Fall 2014 BIBL 450-D04
Jeremy Wiggins
Research Paper 1
November 29, 2014
The study of Biblical prophecy has always been an area of intrigue, and sometimes division, for scholars and lay people alike. This is especially true concerning end-times prophecy, and the coming of the Messiah, that was promised by God throughout the Old and New Testaments. The prophet Daniel, through revelation by the angel Gabriel, provided a time-table for coming events that would reshape the world, both in a physical and theological manner. By studying Daniel 9:24-27, in a prophetic and historical context, a better understanding of end-time events is possible.
Before looking at the specific prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27, the context of the interpretation provided by the angel Gabriel should be viewed. It is important because the time frame offered for the interpretation of the “sevens” starts with Daniel seeking out the words of the prophet Jeremiah as to when the people would return from their exile in Babylon. Jeremiah 25:11 is where the prophet had predicted that Judah would be exiled into the land of Babylon for seventy years.1 Chapter 9 has since been dated to the first year of the rule of Darius the Mede, which was the first year of Persian rule over God's people during their exile, and was the 70th year of Judah's captivity.2 Daniel, in realizing that the time for this exile should be close to ending, pours out his heart to the Lord in 9:3-19, where he confesses his sins and the sins of his people, and acknowledges that the curse of the covenant law was still upon them.3 It's important to acknowledge Daniel's prayer and confession, because as revealed in 9:23, it is the reason for the appearance of Gabriel, who has come to give Daniel revelation and understanding as to the future of Israel. Gabriel reveals this in 9:23, saying: “At the beginning of your please for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.” (ESV) It was Daniel's humble prayer that moved the Lord to send His angel to reveal the future that Daniel was seeking.
The revelation begins in 9:24, where Gabriel begins with a timetable for the future:
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and the holy city, 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 prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.” (ESV)
The verse is broken into two parts: The first is the time frame that has been decreed by God for the visions to take place, which is seventy weeks. The second is what is going to be accomplished during that time frame, all pointing to the people of Israel, and the holy city of Jerusalem. There are four main views for the time period of seventy weeks: 1) They are literal years extending through the reign of Antiochus IV Ephiphanes. 2) The “seventy sevens” are symbolic periods of time ending in the first century A.D. 3) They are symbolic periods of time ending at Christ's second coming. 4) They are literal years ending with Christ's second coming.4 Essentially, the prophecy can be viewed in two ways, either as literal or symbolic periods of time.
The first view is that these are literal years, linking the time period with that of the reign of Antiochus IV Ephiphanes. This view links each seven to a year, and thus, seventy of these seven year intervals would mark a total of 490 years. Instead of linking the beginning of this period with Jeremiah's prophecy in 605 B.C., those who espouse this view start with the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., in order to make their timetable work correctly.5 The major error in the view is that those who hold to it believe the sevens should have run out at the termination of the reign of Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, which was a time of great tribulation for Israel, after which should have begun the earthly reign of God's kingdom on earth, which obviously did not occur.6 Another problem with this view is that Antiochus did not stop sacrifices in the temple for a full three and a half years, but for only a little more than three years, making this time frame incorrect due to it failing to fulfill the prophecy in 9:27, which will be discussed later.7 The theologian Hippolytus was one such writer to apply this section of prophecy to Antiochus, and made him the antichrist figure in his description of the end of days.8
The second view holds that these symbolic periods of time end in the first century A.D. with a time frame that looks as follows: The first period of sevens extends from Cyrus's decree to allow the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. to the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, approximately 440-400 B.C. The next sixty-two sevens, therefore, continue until the first coming of Christ, with the final seven continuing from this point until an unspecified time after His earthly ministry, but before the destruction in Jerusalem at the hands of the Roman Empire in A.D. 70.9There are, however, several problems with this view of the sevens. The first is that a “seven” is best interpreted in a set manner of time, usually seven years, and not an indefinite period of time. The second is that in this view, the sevens vary greatly in length within each period. The third is that this view does not line up with the upcoming verse 26 about the destruction of the temple, which it seems to place after the sixty-nine weeks but before the seventieth week of verse 27.10
The third view of the sevens switches back to symbolic periods of time, holding that they are a prophecy of church history from Cyrus's decree in 538 B.C. until Christ's final return at the end of the age.11 This view holds the timeline to be as such: The first seven sevens begin with Cyrus's decree in 538 B.C until Christ's coming in the first century A.D. which is a period of around 550 years. The next sixty-two sevens go from here to the persecution of the church at the hands of the Antichrist, with the final seven taking place in verses 26 and 27.12 There are a number of problems that arise with this view. The first is that it is extremely subjective and varies greatly from the other interpretations of the sevens. The second is that it interprets one aspect of the prophecy as literal, which is the building of the city under Cyrus's decree, but figuratively the building of the city as the church in an eschatological manner. The third problem is the idea that Christ and his church will be defeated during the last days, and the fourth is that the sevens are more unevenly distributed here than in the other symbolic view of the sevens.13
The final view of the sevens is more in line that modern interpretations of Christ's second coming. This view holds that the sevens are a literal time frame of 490 years,which associates the first seven with the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and ending with the completion of the project at the hands of Ezra and Nehemiah approximately 49 years later. It then states that the next 434 years extend from the end of the first sevens to Christ's first coming.14 Believing that the earthly ministry of Christ, and His rejection by Israel, are not counted in the group of sevens, this view holds that the final two sevens begin with a time of terrible tribulation for Israel and the world, and end with Christ's second coming and the establishment of his millennial kingdom.15 This approach to the time frame of the sevens first most in line with the premillennial eschatological viewpoint, which is held by many Christians today.
