Daniel Chapter Nine

“ In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;”

Daniel 9:1

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes,”

Daniel 9:2

“In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

Daniel 9:2

“I Daniel understood by books”

• Daniel was still studying God’s Word even though he was a captive in a foreign country

“understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet,”

• Daniel had been shown what would happen in the future years (Daniel chapters two, seven, and eight)
• Daniel was concerned how that related to his immediate future and Jeremiah’s prophecy

 “that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

• This refers to Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 29:10)
• God had said that He would bring them back after seventy years
• Jerusalem was captured in 605 B.C. and Babylon fell in 538 B.C. ( about 67 years)
• Daniel was writing this in 538 B.C. therefore, there was less than 3 years left!

“seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

• Babylon’s reign was for 67 years ending in 538 B.C. and Israel would be initially released by Cyrus in 537 B.C.

Daniel 9:3

“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”

Daniel 9:3

“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer”

• Daniel set his “face unto the Lord” may refer to his praying toward Jerusalem
• Daniel was asking God to honor His promise to release His people
• Daniel knew that God’s promises were often conditional (Jer. 18:7-10)
• Daniel had seen in vision in chapter 8 that God’s people were going to suffer more destruction and he was praying that God would help with this
• Daniel had seen in vision in chapter 8 that God’s people were going to suffer more destruction and he was apparently praying that God would help avert this
• Daniel did not understand the time frame of the 2300 days yet and appears to be concerned that it would affect the release of Israel

 “and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”

• Daniel humbled himself before God and made God his first priority over food, clothes and comfort
• This gives us an example of how we need to approach God when we have important issues at stake (make God the first priority)
  
  

Daniel 9:4

“And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;”

Daniel 9:4

“And I prayed unto the LORD my God,”

• Daniel’s prayer contained in Daniel 9:4-19 is one of the most outstanding prayers found in the Old Testament

“and made my confession,”

• Prayer should always contain our confessions and our recognition of our dependence on God 

 “O Lord, the great and dreadful God,”

• This means “awe inspiring” and “revered”

“keeping the covenant and mercy”

• Daniel acknowledges God’s faithfulness and His mercy
• God keeps His promises: man does not
• If the covenant is broken it is man’s fault not God’s 

 “to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;”

• Love to God involves keeping His commandments (John 14:15)
• Keeping God’s commandments is a characteristic of His end time people (Rev. 12:17)
  
  

Daniel 9:5

“We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:”

Daniel 9:5

“We have sinned,”

• Daniel identifies himself with his people
• There is no self righteous in this prayer

“have committed iniquity,”

• They have a bent towards evil (iniquity)

“have done wickedly, and have rebelled”

• There main problem is the same as ours: rebellion against God (doing it their way) 

 “by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:”

• The issue is ignoring God’s precepts and judgments
• Ignoring God’s laws and commandments
  
  

Daniel 9:6

“Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.”

Daniel 9:6

“Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets,”

• God’s messengers were ignored by God’s people
• We must not make the same mistake!
• The people’s sin was not due to ignorance but due to willful disobedience

“which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.”

• The message was to everyone
   

Daniel 9:7

“O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.”

Daniel 9:7

“O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee,”

• God’s dealings were always righteous
• Israel’s dealings were unrighteous
• Daniel is comparing the two

“but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day;”

• Shamed faced with sin: covered with shame due to our sins 

 “to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off,”

• Daniel includes all of Israel and Judah where ever they are

“through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.”

• Daniel recognizes that God has allowed His people to suffer for their mistakes
   

Daniel 9:8

“O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.”

Daniel 9:8

“O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face”

• We are shamed by our sins

“to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers,”

• No one is guiltless: all are guilty

“because we have sinned against thee.”

• Shame belongs to us because we have sinned against the One who loves us
   

Daniel 9:9

“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;”

Daniel 9:9

“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses,”

• Literally: “the compassions and forgivenesses”
• Daniel is comparing God’s mercy and compassion to Israel’s sins
• God is full of mercy and compassion compared to Israel’s lack of the same
• God’s mercy is greater than our sins!

