While Daniel was praying, confessing his sin, and the sin of his people Israel, God dispatched the angel Gabriel from heaven to speak with Daniel. He came and instructed Daniel, saying, "O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee wisdom and understanding."

What wisdom and what understanding did the angel give Daniel?

Remember Daniel was an orthodox Jew in the strictest sense. He believed the Word of God. The Word of God assured him that the Babylonian captivity was drawing to a close. It also assured him that Messiah was going to come and usher in an era of righteousness, peace and prosperity—the Golden Era.

Because Daniel was mistaken in expecting the Golden Era to come at the end of the Babylonian captivity, the angel was sent to show him his error and to teach him God's order of events.

70 Sevens—490 Years—Decreed Upon the Jewish People

Gabriel came to Daniel and instructed him that the seventy year period Jeremiah prophesied was not decreed to bring about events leading up to the glorious reign of King Messiah. He disclosed that there were "seventy sevens" decreed upon the Jewish people before that glorious time would come to pass.

Seventy sevens of what? Seventy sevens of years. Since Daniel was thinking in terms of one period of 70 years of the Babylonian captivity, it is logical to believe he understood that the angel spoke of 70 periods of seven years (490 years).

The angel gave Daniel this message:

24 Seventy weeks (The word translated weeks in Daniel 9:24ff, literally means sevens in the original language) are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. 25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times. 26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate (Daniel 9:24-27).

The angel told Daniel that "seventy sevens" were decreed upon his people and upon the holy city of Jerusalem so that six things might be accomplished:

1. To finish transgression,
2. To make an end of sins,
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity,
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness,
5. To seal up vision and prophecy,
6. To anoint the most holy.

When these things have been accomplished the kingdom of God will have been established upon earth, and God's love and benefits will flow out to all the families of the earth.

The Three Divisions of the 490 Years¹

The message the angel Gabriel gave was explicit. He told Daniel that the 70 periods of seven years, or 490 years, would be divided into three separate periods: seven sevens, or 49 years; 62 sevens, or 434 years; and one seven, or seven years. Each of these periods would represent a particular period of Israel's future history. Now let's see what period each one of these divisions represents.

The First Division of Seven Sevens, or 49 Years

The Jews would restore and rebuild Jerusalem during the first 49 years after they returned from the Babylonian captivity. This has been literally fulfilled.

The Second Division—62 Sevens, or 434 Years

The city of Jerusalem which the Jews rebuilt during the 49 troublesome years would stand for 434 years until the anointed one, Messiah, came and was cut off (killed). This also has been literally fulfilled.

The Gap of 1900 + Years

Let us restate the information Daniel received. During the 49 plus 434 years, or 483 years, following the Babylonian captivity the Jews would rebuild Jerusalem and reoccupy their city. At the end of that period the anointed one, the prince, would make his appearance and be killed.

Who is this "anointed one," or Messiah, the prince, of whom the angel Gabriel spoke?

What prominent figure claiming to be the Messiah of Israel came to the Jewish people and was killed about 483 years after the decree was issued ending the Babylonian captivity? Only one answer can be given: Jesus of Nazareth.

It has been centuries since Jesus, the Messiah, was cut off. Yet not one of the six purposes mentioned in Daniel 9:24 has been accomplished. Therefore the 70th week, or the last seven years of the 490 years, could not have immediately followed Christ Jesus' crucifixion. At the end of the 483 years the Lord's special clock stopped ticking off the time of the decree, for the 490th year is to be followed by the Golden Era.

The prophet Micah predicted that God would give Israel up "until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth" (Micah 5:3). This prediction is nothing short of God's stating that His clock, which measures the time of the decree, the 70 weeks, would stop when the people of Israel rejected their Messiah. It would not start again until Israel entered a period of travail—the Time of Jacob's Trouble.

Thus there is a gap of over 1900 years between the 69 periods of seven years and the last period of seven years.

The Third Division—One Seven, or Seven Years

The Beginning of this "week," or seven-year period, marks the beginning of the Time of Jacob's Trouble, the Tribulation.

Since the first and second divisions of Daniel's prophecy have been completely and literally fulfilled, we can be sure the things that are predicted to happen during the third division—seven years—will come to pass.

Note that the angel told Daniel that a specific act will mark the beginning of the last seven years of the 490 years.

The angel said: And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week (Daniel 9:27).

According to this statement, a certain individual will make a strong contract with "many" for "one week"—seven years. Who will that individual be? Who are the many with whom he will make a contract? what will the contract be?

Immediately preceding the statement, "And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week," the angel said:

And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:26).

Therefore the antecedent to "he" in Daniel 9:27 is the prince that shall come in 9:26. The prince that shall come is of the people who destroy the city and sanctuary. Surely the angel predicted the destruction of Jerusalem (the city) and the Jewish Temple (the sanctuary) by the Gentiles under the imperialistic power of the Romans in 70 A.D. Thus "the prince that shall come," the one who will make the covenant with "many", will be a Gentile at the head of the last great imperialistic world power of this age. Rome was the first great imperialistic power of the present age. (In connection with this, read Daniel's prophecy in chapter 7 of his book, noting especially verses 7,17,19 and 23.)

The "many" with whom "the prince that shall come" makes the contract for seven years are of the Jews who will be living in the end days. We can be sure of this, for Daniel's people—the Jews—are the people under the 490 year decree.

In the last days, many developments will rapidly take place that will bring about the rise of the powerful world dictator, "the prince that shall come." Out of these developments a crisis will arise in Israel that will cause the Jews to seek that mighty dictator's favor and help.

Some time in the near future the Jews will acquire the ancient site of their Temple on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem. After they gain this site, they will rebuild their Temple and restore the Mosaic ceremonies of Temple worship—daily worship services and the offerings of animal sacrifices. During this time anti-Semitism and other racial problems will grow increasingly severe. Jews who believe what the prophets of old taught know that their people will find life more and more difficult. "The day is coming," some of them say, "when the living will envy the dead."

The Act That Will Start the Time of Jacob's Trouble

Since anti-Semitism will grow rampant, and the Jews will regain the old Temple site, rebuild their Temple and reinstitute Temple worship according to the Mosaic Law, an acute international problem will arise. After they become organized in their Temple worship, they will be harassed while they try to worship, and their enemies will become so fierce that they will need strong protection in order to carry on their religious services. Instead of seeking the help of God, they will turn to the powerful dictator for help. The Jews will make a contract with him under which he will agree to give them military protection from their enemies.

The signing of that contract will mark the beginning of the Time of Jacob's Trouble.


Footnote:

¹ The 490-year decree began the date Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a proclamation that Jews exiled in Babylonia were to return to their land and rebuild the Temple. See Chapter XIV, Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled, by David L. Cooper.