Rev: 3/21/04

Daniel 9
The Seventy Weeks Decree

The story Daniel records in his ninth chapter is perhaps the simplest, yet at the same time the most complex prophecy in all the book. When I first read it, I thought that no one could misunderstand these four key verses. Yet, as I read different versions of the Bible, I came to understand that here lies a quagmire for those who will not allow Daniel to speak for himself.

This passage is written with the Hebrew of 2,600 years ago. It contains one word found nowhere else in the Bible, and leans heavily on literary structures and concepts that were natural to Jews of that era, but foreign to us. Since we have no living native Hebrew speakers of that era to help us, extensive study of the original intent of the passage becomes essential.

Daniel 9,  along with Isaiah 52:13-53:12, forms the basis for the entire New Testament. A more important study is hard to find. We will give it the space it demands.

Several years after Daniel received the vision in chapter 8, he became aware of the prophecies of Jeremiah regarding the Jews' exile in Babylon:

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans--
2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Dan 9:1-2

11 'And this whole land shall be a desolation and a horror, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Jer 25:11

10 "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. Jer 29:10

Daniel was very concerned as to whether the 70 year prophecy would be honored, since the seventy years was ending, Babylon was history, and the Jews had not been released. (He did not know that the decree was about to be issued.) So he prayed.

3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Verses 4 through 15 are filled with confessions of the great sins of the people of Israel. Verse 12 gives the central thought.

12 "Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem.

Daniel clearly regards everything that has happened to the Jews as the fault of the Jews. God told them what they should do. They failed, and the rest is the consequence of their failure. Babylon conquered Judah, but it was merely the agent of God's wrath. Jerusalem was made desolate by the Jews.

Originally, Jerusalem was captured (605BC) and made subject to Babylon. But, nineteen years later (586BC), when Zedekiah flaunted God's law and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar,

17 Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand.
18 And all the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon.
19 Then they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its fortified buildings with fire, and destroyed all its valuable articles.
20 And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete. 2 Chron 36:17-21

The final destruction of the city was directly due to the disobedience of the Jews. In the Hebrew mind, Nebuchadnezzar did not destroy Jerusalem, the Jews did. This perspective will become very important later. The content of the prayer is material for a thousand sermons on prayer, but for our discussion, the key is found in verses 16 and 17.

16 "O Lord, in accordance with all Thy righteous acts, let now Thine anger and Thy wrath turn away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us.
17 "So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplications, and for Thy sake, O Lord, let Thy face shine on Thy desolate sanctuary.

Daniel is most concerned with his beloved Jerusalem and its sanctuary. He hoped for the return of God's blessing to His people by restoring them to their homeland and His presence among them. This is specifically seen when Daniel equates "Jerusalem" with "thy holy mountain" (v. 16). Beyond that, Daniel did not understand the audition he had recorded in chapter 8.

26 "And the vision (audition) (mar'eh) of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision (hazon) secret, For it pertains to many days in the future."
27 Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision (audition) (mar'eh), and there was none to explain it. Dan 8:26-27

Daniel prayed fervently that God would not change His mind about releasing Israel at the end of seventy years. His request for God to let His "face shine on Thy desolate sanctuary" shows that the 2,300 days and God's abode with His people are also central in his thoughts. He is hoping to hear that there will be some sort of connection between the return to Palestine and the restoration of God's house of worship.

20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God,
21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision (hazon) previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering.
22 And he gave me instruction and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding.
23 "At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision (mar'eh). Dan 9:20-23

Gabriel is the same messenger who had explained part of the vision of chapter 8. He is sent to Daniel to "give (him) insight with understanding": in other words, to finish the job he started in chapter 8. This time, however, Gabriel will explain the audition (mar'eh) which Daniel had been unable to understand before. We need to be clear about the explanation to come. This is not an isolated audition. It does not present a snapshot of the future divorced from the context of the prior visions. It is an enlargement of the picture Daniel had already seen. Let's look at some of the keys.

First, Daniel's prayer has as its key focus the return of the people are to the worship of God in His holy temple. We see this in his "supplication . in behalf of the holy mountain of my God". In order for Israel to be truly restored, they must come into a right relationship with God, and be restored to self-governance under God's laws, not Babylonian or Persian laws. All these ideas would be included in his understanding of nisdaq in 8:14. The sanctuary could not be cleansed of foreign defilement, restored to service, and vindicated as God's holy abode without all of this being done.

Second, Daniel did not understand the audition (mar'eh) of the 2,300 days, which told how long it would take the sanctuary to be nisdaq. Gabriel explicitly tells Daniel that he has come to give him understanding of the audition. In other words, Gabriel has come to inform Daniel about the 2,300 days. There is nothing else in view here. The explanation Daniel is to receive is tightly focused.

(There are a host of linguistic and stylistic links between the two chapters. Numerous commentators have undertaken detailed analyses of them which are beyond the scope of this discussion. They are not needed here, since all they do is strengthen the link between the two chapters which we have already discovered.)

Daniel certainly needed the help. Is the 2,300 days another 6 years added to the 70 years of Jeremiah because of the sins of his people?

24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city...

We immediately find ourselves in a translation quagmire. Translators have differed over  the word "weeks" (shabuwa 7620). This word is translated "weeks" in the KJV, NKJV, NEB, JB, NJB, NRSV, ASV, and NASB. The RSV calls it "seventy weeks of years". The NIV calls it "seventy sevens". In every other place in the OT where shabuwa is used, it clearly means units of seven days, or "weeks". To translate it any other way in Daniel would require an overriding reason, and none is present. In chapter 10, he uses shabuwa yamim (7620 3117), which properly translates "full weeks". Every other use in the book is in the four verses we are investigating.

