Daniel's prophecy of the "70 Weeks" was the only Old Testament prophecy that numerically determined the date for the Lord's first coming as King, making it potentially very important for first century Israel. Unfortunately, those first century Jews failed to discern its meaning, and its significance remained obscure to the Jews throughout the Times of the Gentiles. However, Topic III dealing with "Modern-Day Israel" showed that the State of Israel has been God's "Clock" for His countdown to the Millennial Kingdom since they first became a nation on May 14, 1948. Furthermore, that Topic also showed that a consequence of the countdown caused the 1988-1995 seven-year period to be the "70th Week" for Daniel's people. 

Now this result surely must confound those people who are familiar with the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" teaching, for it held that the Great Tribulation would occur during Daniel's 70th Week, and that the Rapture would occur prior to that 70th Week, and prior to the revealing of Antichrist. Nevertheless, it is now obvious that those dramatic events, which just occurred require us to revise our thinking about the End Times. Accordingly, this present Topic will deal with the kinds of changes that we need to make in our thinking about Daniel's 70 Weeks.

The following Timeline for the entire period of Daniel's 70 Weeks will begin to shed some light on the matter.

The above 70-Week Timeline shows that the previous Topic about "Modern-Day Israel" considered only a small segment of the entire period, i.e. from World War II through the 1988-1995 seven-year interval. However, the entire 70-Week Timeline identifies an additional 10-years, with a second seven years for the "Sons of Daniel's people". This addition requires that we spend some time studying the final two seven-year segments to understand why it must be extended in this way. 

The 1988-1995 seven-year period in the 70-Week Timeline is the same one described in the previous topic on "Modern-Day Israel". That Topic showed that the major World events occurring during that time frame were all keyed to a Levitical Calendar, and timed on the basis of a 360-day prophetic Calendar, appropriate only for Daniel's 70th Week. However, we did not examine the internals of the 1988-1995 seven-year period to determine if it also fulfilled those specific prophecies in (Daniel) that must govern it. 

The Timeline displays a very important segment of Daniel's 70th Week, showing three time intervals of 1260 days, 1290 days, and 1335 days. Read (Daniel 12.4-13) where you will find those very same time intervals associated with Daniel's 70th Week, only there without beginning and ending dates. The displayed segment adds those dates, because we know from the previous Topic on "Modern Israel" that Daniel's 70th Week had to begin on November 13 (Chislev 4), 1988.

Notice that the 1290-day and 1335-day intervals both began on September 30, which was also Tishri 1 (Trumpets) in 1989. The 1260-day interval began on the following October 9, which was also Tishri 10 (Atonement). Now follow the three timelines down, and you will discover an amazing result. The 1260-day interval ended on Nisan 1, which was the beginning of new Levitical year, 1993; the 1290-day interval ended on Easter Sunday, 1993; and the 1335-day interval ended on Pentecost, 1993. It is evident immediately that the three time intervals given in (Daniel 12) all begin and end on dates that are very meaningful. Incidentally, such a result would be highly unlikely within some other seven-year period you might pick arbitrarily, and in fact if it is required that you pick another seven-year period that also ends in a Jubilee year, as this one does, you will not find it for centuries. 

Since these three time intervals and key dates are essentially unique to Daniel's 70th Week, let's think about their meaning.

1. 1260 days from Atonement to a new Levitical year

Although we might not have guessed that an appropriate initial date leading to Israel's eventual blessing would be Atonement, it is certainly a fitting reference date, for it was and is the single most important Levitical date designated for Israel to repent of her sins, and prophetically, to turn to her Messiah.

2. 1290 days from Trumpets to Easter Sunday

This time interval is most surprising, because Easter did not exist in Old Testament times, nor can it even be associated directly with the Levitical Calendar. Nonetheless, notice two things:

• First, the 1290-day and 1335-day intervals both begin at the same time, in keeping with the statement in (Daniel 12.11) that they are tied together in some way. Moreover, Trumpets was historically a time of solemn assembly for Israel, convened by the blowing of rams' horns. It was the date when Israel was first called to repentance, so that those seeking redemption could have their sins covered on Atonement, the most holy day of the year. As such, this date is often connected prophetically with Israel's final redemption, in accordance with the fact that it triggers that 1335-day period ending on Pentecost.

• Second, Trumpets also brings to mind another prophetic association that the New Testament makes with the Rapture of the Body of Christ.