“though we have rebelled against him;”

• Sin is rebellion against God
• Sin is rejecting love for selfishness
  
  

Daniel 9:10

“Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.”

Daniel 9:10

“Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God,”

• They chose to disobey God’s voice
• to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
• They chose to disobey God’s laws given by His prophets

Daniel 9:11

“Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.”

Daniel 9:11

“Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice;”

• Everyone was guilty: all of Israel

“therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.”

• This refers to Lev. 26:14-41 and Deut. 28:15-68 where God outlined the results of ignoring His laws
• They reaped the rewards of their disobedience and got God’s curse poured out on them
   

Daniel 9:12

“And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.”

Daniel 9:12

“And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us,”

• God’s judgment was foretold and now had come upon Israel for her sins

“by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.”

• Daniel appears to be reminding God of Israel’s suffering, albeit justified
   

Daniel 9:13

“As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.”

Daniel 9:13

“As it is written in the law of Moses,”

• Deuteronomy 29:27 says that “all the curses written in this book” were brought on the land

“all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God,”

• In spite of the suffering the people still refused to return to God

 “that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.”

• They still refused to turn from their sins
• They still refused to seek God for His truth
• Note: one thing we should seek from God in our prayers is understanding of His truth
• In the last days God’s people will be known for their understanding and called wise (Dan. 12:10)
  
  

Daniel 9:14

“Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.’

Daniel 9:14

“Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us:”

• Watched means “to be on the alert” or “to be wakeful”
• RSV “has kept ready the calamity”
• God did not hesitate to bring on these calamities
• God keeps His word and therefore, when Israel rejected His warnings, God had the calamity ready
• Actually, many of these calamities were the direct result of their bad choices

 “for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth:”

• Because God is righteous He must keep His word even when it means harming someone for their sins

“for we obeyed not his voice.”

• The reason for the harm is lack of obedience
   

Daniel 9:15

“And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.”

Daniel 9:15

“And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand,”

• Daniel is now reminding God of His previous mercy in the hope that God will be merciful again: do it again now!

“and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day;”

• Daniel is also reminding God that His reputation for mercy is at stake!

“we have sinned, we have done wickedly.”

• Daniel again takes blame along with the rest of Israel
   

Daniel 9:16

“O LORD, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.”

Daniel 9:16

“O LORD, according to all thy righteousness,”

• The Hebrew word for “righteousness” is plural
• Daniel bases his request on God’s many prior good deeds toward Israel
• Daniel does not base his request on Israel’s worthiness since they have none!
• Just as we have none

 “I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away”

• Daniel is asking for the curse and God’s anger to be turned away

“from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain:”

• Daniel here refers to Jerusalem as God’s “holy mountain” (see also Dan. 11:45)
• Jerusalem was to be a light on a hill to show the world who God really was
• Daniel saw Jerusalem as God’s mountain and dwelling place (note: it appears that John saw this mountain burning in Rev. 8:8)

Daniel 9:17

“Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.”

Daniel 9:17

“Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications”

• Daniel now makes a personal plea for God’s mercy

“cause thy face to shine upon”

• “look upon with favor” (Num. 6:25)

 “thy sanctuary that is desolate,”

• Daniel is concerned about God’s sanctuary and His city of Jerusalem
• The city and temple were destroyed when Israel was captured by Babylon
• Note: desolation can mean empty, which suggests God’s presence was no longer there. Desolation can also mean that the sanctuary’s purpose as a place to meet with God was lost.

 “for the Lord's sake.”

• This phrase could be seen as the reason for God to act (in order to defend His reputation)
• This phrase could also be seen as the reason for the desolation of the temple (God’s curse for their sins)
  
  

Daniel 9:18

“O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.”

Daniel 9:18

“O my God, incline thine ear, and hear;”

• Listen to our pleas and act on them

“open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name:”

• See our sufferings and help us
• Help Your city!

