20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.
The Seventy Weeks
24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” Daniel 9: 20-27 ESV
Daniel 9: 20-27 The 70 Weeks
…15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4: 15-16
20-23 While I was speaking and praying - It is strange to me how difficult it is to pray sometimes, especially after I think about all the most important questions in this life, or the origin of life. When I open God's word and see that men and women use to walk with Him in the garden, but that we fell from grace, and could no longer stand before holiness, yet in Christ there is a way, and He is never too busy, for He is infinite. Daniel 9 contains more of prayer than it does the answer, who could possibly be more important to talk to than God, the Creator of the universe? Everything else falls way short.
Confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel - This is all we have to bring God, the sin that made salvation necessary. The invitation to pray becomes all the sweeter with this reality.
…22Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own. 23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way. 24Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.… 1 Samuel 12: 22-24
Gabriel - God's angelic messenger is back. We first learned his name in Daniel 8
…19The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. 20Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command. 21Bless the LORD, all His hosts, you servants who do His will.… Psalm 103: 19-21
…6And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.” 7Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.” 8But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.… Hebrews 1: 6-8
At the time of the evening sacrifice - Daniel still lived in view of what he could no longer see, still prayed at specific times of the day, even when a law was made against such wild actions.
The evening offering - This was also the time of one of other great "prayers of nine" (Ezra 9:5, - Daniel 9, Ezra 9, Nehemiah 9) The mention is fascinating for this practice had vanished when the Temple had been destroyed some 60(+/-) years prior. And yet Daniel's use of this specific phrase emphasizes how important the ancient offering was to him, for it was still a vivid impression in his mind. Instead of a blemish free lamb that was required for the evening offering, Daniel presented himself as a "living sacrifice" to God (cf Ro 12:1-note).
In Nu 28:3-5 Moses records the provision for the morning and evening offering, the evening offering of the unblemished lamb in the evening being at 3PM which is when the Lamb of God died on the Cross. - Precept Austin
I have now come out to give you insight and understanding - This is a good reason to pray, and as we read God's word we should think about what we are reading and this is a good thing to pray about, understanding. We see here a very direct answer to prayer, and prayer leading to understanding.
"All students of the word will tell you that when the hammers of learning and biblical criticism have failed to break open a flinty text, oftentimes prayer has done it, and nuggets of gold have been found concealed therein. To every student of the word of God who would become a well-instructed scribe we would say, with all the means which you employ, with all your searchings of the commentaries, with all your diggings into the original, with all your researches among learned divines, mingle much fervent prayer. (Spurgeon)
A word went out - A command was given, and just like regeneration always leads to confession of the mouth and belief in the heart, so it is with prayer, salvation leads to a desire to talk to God, it bears the marks of repentance and brings forth fruit. God does dictate both the ends and the means; thinking you do not need to pray because God is sovereign shows that you do not understand that God has sovereignly ordained prayer. Daniel prayed and a command was given, and God was sovereign throughout.
…23“Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”… Mark 11: 23-25
…2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.… James 4: 2-4
To illustrate that, let me just tell you a little story. One day, the five-year-old son of D. L. Moody, the great evangelist, came into Mr. Moody’s study. And his father was there, very busy with his books and his Bible, and he was writing and didn’t want any interruptions. The little fellow just stood beside him and didn’t say a word. Not a sound. And, finally, the distraction was more than Mr. Moody could bear, and, gruffly, he said, “Well, what do you want?” ”Nothing, Daddy,” said his son, “I just wanted to be where you are.” And I think that may be what prayer is, first and foremost. It isn’t that you necessarily want anything. It’s just that you’d like to be where He is.