When this combined prophetic association of Trumpets, both to Israel's redemption and to the Rapture of the Body of Christ, is thoughtfully considered, it naturally leads to an explanation for the Easter Sunday date. 

Prevailing theories about the Rapture of the Body of Christ have assumed typically that it would occur independently of Israel's redemption. However, the 1290-day interval is interposed with the other two in a way that suggests that the Rapture itself is actually the means whereby Israel is turned to the Lord. Consider what the reaction of Daniel's people would be to an Easter Sunday Rapture of the Body of Christ who sleep. No one familiar with even the most elemental aspects of the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ could avoid the obvious similitude between His resurrection and one occurring for the Body of Christ who sleep on a date that has been memorialized for almost 2000 years to celebrate the time when they will be caught up to be with their Lord! Would not a Rapture on that day be an incontrovertible witness to Daniel's people in the Heavenly realms that redemption is only through Him? Was not the resurrection of Jesus Christ the essential element in God's Plan intended to transform ancient Israel from the Law to the New Covenant at the beginning of the Church Age? By the same token, would not the resurrection of the Body of Christ who sleep be the most logical element to transform Daniel's people from the Law to the New Covenant in preparation for the Millennial Kingdom? 

3. 1335 days from Trumpets to Pentecost

(Daniel 12.12) indicates that the completion of the 1335 days will result in a blessing for Daniel's people.

Pentecost has brought incredible blessings to Israel on two occasions during Biblical times.

• The Covenant of Law was given to Israel in the month of Sivan (Exodus 19.1), and Rabbinic tradition holds that it was specifically on Sivan 6, Pentecost.

• The Covenant of Grace was offered to first century Israel on Pentecost, as recorded in (Acts 2).

Therefore, we may conclude that Pentecost is not only the time for "blessing", but specifically it is the time when new Covenants are offered to Israel. Consequently, the following Old Testament Scripture is very meaningful with respect to this subject 1335-day End Times interval.

(Joel 2.28-3:2) 28 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.  29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.  30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.  31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.  32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.  3.1 "For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,  2 I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.  NKJV

You will observe that verses 28-32 in the above Joel prophecy were quoted by Peter on that first century Pentecost, but he omitted those highlighted at the beginning of the next chapter, because they refer to an End Times Pentecost after Israel has been scattered among the Gentile nations, then returned to the Land of their inheritance. Of course, that has now also occurred, so the Joel prophecy must also refer to this End Times Pentecost, identified here in Daniel's 70th Week. 

You may study the full details of this 70th Week for Daniel's people at Daniel's 70th Week (Part I).

This final seven-year period completes the entire 70-Week Timeline, and is required for several reasons.

1. A review of the Old Testament timeline associated with the setting up of the Davidic Kingdom will show that David began his Kingdom on a Jubilee year, however that first 1988-1995 70th Week for Daniel's People ended on a Jubilee year, rather than beginning on one. Consequently, a complete fulfillment of the Davidic timeline requires that the Messianic Kingdom must also begin on a Jubilee year, in order to completely fulfill that Old Testament one. Since the State of Israel was created in 1948, it follows that 1998 was a Jubilee year for modern-day Jews, thereby becoming a Jubilee year for the "Sons of Daniel's People".
   
   

2. The 10-year extension added to Daniel's 70-Week Timeline to account for the Sons of Daniel's People, also provides the precise number of days to accommodate that second 14000 days.
   

3. A careful reading of the original prophecy will make it clear that the first 1988-1995 70th Week only addressed "Daniel's People".

Therefore, an additional period of time is required prior to the redemption of the "Sons of Daniel's People" who are identified in (Daniel 12.1).

Consequently, this final phase of the 70-Week Timeline is designated for the "Sons of Daniel's People", i.e. those Jews who came out of World War II, including their descendants who live at the present time. 

You may find additional information on the 70th Week for the Sons of Daniel's People at "Daniel's 70th Week (Part II)"

1. May 14, 445 BC to April 6, AD 32

Daniel's 70 Weeks began when the Persian king Artaxeres approved Nehemiah's request to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, following its earlier destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. This was the only recorded instance of the physical restoration of Jerusalem following the Babylonian Exile, and was the event to which the angel Gabriel had referred in his earlier disclosure of the "70 Weeks" to Daniel. The angel had specifically mentioned the rebuilding of Jerusalem including the wall in (Daniel 9.25), and (Nehemiah 2.8) identifies the need for certain materials to be acquired for those very same projects. The detailed account of Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding projects are given in the remainder of the book of Nehemiah.

