Chapter 5: The 70th Weeks compared

So far we have discovered many treasures in Daniel’s 70 Weeks:

Daniel 9:24 predicts that on Israel’s Chronology, after 490 years (Israel’s Great Jubilee) the Messiah will have come and made Atonement for our sins, and that His Kingdom will be established! The Chronology of Israel from Abraham to Christ is perfectly divided into 4 of these Great Jubilee Cycles (see Appendix 6). In Daniel 9:24-27, God marked out the last of these Cycles, in which He would bring all His Salvation and Kingdom purposes for Israel to fulfilment. Thus in v24, He was allotting Israel her final 490 year Great Jubilee Cycle, at the end of which He would have fulfilled His Purposes.

From Daniel 9:25 we know the starting date for the 70 Weeks is clearly marked in Ezra 7 as Nisan 1, in the 7th year of Artaxerxes. This was April 3rd, 458 BC (in our present Gregorian Calendar). v25 then says that the first 69 Weeks (483 years) lead up to the Time of Messiah. This means the Time of Messiah’s Presentation to Israel is prophesied to start after 483 Jewish luni-solar years and should last for 7 years, at the end of which He must die for our sins and then rise again to establish His Kingdom. Measuring forward 483 Jewish years takes us to the last day of the 69th Week: April 4/5th, 26 AD. Thus, the 70th Week, the Time of Messiah’s Presentation to Israel, ran from April AD 26-33. These 7 Messianic Years are in 2 halves (the 3.5 years of John, followed by 3.5 years of Jesus). Thus the Ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ together took 7 years. John’s Ministry began in AD 26. Jesus’ Death and Resurrection was 7 years later in AD 33. These 7 years (AD 26-33) are the 70th Week of Daniel, the Time of Messiah the Prince. They began on April 5th, AD 26 with John’s Ministry, and ended exactly 7 true solar years later on April 3rd, AD 33, the very day of Christ’s Resurrection!

Thus at the end of the 490 years the Messiah died and rose again in AD 33! This means that the 490 years came to a fitting climax at the Death and Resurrection of Christ. The 490 years of Daniel 9:24 speak of a Great Jubilee Cycle (10 Jubilees), and so it is a great confirmation that the greatest Jubilee of all (even the fulfilment of all Jubilees - in the Cross and Resurrection) took place at the end of a Great Jubilee Cycle, whereas if the Cross was only after 483 years this would not be true. By allowing the 70 Weeks (490 years) to run consecutively (as v24 requires) from their starting point on 1st Nisan 458 BC (April 3rd), they form a Great Jubilee or Forgiveness Cycle that comes to its close on April 3rd AD 33, the very day of Christ’s Resurrection! As the greatest Jubilee event of all, it is surely fitting that the Resurrection takes place at the end of a Great Jubilee Cycle of 490 years, rather than 7 years earlier (after 483 years). Daniel 9:24 clearly implies the Atonement is at the END of the 490 years. This is confirmed by the direct connection between the Year of Jubilee and the Day of Atonement. Hebrews 9:26 says: “now once IN THE END of the AGES has He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Also, Galatians 4:4,5 speaks of Christ’s redemptive Death coming “in the FULLNESS of TIME.” Here we see that the Cross took place at an appointed time, at the END of a predetermined Period (not 7 years before the end, like one popular dispensational view which puts the Cross after 483 years). Only the Death and Resurrection of Christ form a fitting climax to the Great Jubilee Cycle of the 70 Weeks, and moreover the calculation works to the very day! Jesus died for our sins as an Atoning Sacrifice on Friday, April 1st AD 33, and He rose from the dead on Sunday April 3rd, AD 33, exactly 490 years from the start of the 70 Weeks on April 3rd 458 BC, in fulfilment of Daniel 9:24. Thus amazingly, the 70 Weeks predict the very day of Christ’s Resurrection, the Great Day of Messiah’s Manifestation as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

