Appointed Times
In the last segment, we looked at Psalm 110, which foreshadowed the Lord as a warring king from Zion (Jerusalem), taking vengeance on his enemies. Considering the land of Israel over a longer time horizon, it has suffered numerous wars since Abraham had to rescue Lot from the 4 kings (Gen. 14). These conflicts plus other “signs of the times” are building to a climax, something the prophet Jeremiah called the “time of Jacob’s trouble” or the “70th week of Daniel.” (Jer. 30:7; Daniel 9:24-27).
In the last segment, we looked at Psalm 110, which foreshadowed the Lord as a warring king from Zion (Jerusalem), taking vengeance on his enemies. Considering the land of Israel over a longer time horizon, it has suffered numerous wars since Abraham had to rescue Lot from the 4 kings (Gen. 14). These conflicts plus other “signs of the times” are building to a climax, something the prophet Jeremiah called the “time of Jacob’s trouble” or the “70th week of Daniel.” (Jer. 30:7; Daniel 9:24-27).
In Hebrew, there is a word “Moedim” (מוֹעֲדִים) which means “appointed times” or “feast times” and refers to specific divinely set “appointments.” Moedim is normally used in reference to the spring and fall Jewish festivals. But the Bible has other lesser-known appointed times, such as “in the fullness of time God sent forth his Son” and, as in today’s study, the “tribulation period” or “time of Jacob’s trouble.”
This ongoing battle is being fought on two main fronts. As Christians, we generally understand the struggle for spiritual growth and the work of evangelism. But there is another front to this war where Israel finds itself at the tip of the spear; it is for the land. If we look at Israel’s struggle for its homeland and only see cultural disagreements or geopolitical issues between nations, we miss the point. Behind all the rhetoric, bombs, and invasions is a much deeper and ancient spiritual battle playing out in “real time.”
As Christians, we understand the battle of living by faith, pursuing holiness, reaching the lost, and living as salt and light in a dark world. These are challenges we face daily. But there is also a battle for the land, because Jesus Christ is coming back to rule and reign on this earth. The people and the land of Israel are ground zero for that aspect of the war. I suspect this may explain why many Christians look at Middle Eastern events and do not see the spiritual significance. If our understanding is limited to the New Testament and the church alone, there will be large gaps in our theological understanding.
Jacob’s Trouble
Let us turn our attention to one of the main puzzle pieces of God’s plan. While this piece only affects the Jewish people, it is significant for the church to grasp, as it holds the key to understanding prophetic history and future events. The book of Daniel is one of the main keys to unlock the mysteries of Revelation, and chapter nine is especially important.
The backstory to this prophecy is that the Jews had been carried away into exile for 70 years, as Jeremiah had foretold (see below).
This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jeremiah 25:11
“For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:10-11
Daniel, while studying the words of Jeremiah (himself in exile), realized that the predicted 70 years of exile were nearly complete. For this reason, he set his heart to pray (see Daniel 9), and the 70-week prophecy is God’s response to his prayer. The following passage is the prophetic response from the angel Gabriel to Daniel.
“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 9:24-27
This is a difficult prophecy to comprehend, and I think part of the reason is that God had the book of Daniel sealed until the time of the end.
But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Daniel 12:4
In recent years, much prophetic understanding has been revealed and is occurring, so it stands to reason that Daniel is becoming “unsealed.” The 1894 book titled The Coming Prince, a work by Sir Robert Anderson (a Scotland Yard inspector), was a tremendous contribution to the body of Christ. It provides a foundational understanding of Daniel’s 70-week prophetic text. A short video explaining the main elements of the 70-week prophecy can be found here, and the main text is found in Daniel 9:24-27.
Currently, I only want to make a few observations as a fuller treatment of the subject is outside the scope of this post.
- Seventy weeks total are decreed. A majority of scholars agree that these are weeks of seven years each (490 years).
- When does the clock start:? The prophecy states: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem.” The issuing of the decree by King Artaxerxes (444 BC) is detailed in Nehemiah 2.
- Since a week equals seven years, the total time equals 490 years. (70 weeks x 7 years).
- The seventy weeks are broken into three segments: seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, followed by one week. (7 + 62 + 1 = 70 weeks)
- Converting the weeks to years yields the time segments as: 49 years + 434 years + 7 years = 490 years.
- The first two time periods (7 + 62) or 483-year time frame terminated with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. At that point, the interlude between the 69th and 70th week began, which we might call the “church age.” Currently, we are living in this interlude, but many signs are “flashing red” as the 70th week of Daniel appears on the horizon.
- One more observation to make is that the 70th week is not designed for the church. Notice how the prophecy starts. “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city.” We should ask the question, who are Daniel’s people and Daniel’s holy city that the angel Gabriel was speaking of? I’m certain it was not the church.
This tells us that the purpose of the seventy weeks is to accomplish a series of events for the Jewish people and their land (specifically the holy city). In other words, the seventy weeks are not for the Christian church, but rather the natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Israel – God’s Pocket Watch
God has a “moedim” or appointed time of seven years left on the prophetic clock to play out before we enter the millennial kingdom age. It is time to complete the plan of God for the nation of Israel and the rest of humanity.
Even a cursory reading of Revelation and last-day scriptures reveals the central role Israel plays in end-time events. So, it stands to reason that if she is to play a pivotal role, then she must be back in the land. This point reminds us of the establishment of the nation in 1948, an important historical event that began setting the stage for the end of days. The fact that God has brought Israel back should be a wake-up call to the church.
Why a wake-up call?
Israel’s return to her land is a requirement for the 70th or final week of Daniel’s prophecy. The coming prince (anti-christ) will make a seven-year covenant with Israel, breaking it at the midpoint. But the fact that Israel is back in the land should be a sign for the church that the last days’ events are on the horizon. As believers in Jesus, we may want to consider what this means for us as gentile believers.
In the next several posts, we will look at why Israel was given the land, then exiled, only to return after thousands of years.
Key Elements of Daniel’s 70 Weeks
Overview
Reference: The prophecy is found in Daniel 9:24-27.
Time: The prophecy spans 490 years. A period of 70 sevens or 490 years (70 x 7).
Divisions: The 490 years are divided into segments. 7 weeks (49 yrs), 62 weeks (434 yrs), and a final 1 week (7 yrs).
69 Weeks Fulfillment: The first 69 weeks (483 years) led to the Messiah’s arrival (Jesus triumphal entry) and being “cut off” (crucified).
The interlude or gap: A significant period (the Church Age) exists between the 69th and 70th weeks, a pause in God’s specific timeline for Israel.
The 70th Week (The Tribulation, Jacob’s Trouble)
Covenant: The 70th or final week begins with a future leader (Antichrist) confirming a 7-year covenant with Israel.
Midpoint Betrayal: In the middle of the 70th week (3.5 years), he breaks the covenant, stops sacrifices, and desecrates the Temple (the “Abomination of Desolation”)
“Great” Tribulation: The final 3.5 years is a time of intense suffering and judgment, ending with Christ’s return, the restoration of the Jewish people (who have not been killed by Antichrist), and the establishment of his kingdom.