In Defense of the Faith

The Seventieth Week

In the midst (middle) of the last, or seventieth, week, Messiah was to be cut off. A week would be seven prophetic days, or literal years, and half a week would be three and a half years. Christ was anointed for His earthly ministry in AD. 27. Three and a half years later, or in AD. 31, He was cut off by crucifixion. DOF 292.2

The whole of the last, or seventieth, week was to be devoted especially to the Jews. “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” Daniel 9:27. This was fulfilled by Christ’s personal ministry of three and a half years, and by the ministry of His apostles, who for another three and a half years labored almost exclusively for the Jews. After that time the Jews were no longer to be considered the specially chosen people of God. DOF 292.3

Beginning with Christ’s ministry in AD. 27, this week, or seven literal years, would reach to AD. 34. It was in that year that Stephen was martyred, Paul was sent to the Gentiles, and the Jewish nation, as such, was rejected. In rejecting Christ and His gospel, they had rejected the only means of salvation, and God could no longer count them His chosen people. Soon after this it was boldly announced that the disciples had turned to the Gentiles. DOF 292.4

“Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” Acts 13:46, 47. DOF 293.1

This first division of the 2300 day prophecy-the seventy weeks-absolutely confirms the fact that we have the correct starting date for the entire period. Figured from the year 457 as a starting point, every detail of the prophecy works out to perfection; and therefore shows beyond all doubt that the initial date is correct. DOF 293.2

This evidently was one of the reasons this subdivision of the prophecy was made. This seventy-week period was to “seal up” (make sure) the vision and prophecy. It serves to prove the starting point. When we therefore take 457 BC., as the date for beginning this period of 2300 prophetic days, or literal years, it clearly brings us down to the year AD. 1844. Or, to state it another way: The first seventy weeks, or 490 years, reached down to AD. 34. The difference between 490 years and 2300 years is 1810, and if we add 1810 years to AD. 34, we have AD. 1844. The 2300-year prophecy ended, therefore, in 1844. The evidence of this is absolutely conclusive, as the subdivisions of the prophecy leave no room whatever for doubt. DOF 293.3

But what was to happen at the end of the 2300 years? “He said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14. The time had come for the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. DOF 293.4