The first 3 supreme Messianic Accomplishments to be achieved by the end of the 490 years were FULFILLED in the Death and Resurrection of Christ. God was faithful to bring the final Messianic Jubilee to Israel on time, providing the Atoning Sacrifice on the Great Day of Atonement and rising from the dead as our Great High Priest, pouring out His Jubilee Grace of Salvation freely to all! But it was still Israel’s choice to enter into and receive the blessings of Jubilee. If Israel had received Christ, then they would have received the Messianic Kingdom as promised, and Daniel 9:24 would all have been fulfilled in AD 33. But only the first set of 3 points of Daniel 9:24 (describing Christ’s Atoning Death) were actually fulfilled then, because Israel rejected Him, so the second set of 3 points (describing the Establishment of His Kingdom) were not able to be fulfilled at that time. Thus the Jubilee was not completely fulfilled then.

Thus, although the 70 Weeks were fulfilled literally and exactly (to the day), there are aspects of the 70th Week that also require a future fulfilment, for all of God’s Purposes must surely ultimately come to pass.

Joel 2 predicted that: (1) BEFORE the Great Day of Messiah’s Manifestation, there would be SIGNS in the Heavens above and the Earth beneath. And then, (2) AFTER this Day of Messiah’s Manifestation, God’s Spirit will be poured out on all flesh.

Thus Joel predicted a sequence of Messianic Events:
(1) SIGNS in the heavens above and upon the earth beneath,
then (2) the Manifestation of Messiah in Glory,
then (3) the Outpouring of His Spirit upon all flesh.

(1) The SIGNS happened on the Day of the Cross!
*The SUN was indeed turned to DARKNESS.
*The MOON indeed turned to BLOOD on the Day of the Cross. On Passover, Friday April 1st, AD 33, there was a LUNAR ECLIPSE, visible from Jerusalem at moonrise!
*The Signs on the earth: “BLOOD, fire and vapour of smoke” speak of the atoning Blood of Christ being shed on the earth, and the upheavals of nature caused by the great earthquake at the Crucifixion.

This is why on the Day of Pentecost, Peter could quoted Joel’s Prophecy and claim it as having been fulfilled in the recent events of Christ’s Death, Resurrection and Ascension, when He poured out His Spirit for all flesh to receive.

Acts 2:19,20: “BEFORE the Great Manifest Day of the Lord:
I will show Signs in the earth: ‘Blood and fire and vapour of smoke’, and Signs in the heavens above: ‘The SUN will be turned to Darkness and the MOON to Blood, BEFORE the Great and Manifest Day of the

Lord (His glorious Resurrection).” Acts 2:17: “It shall come to pass AFTERWARDS, that I will POUR OUT of MY SPIRIT on all flesh.”

The previous fulfilments (the Signs at His Death, and His glorious Manifestation in the Resurrection) confirmed that the Outpouring of the Spirit was also a fulfilment of Joel’s Prophecy and therefore it was for ALL to receive as a Free-Gift (Acts 2:32-38). Peter’s Conclusion was: Through Christ’s Death and Resurrection, Salvation is now freely available to ALL upon request through His Spirit. Therefore: “ALL who CALL on the Name of the Lord (JESUS) shall be SAVED” (Acts 2:21).

The Crucifixion on a Friday Passover, the Sign in the Sun, and the Sign of the Moon to Blood, all fix with certainty Friday, April 1st, AD 33, as the true date of the Cross (according to our present Gregorian Calendar)!
2 days later, Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, April 3rd, AD 33.

Daniel's 70 Weeks began on April 3rd, 458 BC and ended 490 years later on April 3rd, AD 33, the Great and Manifest Day of the Lord, when Jesus rose from the dead! Thus we can see that by letting all 70 Weeks run their course, we get an impressive Prophecy of what the Messiah would accomplish in His First Coming, at the climax of the 490 years, and it accurately predicts this to the very day!

However, we must also admit there is much in the Prophecy that has not been fulfilled in the 490 years from 458 BC - 33 AD or since (namely the Establishment of the Messianic Kingdom), and that PARADOXICALLY the events of the 70th Week are still in the future (v27).