Throughout the book without exception, we find that Daniel has used a masculine plural construction of shabuwa. This form is not used anywhere else in the OT for shabuwa, but it is used for other words. This usage is clearly intentional, and carries with it an emphasis on the total block of time, without any stress on the individual weeks. It is to be considered as a unitary whole. This point is crucial to proper understanding. We must also consider the length of the time period.

We will see later how the seventy weeks is strongly related to the covenant. Under the covenant, the Jews were obligated to worship God alone, and to follow a number of statutes prescribed by God. The rebellion of the Jews was deep seated and continual. Eventually God declared that the Jews would be in exile in Babylon and that Jerusalem would be desolate for seventy years (Jer 25:1-14). A number of commentators have observed this coincidence of seventies, but the connection is not often explored.

One of the statutes (chukim 2708) which the Jews were obligated to keep was the land Sabbath (Lev 25:3-6). In it, the land and its workers were to rest every seventh year. Great blessings were promised as part of the covenant. But the faithless Jews refused to depend on God. Not once is observance of the land sabbath is recorded. The exile lasted long enough for the land to keep all of its sabbaths (2 Chron 36:21). It is of particular interest that the historical account in 2 Chronicles specifically identifies the seventy land sabbaths as being the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy. Since seventy land sabbaths are equivalent to 490 years, it becomes clear that God is punishing Israel for 490 years of apostasy. The return and restoration we are about to discuss is a covenant probation, so it is only fitting that God made the probation of equal length to the first period of failure. Further, it is only natural that the new probation should be expressed in the terms of the old failure. A week is seven days long, completed by the Sabbath day. Every seven years was the land sabbath, so just as there was punishment for the failures of seventy land weeks, seventy land weeks are declared for the new probation.

Next we must consider the word "decreed" (necchtak 2852). In Daniel's time necchtak was used to mean "cut off". In the KJV it is translated "determined". In the NASB and NIV it is translated "decreed". This is the only use of the word in the Hebrew Bible, so we cannot explore its meaning from scripture. However, it is used in the rabbinic literature, and there its primary meaning is "to cut off". This cutting brings forward the image of cutting an animal in half to solemnify a covenant, such as is seen in Gen 15:8-17. There God instructed Abraham to cut sacrificial animals in half, then God passed between the halves to guarantee His covenant to possess the promised land. It is only in an extended meaning of necchtak that "decree/decreed" appears. Those translations lose the content which Daniel deliberately included. He used different words, dabar (1697, literally "word") for "decree" in verse 25 and charats (2782) in verse 27 for "decreed". The proper use of necchtak is "cut off".

The combination of necchtak with shabuwa makes it even more clear that the intent is to describe a single block of time. When something is "cut off" from something else, it is a single piece. If Daniel had intended to "slice and dice" the time, he would not have gone to such lengths to use terms which describe a single unit. Now we have to figure out from what the "seventy weeks" are "cut off". Gabriel told Daniel that he was explaining the mar'eh of the 2,300 days. Therefore, the 70 weeks have been cut off from the 2,300 days.

The 70 weeks have been cut off from the beginning of the 2,300 days. Any other conclusion simply doesn't make sense. You don't "cut off" from the middle, you "cut off" from one end. This reinforces our conclusion that the 70 weeks is a unit. If it is not a unit, it would not be "cut off" from the 2,300 days. If their theory is true, the seventieth week which Dispensationalist-Futurist interpreters push into the future would come some time after the 2,300 days is over. In that case, then the 70 weeks cannot be cut from the 2,300 days, but Gabriel has just said that they are.

The 70 weeks are cut off "for your people and your holy city". This direct reference to Daniel's people and Jerusalem as the abode of God places the time at the beginning, not the end of the 2,300 days. Additionally, by using an indirect reference to days by referring to the time as weeks (of years), Gabriel reinforces the idea that the 2,300 evenings/mornings are 2,300, not 1,150 days. Another point arises from Gabriel's precise use of language.

In chapter 7, the little horn persecuted "the saints". Here, the 70 weeks is cut off for "your people", not "the saints". Had the Jews been considered "saints", Gabriel would not have used language distinguishing between the Jews and the saints. We must be careful to avoid confusing the two groups. If Daniel records prophecy regarding saints, it is not speaking of the Jews. Sainthood is determined solely by true holiness in relation to God, not heredity.

24 "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.

Six tasks are laid out:

1. to finish the transgression
2. to make an end of sin
3. to make atonement for iniquity
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness
5. to seal up vision and prophecy
6. to anoint the most holy place

This list sounds redundant. Aren't "transgression", "sin", and "iniquity" the same thing? Not quite. The Hebrew pesha (6588) translated "transgression" refers to high handed sin, or sins of a deliberate nature. Chattath (2403) or "sin", literally means to "miss the mark", or those times when one simply fails due to their human nature. `Awon (5771) or "iniquity" refers to offense or guilt requiring atonement. The way that each of these sins was dealt with in the sanctuary system was different. To the Jew, these three separate words summed up all sin.

There is one other very important aspect to the first three items on this list. They appear in only two other places in scripture: the giving of the ten commandments on the second tables of stone (Ex 34:7) and the description of the day of atonement in Lev 16.

21 "Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. Lev 16:21 (emphasis added)

This description of the ultimate act of the atonement ceremony makes it impossible for Daniel to think of anything else when Gabriel presents the list of things to happen in the 70 weeks. It also makes it even more clear that the vision of chapter 8 is focused on the activities of the high priest. It also brings up an aspect of the 70 weeks which is seldom discussed.

