SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Eight

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. (Daniel 9:25 kjv)


It should be clear that, in verse 25, the number of weeks called out as seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (total of 69), and the two historic events that bracket those shabuwa are linked, and because of the local context, we are able to determine that the first sixty-nine shabuwa are periods of seven years each. Now we move on to the final shabuwa.

In verse 27 we encounter week/shabuwa number 70, and we come to one of the most hotly debated eschatological verses in all of the Old Testament. Everyone knows enough about such debates that we need not go into any of that here. Instead, I will introduce a new possibility as to the meaning of this verse. Everyone should appreciate that. Right?

To make the introduction, I want to talk about playing cards. I don’t play poker. I don’t really know how, and I really don’t care to learn, but over the years, I have learned something about the possible hands, as well as something about the ranking of possible hands. I know for example that a full-house is two of one kind and three of another kind, and I know that a full-house beats two-pair. Is this correct? Well, not always.

You see, a full-house would normally beat two-pair because it is more likely for a player to get two-pair than for a player to get two of one kind and three of another kind…unless, I tell you that both of my pairs are the same card. If I have two-pair and both pairs are queens, then that beats a full-house. Of course, you will quickly say that it’s not two-pair, but rather four-of-a-kind. Okay, but we’ve all seen this scene in some movie or other.

Just the same, my point is made. If I say that I have two pair, you don’t know what my cards are until I say something like; aces and eights, dead-man’s hand. The word ‘pair’ is like the word ‘shabuwa. It has only QUANTITATIVE meaning, not QUALITATIVE meaning; we know how many, but we don’t know of what. The same thing goes for pairs.

We might say the same thing of dozens. I could tell you that I have to stop on the way home to get a couple of dozen. You don’t know what I’m getting. You only know how many. It could be eggs or it could be roses. In fact, my two dozens could be a dozen eggs for breakfast and a dozen roses for my lady. They don’t have to be two dozen of the same thing. To my knowledge, this principle has never been applied to Daniel’s seventy weeks, but it can be. All seventy weeks do not have to be periods of seven years.

Now for those who want to justify a 2,000 year gap between the 69^th and the 70^th week, the fact that Daniel 9:24-27 separates the 70 weeks into the first 69 and the final week becomes a justification of their theory, but maybe we should look at that differently. What if the break between the 69^th and 70^th weeks is to help us see that the 70^th week is somehow different that the preceding 69 weeks? What if God made that separation because He wanted to help us notice that different events in the two blocks of time give a different context to verse 27 than He had written into verse 25? Is that possible?

Well, before we go too far here, we better make a point that the divisions of verses were not part of what Gabriel spoke to Daniel. Everything that Gabriel said was all part of one big explanation; no verse divisions. But, there is a distinction between the context of the 69 weeks and the context of the 70^th week.

And, while we are looking at how Gabriel’s words were divided into verses, notice that there could easily be a further division within verse 27. From my perspective, I would divide that one verse into two parts with the division right after the word ‘cease’. There is a comma there now, and a conjunction (and), and the subject, though related, changes right there. After that, desolation and abomination become the new subjects, and a protracted period of time seems to be in view. [Consummation: completion, termination, full end]

Look at the events of the 70th week. In one, final week there is a covenant confirmed, and in the mid point of that final week an end is made to sacrifices and oblations. This, then, is the context of week number seventy. Nothing here indicates that that this final shabuwa has to be a seven-year long shabuwa.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”.

Quite the contrary is true. How long would it take you to confirm a covenant? How long would it take you to command an end to sacrifices and offerings? If we say that this is a seven-year shabuwa, we must certainly use context to substantiate our claim. What we have instead in an interpretation that has been passed down from one generation of preachers to the next for a long time, without regard to context.

Summary: The final shabuwa of Daniel’s seventy shabuwa could be a shabuwa of days rather than a shabuwa of years. Nothing in the context needs seven years for accomplishment.

SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Seven

I am encouraged when I am able to see that the men who have prepared a Bible version have broken with tradition and have made a literal translation of a particular word, even though it doesn't read as well in that initially we don't know what they mean to say. In Daniel 9:24a, the NIV has done that, and you can see that we're not exactly comfortable with the different wording. That version has the wording of this passage as:

"He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven." (Daniel 9:24a)

To speak about a 'seven' doesn't work for us, does it? At least not until we investigate to find out what it is talking about, but 'seven' is a literal translation of the Hebrew word shabuwa in that verse. The men who provide that version decided we need to know that.