The time span from 445 BC until AD 32 is easily calculated when it is recalled that it must be counted on the basis of a 360-day Calendar. Sir Robert Anderson, in his book "The Coming Prince", refined that basic calculation by also assuming that Nehemiah most likely made his request on Nisan 1, since ancient Hebrew literature often omitted, but intended, the first day of a month when only the month was given. His refinement produced additional evidence of the correctness of the calculation because it was discovered that the Nisan 1 starting date produced an April 6 (Sunday), AD 32 final date. This final date is very significant, because April 6, AD 32 was the Sunday prior to a Friday Passover in that year, thereby agreeing precisely with the Bible's detailed description of Jesus' final week leading up to His crucifixion.

For those who may wish to study the Biblical account, see Nehemiah's alijah to Jerusalem, or for the calculations and details related to His first coming, see "The Time of Messiah's First Coming.pdf".

2. April 6, AD 32 to August 4, AD 70

This second time span began on April 6, AD 32, a very significant date for three reasons:

• April 6, AD 32 was the date when Messiah officially presented Himself as Israel's King on Palm Sunday as He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9.9).

• April 6, AD 32 was likewise the date when He completed the first 69 Weeks of Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 9.25). 

• Finally, April 6, AD 32 was the date when He pronounced the coming AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem, because its people would not accept His Kingship

It ended on August 4, AD 70, another very significant date:

• August 4, AD 70 was the final day of the first of two 14000-Day periods during the 70-Week Timeline. The Roman army destroyed the Temple on the very next day, marking the beginning of Israel's expatriation from the Land at the advent of the Times of the Gentiles. 

3. August 5, AD 70 to September 1, 1939

The AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple sealed the fate of ancient Israel, and served to guarantee that there would be no fulfillment of those Old Testament Kingdom promises for Israel for the then foreseeable future. Indeed many of the Jews remaining were led captive into Gentile nations, where they were oppressed for many centuries during the Times of the Gentiles, as indicated in (Luke 21.24).

4. September 1, 1939 to June 7, 1967

The previous Topic dealing with "Modern-Day Israel" showed that the Times of the Gentiles came to an end with the coming of World War II, which according to (Daniel 11.40) occurred at "the time of the end". It was during that six-year period of Great Tribulation that the Abomination of Desolation, i.e. Holocaust, occurred. 

The Jews were released from the concentration camps in Europe, and began to return to the Land of their inheritance during Jubilee year 1945, but the State of Israel was not created until May 14, 1948. Indeed, it had to be created on that very date so it could begin to reproduce the Old Testament timeline, which originally governed the setting up of the Davidic Kingdom. Even so, it was not until the six-day war in 1967 that the Jews were repatriated back to their capital city of Jerusalem. The details of that return are recorded in the following historic record, quoted from the Jewish web site www.aish.com.

On June 4, Iraq joined the military alliance with Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. The Arab rhetoric was matched by the mobilization of Arab forces. Approximately 465,000 troops -- more than 2,800 tanks, and 800 aircraft -- ringed Israel.  By this time, Israeli forces had been on alert for three weeks. The country could not remain fully mobilized indefinitely, nor could it allow its sea-lane through the Gulf of Aqaba to be interdicted. Israel had no choice but preemptive action. To do this successfully, Israel needed the element of surprise. Had it waited for an Arab invasion, Israel would have been at a potentially catastrophic disadvantage. On June 5, the order was given to attack Egypt.  On June 5, Israel was indeed alone, but its military commanders had conceived a brilliant war strategy. The entire Israeli Air Force, with the exception of just 12 fighters assigned to defend Israeli air space, took off at 7:14 a.m. with the intent of bombing Egyptian airfields while the Egyptian pilots were eating breakfast. In less than two hours, roughly 300 Egyptian aircraft were destroyed.  A few hours’ later, Israeli fighters were sent to attack the Jordanian and Syrian air forces, as well as one airfield in Iraq. By the end of the first day, nearly the entire Egyptian and Jordanian air forces, and half the Syrians', had been destroyed on the ground.  The battle then moved to the ground, and some of history's greatest tank battles were fought between Egyptian and Israeli armor in the blast furnace conditions of the Sinai desert. It took only three days for Israeli forces to defeat the Jordanian legion. On the morning of June 7, the order was given to recapture the Old City. Israeli paratroopers stormed the city and secured it before Defense Minister Moshe Dayan arrived with Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin to formally mark the Jews' return to their historic capital and their holiest site. At the Western Wall, the IDF's chaplain blew a shofar to celebrate the event.

