Commentary on Daniel: Chapter 9

Daniel 9

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by birth a Mede, who became king over the realm of the Chaldeans — 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years which, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

This vision was received by Daniel during the first year of Darius’ reign.

As we have suggested, Darius was most likely a governor that Cyrus placed over the newly conquered Chaldean territory.

Notice that although Darius is said to be a Mede, he is not called the king of the Medes. Cyrus was king of the Medes. Darius was king over the Chaldeans, which meant he answered to Cyrus.

Some commentators believe that the first year of Darius’ reign coincided with the third year of Cyrus’ reign.

Daniel 9:1 (first year of Darius)

Daniel 10:1 (third year of Cyrus)

Daniel 11:1 (ALSO in the first year of Darius)

What was Daniel doing? He was studying his Bible and praying to God.

Daniel was studying the book of Jeremiah.

Notice that Daniel clearly says that what he was reading was the word of the Lord that had been given to Jeremiah. Jeremiah did not just make up his prophecies anymore than Daniel just made up his, as so many teach today.

What part of Jeremiah was he reading?

Jeremiah 25:11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:10 For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

These passages from Jeremiah speak of 70 years of Babylonian captivity. Is this a literal 70 years?

Some believe that the 70 year figure is symbolic with 7 denoting the perfection of God’s work and 10 denoting the completeness of the punishment.

Other commentators, however, believe that the 70 years is a literal, yet rounded, number denoting perhaps the length of a normal life span.

Psalm 90:10 The years of our life are threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Isaiah 23:15 In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

A problem with these ideas is that Daniel knew how long he had been in captivity, and he seemed to be under the impression that exactly (or perhaps approximately) 70 years had passed.

If the 70 year figure is to be taken literally and exactly then what period does it refer to?

Theory 1: 605 to 535 BC

The time from the first deportation to the time when some suggest the first captives returned to the land.

Theory 2: 586 to 516 BC

The time when the temple was destroyed to the time when it was rebuilt.

If instead we take the time period to be from the deportation in 605 to the decree by Cyrus in 539 we obtain a period of 66 years – which when rounded also gives us 70 years.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel took his praying very seriously and we should too.

To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world. (Karl Barth)

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. (Samuel Chadwick)

Much of our praying is just asking God to bless some folks that are ill and to keep us plugging along. But prayer is not merely prattle: it is warfare. (Alan Redpath)

Verses 4–19 will teach us much about prayer and will show us how a true servant of God should approach the Sovereign of the Universe on behalf of his people.

Notice the spiritual preparation that Daniel went through before he even began to pray. He had fasted, mourned, and clothed himself with sackcloth.

Daniel saw prayer as serious business indeed. Do we see prayer that way?

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and terrible God, who keepest covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances; 6 we have not listened to thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

In this prayer, Daniel makes a confession of his personal guilt and the guilt of the Jewish nation. He made no excuses – the Jews had deserved their punishment.

Daniel loved his people, but he knew that they had turned away from God despite his repeated warnings and graciousness.

They had forsaken the law; they had embraced idols; they had killed the prophets that God had sent to warn them. They had virtually forced God to destroy their cities and send them into exile.

2 Chronicles 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

7 To thee, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which thou hast driven them, because of the treachery which they have committed against thee. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him, 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

This section stresses the humiliation of the Hebrew people in the eyes of the surrounding heathen nations.

The Jews had a special place in God’s plan:

Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.

God had promised them military success as long as they remained faithful:

Deuteronomy 28:7 The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways.

God had promised that they would be respected by the surrounding nations:

Deuteronomy 28:10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of you.

But now this had all changed. Since the death of King Josiah in 609 BC, the Jews had become objects of scorn, deprived of their freedom, and ridiculed for their belief in the one true God.

11 All Israel has transgressed thy law and turned aside, refusing to obey thy voice. And the curse and oath which are written in the law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done the like of what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and giving heed to thy truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

In this section Daniel exalts the justice of God in dealing with his people according to all of the warnings and promises that had been given to Moses.

