Daniel 9
Chapter 9 of this book deals with two items. First, a lengthy prayer which shows us a pattern of foundational truth that defines Daniel and cements his faith squarely God. Second, a premonition of the Seventy-Sevens, an end-world prophecy which details a number of historical items that shows the vastness of God’s plan along with the amazing way He works through great spaces of time.
9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[b] kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
First we are reminded of something simple, yet profound: Daniel knows the scriptures. This speaks to his devotion to the word of God. If we recall Daniel’s early life (Chapters 1-6), we’ll recall that Daniel was a man who stood up for God. This was only because he connected with the word, let it flow into him, until it became second nature. It affected every aspect of his life, his character, his journey. Knowing the scriptures isn’t just the reading them, but absorbing them into your system until it is part of you. That’s the connection Daniel had.
Second, he understood the word of Jeremiah. The prophecy of Jeremiah is found in Jeremiah 25:11-13, Jeremiah 29:10 and Isaiah 29:10. These prophecies all deal with the time that Israel must stay captive in Babylon. Daniel both understood the prophecy and believed the prophecy of 70 years of captivity.
Third, Daniel turns to God in petition. He must come humbly to God with his request. He resorts to sackcloth and ashes, which shows his humility. This prayer is not passive. It is not self-serving. He needs to get the motive of the prayer right.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God. He then prepares for prayer
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
Daniel confesses the sin of his people. He recognizes the glory of God first. He recognizes and acknowledges that God keeps His word. You’ll notice too that Daniel doesn’t separate himself from Israel. He is an accomplice to these crimes. His prayer, issued in humility, is as much for himself as for his people. He then specifically calls out Israel’s sin. What is the sin? Israel has not listened to God.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God.
He then prepares for prayer.
He gives thanks and gory to God.
Acknowledges weakness.
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.
Daniel confesses that the sin is not God’s fault. No excuses are offered. The realization is clear: Israel has not obeyed. There is great shame at Israel’s disobedience.
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
Israel has not sought repentance. The Law of Moses (the Ten Commandments0 were designed for Israel to follow. Deuteronomy 23:1-14 shows another dimension of the God’s Will. It shows how Israel should operate inside God’s Will. If they do what God wants there is a great blessing not only to the individual, but to the entire people and to the land. Deuteronomy 28:15-68, conversely teaches what it is like when one steps outside God’s will, and how God’s wrath falls. The land is blighted. The people are cursed.
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
Daniel prays for forgiveness. The prayer is a reminder of how God has provided for them (brought them out of Egypt). He recognizes the sin and pleads for God’s mercy. Israel’s action has not produced what God has intended.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God.
He then prepares for prayer.
He gives thanks and gory to God.
Acknowledges weakness.
Acknowledges fault.
Acknowledges disobedience.
Acknowledges God’s provision.
Asks for God’s mercy.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
The final salvo Daniel throws is for urgency. He asks for God’s mercy for Israel, pleads that God does not delay. The pleas are only according to God’s righteousness. His complete trust and dependency is on God.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God.
He then prepares for prayer.
He gives thanks and gory to God.
Acknowledges weakness.
Acknowledges fault.
Acknowledges disobedience.
Acknowledges God’s provision.
Asks for God’s mercy.
Trust and dependence.
Why is prayer important?
Prayer connects us with God (Jer 33:3, James 4:8)
Prayer helps us to express gratitude to God (1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 9:1)
Prayer helps us to confess our sins and ask for repentance (Psalm 32:5, James 4:7-10)
Prayer is an act of obedience and worship (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Prayer acknowledges who is really in control (1 Chronicles 29:11)
Prayer is something you should want to do.
The Seventy “Sevens”
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:
Gabriel arrives during Daniel’s prayer. Daniel’s heart is right for this prayer, and he is regarded as highly-esteemed.
Highly- esteemed, and beloved, are terms used for two people in scripture. One, of course is Daniel, but the other is the Apostle John (John 13:23). Both of these men are deemed “loved” by God and both are given strong prophetic visions. What they haven common is their diligence. They both sought God with passion, and both were given more than expected.
24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish[d] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
This vision is a difficult one to interpret. First, depending on the translation you are reading, it may say seventy “sevens” (NIV) or seventy “weeks” (KJV). The Hebrew word used for this is Shabuwa. It refers to a unit of 7, usually a 7-day period or a 7-year period. This passage most likely refers to 70 7-year periods in order for “transgression” to be complete. The end of this transgression brings an everlasting righteousness (Peace) and an anointing of the Most Holy Place (The restored New World under Christ). So Daniel’s vision is one that ranges through time, from a specific starting point, to the arrival of Christ, to the end of time.
25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
The Anointed one in this passage refers to Jesus. This can be verified by the the KJV translation, which, along with its interpretation of “weeks” (Shabuwa, referring to either a 7-day period or a year) which, also translates the anointed one as “Messiah the Prince”.