Daniel 9:26 goes on to predict this Paradox (that the Kingdom was not established in AD 33, as v24 might lead us to expect). It predicts Messiah’s Death by Capital Punishment after the 69 Weeks, that is, sometime during the 70th Week. Then, instead of His Kingdom being established, it predicts that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed by invading armies (fulfilled in AD 70). Thus, the Messiah must come and die before AD 70! Therefore, He must be Jesus of Nazareth! Because Israel rejected the Messiah, He could not establish the Messianic Kingdom at that time, and so it was POSTPONED, and the Mystery (Church-Age) was introduced instead. The initial 7 year Judgement (AD 66-73) that resulted from Israel’s official Rejection of Christ ended with the fall of Masada at Passover AD 73, exactly 40 years after Jesus died at Passover AD 33! Moreover, v27 reveals another Week (7 years) of Tribulation for Israel, just before Messiah’s Kingdom is established at the End.

A prophetic PARADOX: There are two 70th Weeks of Daniel!

*On the one hand, the 70th Week should run straight after the 69th. v24 implies that all 70 Weeks consist of one Unit of time, with the Messiah bringing Salvation and His Kingdom at the end of the 70th Week. The failed attempts to make the first 69 Weeks stand alone in measuring the time up to the Cross (see Appendix 2), confirm that all 70 Weeks should be kept together as 1 Unit. Thus the 70 Weeks, as a single Unit of time, ran their course ending in AD 33.

*On the other hand, there is also clearly a future 70th Week (Daniel 9:27), which is divided off from the other 69 Weeks. The 70th Week seems to run twice. First, it ran as the 7 years under John and Jesus (AD 26 - 33). Then again, it will run as the 7-year Tribulation. How can both be true? How can the 70th Week be both past and future, both fulfilled and unfulfilled? How can we explain this Paradox? Rather than choosing one over the other as most interpretations tend to do, let us embrace the Paradox, and proceed on the basis that both may be true, even if this initially seems impossible!

How can there be two 70th Weeks (v24,27); and also how can the Prophecy of v24 be completely fulfilled, when the 490 years have long passed, and the Messianic Kingdom has not yet been established (v25,26)?! Somehow, in God’s counting of time for Israel, before the Atonement and the Establishment of the Messianic Kingdom must happen after 490 years!

The Solution is simple and brilliant! It was Sir Edward Denney who discerned it: Just as there are 2 Comings of Christ, the 70th Week has come, and it will come again. It has already run, but it will also run again at the End of the Age! Had Christ been received the first time, there would have been just one Coming, which would have incorporated both His Sufferings (Death) and His Glory (Kingdom). But since He was rejected, these events had to be divided into 2 Comings, so that although He fulfilled His Sufferings in His First Coming, His Glory was postponed 2,000 years until His 2nd Coming, and in the meantime, the Mystery (Church) Age was introduced. According to v24, Jesus Christ was ready to fulfil the whole Prophecy in 490 years, which involved purchasing our Salvation and establishing His Kingdom of Righteousness on earth (accomplishing both the Suffering and the Glory in AD 33). However, Israel’s Rejection of Him as their Messiah-King meant that although He could accomplish the Salvation aspects in His First Coming by His Death and Resurrection (and He did so on time), He was unable to establish His Kingdom at that time. This is indicated in Daniel 9:26: “He shall be cut off, but have nothing” (NIV), that is, “His Kingdom shall be unrealised” (TLB) at that time.

Thus He fulfilled the first 3 (Salvation) aspects of v24, but He will only fulfil the second 3 (Kingdom) aspects at His 2nd Coming at the end of the future 70th Week described in v27.

God had given Israel 490 years on her Clock to fulfil His Purposes, but when she rejected Him at the end of the 70 Weeks, God stopped her Clock and rewound it 7 years, to give Israel a 2nd chance to receive the Kingdom. Meanwhile, He brought in a new Body, the Church, for the Church-Age. When the Church Age is ended by the Rapture, God will run those 7 years for Israel again, as the 7-year Tribulation. Thus, the 70th Week will run again as the final 7 years before Christ’s Return. Thus Israel’s possession of the Messianic Kingdom was postponed for 2000 years, because of Israel’s rejection of Christ (just as her possession of the Promised Land was postponed for 40 years because of her unbelief).

