Daniel had a vision from God that foresaw a period of 70 weeks of years in Israel’s future history. After 69 weeks, Daniel writes, the Messiah will be killed. Daniel’s prophecy then goes into hibernation. The clock stops. Almost 2000 years have gone by and yet there is still one unfulfilled week determined or allotted to Daniel’s people (the Jews), and the Holy city (Jerusalem), before the end comes.
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” Go to ( Daniel 9:24), and see the notes from 9:24:24-26).
Shortly after the Rapture, the time clock Which has been stopped for almost 2000 years, will resume its countdown. The beginning of this event is when the Antichrist signs a seven year peace agreement with Israel and this is also the sign of when the Tribulation will begin. From that point, there is exactly seven years left before the end of the great Tribulation and the end of the world. This will be the time known as Daniel’s 70th week.
A week in this case, meaning seven days, is that each day is to be one year. Originally the vision was for 70 weeks or 490 years. The clock had stopped after 483 years when the Messiah was killed. The last week will be the 7 years of Tribulation.
The Bible often refers to the Church as a mystery. In God’s economy, a mystery is not a whodunit novel, but rather an event not previously revealed by God. So, when Daniel was given his vision, he saw it from beginning to end, without that parenthetical period that was occupied by the Church.
Think of it this way. Imagine a man standing behind a mountain. Way off in the distance, he sees a second mountain peak. What he can’t see is the valley between the two peaks. That is the way Old Testament prophets saw the unfolding of history. Daniel saw the peak upon which the Lord was crucified, and he saw the peak in time in which the Lord returns. In the middle was the mystery Church.
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