In this time period (the final 69 sevens), there is a decrees to finish transgression (New Order), to put an end to sin (New redeemed world), to atone for wickedness (forgiveness), to bring an everlasting righteousness (New order of messiah), to seal up the vision ad prophecy (conclusion of human history), and to anoint the most holy place (restoration).
The issue then becomes: what is the starting point of the time period? If we are to verify Daniel’s vision, we must first establish when the first marker is. There are four possibilities:
The answer is number four. If you read the text carefully, Daniel states that the restoration and building of Jerusalem is the starting point for this prophecy, widely regarded as beginning, and ending, in 445 BC.
Seven Sevens (v.25)
This refers to a set of (7) 7 year periods, equalling 49 years. This was the amount of time it took for Jerusalem to be completely rebuilt, starting from the time of Nehemiah’s restoration in 445 BC.
Sixty-Two Sevens
This works out to 434 years. Together, it equals 483 years. If we add them together (445 BC + 483 years), we get a year of 38 AD (remember, since we are in BC, we are counting down toward zero). This is the time the anointed one, the Messiah the Prince, Jesus, is predicted to arrive.
The numbers are close, but they don’t precisely work out. Is Daniel’s prophecy wrong? The problem is this: we have to use the Hebrew calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. In the Hebrew calendar, there are 360 days in the year, not 365, so our calculation must change. 483 years x 360 days = 173,880 days, which becomes equivalent to 476 years and 25 days. The calculation brings us to 30 AD, which corresponds to when Jesus presented Himself to Israel on Palm Sunday, was crucified on Preparation Day (the annual day when the passover lamb was slain), and rose form he dead on Sunday.
Verse 26 again: 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.[g] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
This is an example of near and far prophecy. In less than two generations, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, erecting a temple dedicated to Jupiter on the temple mount (70 AD).
27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
There is still one 7 remaining in this prophecy. First, who is “He”? This is again near and far fulfillment of prophecy. Some believe this was fulfilled in the time of the temple destruction and the erection of the temple of Jupiter. Others believe this is the antichrist, who breaks the covenant with Israel halfway through a covenant and make himself known. According to the second theory, there is an unknown period of time before the final “7”.
The Anti-Christ will put an end to the sacrifices during this 7 year period, and in the middle of this time will sever the agreement with Israel and create a desolation, showing the world who he truly is.
Chapter 9 of this book deals with two items. First, a lengthy prayer which shows us a pattern of foundational truth that defines Daniel and cements his faith squarely God. Second, a premonition of the Seventy-Sevens, an end-world prophecy which details a number of historical items that shows the vastness of God’s plan along with the amazing way He works through great spaces of time.
9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[b] kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
First we are reminded of something simple, yet profound: Daniel knows the scriptures. This speaks to his devotion to the word of God. If we recall Daniel’s early life (Chapters 1-6), we’ll recall that Daniel was a man who stood up for God. This was only because he connected with the word, let it flow into him, until it became second nature. It affected every aspect of his life, his character, his journey. Knowing the scriptures isn’t just the reading them, but absorbing them into your system until it is part of you. That’s the connection Daniel had.
Second, he understood the word of Jeremiah. The prophecy of Jeremiah is found in Jeremiah 25:11-13, Jeremiah 29:10 and Isaiah 29:10. These prophecies all deal with the time that Israel must stay captive in Babylon. Daniel both understood the prophecy and believed the prophecy of 70 years of captivity.
Third, Daniel turns to God in petition. He must come humbly to God with his request. He resorts to sackcloth and ashes, which shows his humility. This prayer is not passive. It is not self-serving. He needs to get the motive of the prayer right.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God. He then prepares for prayer
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:
“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
Daniel confesses the sin of his people. He recognizes the glory of God first. He recognizes and acknowledges that God keeps His word. You’ll notice too that Daniel doesn’t separate himself from Israel. He is an accomplice to these crimes. His prayer, issued in humility, is as much for himself as for his people. He then specifically calls out Israel’s sin. What is the sin? Israel has not listened to God.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God.
He then prepares for prayer.
He gives thanks and gory to God.
Acknowledges weakness.
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.
Daniel confesses that the sin is not God’s fault. No excuses are offered. The realization is clear: Israel has not obeyed. There is great shame at Israel’s disobedience.
11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
Israel has not sought repentance. The Law of Moses (the Ten Commandments0 were designed for Israel to follow. Deuteronomy 23:1-14 shows another dimension of the God’s Will. It shows how Israel should operate inside God’s Will. If they do what God wants there is a great blessing not only to the individual, but to the entire people and to the land. Deuteronomy 28:15-68, conversely teaches what it is like when one steps outside God’s will, and how God’s wrath falls. The land is blighted. The people are cursed.
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
Daniel prays for forgiveness. The prayer is a reminder of how God has provided for them (brought them out of Egypt). He recognizes the sin and pleads for God’s mercy. Israel’s action has not produced what God has intended.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God.
