Dan 9  (v. 25) Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks....

God’s people were still in captivity in the Persian empire at this time.  And there was a decree made by King Artaxerxes, who began to reign in 464 B.C., to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.

Ezra 7  (v. 7) Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites....came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. (v. 8) And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

Ezra 7  (v. 11) This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest.... (v. 12) Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven.... (v. 13) I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.

Dan 9  (v. 25) ....There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

Ezra 9  (v. 9) For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

Ezra 7  (v. 15) and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem; (v. 16) and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem. (v. 20) And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king’s treasury.

So, this is the correct event to use as the starting point of this prophecy.  Which if King Artaxerxes began to reign in 464 B.C. and if we are 7 years into his reign, then 464  ̶  7 = 457 B.C. would be the starting year of this prophecy.  See the chart below for the dates of the events we will now cover.

The above picture shows the starting point of the 490 year prophecy as 457 B.C. and when we add the first part of the bible verse ( 7 weeks ) we come to the year 408 B.C.  On the last webpage we learned that one day equals a year, and so 7 weeks is really 49 days which is prophetically calculated to be 49 years.

Dan 9  (v. 25) Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks....

Following the second part of the bible verse ( 62 weeks ) we come to the year 27 A.D.  In prophetic time 62 weeks (x 7) is really 434 years.  From 408 B.C. we count down to zero and then going upwards in the "A.D." portion of time.  The calculation is as follows: 408  ̶  434 = 26, then take away the negative sign and add 1 year, since there is no "year zero" from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D.  The final result should be 27 A.D.

Luke 3  (v. 15) Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, (v. 16) John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. (v. 21) When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. (v. 22) And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Jesus was anointed in the fall of 27 A.D. and He was crucified in the spring of 31 A.D., which would account for the middle ( 3½ ) years of the 7 year period.

Acts 10  (v. 36) The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— (v. 37) that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: (v. 38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 

Acts 10  (v. 39) And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. (v. 40) Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, (v. 41) not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. (v. 42) And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

The year of “Messiah the Prince” began in 27 A.D., when Jesus was baptized and started his ministry.  ( This is the beginning of the last 7 year period ).

Mark 1  (v. 9) It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (v. 14) Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (v. 15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand....”

Matt 18  (v. 21) Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (v. 22) Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Quite ironically, He was prophesying, how long the Jews had to receive the truth of the gospel, before it would be "cut-off" and sent to the Gentiles.  Notice in this next verse how Jesus spoke in the beginning!!

Matt 15  (v. 21) Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. (v. 22) And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” (v. 24) But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Then see, how Jesus spoke differently in the end, toward the Jews, can be noticed in this next verse!!

Matt 23  (v. 37) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  (v. 38) See! Your house is left to you desolate.

And so, as we learned previously, using the day for a year prophetic time ( 70  x  7  =  490 ) equates to 490 years total time allotted for the Jews to accept Christ as the Messiah. On the next webpage, we will discover how many years of our 490 year prophecy that we have left to fulfill?