Daniel 9

Israel ’s Mysterious Future (9:1 – 9:27)

Again, Daniel paid the price of commitment and pleaded with God in fasting, sackcloth and ashes (9:3). Daniel took God’s word and used it as a basis for his prayer. He literally began to pray an end to the desolation of his nation and the captivity of his people. His beautiful prayer is a model for all those who would intercede for Israel.

In his prayer, Daniel first began to glorify God (9:4) as the awesome God who keeps his covenants. Next he began a corporate confession of sins (9:5-8). We can learn much from Daniel’s prayer. Here we learn that real intercessors for Israel cannot use the term “they.” If we as Christians are really grafted into Israel as Paul mentions in Romans 11:17-18, then we should always be careful to pray like Daniel prayed, using “we” instead of “they.” Our prayers to God for Israel should sound like this, “O Lord…WE have sinned…”

In 9:6, Daniel pinpoints a whole area of disobedience that continues to affect Israel today. Israel has not listened to God’s prophets. In 9:10, he brings up the subject again in saying that Israel has not kept the laws that God gave through the prophets. When we think of laws we naturally think of the Torah (five books of Moses), but here we are told of laws given by God’s messengers the prophets. What kinds of laws are these? Let us look at just one example: In Leviticus 12:3, there is the clear commandment that every male Jewish child must be circumcised in his flesh. This is the Law of God as commanded in the Torah of Moses. However, in Jeremiah 4:4, that prophet commands Israel to be circumcised in heart. Obviously, there is a vast difference in these two concepts of circumcision.

Israel was not obedient, to the Law of God as reflected in the Torah, or to the spirit of that Law as reflected in the prophets. Therefore, God’s sworn judgments came upon the nation (9:11). Daniel knew that nothing had ever been done like what had been done to Jerusalem and what would be done to her in the future (9:12). Josephus, who was a witness to the destruction of Jerusalem at a much later time under the Romans (A.D. 70), claims that over one million souls perished in that siege alone. It is likely that with all her woes, Jerusalem has experienced more suffering than any other city on earth.

Daniel brought his prayer to an end by reminding the Lord of all God’s righteous acts, and reminding him that Jerusalem is his own city (9:16). He asked God to look upon the city that bears his name (9:18) and save it for his own sake (9:17). We know from Ezekiel 36:22 that God did restore both his people and his land strictly for the sake of his holy name, just as Daniel prayed. Daniel begged God to listen, to forgive, to act and not delay, for God’s own sake (9:19).

This prayer of Daniel got results. It appears that within the short time of three years from this prayer almost 50,000 Israelites were headed home to Jerusalem. The date was 538 B.C. Many of these people no doubt had been carried away captive in 586 B.C. when Jerusalem was destroyed. Now they were headed back home in less than fifty years after their captivity began. Even for the small number carried away in 605 B.C. it was still a period of only 67 years. How could such a thing be? [15] The prophet Jeremiah had predicted a seventy-year captivity. To this seeming mystery we can only say, “ The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective “ (Jas. 5:16).

The book of Daniel now introduces us to one of the most astounding mysteries in the whole Bible. This is the mystery of the “seventy sevens,” or seventy periods of time that would run from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the very end of the age (9:20-27). The mystery is unfolded for us in four verses (24-27). Bible scholars have pondered these mysterious verses for ages, and still many of their secrets remain hidden. These verses remind us of Proverbs 25:2, where it is said, “ It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” If we are truly kings and priests before God (Rev. 5:10), then it is to our glory to search these things out. In Deuteronomy 29:29 it is said, “ The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever. “

Daniel is told by the angel that there will be a total period of “seventy sevens” (seventy seven-year segments) decreed for the Jewish people (9:24). The unusually wide scope of this period of time is reflected by the purposes that will be accomplished in it. During this time, transgressions will be finished, with an end being brought to sin. Atonement for wickedness will be made; everlasting righteousness will be ushered in; vision and prophecy will be sealed up; and the most holy will be anointed (9:24). This period seems to usher us into the very end of human history. In fact, the commentator, Pentecost, sees all this ending in the Millennial Kingdom. [16] Of course, as Christians we can hardly look at this strange passage without seeing in it the work of Jesus the Messiah of Israel. The mystery seems to be focused upon his coming, his atoning death, and his approaching kingdom.

