[§161] The First Period of 7 Weeks of 49 Years

This podcast explains the circumstances of when and how Daniel received the Seventy Weeks Prophecy in Babylon while still in captivity after almost 70 years. Before the captivity of the Jews began, Jeremiah predicted that the exile would last 70 years. As the end of the 70-year captivity drew near, Daniel was praying about when he could expect the return of the Jews because he felt as though captivity should have ended already. In response to his prayer on that subject, Daniel received the Seventy Weeks Prophecy that has its basis in the 70-year captivity of the Jews in Babylon but is a prophecy on a much grander scale of 70x7 years or 490 years until the end of the spiritual captivity of the Jews at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The first seven weeks of seven Sabbatical years in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) is equal to 49 years, which began in 444 BC. At that time, the Persian king Artaxerxes issued a decree that authorized Nehemiah to rebuild the city and walls of Jerusalem. This work was completed approximately 49 years later. The rebuilding project lasted 49 years because of the poor condition of the people and because the work occurred in troublous times due to opposition by groups such as the Samaritans. After the first week of seven years, Daniel predicted that another 62 weeks of seven years (434 years) would elapse until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, making in all 483 years from the decree of Artaxerxes. Based on Daniel's precise reckoning of time until the Savior's first advent, the Jews looked forward to the time of his coming with great hope in a Messiah that would free them from all their political oppressors.