Gabriel tells Daniel that his people have 70 weeks to get these six things done. The only possible purpose for laying out a set period of time for the Jews is that, if they fail to perform a set of defined duties, then, when their time is up, God will punish them. The list is a requirement for the Jews to come into a proper relationship with their God, which they did each year on the day of atonement. The probationary nature of the 70 weeks again shows that this must be a single block of time. A time of probation has a definite end. Failure to fulfill the conditions of probation by the end of the time results in penalties. A seventieth week in the far future would mean that there is no true probation, since the probationary period has no true end.

The length of the period parallels the time that the land "kept sabbath." The 70 years were the land sabbath for 490 years of apostasy. Now God has prescribed another, equal length of time for the Jews to get right with Him.

In the Atonement we can see the nature of the demand placed on the Jews. They are required to bring themselves in conformity with God's law, just as before the annual day of atonement. Not only are they to be in conformity, they are to "afflict (their) souls" to be sure that no hidden sin is forgotten when all is confessed before God.

29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. Lev 16:29-31 (KJV)

If the Jews brought themselves into conformity with God's law, then they would be ready for the fourth part of the list. This item, "to bring in everlasting righteousness" can have only one true meaning: the arrival of the Messiah mentioned in verse 25.

25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince ...

The fifth item, "to seal up vision and prophecy" speaks of a time when prophecy would no longer be needed. This would happen only if they were in conformity with the covenant.

The sixth item is "to anoint the most holy place". The word "place" is supplied by the translators, and is not in the Hebrew. Some people have interpreted "the most holy" to be the most holy person (Jesus) and refer to his baptism. The word qodesh (6944) (here actually in repeated form qodesh qodeshim) is used by Daniel earlier in these two linked prophecies to refer to the "sanctuary" in 8:13-14. So, the most natural reading is that not only are we looking at anointing a sanctuary, we have another reference to the sanctuary in the vision of chapter 8. (For technical completeness, in the OT, the repeated form of qodesh only refers to "things". The only "thing" ever anointed was the sanctuary, so this cannot refer to Jesus. It must refer to the sanctuary.)

This is also an impossible set of conditions for a time span of a literal 70 weeks. If the "Most Holy" to be anointed was in the earthly temple, the temple could not be built in the allotted time. Solomon took twenty years to build his temple! This, and the fact that there is no historical 70 week span of any significance leads virtually all interpreters to agree that Daniel is referring to 70 weeks of years, or 490 years.

We have a problem. Where is this sanctuary? At the time that Daniel wrote this, there was no sanctuary on the earth. Solomon's temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians and the second temple (and its sanctuary) had not been built. So Daniel could hope that this would be the new temple that his people would build when the 70 years of exile were finished. As we look at verse 25, we will find that Daniel's hopes were in vain.

The second temple was rebuilt and anointed for service (dedicated in our way of thinking) in March of 516 BC. The 70 weeks would not start for another 59 years. Since a temple would only be anointed once, and the second temple was already anointed, we have to look somewhere else for a sanctuary to anoint. The second temple was the last temple in Jerusalem. (Herod's temple, begun in about 20 BC was a remodeling and expansion of the second temple.) Therefore, the only sanctuary available is the heavenly one discussed in Hebrews 8 and 9.

25 "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.

Translation problems rear their ugly head again in verse 25. There are several words to clarify. The first is the word "decree". The Hebrew word dabar (1697) is the original. It is properly translated "word". While "decree" gives the general sense of the original, including its character as a command, it fails to show us one discriminating factor in identifying which "word" to accept as the proper starting point for the 70 weeks. Some expositors insist that the "word" is the word given by God to Jeremiah foretelling the Babylonian captivity.

11 'And this whole land shall be a desolation and a horror, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Jer 25:11 (See also Jer 29:10)

By inference, they say that the end point includes of necessity the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem. Other expositors pick the revelation to Isaiah that Cyrus the Mede will rebuild the city as the "word".

28 "It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'" Is 44:28

Both of these statements fail to meet the criteria. First and foremost, they are both statements by God. In 9:2, Daniel says that he observed the "word of the Lord" (dabar YHVH) as revealed to Jeremiah. In 9:25, it is just a "word". Had Daniel intended us to understand that it would be God's word, he would have said so. Further, neither "word of the Lord" contains the essential elements we will see shortly. So we must continue our search.

The "word" must therefore be a command by a human king, and it must contain certain conditions. Translations again cause us difficulty. The NASB and NIV say it will be a decree "to restore and rebuild". The RSV and NKJV say it will be a decree "to restore and build". The KJV says "to restore and to build". These don't sound like big differences, but they are. Only the KJV accurately reflects the original (l@hasib w@libnot 7725 1129).

When we think of restoration, we think of structures. The restoration of an old building is a process where architectural fidelity to the original is restored by way of tradesmen recreating the original construction. If we use this thought pattern, "to restore and (re)build" is a single idea. Unfortunately, we are using thought patterns which are foreign to Daniel. Throughout the OT, the Hebrew sub (7725) ("restore"), is never used in reference to physical structures. It is used in reference to the people. It can refer indirectly to land by referring to ownership and autonomy, and has a root meaning of "returning". Buildings cannot themselves be "returned". People can. One example will suffice.

22 'They shall be carried to Babylon, and they shall be there until the day I visit them,' declares the LORD. 'Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.' " Jer 27:22

During Nebuchadnezzar's plundering of Jerusalem in 586BC, "he led away into exile all Jerusalem". Clearly, this includes the population, but not the structures.

14 Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. 2 Ki 24:14

Daniel's concern was not with the physical structures of Jerusalem, but with the people and the abode of God. Gabriel comes in response to Daniel's prayer (v. 23), so the prophecy must be responsive to the prayer. When the decree restores Jerusalem, the reference is to the people, not the buildings. This perspective is of crucial importance. The "word" will command the restoration of the people. "To restore and to build" are two separate actions. To understand this more fully, we must examine the Hebrew word banah (1129), "to build".

