 In Daniel 9, there was a 70-week prophecy given. The question is, for many, has that been fulfilled or is there still more left to be fulfilled? Daniel 9 contains a prophecy given to him by an angel about Israel, about his people. And the question is, this 70 weeks, which is 77s, has that been fulfilled? Is there still more yet to be fulfilled? So as we get into it, one, we wanna look at what the prophecy actually says. And then two, we wanna look at why the prophecy was given. So let's go to Daniel 9, verse 24, and it says, 70 weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city. Now, some are gonna act or some are gonna take that this means maybe the church or someone else know this is literally regarding Israel. Now, we're gonna find that out in a little bit. There should not be any kind of confusion. Guys, you wanna make sure that you read the scriptures the way, one, the writer is intending for you to read it. One, how the writer himself intends it. How the people who would hear it, how they would intend it. And so this prophecy, remember, Israel receives these prophecies and they have seen other prophecies being fulfilled literally. So how do they take the prophecies to be fulfilled? Literally, how did God intend for them to take it? I believe literally, unless God expected them to not understand the prophecy. Remember, God didn't start hiding or didn't start veiling what he was saying to the Jews until later, until Christ shows up on the scene. That's when he began speaking in these parables. But that hadn't happened yet. God literally intends for them to understand what he's saying. We're gonna talk about why this is happening and how we know this is specific to Israel in just a little bit. But notice what he says though. He says that 70 weeks have been decreed for your people and the your people we're gonna find is actually Israel not a spiritual Israel, but actual ethnic Israel. And look what he says is gonna happen. To finish transgression, which is important to make an end of sin, which goes along with that, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. Some verses might say the most holy one. So you are to know and to discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah, the prince, there will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. So that's 69. It will be built again with plaza and moat even in the time of distress. Then after the 62 weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary and its end will come with the flood. Even the end, there will be war. Desolations are determined. Now notice verse 27 is picking up on the 70th, seven or the 70th week. And remember we say that these weeks are actually sevens which is vitally important to understand because we're gonna see where this concept comes from previously in scripture. But he says, and he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week. That's one seven, the last seven, but in the middle of the seven, the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offerings and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate even until a complete destruction. One that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate. Now to back up, we need to see what's being spoken of. Going back to verse 20, let's start in verse 20, well, middle 24, he says he is going to finish transgression to make an end of sin. This is for the people of Israel. Their sin, their transgression is still there. It's still before they remember Israel has a hardened heart right now. We'll talk about that in just a little bit. But this third on verse three to make an end to sin and to make atonement, well, the atonement part, we can say that that part has been fulfilled. He has made atonement. Now, if you take atonement to be made that they've also received it, well, if you look at it in that regard, well, they know that hasn't happened as of yet either. Now have some, so you could say yes, maybe partially that some Jews. And if you want to include Gentiles, though this pastor has nothing to do with Gentiles, you can say that he did present an atonement and offering for the people. And so in that regard, you can say yes, but now notice what it says though, to make atonement for iniquity, to put in everlasting righteousness, that has not happened with Israel, to sell up vision and prophecies. Some prophecies have been completed and to anoint the most holy place. Now in this case, it says the most holy place. This could literally be, guys, this could be either referring to, some will say is it referring to the place, the city or to the Holy One. That part is important. I don't want to minimize that. I think it's probably the holy place. I believe so. And so if that's the case, that clearly has not happened. Now, where does this come from? And this is how we can know this is in regards to Israel. God is leading his people out of captivity. So they were literally put into captivity as he prophesied. They were literally brought out by him as he stated. And as they're going into the promised land, he tells them to circumcise their hearts, get their heart right. Because sin was an issue. It's always been an issue. It was an issue then and will always been an issue until the end. But he tells them to circumcise their hearts. They do not. And so he goes in and speaks in Deuteronomy 30 about what is going to happen. So it says, show it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessings and the curse, which I have set before you. And you call them to mind in all nations where the Lord your God has banished you. But wait a minute. They haven't been banished anywhere yet. They are, as a matter of fact, haven't even gone into the land. They're going to go into the land, but he's already telling them that he is going to banish them. And so he wants them to call what he's saying right now into mind when you have been banished. Not for them, obviously, because they won't be the ones that will be banished, but for their descendants. And so he says, and you return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart. And so according to all that I commanded you today, you and your sons, then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. So he's kind of speaking of not just one time being scattered, maybe a second time as well, which actually does happen. If you're outcast or at the ends of the earth from there, the Lord your God will gather you and from there he will bring you back. Look what he says now. