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A Bible Study:
The Revelation to John
May 30, 2006
Daniel's Prophecies
Notes from Daniel Chapter 9
In chapter 9, Daniel realizes that the first destruction of the temple, and of Jerusalem, is due to the curse of the Law of Moses.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
As Daniel is lamenting the evil of Israel, and is horrified by what his brethren have brought upon themselves and their nation, the angel Gabriel appears to discuss the timeline of events leading to the “abomination of desolation”.
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.
22: And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
Some have worked out the timeline as follows, based upon rendering the passage as “seventy sevens”, or 490, rather than “seventy weeks”.
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”
70 sevens, or 70 x 7 = 490
453 BC + 30 AD to Christ’s death = 483
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:”
Artexerxes Longimanus was king of the Medes and Persians in year 453 BC, when he gave the commandment to rebuild and restore Jerusalem to Nehemiah (see Nehemiah 2:5).
7 x 7 = 49 (Time it took to rebuild the temple.)
Daniel 9:26: “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,”
62 sevens = 434. Add this to the time to rebuild the temple: 49 (to rebuild) + 434 = 483.
Counting the total of 483 years and starting from 453 BC, the countdown brings us to 30 AD, when the Messiah was cut off—Christ was crucified.
Another way of approaching it is to think of it this way (my thought): 453 – 434 brings us to 19 BC (when Herod began rebuilding temple.) 7 x 7 = 49. Starting in 19 BC, and counting down 49 years brings us to 30 AD. Either way, the angel Gabriel was telling Daniel that around 30 AD the Messiah (Christ) would be cut off.
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