Before moving on to the next verses in the prophecies listen in Daniel 9:24-27, some consideration should be given to historical viewpoints of early Christian writers and theologians. While not necessarily fitting nicely into one of the views listed above, these writers have contributed greatly to Christianity, and their views should be recognized, while not necessarily being correct. Firstly, Julius Africanus argued that the world would last for a total of 6,000 years, and calculated the time period of the final 490 year seven beginning with the appointment of Nehemiah as governor and ending with the death of Christ.16 Clement of Alexandria would argue that the 70 weeks included the time frame of the rule Cyrus until the reign of Titus, and while not having fixed a precise chronology, seems to have been satisfied with the lengthy period of time this covers.17 Tertullian, noted as one of the early father's of the Christian faith after the time of the Apostles, reveal an understanding of the 62.5 week period, or 437 years, as having stretched exactly from the first year of Darius' reign until the day that Christ was born.18 And finally, Eusebius, a famous Church historian of the early fourth-century, argued for 69 weeks of years, or 483 total years. beginning with the temple's construction in the sixth year of the reign of Darius and ending with the murder of the high priest Hyrcanus and the emergence of Herod as rule over Judea.19
Having taken an in-depth look at the “sevens” mentioned in the first half of 9:24, the latter half half of this verse shows that there are six goals for Israel to accomplish: 1) Finishing the transgression. 2) Putting an end to sin. 3) Atoning for iniquity. 4) Bringing in everlasting righteousness. 5) Seal both vision and prophet. 6) Anointing a most holy place. (ESV) Firstly, the transgression that is spoken of in this verse obviously is an act by Israel, who is the people group mentioned in this verse, towards God. This is probably referring towards Israel's constant rebellion against God, although humanity's transgression against God would not cease until Christ's return and His subsequent reign.20 The next act of putting an end to sin is closely related to the first act, although “sin” is a much more general term that “transgression”, which involves a direct revolt against authority.21 Neither sin nor transgression, however, can end while man resides under earthly government, and the coming of Christ at the end of this age will be the only thing that can permanently end either. The third act of the atonement of wickedness is again closely linked with the first and second act. All three are tied directly to Jesus Christ, as the only true atonement for wickedness, the forgiveness of sin, and the ultimate end of mans transgressions towards God, can occur because of the shedding of His blood. The fourth act of bringing in an everlasting righteousness will only occur at the end of the sequence of sevens, indicating that at their end the nation of Israel as a whole “will have received permanently a right relationship with God that will result in living according to God's will.”22 The fifth act involves the sealing up of vision and prophecy can be interpreted in one of two ways: 1) These forms of revelation would be closed. 2) God will someday set his seal of authentication upon every truly God-given revelation by bringing about its complete and utter fulfillment.23 Since all prophecy must come true in order to be truly from God, the second interpretation seems to be the more complete of the two. The final act is the anointing of the most holy, and almost certainly applies to a single place, probably that being the final temple,which is a spiritual one, that will come at the end of the period of the sevens. Others have interpreted this as being the anointing of the Messiah, as the term here “may recall the use of this term for the ceremony of installing priests (Lev 8-9) and kings (1 Kgs 1).”24
Gabriel moves on in verse 25 by describing a division of the sevens:
“Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again[c] with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.” (ESV)
Here he is stating that the “first two groups (seven sevens plus sixty-two sevens) will conclude with the coming of 'the Anointed One, the ruler.'”25 Gabriel has essentially stated that the beginning of this time of sevens will begin with the restoration of Jerusalem, with which there are several main dates and figures associated,. One view is associated with the decree of Cyrus in 538 B.C., although this decree did not specifically state the restoration of the city, only the temple.26 Others have associated the beginning of this era with the decree of Artaxerxes I to Ezra in 458 B.C., which permitted Ezra to return and begin worshipping at the temple again.27 Another popular view is the second decree of Artaxerxes I which was issued to Nehemiah in 445 B.C., although this does not seem to have been a formal decree but involved permission for Nehemiah to visit Jerusalem.28 The normally accepted view of the starting point for the seventy sevens is the decree to Ezra in 458 B.C.29