 “for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses,”

• We are not asking for Your help because of our worthiness (we have none!)

“but for thy great mercies.”

• The reason to help us is because You are a very merciful God
• We are saved by grace alone (Eph 2:8,9)
   

Daniel 9:19

“O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”

Daniel 9:19

“O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake,”

• “hear” our pleas
• “forgive” our sins
• “hearken” to Your promise (to take us back in 70 years)
• Based on the prior vision, Daniel was afraid that God might be changing His mind to return them

 “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake,”

• “defer not” your promise to take us home
• “for thine own sake, O my God:”
• Because this is Your city called by Your name

“for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”

• God, Your reputation is at stake therefore, You must act if not for us, then for Yourself

Daniel 9:20

“And whiles I was speaking, and 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;”

Daniel 9:20

“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel”

• God’s answers are sometimes immediate!
• Prayer involves speaking, confessing, and listening to God

“presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;”

• Daniel was praying for God’s holy mountain (Jerusalem)
  
  

Daniel 9:21

“ Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.”

Daniel 9:21

“Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer,”

• God’s answer was sent before he asked!

“even the man Gabriel,”

• Gabriel apparently looked like a man however, it is clear that he is an angel sent from God to answer Daniel’s prayer

 “whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,”

• Daniel is here referring to the vision of chapter 8 (see Dan. 8:16)
• This is the same angel who began the explanation of the vision of Daniel 8 which Daniel did not understand (Dan. 8:27)
• The original vision was given about a year prior

 “being caused to fly swiftly”

• This confirms that Gabriel is not a man but an angel
• “touched me about the time of the evening oblation.”
• “touched” means “reached” or “approached”
• “oblation” refers to the meat or grain offerings that were part of the evening and morning offerings
• Daniel apparently prayed at the normal time of the evening offerings

“vision at the beginning,”

• Some suggest that the explanation in Daniel chapter 9 is not related to the vision of chapter 8.
• However, the following facts suggest a connection:
• Daniel’s prayer was a response to his concern that God had changed His mind. He knew that prophecies were conditional.
• However, the following facts suggest a connection:
• Daniel was worried that the 2300 days applied to him and his people
• Daniel understood the rest of the vision of chapter 8 but not the 2300 days (the part explained in chapter 9)
• Daniel was afraid that the persecution he had seen was going to fall on his Israel
• However, the following facts suggest a connection:
• Daniel asked God to “not defer” His promise to let His people return in 70 years (not extend it 2300 days)
• Gabriel sent to finish the explanation he began
• The vision in chapter 8 refers to the sanctuary and Daniel recognizes this as the sanctuary in Jerusalem and faints

Daniel 9:22

“And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.”

Daniel 9:22

“And he informed me, and talked with me,”

• Gabriel educated Daniel and explained the future events

“come forth to give thee skill and understanding.”

• To help Daniel understand that which he did not understand (Dan. 8:27)
• Daniel did not understand the relationship between the 70 years of Jeremiah’s prophecy and the 2300 day prophecy
• Note: Gabriel begins his explanation with Israel’s decree to rebuild Jerusalem (which occurs after the 70 years are completed)

Daniel 9:23

“At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”

Daniel 9:23

“At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth,”

• Gabriel was sent when Daniel began to pray even before he could ask for help!

“and I am come to shew thee;”

• God had sent Gabriel to show Daniel what the vision meant

 “for thou art greatly beloved:”

• Daniel was very special in God’s eyes

“therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”

• This refers to “the vision of the evening and the morning” (Dan. 8:26)
• Gabriel begins where he left off with Daniel about one year prior when Daniel fainted

Daniel 9:24

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

Daniel 9:24

“Seventy weeks”

