"The Babushka Doll Principle" by Tricia Tillin (2)
Multi-Layered Meanings: Daniel's Seventy Weeks
It is well known by Christians who are interested in prophecy that seventy "weeks" or time periods were mentioned in the book of Daniel. Let's look at the famous prophecy but getting as close to the original text as possible today - this approach uses the Masoretic Text, with various translations and incorporates the meaning of the Hebrew words used, so as to avoid pinning one particular interpretation to the passage.
(Indeed, it has to be said that the English Bible translators in their eagerness to interpret this passage as a prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ - which it IS amongst other things - perhaps understandably used emotive words and punctuation to get their point across. There is no punctuation in the Hebrew and what is used in our bibles today is the guesswork of the translators, therefore is not "inspired" as is the word of God. We should strive to be entirely accurate in looking at this passage "in the raw".)
An interpretation from the Hebrew:
Weeks [shaabuiym] seventy are determined upon your people and upon your holy city to hold back, restrict [lakalee] the revolt or rebellion [hapesha], and to seal up offenses [chataat] and to atone for/cover evil and to bring in perpetual/everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophet and to anoint [the] most holinesses [qadashiym].
Know therefore and discern, from the going forth of the word [dabar] to turn back again and to build Jerusalem unto anointed, commander/leader [nagid], seven weeks and threescore and two weeks [it] shall be built again, the street (broad pavement) and the trenches [wa-charuwts], even in distressing times.
And after threescore and two weeks shall [an] anointed be cut [off or down etc] be nothing or not exist [ayin] and the city and the sanctuary shall ruin and the people of the commander come end with a deluge and unto the end of the warfare desolations or stunning devastations [shomeemowt] are determined.
And he shall make strong [the] covenant [bariyt] with many one week and middle of the week he shall cause to cease the sacrifice and the oblation and on the extremity or wing or pinnacle [Waal] of detestable things [shiquwtsiym] he shall make it desolate or cause a stupefying amazement or desolation [mashomeem] even until that [which is] determined be poured out upon the desolate [shomeem].
See the raw Hebrew here:
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Strong's |
English |
וְתֵדַ֨ע |
ve·te·da |
know |
|
וְתַשְׂכֵּ֜ל |
ve·tas·kel |
and discern |
|
מִן־ |
min- |
at |
|
מֹצָ֣א |
mo·tza |
the issuing |
|
דָבָ֗ר |
da·var |
of a decree |
|
לְהָשִׁיב֙ |
le·ha·shiv |
to restore |
|
וְלִבְנֹ֤ות |
ve·liv·no·vt |
and rebuild |
|
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ |
ye·ru·sha·lim |
Jerusalem |
|
עַד־ |
ad- |
until |
|
מָשִׁ֣יחַ |
ma·shi·ach |
anointed |
|
נָגִ֔יד |
na·gid, |
Commander/leader |
|
שָׁבֻעִ֖ים |
sha·vu·'im |
weeks |
|
שִׁבְעָ֑ה |
shiv·'ah; |
seven |
|
וְשָׁבֻעִ֞ים |
ve·sha·vu·'im |
weeks |
|
שִׁשִּׁ֣ים |
shi·shim |
and threescore |
|
וּשְׁנַ֗יִם |
u·she·na·yim |
and two |
|
תָּשׁוּב֙ |
ta·shuv |
again |
|
וְנִבְנְתָה֙ |
ve·niv·ne·tah |
will be built |
|
רְחֹ֣וב |
re·cho·vv |
Plaza/broad pavement |
|
וְחָר֔וּץ |
ve·cha·rutz, |
and moat/trench |
|
וּבְצֹ֖וק |
u·ve·tzo·vk |
of distress |
|
הָעִתִּֽים׃ |
ha·'it·tim. |
times |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Strong's |
English |
וְאַחֲרֵ֤י |
ve·'a·cha·rei |
after |
|
הַשָּׁבֻעִים֙ |
ha·sha·vu·'im |
weeks |
|
שִׁשִּׁ֣ים |
shi·shim |
threescore |
|
וּשְׁנַ֔יִם |
u·she·na·yim, |
and two |
|
יִכָּרֵ֥ת |
yik·ka·ret |
will be cut |
|
מָשִׁ֖יחַ |
ma·shi·ach |
anointed |
|
וְאֵ֣ין |
ve·'ein |
and have |
|
לֹ֑ו |
lov; |
|
[nothing] |
וְהָעִ֨יר |
ve·ha·'ir |
the city |
|
וְהַקֹּ֜דֶשׁ |
ve·hak·ko·desh |
and the sanctuary |
|
יַ֠שְׁחִית |
yash·chit |
will destroy |
|
עַ֣ם |
am |
and the people |
|
נָגִ֤יד |
na·gid |
of the commander |
|
הַבָּא֙ |
hab·ba |
