The Chronology of Yeshua’s Ministry and the Seventy Weeks of Daniel

Every student of the Bible who has any interest at all in prophecy has spent time trying to understand the 70 weeks of Daniel 9, as these verses have great significance in regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In understanding God’s teachings, we know we have not arrived at a satisfactory conclusion until every phrase of the passage in question can be understood. The year 26AD can be confirmed by 2 biblical references: it was the 15th year of Tiberius’s reign and it marked 69 weeks or 483 years from the Decree of Artaxerxes in 458BC (458BC + 483 years = 26AD).

Historical Timeline and Figures

According to Luke 3:1, Tiberius Ceasar was the Emperor of Rome, co-reigning with his father from 12 – 14AD; his 1st year was 12AD and his 15th year was 26AD. During this historical window, several key figures held office:

  • Pontius Pilate: 26 – 36AD governor of Judea.
  • Herod Antipas: 4BC – 39AD tetrarch of Galilee.
  • Herod Philip: 4BC – 34AD tetrarch of Iturea.
  • Annas: 6 – 15AD, deposed by Rome but still regarded as ‘High Priest’.
  • Caiaphas: 18 – 36AD, appointed by Rome as the Official High Priest.

Prophetic Qualifications and Ministry Duration

Yeshua was 30 years of age when He started His Ministry, as a Prophet and a Priest. It was the priest (in the Old Testament) who took the offering to the altar, and Luke 3:23 confirms He starts at age 30. He needed to be the Firstborn and a yearling to qualify as the Passover Lamb. As described in Exodus 12:5, this requires a male, firstborn, unblemished yearling lamb.

The Ministry of Jesus took 490 days from His baptism (26AD) until Shavuot (28AD). His Ministry did not last 3.5 years. Instead, Yeshua’s Ministry was 490 days as per Daniel 9:24-27. The acceptable year of the Lord was proclaimed for one year, from the sermon in the Synagogue of Nazareth until the Ascension, and references like John 6:4 were probably inserted. He was crucified on a Wednesday, in the middle of the the 63rd week of His Ministry. His crucifixion was during passover in the year 28AD, in the twilight hours of the day, as it was dark from the 6th to the 9th hour, from 12:00 – 15:00.

Decrees and the Seventy Weeks

Daniel 9:25 refers to a decree to rebuild Jerusalem, which can only be the first decree of Artaxerxes issued in 458BC. Ezra’s return in 458 B.C. aligns most accurately with the scriptural requirements. The following data highlights the decrees given for the rebuilding:

  • Decree of Cyrus (538BC): Ordained to rebuild the temple (2 Chr 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-4).
  • Decree of Darius (520BC): Ordained to rebuild the temple, confirming Cyrus’s Decree (Ezra 4:24, Ezra 6:1).
  • 1st Decree of Artaxerxes (458BC): Ordained to rebuild the city of Jerusalem (Ezra 7:7, Ezra 7:11-26).
  • 2nd Decree of Artaxerxes (444BC): Ordained to rebuild the city wall (Nehemiah 2:1-8).

An exact path is found to satisfy Daniel 9:24 through these dates. The document emphasizes the spiritual significance of the rebuilding of Jerusalem as a metaphor for the establishment of the body of believers in Christ. Ezra to the cross equals seventy weeks when identifying the return of Ezra in 458 B.C. as the starting point.