Thus, in Israel’s Chronology, when Israel rejected the King and His Kingdom after 7 years of grace, God chronologically cancelled those 7 years (the 70th Week of AD 26-33), in order to rerun them at the End of the Age as the 7 year Tribulation under antichrist (graciously giving Israel a 2nd chance to receive Him). At the end of those 7 years will be the Great and Manifest Day of the Lord, when Jesus will return in glory to destroy the antichrist, and save Israel who will be calling upon Him, and to establish His Kingdom on earth at the end of the 70th Week (fulfilling Daniel 9:24).

Although the 70th Week ran from AD 26-33, in His Judgement and Mercy, God cancelled these final 7 Years (Daniel’s 70th Week), in order to re-run them as the 7-Years of Tribulation after the Church-Age, after which the Kingdom will be established by Christ at His 2nd-Coming. In His Judgement, because Israel rejected 7 years of Grace under Christ they will have to suffer 7 years of Tribulation under antichrist. In His Mercy, He is giving them a 2nd chance to receive Him, and indeed at the end of the Tribulation Israel does repent and receive her Messiah, Who saves Israel at His 2nd Coming and establishes His Kingdom on earth.

This action of God involved both Judgement and Mercy:

The Judgement was that the Kingdom was taken from one generation of Israel and given to another, so that it was postponed. Moreover, in place of 7 years of Grace under Christ, Israel will have to suffer 7 years of Tribulation under antichrist (v27), which was prefigured by the 7 years of initial judgement (AD 66-73) that happened to that same generation (v26).
The Prophecy clearly links these 2 Judgements together as a dual outworking of the rejection of the Messiah in v26. In the Olivet Discourse Jesus interprets Daniel’s Prophecy giving more detail about these 2 Judgements that come as a result of their rejection of Him as Messiah (Luke 21, Matthew 24).

The Mercy is that God is giving Israel a second chance, and by the end of the 2nd run of Daniel’s 70th Week Israel will repent and Jesus will
return to save her and destroy the antichrist on the final day of this 70th Week. As He fulfilled the first set of 3 Messianic accomplishments at the close of the 70th Week in His First Coming, so He will fulfil the second set of 3 Messianic accomplishments at the close of the 70th Week in His Second Coming. Therefore Israel’s rejection of Christ resulted in a delay, but not a denial of her final Salvation and Kingdom.

Therefore, by taking v24 in its straightforward sense we get a much simpler interpretation that has a clear cut and exact fulfilment in the Death and Resurrection of Christ. However, v25-27 show that there is also another layer of fulfilment - the complication caused by Israel’s Rejection of Christ and His Kingdom. Although Christ fulfilled the Salvation aspects of the Prophecy (through His Atonement), He was not able to fulfil the Kingdom aspects in AD 33. This required the 70th Week to be chronologically blotted out (cancelled), and rerun at the future Tribulation (after the Church-Age), giving Israel a 2nd chance to receive Him as the Messiah and His Messianic Kingdom. This CANCELLATION explains why the 70 Weeks Prophecy is strangely silent about the 7 years of Messiah (Daniel’s initial 70th Week) after which the Kingdom should have been established. These most important years are left blank, except for the mention of Messiah’s atoning death at their end. The first 69 Weeks (7 + 62 Weeks) are described (v25), leading up to the Time of ‘Messiah the Prince’, the start of His Presentation to Israel as Messiah (before He becomes ‘Messiah the King’), but the original 70th Week is not mentioned directly (because it is to be cancelled and rerun in v27). Instead we are simply told that sometime AFTER the end of the 69 Weeks Messiah will be cut off (killed) at the end of His Ministry, and have nothing, that is, His Kingdom would not yet be established (v26a). By comparison with v24, it is logical to say that this is 7 years after the 69th Week. Thus, the Prophecy jumps to Christ’s death at the end of the 70th Week, without mentioning the original 70th Week (as it was cancelled). Instead of the Kingdom being established immediately (which would have happened if Israel had accepted Christ according to v24), v26b describes Judgements that would come on Israel, bringing destruction to Jerusalem and the Temple. Then v27 describes the Rerun of the 70th Week (after an undefined period of time), by the end of which God will complete His purposes for Israel.

