His Grace Magazine!
Page 20
D
Daniel 9
May 2022
"The Seventy Weeks of Daniel"
aniel 9:24: "A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place." To break down Daniel's seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24, the passage refers to seventy periods of seven years totaling 490 years, required to bring in the ultimate jubilee: the release from sin, the establishment of everlasting righteousness and consecration of the temple. Even though Daniel was a high government official, he was a diligent student of Scripture who built his prayer life on the Word of God. When he prayed, he approached God with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. He began his prayer by recognizing the goodness and righteousness of God. As he confessed Israel's sin on behalf of his entire nation, he prayed as if he
were as bad as the rest of Israel, for he realized that Israel was rebellious and wicked and did not make their prayer of confession before the Lord, even though the Lord delivered them out of Egypt. He begged for mercy and simply asked God to turn to His people and shine His face upon them. Daniel's prayer was
prophecy of the Seventy Weeks, which focused upon Daniel's people, the Jews, and his holy city of Jerusalem and it mapped out a series of events that began in Daniel's lifetime, and will continue until the Second Coming of Christ. Daniel chapter 9 is one of the most significant prophetic books in the
answered when the angel Gabriel swiftly came to him while he was still praying during the time of the evening offering. Gabriel announced that he came to bring an answer to Daniel's prayer. Because Daniel was dearly loved by God, God revealed many things to him through the angel Gabriel's visit. Gabriel told him of the
Bible and Daniel's study in prophecies of Jeremiah showed him the seventy years described in Jeremiah 25:11-13: "This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years." Daniel's knowledge of the times revealed that his people's captivity would be
limited to seventy years, and that this seventy year period was almost over and that God was about to set His people free. Gabriel explained to Daniel that from the time Jerusalem would be restored and rebuilt, which happened in 445 B.C., when Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem with safe passage and supplies to rebuild the city and the walls (Nehemiah 2:1-8), until Jesus made His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, presenting Himself as Messiah the Prince to Israel (Mark 11:1-10), there would be seven weeks and sixty two weeks, or 69 weeks, totaling 483 years. So, the first seven periods of seven years (49 years): the city of Jerusalem is rebuilt (445 B.C. - 396 B.C.). Daniel 9:25 says, "From the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times."
