The key to understanding Daniel 70 Weeks is to understand the full prophecy. Majority of Bible scholars and students only take part of the prophecy into consideration. Starting their 490 year count from when the prophecy was made.
The key to understanding Daniel 70 Weeks is to understand the full prophecy. Majority of Bible scholars and students only take part of the prophecy into consideration. Starting their 490 year count from when the prophecy was made.
“And thou shalt know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer and for the building of Jerusalem until the chosen prince (Prince Titus) there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks; and then the time shall return, and the street shall be built, and the wall, and the times shall be exhausted.” (Daniel 9:25)
As you can see most leave this critical part out of the prophecy, the part underlined in red, which includes the completion of the temple being built. This is when the count should start 490 year count should start. Then the mistakes continue for most Bible scholars and students who just follow Bible scholars unaware of when the second temple was actually completed.
The Bible says, "and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius." (Ezra 6:15). Some authors assume this refers to Darius I (522-486 BCE), but it seems impossible. Ezra describes how neighboring nations interfered with the building process: "Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build, and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia. And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia; the letter was written in Aramaic and translated. Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows" (Ezra 4:4-8).
Next (Ezra 4:9-22) contains the full text of the letter to Artaxerxes and his reply, where he orders a halt to construction. "Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and the scribe Shimshai and their associates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. At that time the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped and was discontinued until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia" (Ezra 4:23-24).
Therefore, construction began under Cyrus, was halted during the reign of Artaxerxes, and resumed under Darius.
Looking at the list of Persian kings......
..... there was no king named Artaxerxes before Darius I. Thus, since the temple was completed during the reign of Darius, who ruled after Artaxerxes, it could only refer to Darius II. This suggests the temple was finished not in 516 BCE, but in 417 BCE.
(Wikipedia: Second Temple)Now that we know when the temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius II reign in 417BC we can start the 490 year count. If you add 490 years it takes you to the 73AD, the end of the first Jewish Roman War. There is no gap between the 69th and 70th week like most people think.