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed. Now notice what he says. He will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed. That hadn't happened yet. They haven't possessed that land yet. So he's speaking what's going to happen in the future. If they'll look back and bring them back into the land which your fathers had possessed and you shall possess it. And he will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Notice what he says in verse six. Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul so that you may live. Now notice this. He says what he is going to do to their hearts. So let's get a good understanding of what's going to happen. They're going to be disobedient. He's going to put them out of the land. He's going to bring them back. And then after doing that he is going to circumcise their heart. Well, clearly that has not happened by and large with Israel. There have been some Jews that have had their heart circumcised. But to the extent that he's speaking of that has not happened but he's telling them that they're going to be put out of the land. Well, why would they be put out of the land in the first place and then brought back? The reason why they're going to be brought back is to fulfill the promise that he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as he said before that it's not because you are so worthy or there's something special about you but really you were the least. But because of his promise that he made with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob. So he's going to remember his promises. Not like the covenant that they broke but he's making a promise for not just Israel but even also the rest of the world. But in this case, particularly we're speaking about Israel. Notice what he tells Israel to do. This is in Leviticus 25. They have been given the law. They have made this covenant with God. This is a conditional covenant. If you do this, then I will do that. If you don't do this, then God won't do that. And as a matter of fact, not only will he not do some things like bless them but he will also punish them. But notice what he says for one of the rules they have to follow in Leviticus 25 verse three. He says, six years you shall sow in the field or your field and six years you shall prune your vineyards and gather in its crop. But during the seventh year, the land shall have a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath the Lord you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyards. So not only are they supposed to enjoy a Sabbath for themselves, so too is the land also to have a Sabbath. And God is gonna bless them enough to wear it. They don't have to worry about one year being taken off really two years because the year that the land is at rest and then the next year for them to grow their crops and be ready for the following year. So God is gonna make provisions for them. Now, why is all this important? Because Israel is disobedient just like us but Israel is disobedient. They went after other gods, which also was a problem. And they did something else. They violated this promise or this command of God to have a Sabbath on the land. Every seven years are supposed to be a Sabbath. How many times do you think Israel violated that? 70 times. Why is that important? When we go back to Daniel, they are in exile getting ready to come back. And so Daniel is praying because the time is near. Lord, what about, is this gonna come about? And so he receives a prophecy from the angel who says 77s have been prophesied. We'll talk about the sevens in a second. Now, how many times did Israel disobey and go after other gods? Well, a bunch of times, a bunch more than 70, that's for sure. But how many times did they violate the land covenant? 70 times. And so what did God promise that he will take them out of the land so that the land will have its rest? As a matter of fact, if we go to Leviticus 26 and we can read even more, he brings up this issue of punishing them times seven. And that's important. He talks about a lot of things. So if you start in chapter 26 and work your way from verse one up, you'll see this. But I wanna drop to verse 27. And notice what he says, yet if in spite of this you do not obey me, but act with hostility against me, then I will act with wrathful hostility against you. And I, even I, God is saying, will punish you seven times for your sin. So seven times of whatever it is, seven times forward. Well, we're talking about a land covenant that they violated 70 times. So it's gonna be 70 times seven as he says. And notice what he says in verse 29. Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you eat now. Is this literal? Well, this actually did literally happen at least on one occasion in Second Kings. And then also historically, there are accounts of Israel having famines and being in poverty and so forth and being sold to different people, not as a nation, but different people and then having to resort to eating each other. Well, that can be taken this literally, which again, it did happen, but then also figuratively because it's gonna be taken idiomatically as well them being against each other. And then notice what he says in verse 30. He says, then I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and heap your remains on the remains of your idols for my soul shall uphold you. Now this is what God is saying, how he's gonna feel towards Israel and what he's gonna do to Israel. Clearly he's talking about Israel. He's not talking about spiritual Israel. He's not talking about us. He's talking about Israel. And so if this applies specifically to Israel, the rest regarding this also has to apply specifically to Israel. And he says, I will lay waste to your cities as well as will make your sanctuaries desolate and I will not smell your soothing aroma. So when they have these feasts, their Sabbaths and so forth, God won't have anything to do with them. As a matter of fact, God is gonna, I don't wanna say turn this back on their Sabbath, but because they've done so, then he will. He will not honor that for them. But what he's gonna give them, the same with us as well, is an eternal rest. But without going