come |
|
וְקִצֹּ֣ו |
ve·ki·tzov |
end |
|
בַשֶּׁ֔טֶף |
va·she·tef, |
A flood |
|
וְעַד֙ |
ve·'ad |
even |
|
קֵ֣ץ |
ketz |
to the end |
|
מִלְחָמָ֔ה |
mil·cha·mah, |
will be war |
|
נֶחֱרֶ֖צֶת |
ne·che·re·tzet |
are determined |
|
שֹׁמֵמֹֽות׃ |
sho·me·mo·vt. |
desolations |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Strong's |
English |
וְהִגְבִּ֥יר |
ve·hig·bir |
will make |
|
בְּרִ֛ית |
be·rit |
covenant |
|
לָרַבִּ֖ים |
la·rab·bim |
the many |
|
שָׁב֣וּעַ |
sha·vu·a' |
week |
|
אֶחָ֑ד |
e·chad; |
one |
|
וַחֲצִ֨י |
va·cha·tzi |
the middle |
|
הַשָּׁב֜וּעַ |
ha·sha·vu·a' |
of the week |
|
יַשְׁבִּ֣ית |
yash·bit |
will put |
|
זֶ֣בַח |
ze·vach |
to sacrifice |
|
וּמִנְחָ֗ה |
u·min·chah |
offering |
|
וְעַ֨ל |
ve·'al |
and on |
|
כְּנַ֤ף |
ke·naf |
the wing/extremity/pinnacle |
|
שִׁקּוּצִים֙ |
shik·ku·tzim |
of abominations |
|
מְשֹׁמֵ֔ם |
me·sho·mem, |
makes |
|
וְעַד־ |
ve·'ad- |
until |
|
כָּלָה֙ |
ka·lah |
A complete |
|
וְנֶ֣חֱרָצָ֔ה |
ve·ne·che·ra·tzah, |
is decreed |
|
תִּתַּ֖ךְ |
tit·tach |
is poured |
|
עַל־ |
al- |
and |
|
שֹׁמֵֽם׃ |
sho·mem. |
desolate |
Unafraid as we are of anything removing our faith in the word of God, we can now read what a non-believing Jew has to say, and consider how that helps us in our own understanding of Daniel:
First, the King James Version puts a definite article before "Messiah the Prince" (9:25). The original Hebrew text does not read "the Messiah the Prince," but, having no article, it is to be rendered "a mashiach ["anointed one," "messiah"], a prince,"...
Second, the King James Version disregards the Hebrew punctuation. The punctuation mark 'atnach functions as the main pause within a sentence. The 'atnach is the appropriate equivalent of the semicolon in the modern system of punctuation. It thus has the effect of separating the seven weeks from the sixty-two weeks: ". . . until an anointed one, a prince, shall be seven weeks; ['atnach] then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again . . ." (9:25).
Third, the King James Version omits the definite article in Daniel 9:26, which should read: "And after the threescore and two weeks. . . ." By treating the sixty-two weeks as a distinct period, this verse, in the original Hebrew, shows that the sixty-two weeks mentioned in verse 25 are correctly separated from the seven weeks by the 'atnach. Hence, two anointed ones are spoken of in this chapter, one of whom comes after seven weeks (Cyrus), and the other after a further period of sixty-two weeks (Alexander Yannai). [in the opinion of this commentator]
Fourth, the words v'ayn lo (9:26) are incorrectly translated by the King James Version as "but not for himself." They should be translated as "he has nothing" or "he shall have nothing." There are Christian commentators who maintain this phrase has both meanings, but that claim cannot be supported grammatically.
How can we reconcile all these different opinions?
This passage in Daniel is perhaps the most prized yet the most contentious bible prophecy of all, and since it is the bedrock of belief in the seven-year Tribulation and the activities of the coming Antichrist, it is important to consider if we have seen this correctly. As you can plainly see from the above, it is not by any means easy to translate or grasp the full meaning of the prophecy. Many scholars have tried to give a definitive interpretation but have failed.
I believe that is because we are supposed to see not just one, but many meanings here, throughout history! It is the "Babushka-Doll" principle in action. Even Gabriel's use of "time-periods" instead of plain days, weeks, months or years suggests there is more than one interpretation.
Personally I do not feel constrained to fit the seventy time periods prophesied to Daniel into ONE section of history and forsake all the others. I see a cycle of events that repeats itself over and over until the final fulfilment arrives. As you will see, the cycle repeats itself EVEN to the DAYS of the month on which the events take place.
