Athanasius on the 70 Weeks of Daniel -- A Fulfilled Messianic Prophecy

Athanasius (296-373)

I’ve been reading through Athanasius’ classic text, On the Incarnation. In Section 39, Athanasius is marshaling evidence from fulfilled prophecy to confirm the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is primarily concerned with responding to Jews who do not believe that Jesus is God incarnate when the evidence from their own prophets indicates otherwise.

Athanasius writes,

On but perhaps, not even themselves being able to fight against obvious truths, they will not deny what is written, but will positively assert that they are expecting these things, and that God the Word has not yet come. For this is their common and continual talk, nor do they blush to fly in the face of obvious facts.

To build his case, he introduces Daniel 9:24-27 as an example of an Old Testament prophecy which confirms that Israel’s prophets foretold of the coming Messiah.

But on this point the more especially shall they [the Jews] be confuted, not by us, but by the most wise Daniel, who indicates both the present time and the Divine manifestation of the Saviour, saying: ‘Seventy weeks are cut short upon thy people and upon the holy city, to make a full end of sin, and for sins to be sealed up, and to expunge iniquities, and to make propitiation for iniquities, and to bring eternal righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the All-Holy One; and thou shalt know and understand from the going forth of the word to answer, and build Jerusalem until Christ the Chief.’

There are some interesting points as well as significant omissions made here. First, Athanasius understands the seventy weeks prophecy as fulfilled in its entirety by Jesus’ messianic mission. Since Jews do not accept that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah, they are forced to push Daniel’s prophecy off into the future so as to evade implications of Daniel’s prediction coming to pass in exacting detail. Second, Athanasius sees Jesus as the one who has put an end to sin (sin’s hold upon us which results in death), who has sealed up sins (the implication is that sin’s condemnation has ended), whose death washes away sin’s guilt, and serves as a propitiation (which turns aside wrath). Furthermore, Jesus will bring in everlasting righteousness, and he will seal vision and prophecy as the anointed (the All-Holy One). Third, seeing this prophecy as fulfilled in Christ (and therefore already three centuries in the past when Athanasius’ pens these words), there is no mention of a future Antichrist, only a coming prince who is Christ, i.e., Israel’s Messiah.

Next, Athanasius highlights the prior fulfillment of Daniel 9:24-27, to demonstrate that attempts by Jews to push Daniel’s prophecy into the future to evade the impact of Christ’s work simply will not work.

Perhaps for other prophecies they can find evasions, and postpone to a future time what is written. But what can they say to this, or can they at all face it? For here, at least, both Christ is pointed out, and the Anointed One announced to be not simply man but an All-Holy; and until this coming Jerusalem is to stand, and for the future prophet and vision cease in Israel.

Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy also reflects what the other prophets of Israel had predicted for Jerusalem and for the people of God: destruction and exile.

David of old was anointed, and Solomon and Hezekiah, but Jerusalem and the place then stood, and prophets prophesied, Gad and Asaph and Nathan, and after them Isaiah and Hosea and Amos and others. Besides, the men themselves who were anointed were called ‘holy,’ but not ‘All-Holy.’ But if they bring forward the Captivity, and say that because of it Jerusalem was not, what can they say about the prophets? For when the people went down of old into Babylon, Daniel and Jeremiah were there, and Ezekiel and Haggai and Zechariah prophesied.

Athanasius continues in Section 40, expressing his frustration with Alexandrian Jews who will not come to Christ, despite the iron-clad case for fulfillment of the messianic office and anointing seen in a prophecy such as Daniel 9. Christ has come as God incarnate, Jerusalem lay in ruins, and Jesus is the last of the prophets.

So then, the Jews talk nonsense, and postpone the time in question which is really come. For when did prophet or vision cease from Israel except when Christ the All-Holy One came? And it is indeed a sign and great proof of the advent of the Word of God that neither is Jerusalem any longer standing, nor is any prophet raised up, nor is vision revealed to them—and very naturally.

Since Jesus has fulfilled this prophecy, how can the Jews claim otherwise? When the Word became incarnate, God gave abundant proof of his word and his promises. Athanasius continues . . .