5. June 7, 1967 to October 4, 2005

On the day that the State of Israel returned to Jerusalem, the final 14,000 days required to complete the 70-Week Timeline could begin. We now understand why the 70-Week Timeline is built around things that happened in Jerusalem over a period of almost 2,500 years.

• The Timeline began in 445 BC when Jerusalem was first rebuilt, following the Babylonian Exile.

• It was highlighted 483 years later (69 Weeks of years) when King Messiah came to Jerusalem on AD 32 to offer Israel salvation, and the Kingdom promised by the Lord through the Old Testament prophets.

• When Israel rejected their King, they also rejected their Kingdom, so the Timeline was aborted after 14,000 days on August 5, AD 70 by the destruction of Jerusalem, the city of the King.

• Following the second Exile by the Romans during the Times of the Gentiles, the Jews were returned to Jerusalem a second time in 1967.

• This enabled a second 14,000 days, which ended on October 4, 2005.

We have searched for some way to prophetically link the time of Messiah's first century coming as King, at the conclusion of the first 69 Weeks of Daniel, with those two End Time 70th Week segments just described, and have discovered that they are linked by virtue of those two 14000-Day periods seen in the right-hand column of the above "70-Week Timeline". Therefore, let's now explore the underlying prophetic significance of that linkage by the following questions.

1. What is the prophetic significance of the root number "14"?
   
   W. A. Criswell, a foremost Bible scholar and evangelist of the 20th century had this to say about the number "14", as it appears in the genealogy of the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1.1-17).

Thus, we may surmise from Criswell's statements that the number "14" is used to denote pivotal epochs in Israel's history, defining that nation's high and low times with respect to their relationship to God. By extension, the application of this same root number "14" to the two time periods in the "70-Week Timeline" also suggest major epochs in Israel's history, beginning with the first coming of Messiah.  Accordingly, since the end of that first 14000-day period led to ancient Israel's destruction, and a low in Israel's history, the end of that second 14000-day period (Jerusalem's 1967 Jewish repatriation to October 4, 2005) might also be expected to lead to a low time of Judgement for modern-day Israel. 

2. Why are both 14000-day periods linked to events in Jerusalem?
   
   In essence, the two 14000-Day periods focus on Israel, by providing a definite prophetic link between ancient Israel and Modern-Day Israel, i.e.

1. The first "14000 Days" signified a pivotal epochal period from ancient Israel's rejection of Messiah, following His first coming as King on April 6, AD 32, until ancient Israel's expatriation from Jerusalem on August 5, AD 70, and the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles.
   

2. The second "14000 Days" signified a pivotal epochal period from the State of Israel's repatriation to Jerusalem on June 7, 1967, until October 4 (Trumpets), 2005, for it was the period of time after they were restored to Jerusalem until their time of Judgement arrived, because of their continued refusal to repent and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and King.

3. What is the prophetic significance of the final date of October 4 (Trumpets), 2005 in the second 14000-Day period?

Certainly, we have a well documented basis for asserting the Biblical significance of the time of Trumpets, which is the first day of the 7th month of Tishri, and Israel's New Year.

Surely the dire straits in which Modern-Day Israel finds itself should make Trumpets, 2005 an especially appropriate time to begin to "consider your ways", and prepare to receive the salvation at the hands of your long-awaited Messiah. Just as the Lord spoke in Haggai about those ancient Hebrews after their Babylonian Exile, Modern-Day Israel needs to repent, and turn to the only One who can fulfill.  

It can be seen how this material on the Kingdom has followed a sequence of historic events that leads up to the period of Judgement for modern-day Israel (Daniel 12.2b). Indeed, the two "14000-Day" periods clearly intended to link Messiah's first coming as King on April 6, AD 32 with October 4 (Trumpets), 2005, thereby indicating that the final Trumpets, 2005 date, should prophetically earmark the beginning of Messiah's  Judgement of modern-day Israel. 

It remains to show where we presently are within the Bible's timeline within the book of The Revelation, and that will be done in the following Topic.

(Topic V)

Your Questions and/or Comments?