The Seventy Weeks Prophecy of Daniel 9 is one of the most remarkable—and debated—prophecies in the entire Bible. Critical scholars have long attacked it because it predicts the exact time of the appearance of Jesus Christ nearly six centuries in advance. For skeptics and atheists, this presents a serious problem.

At the beginning of the prophecy, Daniel gives the starting point from which the prophetic countdown begins:

“Seventy weeks are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again with streets and the wall, even in troublous times. And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself.”
— Daniel 9:24–26 AFV

Historically, we know exactly when the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was given. In 457 BC, Artaxerxes, the Persian emperor, issued the decree in the seventh year of his reign. While earlier Persian rulers had authorized the rebuilding of the Temple, the decree of Artaxerxes was unique because it restored not only worship, but also civil authority, magistrates, laws, but the rebuilding of Jerusalem itself- as the prophecy required. The book of Ezra documents this decree in detail.

Using the biblical day-for-a-year principle often employed in prophecy, seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks equals sixty-nine prophetic weeks, or 483 prophetic days. Multiplying 69 weeks by seven days per week gives 483 years. Remarkably, 483 years after the decree of Artaxerxes, Jesus Christ began His public ministry in 26/27 AD- to the year.

However, there is an important distinction. The prophecy does not point to the birth, crucifixion, or resurrection of Christ. Daniel specifically states there would be sixty-nine weeks “unto Messiah the Prince.” The word “Messiah” literally means “Anointed One.” The prophecy points to the appearance and anointing of Jesus Christ at the beginning of His ministry.

Luke records that this took place “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1). Tiberius began his reign as co-regent with Augustus at around 11 AD, making his fifteenth year 26/27 AD. During the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus came to the Jordan River and was publicly baptized and anointed by the Holy Spirit descending upon Him like a dove (Matthew 3:16).

This was no private event. Luke records that multitudes came to John’s baptism. Even the Pharisees and Sadducees came to witness the commotion surrounding John’s ministry. Christ’s baptism and anointing was therefore a very public and significant event.

John the Baptist himself understood the importance of his appearing at this moment:

“That He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”
— John 1:31

After His anointing and His confrontation with Satan in the wilderness, Christ formally began His public ministry exactly as prophesied in Malachi 3:

“The Lord, Whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple.”

The timing is extraordinary. Christ’s anointing took place exactly 483 years after the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC.

Jesus Christ fulfilled many of the requirements of Daniel’s prophecy. He made “reconciliation for iniquity,” and He was “cut off, but not for Himself.” In other words, He was killed not for His own sins, but for ours. Through His sacrifice mankind can be reconciled to the Father.

Yet many aspects of the prophecy remain unfulfilled even today.

  • Everlasting righteousness has not yet been established upon the earth.
  • Sin has not yet come to an end.
  • The saints have not yet been anointed to rule with Christ (Revelation 5:10).
  • Because most vision and prophecy are of the end time, they have not yet been sealed up.

This reveals something important: the Seventy Weeks Prophecy is not only about the first coming of Christ. It also points towards to the end of the age and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

And then we notice something else remarkable in the prophecy: Daniel speaks of two princes, not one.

“And the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…”
— Daniel 9:26

The “people of the Prince” is none other than the Roman armies of 70 AD who not only conqured Jerusalem but completely destroyed the temple. The historical fulfillment of this portion of the prophecy is not debatable..

But the prophecy continues:

“And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease, and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate…”
— Daniel 9:27

The references to stopping sacrifices, abominations, and desolation clearly connect this prophecy to the “abomination of desolation” spoken of throughout Daniel, the Olivet Prophecy, and the book of Revelation. Throughout Scripture it describes an end-time leader of Europe “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”. He has many different titles such as:

  • Little horn (Daniel 7:8)
  • King of the North (Daniel 11)
  • Son of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
  • The Beast of Revelation (Revelation 13)
  • Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
  • Lawless One (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
  • Prince That Shall Come (Daniel 9:26)
  • Desolator / One Who Makes Desolate (Daniel 9:27)

This description plainly extends beyond the ministry of Jesus Christ and points toward another ruler yet to arise.

The prophecy states that this prince “shall confirm a covenant with many for one week.” If one prophetic week represents seven years, then this final ruler will apparently exercise authority for a seven-year period.

Using the same day-for-a-year principle, seventy weeks equal 490 years. Sixty-nine of those weeks have already been fulfilled. One prophetic week—seven years—remains.

This is why many students of prophecy understand that the Beast power, also called the son of perdition, will dominate world affairs for a final prophetic seven-year period.

The prophecy further states that in the middle of the week sacrifices will cease and the abomination of desolation will take place. Jesus Christ connected this event directly to beginning of the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24. This event takes place just before Fifth Seal and the great persecution of the saints described in the book of Revelation.

So when does this final seven-year period begin?

No one can know with certainty. However, there are some striking prophetic milestones approaching that are difficult to ignore.

If the chronology outlined above is correct, this coming year marks the 2,000-year anniversary of the public appearance and anointing of Jesus Christ—the coming of the first Prince, the Messiah.

Could it be that the second prince might be revealed at this time?

Paul warned:

“Do not let anyone deceive you by any means because that day will not come unless … the man of sin shall be revealed—the son of perdition.”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:3

The revealing of the man of sin, the son of perdition, the second prince of Daniel 9 is a major prophetic event to be watched for. In a matter of months, we are approaching the 2000 year anniversary of the appearing of the first Prince of the same prophecy.

And Peter reminds us:

“Now, beloved, do not let this one fact be hidden from you: that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not delaying the promise of His coming, as some in their own minds reckon delay; rather, He is longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
— 2 Peter 3:8–9 AFV

Daniel’s prophecy was not given merely to satisfy curiosity about dates. It was given to show that God rules over history, appoints kingdoms, establishes times, and fulfills His Word with absolute precision. Nearly two thousand years ago Messiah appeared exactly as foretold. The remaining portions of the prophecy will be fulfilled with the same certainty.