Seventy Sevens Decreed For Israel

April 28th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to answer Daniel's prayer that began in 9:1. He begins in v. 24 by saying, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people,” "your people" being Israel since Daniel was an Israelite. The word for “weeks” is literally “sevens”—70 sevens. Used 20 times in the OT, context determines whether days, months, or years is in view. Sometimes the term refers to days, as in a literal seven-day week, but when it does it uses the word “days” with it. In v. 24, however, “days” does not appear after the Hebrew word, so the “weeks” in v. 24, instead of referring to 70 weeks, totaling 490 days, actually refers to 70 “seven units of years,” that is 490 years. The following four reasons for this interpretation are conclusive.

First, Daniel had been thinking in terms of years in 9:1-2 when he made reference to Israel’s 70-year captivity in Babylon which resulted from a violation of the sabbatical year (cf. 2 Chron 36:21). The sabbatical year was the commission by God in Leviticus 26:34-35, 43 to work their land for six years and then allow it to rest in the seventh. The 70-year captivity partially resulted from 70 sabbatical years (490 years) of disobedience to this command. Each year of captivity represented one seven-year cycle. Thus, it is clear the context refers to years, not days. Second, the only other time Daniel uses the word for “week” is in 10:2-3, but there he inserts “days” after the word rendering the term literally “seven days.” If he meant “days” in 9:24 he would have followed it with “days.” Third, it is not feasible to fit the events of the chapter into 490 days or even 490 weeks. Only “years” fits the prophetic events that eventually unfolded from the time wrote recorded these words. Finally, with the “covenant” that is said to be broken in 9:27 at the midpoint of the “week,” it fits well with “time, times, and half a time” in Daniel 7:25, 12:7 and in Revelation 12:14 which clearly refers to three and a half years (or 42 months).

Now the 70 weeks are given to accomplish six things for Israel. First, to “finish transgression.” Since “transgression” is blatant rebellion, God will clearly put an end to it after 490 years. Second, to “make an end of sins.” The term “sin” is a more general term, but it too will come to an end. Third, to “make atonement for iniquity.” Of course Christ atoned for the sins of mankind almost 600 years after Daniel’s revelation, but Israel rejected Christ. Yet in the future she will embrace Him. Fourth, to “bring in everlasting righteousness,” or “the everlasting righteousness of ages.” This points to God ushering in an age characterized by righteousness, specifically the Millennial Kingdom (cf. Isa 2:2ff.; 11; 60:21; Jer 23:5-6). Fifth, to “seal up vision and prophecy.” At present, many prophecies of the Bible are yet unfulfilled, but when the final year of the 490 years (70-weeks) is finished, then all prophecies will be “sealed.” Finally, to “anoint a most holy place.” Though this might refer to a dedication of the Most Holy Place in Ezekiel’s millennial temple (Ezek 41-48), it could refer to the Messiah Himself. It would then refer to Christ’s enthronement as King of kings and Lord of lords, the “Anointed One” of Daniel 7:25-27.

Food for Thought
God “decreed” these end-times events for Israel. They are guaranteed, yet, none of them have come to pass in the modern day. We can therefore expect that they will eventually come to pass. What a wonderful prayer list for us as we seek to pray for God’s will and His Kingdom!