In the King James version, the translators claimed to have identified words that they had added to the original text in order to help our understanding, and they marked those added words by printing them in italics. Some other versions have done the same, but many version have not done so. In the Darby version, the translators show us the added words with italics. Here is how they render verse 27a.

"And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week" (Daniel 9:27a; Darby)

How many other versions have done that? None that I could find at the internet site I use: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Dan&c=9&v=27&t=KJV#27 Not even the King James version shows that the word for has been added, but Young's Literal Version even goes it one better. Young's just doesn't add the word for in the first place. Young's version presents the line WITHOUT added words:

"And he hath strengthened a covenant with many -- one week," (Daniel 9:27a; Young's)

Leaving OUT a word that was never intended to be IN this statement in the first place makes a big difference. Let's read it again:

"And he hath strengthened a covenant with many, one week,"

Can we see what it means without the added word for? And one week he hath strengthened a covenant with many.

With the added word for we have been led to believe in a covenant that will only last for one week. Without the added word we can see that the covenant gets strengthened DURING A WEEK. Beloved, THIS IS A BIG DEAL! But, is the word for actually part of the original text or not? Who is telling the truth?

You can see here: http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Tpdf/dan9.pdf that there is no Hebrew word in there that would translate as for. And, here: http://septuagint-interlinear-greek-bible.comOldTestament.pdf you can see that, in the Greek Septuagint, there is nothing to justify the added word.

The word for is NOT supposed to be there. The covenant gets confirmed during one week. Anyone who studies this passage knows that verse 27 is talking about the final shabuwa of the seventy shabuwa, and that is the time period when we should look to see if there was a covenant was confirmed.

Summary: In the first line of Daniel 9:27, the word for has been added by those who have translated and produced most of our English versions. It is not supposed to be there, and its addition to the text has perverted the meaning of the original Hebrew texts.

SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Six

Quoting the opening paragraphs of Chapter One:

Shabuwa: a period of seven (7 years, 7 days, 7 periods)

Whether we are reading about a period of 7 years, as we do in Genesis 29:27-28 or whether we are reading about a period of 7 days as we do in Leviticus 12:1-5, can only be determined by examining the local context. In order to know which is in view, we have to read the local context.

This prophecy begins in Daniel 9:24, and that is where we learn that the overall time period is comprised of Seventy shabuwa. The rest of verse 24 details what God intended to accomplish during those seventy shabuwa. We are not told in verse 24 which interpretation of shabuwa to use.

To take a stand on whether a particular shabuwa is seven years or seven days is strictly a matter of interpretation, so when we make that interpretation, we need to be sure that there is a basis for our interpretation. As we move from verse 24 to verse 25 we are given more information.

"Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven shabuwa, and sixty-two shabuwa: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.” (verse 25)

I have taken the liberty of substituting the Hebrew word shabuwa in place of the English word weeks. I have also highlighted the words from and until.

This verse speaks of shabuwa again, but this time, we find context to help us determine the intended use of that word here. Sixty-nine shabuwa are in view; a summation of seven shabuwa and sixty-two shabuwa. A beginning point and an ending point for the sixty-nine shabuwa is part of the context.

Verse 25 discusses a period of sixty-nine shabuwa and it gives us two historical markers that let us know what time period will elapse during those sixty-nine shabuwa. We have an advantage over Daniel because we can calculate the time from history. He couldn't go by history. The decree hadn't even happened yet, much less "Messiah the Prince".

It's too late to make a long story short. Many people have done calculations to show that Palm Sunday was exactly 483 prophetic years after Cyrus issued the edict allowing the Jews to return to their homes in Canaan. At this point, a simple division of 483 years by 96 shabuwa gives us an answer. The shabuwa of this verse are periods of seven years each.

Summary: The first 69 shabuwa of the 70 total shabuwa were periods of seven years each.

SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Five

"Seventy shabuwa are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

1. to finish the transgression, and
2. to make an end of sins, and
3. to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
5. to seal up the vision and prophecy, and
6. to anoint the most Holy." (Daniel 9:24)

In segments one through four of this series we have examined the first three things that God was going to accomplish during the seventy shabuwa of this prophecy. I personally am in agreement with many preachers and teachers that these three items on the list were accomplished at the cross of Christ, but I am also in agreement with Gabriel/Daniel 9:24 that these three things would be accomplished DURING the Seventy shabuwa, and not at some point outside of that time-frame.

