This study is one of the elements of our research devoted to establishing a chronology of the life of Jesus the Messiah on the basis of Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9.24-27). It should be understood in connection with the other studies in this series, each of which contributes complementary historical, calendrical and biblical data. Together, these works form a coherent analysis aimed at reconstructing, as precisely as possible, the sequence of events reported in the Gospels.
The prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks remains one of the most studied and most debated texts of prophetic biblical exegesis (Daniel 9.24-27). For several centuries, theologians, historians and specialists in biblical texts have tried to determine its exact meaning and its chronological implications for the coming of the Messiah.
One of the main issues of this prophecy lies in identifying the starting point of the seventy weeks. Depending on which decree is chosen for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the chronological conclusions differ considerably and lead to distinct systems of interpretation.
Two major approaches dominate the debates today. The first, widespread in evangelical circles, follows in the tradition of Sir Robert Anderson’s work. It favors the decree addressed to Nehemiah and relies on the use of prophetic years of 360 days. This interpretation has deeply marked modern exegesis and is still the position most frequently adopted in dispensationalist studies (Dispensationalist studies refers to a theological and exegetical approach that interprets biblical history as a succession of distinct periods called “dispensations”).
The second approach, far less known, is linked to the work of Edward Denney. It takes the decree granted to Ezra as the starting point of the seventy weeks and favors the use of ordinary solar years. Although this interpretation has remained marginal, several independent researchers have reached comparable conclusions, stressing the apparent simplicity and chronological coherence of this reading.
The aim of the present study is not to fuel a technical controversy reserved for specialists, but to compare these two major interpretations in order to evaluate their historical, mathematical and biblical foundations. The stakes go beyond a simple chronological question. If the prophet Daniel truly announced the coming and the death of the Messiah several centuries in advance with such precision, then the prophetic significance of this text becomes quite exceptional (Isaiah 46.9-10 ; John 13.19).
Originally titled "The Theories of Anderson and Denney" because of the predominance of the explanations it contains concerning the texts of Daniel, this appendix has been renamed "The Explanation of Daniel’s Weeks". This new title is considered more appropriate for readers less familiar with the subject.