What Does The Bible Mean By "Week?"
Daniel 9:24-27
"Seventy weeks are determined upon your people..."
In the Hebrew, a "shavua" (translated "week") is a period of seven in the sense that a decade in English is a period of ten.
Seventy periods of seven equals 490 years. All but the last seven have been fulfilled, and that last period of seven is what is referred to as "Daniel's 70th week." It's a period of seven years determined upon Israel that is yet to take place before the end of the age. The purpose of it is judgment of the world, while Israel is protected and brought through to redemption.
The 70th Week Is Appointed Upon Israel, NOT upon the church.
Daniel 9:24 indicates that all 70 weeks are specifically determined upon Israel.
"...are determined upon your people and your holy city…."
It's determined "upon THY people," which is the Jews.
It's determined "upon THY holy city," which is Jerusalem.
It is not two half-weeks that are "determined" upon Israel and Jerusalem, but one period of 7 years.
The events of the period revolve around Israel, The Temple, Jerusalem, the Two Witnesses, and the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel ...not Upon the Church.
The church was not present during the first 69 weeks, and is not present in the last week.
During the Tribulation period described in the Book of Revelation chapters 6 through 19, the church is not named once. This is all the more noticeable since the word is used repeatedly in the first three chapters, where Christ is seen walking among the churches, and then sending messages to seven specific churches.
The church age began suddenly and unexpectedly on Pentecost, and ends suddenly and unexpectedly, before the events of the 70th week begin.
Not Post-Trib
The post-tribulation view requires that the church be present during the 70th week of Daniel , even though it was absent from the first 69, which is conspicuously inconsistent.
Not Pre-Wrath
The pre-wrath view requires the church to be present during the first part of the 70th week, which indicates a misunderstanding of the purpose and continuity of the 70 weeks. It also suggests that the first half of the week will be relatively calm. No, as soon as "the Lamb" opens the seals (Revelation 6) it begins the wrath of God, and is anything but calm.
The text: Daniel, chapter 9:24-27
24: Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
25: Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.
26: And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; the end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27: Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering; and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.