• Hebrew word “shabua”  translated “weeks” means seven consecutive days
• 70 weeks is 70 times 7 days which is 490 days
• 490 prophetic days equals 490 literal years (see Num. 14:34; Eze. 4:6)
• RSV translates “Seventy weeks of years” where Hebrew word “shabua” is interpreted to mean weeks of years based on its usage in other Hebrew writings (see Book of Jubilees and Mishnah)

 “are determined”

• Hebrew “chathak”  means “to cut off” or “to decree” or “to decide”
• This 70 weeks is “cut off” from the prior 2300 days which is what Gabriel had been talking about with Daniel and that Daniel did not understand
• It is implied that this will be cut off from the beginning since he is now starting to explain the vision

 “upon thy people and upon thy holy city,”

• 490 years had been given for Israel “to decide” to serve God then there time would run out
• Note: Jesus told us to forgive 70 times 7 (490) which actually means to forgive until time runs out!)

 “to finish”

• Hebrew “lekalle”  means “to bring to completion” or “to restrain”
• Israel had 490 years to be God’s chosen people and then they were going to lose that privilege
• “the transgression,”
• Word used here is singular suggesting one main sin: possibly their failure as God’s people!

 “and to make an end of sins,”

• Hebrew “chatta’oth”  means “sins” or “sin offerings”
• If “sins”: this refers to Israel’s filling up their cup of iniquities by the end of the 490 years
• If “sin offerings”: this refers to the end of the sin offerings (Jewish sacrificial system) which would occur when the real Sin Offering (Jesus) was offered

 “to make reconciliation for iniquity,”

• Hebrew “kaphar” translated here “reconciliation” means “to make atonement”
• Jesus made atonement for our sins in A.D. 30 ½

“and to bring in everlasting righteousness,”

• Jesus brought His righteousness to be ours (II Cor. 5:21) 

 “and to seal up the vision and prophecy”

• “to seal up” can mean “to close” or “shut up” or can mean “to ratify” or “to confirm”
• In this verse it means “to confirm” or “to ratify”
• The 490 year prophecy came true on time which confirms the rest of the prophecy (2300 years)

“and to anoint the most Holy.”

• Hebrew “qodesh qodashim”
   means “something most holy” or “someone most holy”
• “something”: suggests the holy place in the heavenly sanctuary is anointed after Jesus sacrifice on earth is accepted in heaven (most common usage of Hebrew word)
• “someone”: suggests Jesus as the Someone Most Holy who was anointed as our High Priest in heaven after His sacrifice was complete on earth

Daniel 9:25

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

Daniel 9:25

“Know therefore and understand”

• This is the key to understanding the prophecy!
• “that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem”
• The beginning of this time period (the 490 and the 2300) is when the decree to restore and build Jerusalem goes forth

 “the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem”

• There were 3 decrees to repatriate the Jewish people covering 80 years:    
• 1^st :      Cyrus        537 B.C.            Ezra 1:1-4
• 2^nd :   Darius I       520 B.C.            Ezra 6:1-12
• 3^rd :   Artaxerxes    457 B.C.            Ezra 7:1-26
• The 3^rd decree is the only decree that gave Israel full civil (state) and religious autonomy under Persian rule

 “unto the Messiah the Prince”

• Jesus is the Messiah
• Jesus is the Prince of the Covenant and the Prince of the Host (Dan. 8:11)

“shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:”

• Threescore is 3 times twenty (one score) which equals sixty weeks
• Seven + sixty + two = sixty nine weeks
• 69 times 7 = 483 prophetic days or 483 literal years
• The decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was in 457 B.C. and 483 years later is the year A.D. 27
• Note: 483 – 457 = 26 however the year zero does not count thus adding one year which then equals 27
• Jesus began His official ministry to Israel (and the world) in A.D. 27 at His baptism (Luke 3:21-23) at age thirty
• Note: Jesus was actually born in the year 4 B.C. when Herod the Great was still alive (Herod died in 4 B.C.)
• Jesus died at age 33 ½ in A.D. 31