Prayer is entering into His presence. Prayer is companionship with God. Prayer is desiring to identify with God’s person, God’s plan, God’s power, and God’s purpose. We’ve been looking at this great prayer of Daniel. He knows what the plan is. It was revealed to him in the Book of Jeremiah as he read. He knows what God is preparing to do. He knows the situation, and it isn’t that he’s asking for something beyond that. It’s just that he wants to identify with God and what God has already promised to do. He just wants to be where God is, and be a part of God’s plan. - Precept Austin
24-27 The Answer and the 70 Weeks - I am going to go through these 4 verses in the next post, but I want to put in a couple of sections from John MacArthur's message on this text from 1983 "The Arrival of the King." This is really well done and will be a brilliant reference point to go back to. Read it through and understand it, it is a wonderful break down of the first 69 weeks.
It was a day of celebration. It was a day of joy. It was a day of which the prophets had spoken, and for which the people had long waited: the arrival of the promised king. And we remember that day as we begin this very special week; but I wonder whether we really understand its significance. And so, to help us, let’s look back at the ninth chapter of Daniel. Turn in your Bible to Daniel chapter 9, and we’re going to look this morning at verses 20 to 27; a passage which I believe is the most amazing, complex, detailed, far-reaching prophecy ever given in the Scripture. A prophecy so miraculous that Sir Isaac Newton said, “We could stake the truth of Christianity on this one prophecy alone;” and I think he was right. - J Mac
Now listen, this is a tremendous statement. God says, “Look, it’s going to be 490 years cut out of history, in which I will end sin, and bring in everlasting righteousness and holiness.”
Now, you say, “Boy, if we could figure out when that begins, we could figure out when it ends.” We don’t have to figure too hard; it’s in the next verse. Verse 25. “Know therefore and understand” - again, he reminds him, “Pay attention” - “that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” - that’s when it starts – “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.” Now, in the book of Ezra, you have three decrees for the rebuilding of the temple; three of them. There’s one in chapter 1, first 2 verses; there’s one in chapter 6, the first 5 verses; and one in chapter 7. None of those is the right one, because those were decrees to build the temple, not the city. But it says here, “From the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem.”
Now, let me show you that decree - Nehemiah, chapter 2 and – listen - verse 1. “It came to pass” - it even tells us the date - “in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, wine was before him and I took up the wine.” You remember he was the wine-taster for the king, was Nehemiah. “And I gave it to the king. And I had been sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, ‘Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart.’ Then I was very much afraid, and said unto the king, ‘Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchers, lies waste, and its gates are consumed with fire?’
Then the king said unto me, ‘For what dost thou make request?’
So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, ‘If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchers, that I may build it.’ And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) ‘For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?’ So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Moreover I said to the king, ‘If it please the king, let letters be given to me to the governors beyond the river, that they may let me pass through till I come into Judah; and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which is near to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into.’ And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.”
There it was: Artaxerxes made the decree. Scholars tell us the month of Nisan - March; the day, no doubt the 14th; the year, 445 BC. That began the 490 years: 445 BC, March 14th. When does it end? When does the 490 years’ end? Look at verse 25 again. “From the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto” - there’s the end - “the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and three-score and two weeks.” Now, that’s only 69; there’s one week left out. That doesn’t come in till verse 27; we’ll get there in a minute. The first 69 weeks are indicated there. And notice they’re divided into two parts: seven weeks, and then 62. Why? “From the command to restore and rebuild unto the Messiah the Prince, seven weeks.”
And you say, “Well, what happened in those seven weeks?” Well, that’d take us to 396 BC, and it was during that first 49-year period that the city was rebuilt. It says there at the end of the verse. “The streets shall be built and the wall, even in troublous times.” You know how troublesome it was, don’t you?
Remember the story of Nehemiah trying to build the wall, and all the attacks, and all the enemies? But they did it, and by 396 it was done. And 396 marked the end of the ministry of Malachi, and the closing of the Old Testament Canon, so that first 49 years, 7 times 7, was very important for laying physical, spiritual foundations. The city was built and the Old Testament Canon was established.