Therefore, in this segment we are going to examine the probability of there being an unannounced gap of 2,000+ years between the 69th and the 70th shabuwa.

The first point to consider is that there is no mention of any gap. Proponents of THIS gap theory are quick to denounce a similar gap theory postulated to have occurred between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 as a way to reconcile the Biblical seven-day creation period and today's understanding of the age of our planet. Neither gap is Biblical.

I asked a question of about ten men, pastors and pastor types. I wanted to know their understanding of when the 69th shabuwa ended. Without exception the answer was; on the day of the triumphal entry of Yeshua into Jerusalem. The day we read about in Matthew 21, Mark 11 and John 12. Typically, we call that day, Palm Sunday. That day saw the end of the 69th shabuwa of Daniel 9:24.

Now I ask you a question. When was Yeshua crucified? When was the cross?

Eight days following Yeshua's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, before the sun came up on the first day of the week (Sunday), the women went to the tomb where Yeshua's body had been placed, and they found it empty. Resurrection morning is what we call that day. It was the Sunday morning following Palm Sunday. Yeshua of Nazareth was crucified sometime during that week.

So what? I'm so glad you ask these questions.

The 69th shabuwa ended on Palm Sunday, so Yeshua was not crucified during the first 69 shabuwa, so:

IF the 70th shabuwa is yet to happen in our future, and
IF there is a 2,000+ year gap between the 69th and the 70th shabuwa,
and since we know He has already gone to the cross...
THEN the atonement for iniquity at the cross will not have happened during ANY OF THE SEVENTY SHABUWA even though Gabriel said that it would happen during the SEVENTY SHABUWA.

This analysis rests on a premise that the 69th shabuwa ended on Palm Sunday, which has been validated by many, and you can find it all over the net, but that's not good enough to guarantee that the cross of Christ happened after the 69th shabuwa. To obtain that guarantee, we go to scripture, and we find that guarantee in Daniel 9:26, part of the overall Seventy Weeks prophecy. The first phrase of that verse clearly states:

"And AFTER threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:" (Daniel 9:26a)

Any questions? Messiah was to be "cut off" AFTER the 62 shabuwa, which followed the first 7 shabuwa, for a total of 96 shabuwa. Yeshua went to the cross sometime AFTER the end of the 69th shabuwa. Whether or not that day was Palm Sunday is irrelevant at this point.

Summary: One of the things that God was going to accomplish during the seventy shabuwa was to make reconciliation for iniquity, and that happened when Messiah was cut off; it happened at the cross of Christ, and that happened AFTER THE 69th SHABUWA, not DURING any of those 69.

Summary: If a 2,000+ year gap happened after the end of the 69th shabuwa, then item number three, the reconciliation for iniquity, the cross, the atonement didn't happen during the 70 shabuwa even though Gabriel prophesied that it would.

SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Four

"Seventy shabuwa are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

1. to finish the transgression, and
2. to make an end of sins, and
3. to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
5. to seal up the vision and prophecy, and
6. to anoint the most Holy." (Daniel 9:24)

In this segment we will examine the second item on the above list:

"to make an end of sins"

First; we will see that this is NOT what ALL of our Bibles say.

"to make an end of sins" King James Version (KJV)
"to make an end of sins" New King James Version (NKJV)
"to put an end to sin" New International Version (NIV)
"to put an end to sin" English Standard Version (ESV)
"to make an end of sin" New American Standard (NASB)
"to put an end to sin" Revised Standard Version (RSV)
"to make an end of sins" American Standard Version (ASV)
"to seal up sins" Young's Literal Version (YNG)
"to make an end of sins" John Darby Version (DBY)
"to make an end of sins" Webster's Version (WEB)
"to make an end of sins" Hebrew Names Version (HNV)

There are many who believe and teach that items 1, 2 and 3 on the list were accomplished at the cross. I would agree with them, but typically, their position on item #2 is based on an interpretation of the phrase, and I can agree with that as well. At the cross, Yeshua brought an end to the dominion sin has over us (Romans 6:14).

I would like to point out the particulars of the Hebrew word translated here as 'sins', in order to further substantiate the fact that Yeshua fulfilled item #2 at the cross. I believe that this logic constitutes yet another proof of that fact, in addition to the common interpretation.

God gave instructions through Moses concerning all the facets of the Law. Among the facets of the Law of Moses were many things that would be ended when the Lamb of God fulfilled them at the cross. All of the ordinances that had to do with the death of an animal fall into that category. Here is an example of one of them.