too much in that, he says I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. You, however, I will scatter among the nations and draw you out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. And notice what he says, 34, then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of your desolation while you are in your enemy's land, then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbath. So what is God gonna do? Take him out of the land for 70 years. As a matter of fact, Jeremiah tells them that you are going to, you're going to be put away. You're gonna be taken away. Now there are these false prophets that show up and say that no, it's not gonna happen. But Jeremiah tells them, get comfortable, have children, marry, have babies, because you're gonna be going for a while, but you will come back. And as they're getting ready to come back, as the time is drawing near for that 70 years to be up, then here comes Daniel. And so because God has promised to punish them 70, or in this case, 70 years for the Sabbaths, or the 70 times they violated the Sabbath, but he says times seven, their sins will be multiplied, or the punishment for their sins will be multiplied times seven. So when we go back to Daniel, it makes sense now when he says 70 weeks have been declared to you, decreed for your people, but this is 70 and the word weeks is the word for seven. So 70, sevens have been decreed. Now there are gonna be some that will say or think that these have to be consecutive sevens. But I want you to notice how he breaks this down, and then we can see that there is a break. 77s, you could have all 70 come back to back. And so after the 50th week comes the 51st seven, the 52nd seven, immediately after, but it didn't have to. He just says that 70 of these sevens have been decreed and we see one seven in particular, off by itself because something happens at that time. And then we see that something happens after the 69th before the 70th. So let's drop down verse 25. He says, so you were to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and build Jerusalem up until Messiah the Prince, there will be 70 weeks. And so exactly, I'm sorry, there will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. So notice how he puts together. There will be seven weeks or 77. Seven times seven is 49. Then there will be 62 sevens. Notice how he puts the two together. He joins the two together, seven and 62, which makes 69. At 69, then Messiah will come and will be cut off. He says, verse 26, notice how it's written. He says, then after 62 weeks. Now this is the 62 weeks after the seven. So then after, and so it's important to understand what Akari, which is then after and after. So there is a demarcation. There's a point after 69 weeks, then these things are gonna happen. Then after 62 weeks or the 69th week, the 69 seven, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing. So after the 69 weeks, that's when we're gonna see the crucifixion of Jesus. It happens exactly, perfectly, literally. So we can always trust that what God says, literally he literally means to carry out. His prophecies have been fulfilled literally in the past and there should be an expectation of a literal fulfillment in the future. And this regards Israel. The question is, have these happened for Israel? They have not. Israel still has, by and large, a hardened heart. Israel still has not accepted her Messiah as, or Christ as her Messiah. Notice what it says, that this is gonna be decreed in order to finish the transgression. That has not happened. To make an end of sin with Israel. That has not happened. To make atonement for iniquity, for some it has, but then to bring an everlasting righteousness for Israel. That has not happened. To seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place, if it's the place, that has not happened. Nor to seal up vision and prophecy, that has not happened. There have been some, but not all, by and large. So you are to know and discern that from the issue that's decreed, as he's telling them, these things are going to happen. Now, what can we expect for Israel? All of those things are going to happen. Jesus kind of looses some of those things happening also in Matthew 24. But I wanna go to what Paul is speaking of. He says that, for I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, so that you will not be unwise in your own estimation. He says that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved. So what he's prophesying, what Daniel's prophesying in chapter nine, Paul picks up on that, yes, it looks like at this time that Israel is not accepting Christ as her Messiah, not yet some have, because Paul indicates I'm a Jew and there's been others, the first Christians were Jew. But a partial hardening, a spirit of stupid has been given to them, a partial hardening has come for how long? Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Remember, he's promised to make them jealous with the Gentiles and then they will come in, the Jews. And so what does he say? And so all Israel will be saved just as it is written. The deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove unguidliness from Jacob, which is what was prophesied also. This is my covenant with him when I take away their sins. It's going to happen, it just has not happened yet. So has this prophecy been fulfilled? No, it has not, it's still yet to come. And there might be those that want to replace or to supplant Israel in this and make it out to be for the Gentile church or for the church, that's not the case. Remember, who is this prophecy for? Who is it to? And so if the negative hadn't happened, then we can assume that the positive that's going to happen to them is for us only. So we don't get a chance to, we can't come in and claim all the good, never having to deal with the bad. This is for Israel. God has a plan and a promise for Israel, just like he has a plan and a promise for the Gentile believers and to take the two, flop and make them one with one shepherd, as Jesus says in John 10. So I hope this has been edifying and helpful. This prophecy is going to happen. And because God is a God who keeps his promises, just like he's done with our salvation, we can also expect that he will keep his promise in regards to Israel. And specifically this 70 week or 77's prophecy. Amen.