Roughly, according to the angel Gabriel the events follow this pattern:
- A command or "word" goes out - either prophetic or political
- An appointed chosen one activates the word
- A long-term rebuilding and restoration in troubled times
- A chosen one then removed or cut off and is no longer
- A short but vicious destruction of the city and sanctuary
- Desolations until the appointed end
Without searching too hard I can see at least three fulfilments. One began in the time of Daniel when the restoration and subsequent destruction of the land and temple occurred through Antiochus Epiphanes (seen on a coin, left). Another happened when the Lord Jesus came to Israel and ended in the destruction of the city in AD70. A future fulfilment will take place in Israel in the endtimes and will end in the second coming of the Messiah. [Also, Hitler partially fulfilled this prophecy by his persecution of the Jews during World War Two.]
The first (partial) fulfilment - Antiochus Epiphanes
There is, I believe, an initial interpretation that took the Jewish people up to the destruction of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes. If you recall the sequence of events of the 70 weeks prophecy, it was this:
- A command or "word" goes out - either prophetic or political - GOD SPOKE THROUGH JEREMIAH (See Below)
- An appointed chosen one activates the word - CYRUS ARISES AND THE PEOPLE RETURN (See Below)
- A rebuilding and restoration in troubled times - THE CITY AND TEMPLE REBUILT
- A chosen one then removed or cut off and is no longer - THE PRIEST SLAIN
- Destruction of the city and sanctuary, but to no avail - ANTIOCHUS; 3 1/2 YEARS OF PERSECUTION
- Desolations until the end of the war - LONG PERIOD OF WAR TO ATTAIN FREEDOM
The word of GOD that went forth, prophesied by Jeremiah and believed by Daniel, was activated by God's "anointed" Cyrus whom God raised up for this very purpose. Isa 
45:1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus..." There was then a gradual return to the land, and a rebuilding of the city and sanctuary "in troubled times". Afterwards, the anointed priest of the temple was slain, and there followed a horrible time of tribulation and destruction, with Jews persecuted and killed and the temple desecrated. Following this, the cycle of restoration began again!
So prophetic was this event that we see an antichrist arise before his time, in this case an apostate High Priest who took the Greek name Jason to demonstrate his allegiance to the Greek way of life (as opposed to his own Jewish religion) but whose Hebrew name was Joshua, that is Jesus! He was "another Jesus or anti-christ" and he turned the Jews' hearts away from the laws of God to the worship of Greek deities. It was a prefiguring of what will happen in the endtimes. [See here Jason's Tomb in the Rehavia neighborhood of Jerusalem with a pyramid capstone.]
Calculating the "Sevens"
However, there are many difficulties ahead for those who want to pin the only and final fulfilment to the desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes. Even a cursory glance at the timescale shows that the 490 years (seventy times seven) is too lengthy for that event.
Was it the word of God?
The time given for the first portion of the prophecy to be fulfilled was seven sevens, or 49 years. In most commentaries, because there is no obvious time-period of 49 years after the decree of Cyrus (which is said to be the "word that goes forth to rebuild"), the 7 sevens and the 62 sevens are lumped together to make 69. This has always seemed artificial to me. Why was Gabriel so specific about the seven sevens if it was meaningless?
If we say that the "word" was not that of a MAN, but GOD, then the very prophecy of Jeremiah, the one that had inspired Daniel to repent and pray, forms the "command" to restore Israel to its land. [Jeremiah 29:12-14]. If that promise of God was given at or shortly before the third and most destructive attack by the Babylonians on Israel, at which time the temple itself was destroyed - this took place in 586 BC - then it is indeed only 49 years before the "anointed one", Cyrus, allowed them to return to the land (537 BC)
.
Some Jews do interpret the scripture in this way. They say that there are TWO anointed or chosen ones in the prophecy, the first of which being CYRUS - seen in the illustration right - (Isaiah 45:1) whose decree to rebuild Jerusalem comes forty-nine years after the destruction of the city and the Temple, which is the 49 years it took for the "anointed one" (Daniel 9:25) to come to fulfil the prophecy (586-49=537 BC).
But what then about the next period of sevens, the 62 sevens? This is where things start to nose dive.
The 62 years
Counting the 62 sevens from 537 BC, takes us to 103 BC. What notable events happened at this date that could be the "anointed one cut off and has nothing" part of the prophecy?
