Daniel 9: Daniel’s Prayer and the 70 weeks

Daniel 9: Daniel’s Prayer and the 70 weeks

• Setting
• This chapter was written during the reign of King Darius of Medo-Persia, the same king who is mentioned in Chapter 6 where we learned of Daniel being placed in the Lion’s Den.   
• King Darius was the Medo-Persian king who captured Babylon by overtaking King Belteshazzar.
• This chapter was written between 539 BC and 538 BC.
• Daniel is reflecting upon the 70 years mentioned by the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.   The 70 year period would begin in 606 BC.   (Jeremiah 25:11-14).
• Jeremiah was the last prophet to call to God’s people to repent before their exile to Babylon.
• A ‘Week’ in Hebrew refers to a period 7 periods, which would equal 7 years.   The Hebrew calendar was also based upon 360 days.
• The Israelites were held captive for 70 years as a punishment for how they treated the land, which was sacred in God’s eyes.  They were to plant and harvest for 6 years and then let the fields rest the 7th year.  After the 7th cycle, the year of Jubilee was declared.  Here the slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven and the mercies of God would be manifested. (Leviticus 25:8-13)   Approximately 490 years had passed since God’s decree, which would equal 70 Sabbath years.   (2 Chronicles 36:15-21).
• Overview
• This chapter is a prayer of supplication and confession for the nation of Israel from the prophet Daniel.   The Israelites had disobeyed God and they refused to listen to God’s warning as well.   God is forgiving but there are also consequences for sin.
• Attributes of the nation of Israel - Shameful, rebellious, and unfaithful.
• Attributes of God - Covenant keeping, merciful, and forgiving.
• Breakdown of the Verses.
• verse 9:1-2 - Daniel Learns Insight through God’s plan.
• The exiles of the Jews in Babylon was no accident. It was planned by God just as God would allow them to return back to their land.
• Daniel had taken the scrolls written by Jeremiah to Babylon with his exile.   
• Daniel came to God, pleading for mercy and forgiveness.   (Leviticus 26:40-42)
• Daniel pleaded with God to bring about the promised return of his people to their promised land.   The prophet Jeremiah had written that God would not allow his captives to return to their land for 70 years.   Daniel realized this 70 year period was coming to an end.   (Jeremiah 25:11-12, Jeremiah 29:10)
• Daniel had revealed his future plans for Israel and the events of Babylon to Daniel.
• verse 9:3-19 - Daniels Intercession, Praying for God’s Mercy.
• Daniel devoted himself to the word of God and prayer during his exile in Babylon.   Daniel was humbled by the word of God and he also sought God when his life was threatened.
• Prayer was a vital part of Daniel’s life as he prayed 3 times a day, during this prayer he wore sackcloth and ashes, he fasted, and he prepared his heart.   This prayer included praise to God as well as confession.   Daniel used the word ‘we’ to show that all Israel had sinned.   Daniel also acknowledges the glory of God.
• Verses 9:20-27 - Daniel’s Instruction and Discovery of God’s Time Table.
• Daniel was interrupted by the Angel Gabriel during his prayer, who had come to explain what God had planned for the temple, Jerusalem, and the Jewish people.
• ‘Fly swiftly’ refers to angels having wings and they fly from place to place.   Angels are spirits and do not have a physical body.   They can take on a temporary human form.   (Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7, Isaiah 6:2, Ezekiel 1:6-11)
• The Hebrew word ‘week’ means ‘sevens’, so Gabriel was speaking about 70 periods of 7 years, or 490 years in total.
• Daniel prayed the Jewish people would be forgiven for their sins against the LORD, Jerusalem would be rebuilt, and the temple to be restored.  These were the matters that Gabriel was going to discuss with Daniel.
• During these 490 years, God was going to accomplish 6 specific purposes for the Jewish people.   The first 3 deal with sin and the last 3 deal with righteousness.

