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Preterist
Guest
When do Catholics believe that Daniel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks was fulfilled?
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LilyM
Guest
There’s no official teaching by the Church about Daniel’s seventy weeks. For one thing, we take to heart Christ’s teaching that no-one, not even Him, knows the day and hour. And we’re generally of the view that looking for specific time periods to attach significance to is kind of a fruitless exercise. Many so-called ‘prophets’ have tried to predict the date of the end of the world and failed miserably, after all.
Let’s focus on what matters - preparing ourselves to meet Him, as we surely all will after we die. That will happen regardless of when Daniel’s seventy weeks, or the thousand years, or Christ’s second coming, is going to take place, and regardless if some of these have already happened and when.
Put it this way - what would you do if you became aware that the world was to end tomorrow? The aim of a good Christian life is to live such that you are prepared to meet Him at any time - be it in five minutes, five days or fifty years. If you are so prepared, things like Daniels’ seventy weeks don’t matter in the slightest.
Let’s focus on what matters - preparing ourselves to meet Him, as we surely all will after we die. That will happen regardless of when Daniel’s seventy weeks, or the thousand years, or Christ’s second coming, is going to take place, and regardless if some of these have already happened and when.
Put it this way - what would you do if you became aware that the world was to end tomorrow? The aim of a good Christian life is to live such that you are prepared to meet Him at any time - be it in five minutes, five days or fifty years. If you are so prepared, things like Daniels’ seventy weeks don’t matter in the slightest.
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JRKH
Guest
Well Said Lily.
Jesus gave us plenty to do just trying to Live the Law of Love each day.
Trying to understand prophesy is, to me, just another distraction.
Peace
James
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LilyM
Guest
Put it this way - I am firmly convinced that among the gifts of the Holy Spirit are the gifts of prophesying and of understanding prophecy, but they’re just that, gifts. They’re not applicable to everyone, andd they’re not something we can arrive at by effort or use of intellect.
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spockrates
Guest
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Preterist
Guest
Thank you all for your responses. I understand that there is no “official” Catholic interpretation of the Seventy Weeks, and I agree that there are more important things to do than fight over the exact timing of prophetic passages. But I am curious if there is a majority opinion among Catholic scholars or among Catholics in general as to when the Seventy Weeks were fulfilled. Do most believe it was fulfilled in the 160’s B.C? Or in the first century AD? Or in our future? If anyone knows the answer I would love to hear it.
In my opinion, the Weeks were fulfilled in AD 70. But I didn’t raise the question in order to defend my position here. I just want to know if there is a “generally accepted” view of the prophecy among Catholics.
Thank you,
Preterist
In my opinion, the Weeks were fulfilled in AD 70. But I didn’t raise the question in order to defend my position here. I just want to know if there is a “generally accepted” view of the prophecy among Catholics.
Thank you,
Preterist
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JRKH
Guest
Well to be honest, I had never even heard of it until you mentioned it.
Now - I don’t know if that is just me or if that is maybe true generally among catholics.
One thing I can say, just from my experience, is that catholics in general don’t spend a lot of time trying to discern end time prophesy.
Peace
James
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Cristian_B
Guest
I do not know what Catholics believe but I might tell you my opinion.
The seventy weeks ended 3.5 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. The Jewish people had 70 prophetic weeks to repent and be redeemed. If we use the prophetic way of counting 1 day for 1 year, we have 490 years. 69 weeks for rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem and on the 70th week the Messiah would appear. 69 prophetic weeks equal 483 years. At the beginning of the last “week”, or 7 years, Jesus began preaching the Gospel. After 3.5 years (the middle of the week) the sacrifices and ordinances ended, which is at Jesus’ death. After Jesus’ death, the Jews had only 3.5 years (the other half of the week) to repent. The apostles, the next 3.5 years preached only to the Jews. At the end of the 70 weeks (which is 3.5 years after Jesus’ death, the Jews stopped being favored by God, because they did not repent, but denied Christ. Of course, they could still be saved, but trough Jesus. The Jews were now like the Gentiles, since hey denied Christ. They were not favored by God. They stopped being His blessed people. Of course that I am talking about the physical Jews.
Only the Jews are saved. The irony is that the physical Jews aren’t always spiritual Jews. And only [spiritual] Jews are saved.
We don’t now the End of Time. And Jesus knows it neither. Only the Father knows it.
The seventy weeks ended 3.5 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. The Jewish people had 70 prophetic weeks to repent and be redeemed. If we use the prophetic way of counting 1 day for 1 year, we have 490 years. 69 weeks for rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem and on the 70th week the Messiah would appear. 69 prophetic weeks equal 483 years. At the beginning of the last “week”, or 7 years, Jesus began preaching the Gospel. After 3.5 years (the middle of the week) the sacrifices and ordinances ended, which is at Jesus’ death. After Jesus’ death, the Jews had only 3.5 years (the other half of the week) to repent. The apostles, the next 3.5 years preached only to the Jews. At the end of the 70 weeks (which is 3.5 years after Jesus’ death, the Jews stopped being favored by God, because they did not repent, but denied Christ. Of course, they could still be saved, but trough Jesus. The Jews were now like the Gentiles, since hey denied Christ. They were not favored by God. They stopped being His blessed people. Of course that I am talking about the physical Jews.
