Daniels 70 Weeks Decoded

Daniel’s 70 Weeks Decoded

Eli Kittim

Daniel 9:24–26:

“Seventy weeks are determined 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. So you are to know and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. … Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.”

A common misconception is to assume that the starting point of this prophecy began after the Hebrews returned from the Babylonian exile in the 500s B.C.E. However, Daniel’s prophecy actually refers to the end of all visions and revelations, an end-time period that will in effect “seal up vision and prophecy” (Dan. 9:24). The fact that John of Patmos continued to furnish us with additional visions and revelations proves that the first century C.E. cannot possibly be the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. John MacArthur, in describing Dan. 9:24, was once quoted as saying: “It’s got to be a final thing cause everything is a final. … Boy, that’s final stuff, isn’t it? The end, the finish, the seal, seal it up, close it up, that’s the way it is!” If it is “final stuff,” then the prophecy cannot possibly be referring to the time of Antiquity but rather to the time of the end! Notice that fulfillment of this prophecy requires the end of all transgression and sin, and the beginning of everlasting righteousness, which is reminiscent of the end-times in Rev 10:7 when “the mystery of God will be fulfilled.”

Isaac Newton—in his Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel (published 1733)—notes that we should not combine the seven and sixty two weeks as if they were one number. If the authorial intent was to impress upon us the notion that the numbers seven and sixty-two must be combined, using the same measurements, the author would have simply written sixty nine weeks. The fact that two sets of numbers are given in the text suggests that they are distinct. What is more—in stark contrast to the mainstream view—Newton also mentions in the aforesaid book that Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy should not be confined to the time of Antiquity, but must be applicable to Christ’s eschatological coming. Just as in Rev 12:3-4 and verse 9 in which Satan’s final empire is contemporaneous with Christ—(i.e. “a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns … stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born”)—so in Dan. 9:26 the two princes of Daniel’s prophecy are juxtaposed to suggest that they are contemporaries:

“After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.”

According to the text, there does not appear to be a two-thousand-year gap separating these two figures or events. Moreover, the Old Greek Daniel form of the Septuagint (LXX) says in Daniel 9:27, ἕως καιροῦ συντελείας, (i.e. “until the time of the end”; cf. Dan. 12:4 LXX), indicating that the context of this verse is clearly eschatological. The traditional Christian interpretation, however, breaks up the prophecy into two parts: one part fulfilled during the time of Antiquity, the other referring to the last week of the great tribulation. However, there is no indication of a long time-gap between these weeks.

Similar to Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy, Christ’s prophecy (in Matt. 24:34) is also about a future seventy-year generation. Jesus indicates that it will take one generation “until all these things take place” (Matt. 24:34; cf. 1 Thess. 4:15). But one generation from when? Answer: from the timing of the birth of the Messiah! Astoundingly, Matthew’s gospel imparts a clue pertaining to the future birth of the Messiah that hardly anyone knows about. Specifically, the ancestry of Christ, as recorded in Matthew’s gospel, is actually a mathematical riddle whose solution reveals the precise year of his birth! The key to solving this puzzle can be found in chapter 1 and verse 17. Notice that there is a constant repetition of 14 generations throughout the foregoing lineage. We also know from Scripture that a generation is equal to 70 years (Ps. 90:10). One final clue: the calculation does not begin from the time of Abraham but from the time of David who alone represents the Messiah! So, let’s work out the calculation. Matthew tells us that there were 14 generations from David to Babylon. Each generation is equal to 70 years. Thus, 14 x 70 = 980 years from David to Babylon. And there were 14 generations from the exile to the Messiah. Therefore, 14 x 70 = 980 years. So, from David to the exile are 980 years, and from the exile to the Messiah are another 980 years. Hence 980 (+) 980 = 1960, the year of the Messiah’s birth! Mind you, this is not a historical but rather an apocalyptic rendering, which contains a clue concerning the year of Jesus’ birth. Therefore, in Matt. 24:34, the birth of the Messiah becomes the preeminent sign as regards the end of days.

