Daniel 9:20-27

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: 24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

On part 1, we concludes that the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:20-27 covers 490 years (62 * 7 + 7 * 7 + 1 * 7 = 490 years). In the Bible, duration of a year is equal to 360 days as seen in Revelation 11:2-3 in which 42 months of persecution refers to the same 1,260 days of empowerment of God of the two witnesses. Since 42 months is equal to 1,260 days, a month is 30 days long and therefore a year is 360 days long. This segment of time (the 1,260 days) is referred to in both Daniel 7:24-25 and Revealation 12:14. The phrase "time, times and half a time" means 3.5 years (i.e. 1 + 2 + 0.5 = 3.5 years or 42 months).

Revelation 11:2-3

2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

Daniel 7:24-25

24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

Revelation 12:14

14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.

Also, Genesis 7:11 mentions that the flood began on the seventeenth day of the second month and Genesis 8:4 mentions that the flood ended on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. Genesis 7:24 and Genesis 8:3 also mention that the flood lasted for 150 days. Studying these verses together, again, we see a 30-day month implying a year is 360 days long.

Genesis 7:11

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month?on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 8:4

4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 7:24

24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 8:3

3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down,

For more details and reasons to conclude that a year is 360 days long, please refer to the works of Anderson and Hoehner 1, 2. Now, the next question is when does this seventy weeks of years start and when will the seventieth week of year end. On studying Daniel 9:25, the start of the period is marked by the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem. The Anointed One , the ruler i.e. Jesus Christ will come 483 years later (7 * 7 + 62 * 7 = 483 years) and then the messiah will be cut off. History shows that the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem and the crucification of Christ have occurred and the dates of these two events can be dated. We may simply verify if the time span of these two events is equal to 173,880 days (483 * 360 = 173,880 days) in order to conclude if the first 69 weeks (69 * 7 = 483 years) of the prophecy has been fulfilled. On the other hand, the end of the last seven years is marked by the end of sin and everlasting righteousness. We certainly know that there is not yet the end of sin for sins are rampant in the world including Israel today. One day of listening to the news will convince us the fact that the seventieth week is of the future. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the last week (1 * 7 = 7 years) has not arrived and this implies that there is a gap between the 69th seven and the 70th seven. We are living in this gap of world history which apostle Paul calls a mystery when Israel is hardening towards the gospel while many Gentiles enter the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Then godlessness and sins will be taken away and all Israel will be saved in the future. How wonderful and merciful our God is (Roman 11:25-32)! Gentiles and Israel alike receive mercy and salvation from sins from the great deliverer Jesus Christ!

Romans 11:25-32

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

We will continue next time to verify if the first 69 weeks of the prophecy has occurred precisly as stated.