Interestingly, interpreters like DeMar, who advocate a continuous fulfillment view of all 70 weeks without a break, are required to put both the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem some 40 years later into the final week of years, which is only seven years in length. Yet DeMar accuses those who see a gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week as exercising “silly-putty exegesis,” of stretching out this Biblical time frame in a manner not supported by the text itself. DeMar argues that Christ’s death took place in the middle of the final week, which would then draw to a conclusion in A.D. 33 with the conversion of Paul (an event which in no way is even remotely alluded to in Gabriel’s prophecy). What DeMar fails to tell his readers is that while he argues vehemently against a gap, he is very silent about how to cram two events separated by 40 years into a seven-year period. Perhaps his approach should be called “shoehorn” exegesis!
A closer look at DeMar’s problem reveals a grave contradiction in his understanding of Daniel 9: 24-27 and his view of Matthew 24: 15 as having been fulfilled in A.D. 70. “The abomination of desolation is mentioned in one Old Testament book (Daniel 9: 27; 11: 31; 12: 11),” declares DeMar. He then states that “there was no doubt in the minds of those who read and understood Jesus’ words in Matthew 24: 15 that the abomination of desolation prophecy was fulfilled in events leading up to the temple’s destruction in A.D. 70.” Clearly DeMar links the fulfillment if the abomination of desolation in Daniel 9: 27, which will occur in the middle of the week, with the Roman destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 some 40 years later. The problem is that the numbers clearly don’t add up. There is absolutely no way to jam events that occurred 40 years apart into a mere seven years.
I understand the issues with the destruction of Jerusalem and the 70 weeks and I believe there is a solution, but what accepted chronology place the crucifixion outside the 70 weeks?