As one commentator noted:

To Daniel it was more important for the God of Israel to retain his integrity and uphold his moral law than for his guilty people to escape the consequences of their infidelity. Had God not fulfilled his word of judgment, little credence could be placed in his word of grace. If a nation like Judah, instructed so perfectly in the truth of God, could fall into idolatry and immorality and defy the Lord to punish them as he had promised to do, why should anyone obey the Almighty or believe in him?

The punishment of the Jews vindicated the holiness and righteousness of God and demonstrated to the world the sanctity of God’s law and word.

Verse 12 says that the coming calamity would be unlike anything that had ever happened in the world. Is this a literal description?

No. The latter half of verse 12 is a proverbial expression that should not be understood literally. It simply stresses the extent of the trouble that befell the city.

Matthew 24:21 makes a similar statement about the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Matthew 24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

The statement here in verse 12 is describing the destruction of the city in 586 BC. A similar description is found in Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 5:9 And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.

They cannot both be literally correct since each claims to be worse than every other calamity that ever did or ever would occur. Instead, each is simply employing hyperbole to make a point.

I think we will all agree that Daniel’s prayers were among the most powerful and effective in all the Bible.

What was the greatest historical force of the time? The great Persian army? The mighty Babylonian army? Or was it perhaps the 80 year old Daniel praying alone in his room? I think we all the know the answer!

Charles Finney said that:

John Knox was a man famous for his power in prayer. Queen Mary of England used to say that she feared his prayer more than all the armies of Europe.

How powerful is prayer? Prayer can do anything that God can do.

Since Daniel’s prayers were so powerful and effective, it stands to reason that we can learn much about how we should pray by carefully looking at Daniel’s prayers.

Notice that Daniel twice reminded God of what God had said in the law of Moses. (Verses 11 and 13.)

Is it all right to quote the Bible to God or to remind God about what he has said in the Bible when we pray?

Some would say no since God wrote the Bible and he already knows what is in it.

But, if I can only tell God things that he does not already know then I will not have much to pray about!

If we take Daniel as an example, then not only is it all right but I think we should quote scripture in our prayers.

Consider the following quotes:

The most promising method of prayer is to allow oneself to be guided by the word of the Scriptures, to pray on the basis of a word of Scripture. In this way we shall not become the victims of our own emptiness. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

The Word of God is the fulcrum upon which the lever of prayer is placed, and by which things are mightily moved. (E. M. Bounds)

By bringing God’s word directly into our praying, we are bringing God’s power directly into our praying. (Dick Eastman)

God’s word is known at the throne. Use it every time you pray. It is your prayer language. (Armin Gesswein)

The Bible is our prayer language? Perhaps Jesus had this very idea in mind when he said:

John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

15 And now, O Lord our God, who didst bring thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast made thee a name, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteous acts, let thy anger and thy wrath turn away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy hill; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people have become a byword among all who are round about us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, hearken to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications, and for thy own sake, O Lord, cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline thy ear and hear; open thy eyes and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name; for we do not present our supplications before thee on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of thy great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, give heed and act; delay not, for thy own sake, O my God, because thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”

In this section, Daniel appeals to God’s pity on the exiled nation and the ruined city of Jerusalem. He bases his appeal on God’s honor and glory. He asks God in verse 17 to restore the sanctuary for His own sake.

Daniel’s primary concern is not the discomfort of the Jews but instead is the tarnishing that they have inflicted upon God’s image and reputation in the eyes of the world. In verse 19 he says “Delay not, for thy own sake …because thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”

To Daniel, the worst part of the captivity was that someone might look at it and conclude that God was not able to deliver them. Daniel did not pray “Get me out of this!” Instead his first concern was for God and His reputation. (Is this how we look at things? Do we think of God first like Daniel did?)

Daniel confesses that he is not asking God to answer his prayers because he (Daniel) and the people are so good but because God is so merciful.

In verse 19 he asks God to do three things: hear, forgive, and act – and it doesn’t take long for Daniel to get his answer.

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication 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.

While Daniel was praying, Gabriel came to him in swift flight.

One commentator noted that if Gabriel were going to catch many of us in prayer, he would have to be swift indeed!

Do angels have wings? Although they are often depicted as having wings, they usually appear as men in the Bible. In this case, however, Daniel sees Gabriel in “swift flight.” Perhaps, he had wings in this appearance.

