Does 4/7 Date fit Daniel’s Seventy Weeks?
April 7, 30 A.D. can reasonably fit within the Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy, but only under certain assumptions. Here’s how:
Key Verse (Daniel 9:25)
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.”
(Daniel 9:25)
This gives 69 weeks = 7 + 62 weeks = 483 years (assuming 1 prophetic week = 7 years).
Does 483 years before April 7, 30 AD land on a valid “decree”?
Let’s calculate 30 AD – 483 prophetic years (using 360-day “prophetic years”):
Step 1: Convert 483 prophetic years to solar years
- 483 × 360 days = 173,880 days
- 173,880 days ÷ 365.2422 ≈ 476.07 solar years
Step 2: Subtract 476.07 years from 30 AD
- 30 AD – 476 years = approx. 447 BC
So a decree to rebuild Jerusalem given around 447 BC would fit with Jesus’ appearance around 30 AD.
Known Historical Decrees to Rebuild Jerusalem
| Decree | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cyrus | 538 BC | Allowed return, but focused on the Temple |
| Darius I | 520 BC | Reaffirmed temple rebuilding |
| Artaxerxes I to Ezra | 457 BC | Often seen as the best fit — concerns Jerusalem and governance |
| Artaxerxes I to Nehemiah | 445/444 BC | More focused on walls and protection |
Using Artaxerxes’ decree in 457 BC:
- 457 BC + 476 solar years = ~30 AD
- This matches April 7, 30 AD, very closely.
So: Does April 7, 30 AD fit Daniel’s Seventy Weeks?
Yes — if you assume:
- The 457 BC decree by Artaxerxes is the starting point.
- Prophetic years are 360 days long.
- Jesus’ crucifixion occurred on April 7, 30 AD (which many scholars accept as plausible).
This interpretation places the “Messiah being cut off” (Daniel 9:26) directly at the crucifixion.