What does the Bible tell us about Daniel’s Prophecies?

In the book of Daniel God provided Daniel with a number of prophetic sessions, some via others, e.g. Nebuchadnezzar, some to him personally. Those which are found in Daniel chapters 9 to 11 are the main source of this material.

Before we start we must note that this prophecy which we are examining only applies to the Jewish Nation, you will note that there is a gap of time in the events because the Jews are not involved.

Daniel 9:1-2 (KJV)

"1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. "

Daniel has been living in Babylon as a captive of the Babylonians for many years and seeking to serve God there. He is reading the writings of a prophecy by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 25:11,12. (KJV)

"11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. "

With joy, Daniel realized that God had promised to end the Jews punishment after seventy years. He immediately turned to God in prayer, Daniel 9:3-19.. God responded by sending an angelic messenger, named Gabriel, to Daniel with a message which gave a prophecy right into what is our future.

The date that Daniel was visited by the angel is recorded in Daniel 9:1-2 (KJV) as 538 B.C., about 67 years after the fall of Jerusalem and when Daniel had been made a captive in Babylon. This has allowed us to work out the meaning and timing of this prophecy.

The time calculations of the Prophecy.

Now that we know that the "Weeks" are referring to actual years and each year is 360 days long, that year began on March 14 th, 445 B.C.

The Messenger.

The Angel Gabriel, the messenger from God, appears about the time of the evening offering, about 3:00 p.m. Daniel 9:21ff.
Gabriel has come with the message from God and was to give Daniel the skill to understand because Daniel " for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision."

The Message Given.

The time starts from the issuing of the instruction from God to rebuild the temple and city at Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:24. (KJV)

"24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. "

It is obvious that Gabriel cannot be referring to physical "weeks" or seven days because the whole of Jerusalem and the temple would have been rebuilt in 490 days, impossible.
Based upon Daniel 9:2 there is a reference to "seventy years". Daniel was told that seventy "sevens" or seventy years, has been set for his people, so the "seventy sevens" of verse 24 must mean seventy groups of seven years, 490 years

Another point to note is that the early Biblical text indicates that the number of days in a year was 360, not 365, a year was twelve months of thirty days. See the record of the Flood in Genesis 7:1 to 8:3, the dates and number of days indicates thirty day months.

There is another indication of 360 days in a year as found in Revelation 11:3 and Revelation 12:6, where a three-and-a half period is counted as 1,260 days, then divide the 1,260 days by the 3.5 years and we obtain 360 days.

The full Message:

Daniel 9:24-27. (KJV)

"24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: 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 unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

Remember that the entire prophecy only deals with the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, the prophecy has nothing to associate it with the Gentile nations.

Gabriel’s message indicates six important events or transactions must take place before the prophecy ends. As yet the nation of Israel has not fully experienced the events.
The first three events involve the removal of sin, and the second three concern the restoration of righteousness.

The interpretation.

"To finish the transgression."

This event must be completed in the "seventy weeks of years". This means that the sins by the Jewish nation must come under control and not flourish.

For the True Believer this occurred at the Cross when Jesus took our sins upon Himself.

Israel rejected Christ so the Messiah’s work of redemption will not take place until the end of the seventy weeks.

"To make an end of sins."

Sometime in the future the acts of sins will be removed in practice.

This cannot happen until Jesus Christ rules the world during the Millennium and must include Israel.

"To make reconciliation for iniquity."

This action took place through the action of Christ at the Cross. Israel will not realize this effect until the end of the seventy weeks.

"To bring in everlasting righteousness."

The death of the Messiah not only atones for sins of the world; it can also make Israel right before a Holy God on the coming of Jesus Christ for the Millennium.

"To seal up the vision and prophecy."

This is referring to the time no more prophecy concerning Jesus exists. This cannot possibly happen until Christ comes in power and sets up His kingdom.

"To anoint the most Holy."

The words "the most Holy," is never used to refer to a person, it is referring to the Holy of Holies in the temple, this place of worship cannot be established until the final Temple is set up during the Millenium under the rule of Jesus Christ.

All of these events associated with Israel must be fulfilled and experienced by the nation, according to Gabriel. This cannot happen until after the 490 years in the prophecy.

When does this Prophecy Start?

The prophecy states this will start at "the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem." There have been four actual instructions to commence work on Jerusalem after their captivity:-

• 1) Ezra 1:1-4 and Ezra 5:13-17. Issued by Cyrus in 538 B.C. Work on Temple only.
• 20 Ezra 6:1-12. Issued by Darius in 517 B.C. Rebuild Temple only.
• 3)Artaxerxes 1st decree in 458 B.C. Rebuild Temple only.
• 4) Nehemiah 1:1-4 and Nehemiah 2:1-8. Artaxerxes 445 B.C. Temple and Jerusalem rebuild.

Artaxerxes took his place on the throne in 465 B.C. The twelfth year would be 445 B.C. and the month Nisan is todays March. The prophecy, converted to our calendar, gives us March 14, 445 B.C. The instruction are "To restore and rebuild Jerusalem," Daniel 9:25.

Messiah the Prince

Daniel 9:25.

"the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:"

In Zechariah 9:9 we are told that the King of Israel will ride into Jerusalem "on a donkey." This was fulfilled in Luke 19:29-38. Only an omniscient God could prophesied an event five hundred years ahead.

The time calculations of the Prophecy.

Now that we know that the "Weeks" are referring to actual seven year period and each year is 360 days long, therefore the year began on March 14 th, 445 B.C.

"After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off." This means that the time to the Messiah cut off is sixty-nine Weeks, 69x7x360 = 173,880 days after March 14 th 445 B.C. This will take us to April 6, 32 AD.

This date is believed to be the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and He was rejected by the Jewish nation a few days later and crucified.

We have now examined the sixty-nine weeks and shown that it was fulfilled, however there is still outstanding a further "Week." of seven years.
Gabriel told Daniel that the city and Temple would be destroyed and this occurred with the Romans:-

"the Messiah would be cut off and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;"

Jesus was rejected and crucified by the Jewish nation, the "seventy weeks" prophecy was interrupted when the Jewish nation rejected the Messiah. God is reckoning the time only with the Jews and the time will restart at the tribulation period with the final week of Daniel’s prophecy. This gap in the time has so far covered over 2000 years. We can trust in God to one day make it happen as He promised