Banah is used over 300 times in the OT. In many of these uses, it has the ordinary modern sense of creating structures. In some of them, however, it takes on a completely different sense.

14 Thus says the LORD concerning all My wicked neighbors who strike at the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel, "Behold I am about to uproot them from their land and will uproot the house of Judah from among them.
15 "And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.
16 "Then it will come about that if they will really learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, 'As the LORD lives,' even as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up (banah) in the midst of My people. Jer 12:14-16

In this passage, Jeremiah uses banah to mean "build up" or "establish" (in the sense of being enhanced, made greater, more substantial, or more permanent than before). Those who would come to God would be "established" as His people. The context determines the meaning of the word.

A second line of investigation confirms this conclusion. "Jerusalem" is the direct object grammatically of both sub and banah. We already determined that sub applies to people, and not structures. Likewise, "Jerusalem" refers to the people, since Nebuchadnezzar "led away into exile all Jerusalem". Finally, Daniel's prayer focused on restoration of the people. Since the people were to be restored, the people were also to be built. You cannot "build" people, but you can "build them up". Jerusalem is to be "restored and established".

This same sense of the word is used by Peter.

10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 1 Pet 5:10

An additional aspect of restoration must be noted here. Daniel's concern was for Jerusalem as the abode of God. Therefore, any decree of restoration and establishment must properly re-establish the Temple with its sacred utensils, laws, and centrality in Jewish society. Gabriel's response, directly answering Daniel's concern, confirms this fact.

We should note here that the starting point of the seventy weeks is literally the "going forth" of the decree. While the Hebrew word mowtsa' (4161) "going forth," has several possible meanings, we must be cautious about identifying the time of the issuing of the decree as a starting point. Babylon is over 1,000 miles from Palestine by the fertile crescent route, and no decree of restoration can be of any effect until it reaches Palestine and is presented to the governors of the region. At any time prior to this, the decree could be lost, revoked or otherwise become of no effect. Once presented, it becomes a reality.

Gabriel now uses a curious verbal structure to describe the span from the "word" until "Messiah the Prince". He says that it will take "seven weeks and sixty two weeks". He has two primary reasons for using this form. The first is the Jubilee. Every 49 years there comes a Jubilee year.

8 'You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years.
9 'You shall then sound a ram's horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land.
10 'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. Lev 25:8-10

In the Jubilee year, which began with the Day of Atonement, debts were forgiven and slaves were freed. By using this language, Gabriel reminds the Jews of their need for atonement, reiterating the conditions laid out in verse 24.

Gabriel's second purpose was to show that the restoration and establishment of Jerusalem was to glorify Him through the freeing of his people from slavery in Babylon. At the first Jubilee, the Jews would be able to truly proclaim their freedom from slavery to Babylon. This is a declaration of the restoration of the Jewish people. It has nothing to do with the status of construction projects. A second aspect of the restoration is particularly important. Since Jerusalem is to be restored as the abode of God, the Jubilee will remind them of God's providence in freeing them from the slavery of sin. This will be later emphasized when Jesus proclaims Himself to be the Jubilee at the beginning of His ministry (Luke 4:17-21, c.f. Is 61:1-3). This spiritual restoration will require that the Temple and its ministry be properly restored.

This leads to another issue. If the 7 weeks is for the restoration and establishment of Jerusalem, what is the purpose of the 62 weeks? If the seventieth week is postponed into the far future, the 62 weeks have no purpose whatever. Therefore, the seventieth week cannot be separated into the future. It is what gives the 62 weeks meaning. The 62 weeks function as a bridge to the seventieth week and the Messiah. No other interpretation makes sense.

The next phrase is curious. It "will be built again". We must look again at the original Hebrew. It doesn't say "built again" (KJV, NASB, NKJV, RSV), or "rebuilt" (NIV, TLB). It says "restored and built up" (tasub w@nibn@tah 7725 1129). If you are thinking about structures, it is easy to combine the two thoughts into one as the translators have done. But Daniel is emphasizing restoration. Because of this context, the decree will be "to restore and to establish". Then Jerusalem will be "restored and established". The syntax and thoughts are parallel. Daniel uses the same words (different forms), with the same grammatical object in both places. Once again, since the object is the same for both sub and banah, and sub applies only to people, banah must also apply to people. By using the thought of "establishment", Daniel strengthens the thought of restoration, since establishment is complementary to restoration. Jerusalem is to be restored, and it is to be established, not rebuilt.

As a final note on this issue, if Daniel were to be using banah to mean "construct", then it would be the only place in the entire book where structures become the focus. Since Daniel's focus is always on God's plan, structures are out of place. Banah must be translated "to establish" to be consistent with Daniel's theme.

This process appears to include a "plaza and moat". The word r@hob (7339) translated "plaza", is variously translated "street" (KJV, NKJV, NIV, TLB), "plaza" (NASB), or "square" (RSV). All of these are linguistically acceptable. This qualifying phrase describing the character of the restoration requires that the qualifiers be related to restoration. It must provide additional information regarding the process of restoration. No city can exist without streets. Because of this, "street" must be rejected. Likewise, ancient cities could not function without a plaza or square near the city gate which was the place where official proclamations were made, and where the elders met to make decisions regarding administration and legal issues. Such a city square appears in numerous places in the OT.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. Ezra 10:9

In this text, Ezra has assembled the men of Israel in the square of Jerusalem to deal with a widespread failure to keep God's laws. This civic assembly was in the only place within the city capable of housing such an assembly other than the temple courtyard. This example shows that "square" is the best translation, although "plaza" is very similar in meaning. For the moment, however, let us remember that the city could not exist without such a square, and therefore "square" adds nothing to the particulars of the restoration.

