Seventy Sevens are Determined: The Prophetic Timeline of Daniel 9

Daniel 9:20-27 is one of the most important passages for understanding the prophetic timeline of the Bible. At the same time, it is given in veiled language that makes it difficult to understand. Although it is often referred to as the “Seventy Weeks” prophecy, the actual statement is that “seventy sevens” are decreed for the people and the holy city.

The 490-Year Interpretation

Nearly everyone understands these “seventy sevens” to represent seventy sets of seven years, or 490 years. This understanding can be traced back before the time of Jesus. For example, the Hebrew scroll known as 11QMelchizedek [it came from cave 11 at Qumran] dates to about 100 BC. This document interprets the prophecy of Daniel to refer to a period of 490 years. This is considered correct by most conservative Bible scholars today, and we will proceed on the assumption that this is correct.

The Division of the Seventy Sevens

Two major issues are important in understanding this prophecy. The first is the way in which these 490 years are divided; the second is the actual length of time they cover. Gabriel begins by informing Daniel that “seventy sevens” have been decreed for his people and for Jerusalem, the holy city (Dan 9:24). This number is then divided into three parts.

Seven sevens and sixty-two sevens are to come between the issuing of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the Messiah (Dan 9:25); added together, that equals sixty-nine sevens, or 483 years. “After” the completion of the sixty-two sevens (which follows the first seven sevens), the Messiah will be cut off and the city and sanctuary of Jerusalem will be destroyed (Dan 9:26). Thus the first sixty-nine sevens, i.e. 483 years, falls between a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the death of the Messiah.

The final period, the seventieth seven, or “week,” begins with a covenant between the “prince who is to come” [whose people destroyed the city and temple] and the Jewish people (Dan 9:27). In the middle of this seven-year period this person will put an end to sacrifice and offering. This strongly implies that the place of sacrifice, the temple, has been rebuilt in the meantime.

Timeline Gaps and Decrees

This means that there is a period of sixty-nine sevens (483 years) from a decree to rebuild until the Messiah, which is followed by an intervening time in which the Messiah is killed, the city and temple are destroyed, and the temple is rebuilt. No clue is given as to how much time elapses between the end of the sixty-nine sevens and the seventieth seven, but there is clearly a gap between them.

When did the sixty-nine sevens begin? There are four times in history when decrees were made regarding the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and/or the city itself:

  • 537 BC: The initial decree to rebuild the temple (and by implication, the city) was under Cyrus in 537 BC.
  • 520 BC: This decree was renewed under Darius I in 520 BC.
  • 457 BC: Ezra sought to rebuild the city, and was apparently given approval in 457 BC, following an investigation.
  • 444 BC: Nehemiah was issued permission to rebuild the city by Artaxerxes I in 444 BC.

The temple was finally completed in 516 BC, but the city remained largely in ruins until Nehemiah arrived and the city was actually rebuilt.

Chronological Calculations

For this next part, you may want to grab a calculator. Although the date of Jesus’s crucifixion is the subject of debate, the most likely date is AD 33. This is based on the lunar phases (Passover was on a Friday that year), and on some other chronological information (e.g. John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius, AD 28/29, Luke 3:1-2). Subtracting 483 years from this gives 449 BC, which does not align with any of the decrees listed above [on that calculation, remember that there is no year zero between BC and AD).

Here is where things get interesting. The ancient Hebrews, along with most other ancient cultures, counted months according to the lunar calendar, which is 30 days in length [technically, 29.5 days, but they always rounded it to 30]. This gave each year (12 months) a length of 360 days. Of course, that is not the true length of the solar year.