For this we go to the Jewish understanding, which says that this "anointed one" is the High Priest Alexander Yannai (103-76 BC) who came to power just at the end of the sixty-two week period in 103 BC and was the last of the important Hasmonean leaders. The phrase "after sixty-two weeks" indicates the time frame during which the "anointed one shall be cut off," that is, suffer karet, "excision." The penalty accompanying karet is here aptly described as "to have nothing," or "be no more." This punishment is given to Alexander Yannai infamous for his unjust, tyrannical, and bloody rule. He is notorious for his open violent animosity against the Pharisees and his brazen rejection of the Oral Law. For example, Josephus records that Alexander Yannai fought against the Pharisees for six years, "and . . . slew no fewer than fifty thousand of them" (Jewish Antiquities XIII. 13. 5. [373]). He also "ordered some eight hundred of the Jews to be crucified, and slaughtered their children and wives before the eyes of the still living wretches" (Jewish Antiquities XIII. 14. 2. [380])
This is interesting, but I think you will agree that it gives us a very slender justification for reading the prophecy years in this way. Furthermore, we are told that "after" this 62 year-count came a total destruction of the city and sanctuary with the abomination of desolation being placed in the temple. For that event we need to go back in time to Antiochus Epiphanes, and see him as a mere forerunner.
The Desolator
Antiochus Epiphanes was an infamous persecutor of the Jewish people. He wanted them to submit to Greek culture and customs and was more than willing to use murder and violence to compel them. In this literal fulfilment of the prophecy, a kind of treaty WAS was made with Antiochus Epiphanes but only on the basis of a sell-out by the Jewish priesthood.
As part of his attempt to rule the world, Antiochus Epiphanes signed a peace treaty with Israel. A brother of the high priest of Israel, Joshua (who changed his name to the Greek name Jason) offered Antiochus a peace treaty that gave Antiochus power to rule over Israel in return for protecting Israel. The treaty also offered Antiochus money in return for making Jason high priest in Israel. Jason also promised to build a temple dedicated to the Greek God Phallus and a gymnasium in Jerusalem which would be dedicated to Greek athletics and which would be a recruitment centre. Citizens of Israel and of the world could come to the gymnasium and sign up to become citizens of Antioch in significant alliance with the Greek world government. (see here)
Antiochus then reneged on this agreement. His suppression of the Jews came to a head in December of 168 BC. when he returned in defeat from Alexandria. He ordered his generals to seize Jerusalem on a Sabbath. There he erected an idol of Zeus and desecrated the altar by an offering of swine and sprinkling the pig's juices in the sanctuary. Sacrifice was ceased because the temple was desecrated.
The first and smallest "doll" of this prophecy
The smallest babushka doll of Daniel's prophecy takes the Jewish people from their exile in Babylon, through the return to the land of Israel, the rebuilding of the city and temple, the rise of a violent enemy and his desecration of the temple.
In this fulfilment, Daniel's prophecy refers literally to Antiochus - a man who is specifically prophesied to be the desolator of the temple and the one who "causes the sacrifices to cease" elsewhere in Daniel.
The three and a half years: was it exactly fulfilled?
Dan 12:11 "And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. This is three and a half years + thirty days
In the time of Antiochus, the date of the temple cleansing is well established as December 25, 164/5 BC. [This was on the fifteenth day of the ninth month, according to Maccabees 1 Mac. 4:36-59; 2 Mac. 10:1-9)] (Footnote 1) When was it defiled? "On the fifteenth day of the month Kislev in the year which corresponds to 167/8 B.C., "they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar". (Footnote 2) The temple was actually desecrated for 1,150 days which accords with Dan 8:14 [2300 evenings and mornings] but the literal fulfilment of the three and a half years - the 1290 days - was not that of Antiochus.
As we shall see, it occurred in AD70 and also will happen again in the future. [Please see my comparison chart of this]
Daniel 8 is a detailed prophecy of the first "abomination of desolation" affecting the temple sacrifices for 1,150 days. Antiochus's actions partially fulfilled this prophecy. Notice, however, that Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation also has a fulfilment at "the appointed time of the end" (verse 19), "when transgressors have reached their fullness" and the king of the "abomination" rises against the "Prince of princes" (verses 23-26). This king is to fight against the Messiah, who comes to establish God's Kingdom on earth! According to Daniel 12:11, this end time "abomination" is to last 1,290 days—not 1,150 days. [From http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn24/abomination.htm]
Once again, here we see the multi-layering of biblical prophecy! One time-period is exactly fulfilled, and one is not! PLEASE SEE the Footnote about the importance of the fifteenth day!