Thus Daniel 9:24 will be perfectly fulfilled at the end of the 70th Week and the detailed way this is accomplished is developed in v25-27. The Prophecy describes Christ’s Coming, Death, and Rejection by Israel resulting in Judgement coming upon her, instead of her receiving the promised Kingdom (v25,26). Then, it describes the ultimate fulfilment of the Prophecy at the close of a yet future (repeated) 70th Week (v27), so that it will ultimately be fulfilled with Israel’s Salvation and Kingdom at the close of 70 Weeks, despite her initial unbelief.

Interpretations of the 70 Weeks tend to stumble over the paradox between v24 where everything is fulfilled on time (after 70 Weeks) by the Messiah, and v26,27 where the Time of Messiah comes and goes and instead of the Kingdom being established Israel comes under Judgement and the Kingdom is delayed until a future 70th Week of Tribulation has run.

We have now resolved this Paradox in the only possible way: The 70th Week is cancelled and repeated again after the Church Age. Whatever was not fulfilled after the first run will be fulfilled after the second run. If Daniel 9:24 stood alone it would be a failed prophecy, but combined with v25-27, we see how it is being perfectly fulfilled, for even the delay and replay of the 70 Week due to Israel’s unbelief is anticipated in the prophecy. When v25-27 is allowed to interpret v24, we see that Messiah will fulfil the Prophecy in 2 Stages, the Salvation Stage and the Kingdom Stage, the Sufferings and the Glory, and indeed this dual outworking of God’s Plan is a general characteristic of Messianic Prophecy.

This Interpretation accounts for all the Aspects of the Prophecy:
*It resolves the paradox of the Prophecy showing how the Kingdom is established after 70 Weeks, without dividing the 70th Week off from the 69 Weeks (this is where other dispensational interpretations fail).

*The 70 Weeks are seen to run as a UNIT. All the Messianic achievements are linked to the end of the 70th Week (v24),
and are by nature Jubilee events happening on a Great Jubilee.

*The Complexity of the Prophecy is due to the fact that God had predetermined a definite period of time to fulfil His Purposes for Israel,

but that she rejected the Messiah when He came at the close of that time, and God, who knew all this in advance (as revealed by this Prophecy), had prepared His response, which was to discipline Israel and give her a second chance later, in such a way that the Prophecy would ultimately be fulfilled in the original predetermined time-period for Israel. Within this Prophecy is hidden the Mystery of the Church-Age, during which Israel’s Clock has been stopped by God.

*The Messiah is initially seen in His First Coming as the Prince, not the King (v25). The time of Messiah is defined as starting after the 69th Week and therefore it occupies the 70th Week. He is said to be cut off (killed) after the 69th Week (v26). Why does it not say ‘during the 70th Week’? Because as far as Israel was concerned that 70th Week would be cancelled (blotted out) and rerun again as the future Tribulation (v27).

*The Judgements on Israel (past and future) are explained in terms of Israel’s unbelief concerning her Messiah. The Tribulation is the rerun of Daniel’s 70th Week. Israel’s suffering under antichrist is the result of her rejection of Christ. Yet He has not rejected her and will save her from antichrist at the end. Overall in this Prophecy, God reveals His Sovereignty by declaring His Purposes for Israel and the very Timing of their fulfilment, as well anticipating and describing every obstacle, and then showing how He will fulfil His purpose anyway and in the time-frame He allotted for Israel in the first place.

*This Interpretation remains true to all the various statements of Daniel’s Prophecy, and shows how Jesus has and will fulfil it all literally.

*CONFIRMATION in TYPOLOGY.
The first 70th Week was cancelled in order to be rerun as the 7 year Tribulation. These 2 sets of 7 years concerning Israel are prefigured in Typology (Genesis 29), by the 2 periods of 7 years Jacob had to work for a wife, and also by Joseph’s 7 years of plenty and famine (Genesis 41).