 “the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

• “street”: Hebrew “rechob” meaning “a broad place”
• “wall”: Hebrew “charus” meaning “a trench” or “a city moat”
• “shall be built” : some suggest that it took 49 years (7 weeks) to build the street and wall. This theory is unproven.
• “troublous times” : This refers to the problems that occurred during the rebuilding of Jerusalem (see Ezra chapter 4)

Daniel 9:26

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

Daniel 9:26

“And”

• “And” here is important
• It is not just a continuation of the story but is also a connection to the seven weeks which was just described
• Therefore, one should not forget the first week already described when determining the time frame for the next period (i.e. 7+62 weeks=69 weeks)
• That first week was completed with the building of the wall and street
• Beginning verse 26 at the phrase “the street” would be clearer

 “after threescore and two weeks”

• Threescore and two weeks is 62 weeks which is 62 times 7 or 434 prophetic days (434 literal years)
• 457 B.C. minus 434 = 23 B.C.
• Jesus would appear after 23 B.C. (He actually appeared in 4 B.C.)
• The time of Jesus being “cut off” would occur after 69 weeks (see “and” above)

 “shall Messiah be cut off,”

• “cut off” : this means be killed (Gen. 9:11)
• Jesus would be killed and would not live a long life
• The Messiah would not reign as a conqueror at this time

“but not for himself”

• Hebrew literally says “and nothing to him” which may mean that He would have nothing or that He would not die for Himself

 “the people”

• These people are not God’s people since they are described as attacking Jerusalem and the sanctuary
• These people are followers of the prince that shall come
• Historically these people have been considered to be the Roman armies

 “the prince that shall come”

• This sentence is introducing another time period which occurs after Jesus crucifixion
• Historically, this has been applied to Pagan Rome which destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70
• However, in the last days this verse will have another application
• The prince that will come will be the false Christ
• Satan, as the false Christ, will ultimately destroy the city as a place of worship of the true God

 “shall destroy the city and the sanctuary”

• Historically, this was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the temple
• In the last days Satan will impersonate Christ (II Thess. 2:1-8) and will reign in Jerusalem and will set up a false system of worship (Rev. 11:8)
• This false system of worship led by Satan will be the abomination that desolates or the desolating sacrilege (Matt. 24:15) which Jesus described standing in the holy place.
• This abomination will spiritually destroy the city and temple as a place of worship of the true God and eventually lead to the final destruction of the rebuilt temple and the city (Rev. 11:13)

“and the end thereof shall be with a flood,”

• “and the end” can be translated “its” end (RSV) or “his” end
• This phrase can refer to either the city/temple or to the prince
• If referring to the prince it means Satan’s end will occur swiftly and overwhelmingly
• “with a flood” means “overwhelming”

 “unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

• The end is mentioned here twice suggesting a connection to the last days which is supported in the next verse
• This war could be referring to the Roman overthrow of Jerusalem (historical)
• This war could be referring to the attack on Jerusalem which precedes the Second Coming
• This is described in Daniel 11:44,45 and Revelation 9:14-19; 16:16
• Desolations would follow with the 2^nd Coming
  
  

Daniel 9:27

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

Daniel 9:27

“And he shall confirm the covenant”

• Historically, this text has been applied to Christ as the “he”
• Jesus did confirm the covenant of salvation which would allow God’s people to be saved
• Jesus also confirmed that Israel was God’s chosen people (covenant) by fulfilling these prophecies and He confirmed that the end of that covenant was near
• In the last days Satan will also confirm a covenant with the world by pretending to be Jesus returned

 “ with many for one week:”

• Jesus confirmed His work by healing and ministering to many during the half of a week that He actively ministered
• One week here refers to 7 years
• This week began in A.D. 27 at Jesus’ baptism and ended in A.D. 34 with the gospel rejected by Israel and Israel losing its covenant as the chosen people of God (the gospel would now go to the Gentiles)
• The vineyard was “let out” to other husbandmen (Matt. 21:41; Isa. 5:1-7)
• In the last days Satan will also receive a week to convince the world of his abilities to lead, just as Jesus had with Israel
• This week will be made up of two time periods, each 3 ½ years long (see Rev. 11:2,3,9-11)

“and in the midst of the week”

• Hebrew “chasi” meaning either “half” or “middle”
• The midst of the week was Passover season A.D. 31
• Jesus work ended in A.D. 31 three and one half years after He began His ministry
• Jesus’ work ended in the middle of the seven year week at the Passover season and then He was cut off!
• However, in the last days, Satan will also get three and one half years to “minister” as the false Christ and then he will be cut off!