Returning to Dan. 9:24-26, the starting point of the 70 weeks prophecy is therefore the birth of the heavenly Jerusalem, namely, the Messiah, which occurred in 1960 (cf. Isa. 9:6). It also forecasts the atoning sacrifice of a forthcoming Messiah, an event which, according to the Danielic text, has not yet occurred. Furthermore, Dan. 9:26 informs us that the Messiah will be “cut off,” which in Biblical parlance means slain (cf. Ps. 37:9; Prov. 2:22; Isa. 53:8). In working out these calculations, one comes to realize the approximate date signifying the epoch of the forthcoming Messiah. So, if we apply Jesus’ prophecy (i.e. “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place”; Matt. 24:34) to Jeremiah’s seventy-year time frame (Dan. 9:1-3; cf. Ps. 90:10), we get one generation of approximately seventy years after the birth of the Messiah (1960), which would bring us to 2030 C.E., when all will be fulfilled!

In the Bible, a prophetic year is often equal to a prophetic month. This interpretation is based on the mention of 3 and a half years (e.g. “time, times, and half a time") in some verses, and 42 months in other verses in Daniel and Revelation. In other words, the Bible sometimes uses months and years interchangeably (cf. Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev 11.2; 12.6, 14; 13.5). Moreover, the use of the sabbatical (seventh) month to count “weeks” as a cyclical series of sevens would be in line with the Hebrew calendar. Accordingly, the seven weeks in Dan. 9:25 seemingly represent seven weeks of months (seven times seven months), which equal to forty nine months or approximately four years, while the sixty two weeks apparently represent sixty two solar years. Taken together, they amount to approximately sixty six years on a 365-day Gregorian calendar. But on a Hebrew lunar calendar, which is a 360-day calendar, the seven weeks and sixty two weeks seem to represent roughly 65 years. Therefore, from a Biblical standpoint, the year of the Messiah is 2025! It equals to sixty-five years after the birth of the Messiah (cf. Gen. 5:21), which is signified by God’s command to send his son into the world in the fullness of time (τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου), or in the last days (see Dan. 9:25; Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:9-10; Heb. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev 12:5). Based on other factors as well, such as the month of the Messiah’s birth, which I have written about elsewhere, it seems as though the Messiah will appear in the summer of 2025. Compare the parable of the fig tree in Matt. 24:32-34:

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near; so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

Apparently, the year 2025 also seems to coincide with the start of the great tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21), after which the Messiah will be slain. Daniel says: “then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off.” That’s his death! That’s Jesus’ sacrifice “to make atonement for iniquity,” mentioned in Dan. 9:24 (cf. Heb. 9:26b). So, after 2025, the Messiah will be killed (cf. Isa. 53:3-5; Zeph. 1:7; Heb. 9:26b; Rev 12:4). And by 2030, the 70 Weeks prophecy will be fulfilled, which includes the rapture and the resurrection of the dead (Dan. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 15:22-26; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Heb. 9:28).

How can “weeks” be interpreted as years rather than heptads or seven-year periods? The first reason is that Gabriel himself imparts a cryptic clue which, in effect, equates the “seventy weeks” of Daniel (Dan. 9:2) with the “seventy-year” oracle revealed to Jeremiah (Jer. 29:10). The second reason why weeks can be interpreted as years has to do with the meaning of the Hebrew term for “weeks” (Heb. שָׁבֻעִ֨ים šā·ḇu·‘îm) in Dan. 9:24. This term comes from the Hebrew term “shabua,” which typically means a period of seven (days, years), heptad, week, etc. But it can also refer to a Feast of weeks (Shavuot), otherwise known as Pentecost (cf. Exod. 34:22; Num. 28:26; Deut. 16:10, 16; 2 Chr 8:13). Interestingly enough, a Shavuot occurs once per year. So, using this definition of one “week” or one Shavuot per year would give us “62 weeks” or 62 Shavuots in 62 years.

To sum up, in contrast to the historical starting points of Daniel’s 70-weeks prophecy that have been traditionally proposed, I have presented an alternative futurist-eschatological model, and one that is actually more faithful to the text’s grammar, canonical context, and authorial intent. Here’s a case in point. By way of allusion, Dan. 12:1 is almost certainly employing the messianic terminology of “an anointed prince” (Dan. 9:25; cf. 10:21; Isa. 9:6) to signify the Messiah’s death and resurrection at the time of the end. In the following verse (12:2), Daniel goes on to describe the general resurrection of the dead that will occur during the same time period. This time period is elsewhere referred to as καιροῦ συντελείας (Dan. 12:4 LXX), which is translated as “the end of time” in Daniel 9:27 LXX (cf. Dan. 12:9, 13 LXX). Despite the fact that we don’t know the precise date, nevertheless Daniel’s 70-Weeks prophecy strongly suggests that the messiah is right around the corner: “right at the door” (Matt. 24:33)! In fact, according to Matt. 24:34, the last generation that sees the end-times signs will also see all things fulfilled.