*Genesis 41: The 7 years of Prosperity came first, but Israel did not come to Joseph (Jesus) in that time. The dreams show the 7 lean years that came later as eating up the 7 fat years, a perfect description of the what happened to the 70th Week of Grace being replaced (eaten) by the 7 year Tribulation. It is only in the 7 lean years that Israel comes to Joseph (Jesus) and He is revealed to them, and they find Salvation through Him. So in agreement with Typology, Israel’s 7 years of Grace under Christ will be ‘eaten up’ (replaced) by the 7 lean years of Tribulation under antichrist.

*Genesis 29: Jacob worked 7 years for His wife (Rachel), but at the close of the 7 years he did not obtain her, but another (Leah) came to Him instead. So He had to fulfil another 7 years for Rachel. When the original 7 years ran without fulfilling his purpose, he did not give up on Rachel, but instead reran the 7 years for her. He gave her another Week (of years) of work in the place of the original Week. The first 7 years were not wasted, but as far as Rachel (Israel) was concerned, the first 7 years failed to achieve their purpose and so the 7 years for Rachel were run again. The original 7 years were cancelled (as if they had not run) as far as the reckoning for Rachel was concerned. His love for Rachel meant that he was willing to run these 7 years again.

*The Parallels between the two 70th Weeks:
After the Rapture, the 70th Week will run again as the 7-year Tribulation, with Parallels to the 1st 70th Week. As to be expected, the Rerun has many Parallels with the initial 70th Week cancelled by God (AD 26-33). These Parallels provide wonderful confirmation of our Thesis:

*This understanding of Daniel’s 70 Weeks leads to
a fundamental insight about the future TRIBULATION:
It is the RERUN of the Original 70th Week of Daniel.

These Parallels CONFIRM the fact that the Tribulation is the Rerun of the 70th Week, and conversely many interesting double Fulfilment's of Prophecy linking the First and Second Comings of Christ (such as Elijah and John, the 2 Signs in the Heavens, and ‘the Great and Manifest Day of the Lord’) can now be wonderfully explained and easily understood.

"The two 70 Weeks compare" chart

The PARALLELS between the two sets of 70th WEEKS.

*1. The Length of both time-periods are identical (see Chapter 4 and Appendix 9). Both have exactly the same number of days (2,555), and a 40 day Epilogue. Thus, since the Prophecy defines the Tribulation as the repetition of the Original 70th Week (the Time of Messiah), we can account for the exact timing of the Tribulation as given in Daniel and Revelation. Not only does it explain why it must be 7 years, but also its division into 2 halves of 3.5 years each (see v27, and the references in Daniel and Revelation to 1260 days, 42 months, etc). This is based upon the parallel pattern in the first 70th Week, which is also divided into 2 halves: the 1st half dominated by John the Baptist, and the 2nd half by Jesus.

*2. There is a contrasting Parallel between Christ and antichrist. Since Israel rejected the 7 years of Grace under Christ, she will have to suffer 7 years of Tribulation under antichrist. The first 70th Week opens with the Presentation of Christ to Israel, the other with the antichrist. Satan tempts each man with world-power midway through the 7 years. Whereas Christ rejected his offer, antichrist will accept. Also at the half-way point, both are filled with supernatural power to fulfil their missions (one is possessed by satan, the Other anointed by God), launching them to prominence, requiring everyone to decide to believe or reject them. At the close of both 70th Weeks, Israel has a decision to accept or reject her Messiah. The first time she says ‘No’, but the 2nd time she will say ‘Yes’. The first 70th Week ended with the death of Christ (v26), but the 2nd 70th Week finishes with the destruction of antichrist (v27). The first time only the first 3 points of v24 were fulfilled, the 2nd time the last 3 will be also.

