13.5.3. The Final Week

Daniel’s seventy sevens of years are divided into three sequences: seven sevens, sixty-two sevens, and a final seven (Dan. Dan. 9:25-27). After the seven and sixty-two sevens (sixty-nine total), “Messiah shall be cut off” (Dan. Dan. 9:26). Thus the sixty-ninth week is seen to come to an end before the crucifixion of Christ. Several events are seen to transpire after the sixty-ninth week, but before the last week begins. These include the cutting off of Messiah and the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome.

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. (Dan. Dan. 9:26) [emphasis added]

It is only after these events that the last week begins:

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. (Dan. Dan. 9:27) [emphasis added]

It appears that the final week begins when the “prince who is to come” (Dan. Dan. 9:26) confirms a covenant “with the many for one week.” This final seven years is known as The 70th Week of Daniel. Notice Gabriel mentions that it is in the middle of the week that he shall “bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” This would be after the covenant had been in place three and one-half years. Since the book of Revelation deals with the final stages of Jewish and Gentile history prior to the return of Messiah, it is no surprise to find the same time period set forth in relation to events it records (Rev. Rev. 11:2-3+; Rev. 12:6+, Rev. 12:14+; Rev. 13:5+).

[The] period of totalitarian world rule under the beast is predicted to be just “forty-two months” before he is defeated and the millennium begins (Revelation Rev. 13:4+, Rev. 13:5+; Rev. 19:20+). Before that period is still another period of “1260 days,” marked by the unrestrained prophesying and miraculous works of “two witnesses” (Revelation Rev. 11:3+), whose influence is finally overcome by the “beast” as he consolidates his world power (Revelation Rev. 11:7+). These two periods—1260 days and forty-two months—are obviously consecutive and each corresponds to a period of three-and-a-half years, . . . a final seven-year period of earth history immediately prior to the millennium. The last half of this period apparently contains the events described in Chapters Rev. 12:1+-Rev. 19:1+. Correspondingly, the first half of the period is outlined in Chapters Rev. 4:1+-Rev. 11:1+.¹

Chapters 4-19 are believed to synchronize with Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Dan. Dan. 9:24 . . . ). The great tribulation begins at the middle of the “week,” and continues three and a half years (Rev. Rev. 11:3+-Rev. 19:21+). The tribulation is brought to an end by the appearing of the Lord and the battle of Armageddon (Mtt. Mat. 24:29, Mat. 24:30; Rev. Rev. 19:11-21+).²

The book of Revelation provides further details corresponding to this final seven year period of Gabriel’s prophecy given to Daniel. The final fulfillment of all that Gabriel prophesied to Daniel concerning the Jews and Jerusalem is part and parcel of the revelation given to John and recorded in the book of Revelation.

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Notes

¹ Henry Morris, The Revelation Record (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1983), 27.

² C. I. Scofield, The Scofield Study Bible (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2002, 1909), Rev. 1:1.