So how did I arrive at this conclusion? Answer: “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. Gal. 1:11-12). The reason why the calculation works is because I already knew the answer. I knew the year. So I started with the known outcome and then worked backwards to figure out how the Danielic equation fits. And it does! Here’s what I found out. The 7 weeks and 62 weeks are separated to show they have different values. The 7 weeks represent months, whereas the 62 weeks represent years. Israel (1948) doesn’t fit as the starting point of Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy. Nor does Jerusalem (1967). Rather, its starting point is the birth of the messiah (the heavenly Jerusalem)! And, as noted earlier, the year of the Messiah’s coming is 2025 (cf. Acts 2:1).


Is Paul Teaching an Imminent Eschatology in 1 Corinthians 15:51?

Koine Greek——the language in which Paul wrote his epistles——is interested in the so-called “aspect” (how), not in the “time” (when), of an event. First Corinthians 15:51 does not suggest specifically when the rapture & the resurrection will happen. And it strongly suggests that the plural pronoun “we” is referring to the dead, not to the readers who, by contrast, are alive in Corinth. The argument, therefore, that 1 Corinthians 15:51 is referring to an imminent eschatology is not supported by the original Greek text. What is more, if we compare the Pauline corpus with the eschatology of Matthew 24 & 2 Peter 3:10, as well as with the totality of scripture, it will become quite obvious that all these texts are talking about the distant future!

What if the Crucifixion of Christ is a Future Event?

Read the PDF of my article, published in the Journal of Higher Criticism, vol. 13, no. 3 (2018).

📚 Eli of Kittim Quotes on YouTube 📚

♦️◾️🟢🔅💥✨🪐💫🌍⚡️✝️⚫️🔸

A Response to Tiff Shuttlesworth’s “The Last Trumpet in Revelation”

Eli Kittim

Tiff Shuttlesworth is the President/Founder of Lost Lamb Evangelistic Association at Northpoint Bible College and Seminary. He is also a well-known pastor and Bible prophecy teacher who holds to the pretribulational view of the rapture. His videos on bible prophecy are very popular on YouTube and elsewhere. Recently, I came across a video by Tiff Shuttlesworth, entitled, “The Last Trumpet in Revelation.” In that video, Shuttlesworth took issue with the mid and post tribulation rapture views and publicly denounced them as “poor scholarship.”

In this video, Tiff Shuttlesworth says that the last (or 7th) trumpet in Rev 11:15 is not the same as “the last trumpet” in 1 Cor. 15:51-52, and that it also bears no relation to “the trumpet of God” in 1 Thess. 4:16-17, chronologically or otherwise. He is in error. They are the same. He offers some tendentious reasons why this is so, but they are all based on a basic misunderstanding and misinterpretation of scripture. He says that 1 Cor. 15 is talking about the church, whereas Rev 11 is referring to the judgments of God, and he claims that not only is the timing of these events different but also “the last trumpet” in 1 Cor. 15:51-52 is not the same as the last (or 7th) trumpet in Rev 11.15. As will be shown, this is not the case. The reason he tries to dissociate the last trumpet of 1 Cor. 15:51-52 from the 7th and final trumpet in the Book of Revelation is because Rev ch. 11 implies that the last trumpet takes place AFTER the great tribulation, not before. It is similar to Matt. 24:29-31 (NASB) in which the rapture of the elect occurs AFTER, not before, the great tribulation. Notice that the rapture will begin “with a great trumpet blast” (italics mine):

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. … and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

So, because Tiff Shuttlesworth is a pre-tribulationist, he obviously wants to dismiss this piece of evidence, which challenges his pre-tribulation rapture view. Naturally, he tries to argue that these passages are diametrically opposed to each other. But this is poor scholarship. As we dig deeper, we realize that they’re very much connected. Moreover, since they are inspired, we must read the books of the Bible in “canonical context,” rather than as separate books that are unrelated to each other.

