Re-edit: 17-05-2026

The last week of Daniel describes a very important piece in future history. The last week is a period of 7 years and in this period there is a sign that gives away what when it will start. Because the last week will be the last 7 years of this fallen creation. Prophet Daniel was provided information about the future by the angel messenger.

Daniel 9:24-27

²⁴ `Seventy weeks are determined for thy people, and for thy holy city, to shut up the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to cover iniquity, and to bring in righteousness age-during, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies. ²⁵ And thou dost know, and dost consider wisely, from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem till Messiah the Leader [is] seven weeks, and sixty and two weeks: the broad place hath been built again, and the rampart, even in the distress of the times. ²⁶ And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who hath come doth destroy the people; and its end [is] with a flood, and till the end [is] war, determined [are] desolations. ²⁷ And he hath strengthened a covenant with many -- one week, and [in] the midst of the week he causeth sacrifice and present to cease, and by the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate one.'

Daniel and the "tribulation period"

A lot of different opinions are within the Church about the last week of Daniel. This is because a lot of people think:

The last week of Daniel is also the timespan of the book of revelation. At this time I have doubts about that, because I don't see any proof of that except that John says in Revelation 1:10, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day - as a time reference. But we will have to check the rest in context. Because when you look at the first four seals - that kind of tribulation was there from the beginning of Jesus's ministry and before. So the mistery to solve is, are the 4 four horsemen only there in the last seven years? Or were they doing their stuff since long ago. There are some reports that verify the discruction of the 4 horsemen throughout the ages. In the proportions written. So, still have to investigate this. In Revelation 1:19 our Lord says: "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later". Is our Lord referring to what is now in the time of the Day of our Lord, or to the time where John Lives in? Our Lord starts with the seven letters to the seven churches. Those were there in John's time. However these churches can be referenced as examples, but they were there. So I can only conclude, this is referenced to John's time. Revelation 2 and 3 are the letters to the seven churches. John has to write those in his time to those churches as commanded by our Lord. He probably did. Because certainly, he will not write to them in the end time. Then our Lord in Revelation 4:1 says: "...Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.". But our Lord does not reveal when, unless we have to recognize to be on the Lord's day. Because "after this" - in the book of Revelation you get to chapter 6 - where the seals are to be opened. For the seals there are no time indications given on when these horsemen are released. 

And what about "this"? What does "this" refer to? Some think, especially those who think there is a 7 year tribulation, that "this" refers to the church age. I cannot verify that from the context. I know the church is not spoken of from chapter 2-19 in the book of Revelation. But that does not prove anything. The only thing that I understand is that "this" is referring to is the sending of the letters to the churches, it also the only subject that can be referenced. Because our Lord said simply that "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now" - is this - and after that, our Lord shows what is to come. That is to me the simplest explanation. And the context shows in Revelation 4:1 that with "...and I will show you what must take place after this", that the letters have not been written yet. No assumptions here I think. 

So I am back to square one. I cannot identify any time reference in which I can conclude or derive that there is such a thing as a 7 year tribulation. But I do whish for it, just can't find it (yet). 

Is the Last week of Daniel seven years in a row?

So the first statement says that 70 weeks are determined for the Jews to finish up in short. In this context 1 week = 7 years. Then the angel says that there 7 + 62 weeks, which is 69 weeks till Messiah the Leader. Now what is it saying, I read 69 weeks will have passed until the Messiah the Leader. Verse 26 also says that after 69 weeks the Messiah will be cut off. Then I read that the Messiah is cut off in the 70th week. Can't (almost) be much simpler than that. What does mean? Well I think that Jesus was the acting Messiah when He started His ministry of 3,5 years, and He was cut off when it ended with the crucifixion. Then, there would be half a week left. And why is this so coincidental? Because at the second half of the last week, in any interpretation, the great tribulation begins. Then the church age (2000 years) is in between. Because the Church is raptured before the Wrath of God, we seen earlier history, and even up til this day, that the Church was never saved from the anti Christ. That is why I have a suspicion that the Church is raptured at the Sixth Seal in the Book of Revelation 6:12 - (6:6+6) - and that is why the wrath of God is only mentioned at the Sixth seal, not at the first seal. 

If my interpretation is wrong, then probably the last week is 7 years in row. Which is simpler to explain, but with a nagging doubt somewhere, because the text does not say that Messiah the Leader's crucifixtion was at the end of the 69 weeks. No, it says the 69 weeks will have passed until Messiah the Leader. Which to me is the day He was baptized by John the Baptist. And in the 70th week, (after 69 weeks), the Messiah will be cut off, that is in the 70th week after 3,5 years, and 3,5 years to go. 

This means that the interpretation of the last 7 years of Daniel indeed starts with the covenant, but is not the last week of Daniel. Maybe I looked to deep into it. 

But let us assume that after meant exactly at the end of 69 weeks - and the text would suggest that (exactly) after 69 weeks our Lord was crusified. Then indeed there would be 7 years in a row for the last week. The last week is then started by the anti-Christ who will start a covenant with many for one week - which is a plan to mislead Israel and to destroy the Jews.  

But which explanation is the right one - I don't know. But I would say, the Bible puts Christ in central focus, and the first explanation would comply to that. The first interpretation would effectively suggest that there is no 7 year tribulation. Because 3,5 years would have already been used up. The fact that anti-Christ is starting the count down for the last 7 seven years is just secundairy information. On the other hand, the first interpretation would make this read a bit confusing. Because the math was presented to be very simple. 69 weeks + 1 week = 70 weeks. One would not suspect any misteries there. But time will tell.