The city of Jerusalem has never had a moat. Where did the translators get this? I believe the first widely distributed modern translation gives us a hint. The KJV (1611 AD) says "the street shall be built again, and the wall". The translators had to be combining the ideas of restoration and building into a single modern idea of structural restoration. Most modern translations carry the thought pattern of the KJV forward into modern language. Thus, even careful critical translators use incorrect ideas, and lead us astray.

The word charuts (2742), translated as "moat", has the primary thought of "decision making". This is how it is generally used in the OT. Isaiah uses its root form charats (2782) to mean "decreed" or "decided".

23 For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land. Is 10:23 (underscore added)

Joel uses the same word in his phrase the "valley of decision".

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Joel 3:14 (underscore added)

Charuts has a whole range of meanings, depending on context. Which one the translators pick will be determined by how they understand the circumstances they see. Since the context they chose is of rebuilding of structures, they used meanings related to structures. The choices are "trench" (NIV), "moat" (NASB, RSV), or "ditch". The KJV, NKJV, and TLB translate it "wall", even though that is not even in the list of extended definitions. They appear to have noted that Jerusalem never had a substantial trench or moat, and picked a structural term that they thought fit. In doing so, they also ignored Daniel's own use of the word in the next two verses. In verse 26 he uses charats in the phrase "desolations are determined", and in verse 27 in the passage "a complete destruction, one that is decreed". It is difficult to justify any context other than "decision making" as the primary intent of Daniel's use of the word.

Now that we know that the square is the center of civic decisions, and that the next qualifier refers to "decision making", we can see the actual intent of the phrase. R@hob charuts now becomes "square and decision making". This idiom combines the ideas of a place and the capability for self-government into one simple expression. This also fits perfectly with Daniel's emphasis on restoration and establishment of the people of Jerusalem.

Literally translated, verse 25 says:

"So you are to understand that from the going forth of the word to restore and to establish Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty two weeks; it (Jerusalem) will be restored and established, square and decision making, even in times of distress."

This puts a very different light on our understanding of this verse. Historically, interpreters have focused on the rebuilding of the buildings of Jerusalem. We can now see that this emphasis is misplaced. Daniel is primarily concerned with the comprehensive restoration of the people of Jerusalem. This includes restoration of the population, restoration of a right relationship with God, and restoration of self-government under the laws of God. All of God's services will be returned to their proper form and the presence of God can again be with His people. Autonomy will continue even in times of trouble.

At this point, we must insert a caveat. We have been developing our understanding of the specifications for the decree. Obviously, if the people of Jerusalem are restored, they will rebuild the structures of the city. This is a necessary consequence of the decree, but is not an element of the decree itself. Our concern in understanding verse 25 is to establish the specifications and timing of the decree. The starting point of the 70 weeks depends on a decree matching the required particulars, not on additional results of the decree.

The problem is that there are four decrees! There is a decree of Cyrus in 537BC, a decree of Darius in 520BC, a decree of Artaxerxes I in 458BC, and another decree of Artaxerxes I in 444BC. In the first decree, Cyrus freed the Jews and said that they should rebuild the temple. No action regarding the city of Jerusalem or its government is indicated.

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.
4 'And every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.' " Ezra 1:1-4.

The second decree (Darius in 520BC) is a reissuing of the decree of Cyrus. ...This is in Ezra 6:1-12 (only partially quoted)

1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon.
2 And in Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: "Memorandum--
3 "In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ' Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained,... Ezra 6:1-3

The third decree was issued in 458BC by Artaxerxes, and is listed in Ezra 7:12-26. (Quoted in part)

12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now
13 I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 "Forasmuch as you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem...

17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their libations and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem
18 "And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.
19 "Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

21 "And I, even I King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently,

25 "And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River,... Ezra 7:12-25 (partial)

This is the proper decree to define the start of the 70 weeks. Critics point out that this decree, dating from the seventh year of Artaxerxes I, does not make direct reference to the rebuilding of the city (which, of course, is not part of the specification). They conclude that it can't be this decree to which the prophecy refers. The critics stop here, and say it is just a decree to beautify the temple. They also forget to look at the rest of the evidence.

Verse 14 indicates that the decree is in response to inquiries specifically concerning the city. Verse 19 commands return of all the sacred Temple vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar, without which God's services could not properly be conducted. Verse 21 commands all the other provinces to cooperate with Ezra, specifically granting Ezra the authority to tax. Verse 25 clearly states that Palestine is to have local governance. Jerusalem is to be "restored and established", "square and decision making".

There is one additional piece of evidence.. While verse 11 tells us that this is a complete copy of the decree, allowing us to be certain of the exact specifications of it, this passage is written in Aramaic (which we cannot see in English), while the rest of Ezra is written in Hebrew. Ezra is giving us an exact copy of the entire legal document, so that it can be examined to show how it satisfies the specifications laid out in Daniel.

Ezra 4 provides the rest of the story. (Quoted in part)

6 Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

11 this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond the River, and now
12 let it be known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city, and are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
13 "Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings. Ezra 4:6, 11-13

Clearly, under the authority granted by Artaxerxes in 458BC, the Jews were rebuilding Jerusalem. Even though this is not specified by Gabriel, it is a concurrent part of "establishing" Jerusalem. The Jews under Ezra had built the walls. But we should carefully that Ezra calls the returned Jews "slaves." This indicates that they have not yet been "restored."

