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Scripture Reading: Dan. 9
Daniel 9:24-27 is the most precious portion in the entire book of Daniel. The seventy weeks mentioned in these verses are the key to understanding the prophecies of the Bible. In this message we will consider the vision of the seventy weeks.
The year of this vision was the first year of Darius (about 538 B.C.), son of Ahasuerus (Ezra 4:6; Esth. 1:1-2), a Median descendant (Dan. 9:1-2a).
The cause of the vision is described in 9:2b. "I, Daniel, understood by means of the Scriptures the number of the years, which came as the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet, for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, that is, seventy years." The word of Jehovah to Jeremiah is found in Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10-14.
In Daniel 9:3-23 we see the way to obtain this vision — Daniel's desperate seeking of the Lord God in prayer and supplications with fasting.
In his prayer Daniel confessed his own sins and the sins of the kings, the chief men, and the fathers of Israel, and of all the people of Israel (vv. 3-15, 20a).
In his prayer Daniel also supplicated for the holy city of Jerusalem, the holy mountain of God, and the holy people of God (vv. 16-17, 19b, 20b). This means that he supplicated for all the interests of God on the earth, not for his own interest.
Furthermore, Daniel asked the Lord to forgive them, not based upon their righteousness but based upon God's great compassion (vv. 18-19a).
In verses 21 through 23 we have God's answer to Daniel's prayer and supplication. God's answer was Gabriel's relating of the seventy weeks commanded by God.
In his desperate prayer, Daniel requested that God recover the holy land, send His people back, and rebuild the holy city (vv. 15-19). But God answered him by giving him the report through the angel Gabriel of the seventy weeks (vv. 20-27). This answer exceeded what Daniel requested.
Verses 24 through 27 are the contents of the vision. The contents are the seventy weeks.
The seventy weeks are the destiny apportioned by God for His people and for His holy city (v. 24a).
The purpose of the seventy weeks is to close the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make propitiation for iniquity, to bring in the righteousness of the ages, to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies (v. 24b). Today in the old creation under human government, transgression, sins, and iniquity are prevailing. When Christ comes to crush human government, at the time appointed, the transgression will be closed, sins will be ended, and iniquity will be propitiated.
Then the righteousness of the ages will be brought in. The expression of the ages is a Hebrew idiom which means "eternity" or "eternal." Hence, the righteousness of the ages is an eternal righteousness. The coming kingdom age will be an age of divine righteousness, and in the new heaven and new earth, there will be eternal righteousness (2 Pet. 3:13).
Daniel 9:24b also speaks of the sealing up of vision and prophet. The vision and prophet will be sealed because everything will be fulfilled. There will, therefore, be no need of visions or prophets. In the kingdom age, there will be kings and priests but no prophets.
The last aspect of the purpose of the seventy weeks is to anoint the holy of holies. At the time of Daniel's prayer, the holy of holies was contaminated, defiled, and devastated. But when the apportioned time comes, the holy of holies will be properly anointed. This means that the service to God will be recovered. What a blessing!
Daniel 9:24-27 tells us of the seventy weeks. The seventy weeks are divided into three parts, with each week being seven years, not seven days, in length.
First, seven weeks of forty-nine years were apportioned from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the completion of the rebuilding (v. 25).
Second, sixty-two weeks of four hundred thirty-four years were apportioned from the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the cutting off of the Messiah (vv. 25-26). "Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing" (v. 26). This refers to the crucifixion of Christ. The cutting off of Messiah — the crucifixion of Christ — was the termination of the old creation with the human government in the old creation and the germination through the resurrection of Christ of God's new creation with God's eternal kingdom as the divine administration in God's new creation. Thus, the cross of Christ is the centrality and universality of God's work.
This word concerning Messiah's being cut off is not bad news but good news. Through His death on the cross, Christ terminated the old creation. Then in His resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b) to germinate those whom God has chosen and make them a new creation. If we see this, we will realize that the word in Daniel 9:26 about the death of Christ is good news.
Whereas the first part of verse 26 speaks of the death of Christ, the remainder of this verse speaks of another matter. "The people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary" (v. 26b). This reveals that the prince of the Roman Empire, Titus, would come with his army to destroy the city and the sanctuary — the temple. The Lord Jesus also prophesied concerning this destruction in Matthew 24:2. This destruction took place in A.D. 70. As Daniel 9:26c goes on to say, the end of it would be with a flood, and even to the end there would be war. The desolations have been determined.
Finally, in verse 27 we have the one week of seven years. This week will be for Antichrist to make a firm covenant with the people of Israel.
Between the sixty-ninth week and the last week, there is a gap which has already lasted for nearly two thousand years. In this gap the church is being secretly and mysteriously built by Christ in His resurrection to be the Body of Christ and bride of Christ. Also, in this gap Israel has been suffering, having lost their fathers' homeland and having been scattered. Nevertheless, God has not forgotten His people Israel but continues to grant them some degree of mercy. Eventually, the last week of seven years will come.
Antichrist will make a firm covenant with the people of Israel, promising to be for them. The covenant he makes with them will be a peace agreement. However, in the middle of the seventieth week, Antichrist will change his mind, fight against God, and cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease (v. 27b). This will be the beginning of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), which will last for three and a half years. During the great tribulation, both the faithful Jews and the Christians still on earth will suffer Antichrist's persecution.
After he causes the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, Antichrist will replace them with the abominations (the idols of the Antichrist — 2 Thes. 2:4) of the desolator (Dan. 9:27c). This desolator is Antichrist himself.
Eventually, the complete destruction that has been determined will be poured out upon the desolator, Antichrist (v. 27d).
What Daniel received regarding the seventy weeks was not only a vision but also a report. Daniel understood the seventy weeks, but because we are near the end of the gap, I believe that we understand this matter even better than Daniel did. By studying the vision of seventy weeks in relation to God's economy, we will be helped to know where we are, what we should be, and what we should be doing today.