For when He that was signified came, what further need was there of persons to signify Him? and in the presence of the Truth what need any more of the shadow? For on this account they used to prophesy until Righteousness’ Self should come, and He that was to expiate the sins of all. On this account, too, Jerusalem was standing for so long, in order that there they might, previously to the reality, be trained in the types. At the advent of the All-Holy One, therefore, vision and prophecy were naturally sealed, and the kingdom of Jerusalem ceased. For kings were anointed among them for such time until the All-Holy One should be anointed;

Now that Jerusalem lie in ruins and the diaspora has ended the Jewish kingdom, the Old Testament types have become reality through Jesus, the anointed Messiah. Athanasius adduces other prophets who speak of the same matters as Daniel, further strengthening his case. He starts with Jacob’s prophecy of the coming of the ruler from Judah.

Jacob prophesies that the kingdom of the Jews should stand until Him, saying: ‘A ruler shall not depart from Judah, and a chief from his loins, until the things laid up for him shall come; and He Himself is the expectation of the nations.’ Whence also the Saviour Himself cried out, saying: ‘The law and the prophets prophesied until John.’ If, then, there is now a king among the Jews, or prophet, or vision, rightly do they deny that Christ has come. But if there is neither king nor vision, but on the contrary all prophecy thenceforth is sealed, and the city and the temple taken, why this so great impiety and transgression as not to see what has come to pass, and to deny Christ who has done these things? Why, too, when they behold those from the nations forsaking idols and having hope on the God of Israel through Christ, do they deny Christ sprung from the root of Jesse according to the flesh, and reigning henceforth?

Athanasius moves on to remind his reader of God’s promise to Abraham, that he will be a blessing to the nations. This too confirms Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy.

For if the nations were worshiping another god, and not acknowledging the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, rightly again would they allege excuses that God had not come. But if the nations are serving the same God who gave the law by Moses, and gave the promise to Abraham, and whose word the Jews dishonored, why do they not perceive, or rather why do they willfully overlook that the Lord, prophesied of in the Scriptures, has shone upon the world and there appeared bodily? as the Scripture said: ‘God the Lord hath shone upon us;’ and again: ‘He sent forth His Word and healed them;’ and again: ‘Not an ambassador, not an angel, but the Lord Himself saved them.’

Continuing to draw additional connections between Daniel’s prophecy and other messianic prophecies regarding the coming of Christ which confirm that the old covenant era is over, Athanasius’ case is almost complete.

But they suffer similarly to one mentally stricken who looks upon the earth illuminated by the sun, and denies that the sun illuminates it. For what more, when He is come, has He to do who is expected by them? To call the nations? But they are already called. To make prophecy, king, and vision cease? This, too, has already happened. To refute the godlessness of idolatry? It is already refuted and condemned. Or to bring to naught death? It is done already.

Neither prophecy (further messianic revelation) nor additional sacrifices (of the old covenant), nor a rebuilding of Jerusalem and its temple, are forthcoming. They are not needed. Once Christ has come, what remains yet to be accomplished? Even death has been defeated. As Athanasius contends, this leaves no doubt that Jesus has fulfilled the seventy weeks prophecy in its entirety. Nothing remains left to be accomplished. In an exasperated tone, Athanasius makes his closing appeal.

What, then, has not come to pass which the Christ must do? or what is left undone, or has not been fulfilled, so that the Jews now light-heartedly disbelieve? For if, as a matter of fact, as we assuredly see, neither king, nor prophet, nor Jerusalem, nor sacrifices, nor vision remains to them, but even the whole earth has been filled with the knowledge of God, and those from the nations, forsaking their godlessness, henceforth flee to the God of Abraham through the word of our Lord Jesus Christ—then it must be clear, even to the most perverse, that Christ has come, and that He has shone down upon all without exception with His own light, and has taught the true and Divine teaching concerning His Father.

That Jesus fulfilled so many Old Testament prophecies, proves that Jesus is the Christ, Scripture has been fulfilled, and God has given confirmation to his people that the Bible (i.e., especially the New Testament) has been confirmed as the sure word of truth. Athanasius concludes . . .

Jews, then, from these points and more, one could reasonably confute from the Divine Scriptures.

Having made his case, Athanasius moves on in the next section (41) to respond to objections raised by Gentiles. As he sees it, the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27, is a messianic prophecy, already fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Incarnation of the Word of God, trans. T. Herbert Bindley, Second Edition Revised (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1903). Text from Logos.