Tags: Daniel 9 prophecy, 70 weeks of Daniel, Jesus Christ fulfillment, no gap prophecy, Messiah confirmed the covenant, KJV prophecy truth
Introduction: A Timeless Prophecy Perfectly Kept
God does not leave prophecy unfinished. When the Lord declares a timeline, He fulfills it to the letter. One of the most intricate yet Christ-exalting prophecies in Scripture is found in Daniel 9:24–27, known as the Seventy Weeks Prophecy.
Many modern interpretations attempt to split this prophecy—inserting a long, 2,000-year gap between the 69th and 70th week—postponing the final week into a future tribulation. But the Bible itself does not authorize such a gap. The prophecy, given by the angel Gabriel, is presented as a continuous sequence, fulfilled in the first coming, ministry, and atoning death of Jesus Christ.
Daniel 9:24 KJV – “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…”
The prophecy declares a full seventy weeks (490 years), decreed and fixed, not 69 weeks followed by a mysterious pause. Christ is the center of this prophecy, not a future Antichrist. Let us explore the beautiful and complete fulfillment of this divine timeline in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I. God’s Redemptive Purpose in the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24)
Daniel 9:24 KJV – “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people… to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity…”
The prophecy identifies six divine objectives, all fulfilled through the Messiah:
- Finish the transgression – Christ bore the sins of Israel and the world (Isaiah 53:5–6 KJV).
- Make an end of sins – By His sacrifice, sin’s power was defeated (Hebrews 9:26 KJV).
- Make reconciliation for iniquity – Christ reconciled us to God by His death (2 Corinthians 5:18–19 KJV).
- Bring in everlasting righteousness – He became our righteousness (Romans 5:19 KJV).
- Seal up the vision and prophecy – Prophetic promises were fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:44 KJV).
- Anoint the most Holy – The true Holy One was anointed with the Spirit (Acts 10:38 KJV).
All of these were fulfilled at Christ’s first coming, not in a speculative future.
II. The 69 Weeks Lead Directly to Jesus the Messiah (Daniel 9:25)
Daniel 9:25 KJV – “…from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks…”
This amounts to 69 weeks, or 483 years. Counting from the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7), the prophecy leads precisely to the appearance of Jesus Christ as the Messiah at His baptism and the beginning of His ministry.
The prophecy did not speak of a gap—it leads right to Jesus.
Mark 1:15 KJV – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
III. The 70th Week: Fulfilled by Christ, Not Antichrist
The key to understanding this prophecy lies in Daniel 9:26–27, which says:
Daniel 9:26–27 KJV – “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off… And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week…”
This is the 70th week—the final seven years—and it was not postponed. It began immediately after the 69th week and was fulfilled by Jesus Christ Himself.
A. Messiah Cut Off—In the Midst of the Week
“...in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…” (v. 27)
Halfway through the 70th week—3½ years into His ministry—Jesus was crucified. He was “cut off, but not for Himself” (v. 26), fulfilling the prophecy exactly. On the cross, He ended the need for animal sacrifices once and for all.
Hebrews 10:10–12 KJV – “…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…”
The veil of the temple was rent (Matthew 27:51 KJV), proving the old sacrifices were no longer acceptable. Christ alone is sufficient.
B. He Confirmed the Covenant with Many
“He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week…” (v. 27)
The “he” here is not a future Antichrist, but Jesus Christ, who brought in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8:6–13 KJV).
Matthew 26:28 KJV – “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many…”
He confirmed the covenant by His ministry, preaching the Gospel, and by His blood, sealing it forever.
IV. The Danger of Adding a Gap
The teaching of a “gap” between the 69th and 70th week is nowhere found in the text. The prophecy reads:
Daniel 9:24 KJV – “Seventy weeks are determined…”
The word “determined” (Hebrew chathak) means cut off, decreed, decided. It does not allow for interruptions. The timeline is continuous, by divine design.
The Problem with the Gap Theory:
- It removes Christ from the center of the prophecy.
- It introduces a future Antichrist not mentioned in the text.
- It misinterprets a fulfilled prophecy as a postponed event.
- It undermines the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Inserting a gap is to do violence to the structure of Scripture and to shift attention from Christ crucified to a future deception.
V. A Continuous Fulfillment for a Complete Salvation
Jesus fulfilled the 70th week in full:
- First 3½ years: His earthly ministry.
- Middle of the week: His crucifixion—ending sacrifice.
- Final 3½ years: The Gospel confirmed through the apostles to the Jews (Acts 2–7 KJV), until the stoning of Stephen and the Gospel’s expansion to the Gentiles (Acts 8 KJV).
This view aligns fully with:
- The King James Bible text.
- The historical witness of Christ’s redemptive work.
- The apostolic message in the Book of Acts and Hebrews.
Conclusion: It Is Finished
Jesus fulfilled the entire seventy weeks. There is no room for a gap, no need for delay, no prophecy left hanging.
John 19:30 KJV – “It is finished.”
The 70th week is not future tribulation, but a past triumph—the victory of the Lamb of God. Let us honor what the Word of God plainly declares and rest in the full, finished, and forever work of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 9:26 KJV – “...but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
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