The 70th Week of Seven Years in Daniel 9:27

The final seven years before Christ’s return, the Battle of Armageddon, and the Third Temple

Welcome to the Unveiling Jesus Christ Newsletter!

In previous newsletters, we examined the first 69 weeks of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy, spanning from the rebuilding of Jerusalem in 444 BC to the atonement of Jesus Christ in 34 AD. This week, we turn our attention to the final week of the prophecy, known as the 70th week, described in Daniel 9:27.

The Final Week of Daniel’s Prophecy

Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy ends with the 70th week of seven years, as recorded in Daniel 9:27:

"He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
Daniel 9:27

This 70th week corresponds in time with the Battle of Armageddon, which John the Revelator describes as the Second Woe in Revelation 9:13–21. From Daniel 9:27, we learn that Armageddon will be a seven-year battle that ends with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The verse also identifies several events that will occur during this seven-year period.

Confirming the Covenant

First, Christ "shall confirm the covenant with many for one week" of seven years. This refers to the Abrahamic covenant and the doctrine of making one’s calling and election sure. John describes this process as the seal of the living God in Revelation 7.

Joseph Smith explained this in his teachings:

"Four destroying angels [are] holding power over the four quarters of the earth until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads, which signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure."
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 321

This means that no matter what happens to covenant-keeping people during Armageddon, they will not be overcome and will be guaranteed eternal life.

The Sacrifice and Oblation Will Cease

Daniel 9:27 also predicts that 3½ years before the Second Coming, "the sacrifice and oblation [will] cease." Several events will occur in the midst of the 70th week, including:

• The gathering of saints at Adam-ondi-Ahman, where Christ will be coronated King of Kings, as described in Daniel 7:13–14.
• The moment when Michael shall stand up, as recorded in Daniel 12:1:

"At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

Michael is the premortal name for Adam (the Ancient of Days). He will stand as a protector of the Jews, which is evidenced by the calling of the Two Witnesses in Revelation 11. These witnesses will defend the Jews against the gentile armies during the final 3½ years of the Great Tribulation, just before the Second Coming.

The Third and Fourth Temples

For the sacrifice and oblation to cease, there must first be a Third Temple in Jerusalem, where Jewish sacrifices will again take place. John describes this temple in Revelation 11:1–2.

These sacrifices will resemble those performed at Herod’s temple before its destruction in 70 AD. The unpurified sons of Levi will resume these temple rituals before the midpoint of Armageddon. However, the Third Temple will be destroyed during the Abomination of Desolation.

At the Second Coming, the sons of Levi will be purified, fulfilling the prophecy in Malachi 3:1–2:

"And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."

After this purification, they will offer an offering in righteousness in a Fourth Temple, which will be built in Jerusalem following the Savior’s return. This was foretold in Doctrine and Covenants 13:1.

The Final Abomination of Desolation

Daniel 9:27 also describes the “overspreading of abominations” against the Jews. This refers to the final Abomination of Desolation, which will last for 3½ days between the death of the Two Witnesses and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The reassuring promise is that desolations will be poured out upon the gentile desolators, just as they poured out desolations upon the Jews, until the great consummation of all things.

Learn More

For more information about Armageddon and these prophetic events that lie in our future, listen to my podcast from July 15, 2025.

🎧 → Click here to listen.
(Available wherever you get your podcasts)

-John Cassinat