*3. John the Baptist and Elijah both minister for the first half (of 3.5 years). The 70th Weeks both have 2 halves of 3.5 years each. Instead of John the Baptist, it will be Elijah ministering to Israel for the first half. Then Antichrist will rule for the 2nd half, instead of the Ministry of Christ. In the 7 years of Grace, the first half of 3.5 years was the preparatory Ministry of John the Baptist in the spirit, power and place of Elijah. In the Rerun, Israel will again receive a preparatory Ministry before Christ’s Return, but this time of Elijah himself (as one of the 2 Witnesses).

The Elijah Scriptures: “Behold, I will send you ELIJAH the Prophet before the Coming of the Great and Terrible (Manifest) Day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5,6). “He (John) will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

“His disciples asked Him, saying: “Why then do the scribes say that ELIJAH must come first?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, ELIJAH is coming first and WILL restore all things. But I say to you that ELIJAH has (also) come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of JOHN the Baptist” (Matthew 17:10-13, see also Mark 9:11-13). Notice the clear reference to the parallel Ministry of John the Baptist, with the future Ministry of Elijah.

“What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than JOHN the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of JOHN the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence (forces itself upon men’s attention), and the violent (forceful) take it by force (lay hold of it forcefully). For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until JOHN. And if you are willing to receive it (the Messianic Kingdom), he is ELIJAH who is to come” (Matthew 11:9-14).

If they would have received John’s Ministry, He would have led them to Christ and they would have accepted His Kingdom. In this hypothetical case, all the Elijah-Prophecies would have been fulfilled at the 1st Coming and the 70th Week would not have had to be Rerun. However, God knew what would happen, and so sent John in the place of Elijah to fulfil that Ministry of Preparing the Way for Messiah. In this way, He held Elijah back, so that he could fulfil the Prophecies in the Rerun of the 70th Week.

It is impossible to understand the various Scriptures relating John and Elijah, if the Cancellation and Rerun of the 70th Week is not understood. God promised to send Elijah to prepare Israel just before Messiah sets up His Kingdom (Malachi 4:5,6), but knowing that Israel would reject it and that it would not be established at the First Coming, He held Elijah back, and sent John in Elijah’s place, spirit and power to fulfil His Ministry. Instead, Moses and Elijah were present on earth to witness the key events of His First Coming (they appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration and afterwards also as 2 men in white). This qualifies them to be the 2 Witnesses of Revelation 11, for they will be able to give eyewitness testimony to Israel concerning Christ’s First Coming. Therefore, Elijah must come to Israel just before the 2nd Coming to fulfil His prophesied Ministry to Israel (and indeed Israel are expecting him!).

In the Rerun of the 70th Week, Elijah must fulfil a Parallel Ministry to John’s Ministry in the original 70th Week, calling people to faith in Christ. In particular, his Ministry must run for the first half of the Week
(for 3.5 years), and that is exactly what we read in Revelation 11:3-6:

“I will give power to my 2 Witnesses, and they will prophesy 1260 days (the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation), clothed in sackcloth (calling Israel to repentance).... if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy (these are ELIJAH-MIRACLES); and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire (this is a MOSES-MIRACLE).”

Elijah, as one of the 2 Witnesses, will fulfil a parallel Ministry to John the Baptist. This in turn also gives strong confirmation to our earlier
deduction from the 70 Weeks that John’s Ministry until Jesus’ Baptism

lasted 3.5 years (and not just a few months as many assume). Thus, not only did Elijah originally have a 3.5 year Ministry of Judgement, when he stopped the rain for 3.5 years and called Israel to repentance (1Kings 17), but he will also have a future Ministry of 3.5 years, when he will again stop the rain for 3.5 years, and call Israel to repentance! Since John was sent in the place of Elijah in the parallel original 70th Week, it follows his Ministry also must have lasted for 3.5 years (the 1st half of the 70th Week).

*4. In the 7 years of Grace, the events of the 70th Week come to their climax in second half of 3.5 years (October 29 - April 33) which was the Ministry of Jesus Christ himself. This explains why His Ministry was 3.5 years. Likewise, in the 7 years of the Tribulation, the events of the re-run 70th Week come to their climax in the second half of the Week, but instead of the 3.5 years of grace under Christ, they must suffer 3.5 years of Great Tribulation under the antichrist (because they rejected Christ). This is why Daniel 9:27 clearly divides the final 70th Week into two halves, with the second half much worse for Israel than the first half, with it being dominated by the antichrist. Moreover in Daniel 9:27 the first half is characterised by the Jews having their Temple, where the prophetic Ministry of Moses and Elijah is based for 3.5 years (Revelation 11).

