Daniel
Prophecies from the Lions’ Den
Lesson 6: Seventy “Sevens”
Daniel 9 & 10
9:1-3 Seventy Years
The Babylonian empire has fallen and the Medo-Persian empire has taken over. The Babylonians took their first Jewish captives (including Daniel) in 605b.c. It is now 539/538b.c. It is getting close to 70 years of exile and that made Daniel think of Jeremiah who received these words from the Lord in 605b.c.
Jeremiah 25:11-14 (NIV)
This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring upon that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
What is going to happen for seventy years according to Jeremiah and Daniel?
Jeremiah says “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland.” Daniel says, “the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.” Neither gives a definite start date/event to the desolation. Only the total time is known—70 years.
How do we know that this is actually 70 years and not symbolic of some other time period like the “time, times and half a time” from chapter 7 or the “sevens” coming later in this chapter?
Those others were in dreams and visions. This is in narrative. There is nothing to indicate that this is a figure of speech or symbolic language. 70 years is 70 years.
Here are two possibilities for the 70 years.
605b.c. First exiles taken from Jerusalem
537b.c. Approximate date of the first exiles returning to Jerusalem
586b.c. Temple in Jerusalem destroyed
516b.c. Temple construction completed in Jerusalem
9:4-19 Daniel’s Prayer
Daniel realizes that the seventy years are almost done whether it is just a couple of years away or twenty years away. At this very important time, he prays to the Lord.
We can use ACTS as an acronym for parts of prayer.
Acclamation Praising God
Confession Confessing sins to the Lord
Thanksgiving Thanking God for all he gives and does
Supplication Asking the Lord for help
Write a letter (A, C, T, S) next to the verse of Daniel’s prayer.
v4 _____ v5-6 _____
v9 _____ v14 _____
v15 _____ v16 _____
v18 _____ v19 _____
A C
A/C A/C
A/C A/S
S S
9:20-27 “Sevens”
Is this section a dream, vision or something else?
The Bible does not say, but it fits with the vision language of previous chapters, especially with Gabriel who appeared in a vision before.
Now for those seventy “sevens.” They are divided into three periods. 7 + 62 + 1 = 70.
Write down what happens during each period.
7 sevens (v25)
The decree is issued by Cyrus about 539b.c. to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra and Nehemiah recount the “times of trouble” that occurred during the rebuilding.
62 sevens (v26)
At the end of this time, the Anointed One comes and is cut off and has nothing. The rebuilt Jerusalem is destroyed at the end of the 62 or during the 1 seven.
1 seven (v27)
During this time, the Anointed One confirms a covenant with many. The enemy sets up the abomination that causes desolation.
One interpretation, I’ll call the Millennial interpretation, is:
7 sevens is from the rebuilding of the temple to Christ.
62 sevens is the time of the New Testament Church .
1 seven is the time of the antichrist and the Last Day.
A second interpretation, I’ll call the Jewish interpretation, is:
70 sevens is from the rebuilding of the temple to the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes and the rededication of the temple.
A third interpretation, I’ll call the Traditional interpretation, is:
7 sevens is the rebuilding of the temple.
62 sevens is from the rebuilt temple to Christ’s death.
1 seven is when many will come to faith before Rome destroys Jerusalem and the temple.
Before we answer which of these interpretations is the best and biblically accurate, look at v 24 again. What does each of these phrases from that verse describe and when did it happen?
to finish transgression
Jesus finished transgression by having all sin placed on him on the cross.
to put an end to sin
Jesus put an end to sin when he paid for all sin with his holy precious blood shed for us on the cross.
to atone for wickedness
Jesus atoned for wickedness through his death on the cross.
to bring in everlasting righteousness
Jesus’ righteousness is everlasting and is given to all who believe so that we who believe are counted as holy and righteous.
to seal up vision and prophecy
Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.
to anoint the most holy
This is difficult. It could be referring to the Most Holy Place in the temple. Then it would be that Christ entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for our sins (Hebrews 9:12). It could also be that the “most holy” are the saints, the Christians. Christ has declared people to be holy through his sacrifice and this would indicate the beginning of the Christian church.
When were all six of these phrases accomplished?
When Christ came and died and rose again.
Which interpretation fits with verse 24?
Not the Jewish because it leaves out Christ completely.
Not the Millennial because it does not end with Christ as verse 24 does.
The Traditional fits.
The Anointed One is a translation for the Hebrew, “Messiah,” which is “Christ” in Greek. What happens to the Anointed One in verse 26 and what events in Christ’s life match with that?
He is cut off. That is a violent death. Christ died that violent death and was even cut off from his Father when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
How does Jesus “put an end to sacrifice and offering?”
He was the final sacrifice and no more was needed.
The Romans came and crushed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in 70a.d.
We will deal with the “abomination that causes desolation” in chapters 11 and 12.
10:1-11 Daniel’s Vision of a Man
This vision was given in the third year of Cyrus. During his first year, Cyrus had allowed thousands of Jews to return from Babylon to Jerusalem and even supplied them for rebuilding the temple. Why wouldn’t Daniel have gone with the returning Jews to rebuild Jerusalem?
Daniel was an old man by now and may not have been up to the journey or the rebuilding. He also held a very important position in which he could still help his people.
The man that Daniel sees is not identified. We can however compare this description with other descriptions of a man that Ezekiel and John saw in their visions. Compare the following passages in the table following.
Ezekiel 1:26-28 (NIV)
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Revelation 1:12-16 (NIV)
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
It is clear in Revelation (1:18) and Ezekiel (see chapter 2) that the man in those visions is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It is safe to say that the man in Daniel’s vision could also be the Son of God.
Revelation---robe with a golden sash
Body: Daniel---chrysolite, arms of bronze
Ezekiel---glowing metal, fire, brilliant
Revelation---feet of bronze
Face: Daniel---lightning
Ezekiel---n/a
Revelation---brilliant shining sun, white hair, blazing eyes
Voice: Daniel---sound of a multitude
Ezekiel---a voice
Revelation---rushing waters
10:12-14 Michael and the prince of Persia
If the man in the vision is the Son of God, how is it that Michael, the archangel, can help him? God doesn’t need help does he? Can you think of times when the angels were sent to help Jesus?
Of course God does not need help, but he does use the angels to help at certain times. The angels came to Jesus after he successfully resisted Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:11) and after he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).
Now we get a peek at the supernatural battle going on between good and evil, between angels and demons. It seems that Satan has one of his demons working in the Persian government.
About two years after the exiles returned to Jerusalem, they began rebuilding the temple. And very soon they were forced to stop by their ungodly neighbors. Perhaps this was the evil work of the “prince of Persia.” Whatever the evil work was, it was stopped. How was the “prince of Persia” defeated?
Michael and the Angel speaking to Daniel defeated the forces of evil.
10:15-11:1 Daniel Receives Strength
Daniel spoke before the most powerful kings of his day, but now he is unable to speak. Why?
Daniel is before God. He is physically and spiritually exhausted from the visions. He knows his sin and his place before God.
What did the man of the vision do in verses 10, 16, and 18?
He touched Daniel.
When did Jesus do this same thing?
Jesus touched many people that he healed. He even touched the untouchable lepers and the “sinners” of society. He showed that God does not reject us based on our outward condition or looks, but God is concerned with our spirit. He cleanses sin as well as leprosy.
The future is recorded in the “Book of Truth.” What does the title of this book indicate about our future?
Our future is in God’s hands. He will take care of us and see us to heaven.
Psalm 139:16 (NIV)
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
