Daniel 9:20-27 While Daniel is in a spirit of worship and prayer for himself and the Jewish people, he had a vision. Gabriel, an angel of God, came to him to help him understand the vision that he saw. Daniel 9:24-27 are considered some of the most difficult verses in the Bible to understand, but when we are able to look at the math involved, some of it is very clear, and all of it gives us comfort because we know that God always keeps His promises! Verse 24 begins, “Seventy weeks are decreed”. Most scholars see this as years. The Jews thought in terms of sevens, and we see a clear example of this in understanding the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8-12). Seventy “sevens” is 490 years. To “decree” something means to divide, determine, or to set it aside for a purpose. This decree is about the Jewish people and the holy city of Jerusalem. Daniel’s visions began with the gentile nations of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, but now it has turned towards the Jews. The decree is split into two parts: Part 1 is fulfilled at the first coming of Christ: to finish the transgression to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity Part 2 will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ: 4 to bring an everlasting righteousness 5 to seal both vision and prophet, and 6 to anoint a most holy place Verse 25 shows us when these 490 years are to begin. The clock starts ticking at “the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.” There were 4 commands for the Jews to go back to Jerusalem, with three of them listed in the book of Ezra. None of these three talk about rebuilding the city; they focus on the rebuilding of the temple. In Nehemiah 2:1-6 it reads, “in the month of Nisa, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes…” This gives us a specific time. Verse 5 says, “that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” The decree by Artaxerxes was issued in March 444 BC. From that date there will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. Seven weeks is 49 years, which is roughly how long it took to rebuild Jerusalem; and then there were 62 more 7-week periods that pass after that. In Luke 19:41-44 Jesus asks for a donkey and weeps over the city of Jerusalem. In ancient times, kings rode a donkey when it was a time of peace, and rode a horse when it was a time of war. Jesus came on a donkey the first time, but He will be riding a horse the second time (Rev 19). He came in peace the first time; He comes to enforce righteousness the second time. Jesus says in Luke, “If you had only known, in this your day, the things that make for you peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes because you did not know the time of your visitation.” He is saying that He is holding Israel publicly accountable for knowing what Daniel predicted in the coming of Messiah and the 70 weeks prophecy. Daniel 26A says, “And after the 62 weeks (plus the first 7), an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. 69 weeks of years is 433 years (using the Jewish custom of a 360-day year). So 483 years after 445 BC (when Artaxerxes issued the decree to rebuild Jerusalem) is right at the time that Jesus is crucified! Daniel 26B is also addressed by Jesus in Luke 19:43. In 70 AD, the Romans came and re-destroyed the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Then, the final “week” of 7 years is spoken of in Daniel 9:27. Jesus addresses this in Matthew 24:15 by speaking of the future when He says, “And when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ as spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, you who are in Judea flee to the mountains. For then there will come great tribulation, such has never been before on earth, from the beginning even till now, nor ever shall be.” “You will see the Son of Man coming in power and great glory.” We are waiting for that future promise of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. But now, between the 69th and 70th weeks, it is the time of the church. But at some time in the future there will be a seven-year tribulation period. There is a week coming when “the prince who is to come” – the Antichrist – “will make a strong covenant with many for one week.” The Tribulation of the book of Revelation is about Daniel’s 70th week. Regardless of when the Tribulation comes, we know for a fact that Jesus is coming back, and we are to live our lives with expectant readiness for that day. At the end of the age an evil ruler will arise who will persecute God’s people, but his wicked activities will not continue, for the same Messiah who died will come again. He will judge the Antichrist and all those who follow him. Questions to consider: There is a world full of fear all around us. It is easy to get “sucked in” to the narrative of the world around us. How do you keep the “clickbait that is anchored in fear” at arms length in your life? Where does that most impact you? Are you living your life expecting Jesus’ return? How do you do that?