9 "For we are slaves; yet in our bondage, our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. Ezra 9:9

The objections of the people around them also point out that the establishment would occur "in times of distress". Their troubles continued even during Nehemiah's wall repairs in 444BC.

7 Now it came about when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.
8 And all of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. Neh 4:7-8

When the surrounding governors raised a stink, Artaxerxes issued a new decree to stop Ezra's building project. In Ezra 4:

21 "So, now issue a decree to make these men stop work, that the city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. Ezra 4:21

Thirteen years later, in 444BC, Nehemiah heard of the deplorable state of Jerusalem's walls and gates. Ezra had built the walls (Ezra 9:9), so apparently they had been damaged again.

3 And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire." Neh 1:3

Nehemiah went to Artaxerxes, king of Persia.

5 And I said to the king, "If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."
6 Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, "How long will your journey be, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.
7 And I said to the king, "If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah,
8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house to which I will go. "And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me. Neh 2:5-8

This is the decree chosen by the Dispensationalist-Futurist (D/F) school of interpretation. It does contain a direct reference to rebuilding the structures of Jerusalem in verse 5. If your focus is on rebuilding, this decree could be acceptable. In fact, it is the only one which explicitly mentions rebuilding. But that wasn't Daniel's focus.

It is worthwhile here to revisit the moral purpose of prophecy. God's only concern throughout history is the restoration of humanity to the proper relationship with Him which had been lost in Eden. Gabriel gave Daniel a prophecy of restoration. By focusing on buildings, D/F's take our view away from the gospel of restoration and into geopolitical fortune-telling, even at this point. We must remember that prophecy is given to reveal God's purposes (Amos 3:7).

Also, the consent given to Nehemiah is not a decree. The "word" required in verse 25 is a command by a king. This is not a command. Nehemiah went to Artaxerxes with a request, and in verse 6, the king granted his request. There is no record of any written "word" to Nehemiah. As far as we know, it was strictly a verbal assent by Artaxerxes. The king did issue letters of safe passage and provision, but these came at Nehemiah's request, and Nehemiah himself receives no decree.

Daniel's focus is the restoration of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar had "led away into exile all Jerusalem", that is, the people of Jerusalem. Restoration and establishment require that the people be returned. This happened thirteen years earlier with the decree to Ezra. The permission granted to Nehemiah is for one person: Nehemiah. And he is the only Jew recorded who returned to Jerusalem at that time. There is no mention of restoration; political, religious, or otherwise.

The only thing resulting from the permit granted to Nehemiah is the rebuilding of the walls and gates. And it was completed in 52 days, not the 49 years of the prophecy.

5 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. Neh 6:15

We must note here that the decree of Artaxerxes I in 457 BC satisfies every specification of 9:25 if we properly understand Daniel's focus on restoration. The consent in 444 BC satisfies none of the criteria. If we allow banah to mean "to build (construct)", then there is no decree which matches the prophetic specification. Nehemiah got permission to rebuild, but not to restore. Ezra got permission to restore, but no mention is made of rebuilding. To use Nehemiah, the D/F's combine "to restore and to build" into a single idea of rebuilding, which, as we have noted, is a modern concept foreign to Daniel. Therefore, in order that God not be a liar in his prophecies, 9:25 must specify either restoration in "to restore and to establish", and be consistent with Daniel's intent; or it must specify construction in "to restore and rebuild", and be consistent only with modern ideas, giving no thought to the clear intent of Daniel's prayer and Gabriel's answer. Since the purpose of prophecy is to reveal God and His purposes, we must accept restoration as the stated intent and restoration as the critical specification for the decree. Only Ezra 7 and 457 BC fit.

The careful reader will note that the table lists 457BC while the decree was actually issued by Artaxerxes in September/October 458BC. Why should two different dates be listed?

6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
7 And some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. Ezra 7:6-9

Analysis of ancient Jewish materials has shown that the Jews dated the seventh year of Artaxerxes I from September/October 458BC to September/October 457BC. The decree was issued at the beginning of the year. It would be possible to start the prophetic clock in 458, but that would be long before the decree had any effect. If the decree were for an event in Persia, that would make sense, but not for a decree affecting Palestine. It would have to be delivered to become effective. We should note that this is analogous to the situation discussed in Daniel 7 where the "time, times, and half a time" could not begin until the Edict of Justinian went into effect in 538AD, even though it had been issued five years earlier.

In this situation, the decree was given to Ezra, but he did not immediately return to Judea. He made preparations, including the recruitment of Levites (Ezra 8:15-17) before traveling to Jerusalem. He finally left Babylon in the spring of 457, and arrived at Jerusalem in August.

8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. Ezra 7:8

32 Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.
33 And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God

36 Then they delivered the king's edicts to the king's satraps, and to the governors in the provinces beyond the River, Ezra 8:32, 33a, 36a

After initial ceremonies in the Temple, the king's decree was delivered to the local authorities in late August or early September of 457BC. Almost a full year elapsed from the time that the king actually made his declaration and the time that it became meaningful. Certainly the bulk of the Jews for whom the decree was made were already in Judea, and would consider that the decree became effective 457, and would begin counting the seventy weeks from then. Its arrival with Ezra was probably the first they knew of it. We should also remember that Gabriel told Daniel that he was to "know and discern" the starting point of the seventy weeks when the decree "went forth". Therefore the Jews of Palestine would be equally able to identify this starting point.

One important perspective is brought out as we consider the year of the "word". 457BC was a Jubilee year (according to the chronology of Josephus). As we mentioned earlier, the Jubilee was the year that slaves were freed. It was a year of deliverance. When the word went forth from Artaxerxes, it was an emancipation from slavery. The Jews regained their freedom to live under the law of God, not the law of the Medes and Persians. Seven sabbaths of years from 457BC would also be a Jubilee.

