. Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy states that:

Daniel 9:25 (Septuagint Version) – “Until Christ the Prince there will be weeks seven and weeks sixty two (…)”

From either the command 457 B.C. or 444 B.C., the Sixty Ninth week based on the Seven Times points us to 2027 AD and 2039 AD. The latter is the more accurate date in my opinion (but the discussion for providing evidence for this date is beyond the scope of this article). We can go back and identify the six conditions which are required to be fulfilled for the Jews to be fully restored in their land of the covenant. It is the same as the six conditions required for Jesus to appear back in 30 AD. The covenant works both ways and is binding. Thus we see that the same six requirements specified for Jesus the Messiah are applicable for the Jews to return and be fully restored after 69 Weeks. These require that they are also to:

• “To finish the transgression” – to finish the transgression for rejection of Jesus as their Messiah
• “To make an end of sins” – stop further actions of sin, rejection and persecution of Jesus
• “To make reconciliation for iniquity” – to enable a full restoration after the 2520 year period of punishment and exile, scattered among the nations
• “To bring in everlasting righteousness” – to be grafted back into the tree as St. Paul describes in Romans chapter 11
• “To seal up vision and prophecy” – to fulfill the hundreds of prophecies on the return of the Jews to Israel spoken by Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, St. Paul and St. John…
• “And to anoint the Most Holy” – The anointing (or acceptance) of Jesus as Messiah, and to anoint Ezekiel’s future temple to be constructed in honor of Jesus and the Holy Trinity

The Antichrist Interpretation to Daniel’s 70 Weeks and the Identity of the Abomination of Desolation

Next we have the prophecies of St. John’s Book of Revelation stating that the City of Jerusalem would be trample for a period of “42 months”, or 1260 years. From this starting point we can also predict when the Gentile Rule would come to an end in Jerusalem. This is measured when Omar II invaded Jerusalem in 636 AD, and when the Dome of the Rock construction began in 688 AD (i.e. the “Abomination of Desolation” described in Daniel and Matthew 24).

Revelation 13:5 “The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for forty-two months.”

“Forty-two months” here represents 1260 years, applying the traditional Day-Year Principle of prophetic interpretation used by historicists from the 12th century. The calculation of the number of days is determined as 42 month x 30 days/month = 1260 “days”. This is also the same duration spoken about in Daniel 12:7, i.e, “Time, Times and a Half of Time” also represents 1260 “days”/years. The variation of 1260 day measurement can be determined with consideration of using three calendars for use in our computation, the traditional “biblical” calendar, the “solar” calendar of 365.25 days/year, and the “lunar” calendar of 354 days/year.

• 1260 years = 3.5 x “Biblical” 360 days/year [i.e. Father, 360 degrees in a circle]
• 1279 years = 3.5 x “Solar” 365.25 days/year [i.e. Son/”Sun of Righteousness”]
• 1242 years = 3.5 x “Lunar” 354 days/year [i.e. Moon/Church calendar]

Caliph Omar invaded Jerusalem in 637 A.D. We are given a significant clue for the starting point of measurement by Sophronius, who was the Patriarch of Jerusalem when Omar invaded Jerusalem with his armies. When Sophronius saw the Caliph Omar on the temple mount he announced these prophetic words:

“This is the Abomination of Desolation announced by the Prophet Daniel, and now stands from this point on holy ground.”

This would be to fulfill what was spoken about in Daniel Chapter 9 and by Jesus:

Matthew 24:15 – “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand)”

It is obvious that the year 636-638 AD invasion of Jerusalem is a significant event in identifying the prophesied “Antichrist” and “Man of Perdition,” and it thus can be used to calculate the exact reign and duration based on subtle mathematical equations and riddles provided in scripture such as “forty-two months” and “1260 days”. If 637 is of important significance in identifying the Antichrist, then certainly other significant dates around the life of the same beast should also be considered? The answer is yes, it can be demonstrated that a pattern emerges of a so-called “parallel of times” which are based on the rise and fall of the empires of the Islamic Beast. We also can observe that dates involved around construction of the abomination also confirms the middle of Daniel’ 70 week. These dates confirm the authenticity of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as we confirm that the time between the destruction and rebuilding of the temples arrive at the exact years for the end of Gentile/Islamic rule in Jerusalem.

Conclusion

Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy is the most amazing prophecy in the bible offering proof that Jesus is the Messiah. It is a very disputed and hated prophecy by the enemies of Christ. It is also very misunderstood due to the many questionable English translations which led to heresies such as the false 2000-year “gap” theory doctrine which was developed promoted by the John Darby and the Dispensationalist and Rapture advocates. In reality, it can be proven that the Sixty-Nine weeks are a scaled equivalent to the Seventy weeks through the use of common solar and lunar calendar conversions. There is no reason to consider a 2000 year gap between weeks 69 and 70 if we realize that the 70 weeks of the prophecy can also end upon termination of 69 weeks, covering the same time periods in history through the use of calendar conversions.

The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks is conducive to the glorification of the Holy Trinity. This is due to the following properties:

• the tricomposite interpretive nature of the prophecy as three revelations or hypostasis in one prophecy.
• The prophecy contains timelines for three separate exile and return/restoration timelines revealed by the Archangel Gabriel as: 70 years, 490 years and 2520 years. 
• The calculations use the trinity calendar system (solar, lunar, geometric) for confirmation of the dates in history to the prophecy.
• The repeated “2”/”3” numbers in the reduction of the timeline numbers of 490 and 2520, and 360×7 reveal the single hypostasis of 1 God as 3 persons, and the single hypostasis of Chris’s 2 natures (human and divine).

There are two ways to calculate Daniel’s Seventy Weeks to arrive at “unto the Messiah the Prince” which reveals the single hypostasis of two timelines for each of Christ’s natures:

• Human Nature Calculation: Multiplicative = 70 x 7 = 490 Years
• Divine Nature Calculation : Division = 7 Times / 70 = 2520 Years / 70 = “seventy” 36-year generations

Based on the division calculation, Daniel’s Seventy Weeks also provides additional details on the Seven Times punishment described in Leviticus 26. The 69 Weeks of Daniel are synonymous with the same exact seven times period of punishment and restoration for both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. These older prophecies cover the same period of either 2484 lunar years, 2520 biblical years, or 2556 solar years. We have confirmed based on our analysis and calculations that God’s prophetic timetable of restoration was fulfilled to the exact years in history.

© 2019 by Jonathan Photius

About the Author: Jonathan Photius is a lifelong Eastern Orthodox Christian who has studied biblical and non-biblical apocalyptic prophecy for over 30 years. Jonathan is a Historicist interpreter of the prophecies, which advocates a continuous fulfillment of prophecies throughout history.  He is the author of “Seven Times Unto The Consummation” and “The Encyclopedia of Christianity In The Book of Revelation“, both which present neo-historicist views on prophetic interpretation.