 “he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”

• If applied to Jesus this refers to the end of the ceremonial sacrificial system which pointed forward to Jesus and was no longer needed after His death confirmed by the rending of the temple veil (Matt. 27:51)
• If applied to Satan in the last days Satan will eliminate the true sacrifice that Jesus made and replace it with a false religion that worships him

 “for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate,”

• This might refer back to the Roman army and its ruin of Jerusalem
• However, in the last days this clearly applies to Satan who will be the desolator (John calls him the “destroyer” (Rev. 9:11))
• Satan will spread his abominations worldwide and the world will be desolate as will be Jerusalem
• RSV translates this: “upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate”
• This desolator is Satan

 “even until the consummation”

• Consummation means the end
• Some suggest that this refers to the end of Israel’s destruction by Rome
• In the last days this refers to Satan who will make the world desolate until the end
• This is consistent with all of Daniel’s other prophecies which reach to the end of the world

 “and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

• “desolate” better translated “desolator”
• This clearly refers to Satan who as the desolator will be destroyed at the end
• The RSV reads “until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator”
• Satan as the abomination or desolator will be destroyed at God’s appointed time
• It is important to note that Jesus applies Daniel 9:27 to the last days.
• In Matthew 24:15 Jesus is answering the disciples question about the sign of the end and He refers them to Daniel to understand who the desolating sacrilege is
• This verse is one of the verses that Jesus is referring to
• Jesus actually applies this verse to the end of time and not to Himself!

Summary

• Daniel chapter nine is made up of two sections
• The first portion of this chapter describes Daniel’s prayer of supplication to God for his people Israel
• Daniel had been studying Jeremiah’s prophecy because he did not understand the vision he had been given in chapter eight
• Daniel knew that God had promised to return Israel to Palestine after 70 years but he appeared to think that God might have changed His plans based on the vision he did not understand
• Daniel’s prayer is a wonderful example of how to seek the Lord
• Daniel’s humility and integrity shine through as he asked God’s forgiveness for his sins as well as his nation’s
• Daniel asks God not to delay the return of Israel even though they do not deserve His grace
• Even while Daniel is praying Daniel’s answer arrives
• Gabriel has been sent to finish the explanation he began of the vision that upset Daniel
• Gabriel picks up his explanation where he left off
• Gabriel tells Daniel that Israel has been given 70 weeks of years (490 years)
• This 70 weeks is divided up into 7 weeks and 62 weeks and one week:     
• 7 weeks is involved in the rebuilding of Jerusalem (49 years)
• 62 weeks are the interval from the rebuilding to the final week (434 years)
• One week represents the last week of Israel’s special status as God’s chosen people (7 years)
• The final week is divided into half: three and one half years and three and one half years
• This entire 70 weeks (490 years) is cut off of the original 2300 years and represents the start of that time period
• These time periods both began in 457 B.C. when the final decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem occured
• The 70 weeks prophecy correctly predicted Jesus’ arrival, ministry, and death and sealed or confirmed the prophecy
• Jesus was cut off in the middle of the last week as predicted
• The final week has a dual application to the last days
• In the last days the final week applies to Satan as the false Christ who will also be given 3 ½ years to “minister”
• Satan will also cause the sacrifices to cease by replacing his false religion for the true sacrifice of Christ
• Satan is the desolating sacrilege that Jesus warned of when He applied this verse to the end of time