Could Jesus have set up His kingdom at the end of Daniel's 70 weeks?
Yes, according to the timeline of Daniel's 490 years, Christ could have come at the completion of the 70 weeks and set up His kingdom as King. This was hypothetical, however, because it did not actually happen; Israel would also have been priests.
Les explains that all the Old Testament prophecies merely speak of a timeline concerning Israel that goes right on through to the completion of the 490 years—Daniel's 70 weeks. At that point, Christ could have come and set up His kingdom, and He would have been the King. Israel, the nation, could have been the priests they were promised back in Exodus 19, acting as go-betweens to bring pagan Gentiles to a knowledge of God. But Les stresses this is hypothetical, because it did not happen. Daniel 9 says the 490 years were determined to finish transgression, make an end of sin, and make reconciliation for iniquity—all satisfied at the first advent, His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection—and to bring in everlasting righteousness, which is the kingdom. It was all to flow right in that 490-year period. Les then points to Psalm 2 as a graphic illustration that this is how the Old Testament writers saw it.