"And thou shalt offer every day a bullock a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it." (Exodus 29:36)

The bullock that was offered every day as sin offering was a type of the offering for sin that the coming Christ would be. The sin offering was a picture of the atonement which would be made by God in Christ.

[an aside: notice what is anointed here and remember it for later.]

Returning now to our phrase "to make an end of sins" we find that the Hebrew word is translated as 'sins' 182 times. BUT THAT SAME WORD is also translated as 'sin offering' 116 times. Well, so what?

I'm so glad you asked.

If the Hebrew word (#2403) had been translated in Daniel 9:24 as 'sin offering' instead of as 'sin', we might read our phrase as; "to make an end of the sin offering". Interestingly enough, at the cross of Christ, the commandment to make an offering for sin, a sin offering, was fulfilled. Christ was the final sin offering. (compare Hebrews 10:8, 18) That's why believers in Yeshua today don't make bloody offerings. Yeshua is our sin offering.

Now, perhaps the translators all got it right when they translated the Hebrew word as 'sin', but I do find it interesting that the 'sin offering' was done away with, fulfilled at the cross of Christ.

Summary: One of the things that God was going to accomplish during the Seventy shabuwa was to put an end to the 'sin offering' by fulfilling the 'sin offering' in Christ.

SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Three

"Seventy shabuwa are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

1. to finish the transgression, and
2. to make an end of sins, and
3. to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
5. to seal up the vision and prophecy, and
6. to anoint the most Holy." (Daniel 9:24)

In this segment we will examine the first item on the above list:

"to finish the transgression"

First; we will see that this is NOT what ALL of our Bibles say.

"to finish the transgression" King James Version (KJV)
"To finish the transgression" New King James Version (NKJV)
"to finish* transgression" New International Version (NIV)

"to finish the transgression" English Standard Version (ESV)
"to finish the transgression" New American Standard (NASB)
"to finish the transgression" Revised Standard Version (RSV)
"to finish transgression" American Standard Version (ASV)
"to shut up the transgression" Young's Literal Version (YNG)
"to close the transgression" John Darby Version (DBY)
"to finish the transgression" Webster's Version (WEB)
"to finish disobedience" Hebrew Names Version (HNV)

I'm only interested in one word here. Transgression is understood.

Today, the word 'finish' is typically understood to mean in the way that you can see the Darby version translates it; close, or in the way you see Young's Literal version translates it shut up. It demonstrates how the meanings of words can change with time. That being the case here, let's turn to the original language, Hebrew.

The Biblical Usage of the Hebrew word (#3607) kala, is given in the Strong's Concordance as: to restrict, restrain, withhold, shut up, keep back, refrain, forbid. The primary Biblical usage of this word is the one that is first on this list: to restrict. The word is only used 18 times in the entire Old Testament. That's not a lot.

Two other Hebrew words are much more commonly used to convey the idea we get when we read the word finish in the Old Testament. In Genesis 6:16 we find one of them, a word that is translated as finish; a Hebrew word (#3615) that occurs 206 times in the Bible. In Zechariah 4:9 we find the other one (#1214). It occurs 16 times.

The meanings of these two words convey the idea of completion and termination, whereas the Hebrew word in Daniel 9:24 conveys the idea of containment and restraint. It is more than possible, it is probable that the intended meaning of the phrase; to finish the transgression' is to hold back or restrain sin. What happens if we read the first item on the list of what God was going to accomplish, keeping in mind that restraint or containment is in view? We get: "to hold back the transgression" or "to restrain the transgression"

This restraint of transgression happened at the cross of Christ.

Now, just so you know. This is not a new thought, nor is it my own. If you doubt what I have written in this segment, and if you want the opinion of someone who has been trained in a seminary, check with your pastor. This is the position taken by many great teachers.

Summary: One of the things that God was going to accomplish during the Seventy

shabuwa was the restraint of sin.

SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter Two

"Seventy shabuwa are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city,

1. to finish the transgression, and

2. to make an end of sins, and

3. to make reconciliation for iniquity, and

4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, and

5. to seal up the vision and prophecy, and

6. to anoint the most Holy." (Daniel 9:24)

In this segment we will examine the third item on the above list:

"to make reconciliation for iniquity"

First; we will see that this is NOT what ALL of our Bibles say.

