Read Daniel 9
Daniel’s Prayer
9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lordgiven 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.
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.
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. 11 All Israel has transgressedyour 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 sinnedagainst 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.
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.
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 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:
24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finishtransgression, 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.
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.27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ 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 decreedis poured out on him.”
Go Deeper
There are lots of interpretations of the book of Daniel and other apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible because it is so cryptic and deals with issues of eschatology (or theology of “the end times”). Daniel received a detailed vision of Israel’s future in the first year of the Medo-Persian rule over Babylon, after he acknowledged the sins of the people and pleaded for mercy. In this chapter we see Daniel’s prayer for his people (v. 1-19), Gabriel’s answer (v. 20-23), and the seventy weeks vision (v. 24-27). There are various conclusions amongst scholars of this prophecy because it is complex, however the detail of it is remarkable.
We begin reading that Daniel “understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years” (v. 2). The prophet Jeremiah predicted the 70 year period of Babylonian captivity for Israel (Jeremiah 25:11-13). Daniel then acknowledged the sinfulness of man and the holiness of God. He says, “we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules” (v. 5). Daniel continues stating, “We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land” (v. 6). Daniel recognized the ways Israel has turned away from the Lord. He later says, “we do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy” (v. 18). Daniel prayed this not by his own merit, but by God’s mercy alone.
The prophecies foretold in verses 24-27 are key passages in Scripture. Within this section, the overall prophecy is presented (v. 24), the first 69 weeks are described (v. 25), there are details of the events between the 69th and 70th week (v. 26), and there is a presentation of the final 7th seven period (v. 27). The “70 sevens” refers to the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, as prophesied by Jeremiah. The word seven in this passage means years. The Jews counted by “sevens” just as we count by “tens” or “decades.” In response to Daniel’s prayer, he received the 70 years vision which signified 70 seven-year periods. This meant 490 years. Those 490 years are divided into sections. The first period is 49 years (7 sevens), the second is 434 years (69 sevens), and the third is 7 years.
In verse 24, we see what will be accomplished in the 70 weeks. This prophecy is one of the clearest Messianic prophecies found in the Old Testament. There is a promise to bring an end to the rebellion, to put a stop to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint a most holy place. All of this is accomplished through Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). The 69 sevens are described in verse 25. This began with Artaxerxes’ decree to rebuild Jerusalem which is fulfilled in Nehemiah 2:2-8. This ends with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey detailed Matthew 21. It says that the “Anointed One will be cut off” which points to Jesus being crucified. The prophecy also states that “the people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary” (v. 26). This was fulfilled in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. There is a gap between the 69th and 70th seven, which is the church age we are in now.
Many scholars believe that verse 27 is referring to the tribulation period, or the day of the Lord. This is the only “seven” that is yet to be fulfilled. This is 7 years in the end times where there will be horrible things that happen associated with the Antichrist’s rise to power, and God’s judgment that is poured out on sinful humanity. There are two segments in the tribulation, according to verse 27. The future Antichrist will make a 7-year peace treaty with Israel, but that “seven” is split into halves. Midway into the 7 years, the Antichrist will break the covenant with Israel, and the great tribulation will begin. However, we know how the story ends. Jesus will come back to declare victory and establish His Kingdom forever (Revelation 19:11-21). He will one day return and reign in glory!
Questions
- What stands out to you in Daniel’s prayer to the Lord?
- What do these prophecies fulfilled teach us about the reliability of Scripture?
- Isaiah 46:10 tells us that God “declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.” How does knowing God is sovereign over all things impact the lens in which you see Him, and the way you view life?
Keep Digging
Interested in learning more about the 70 weeks of Daniel? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org about this significant Old Testament prophecy!
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2 thoughts on “Daniel 9”
PRAY!! That is what Daniel did 3X a day but this time was more. He first prepared for the pray by fasting then put on sackcloth and ashes. 2nd he worshipped God by giving Him praise, honor that put the needs of others in perspective.. 3rd Daniel confessed the sins of he and his people. 4th he asked for mercy with a contrite heart. What I see is a man who loved God and loved God’s people. Never was it about Daniel and his needs, but always about others. Are we praying for ourselves and our need only? Are we on our knees 3X a day for others?
God thank You for my eyes of understanding being more open everyday. Holy Spirit it is not how can I get more of You but how can You have more of me. Thank You for Your love goggles to see others as You see them and to truly pray more than a minimal blessing pray for them, but to truly do some intercessor praying for those You place in my path today, in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!
We may not fully understand Gabriel’s interpretation of Daniel’s vision, but what we glean from this particular narrative will steady and settle our hearts in troubled times:
•Our posture before God matters. He welcomes humility, vulnerability and honesty.
•Confession & repentance of all sin is imperative. His way is the only way, and we must own our folly.
•The Lord is just, merciful and forgiving. He uses circumstances, fellow believers and his Word to draw us back to him.