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The Book of Daniel
Chapter 9
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1984-2001 by Dr. Richard W. Fry Published by Promise of Life Ministries. Printed in the United States Of America. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or database, or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, photocopying, recording, manual, or otherwise, or disclosed to third parties without the express written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Making copies of any part of this publication for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of United States copyright laws.
Verse 1
Made
King Over The Realm Of The Chaldeans:
Daniel does not
confuse him with Cyrus. He was made king, i.e., appointed, and not over the
entire Medo-Persian empire, but over Babylonia only.
Verse 2
The
Number Of The Years:
The reference is
to Jeremiah 25:11,12, which says, "when seventy years are accomplished ...
I will punish the king of Babylon." That king had already been punished; so
Daniel knew it was time for the desolations of Jerusalem also to be ended.
Seventy is a round number; it was actually sixty-eight.
Verses
3-19
The Exemplary
Prayer of Daniel. 9:3-19.
Daniel's prayer
should be studied as a whole. The prayer was a spiritual means of accomplishing
what was already determined (see Isaiah 42:24,25; 43:14,15; 48:9-11; Jeremiah 49:17-20.
Cf. Jeremiah 50:4,5,20).
The names of
Deity employed are significant. Daniel reminds God that both Jerusalem (Dan
9:18) and the Jews (v. 19) are called by thy name. He addresses the Lord as Lord
God ('adonay 'elohim, v. 3) and LORD God (Yahweh 'elohim, v. 4).
This is the most
significant name of God found in the OT because it is the personal, proper name
Israel had for their God. Strictly speaking, this is the only personal name of
God belonging to Him alone.
Note what light
this chapter casts on prayer (Matthew 6:5-18; Luke 11:1-13). Observe:
-
Daniel's
prayer was a persistent, undespairing interest (Daniel 6:1-10; cf. 9:1-3). In
sixty-eight years of waiting, the prophet had not lost hope.
-
He had
determination (v. 3; cf. Luke 9:51).
-
He was
importunate (Daniel 9:3. See also Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30,31. Cf. Luke
16:24; 17:13; 18:38,39).
-
He showed
humility. Note how he associated himself with his people in their sins (cf.
Luke 18:10-14; 2Co 12:7).
-
He made
confession (esp. Daniel 9:4,5. Cf. Psalm 32:5; 51:4; James 5:16).
-
He displayed
submission (Daniel 9:14) and engaged in
-
petition and
-
intercession.
Like Moses (Exodus
32:10-14; cf. Ezekiel 14:14,20), Daniel as intercessor carried on argument with the
Almighty, on several grounds:
-
God's people
were a reproach among the heathen (Daniel 9:16).
-
God was
known to be merciful (v. 18).
-
God's
reputation was at stake (v. 19).
Verse
24
Seventy
Sevens;Focus upon Israel and JerusalemSeventy Sevens:
Verse
twenty-four begins with a direct declaration of whom this prophecy focuses upon,
i.e., thy people (Jews) thy holy city (Jerusalem). Any interpretation of this
prophecy, which ignores or overlooks this fact, must be entirely disregarded.
Six
accomplishments of the 490 years are predicted. The first three items of
accomplishment are negative. The remaining three are positive:
-
To finish
the transgression. "Finish" (Heb. lekalle') means "to
complete," not "to atone," as is sometimes asserted. The kind
of transgressions Daniel had been confessing for his people were to come to
an end. That has not, two and a half millenniums later, occurred.
-
To make an
end of sins. Literally, to seal up. This word (as in Job 9:7; 37:7) means to
bring under full restraint. Cf. the sealing of Satan's prison to restrain
him (Revelation 20:1-3).
-
To make
reconciliation for iniquity (lekap-per 'awon) Calvary's reconciliation will
become effective for Daniel's people when again, "in that Day" of
Messiah's second advent, they look on Him "whom they have pierced"
(Zechariah 12:10; cf. Revelation 1:7) and shall in repentance believe on Him
(Jeremiah
50:4,5,17-20).
-
To bring in
everlasting righteousness. This will be effected by inward moral
transformation (Jeremiah 31:33,34).
-
To seal up
the vision and prophecy (Heb. prophet). When the people cease sinning, the
disciplinary oracles of prophets will no longer be needed (Jeremiah 31:34).
-
To anoint
the most Holy (most holy place, ASV marg.). Most commentators feel that this
refers to a renewed Temple, anointed like the Tabernacle of old, following
the results enumerated in the five promises preceding (see Ezekiel 40:1-7;
Isaiah 4:2-6).
Verse
25
From The
Going Forth Of The Commandment:
This command was
given by Artaxerxes Longimanus on March 14, 445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1).