Notice that the use of the term ‘man’ in verse 21 does not imply that Gabriel was not an angel. The Hebrew word used here simply means that Gabriel appeared in humanlike form.

The “time of evening sacrifice” means late afternoon. Of course, no actual sacrifice could have been offered in Babylon (or even in Palestine) without the restored altar, but the Jews still observed sunrise and sunset as appropriate times for offering praise and worship to God.

22 He came and he said to me, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications a word went forth, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

Daniel receives wisdom and understanding in response to his prayer.

But prayer doesn’t work like that today. Right? When we pray we never see angels flying swiftly to answer our prayers. But because we do not see them as Daniel did, does that mean they are not there?

Notice how eager God was to answer Daniel’s prayer. “As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given.”

God is more eager to answer than we are to ask.

“This is the nature of prayer. Not than I am stumbling toward God but that God is running towards me.”

Daniel was greatly beloved by God. Why?

He had refused to compromise with the world.

He was faithful and true to God.

He was a man of prayer.

He studied his Bible and knew it was true.

He was a man of great faith.

If we compromise with the world, disbelieve the Scriptures, and fail to pray can we honestly believe that we too are “greatly beloved” by God as Daniel was?

2 Timothy 2:19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."

24 “Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning 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 forth 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 cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

This section of Daniel is one of the most commented upon sections in the entire Bible. We are going to need to proceed very carefully.

First, the Revised Standard Version translation is very poor in verse 24. The Hebrew is literally “seventy sevens” which denotes 70 weeks. The Revised Standard Version’s “70 weeks of years” is not in the original text.

The Revised Standard Version translation of this section is so poor that I think it will be helpful to consider as well the American Standard Version translation given below:

Daniel 9:24-27 Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. 25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times. 26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: 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 even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.

What is the setting? Daniel has been reading about a 70 year decree upon the Jews found in Jeremiah. God uses that decree as an opportunity to tell Daniel about another decree regarding the Jews – a decree of seventy sevens.

How are we to interpret this ‘seventy sevens’ decree? There are two approaches: Chronological and Non-chronological.

The Chronological Approach

The chronological approach assumes that the ‘seventy sevens’ refer to a period of time in which the events mentioned in the decree will come to pass.

There are two different chronological viewpoints.

Note: Neither viewpoint believes that the ‘70 weeks’ are literal since no one has ever claimed that all of the events in the decree occurred within 490 days of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem. NO ONE (NOT EVEN THE MOST RABID PREMILLENNIAL LITERALIST) TAKES EVERYTHING IN THIS VISION LITERALLY!

Before looking at the two different chronological approaches, it will be helpful to review the history of the exiles’ return to Palestine.

The Three Returns

Return Number 1: 539 BC

In 539 BC Cyrus gave a decree that the Jews should return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. (Some scholars think the decree was given in 538 BC. We will use the 539 date.)

This decree can be found in Ezra 1:2–4 and 2 Chronicles 36:23.

The leaders of this return were Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel, and Jeshua.

After their return, work on the temple was begun, sacrifices were made, and the Feast of the Tabernacles was celebrated.

The Samaritans had prospered during the Jewish deportation, and they were not happy when the exiles returned. Their guerrilla tactics stopped work on the temple for 19 years until 520 BC.

The temple was completed in 516 BC.

Return Number 2: 458 BC

Ezra, a descendent of a High Priest killed by Nebuchadnezzar, was concerned about the spiritual condition of the Palestinian Jews.

There was great disparity between the rich and the poor.

Most of the exiles had been men, so mixed marriages with non-Jews had become very common. Many of the children from these marriages did not even speak Hebrew.

The Jewish law had been neglected. Prophets from this period speak of murder, adultery, perjury, and injustice.

Ezra led 1500 men with their families to Jerusalem.

He read the law to the people, who were very moved when they realized how far they had strayed from the law of God.

He commanded that the mixed marriages be dissolved, that the non-Jewish wives be sent back to their own lands, and that the walls be rebuilt.

Some have suggested that the commands to send the women out of the city and to rebuild the city walls may have had some relation!

The Samaritans again caused trouble. They reported the treasonous rebuilding of the wall to Persia and they then proceeded to tear down the wall.

