The End of Daniel's 70th Week
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
possible when only glorified human beings are present.
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 seventieth week. In reference to God's response to Daniel's appeal to His lovingkindness,
the end of the 70th week would usher in the fulfillment of His divine covenants (i.e. Abrahamic and its subsets the Land, King and New).
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.
In context of the 70 weeks, it is significant to recognize that the Temple exists before the Divine Millennial
Kingdom. When considering that 70 weeks was allotted for six specific purposes, where five appear to occur in the 70th week, it appears
likely that this anointing occurred in the last week as well. However, there it is not clear if or how this occurs.