SCRIPTURE: DANIEL 9
DANIEL’S PRAYER (vs. 1-19)_
Daniel confessed their sins of disobedience, wickedness, rebellion and stubbornness. He asked the righteous God to be merciful and forgiving. He pleaded Him to turn away his anger and wrath for the Jews and bring about the promised return of His people to their land. He asked God to hear and act because the desolation of the city bears His name.
THE SEVENTY “SEVENS” (vs. 20-27)
Angel Gabriel came to give Daniel insights on the vision he saw. “Seventy Sevens” are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed, the ruler comes, there will be seven “sevens’, and sixty-two “sevens.” It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in time of trouble. After the sixty-two “seven’s, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven’. In the middle of the “seven’, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (vs. 24-27)
THOUGHTS:
THE 72 WEEKS IN 3 PERIODS:
- 7 weeks (49 years) – starts in 444 BC with the decree allowing the Jews to return to their land and rebuild the city.
- 62 weeks (434 years) – time of Christ
- 1 week (7 years) – end times.
The prince who is to come (v. 26) is the Anti-Christ who will make a covenant with the Jews to protect them for 7 years. After 3-1/2 years, he will break the covenant and usher in a terrible time of trouble for the world. That final 7 years climaxes with the return of Christ, the defeat of His enemies and the establishment of His kingdom on earth.