The seventy weeks of Daniel nine
by Gerald Sigal
Category: Religion

The interpretation of the Seventy Weeks passage of Daniel 9 has been the center of many discussions between Jews and Christians as to its meaning. These controversies have generally revolved around three areas of dispute: • The division of the weeks • The starting date of the Seventy Weeks • The number of “anointed” individuals mentioned in the text and/or his/their identification. In agreement with the Masoretic accents and textual indicators (e.g. verse 26), Jewish commentators divide the time period into three periods: seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week. The last week culminates with the destruction of the Temple, but with an addendum giving hope for the future. Christian renderings of Daniel generally follow the present-day King James Version’s division into two periods of weeks (sixty-nine weeks consisting of seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks and one week). This is also the position maintained by most Christian commentators in explaining this passage. What is the overall purpose of the Seventy Weeks passage? Is this passage messianic? Who are the two anointed individuals mentioned in this passage? How does its description of things to come and eventual fulfillment centuries later give proof of the eventual fulfillment of all God’s promises to Israel? What message does it hold for Jewish history past and future? Does it refer to Christian eschatological beliefs? Does this passage refer in any way to Jesus? To investigate these questions is the purpose of this volume.