The question was asked of Jesus, "How many times should we forgive our brother, up to seven times?" Jesus responds (MAT18:22), "I do not say to you, up seven times but 70x7." Then Jesus goes right into a parable about settling accounts. Who does God have an account to settle? Many Christians think this means that Christians should always forgive those who transgress against us, which it true, but I think has a much deeper meaning. Let me take you back to Leviticus.
In Leviticus 26:1-13 God promises the Israelites prosperity, blessing and success, but from 14 to the end of the chapter God lays it out what it would be like if they disobey His commands:
14 ‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,
15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
16 I also will do this to you:
I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart.
And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.
Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.
18 ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
Read to the end of the chapter. Well, you should know the story, the Isrealites continued on a path for the most part of disobedience, God decides to punish them via the Babylonian captivity for 70 years. Near the end these 70 year,s 1 man, Daniel, knows the 70 year prophesy and prays to God on behalf of his countrymen. God answers with the 70x7 prophesy, see Israel as a whole did not repent. Most of the Jews living in Babylonian had established lives and did not leave at the Kings decree to rebuild the Jerusalem wall. In essence, the Jews as a nation did not repent of their disobedience and God extended their previous punishment seven times. And although they were allowed to go back to their home land (in which only a few of the whole did) they were never in complete control, they never had their national status back. The Jews were always under the control of other nations (the 4 beasts in an earlier prophesy in Daniel) the last one being the Roman Empire.
Therefore, Jesus was proclaiming the end to the Jewish way of life/worship/establishment, that the system they were accustomed to was going to be judged according to Old Testament law. Even though their existence was still sustained by God for 490 years, they were still under God's punishment in which was going come to an end, in which indeed came, at the coming of Christ. See, 70 weeks was determined for six things (Daniel 9:26) in which Jesus fulfilled at His coming. If one of these six is claimed to be fulfilled via the NT, then the whole six must be fulfilled for they all come to a close at the same time. These six things are:
1. To finish the transgression. Some would ask what is the transgression? I would ask what is the worst transgression anyone could do? How about reject God son's as their LORD and Savior? What is the unforgivable sin? Not to mention killing God's son. The Israelites would transgress against God over and over filling up the cup of God's wrath with climax being a final rejection and killing of God's Anointed One. Jesus told the Jewish leaders to fill up their transgress basically telling them to finish the job in Matthew 23:
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth,from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
There was nothing more the Israelites could do to push God's cup of wrath to overflowing. Not so?, not my words, but the Apostle Paul says God's wrath has come upon them to the uttermost because they killed the LORD and the prophets and were persecuting the body of Christ. Therefore the Religious Jews/establishment could not do anything more fill up their transgressions against God, their transgression against God was finished. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16.
The author of Hebrews is chapter 9 says Christ is the mediator of the new covenant, by His death, for the redemption of the transgressions of the old covenant. No longer could the Jewish establishment transgress against God in which God had to further punish or pour out His wrath. It was done and the decree to finish them off and their city was declared.
Also read Col
NOT ENOUGH? Lets move on to number 2:
2. To make an end of sins. Some will say this isn't fulfilled because sin still exists the whole today, and Christians still can sin. However, contrary to what they say, Paul says in Colossians 2 that Christ has made us (Christians) alive together with Him, having forgiven us ALL trespasses, having wiped out the handing writing of requirements (the law, designed to illuminate our sin) that was against us. To keep it simple, the apostle John records John the baptist saying, "behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." The apostle Paul says The law entered so that the offense might abound. But where law abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." If you are in Christ then it as if you never sinned, there is no more sin that can separate you from the love of God and His salvation. Read Romans 5:21; Hebrews 10:17-18; Romans 6:14.
Remember, if one of these six things are fulfilled, then they all have to be fulfilled;
3 To make reconciliation for iniquity. I need to shorten this up, so I will just add scripture here without comment. Hebrews 2:17, therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 2 Corinthians 5:19, Christ is reconciling the world to himself... Romans 5:11, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 1 Colossians 1:20, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
How can you say now that the 70th week of the Daniel prophesy isn't fulfulled? It boggles my mind, but I will continue:
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:30, But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. Romans 3:21-22, but now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;
5. To seal up vision and prophecy. Luke 24:44, Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Luke 21:21-23, then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.
6. And to anoint the Most Holy [place]. Hewbrews 4:21-22, And in the same way He sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
After all of this, to some (most if not all) there will be no convincing. All six things are fulfilled, not what I say, but what the bibles says.