It is interesting to note that Rev 11, just before introducing the 7th trumpet, mentions the rapture of the two witnesses. And it follows with a celebration of the church triumphant, in heaven, which foresees the reign of Christ. Interestingly enough, Rev 11 makes mention of the esteemed tribulation saints, otherwise known as “the twenty-four elders”——whom we know from chapter 4—-in order to inform us that the great tribulation, the general resurrection of the dead, and the rapture are in view. Revelation 11:18 reads thusly:

“and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints.”

This is a direct reference to the general resurrection of the dead, that we’re all familiar with from 1 Thess. 4:15-17, which happens simultaneously with the rapture, when the faithful will be rewarded with immortality and glory (theosis). They will shine. There is no other resurrection of the dead (Dan. 12:1-2). This is it! Similarly, 1 Thess. 4:16-17 says that Christ will appear for the resurrection and the rapture with the sound of God’s trumpet:

“For the Lord Himself will descend … with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

First Corinthians 15:51-52 further clarifies that all this will take place “at the last trumpet”:

“Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

So, when is the last trumpet? According to Rev 11:15, the last (or 7th) trumpet is blown during the time period when the Lord’s Messiah begins to reign over the entire world. So, it is obviously a period that takes place AFTER the great tribulation, not before. Rev 11:15-17 reads:

“Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give You thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.’ “

Modern Christianity is a Joke

Eli Kittim

On their podcasts and platforms, Christians are constantly talking about God, Christ, and the Bible, explaining the gospel, debating about theology and prophecy, while assuming to know what scripture teaches, right down to the last detail. And yet none of them know what they’re talking about or what’s really going on (Rom. 3:11). Yet they all have millions of followers flocking to their social media platforms to hear them speak, and they’re deceiving all of them (intentionally or unintentionally) with lies and misinformation. But this has already been prophesied. In fact, Matthew 24 and 1 Timothy 4:1 clearly state that the end-times will be characterized by global deception, as many false prophets and teachers will arise and mislead many. Paul himself knew that after his departure Christianity would eventually decline and become a church of heretics (Acts 20:29). All that has happened. Most teachings today are about the Nephilim, aliens, and ancient civilizations.

All the biblical doctrines that are being taught today——whether at the university, the seminary, or in social media platforms——are false. Why? Because they have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. None of these so-called pundits have received any revelations from God in the manner that Paul describes (see Gal. 1:11-12). To preach things based on personal guesswork or mere speculation is not the same as teaching according to the Holy Spirit. John 14:26 says that “the Holy Spirit … will teach you all things.”

It’s gotten so bad that even the Pope is now teaching that it’s a dangerous heresy to have a personal relationship with Jesus outside the church. A Facebook friend of mine——a Christian apologist by the name of Marcia Montenegro——has gone so far as to condemn any attempt to open your mind and spirit to God through the prayer of stillness (which btw is still used in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches), denouncing it as a so-called satanic practice that opens your spirit to demonic influences, even though that is precisely what the Bible requires in order for rebirth and salvation to take place. How else can God transform your carnal nature unless he recreates your identity? (Eph. 4:22-24). How can God live within you and create a new operating system unless the old one is deleted? How else can you receive the Holy Spirit, who changes your personality, turning a sinner to a saint, as it did with Paul? Romans 8:9 says categorically and unequivocally:

“if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,

they do not belong to Christ.”

Then there are the nominal Christians. These are Christians in name only. They pretend to be Christ-like but act like demons. I know a few well-known Christian writers and bible prophecy teachers who have privately sent me viruses because I criticized their views. People would be surprised to know that Richard H. Perry did such a thing when i criticized his view that George Bush represents the white horseman of Revelation. I obviously had to block him. Another famous lawyer turned author by the name of Mark L. Hitchcock took me by surprise when he reported me to YouTube, which resulted in google permanently shutting down my platform. And he did this just because I complained that his YouTube channel was deleting all my comments and articles. As a result, I ended up losing all my videos and all my content that had been running on the web for the past 12 years. I was aghast that someone of his stature would resort to this. That was so mean. It completely took me by surprise. I didn’t see that one coming. This type of spitefulness is uncharacteristic of Christian believers. Their fruits bear no love. I seriously doubt whether such a person is in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit. Needless to say, I have lost all respect for him. I obviously blocked him, too. Good riddance!