• verse 9:24 - Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection have fulfilled the first 3 items mentioned: finishing of transgression, putting an end to sin, and the atonement for wickedness.   The last 3 will be fulfilled upon Christ’s newly established kingdom: everlasting righteousness, to seal up Daniel’s vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy One.   (Revelation 5:9, John 11:44-52, I John 2:2, Isaiah 53:8, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Isaiah 4:2-6)
• Israel’s sins would be forgiven.
• The city of Jerusalem was rebuilt.
• The temple and its ministry were restored.
• The 490 years is broken up into 3 different periods of 49 years, 434 years, and finally 7 years.
• verse 9:25 - King Artaxerxes issued the decree to rebuild the walls and streets of Jerusalem.   Nehemiah is authorized to return to lead the people back to return to Jerusalem.   (Nehemiah 2:5-8).   
• Using calculations from Sir Robert Anderson, this decree would have been made on March 14, 445 BC.
• Seven ‘sevens’ (49 years) and Sixty-two ‘sevens’ (434 years) refers to a period of 69 ‘sevens’.
• The first 7 weeks refers to the complete restoration of Israel and the next 62 weeks refer to the coming of the Messiah.
• 69 weeks * 7 years/week * 360 days/year = 173880 days.

• This calculation puts the date to Palm Sunday (April 6th, 32 AD) when Jesus rode through Jerusalem on a Donkey and was declared the Messiah.
• verse 9:26 - The ‘Anointed One’ means ‘Messiah’ in Hebrew and ‘Christ’ in Greek.   
• Jesus was upset the Jewish people did not recognize his coming.   According to Daniel they should had been able to calculate this date.   It appears the Wise Men (Magi) came from the East to look for the King of the Jews based upon Daniel’s prophecy.   Daniel was a Wise Men (Magi) under King Nebuchadnezzar.
• The Messiah or Anointed One was rejected and killed by his own people.  His perfect eternal kingdom has yet to come and will come at the end of times.   
• Daniel mentions ‘the Anointed One will be cut off, but not for himself’ refers to this rejection by the Jewish people and his crucifixion on the cross to pay for the price of sin for all nations.
• This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD when the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.  The Jewish people were then scattered among the nations.
• verse 9:27 - This focuses on the 70th week of Daniel and there are 3 different views on the fulfillment of this verse.
• The prophecy was fulfilled in the past with the desecration of the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes around 168 - 167 BC.   (Daniel 11:3)
• The prophecy was fulfilled in the past at the destruction of the temple by the Roman general Titus in 70 AD when 1 million Jews were killed.
• The prophecy is to be fulfilled in the future by the AntiChrist and the ‘Abomination of Desolation’ which occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation period at the end times.   (Matthew 24:15)
• This period of time begins once the AntiChrist signs a covenant with Israel.   This person will be a key political person from one of the nations of Europe.  During this period of 7 years, the covenant will be broken after 3-½ years and the temple will be seized with the image of the beast being placed in the temple.
• Jesus Christ will return to defeat Satan and the AntiChrist at the end of this 7 year period, which is referred to as the Tribulation period.   Jesus will return to establish his kingdom here upon Earth.
• The Angel Gabriel does not explain the period between the 69th and 70th ‘seven’.  This is the period of the Church, which is the great mystery of the New Testament.   (Ephesians 3:1-13)
• We are currently living in this period of the Church.
• Conclusion
• The Israelites did not obey the commands of the Prophets, but instead listened to the teachings of the False Prophets.   The Church of today should heed the words of the Prophets.   (2 Peter 1: 19-21).
• In Daniel’s prayer for the nation of Israel he confessed his own sin, using the pronoun ‘we’ throughout.   In times of trouble it is easy to blame others and excuse our own actions.   If any Israelite was righteous, it was Daniel.   Yet he confessed his sinfulness and the need for God’s forgiveness.   Instead of looking toward others to blame, first look inside and confess our sins to God.
• Daniel knew how to pray.  As he prayed, he also fasted, confessed his sins, and he pleaded that God would reveal his will.  He prayed with complete surrender to God with a complete openness to what God was saying to him.   When we pray, do we speak openly with God?
• Do not let your past disobedience keep you from returning to God.  He is waiting for you and he wants you to return.
• Daniel begged for God’s mercy, not God’s help.  He knew his people deserved God’s punishment and wrath.  God sends help not because we deserve it, but because he wants to show us his great mercy.
• We should also be in fervent prayer and pray frequently.   (James 5:16)
• The 3 hardest words to say are ‘I have sinned’.   
• Confession means to ‘admit guilt’.