Daniel 9:24-27

Recurrent Thought

Human beings do not necessarily have the capacity to know and predict the future; yet this is one area of human existence that exasperates them. God has our future under control

Knowing the Future to which you have never been is not the ability of human beings. Many think that lack of knowledge of ones future, is tantamount of being out of control. Human beings worldwide want to be knowledgeable about their own future for the sake of assuming control of it. Christ Devoted followers are encouraged to trust that God is in control of their future. Moreover, when God deemed it necessary, he does give us pieces of information through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, human beings follow means not sanctioned by God in their quest to know their future.  

Knowing that the period of Seventy (70) Years, allotted for them to be in Babylon had come to an end, Daniel went to the Lord in Prayer with the sole question of what will happen next. In answering him, the Lord sent Angel Gabriel with the response. Angel Gabriel told Daniel that “Seventy Sevens” where determined for them, as a prophetic calendar, to handle essentially His Prayers.  First, indeed Israel will return and reconstitute as a nation and have their identity re-chiseled with the worship of Yahweh at the center of it. Second, in their return, God will also reveal the promised Messiah. 

I)Background

• Daniel is given a prophetic Calendar with seventy sevens or seventy weeks of years. In essence the Prophecy is about timing set for the His people.
• The core of the Prophecy is about his People and their City (People of Israel). Therefore, 490 Years set for the Children of Israel in this prophetic calendar
• It is set in three sections: Seven Weeks, Sixty Weeks, and the Last one Week. Each section has important event or activity connected to it (Dan. 9:25-27)
• Essentially, there are three main ways to view this: First, this Prophetic Calendar is the times of Antiochus Epiphany. Second, it viewed that this is the times of the Romans and the destruction of the temple. Third, that this began then but transcended those times and have an impact in the Last Days.
• Particularly the text talks about the Promised Messiah, his appearance will be part of the prophetic calendar. 

II) Things to be Fulfilled in the Prophetic Calendar of 490 Years (Dan 9:24)  

• 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 prophecy, and
• to anoint a most holy place. 

III) Significant Details to Consider

1. To understand this prophecy, we must know when the prophetic time period starts that will lead us to the Messiah. The prophecy gives us that starting point, it is “from the going out of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.
2. There four times that decrees were made for exiles to go back
   • Edict by Cyrus, B.C. 536, permitting the Jews to return to their own land (Ezra 1:1). 
   • Edict by Darius Hystaspis,  B.C. 520, confirmatory of that of Cyrus (Ezra 6:1). 
   • Edict by Artaxerxes Longimanus, in B.C. 457, giving commission to Ezra to repair to Jerusalem and put matters right there (Ezra 7:7; 11). 
   • Edict by Artaxerxes Longimanus (BC 444) giving permission to Nehemiah for the restoration of the city (Neh.1:2; 2:1)
3. Many Bible Students believe the Prophetic Calendar begins with the last Edict of Nehemia, which specifically narrates about the Restoration and Building of Jerusalem undertaken by Nehemiah.
4. From the time of Nehemiah going to rebuild the city until the coming of Messiah, the Prince shall be a total of sixty nine (69) weeks of years (7 plus 62weeks ) which is 483 Years in total (Ch. 9:25)
5. After 69 weeks, the Messiah shall be cut off (Die). This is referring to coming and dying of the Messiah
6. The prophecy indicates that the City shall be rebuilt and the sanctuary destroyed. However it is stated that “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”(Ch. 9:26). It is a historical fact that  the Roman Empire destroyed both the City and the Sanctuary in 70 AD and it has never been rebuilt.
7. Jesus referred and predicted about this destruction of the Temple (Mathew 24:  Mark 13:1-2)
   • Another Prince
8. In Scripture there is an interpretative too called the Law of Double Reference meaning some prophecies may refer to two events or two person and usually the first foreshadow the later.
9. Daniel 9:27 is a double reference to Dan. 9:26. It gives the fullfiment of the 70th Week of Daniel.Dan 9:27  And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” 
10. Notice this Second Prince is different and in this Last one week:
    • He shall make a covenant with Israel for seven years
    • During the middle, three and half years, he will break the covenant
    • He will put an end to sacrifices in the temple (the temple shall be rebuilt).
    • He shall perform some form of Sacrilege in the Temple just like Antiochus Epiphany
    • . . . Then the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction will be put there. And it will stay there until the time God has decided to destroy this one who destroys (CEV)
    • . . . The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him." (GNB)
11. The 70th Week of Daniel is also called the Great Tribulation and Jews call it Jacobs Trouble 

IV) Concluding Thoughts 

1. Consider The Visions and Dreams

   •  Although You may not receive iinstructions that may impact the future of the World, don’t despise visions and dreams as avenues of receiving God’s Word that brings light for Direction.
   •  Visions, in this case is when through the sense of seeing, one experiences a supernatural encounter to the end that they see spiritual realities. Seeing a vision is one major way God speaks to human beings
   • God Provides Wisdom for Perplexing Situations of our lives. Gabriel states that I have come to give you Skill and Understanding. The Combination of the two is what we Wisdom
2. God always has our Future under His control
   • Despite the Challenges of our Lives, When we Pray God answers
   • As believers, we must be comfortable that God will always respond to our prayers
   • Faith must be the basis of Prayer Life. We must have a firm and trusting relationship with God.
   • Despite the chastisement Israel went under, God provided grace and existence in the future human economy.
   • Part of following God is to trust Him despite lack of any knowledge of Your Future