Christianity has gotten so bad that Christian pastors are preying on crippled children, promising to heal them if they sow a financial seed to the ministry. People like Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, and more recently, Kathryn Krick, all falsely claim to heal people suffering of serious disorders. Then you have YouTubers who are openly deceiving people, claiming that God speaks to them. Troy Black is a case in point. He has half a million victims, I mean subscribers, who are being lied to on a daily basis.

Not to mention the multiple scandals involving priests and pastors who are texting pornographic materials to their congregants and have inappropriate relations with them. Some pastors are even teaching that you don’t even need to believe in Jesus in order to be saved, while others, like Steven Anderson, are claiming that you don’t need to stop sinning, but only to believe in Jesus. Some Christian writers are teaching that you don’t even need God or Jesus, and you certainly don’t need to hear from them or even experience them personally. All you need is to read the Bible. There are some well-known pastors, like Justin Peters, who teach this doctrine. Not to mention those scholars, like David Bentley Hart, who claim that all people will eventually be saved, whether they believe in Jesus or not. But how exactly are we saved? Does anyone know? A well-known pastor, named Ken Raggio, recently posted on Instagram that “God changes us from sinner to saint … by … divine discipline. As we OBEY the Word.” This is totally and completely wrong! We cannot save our selves by ourselves. That’s why we need a savior. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for washing their hands but not cleansing their heart, showing that their legalism and discipline was totally ineffective in changing them from within. That’s why he said to Nicodemus the Pharisee: you must be “born again” (Jn 3:3). Only God can recreate us (2 Cor. 5:17). We are not saved by works or through personal efforts and behaviors.

And the core doctrines of modern Christianity are all wrong. The modern Christian faith centers on certain core beliefs regarding the historical birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But these events haven’t happened yet. According to the Bible, they will take place in the endtimes (see Isa. 2:19; Dan. 12:1-2; Zeph. 1:7; Lk 17:30; Acts 3:19:21; 1 Cor. 15:22-24; Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:9-10; Heb. 1:1-2; 9:26b; 1 Pet. 1:10-11; 1:20; Rev 12:5; 19:10d). My chief objection is that the TIMING of these events is totally wrong. This is all based on a misunderstanding of Greek and a misreading of genre.

The internal evidence supports my view. It’s in both the Old and New Testaments! Zephaniah 1:7 declares that the Lord’s sacrifice will occur during “the day of the Lord” (not in antiquity). Isaiah 2:19 says that people will hide in caves when “the Lord … arises to terrify the earth.” Similarly, Daniel 12:1 puts the resurrection of the anointed prince just prior to the great tribulation. I can prove it with detailed exegesis from the Greek text. The LXX (Dan 12:1) says παρελεύσεται, which means to “pass away,” & the Theodotion has ἀναστήσεται, meaning a bodily resurrection in the end-times. In the following verse (12:2), the plural form of the exact same word (ἀναστήσονται) is used to describe the general resurrection of the dead! In other words, if the exact same word means resurrection in Daniel 12:2, then it must also necessarily mean resurrection in Daniel 12:1! Acts 3:20-21 similarly says that Christ will not be sent to earth until the consummation of the ages. First Corinthians 15:22-24 also tells us that Christ will be the first to be resurrected in the end-times! Revelation 12:5 tells us that the messiah is born in the end times, and the next verse talks about the great tribulation. Galatians 4:4 says that Jesus will be born during the consummation of the ages, expressed by the apocalyptic phrase τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, which is defined in Ephesians 1:10 as the end of the world! First Peter 1:20 says that although Christ was foreknown before the creation of the world, he was initially revealed “at the final point of time.” It’s supported by Hebrews 1:2 which says that Jesus speaks to mankind in the “last days,” not in antiquity. And Hebrews 9:26 says EXPLICITLY that Jesus will die for the sins of mankind “once in the end of the world” (ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων)! Revelation 19:10 also informs us that the TESTIMONY to Jesus is prophetic (not historical). Read Acts 10:40-41 where we are told that Jesus’ resurrection was based on visions because it was only visible “to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God.” Similarly, 1 Peter 1:10-11 says that the New Testament prophets “predicted the sufferings of the Messiah” in advance (cf. Isa 46:10).

This short video will clarify everything I’ve said so far:

A Biblical Greek translation of the New Testament that changes everything we thought we knew about Jesus