The End of Daniel's 70th Week
Against the background that God's people do not possess their promised land (Dan 2:33, 40-43;
7:7-8, 11, 19-26), Satan, with the intent of denying Jesus Christ
Jerusalem, the city of God (Dan 9:19), arrays a huge army at Armageddon
(Rev 17:7-13; 19:19).
An angel, silhouetted in the sun, calls on birds to join them at Armageddon by feasting on
the dead enemy. Instructed to start reaping after the Seventh Trumpet ( 1Rev 14:18-20),
unfallen angels finish their reaping at the conclusion of Armageddon.
There is no description of the battle of Armageddon; but, John implies that the battle is
quick and complete. So decisive was the military victory that the Antichrist and False Prophet were seized
without having any time to escape and were justly destroyed.
To understand why this moment is the end of Daniel's 70th week, it is essential to understand the angel
Gabriel's message of "seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and holy city" (Dan 9:24).
The angel mentions six reasons for this time:
1. To finish the transgression
"To finish the transgression" is to bring to end the willful act of overstepping the limits
of God's moral law and behaving in a profane manner.
2. To make an end of sin
With the same thought of "to finish the transgression", sin, which is the disobedience of
God's word, will come to an end. Taken together, this suggests that human beings will be unable to sin!
This implies that all of humanity left on earth has died.
3. To make atonement for iniquity
The Hebrew behind this "atonement" is with a meaning of satisfying God's holy anger towards
sin, and the use of "iniquity" defines sin with a view towards hatred of God.
In the context of bringing an end to transgression and sin, this atonement is only possible
when the cause of God's wrath is removed. The judgment and death of sinful unrepentant human beings and their
complete removal from God's presence is the only way to completely appease His wrath (Lev 26:1-33;
Ezek 5:13).
4. To bring an everlasting righteousness
With the elimination of iniquity, transgression and sin, an everlasting righteousness is the
result. This seems only possible when human beings "come alive" and resurrected as glorified human beings.
5. To seal up vision and prophecy
The Hebrew behind "to seal up" can be better understood as "to make an end." The sealing up
of vision and prophecy meant that they would come to an end by the 70th week. Is this the result when all the
judgments of the scroll with seven seals are completed?
6. To anoint the most holy place
Anointing the Most Holy Place has its basis in Exodus 29:44-45
where God consecrates the Tabernacle; it is the space that is sanctified, set apart, and devoted to God.
On this matter, the Bible is silent.