Unto The
Messiah The Prince:
This is, quite
obviously, Jesus. Jesus entered into Jerusalem as Messiah the Prince on Palm
Sunday, April 2, A.D. 30 (Luke 19:37-41).
Seven
Weeks And Threescore And Two Weeks:
First notice
that it was not stated as 69 weeks. God has a purpose for stating things in the
manner he does. He specifically says, "Seven weeks and threescore and two
weeks."
Seven Weeks:
Here a week = 7
years (cf. Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6). One day = 1 year. Thus, 7X7=49 years.
That takes us up to the end of the book of Malachi.
Threescore and two
weeks:
Now, 62X7=434
years. From the book of Malachi to the birth of Jesus there was 400 years of
scriptural silence. Jesus was killed in the 34th year of his life.
All years are not equal:
We must not
forget that there are years of different lengths. The lunar year has 354 days.
The calendar year has 360 days. The solar year has 365 days, and the
astronomical year or Julian year has 365¼ days, and it is necessary to add one
day every 4 years.
As to which of
these years to use in our reckoning here, we find the key Genesis 7:11-24; 8:3,
4. In the account of the flood, we find that the 5 months from the 17th days of
the 2nd month, to the 17th day of the 7th month, are reckoned as 150 days. That
means that each month has 30 days, thus the year is 360 days long.
From B.C. 445 to
A.D. 30 is 475 solar years. But we are looking for 69X7 or 483 years. We are
short by eight years. However, the problem is easily (relatively) solved by
using the right days:year ratio.
From B.C. 445 to
A.D. 30 INCLUSIVELY, you have 476 solar years. Since a solar year is 365 days,
476X365 = 173,740 days.
In those 476
years, there are 119 leap years where we must add another day (476/4=119). So,
173,740+119=173,859 solar days.
The going forth
of the command was on March 14. Jesus entered Jerusalem on April 2. We now add
20 days for the period of time from March 14 to April 2, INCLUSIVELY. Now our
total is 173,859+20 = 173,879 solar days.
But we have
determined from the bible that we need to be using a year of 360 days, not a
year of 365 days. Since we have to TOTAL number of days calculated, converting
to years is a simple matter of dividing the total number of days, 173,879 by the
number of days in our year, or, 360: 173,879/360=483 years (482.997) All to
within one day.
Verse
26
After
Threescore And Two Weeks:
It is requisite
to observe that certain events are said to be, "and after" (Heb.
we'ahare) the sixty-two weeks (plus, of course, the first seven weeks, or
sixty-nine in all).
1These
two events were separated by a period of nearly forty years (29-70 A.D.). Yet,
in the literary order of the passage, they are both after the sixty-ninth week
and before the final "one week" mentioned in the next verse. Thus the
very syntax, grammar, and word-meaning indicate a gap in the succession of the
seventy weeks.
Other important
reasons for supposing a gap here are:
-
Jesus placed
the culminating week, with its "abomination" in the times of final
Antichrist, just before His second advent (Matthew 24:15).
-
Daniel 7:25,
which describes what appear to be the very same events as those of 9:27, the
seventieth week, is certainly a prophecy of the times of final Antichrist.
-
The period
of three and one-half times or years (the second half-week of v. 27) is
often mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and always in an eschatological
setting (Revelation 11:2,3; 12:6,14).
-
The six
things to be accomplished in the seventy weeks (see Daniel 9:24 and comments)
require the second advent of Christ, and the restoration and conversion of
Israel.
Messiah
Be Cut Off:
The Hebrew word
here is "karath," and is used 277 times in Scripture. Here are just
two instances.
Genesis 9:11
Genesis 15:18
(made)
Christ was
killed, but not for himself. He was killed for you and for me.
THIS MARKS THE
BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH AGE. The church age will continue until the beginning of
the seventieth week.
The
People Of The Prince That Shall Come:
Not the Prince
himself.
Verse
27
He Shall
Confirm The Covenant With Many:
The many here,
as elsewhere, is a reference to the Hebrew people, the subject of discussion
throughout chapter 9 (cf. vv. 2,12,18,19, esp. 24, "thy people ... thy holy
city"). Evidently the covenant is to be made between Antichrist and Israel
when the Jews are back in their homeland in the last days. The exact nature of
the covenant is unknown, but will allow for the reinstatement of the daily
sacrifice.
For One
Week:
The seventieth
week.
In The
Midst Of The Week:
After the
first 3½ years of the final 7-year period of human history.
The evil and
destructive events described in the remainder of this verse should be
interpreted as summary information concerning the final "time of Jacob's
trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7 and context) set forth rather more fully in 12:1 ff; 2Th
2:1 ff; Rev 13; 14; and other passages. |