He then prepares for prayer.
He gives thanks and gory to God.
Acknowledges weakness.
Acknowledges fault.
Acknowledges disobedience.
Acknowledges God’s provision.
Asks for God’s mercy.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
The final salvo Daniel throws is for urgency. He asks for God’s mercy for Israel, pleads that God does not delay. The pleas are only according to God’s righteousness. His complete trust and dependency is on God.
KEY: Daniel first studies and absorbs the word of God.
He then prepares for prayer.
He gives thanks and gory to God.
Acknowledges weakness.
Acknowledges fault.
Acknowledges disobedience.
Acknowledges God’s provision.
Asks for God’s mercy.
Trust and dependence.
Why is prayer important?
Prayer connects us with God (Jer 33:3, James 4:8)
Prayer helps us to express gratitude to God (1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 9:1)
Prayer helps us to confess our sins and ask for repentance (Psalm 32:5, James 4:7-10)
Prayer is an act of obedience and worship (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Prayer acknowledges who is really in control (1 Chronicles 29:11)
Prayer is something you should want to do.
The Seventy “Sevens”
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:
Gabriel arrives during Daniel’s prayer. Daniel’s heart is right for this prayer, and he is regarded as highly-esteemed.
Highly- esteemed, and beloved, are terms used for two people in scripture. One, of course is Daniel, but the other is the Apostle John (John 13:23). Both of these men are deemed “loved” by God and both are given strong prophetic visions. What they haven common is their diligence. They both sought God with passion, and both were given more than expected.
24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish[d] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
This vision is a difficult one to interpret. First, depending on the translation you are reading, it may say seventy “sevens” (NIV) or seventy “weeks” (KJV). The Hebrew word used for this is Shabuwa. It refers to a unit of 7, usually a 7-day period or a 7-year period. This passage most likely refers to 70 7-year periods in order for “transgression” to be complete. The end of this transgression brings an everlasting righteousness (Peace) and an anointing of the Most Holy Place (The restored New World under Christ). So Daniel’s vision is one that ranges through time, from a specific starting point, to the arrival of Christ, to the end of time.
25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
The Anointed one in this passage refers to Jesus. This can be verified by the the KJV translation, which, along with its interpretation of “weeks” (Shabuwa, referring to either a 7-day period or a year) which, also translates the anointed one as “Messiah the Prince”.
In this time period (the final 69 sevens), there is a decrees to finish transgression (New Order), to put an end to sin (New redeemed world), to atone for wickedness (forgiveness), to bring an everlasting righteousness (New order of messiah), to seal up the vision ad prophecy (conclusion of human history), and to anoint the most holy place (restoration).
The issue then becomes: what is the starting point of the time period? If we are to verify Daniel’s vision, we must first establish when the first marker is. There are four possibilities:
- Cyrus decrees rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1:1-4)
- Darius’ edict to Ezra to rebuild temple (Ezra 6:6-12)
- Artaxerxes commission to rebuild the temple (Ezra 7:11-26)
- Artaxerxes command to Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem (Neh 2:1-8)
The answer is number four. If you read the text carefully, Daniel states that the restoration and building of Jerusalem is the starting point for this prophecy, widely regarded as beginning, and ending, in 445 BC.
Seven Sevens (v.25)
This refers to a set of (7) 7 year periods, equalling 49 years. This was the amount of time it took for Jerusalem to be completely rebuilt, starting from the time of Nehemiah’s restoration in 445 BC.
Sixty-Two Sevens
This works out to 434 years. Together, it equals 483 years. If we add them together (445 BC + 483 years), we get a year of 38 AD (remember, since we are in BC, we are counting down toward zero). This is the time the anointed one, the Messiah the Prince, Jesus, is predicted to arrive.
The numbers are close, but they don’t precisely work out. Is Daniel’s prophecy wrong? The problem is this: we have to use the Hebrew calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. In the Hebrew calendar, there are 360 days in the year, not 365, so our calculation must change. 483 years x 360 days = 173,880 days, which becomes equivalent to 476 years and 25 days. The calculation brings us to 30 AD, which corresponds to when Jesus presented Himself to Israel on Palm Sunday, was crucified on Preparation Day (the annual day when the passover lamb was slain), and rose form he dead on Sunday.
Verse 26 again: 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.[g] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
This is an example of near and far prophecy. In less than two generations, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, erecting a temple dedicated to Jupiter on the temple mount (70 AD).
27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
There is still one 7 remaining in this prophecy. First, who is “He”? This is again near and far fulfillment of prophecy. Some believe this was fulfilled in the time of the temple destruction and the erection of the temple of Jupiter. Others believe this is the antichrist, who breaks the covenant with Israel halfway through a covenant and make himself known. According to the second theory, there is an unknown period of time before the final “7”.
The Anti-Christ will put an end to the sacrifices during this 7 year period, and in the middle of this time will sever the agreement with Israel and create a desolation, showing the world who he truly is.