Only the Jews are saved. The irony is that the physical Jews aren’t always spiritual Jews. And only [spiritual] Jews are saved.
We don’t now the End of Time. And Jesus knows it neither. Only the Father knows it.
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Fidelis
Guest
Thanks for your clarification.
While I haven’t read everything out there by contemporary Catholic scholars and Scripture teachers, the orthodox ones that I do read or listen to on this specific topic (Scott Hahn, Steve Wood, David Currie) tend to opt for a partial fulfilfilment of around 160 BC (involving the events described in Maccabees with Antiochus Epiphanes, etc.) and a complete fulfilment in AD 70. They do not rule out some type of re-capitulation of events prior to the Second Coming, but would warn against trying to match up contemporary events with specific prophecies, not to mention avoid setting dates. In other words, they’re “partial preterists” (as am I).
I’m not entirely discursive on this topic, but I can recommend some good resources. The best works by each of the aforementioned Catholic writers/speakers on this topic (in my opinion) are below:
Scott Hahn
David Currie (talks extensively about Daniel and the 70 weeks)
Steve Wood (especially excellent and comprehensive
)Hope that helps.
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peeteyg
Guest
I had a JW ask me, if jesus is god why didn’t he know the date of the end? He also asked if jesus was in hell/gehenna/sheol for three days who was god over the world? I think these are close to this topic as he thinks JW’s know the 70 weeks and have a date of jesus’ return (1914) and we have argued it. Maybe these should be seperate topics but I would like anyones opinion on these topics.
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spockrates
Guest
The answer, Peetey, might be found in the human mind. I mean, the brain can only hold so much information, right?
I work in Information Services, Peetey. I support software that has access to large databases. The databases are *not *kept on the computers where the software runs, but on a mega Web server located on the Internet. At any one time the software applications have only a small fraction of the data kept in the database of the Web server. If all of the data on that server was downloaded to any one computer, it would fill up the computer’s hard drive and the computer would grind to a halt.
This analogy is kind of what might have been going on with the relationship between the man Jesus and the Son of God. If the Son of God tried to (for lack of a better term) “download” all that He knew, which is all that there is to know, it would have quite literally blown Jesus’ mind! So although the Son of God was omniscient, the Son of Man (Jesus in His human body) was not. Sure, most people use only about 10% of their brain’s capacity. And yes, Jesus likely used up to 100% of His. But even 100% of the human brain’s capacity cannot hold even 1% of the total knowledge of God. The Son of God, therefore, likely had to choose what the Son of Man would know and what He would not. What He did know was likely given to Him on a need to know basis only.
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NHInsider
Guest
This is a very cool way of thinking about this Mystery! Thanks . . .The answer, Peetey, might be found in the human mind. I mean, the brain can only hold so much information, right?
I work in Information Services, Peetey. I support software that has access to large databases. The databases are *not *kept on the computers where the software runs, but on a mega Web server located on the Internet. At any one time the software applications have only a small fraction of the data kept in the database of the Web server. If all of the data on that server was downloaded to any one computer, it would fill up the computer’s hard drive and the computer would grind to a halt.
This analogy is kind of what might have been going on with the relationship between the man Jesus and the Son of God. If the Son of God tried to (for lack of a better term) “download” all that He knew, which is all that there is to know, it would have quite literally blown Jesus’ mind! So although the Son of God was omniscient, the Son of Man (Jesus in His human body) was not. Sure, most people use only about 10% of their brain’s capacity. And yes, Jesus likely used up to 100% of His. But even 100% of the human brain’s capacity cannot hold even 1% of the total knowledge of God. The Son of God, therefore, likely had to choose what the Son of Man would know and what He would not. What He did know was likely given to Him on a need to know basis only.
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COPLAND_3
Guest
I did a critique on it here litteralchristianlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/Daniel%27s+70+weeks?t=anon
Some fit the 70 weeks in their eschatology, but here is my critique on the end times
litteralchristianlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/Eschatology
Some fit the 70 weeks in their eschatology, but here is my critique on the end times
litteralchristianlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/Eschatology
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ryanoneil
Guest
This is my view also. I wish I could find my copy of “Rapture”!Thanks for your clarification.
While I haven’t read everything out there by contemporary Catholic scholars and Scripture teachers, the orthodox ones that I do read or listen to on this specific topic (Scott Hahn, Steve Wood, David Currie) tend to opt for a partial fulfilfilment of around 160 BC (involving the events described in Maccabees with Antiochus Epiphanes, etc.) and a complete fulfilment in AD 70. They do not rule out some type of re-capitulation of events prior to the Second Coming, but would warn against trying to match up contemporary events with specific prophecies, not to mention avoid setting dates. In other words, they’re “partial preterists” (as am I).
I’m not entirely discursive on this topic, but I can recommend some good resources. The best works by each of the aforementioned Catholic writers/speakers on this topic (in my opinion) are below:
Scott Hahn
David Currie (talks extensively about Daniel and the 70 weeks)
Steve Wood (especially excellent and comprehensive
Hope that helps.
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