8 'You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years.
9 'You shall then sound a ram's horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land.
10 'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.

13 'On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property. Lev 25:8-10,13

49 years to rebuild Jerusalem cannot be confirmed since no such historical record exists. Since the beginning of the 70 weeks was a Jubilee, the designated completion date of the establishment of Jerusalem would be a Jubilee. It would truly be a celebration of freedom from captivity, since each of the children of Israel was returned "to his own property". It would be a true sign that Jerusalem had been "established".

To attempt to create historical confirmation of the "building" in 49 years is to demand that the prophecy say something it does not. No city is ever completely built. New projects are always beginning. Given the fact that there is no confirmation of the completion of the building of Jerusalem in any year, the intent for phrasing the time as "seven weeks and sixty two weeks" must be to reinforce the Jubilee "establishment" aspect of the prophecy. This would lead us to note that the division of the seventy into seven, sixty two, and one is artificial. The true division is simply sixty nine and one. The seventieth week would end in a Jubilee, and, had the Jews accepted Jesus, it truly would have been a Jubilee for them. Jesus lends support to this idea by His choice of texts at the beginning of His ministry.

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden,
19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. " Luke 4:18-19

In this statement, quoted from Is 61:1-2, Jesus proclaims the Jubilee year, and declares that it is symbolic of the true ministry of our Savior.

How does the rest of the prophecy work out? Back in verse 25:

25 "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.

The 69 weeks (7+62) or 483 years is easy to check. 483 years from 457BC takes us to 27AD.

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; Luke 3:1-3

With all of the historical data in this passage, it ought to be very easy to pinpoint the date. Looking at the various VIP's in the list, this has to fall between AD26-36. Each of the years has its adherents. The fifteenth year of Tiberius becomes the final determinant.

The Roman calendar puts Tiberius' fifteenth year from August 19, AD28 to August 18, AD29. At first glance, the prophecy appears to be wrong since this is too late. But Luke is from a part of the Roman Empire which used the Syrian calendar. If he is using either his home calendar or the Jewish calendar (as a convert to Christianity taught by Jews might), the list of VIP's puts the fifteenth year of Tiberius from Tishri 1, AD27 to Tishri 1, AD28. Therefore the baptism of Jesus the Messiah occurred in AD27, after the 69 weeks of years, exactly as predicted. Not only do we have a clear match with prophecy and history, the event of His baptism is of special significance. This was the time Jesus began his ministry. It is also his anointing to become our high priest.

21 Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased."
23 And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age,... Luke 3:21-23

At the age of thirty, the usual age for anointing into the priesthood, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit. With the completion of his ministry on the earth, he would then be ready to serve as our high priest in the heavenly sanctuary. But this text tells us much more. Literally translated, the second half of verse 22 reads:

"You are my son, the chosen, today I have brought you forth."

We must compare this with Psalm 2:7.

7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, 'Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.

The literal Hebrew of this passage states "today I have brought you forth." Jesus' baptism was a direct, word for word fulfillment of this messianic Psalm, and specific declaration that at the moment of His baptism, he was the Messiah. This is particularly fitting, since the word mashiach means "anointed one," and at that moment, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit.

Simple exegesis must not be allowed to divert us from the richness of this event. The Jews believed that the prophetic voice had been removed from Israel shortly after the Babylonian exile. When the proper time for renewal of prophecy had come, it would be restored. Until that time, the Jews were limited in direct word from God to the bat kol or "daughter voice." It was the occasional voice of God, likened to the cooing of a dove. Thus, the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove brought the picture to the Jews that Jesus was indeed the predicted Messiah.

Jesus himself confirms that this event fulfills the 69 weeks prophecy of 9:25.

14 And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Mark 1:14-15

There is no other prophecy in the Old Testament to which Jesus can be referring, since Daniel 9:25 is the only prophecy with a defined time element extending even close to the time of Christ.

The writer of Hebrews repeats this reference.

1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; Heb 1:1-3

This doesn't sound like much until we discover that the translators have been at it again. Translated literally, verse 2 would read:

2 (at the end of these days) has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Peter makes the same reference (with the same type of translation change):

20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 1 Pet 1:20

Literally translated, this would be:

20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared (at the end of the times) for the sake of you

26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Heb 9:26

These texts specifically refer to the appearance of Jesus as the completion of a prophetic time period. The only prophecy available is the 70 weeks of Daniel 9. We now have four separate inspired sources that link Daniel 9 and Jesus.

Let's look a little closer at the texts in Hebrews and 1 Peter, and compare them to verses 24, 25, and 26.

Parallel Direct NT references to the chronology of Dan 9:25

These texts clearly refer to the prophecy. Jesus is the expected Messiah of verses 25 and 26. Finally, we note that, in the passages noted, the focus is that Jesus "manifested" (Heb 9:26) or "appeared" (1 Pet 1:20). "God.has spoken to us in his Son" (Heb 1:1-3). These texts refer to his appearance on the stage of history, not his crucifixion. Paul and John confirm our conclusion.

4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, Gal 4:4 (emphasis added)

30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. John 1:30-31 KJV (emphasis added)

A second line of investigation also confirms that the baptism of Jesus concludes the 69 weeks.

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him." Matt 2:1-2

This is the familiar story of the visitation of the magi. They were coming to visit the "King of the Jews". The only indicator of His presence recorded was the "star". How is it possible for them to see a star and know that it indicated the "King of the Jews"? The only OT prophecy that indicates when the Messiah would come is Daniel 9:25.

