"Weeks of Days" for "Weeks of Years" (Concluded)

III. The Relation of the Seventy Weeks to the 2300 Days

CONSIDER the contextual setting of Daniel 9:24-27! Our historical position has been that chapters 8 and 9 of the book of Daniel are intimately related, chapter 9 being a further interpretation of the vision recorded in chapter 8, inasmuch as the symbol of 2300 days, presented in chapter 8, was left unexplained in that chapter. But when Gabriel returned a few years later and continued the interpretation, he mentioned the term "seventy weeks" (Dan. 9:24). Is this mention of seventy weeks an interpretation even though partial, of the symbol of the 2300 days, or is it another symbol? Is a symbol in a vision interpreted by another symbol or by something more factual? Isn't the latter the order in the prophetic outlines? A brief review of chapter 8 will make this matter clear.

In the vision presented in chapter 8, Daniel saw for symbols: a ram, a he-goat, a little horn, and 2300 days. Three of these symbols are explained in chapter 8: The ram represents Medo-Persia, the he-goat indicates Grecia, and the little horn means Rome (compare the sequence in Daniel 2 and 7). These three symbols represent something which in themselves they are not—a beast is one thing, a kingdom is another; the one is a symbol, the other is a fact. Would not the same principle apply to the 2300-day symbol? If so, one could conclude that the "seventy weeks" could be a fact, not necessarily a symbol. In other words, the "two thousand and three hundred days" of Daniel 8:14 could represent 2300 years, seeing that the "seventy weeks" of Daniel 9:24 in themselves actually mean to the Hebrew mind "seventy weeks of years." In this case Gabriel's use of the term "seventy weeks" could be an instance of using a term that was so well under stood in Daniel's day that it needed no interpretation; just the same as in Daniel 4 the term "times" used in the vision is the same as the term "times" used in the interpretation.

It seems also that the concept of "a week of years" was much more widely held than within the confines of Israel. Greek philosophers and others taught the same thing concerning the expression "seventy weeks" meaning "seventy weeks of years." ¹

Neither must we overlook the fact that many Christian Bible scholars have understood the same thing, as can be seen in their commentaries. Many of them have employed the year-day principle in their understanding of the prophecy of Daniel 9 and its application to the first advent of the Saviour.

Of course, Ellen White supports both the day-for-a-year principle and the point that the "seventy weeks' " prophetic period is an integral part of the 1200-day prophecy (see 2' 3' 4).

IV. The Biblical Evidence on "Seventy Weeks" — 490 Years

Was there anything in the history of Israel that might have led them to regard seventy weeks of days as seventy weeks of years? Going back to the time of Moses we read:

And you shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall be to you forty-nine years (Lev. 25:8, R.S.V.).⁵

Observe how this is spelled out:

"Seven weeks of years" — "seven times seven years" "Seven weeks of years" = "forty-nine years"

Notice the repetition! This is one of the ways the Hebrews used to indicate emphasis —just as the expression "a day for a year," occurring twice in the Hebrew texts of Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, indicates emphasis.

Many of the commentators, both Jewish and Christian, stress the same thing. Thus, I. W. Slotki, a Jewish author, writes: "On 70 weeks . . . the cryptic phraseology may have been suggested by the seven-year cycle of Lev. 25:8." ⁶

A Christian commentator, referring to "seventy weeks" in Daniel 9:24, says much the same thing: "It is commonly thought the writer derived this from Lev. 25:2."⁷

The Jewish Talmud and Midrash point out the same relation between Leviticus 25:8 and Daniel 9:24.⁸

That "seventy weeks" in Daniel 9:24 is understood to be "seventy weeks of years" can be seen in many of our English translations.⁹

Most of the Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant commentators take the same position. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia remarks: "The third vision [in Daniel] is an explanation that the 70 years of captivity predicted by Jeremiah (29:10) are in reality 490 years, that is, seventy weeks of years" (Dan. 9).10

The expression "seven weeks of years" in Leviticus 25:8 probably did more than anything else to enable the Hebrew people to understand that the "seventy weeks" of Daniel 9:24 meant "seventy weeks of years." Whether we calculate the "seventy weeks" as "seventy weeks of years" or whether we work it out on the year-day principle, we reach the same result.

V. The Historic Evidence of "Seventy Weeks" = 490 Years

This has already been indicated in part, and we have referred to other people be sides Israel who held to this concept. For additional Jewish and non-Jewish references to the "week of years" concept in the B.C. period and early centuries of A.D., we refer our readers to our "Appendix."¹¹

Not everything concerning the visions of Daniel recorded by him in Chapters 7 and 8 of his book was explained to him by Gabriel. In his fellowship with Gabriel, related by him in chapter 9, he received a portion of interpretation, but much was sealed up until the time of the end. How ever, as stated by Ellen White—

Upon the occasion just described [Dan. 9], the angel Gabriel imparted to Daniel all the instruction which he was then able to receive.¹²

In answer to his petition, Daniel received not only the light and truth which he and his people most needed, but a view of the great events of the future, even to the advent of the world's Redeemer.¹³