After 69 Weeks
Daniel 9:25-26a says, "From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times. Now after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. As for the city and the sanctuary, the people of the coming prince will destroy them".
At the start of his ministry, Jesus announced the completion of the first 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy, implying that he was the anointed prince, the Messiah, who was due to arrive. But Daniel prophesied that after these 69 weeks, 'an anointed one' (presumably the same anointed one who was due to arrive) would be cut off. In other words, he would be killed. And also after the 69 weeks, the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Temple) would be destroyed by the people of the coming prince (this latter coming prince is somewhat mysterious, but we will consider him later).
As the years passed during his short earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples that he must be killed (Matthew 16:21-23, 17:22-23, and 20:17-19) just as Daniel had prophesied. For example, in Matthew 20 it says, "As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death, and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day, he will be raised".
And while in Jerusalem, Matthew 23:37-39 records how Jesus lamented the city's coming destruction, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! Look, your house is left to you desolate! For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
Then in Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, "Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. And he said to them, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”"
After speaking of the temple's coming destruction, his disciples ask him in Matthew 24:3, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" In response, Jesus details many signs to look out for, in what is known as The Olivet Discourse. In verse 15, he says, "So when you see the abomination of desolation – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains". Here he directly references the abomination that Daniel speaks of in his prophecy of 70 weeks (Daniel 9:27). So while there are other old testament prophecies, such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, that speak of Messiah's death, there is no mistaking the significance that Jesus attributed to Daniel's 70 week timeline.
At the start of his ministry, Jesus announced the completion of the first 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy, implying that he was the anointed prince, the Messiah, who was due to arrive. But Daniel prophesied that after these 69 weeks, 'an anointed one' (presumably the same anointed one who was due to arrive) would be cut off. In other words, he would be killed. And also after the 69 weeks, the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Temple) would be destroyed by the people of the coming prince (this latter coming prince is somewhat mysterious, but we will consider him later).
As the years passed during his short earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples that he must be killed (Matthew 16:21-23, 17:22-23, and 20:17-19) just as Daniel had prophesied. For example, in Matthew 20 it says, "As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death, and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day, he will be raised".
And while in Jerusalem, Matthew 23:37-39 records how Jesus lamented the city's coming destruction, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! Look, your house is left to you desolate! For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
Then in Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, "Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. And he said to them, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”"
After speaking of the temple's coming destruction, his disciples ask him in Matthew 24:3, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" In response, Jesus details many signs to look out for, in what is known as The Olivet Discourse. In verse 15, he says, "So when you see the abomination of desolation – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains". Here he directly references the abomination that Daniel speaks of in his prophecy of 70 weeks (Daniel 9:27). So while there are other old testament prophecies, such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, that speak of Messiah's death, there is no mistaking the significance that Jesus attributed to Daniel's 70 week timeline.