25 "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;

But this prophecy does not say when the Messiah would be born. It tells when He would be seen by the world. So, using this by itself, the magi are still helpless. They need more information. Also, how would they know to look for a celestial sign? We find our answer in the prophecy of Balaam.

16 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.
17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, And a scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.
18 "And Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also shall be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly.
19 "One from Jacob shall have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city." Num 24:16-19

Balaam told of a "star" that would come from Jacob that would have dominion. This king would be known by a celestial sign! Now the magi know what to look for, but they still don't know when to look. They need more information.

35 'But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.
36 'And it shall come about that everyone who is left in your house shall come and bow down to him 1 Sam 2:35-36a

Things are coming together. The Messiah will be a priest, and priests were anointed for service at age thirty. If the magi can identify the proper decree to start the prophetic clock, then they can count sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years), subtract thirty years, and get to the Messiah's birth date.

We must carry this line of reasoning further. If the magi, who were not Jews, were able to read Jewish scripture and determine that the King of the Jews was born, why couldn't the Jews figure this out? The bottom line has to be that they could! Let's look at the next few verses.

3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ (lit. "the Messiah") was to be born.
5 And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet,
6 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel.' " Matt 2:5-8

"Chief priests and scribes" (v4) describes the most educated members of the Jewish community. They had no difficulty whatever identifying that it was time for the Messiah to come. They even looked in Micah 5:2 and located his birth town. There can be no question that the Jews knew the proper dates for the 70 weeks. John takes this a bit further.

19 And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
20 And he confessed, and did not deny, and he confessed, "I am not the Christ."
21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."
22 They said then to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?"
23 He said, "I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. John 1:19-24

The leaders of the Jews understood the proper time for the Messiah (Greek christos 5547) to come. When they heard of John the Baptist, they sent investigators to check him out. Their concern was whether he might be the Messiah. If the Pharisees understood the proper time, what about the common people?

15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he might be the Christ, Luke 3:15

This is also from the story of John the Baptist. John was born a few months earlier than Jesus, and began preaching before Jesus. His task was to "prepare the way" for Jesus. (Luke 3:4, c.f. Is 40:3-5, Mal 3:1; 4:5) Because of John's preaching, the common people, who understood the time was right for the Messiah to come, inquired as to whether he was the Messiah (the Christ). The Jews were not the only ones who understood. The Samaritans read the OT, too.

25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming He who is called Christ; when that One comes, He will declare all things to us." John 4:25

This statement is by the woman at the well of Samaria. She had to understand the nature of the Messiah and the approximate time of His coming to make this declaration. If a simple woman of Samaria knew this truth, then it is not possible for the educated leaders of the Jews to avoid knowing who Jesus was. In fact, the leaders of the Jews, who studied the OT at length (after all, it's all they had), knew both the proper decree and the proper interpretation of 9:24-27. They, however, were not looking for a spiritual restoration. They thought that the Jubilee should be for temporal freedom from the Romans. When Jesus upset that apple cart, even though they had every reason to know the truth of who he was, the Jews willfully rejected Him. As we saw in chapter 8, the "transgressors (rebels) had run their course". It is hard to be sufficiently forceful. The Jews knew who He was. The knew when He was. They knew why He was. Yet, they rejected Him. The Jews judged God, and found God wanting. A more dramatic rebellion cannot be found.

D/F expositors choose the assent of 444 BC as their starting point, and 483 years takes them to 40 AD. This forces them to play mathematical games to bring them to Christ's crucifixion as the conclusion of the 69 weeks. This cheating includes 360-day years, which never existed in the Jewish calendar. They also pick the crucifixion as the time Jesus was "manifested". Then they pick a date (AD 33) that fits their theory as the time for the crucifixion, instead of one which fits the facts.

Since Jesus died at the crucifixion, the D/F's have nothing left to fill the seventieth week, so they push the 70 th week into the far future. This is the origin of the ideas of a reconstituted Roman empire, an Antichrist forming treaties with the Jews, and so on. Not only is this in error, but such political fortune-telling removes our attention from the gospel so beautifully given to Daniel. We must remember that prophecy exists to reveal Christ.

It is worth taking a side trip here to show how far the D/F's have to push their interpretation. If we accept the Roman calendar, Jesus' baptism would be in AD28. The chronology of Jesus' ministry in the book of John most naturally indicates 3½ years until the cross, although some interpreters argue for 2½ years. AD28 plus 3½ years gives AD 32 at the latest. Yet they insist on placing the cross a minimum of a full year later, since 483 years of 360 days cannot be compressed enough to get to AD32. In other words, there is no possible way to make the D/F chronology work, even if we allow them all of their assumptions and interpretations. On the other hand, when Daniel's writing is taken in its natural form, and the other scriptural evidence is accepted, the interpretation we have discovered is the only one possible.

The testimony of the Bible is clear. The 69 weeks ended with Christ's appearance, which occurred publicly at his baptism. If the 62 weeks do not lead to the baptism and ministry of Christ, that is, the seventieth week, they are total nonsense, since there are no events specified for the 62 weeks. They would stand as meaningless prophetic orphans.

If the 70th week is to be separated from the 69, why isn't the 62 separated from the 7? The short answer is that there is no grammatical structure allowing us to separate the three blocks of time at all. There is, in fact, every reason to keep them together as a single 70 week period. We have already seen how the 7 and 62 flow together to Christ's baptism. We will soon see how the 70th week finishes the period perfectly. But even more than that, remember that the 70 weeks were "cut off" from the beginning of the 2,300 days. The 70th week must be within the 2,300 days. It would be contradicting the prophecy for the 69 weeks to be within the 2,300 days and the 70th week to be moved outside it. Instead, the 70 weeks points us directly to Christ and His ministry. It is to this that we now turn.