After a total of sixty-nine sevens pass, something truly remarkable would happen, and a figure of great importance would be revealed. There can really be only one correct interpretation as to the person the term “Anointed one” refers to, and that is Jesus Christ. Christians have traditionally always associated this term with Jesus, who is “called in the New Testament both king and priest.”30 Jesus is referred to by this special title because He was “anointed by the Holy Spirit to do his work.”31 During the period of sixty-nine sevens, the city of Jerusalem would be completely rebuilt from it's destruction during the time of the prophet Jeremiah. The terms “squares and moats” is rendered streets and trenches in other translations such as the NIV, and are used to show how complete of a restoration would take place. The final words in this verse refer to “trouble time”, which is a reference to “the struggles involved in rebuilding Jerusalem during Nehemiah's governorship.”32 The dating for the decree to rebuild Jerusalem is of extreme importance to the relation of this verse, as some have taken Nehemiah's governorship to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of the coming anointed one, and not Jesus Christ. By dating the beginning of the sevens to 536 B.C., some scholars believe that these verses “referred to the past 70 years of the Babylonian exile, not to the future, and second, that the period of sixty-nine 'weeks' was intended to mark the coming of a messiah, and that messiah was Nehemiah,not Jesus.”33 All this is to say that following the correct context and dating is extremely important, not only in prophetic interpretation, but in all Biblical interpretation.
Gabriel continues with his revelation to Daniel in verse 26, saying that:
“And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And 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.” (ESV)
After the reconstruction of Jerusalem takes place, there shall be another period of sixty-two weeks, where then the anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. The referring to the cutting off of the “Anointed One”, or the Messiah, assuredly points to the crucification of Jesus at the hands of the Romans. The second part, referring to the nothingness that he will then posses, seemingly refers to the fact that at the time of Christ's death, his “earthly ministry seems to have been in vain.”34 From the standpoint of the apostles, this almost seems to be the case. The one they thought was going to save them had died, and their future was uncertain. They would soon be proven wrong, with the resurrection of Christ after having been in the tomb three days.
After this “cutting off”, Gabriel then reveals that at the end of these sixty-two sevens in his place a ruler will arise whose people will destroy Jerusalem and its sanctuary, with a flood of wars and destructions taking place at the end.35 Some have interpreted this event to have taken place at the hands of the Romans with the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, however, a closer look at the verse only indicates that this “future ruler will come out of the peoples and nations that made up the ancient Roman Empire.”36 The destruction that is to come is referred to as being so great that it will be like a “flood”, with “war” and “desolations” to follow. This was all decreed by the Lord as a judgment upon the people of Israel, and they will continue until the end, until the city is completely destroyed.37
The final verse in this section of prophecy describes the reign of the one who is to come after the “Anointed One”:
“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,[e] 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.” (ESV)
This verse concludes the entire picture with a description as to how this ruler who replaces the Messiah will have popular support, and “that this leader will "confirm" an agreement with many suggests a further connection with those who follow this figure.38 It is important to note that the events of the seventieth seven transpire over a seven-year period, which takes place immediately prior to Christ's second coming, where He will begin his earthly reign.39 Theologians typically place a gap between the first sixty-nine sevens, or 483 years, which typically conclude with Christ's first coming, and the termination of the final seven at His second coming. This is apparent in the text, using the example of Christ's crucification and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as having taken place after the sixty-ninth seven, but before the seventieth seven, thus revealing a seven year gap.40 This would also explain the reason that there is a continuing gap occurring even now after Christ's death, since the events in verse 27 have not seemingly transpired. This could be attributed to the subsequent dispersal of the Jewish people after the death of Christ, which only recently saw Israel being reestablished as a nation in the year 1948 after WWII. Since Christ's covenant endure with believers for all times, it is unlikely that the covenant spoken of here is with Him, so another explanation is required, since the person referred to must be present at the end of this time period.41 This would most likely be referring to the Anti-christ, who will then enter into a covenant with “the Jewish people as a group, the nation of Israel.”42 This treaty, based on even current circumstances surrounding the protection of Israel from outside threats, is an easy one to understand, with Israel wanting to feel both safe and secure.43 This peace will be ultimately short lived, however, the arrangement will be for a period of seven years.