At this point it is almost impossible for us to proceed further without our calculators in hand. In order for us to understand the next three verses we would almost need to be some combination of astronomer, historian, mathematician, and Bible scholar. In lieu of these things, we can just be Spirit-led saints of God with open hearts, minds, and Bibles.

Now the angel Gabriel informs Daniel that from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the anointed ruler comes will be a combined period of “seven sevens” and “sixty two sevens.” The initial period of “seven sevens” seems to be related to the resettlement of the land and the rebuilding of the Temple after the Babylonian captivity. The total period for our consideration will thus be “sixty nine sevens” (9:25).

This kind of language is strange for us today, but it was not at all strange for Daniel or for the Jews living in his time. They were well acquainted with time periods of “sevens.” In Leviticus 25:2-7, the Israelites were commanded to let the land rest every seven years. In the same chapter they were also commanded to have a Jubilee year after seven periods of seven years. It appears in the Bible that Israel was given seventy years of captivity precisely because she had violated that many sabbatical years (cf. 2 Chron. 36:21; Lev. 26:34) – that Israel was given one year of captivity for every year violated.

After the “sixty-two sevens” (which obviously includes the first period and is now a total of sixty-nine sevens), Daniel is told that the Anointed One (“ Mashiach” or “Messiah” in Hebrew) will be cut off (9:26). This sounds very much like the language of Isaiah 53:8, “ For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.” Soon after that, the people of the ruler will come and destroy the city and sanctuary. This military figure is surely a reference to Titus, son of Vespasian, who was left in charge of the Roman war in Judea by his father. By this time Vespasian himself had just become the new Emperor of Rome. In the year after his father’s becoming Emperor, Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. The end came like a flood with wars and desolations decreed (9:26).

Daniel is then introduced to the final period of “seven.” It will obviously come at the end of the age do to the presence of the Beast or Antichrist pictured in this period. At that time the covenant will be renewed with Israel for a short and turbulent period of seven years. This period may well be marked by the building of a new Temple in Jerusalem and even by the renewal of animal sacrifices. In the middle of this period the Beast or Antichrist spoken of in Daniel and in Revelation will put an end to sacrifice and proclaim that he himself is God (cf. Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4). He will set up the abomination of desolation in a wing of the Temple, but then his awful reign will be brought to an end (9:27).

Now what can we make of this whole mysterious passage of scripture? We first need to decide exactly which decree the angel was speaking about. We learn from the Bible that there were four such decrees. There was the decree of Cyrus in 538 B.C. (Ezra 1:1-4). Then there was the decree of Darius in 517 B.C. affirming that original decree (Ezra 6:6-12). Later, there was the first decree of Artaxerxes in 458 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-26). Then, finally there was the second decree of Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. (Neh. 2:1-9).

For the sake of simplicity let us assume that Daniel was speaking about normal 365 day-years just like we have today. If we exclude the last mysterious period of “seven” and multiply 69 x 7, we get a total of 483 years as the period encompassed by the first sixty-nine sevens.

Now with our calculators in hand let us go to work. If we take the decree of Cyrus in 538 B.C. and subtract 483 years from it, we arrive at a date of about 55 B.C. This does not seem to be a particularly significant date in the history of Israel. The same would apply to the decree of Darius. But if we take the first decree of Artaxerxes in 458 B.C. and subtract 483 years from it we arrive somewhere in the vicinity of A.D. 25. This date seems quite close to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. If we take the second decree of Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. and subtract 483 years from it we end up at about A.D. 38. This appears to be slightly after the ministry of Jesus. Many scholars feel that Jesus was born somewhere around 4 B.C. We are told in Luke 3:23 that he was about 30 years old when he began his work. His ministry dates are generally estimated to fall somewhere around A.D. 28 – 32.

