Q
Why does Daniel 9:25 state the time determined as 7 weeks, then 62 weeks instead of just 69 weeks?
A
The first 49 years (7 weeks) are the time during which the city was being rebuilt. These were the “times of trouble” mentioned in Daniel 9:25 and recorded in Nehemiah 2-7 as consisting of constant efforts by Israel’s enemies to prevent them from completing the project. Nehemiah tells of workmen building with one hand while holding a sword in the other, and sleeping on site in their clothes, for fear of a surprise attack. The remaining 434 years (62 weeks) began when the city and its walls were complete and ran to the time of the first Palm Sunday when Jesus presented Himself to Israel as their Messiah.