Is Daniel 9:26 referring to Jesus Christ?
Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy:
The Definitive Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Daniel 9:24-27 (NKJV)
"Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for 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. 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. 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. 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."
Daniel's 70 Weeks: Visual Timeline Overview
Introduction: The Mathematical Foundation of Prophecy
Before we can properly interpret Daniel's prophecy, we must establish the biblical system of time measurement. Scripture provides precise mathematical keys that unlock prophetic timelines. This analysis will demonstrate that Daniel's prophecy points with mathematical precision to Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.
Part I: Establishing the Prophetic Time System
Understanding "Time" in Biblical Prophecy
The word "time" (Aramaic: עִדָּן, iddan) appears repeatedly in Daniel's prophecies. To understand its meaning, we must examine how Scripture itself defines this term:
Daniel 4:16 (NKJV)
"Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him."
Daniel 4:23 (NKJV)
"And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him.'"
Daniel 4:25 (NKJV)
"They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."
Historical Fulfillment Proves "Time" = One Year:
- Nebuchadnezzar's madness lasted seven years according to Abrahamic tradition.
- The Aramaic word עִדָּן (iddan) means "a set season" or "appointed time"
- Therefore: One "time" = One year
Establishing the 360-Day Prophetic Year
Scripture provides exact mathematical proof for the length of the prophetic year through the Genesis flood account:
Genesis 7:11 (NKJV)
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."
Genesis 8:4 (NKJV)
"Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat."
Genesis 7:24 (NKJV)
"And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days."
📊 Mathematical Proof of the 360-Day Year
Start date: 2nd month, 17th day
End date: 7th month, 17th day
Time span: Exactly 5 months
Duration given: 150 days
Calculation: 150 days ÷ 5 months = 30 days per month
Therefore: Biblical Prophetic Year = 360 days (12 × 30)
360
Days in Prophetic Year
354
Days in Lunar Year
365.25
Days in Solar Year
30
Days per Biblical Month
Proving "Times" = Two Years
The phrase "time, times, and half a time" appears in both Daniel and Revelation. Through parallel passages describing the same event, we can mathematically prove the value of "times":
Revelation 12:6 (NKJV)
"Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days."
Revelation 12:14 (NKJV)
"But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent."
Proof These Describe the Same Event:
| Element | Revelation 12:6 | Revelation 12:14 |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The woman | The woman |
| Action | Fled into wilderness | Fly into wilderness |
| Location | Her place prepared by God | Her place |
| Purpose | Fed/nourished | Nourished |
| Protection | Divine protection implied | From the serpent |
📊 Mathematical Solution for "Times"
Given: 1,260 days = time + times + half a time
Known: 1 time = 1 year = 360 days
Known: Half a time = 0.5 years = 180 days
Equation: 360 + (times × 360) + 180 = 1,260
Simplifying: 540 + 360(times) = 1,260
Solving: 360(times) = 720
Result: times = 720 ÷ 360 = 2
Therefore: "Times" = 2 years
Verification: 1 + 2 + 0.5 = 3.5 years = 1,260 days ✓
Verification: 1 + 2 + 0.5 = 3.5 years = 1,260 days ✓
3.5 Years
1,260 Days
1 Time (360 days) - 28.6%
Times/2 Years (720 days) - 57.1%
Half Time (180 days) - 14.3%
The 70 Weeks Framework
📜 Nebuchadnezzar's Seven Times: Abrahamic tradition Verification
Daniel 4:32-33 (NKJV)
"And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws."
Daniel 4:34 (NKJV)
"And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation."
| Evidence Type | Details | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Biblical Record | "Seven times" of madness (Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, 32) | Consistent repetition 4 times |
| Recovery Description | "At the end of the time" (v.34) | Definite period completion |
| Physical Changes | Hair like eagles, nails like birds | Consistent with years of neglect |
📊 Nebuchadnezzar's Seven Times Calculation
Biblical Statement: "Seven times shall pass over you"
Traditional Record: 7-year absence from throne
Therefore: 7 times = 7 years
Mathematical proof: 1 time = 1 year
In prophetic days: 7 × 360 = 2,520 days
Conclusion: "Time" = 1 Year = 360 Days
Historically Verified!
Historically Verified!
Complete Prophetic Framework Established:
- One "time" = 1 year = 360 days (Proven by Nebuchadnezzar's 7 years)
- "Times" = 2 years = 720 days (Proven by Revelation parallel)
- Prophetic year = 360 days (Proven by Genesis flood)
- One prophetic week = 7 years (Ezekiel 4:6, Numbers 14:34)
- 70 weeks = 490 prophetic years (70 × 7 = 490)
- Total prophetic days = 176,400 days (490 × 360)
Ezekiel 4:6 (NKJV)
"And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year."
Numbers 14:34 (NKJV)
"According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection."
7
Nebuchadnezzar's
Years of Madness
Years of Madness
2,520
Days of
Nebuchadnezzar's Trial
Nebuchadnezzar's Trial
360
Days Proven
Per Year
Per Year
490
Total Years
in 70 Weeks
in 70 Weeks
Part II: Identifying the Starting Point
Daniel specifies that the prophecy begins with "the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem." This is crucial—not just the temple, but Jerusalem itself with its walls and civil governance. Four Persian decrees have been proposed:
| Decree | Date | Ruler | Biblical Reference | Scope | Viability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrus's Decree | 538 BC | Cyrus | Ezra 1:1-4 | Temple only | ✗ Insufficient |
| Darius's Decree | 519 BC | Darius I | Ezra 6:1-12 | Temple confirmation | ✗ Insufficient |
| First Artaxerxes | 457 BC | Artaxerxes I | Ezra 7:11-26 | Limited civil authority | Partial |
| Second Artaxerxes | 445 BC | Artaxerxes I | Nehemiah 2:1-8 | Full city restoration | ✓ Complete |
Decree Fulfillment of Daniel's Requirements
Cyrus (538 BC)
25%
Darius (519 BC)
25%
Artaxerxes to Ezra (457 BC)
60%
Artaxerxes to Nehemiah (445 BC)
100%