We can now see that either of the last two decrees could possibly be predictions of Jesus’ ministry, and even of his atoning death. Now we must consider some complications to our simple way of calculating. In the first place, it is likely that the angel was speaking to Daniel about lunar years, the kind that Israel still observes today. The lunar year was made up of 360 days, not 365 as in our solar years. This type of calculation was common in the Bible as we can see from Genesis 7:11 and 8:4. We learn there that the flood began on the 17th day of the second month and ended on the 17th day of the 7th month. That is clearly a period of five months. However, we are told in Genesis 7:24 and 8:3 that the flood lasted exactly 150 days. Obviously each month was based on the 30 day lunar calendar.

If we recalculate based upon the lunar year we will shorten the period by about 6 or 7 years. With this new calculation, the first decree of Artaxerxes would bring us to about A.D.18, again not a significant date. The second decree would bring us to about A.D. 31. This would be an extremely significant date, about the time of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his crucifixion.

There are other factors, however, that complicate our calculations. From the year 1 B.C. until the year A.D. 1 is not two years, but one year. Even the solar year does not have 365 days, but 365.25 days. Also, the exact dates of Jesus ministry are still somewhat contested. So, we have probably done about all we can do with these dates and figures. It seems from what we see that the second decree of Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. is the likely beginning of this time period. It should be noted that this decree was the only one of the four that specifically spoke of rebuilding Jerusalem (Neh. 2:5).

It is plain from our calculations and from the implications of these verses that the Messiah of Israel would have had to be cut off after the total of “sixty nine sevens” had elapsed and that his ministry and death would have preceded the destruction of the Second Temple by Titus in A.D. 70. This is astounding information for us and for all Israel, and it is a confirmation of all that is spoken of by the prophets. It certainly sheds light on the mysterious words of Jesus uttered shortly before his crucifixion, words recorded in Luke 19:42 (NKJV). He said to Israel: “ If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (emphasis mine). In Luke 19:44 Jesus says: “They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Other statements of Jesus in the Passion Week also connect his approaching death to the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Lk. 21:20-24; 23:28-31). [17]

This whole interesting passage of Daniel also sheds some light upon the biblical time frame used in the New Testament. The New Testament writers felt they were living in the very last days. John even says, “ Dear children, this is the last hour “ (1 Jn. 2:18). Either these writers were living in the last time or they were sadly and tragically mistaken. This passage in Daniel helps us understand this apparent discrepancy. We learn here that the end-day time clock began running with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 B.C. By the time Jesus was crucified, sixty- nine of the seventy time periods had elapsed. Shortly after that, Jerusalem and the Holy Temple were destroyed by Titus (A.D. 70). Writers in the New Testament era knew they were living in the last period or last hour of history and they were right.

What happened? Almost two thousand years have now elapsed and the end has not come. How do we explain this problem? The secret is that the biblical clock must have stopped, probably at the destruction of Jerusalem or of the Temple. God’s end-day program was thus suspended.

We remember that the end-day time clock began running with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Obviously, Jerusalem’s destruction would have had great bearing upon this divine timing mechanism. Today the clock still indicates seven minutes until midnight, so to speak. We are still very near a new day, and we are still living in the last hour of history. The clock still remains stopped. When will it start again? It could start at any moment especially now that Israel and Jerusalem are being restored once more. But the event that will start the clock will likely concern the building of a new Temple. When the clock starts, we could have only a period of about seven years until the end of the age. This period will surely include the time of the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation.

Footnotes

15. Pfeiffer, CF, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, (Chicago, IL, Moody Press 1962.

16. Pentecost, comment on Daniel 9:24.

17. Fausset, comment on v. 9:26.