70 Weeks Timeline
Here is a clear explanation of the 70 Weeks Timeline from Daniel 9:24-27 (KJV), focused on the chronological structure.
Overview
The prophecy gives a precise 490-year timeline (70 “weeks” or sevens of years) that God has determined for Israel and Jerusalem. It covers:
- The coming of the Messiah
- The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (70 AD)
- A future final 7-year period
It is divided into three parts:
- 7 weeks (49 years)
- 62 weeks (434 years)
- 1 week (7 years)
Total: 69 weeks (483 years) + 1 week (7 years) = 70 weeks (490 years)
1. The Starting Point
The timeline begins with:
“from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:25)
This refers to the decree of King Artaxerxes I (Longimanus) in his 20th year, given to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1-8). Historical date: March 14, 445 BC (or 444 BC in some chronologies).
This is the only decree that specifically authorized rebuilding the city walls and streets of Jerusalem (not just the Temple).
2. The First 69 Weeks (483 Years) — From Decree to Messiah the Prince
7 weeks (49 years) Time to rebuild Jerusalem “in troublous times” (fulfilled during Nehemiah’s day).
62 weeks (434 years) Additional period leading up to the Messiah.
Total: 69 weeks = 483 years
This period runs from the decree in 445 BC to the arrival of “Messiah the Prince.”
Famous Calculation (Sir Robert Anderson) Using prophetic years of 360 days (common in Bible prophecy):
Adding 173,880 days to March 14, 445 BC lands on April 6, 32 AD — widely understood as the date of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), when He presented Himself as Messiah the Prince (Matthew 21; Luke 19).
Shortly after this, the Messiah was “cut off” (crucified) — “but not for himself” (Daniel 9:26).
3. The Gap (The Church Age / Parenthesis)
After the 69th week and the cutting off of the Messiah, there is an indefinite gap before the final 70th week begins.
This gap explains:
- The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD by the Romans (“the people of the prince that shall come” — Daniel 9:26).
- The current age of grace and the formation of the Church (the “mystery” revealed to Paul — Ephesians 3; Romans 11).
The prophetic clock for Israel’s 70 weeks paused after the 69th week. It will resume with the final week.
4. The 70th Week — The Final 7 Years (Future)
This is Daniel’s 70th Week, also known as the Tribulation period.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…” (Daniel 9:27)
Key events in the 70th week:
- A coming world leader (“the prince that shall come” / Antichrist) makes a 7-year covenant with Israel (“confirm the covenant with many”).
- Midst of the week (after 3½ years): He breaks the covenant, stops Jewish sacrifices, and commits the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
- This begins the Great Tribulation (last 3½ years — 42 months — 1,260 days).
- The week ends with God’s judgment poured out on the desolator and the return of Christ.
Visual Timeline Summary
Math Check:
- 70 weeks × 7 years = 490 years total
- 69 weeks × 7 years = 483 years (first coming)
- Final week = 7 years (future)
Why This Timeline Matters
This prophecy is one of the most precise in the Bible. The 483-year period from a known historical decree to Christ’s presentation as Messiah is remarkably accurate (especially using 360-day prophetic years).
The gap and the future 70th week are key to dispensational understanding — distinguishing God’s program for Israel from the current Church age.