But what of the second part of the prophecy: "unto the end of the warfare desolations are determined" ? It took more than two decades of fighting before the Maccabees forced the Seleucids to retreat from Palestine. By this time Antiochus had died and his successor agreed to the Jews' demand for independence. In the year 142/3 BC, after more than 500 years of subjugation, the Jews were again masters of their own fate.
There was an 80-year period of Jewish independence in Judea, as the Land of Israel was now called. The kingdom regained boundaries not far short of Solomon's realm and Jewish life flourished. That is ... until the prophetic cycle began once more!
A Wider Fulfilment
Although many parts of the prophecy do fit Antiochus, there are significant discrepancies, leading us to believe that this fulfilment was just stage ONE of a sequence. It was the smallest "doll".
- The reign of Antiochus Epiphanes took place during the first 69 of the 70 “weeks,” not after the 69th “week” had ended.
- The prophecy says that the destruction of the city would occur after the removal of an "anointed". The high priest Onias III was assassinated early in the reign of Antiochus. But this event hardly figures as a turning point of history.
- The prophecy says that the destruction of the city would occur at a specified interval after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. But if we reckon backward sixty-nine weeks of years from 168 or 169 B.C., the year we obtain is nowhere near the date of any decree.
- Although the "2300 evenings and mornings" part of Daniel's prophecy was literally fulfilled in the defiling of the temple, the three and a half years [or, 1290 days] were not exactly fulfilled.
- Although Syrian forces came against the city twice and caused great loss of life, they did not destroy the city and the sanctuary.
- The prophecy clearly implies that the war would leave the Jewish nation wholly devastated. But at the end of the war in Antiochus's day, the Jews were victorious.
- The promise to "bring in everlasting righteousness" was not fulfilled at this time.
- There is no credible evidence that the Jews themselves saw a connection between Daniel 9 and their sufferings under Antiochus. They expected fulfilment at a later time, when history reached its consummation at the dawn of the Messianic age.
Therefore we need to move forward in history and take yet another babushka doll out of the set - this time relating to the time of Jesus.
Please proceed to the next section or go back to a previous page.
- Page One: Introduction and the different cycles
- Page One: Additional (Three attacks compared)
- Page Two: The first fulfillment of Daniel [THIS PAGE]
- Page Three: Fulfilled in Christ
- Page Four: Future Fulfillment
- Page Four Additional (1): Charts of the sevens
- Page Four Additional(2): The third day explored
- Page Four Additional (3): Third day plus 14-18
- Page Five: Jubilees and our own era
- Page Six: Conclusion and summary
FOOTNOTES:
(1.) First Book of Maccabees Chapter 1 (54) Now the fifteenth day of the month Chislev, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side; (59) Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God.
(2.) First Book of Maccabees 4:36-59; 2 Mac. 10:1-9) After three great victories, Judas and his men cleansed the temple and built a new altar in place of the one that had been defiled, and dedicated it again to the worship of the Lord. It was on the fifteenth day of the ninth month, which was in the early winter and they commanded that a feast of eight days should be kept each year at this season in memory of the dedication.
(3.) it is important to grasp that numbers and dates in scripture have meaning. We see the same events happening over and over on the same days - all in the divine purpose planned from the beginning. The fifteenth day is a very special one to Israel and we can list just some of the events of that day as examples:
- On the fifteenth day of the month (later called Nisan), God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:1-19)
- Israel escaped slavery and left Egypt also on the fifteenth of Nisan. (Lev 23:5-7)
- Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin on the fifteenth day of the second month, and there God provided manna. (Ex 16:1-4)
- Israel came to Sinai on the fifteenth day of the third month (Ex 19:1-11)
- Purim was established to celebrate the failure of Haman's plot against the Jews as described in the Book of Esther. The festival originally took place on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, the twelfth month. It is celebrated in Jerusalem on the 15th day. (Esther 9:20-22)..
- The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Sukkot), is a seven day festival starting on the fifteenth day of the 7th month.
- Isaiah prophesied that Israel would come into existence in "one day." The prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel were fulfilled precisely as predicted on May fifteenth 1948 when the State of Israel was born.
- On May fifteenth, 1967 Israel's Independence Day, Egyptian troops began moving into the Sinai and massing near the Israeli border and the famous Six Day War took place.
- By some calculations (see Jack Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology) Jesus was born on or very near the fifteenth day of the 7th month, based on the chronology given in the book of Luke.
- John the Baptist began his ministry "in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (Lk. 3: 1).
- Jesus Christ was crucified on the 14th day of the month Nisan and was laid in the tomb just before sunset, when the first day of Unleavened Bread was about to start. So - just as with Israel - the day that he led us out of bondage was the fifteenth of Nisan.