Return Number 3: 445 BC

Nehemiah, a cup bearer in the court of Artaxerxes, asked the king to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

The king agreed, perhaps because he wanted a fort close to the Egyptian border.

The Samaritans ridiculed their efforts and spread rumors that Nehemiah planned an insurrection and wanted to be king himself.

The wall was rebuilt in 52 days.

The Millennial Chronological Viewpoint

The starting point for this view is the decree given 445 BC by Artaxerxes to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. (That is, the starting point is the third return.) This is the decree found in Nehemiah 2.

Verse 25 tells us that, from this point, it will be 69 weeks (7 + 62) until the Messiah comes.

Using the so-called ‘universal prophetic Day equals a Year’ principle (more on this later…) they add 69 weeks (69×7 or 483 years) to this starting point.

Here is where things really get complicated. If we add 483 years to 445 BC we arrive at the year AD 39, which misses Jesus’ ministry and death by a wide margin. (Keep in mind when you add years to a BC date to obtain an AD date that there is no year 0. For example, 6 BC + 12 years is 7 AD.)

The solution? Instead of counting 483 solar years (containing 365 days each), they count ahead 483 lunar years (containing 360 days each) to reach the year AD 32, which they claim is the year that Jesus was crucified. (Most researchers think that the crucifixion occurred a few years earlier.)

After the 69 weeks (483 lunar years), the prophetic clock stopped and has not ticked once in the intervening 2000 years. Instead, we have been living in a prophetical gap period that they call the church age.

The last of Daniel’s 70 weeks will occur when the Rapture begins. The final 3.5 years of these 7 years will be the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist will reign on earth. Following these 7 years, Jesus will return to reign for 1000 years on Earth.

There are a host of problems with the millennial viewpoint in general that do not have a direct bearing on the passage we are considering. Without going into all of these, we will pause for a few moments and consider the general premillennial approach to interpreting scripture.

Problems with Premillennialism

Does it make any difference what we believe about premillennialism? Is it all just a matter of opinion? Should we make an issue out of it?

Here is one opinion. Listen to what Professor Carroll Osburn of Abilene Christian University has to say on pages 90 and 91 of his book The Peaceable Kingdom:

There should be room in the Christian fellowship for those who differ on whether more than one cup in communion is acceptable, whether the communion bread is to be pinched or snapped, whether one can eat in the church building, whether funds can be used from the church treasury to support orphan homes; whether the Lord’s Supper must be taken every Sunday, or whether instrumental music is used in worship. There should be room in the Christian fellowship for those who believe that Christ is the Son of God, but who differ on eschatological theories [i.e. matters dealing with last things] such as premillennialism, ecclesiological matters such as congregational organization, or soteriological matters [i.e. matters dealing with salvation] such as whether baptism is “for” or “because of” the remission of sins.

Thus, according to Professor Osburn, premillennialism (and baptism and instrumental music, for that matter) is on par with the raging controversy over whether communion bread should be pinched or snapped. That is, premillennialism is just a side issue that is really of little importance.

That is, premillennialism, baptism, and instrumental music are just side issues that don’t really matter so long as we all just believe that Christ is the Son of God.

But can I honestly say that I believe that Jesus is the Son of God if I ignore what he he has to say about baptism? If I ignore what he has to say about the end of the world? If I ignore what he has to say about the authority of the scriptures?

In Dallas, there is a large group of practicing homosexuals who meet in what they call a church and who no doubt would agree with us that Jesus is the Son of God. Should we then add homosexuality to Professor Osburn’s list of non-issues?

But let’s get back to the one so-called side issue that is of particular interest to us. Is premillennialism a side issue that doesn’t really make that much difference?

To answer that question, let’s turn to John Walvoord, who is perhaps the leading proponent of premillennialism. Here is what he has to say about its importance:

If premillennialism is only a dispute about what will happen in a future age which is quite removed from present issues, that is one thing. If, however, premillennialism is a system of interpretation which involves the meaning and significance of the entire Bible, defines the meaning and course of the present age, determines the present purpose of God, and gives both material and method to theology, that is something else. It is the growing realization that premillennialism is more than a dispute about Revelation 20. It is not too much to say that millennialism is a determining factor in Biblical interpretation of comparable importance to the doctrines of verbal inspiration, the deity of Christ, substitutionary atonement, and bodily resurrection.

