And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more; and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.”​—Dan. 9:24-26.

And what of the “threescore and two” or sixty-two “weeks”? Jewish commentators apply these to a period of 434 years, during which time Jerusalem was to be fully restored. Some believe that the “anointed one” that was to be “cut off” (Dan. 9:26) designates King Agrippa (II), who lived at the time of Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 C.E. But others consider the “anointed one” to be High Priest Onias, whom Antiochus Epiphanes deposed in 175 B.C.E.

So Jewish commentators are by no means certain about the significance of Gabriel’s words. In fact, there are inconsistencies in the explanation. Whereas the “seven weeks” are understood to be of ten years each, totaling seventy years (7 x 10), the ‘sixty-two weeks’ are considered to be of seven years each, totaling four hundred and thirty-four years (62 x 7). Thus these Jewish commentators have actually manipulated the time features in an effort to force an explanation of Gabriel’s words.