And then comes the 62; the total of the 62 weeks and the 7 weeks, the 69 weeks, makes 483 years. And we’re still missing 7 years out of the 490. Now, let me give you another thought. These are years of 360 days. The ancient Biblical writers calculated the year on a 360-day calendar, rather than 365 like the pagans. And so, we have, then, in verse 25, 483 years of 360 days “unto Messiah the Prince.” Not Messiah the baby, not Messiah the child, not Messiah the preacher, not Messiah the One who dies, not Messiah Who rises, but Messiah Who is the Prince. The Anointed One, the Royal One, the Regal One, the Majestic One, the One who is the heir to the throne, mashiach nagid, the Anointed Prince.
So, it’ll be 483 years of 360 days. Now, the only way we can figure it out is we have to convert into our kind of years, with our kind of days, so we’ll just multiply to get how many days it would be. You multiply it out, and its 173,880 days. You say, “The Bible can’t be this specific.” Well, you’ll find out in a moment - 173,880 days. The decree comes on March 14th, 445 BC. Sir Robert Anderson, who particularly did monumental work on this prophecy of the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ, has identified, by looking at the Jewish calendars of Passovers and so forth, that the time in which Passover was held can be determined rather easily, at least through using his method.
And he finds, backing up from that, the triumphal entry of Jesus must have occurred on April 6, 32 A.D.; April 6, 32 A.D.; the month of Nisan. And so, all we need to do is calculate a little bit. If Daniel is correct, from March 14, 445 B.C., to April 6, 32 A.D., is going to be 173,880 days. Well, let’s think about it. From March 14, 445, to April 6, 32 A.D., is only 477 years and 24 days; so we’re a few years short. We have to deduct a year, because 1 B.C. and 1 A.D. is the same year, so we really have 476 years and 24 days. Now, we have to convert to our calendar of 365 days, so we multiply that all out, plus 24 days, and we get 173,764; and we’re still short. But we have leap year every four years. So, 476 divided by 4, gives us 119 leap years, so we add 119 more days to 173,664, and we get 173,883 days - 3 days too many.
You say, “Oh, close is good enough for me.” Close is not good enough for God. Sir Robert Anderson went to the Royal Observatory in England, and he found out that, according to their solar calculations, a year is 1/128 of a day longer on the calendar than a solar year; 1/128 of a day longer. So every 128 years, we have to lose a day. And if you’re dealing with 483 years, there’ll be 3 of those, so you drop those out. And you have 173,880 days, just exactly as the Word of God said. Now, it has been interesting. In recent years, Dr. Harold Hoehner has written a book called The Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. And when I heard that somebody else had done work on this, I was a little bit nervous to find out whether or not he would come up with the same answer.
So, Hoehner did his work - and I tell you this because it’s the truth, and you must know it so that you can understand the issue - he decided the that the first year of Artaxerxes had to be an accession year, so you couldn’t count it, so the decree had to happen March 5 of 444 B.C. so he moved it a year back - a year up, rather, going this way. He also calculated, from his New Testament studies - and he is the top of the list of New Testament study scholars and chronology - that the Lord was crucified on April 3, 33 A.D. So, he backed up from there to the triumphal entry, started calculating from March 5, 444, to his established date in 33 A.D., came up with exactly the same figure, 173,880 days - so either way.
Now, you say, “Was God accommodating these two things? If both are right, then the point is lost.” No, the point is not lost. Either one is right; the point is gained. The point is simply this: when Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem, this was not some would-be, self-styled Messiah, adlibbing His own festival, pulling off His own mob scene. This was One spoken of hundreds of years before, by the prophet Daniel. That’s not all. That’s not all. Look at verse 26. After the seven - the first seven – and then “the three-score and two” - that is, after the 69 weeks’ total - “shall Messiah be” - what? –“cut off.” In Hebrew, that means killed or destroyed; killed or destroyed. When’s it going to happen; during the 69 weeks? No. During the 70th week? No. Sixty-nine weeks ended; “and after.” - J Mac
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