Thus, according to Walvoord, premillennialism is a “determining factor in Biblical interpretation.” And if you read their commentaries, you soon find out that this in no exaggeration. They manage to work it in practically everywhere, even though the ‘1000 year’ figure they rely on occurs only in Revelation 20.

Let’s look at this from a logical standpoint for a moment: If premillennialism is false and if it is a determining factor in Walvoord’s interpretation of the Bible then what can we conclude about Walvoord’s interpretation of the Bible? It must be badly flawed since it is based on a false premise.

The conclusion? With all due respect to Professor Osburn, it does make a difference what we believe about premillennialism. It is not a side issue, it is a main issue. Why?

The premillennialist doctrine has consequences that run counter to the very heart of the gospel.

Premillennialists teach that one day the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system will be restored. In this way, they belittle the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice and his eternal priesthood.

They teach that Jesus is not presently ruling over Israel. Thus, they belittle his claim to have all authority in Heaven and Earth.

They teach that Jesus’ mission on earth was failure, and that the church (his body) was a result of that failure. Thus, they belittle the plan of God and they belittle the importance of his church. They teach that our Lord and Savior was a failure who caused God to come up with a Plan B at the last minute.

Can I say that Jesus is the Son of God and yet claim that he was a failure? That his church was a mistake? That he does not have all authority? That his sacrifice was not sufficient? Professor Osburn apparently thinks that I can. (Read it for yourself on pages 90 and 91 of his book.)

I cannot claim on one hand that Jesus is Lord and claim on the other hand that premillennialism is true. The two claims are logically inconsistent.

James 3:11-12 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

It makes a great deal of difference what we believe about this important issue. It strikes to the very core of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Premillennialism is false and we must continue to proclaim that.

By the way, we owe a great debt to Foy E. Wallace for keeping it out of the Lord's church. Foy Wallace (then the editor of the Gospel Advocate) debated Charles Neal (minister of the Main Street Church of Christ in Winchester, Kentucky) in 1933 about the 1000 year reign. He was largely responsible for keeping that false doctrine from infiltrating the church. (What would the situation be like today if he had just ignored the problem? I hate to think. That sort of problem rarely goes away by itself. Someone must have the courage to stand up and refute it. If you want to know whose primary responsibility this is, then take a look at Titus 1:9.)

Additional Arguments Against the Millennial Chronological Viewpoint

(1) There is no proof that the so-called ‘Day Equals a Year’ principle is in operation here.

Although this principle is sometimes claimed to be some sort of ‘Universal Prophetic Principle,’ it is in fact only used (with certainty) twice in the Bible.

Numbers 14:34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day a year, you shall bear your iniquity, forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.'

Ezekiel 4:6 And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah; forty days I assign you, a day for each year.

How do we know the principle is in operation in these two passages? God tells us each time.

Does that mean God couldn’t use it elsewhere without telling us? No, but is does cast doubt on the idea that he would.

But could it be a universal principle? No. There are many cases where it is clearly not in use. The creation account leaps to mind. Was the creation week a 7 year period? I know of no one who believes that it was. (Notice that the first of the above two passages occurs in the Books of Moses.)

Conclusion: There is no universal principle of Biblical interpretation that requires us to view days as years. To take that view here is just an assumption since God does not tell us here (as He does elsewhere) that the principle is in effect. (Our conclusion at this point is not that this principle is not used in Daniel. Our claim at this point is simply that the principle is hardly universal.)

(2) Beginning with the 445 BC decree from Nehemiah is just an assumption.

The prophecy clearly has a starting point, but what is it?

Verse 25 tells us that the staring point was the time when the word went out to restore and build Jerusalem. When was that?

If it were not for the efforts to make a chronology fit this prophecy, there would never have been any question as to the starting point: it is the decree of Cyrus in 539 BC.

Let’s consider the facts:

God had prophesied that Cyrus would rebuild the city. Some deny that he did, but listen to Isaiah:

Isaiah 44:28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfil all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"

Isaiah 45:13 I have aroused him in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward," says the Lord of hosts.

