EP. 246 The End Times Series | Part 1: Understanding the 70 Weeks of Daniel

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This week on the Hope Rescue Podcast, we’re kicking off a brand new series on The End Times! For this series, Tim will be diving deep into Scripture solo. There’s a lot of speculation, movies, and myths floating around about the end times — but thankfully, God has not left us guessing. His Word gives us clear, trustworthy, and detailed insight into what’s to come.

In this five-part series, we’ll walk through key topics that every believer should understand:

• The 70 Weeks of Daniel (this week)

• The Rapture of the Church

• The Tribulation Period

• The Millennial Kingdom

• And a fascinating discussion on the "stones crying out" that Jesus mentioned

Today, we start at the foundation: Daniel Chapter 9.

Daniel’s 70 Weeks: God’s Prophetic Blueprint

Daniel 9:24 says:"Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place."

• "Weeks" here refers to heptads — groups of seven. In this prophecy, it’s not days or months, but weeks of years — 490 years total.

• "Your people" points specifically to Israel, and "your holy city" is clearly Jerusalem.

  
  

God lays out six monumental purposes for these 70 weeks:

1. To finish the transgression — Israel’s national rebellion will come to an end. They will no longer reject their Messiah, as prophesied in Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:25–27.

2. To put an end to sin — Sin's power will be crushed when Christ returns, binds Satan (Revelation 20), and establishes His reign of righteousness.

3. To atone for iniquity — Jesus' sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 9:26–28) already provided atonement, but the full national application for Israel will occur when they repent and believe at His return.

4. To bring in everlasting righteousness — Christ’s Kingdom will be a reign of true justice and peace, not the corruption we see today.

5. To seal both vision and prophet — Every prophecy will be fulfilled, completing God's revelation.

6. To anoint a most holy place — A new, consecrated Temple will exist during Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.

   
   

Breaking Down the Timeline:

Daniel 9:25-26 continues:"Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time..."

• The first 7 weeks (49 years) began with the decree of Artaxerxes I in 445 BC, when Nehemiah was given permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls (Nehemiah 2).

• Then, 62 more weeks (434 years) pass — totaling 69 weeks or 483 years.

Using prophetic years (360 days/year, Revelation 12:6, 14),483 × 360 = 173,880 days.

Starting from March 14, 445 BC (Artaxerxes’ decree), and counting 173,880 days brings us precisely to April 6, 32 AD — the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey (the Triumphal Entry), fulfilling Zechariah 9:9. This accuracy proves the divine precision of Scripture.

Shortly after, Daniel says the "anointed one shall be cut off" — a clear reference to Jesus' crucifixion (Daniel 9:26). He was "cut off" — executed — not for His sins, but for ours.

The Prophetic Pause: The Church Age

Importantly, Daniel never says the 70th week starts immediately after the 69th.

Instead, Daniel 9:26 describes two major events happening after the 69th week but before the 70th:

• The Messiah is crucified.

• Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed (fulfilled in 70 AD by the Romans).

Thus, there is a clear gap between the 69th and 70th weeks — the Church Age, the time we are living in right now.

The New Testament explains that the Church — made up of believing Jews and Gentiles — was a "mystery" not revealed in the Old Testament (Ephesians 3:4–6). Daniel’s prophecy focuses specifically on Israel, not the Church.

God’s prophetic clock for Israel is on pause — but it will resume.

The Bible isn’t a book of human guesses — it’s God’s revealed Word, inspired and preserved perfectly.

• Every prophecy about Jesus' first coming was fulfilled with stunning precision.

• Every promise about His second coming will be fulfilled just as perfectly.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."(Isaiah 40:8)

God’s Word gives us confidence, hope, and urgency to live faithfully in these days. He has not forgotten His promises — and He will not miss a single detail.

Thank you for joining us for Part 1 of this series! Next week, we’ll tackle one of the most anticipated topics: The Rapture. Don't forget to subscribe and send in your questions — we’d love to hear from you!