Missing Seventy Weeks of Daniel
SYNOPSIS - Despite its frequent use of the book of Daniel, Revelation does not apply Daniel’s “seventy weeks” prophecy to any of its visions.
Yet, despite this omission, several passages from
Revelation are connected to the “seventy weeks” prophecy in
popular teachings about the “last days,” and often, it is the basis for end-time
chronologies and event sequences. For example:
- “No portion of the Old Testament scripture is as essential to unlocking the mysteries of the prophetic plan for God’s future program for Israel and the nations than the book of Daniel and, of all Daniel’s prophecies, the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks provides the indispensable chronological key to New Testament prophecy” (from The Seventy Weeks of Daniel by Randall Price).
- “The prophet Daniel gave the framework of the Tribulation era in Daniel 9:24-27” (Hal Lindsey, Vanished Into Thin Air [Beverly Hills: Western Front, 1999], p. 210).
To reiterate, the problem is that not a
single citation from, or verbal allusion to, the “seventy weeks” is found in Revelation,
although the book utilizes several other passages from Daniel, and in some
cases, multiple times - (e.g., Daniel 7:21 in Revelation 11:7,
12:17 and 13:7).
If understanding the “seventy weeks”
is vital to a correct understanding of end-time prophecy, why is it missing from Revelation?
John was certainly familiar with the book of Daniel - His frequent allusions
to it demonstrate this beyond any doubt. Likewise, he certainly knew about the
“seventy weeks,” yet he never used it in his book.
For example, Daniel’s request
to the prince of the eunuchs to “prove us ten days” is applied to
the church at Smyrna, which
would have “tribulation ten days,” just as the Jewish exiles were
tested ten days on a diet that excluded any foods offered to idols
- (Daniel 1:12-14,
Revelation 2:8-11).
Yahweh showed King Nebuchadnezzar “what
things must come to pass in later days,” a phrase found four times in Revelation
to mark the start of literary sections, except, in Revelation, “later
days” is changed to “soon” - (Daniel
2:20-28, Revelation 1:1-3).
In Daniel, the vision of the four
beasts culminated with the “saints
possessing the kingdom forever.” In Revelation, the “four
beasts” become a single beast that ascends from the sea. As in Daniel,
this “beast” wages war against the “saints” and prevails over
them - (Daniel 7:1-22, Revelation 13:1-10).
The examples can be multiplied. John was well-versed with the book of Daniel and did not hesitate to apply key passages from it to his visions, sometimes repeatedly. Nevertheless, he omitted any reference to the “seventy weeks.”
In fact, Revelation utilizes language
from every chapter of the book of Daniel EXCEPT the ninth chapter with its “seventy
weeks.” The omission speaks volumes – the prophecy is not integral to the
chronology or the event sequences of the book of Revelation.
Furthermore, Revelation does not simply restate
prophecies from Daniel; instead, it reinterprets and reapplies
them. For example, the “season,
seasons and divided season” from Daniel becomes, “forty-two months” and “a
thousand two-hundred sixty days.” The “later days” and “season
of the end” in Daniel are changed to “soon” and “at
hand” in the book of Revelation. Daniel’s “four beasts from
the sea” become a single “beast ascending from the sea” in Revelation,
and one that includes in itself the animal features of all four beasts from Daniel
- (Revelation 11:2-3, 13:5).
Thus, Revelation reinterprets
prophetic pictures from Daniel and applies them in new ways.
However, it never uses language or imagery from the “seventy weeks”
prophecy – modified or not.
The omission of this important prophecy from the
book of Revelation should caution us not to read our
assumptions about the “seventy weeks” too quickly into the visions of Revelation.
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