Cyrus gave a decree relating to Jerusalem in 539 BC.

Daniel received this vision around 539 BC.

Put yourself in Daniel’s place. Which decree would you have thought God was speaking about? The only decree you knew of! The decree that Cyrus had just given must have been the one that God was referring to.

Objection: Premillennialists say that the only decree ever given to rebuild the city was issued in 445. (This is the one found in Nehemiah.) But is that what God said? No! Look at Isaiah 44 and Isaiah 45 again. God said that Cyrus would issue the decree to rebuild the city.

Conclusion: The context virtually demands that we take the starting point of this prophecy to be the decree of Cyrus in 539 BC. Take this as the starting point , and you will never reach the cross in 69 weeks (483 years).

(3) The use of lunar years to reach their target date is baseless.

Going back to the lunar calendar to make the numbers work out is (pardon the pun) sheer lunacy.

No country (ancient or otherwise) has ever used lunar years to count out long periods of time without including some method of intercalation [the insertion of days into the calendar] to reconcile the lunar and solar years.

At the time of Daniel, the Assyrians, Babylonians, Sumerians, Persians, and Egyptians all had methods in place for reconciling lunar and solar calendars.

(4) They miss the date of the cross – perhaps by as much as several years.

This inaccuracy is particularly troubling based upon their own comments regarding the accuracy of what they call the Divine Chronology.

Here is what one leading proponent had to say:

And accuracy as absolute as the nature of the case permits is no more than men are here entitled to demand. There can be no loose reckoning in a Divine chronology; and if God had designed to mark on human calendars the fulfillment of His purposes as foretold in prophecy, the strictest scrutiny shall fail to detect miscalculation or mistake.

I agree that the strictness scrutiny will not detect an error on God’s part. However, even a casual scrutiny is enough to leave the premillennialists’ theory looking like a piece of Swiss cheese.

The Non-Millennial Chronological Viewpoint

This view, which is very popular in the church, begins with the decree of 458 BC when Artaxerxes gave Ezra approval to rebuild the city. (This decree is found in Ezra 7.)

Again, verse 25 tells us that 69 weeks will elapse before the Messiah comes. Applying the ‘Day Equals a Week’ principle to the 69 weeks gives us 483 years, as before.

Taking the starting point of 458 BC and adding 483 (solar) years, we arrive at the year AD 26, which is about the year that Jesus was baptized (the coming of an Anointed One).

Verse 27 tells us that in the middle of the 70th week, the sacrifices will cease. This, they claim, occurred when Jesus died on the cross and ushered in the new Christian age.

Again, this seems to fit chronologically since Jesus’ earthly ministry lasted about 3.5 years.

Most in the church rightly reject the millennial approach, but this non-millennial approach is very popular. Let’s consider a few arguments against the non-millennial chronological viewpoint.

Arguments Against the Non-Millennial Chronological Viewpoint

(1) Again, there is no proof that the ‘Day Equal a Year’ principle is in operation here. There are only two places in scripture where we know it is used, and the reason we know is because each time God explicitly told us it was being used. (See our earlier comments.)

(2) Verse 25 requires that 7 weeks (49 years) elapse from the decree in 458 BC until the city is rebuilt. That is, verse 25 under this interpretation would have the city rebuilt in 409 BC. But, Nehemiah suggests that the city was rebuilt in 444 BC during the reign on Artaxerxes.

(3) There is no particular reason to begin with the decree in 458 that is found in Ezra 7, except that it seems to work. As we mentioned earlier, there is much more reason to believe that the prophecy begins with the original decree of Cyrus in 539 BC.

(4) Verse 26 clearly suggests that the 70 weeks includes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus in AD 70. There is no way to make this fit with a 490 year chronology beginning in 458 BC.

The Non-Chronological Viewpoint

The non-chronological approach assumes that the ‘seventy sevens’ refer to a state of affairs (rather that an period of time) that symbolically describe the events in the prophecy.

Before we consider what state of affairs is being described here, let’s consider what the symbol of ‘seventy sevens’ might depict.

The number 7 as we have suggested depicts perfection. The creation completed in 7 days was perfect and complete. Thus, 7 could depict the completion of divine activity.