In the middle of this supposed peace, the true nature of the person Israel has made a deal with will be revealed, and after three and a half years, or the period noted as “half the week” (ESV) in verse 27, the Antichrist will put an end to offerings and sacrifices at the temple, and begin a period of great tribulation, taking place in the last half of this particular seven.44 It is during this time period that the Antichrist will persecute believers, and commit other horrible atrocities as well.45
The text indicates that the Antichrist will place some kind of object, referred to as an abomination, in the temple precincts, or the wing that is referenced in the verse, causing Jews to not worship there, which causes the desolation.46 Because the word “abomination” here is plural in the Hebrew, when placed with the word “desolation” it would more accurately read “abominations of desolation” as referenced in 11:31 and 12:11.47 This event is also referenced by Christ Himself in Matthew 24:15. The one who causes this is most assuredly the Antichrist, “who will forbid worship and thereby make the temple area desolate (empty).”48
While all of this will be a terrible time in human history, readers should take note that at the end of this verse there is a “decreed end”, meaning that the tribulation that will come will not last forever, as God is sovereign and in control of all of these events. This wickedness will last only as long as God allows, and there is a “flood of judgment that will over take the Antichrist.”49
This section of Daniel is perhaps one of the most important prophecies ever given by God in the Bible, as it relates to the future for all of the world, believers and un-believers alike. Regardless of disagreement over the dating, several important facts are clear: The Messiah will come, He will die, and subsequently the temple will be destroyed. At the end of this age an evil ruler will arise, and commit great atrocities to God's people, but his time is limited and the same Messiah who died will come again.50 God had revealed all of this to Daniel, and while he may not have understood all of it, or the deep meanings that these prophecies held for the future of Israel, he would have taken great hope in the fact that God indeed has a plan for His people, and that He will overcome all of humanities transgressions and sins one day, in His own time.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Flesher, LeAnne Snow, “Daniel 9:24-27 and the Tribulation”, Review and Expositor, 109, Fall, 2012.
Hess, Richard S. "The seventy sevens of Daniel 9: a timetable for the future?." Bulletin For Biblical Research 21, no. 3, January 1, 2011.
Hindson, Edward E., and Gary E. Yates, The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. Nashville Tenn.: B & H Academic, 2012.
McFall, Leslie. "Do the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel date the messianic mission of Nehemiah or Jesus?." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 52, no. 4, December 1, 2009.
Miller, Stephen R. The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1994.
Zuiddam, Benno A., “The Shock Factor of Divine Revelation: A Philological Approach to Daniel 8 and 9”, Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament: An International Journal of Nordic Theology, 27:2, 2013.
1 LeAnne Snow Flesher, “Daniel 9:24-27 and the Tribulation”, Review and Expositor, 109, (Fall 2012) 585.
2McFall, Leslie. "Do the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel date the messianic mission of Nehemiah or Jesus?." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 52, no. 4, (December 1, 2009) 679.
3 Edward E. Hindson and Gary E. Yates, The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey (Nashville, Tenn.: B & H Academic, 2012), 360.
4 Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, (1994) 253-257.
5 Ibid., 253.
6 Ibid., 253.
7 Ibid., 253.
8 Benno A. Zuiddam, “The Shock Factor of Divine Revelation: A Philological Approach to Daniel 8 and 9”, Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament: An International Journal of Nordic Theology, 27:2, (2013) 249.
9 Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, (1994) 254.
10 Ibid., 255.
11 Ibid., 255.
12 Ibid., 255.
13 Ibid., 256.
14 Ibid., 257.
15 Ibid., 257.
16 Richard S. Hess, "The seventy sevens of Daniel 9: a timetable for the future?." Bulletin For Biblical Research 21, no. 3, (January 1, 2011) 320.
17 Ibid., 320.
18 Ibid., 321.
19 Ibid., 321.
20 Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, (1994) 260.
21 Ibid., 260.
22 Ibid., 261.
23 Ibid., 261.
24 Richard S. Hess, "The seventy sevens of Daniel 9: a timetable for the future?." Bulletin For Biblical Research 21, no. 3, (January 1, 2011) 317.
25 Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, (1994) 262.
26 Ibid., 262.
27 Ibid., 263.
28 Ibid., 263.
29 Ibid., 263.
30 Ibid., 264.
31 Ibid., 264.
32 Ibid., 267.
33McFall, Leslie. "Do the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel date the messianic mission of Nehemiah or Jesus?." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 52, no. 4, (December 1, 2009) 676.
34 Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, (1994) 267.
35 Richard S. Hess, "The seventy sevens of Daniel 9: a timetable for the future?." Bulletin For Biblical Research 21, no. 3, (January 1, 2011) 317.
36 Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, (1994) 268.
37 Ibid., 269.
38 Richard S. Hess, "The seventy sevens of Daniel 9: a timetable for the future?." Bulletin For Biblical Research 21, no. 3, (January 1, 2011) 317.
39 Stephen R. Miller, The New American Commentary. Vol. 18, Daniel. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, (1994) 269.
40 Ibid., 269.
41 Ibid., 270.
42 Ibid., 271.
43 Ibid., 271.
44 Ibid., 271.
45 Ibid., 271.
46 Ibid., 271.
47 Ibid., 272.
48 Ibid., 273.
49 Ibid., 273.
50 Ibid., 273.