"to make reconciliation for iniquity" King James Version (KJV)
"to make reconciliation for iniquity" New King James Version (NKJV)
"to atone for wickedness" New International Version (NIV)
"to atone for iniquity" English Standard Version (ESV)
"to make atonement for iniquity" New American Standard (NASB)
"to atone for iniquity" Revised Standard Version (RSV)
"to make reconciliation for iniquity" American Standard Version (ASV)
"to cover iniquity" Young's Literal Version (YNG)
"to make expiation for iniquity" John Darby Version (DBY)
"to make reconciliation for iniquity" Webster's Version (WEB)
"to make reconciliation for iniquity" Hebrew Names Version (HNV)

There may be valid reasons why ALL of our Bibles don't read the same, but for this writing we will concentrate on the Hebrew words, from which ALL of the above texts were derived. Two words will be considered. The word translated as iniquity in most of the versions, and the word translated as reconciliation, atonement and expiation in these same versions.

Iniquity: With a handful of exceptions, the Hebrew word translated here is almost always translated as 'iniquity'. (220 out of 230 times, 95%) It is sin, wickedness, perversity, depravity and anything else that has that same connotation. This concludes our examination of 'iniquity'.

Reconciliation: Translated as 'atonement' 70% of the times it occurs, this word is translated elsewhere in the KJV as purge away, reconcile, forgive, pacify and of course reconciliation.

Gesenius's Lexicon defines it: "To cover, to cover over, to overspread."

The meaning here is clear enough; It is the word translated in Leviticus as 'atonement'.

"And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him." (Leviticus 1:4)

When Gabriel said "to make reconciliation for iniquity" he was speaking about one place, one time and about one of God's accomplishments. He was talking about the cross of Christ. No other interpretation is possible.

Summary: One of the things that God was going to accomplish during the seventy shabuwa was the atonement

for sin by Christ at the cross. The crucifixion/atonement happened during the seventy shabuwa.

SEVENTY WEEKS - Chapter One

Shabuwa: a period of seven (7 years, 7 days, 7 months, 7 periods)

Whether we are reading about a period of 7 years, as we do in Genesis 29:27-28, or about a period of 7 days as we do in Leviticus 12:5, can only be determined by examining the local context. In order to know which is in view, we have to read the local context. In this update of the original post, I will insert the text of each of these passages for your consideration.

"But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks,
as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her
purifying threescore and six days." (Leviticus 12:5)

Can you imagine a woman being considered 'unclean' for 14 years because her baby is a girl? Of course not, and as a result, we understand that the Hebrew word shabuwa in this verse means a period of seven days, not a period of seven years.

"Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service
which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years."
(Genesis 29:27)

In this verse we are actually told that the shabuwa in view is a seven-year period.

From these two passages we have now learned that the Hebrew word shabuwa can mean either a period of seven years or a period of seven days, depending on the local context.

It is commonly understood that, of the seventy weeks (shabuwa) of Daniel's ninth chapter; sixty nine weeks elapsed/concluded on the day of the triumphal entry of Yeshua (Jesus) into the city of Jerusalem. That is the day that He was hailed as the Messiah of Israel (Daniel 9:25). That day is usually referred to as Palm Sunday, and for convenience, that is what I will call it here.

The 70 periods of seven began with the edict made by the Persian King Cyrus commanding the Israelites to leave Babylon and return to their homes in the land of Canaan. Israel had been taken into captivity 70 years earlier when King Nebuchadnezzar sat on the throne of the empire.

At the beginning of chapter nine, Daniel informs us that he learned from the book of Jeremiah that the captivity of Israel was only supposed to last for a total of 70 years. He told the king of Babylon, and the king of Babylon made the decree that allowed Israel to return home.

I suspect that it helped a lot that Daniel was able to show the king a verse in the prophecy of Isaiah where he (Cyrus) was going to be used by the God of Israel to accomplish His purposes (Isaiah 45). It's a good thing that Daniel had been studying the Torah. And so the decree was issued. Israel was free to go.

Our specific interest will be in is the last four verses of the ninth chapter of Daniel, verse 24 through verse 27. In the last four verses of the chapter, God, through Gabriel told Daniel what He (God) was going to accomplish during the next SEVENTY SHABUWA. These accomplishments are listed in those four verses; the first six are in verse 24. We will consider them in great detail, one at a time.

Summary: God was going to accomplish seven things over the period of seventy shabuwa that would begin when the Israelites were set free from Babylon.