The number 7 is used all throughout the book of Revelation to denote the total and complete judgment of Rome and victory of the church.

The figure of ‘seventy sevens’ is also found elsewhere in the Bible.

Genesis 4:24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”

In each case, the ‘70 by 7’ figure denotes something that is total and complete. (Total and complete vengeance and total and complete forgiveness.)

What was total and complete about the decree that Daniel received in Chapter 9? The decree in Daniel 9 was God’s final decree with respect to the Jews under the Law of Moses.

This decree represented the completion of his work with regard to the Jews.

This decree embodied all of the elements that were needed to completely fulfill all of God’s promises to the Jews.

As far as God was concerned, this decree was his final word with regard to the Jewish Age.

The ‘70 by 7’ symbol was the perfect way to denote this statement of God’s completed activity. God is telling Daniel that this is a final decree. One day the Messiah will come and the city will be destroyed.

Objection: The 70 years in Jeremiah were literal. Why should we take the ‘seventy sevens’ figuratively?

First, as we have mentioned, NO ONE takes it literally since 70 weeks does not give us enough time to get to the Messiah from the time of Daniel.

But what about the 70? Shouldn’t that be taken literally?

Our rule is that we will take numbers figuratively unless forced to do otherwise. Certainly we are not forced to do otherwise here.

But even if we tried to take the 490 year figure literally, I claim that there is no way to make a chronological system of 490 years fit the events in this vision, which includes (verse 26) the destruction of the city in AD 70 and begins at the latest in 445 BC (and most likely begins in 539 BC!). Thus, we are in effect FORCED to take the value of 70 to be symbolic unless we had rather use a forced and faulty chronology.

Now we are ready to consider the details of verses 24–27

Verse 24 lists six things that are dealt with by this decree. That is, the decree will accomplish or bring about these six things:

(1) To finish transgression.

This could mean that under this decree transgression would reach it peak or limit. That is, the transgression of the faithless Jews would reach its peak and then be punished.

Matthew 23:31-32 Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

1 Thessalonians 2:14b–16 for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all men 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved – so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has come upon them at last!

Or, to finish transgression could mean that transgression would be dealt with effectively, which of course is what occurred at the death of Christ.

(2) To make an end of sins.

This was also accomplished by the death of Christ.

Hebrews 9:26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 10:12-14 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

(3) To make reconciliation for iniquity.

Again, this was accomplished by Christ’s perfect sacrifice.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

2 Corinthians 5:19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

(4) To bring in everlasting righteousness.

Yet again, we see see something that was accomplished by the death and resurrection of Christ.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

(5) To seal up vision and prophecy.

This could mean that this decree would bring about the fullness of God’s revelation, and that after it their would be no more.

Hebrews 1:1-2 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; 10 but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

It could also point to the hardening of the Jews that occurred at this time. That is, the prophecy would be sealed to them because they would not understand it due to their hardness of heart.

Isaiah 29:10-11 For the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets, and covered your heads, the seers. 11 And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed."

Romans 11:7-8 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day."

Matthew 23:37-38 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38 Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate.

(6) To anoint the most holy.

If the most holy refers to a person then it must refer to Christ who was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power at his baptism.

Luke 3:21-22 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."

Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Luke 4:16-19 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

If the most holy refers to a place then it must refer to the church – the new dwelling place of God which God has anointed with the Holy Spirit. This fits well with the context since the decree ends with the destruction of the old dwelling place of God – the Jewish sanctuary.

Ephesians 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The last week of this decree begins with the coming of the anointed one and ends with the destruction of the city and the sanctuary.

I believe that the ‘last week’ of Daniel’s prophecy coincides with the ‘last days’ that are spoken of in the New Testament.

That is, the ‘last week’ or the ‘last days’ both point to the period of time between the incarnation (or perhaps the baptism) of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

We know that the ‘last days’ occurred during the first century. In Acts 2:16–17 Peter said:

but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

Thus, Peter very clearly said that he and his audience were living in the ‘last days’ that had been spoken of by the prophet Joel.

Whereas God’s new covenant and his kingdom were ushered in 40 years before the fall of Jerusalem, God’s patience and longsuffering toward the Jews continued until AD 70. It was at that time that God’s patience came to an end with respect to the faithless Jews who rejected and continued to reject his son.

