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THE SEVENTY WEEKS

Chapter 9

The facts reported in this chapter followed less than a year after the vision of the previous chapter. In the interval, Babylon fell, overcome by the Medo-Persia, coming under Darius king of the Chaldeans (Chapter 6).

Daniel, a student of the Scriptures, realized that the "desolations of Jerusalem" were about to end: the prophet Jeremiah had announced, from the Lord in 605 BC, that seventy years after the deportation of the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon, they would return to their homeland. Less than three years were now left for this to fulfil, and Cyrus was already in power at the head of the Persians: according to the prophecy of Isaiah (a century before Jeremiah) he (Cyrus) would would be the one to fulfil it (Isaiah 44:28).

Having received the revelation of God, in the previous visions, that his people would still have to go through many hardships under the domination of other peoples, Daniel was concerned, and addressed the Lord in "prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes"- probably remembering Leviticus 26:40-45 and Deuteronomy 30:1-10. So he interceded for his people before God, in the hope that God would restore them to their land, saving them more suffering. This prayer was interrupted by God: God had to show him that the 70 years of desolation were just a "type" for a bigger desolation which would last 70 times longer than seven years, subject of the next vision (Deuteronomy 30 will be fulfilled at the end of the last 7 years).

Daniel's prayer is a model of confession (v.4-15), supplication and intercession (v.16-19), in which Daniel spoke for his people: personally, Daniel was a righteous and godfearing man, but expressing his humility, he fasted, dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on himself. He did not say "the people have sinned ..." but "we have sinned ..." thus associating himself with his people, and acknowledged that all the evil that came upon the people was a result of their disobedience, and now they depended entirely on the mercy and forgiveness of God (vs. 9,18,19).

His prayer was interrupted at three in the afternoon (time when the evening sacrifice would have been offered in Jerusalem before the destruction of the temple) by the angel Gabriel, who appeared to him as a man. He was sent (by God) at the beginning of Daniel's prayer - having flown from heaven to Babylon in a few seconds - to make him understand the vision, because Daniel was "greatly beloved".

Gabriel now makes it clear that God had determined for Daniel's people (Israel) and his holy city (Jerusalem) seventy "weeks" (a word which, in the original Hebrew, means seven periods of time, whether days, months or years; in this case it was years) to attend to what Daniel asked in his prayer.

Looking at the chronology of this people, we see that it is divided into four periods of 490 years, not counting the years they were alienated from God:

• From the promise given by God to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4) in 2111 BC, until Moses received the law on Mount Sinai in 1606 BC, there were 505 years: taking away the 15 years of Ishmael there are 490 left.

• From the giving of the law until the dedication of Solomon's temple in 1005 there were 601 years; taking away the 111 years of bondage to other people during the times of the Judges, there are 490 left.

• From the dedication of the temple until the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus to restore and build Jerusalem in 445 BC there are 560 years: taking away 70 years in captivity there are 490.

• A new period of 490 years (the "seventy weeks"), now confirmed by Gabriel, starts from that decree until the destruction of the "one who makes desolate" (the Antichrist). This period does not include the "times of the Gentiles" ranging from the death of the Anointed (Messiah) after 483 years, until the beginning of the tribulation which will last the seven years at the end of that period.

After the last period has ended (at the second coming of Christ), six things will be accomplished to the nation of Israel and its capital, Jerusalem:

1. "To finish the transgression": all apostasy will be eliminated from Israel.

2. "To make an end of sins": a better translation is to "seal the sin", that is, to prevent its practice (Romans 11:26-27).

3. "To make reconciliation for iniquity": one day the whole nation will repent and be saved (through the atonement effected by Christ on the cross - Romans 11:26, Revelation 1:7, Isaiah 66:8, Zechariah 12:10; 13:1).

4. "To bring in everlasting righteousness": the kingdom of God will physically begin with the return of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, who will make a new covenant with the people of Israel (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

5. "To seal up vision and prophecy": This closure is due to the fact that all that has been revealed to the people of Israel concerning its future will have been accomplished.

6. "And to anoint the Most Holy'': the temple had a division called "the Holy of Holies," which housed the Ark of the Covenant. This sanctuary was anointed with God's Presence. The "Holy of Holies" of the new temple in Jerusalem will also be anointed (in the millennium).

The last period of 490 years is made of three phases:

1. Seven weeks (49 years) during which the streets and walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt (in the times of Nehemiah and Malachi, the last prophet).

2. Sixty-two weeks (434 years), starting from that rebuilding and ending with the coming of the Anointed (Messiah), the Prince. This account is right up to the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the temple, on a donkey. The "prophetic silence" is included within this period, since Malachi, the last Old Testament prophet, until the events preceding the birth of John the Baptist, followed by the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ.

3. One week (7 years) beginning with a covenant that a prince who is to come (Antichrist), from a people who destroyed Jerusalem and the sanctuary (the Romans in 70 AD) will sign with many Jews. In the middle of the week - after three and a half years - he will bring an end to sacrifice and offering in the temple, and with abominations (he will make an image of himself to be worshipped in the temple) he will desolate the people of Israel (the "great" tribulation" ) until the consummation which is determined (at Christ's return he will be destroyed).

As in previous periods of 490 years, we see that here there is also an interval for the years in which the people of Israel will be alienated from God. It began with the rejection of the Messiah (Matthew 21), and will end with the recovery of Jerusalem by the Jews and the rebuilding of the temple. During this interval Christ was killed, resurrected and raised to heaven, the romans destroyed Jerusalem and the sanctuary, and there have been wars and desolations (for the Jews). This is the current period of the Church of Christ, a mystery not revealed to Daniel.

R David Jones

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—
2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
10 We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.
12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 "As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.
14 Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16 "O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God,
21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:
24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

Daniel chapter 9