Seven Years
Appendix B
God limited the time allotted to end-time events to seven years. These seven years are part of a larger 490-year timeline that the prophet Daniel described—in just four verses. In the following graph, events (1) and (2) occurred exactly as Daniel foretold in 530 BC.
Daniel 9:24-27 |
Interpretation |
| “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. (Daniel 9:24) |
These “weeks” are actually groups of seven years, similar to a decade being a group of ten years. This verse established a 490-year timeline for Israel and the city of Jerusalem, to complete God’s plan for our Age. 70 x 7 years = 490 years |
| So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. (Daniel 9:25) |
From the issuing of King Artaxerxes’ 445 BC decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah comes to Jerusalem will be 483 years: (7 x 7 years) + (62 x 7 years) = 483 years* The initial 49 years is understood to be the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem. |
| Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing (Daniel 9:26a) | After the 483 years are completed, the Messiah will be executed. |
| the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. (Daniel 9:26b) | The people of the future Antichrist will destroy Jerusalem and the second temple; this was an army from the Roman Empire in 70 AD. |
| And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:26c) | The end-times will come upon the world like a flood. Suffering will continue to the very end. |
| And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (Daniel 9:27) | Antichrist will make a seven-year peace treaty with Israel. In the middle of the seven years, he will put an end to the Old Testament practice of sacrifice and offering (yet to be reestablished) at the (yet to be rebuilt) temple. At the temple, he will set up an altar to himself. |
* Sir Robert Anderson calculated the dates as being from March 14, 445 BC to April 6, 32 AD. Other historians have come up with different dates. Complicating factors, such as the Jewish calendar not being 365 days per year, make exact calculations impossible. The point is that at the time the 483 years expired only one person claimed to be the Messiah—Jesus of Nazareth.
CHAPTERS
APPENDIX
PARTIAL RAPTURE THEORY