Jesus had predicted this in Matthew 21:33–43 with the parable of the wicked tenants who cast the owner’s son out of the vineyard and killed him. Beginning in verse 41, we read:

41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." 42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."

Finally, just because God delayed the punishment of the faithless Jews until AD 70 does not mean that the Mosaic covenant remained in effect until that time.

The Mosaic covenant was removed at the cross and was replaced with the new covenant.

Hebrews 7 makes it very clear that Christ could not become a high priest until the Mosaic cove¬nant was removed. (See also Hebrews 9:11–12.)

What occurred in this decree and during this last week?

The entire decree began with a command to restore and rebuild the city and the sanctuary.

As we have suggested the most likely candidate for this decree is the decree by Cyrus which was given at the same time that this vision was received.

The only reason why other decrees are put forward is because they fit in better with attempts to fit this vision with a chronology. These problems disappear if we take a non-chronological approach to the vision.

After 7 weeks the city is rebuilt and the sanctuary is restored.

This part of the decree speaks of the efforts under Nehemiah and Ezra that we talked about. Read those books to find out more about the ‘troublous times’ mentioned in verse 25.

Why seven weeks to rebuild the city? It depicts God’s activity in perfectly fulfilling the promises he had made regarding the city in Isaiah and Jeremiah.

The chronological view really breaks down here. It did not take 49 years to rebuild the city. (One particularly desperate commentator has suggested that they may have finished much earlier but it took them a long time to clear away all the extra construction material and garbage! That’s a lot of garbage – in more ways than one.)

After 62 weeks (69 weeks from the beginning of the decree), we have the coming of the anointed one.

This, as we have suggested, must be Christ. He is the Messiah. He is the anointed one.

Verse 27 tells us that he makes a strong covenant with many for one week.

I think the ‘he’ in verse 27 must refer to the anointed one and not to the prince of the people to come. The prince of the people to come was the Roman leader Titus, and he did not make a strong covenant regarding the Jews.

Christ on the other hand did make a such strong covenant, but was it for just one week? No. The word ‘for’ is not in the Hebrew. The strong covenant was made during this week, but was not restricted to this week. (Remember also that the point of the 70 ‘weeks’ is not ‘duration.’)

Which covenant is in mind here? If it is the old covenant, then it means that he would make that covenant firm – he would fulfill all of the Jewish promises, which he did. If it means the new covenant, then it means that he would bring it about by his death, which he did.

This anointed one is cut off half way through the last week. (As verse 26 says, he is cut off after the 69th week – that is, during the 70th week. Verse 27 suggests that he was cut off half way through the 70th week.) Isaiah spoke about this:

Isaiah 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

This ‘cutting off’ ushered in the blessings listed in verse 24. It also resulted in the destruction of the city in AD 70 since the Jews were punished for rejecting and cutting off God’s son.

Verse 26 says that the anointed would ‘have nothing’ after he was cut off. What does that mean? I think it points toward the faithless Jews who rejected him. They were not his people. He had nothing in their city and in their sanctuary, and thus they could be destroyed.

Why was he cut off half way through the 70th week? Because half of a week is 3.5 days, which as we recall from our study of Revelation depicts a temporary persecution. Jesus was cut off, but not for long!

The sacrifices ceased during this week.

This could refer to the final sacrifice of Christ which meant that the Jewish sacrifices no longer had any significance.

It could also refer to the literal end of the Jewish sacrifices, which occurred in AD 70. Not only was the temple destroyed, but the priestly records were also destroyed, which effectively brought the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system to an end.

Finally, at the end of the decree (i.e. at the end of the 70th week), the prince of a people that is to come destroys the city and the sanctuary again.

This prince was Titus and the people to come were the Romans. They destroyed the city and the temple in AD 70.

Premillennialists say that the people to come were the first century Romans but the prince is the antichrist, who hasn’t shown up yet!

The city and the sanctuary are destroyed by divine decree – not by accident. The destruction of the city was a punishment by God against the faithless Jews. The use of a ‘flood’ to depict the judgment makes this even more clear.

Amos 3:6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does evil befall a city, unless the Lord has done it?

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God's Plan of Salvation