Whereas John/Elijah are dominant (preparing the way) in the first 3.5 years, Christ and antichrist are dominant for the 2nd half (of 3.5 years).
At Mid-Week, God’s Temple Jesus was anointed with the Holy-Spirit.
Likewise, at Mid-Tribulation, antichrist will be supernaturally ‘anointed’ by satan. Moreover, he will desecrate God’s Temple and dedicate it to himself.
So in both runs of the 70th Week, as far as Israel is concerned,
the first half is dominated by the prophetic Elijah Ministry, and
the 2nd half is dominated by the anointed one (‘the prince’ - either
the Christ, anointed by God as the fulfilment of His Purposes,
or the anti-christ, anointed by satan as the fulfilment of his purposes).

*5. At the End of both 70th Weeks there is a Great and Manifest Day of the Lord (on the 2,555th day).

Both 70 Weeks close with a climactic Messianic Manifestation on the final Day of the 490 years - “The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, which is literally: ‘The Great and Manifest Day of the Lord’, or ‘the Great Day of the Lord’s Manifestation’, when the Messiah is manifested in His Glory. This description applies to both His Resurrection and 2nd Coming. Both are described as the: ‘Great and Manifest Day of the Lord.’

The first 70th Week ended with the glorious Resurrection of Christ.
The final 70th Week will end with the glorious 2nd Coming of Christ.
His 2nd Coming in glory, corresponds to His glorious Resurrection.

This time at the close of the 70th Week, Christ will appear in power and glory to save Israel, and He will establish His Kingdom on earth (v24).

"Correspondence" chart and "What Daniel's 70 Weeks tells us" chart

Malachi 4:5,6 predicted that Elijah would come before this final Great and Terrible (Manifest) Day, and we can now understand how that received a double fulfilment in the two runs of the 70th Week.

*6. Moreover, both of these Great Days of the Lord’s Manifestation are heralded by the same 2 SIGNS in the heavens

during the days immediately beforehand: “(1) The Sun will turn to Darkness and (2) the Moon to Blood BEFORE the Great and Terrible (Manifest) Day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20). Just before each of the Great Days of the Lord’s Manifestation as Messiah, at the close of both 70th Weeks, there are the same SIGNS. A clear DOUBLE FULFILMENT.

We have already seen how this was fulfilled in the first Run of the 70th Week. On the day of the Cross, there was the supernatural Sign of the Sun turning to Darkness and the natural Sign of the Moon turning to Blood (the lunar eclipse on April 1st AD 33), just before the Day of His glorious Resurrection (as Peter pointed out to great effect at Pentecost).

Likewise, just before the Great Day of the Lord’s Manifestation in the 2nd Coming of Christ, there will again be the same 2 Signs in the Heavens: the Moon turning to Blood and the Sun to Darkness (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20; Matthew 24:29,30; Revelation 6:12). The references in Matthew and Revelation clearly refer to future events and are given in conjunction with the corresponding Signs on the Earth (the blood and upheavals of nature) that Joel spoke about. So again, we have a clear DOUBLE FULFILMENT.
Thus, we see a perfect parallelism between the initial Time (7 years) of Messiah and the 7 year Tribulation, confirming their connection as both being Daniel’s 70th Week, one the Rerun of the other. This explains the numerous repeating patterns and Double Fulfilments. God fulfilled Joel’s Prophecy right on time in AD 33, just as Peter claimed in Acts 2, but it must also be fulfilled AGAIN at the 2nd Coming, as the 70th Week must be Rerun. The 70 Weeks will be completely fulfilled at the 2nd Coming (on the very last day of the 490 years given to Israel). Thus, we can demonstrate a perfect historical fulfilment of the 70th Week, while also predicting a future fulfilment