B i b l e S t u d y
Lesson: Daniel 9 - Daniel's Dream and the Seventy Weeks Prophecy
SCRIPTURE READING: Daniel 9:1-27
GOLDEN TEXT: Daniel 9:4
1. Who was the son of Ahauerus (Xerxes) who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans? (Daniel 9:1).
2. Daniel was studying and received understanding of the scrolls of what prophet? (Daniel 9:2). Did he come to understand the seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem?
Note: Notice that Jeremiah is already recognized as a prophet of God. Also notice that Daniel had the scrolls of Jeremiah and that he was studying them.
3. Did Daniel set his face toward God? (Daniel 9:3). Did Daniel pray to God? How did he humble himself?
Note: Daniel had read the scrolls of Jeremiah and understood what was required. He set his face toward God which was facing toward Jerusalem where the Temple was. Daniel did as he was instructed by Solomon at the dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 8:48-49) and prayed facing the direction of the Temple.
4. Did Daniel make a confession to God? (Daniel 9:4). Did Daniel say that God keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him and with those who keep His commandments?
Note: God keeps His covenant and extends His mercy and grace to those who keep His commandments. Obedience to the Ten Commandments is required by God. Disobedience was the reason that the Jews ended up in the Babylonian captivity. The two main reasons for their captivity was Sabbath breaking and idolatry.
Notice what the apostle John said about keeping God’s commandments: "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." (1 John 3:22).
Notice that Nehemiah’s prayer is similar to Daniel’s prayer to God. (Nehemiah 1:4-11).
5. What did Daniel confess to God about? (Daniel (:5). Who is the ‘we’ that he is talking about?
Note: Precepts and judgments are associated with God’s commandments. Notice that Daniel did not try to justify the sin and rebellion of the Jews. He acknowledged that the cause of their problems stemmed from disobedience to God’s commandments. Notice that Daniel said "We have sinned." He included himself in the word ‘we’.
6. Who did Daniel say that the Jews did not heed? (Daniel 9:6). Whose name did the prophets speak for? Who did they speak to?
Note: Daniel was aware of the prophets that had been sent to the Jews. The prophets told them to repent and obey God but they did not heed the prophets. Jeremiah witnessed to the people of Judah and to the kings of Judah. See Jeremiah 7:1-3, 11:1-6, 22:1 and chapter 25.
7. Who does righteousness belong to? (Daniel 9:7). Where did God drive the inhabitants of Judah, Jerusalem and all of Israel? Why did He drive them out of their land?
Note: God was righteous and justified in bringing the punishment on the nation of Judah because they broke the terms of the covenant which required God to curse their disobedience. Blessings and curses were part of the covenant. See Deuteronomy 28.
8. Daniel said that "to us belongs shame of face" because why? (Daniel 9:8).
9. What two elements belongs to God even when we rebel against Him? (Daniel 9:9).
10. What has God set before us by His servants the prophets? (Daniel 9:10).
Note: Daniel’s perception of the God of the Old Testament was not a God who was harsh and uncaring. Daniel said that He was merciful and forgiving. Guess who was the God of the Old Testament?
11. All Israel transgressed God’s law and did not obey His voice. What was poured out on them because they sinned against God? (Daniel 9:11).
Note: Daniel said "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law." The word ‘law’ is the Hebrew word ‘torah’. The word ‘torah’ means the whole teaching not just the commandments and it is inclusive from Genesis through Deuteronomy, called the Decalogue or Pentateuch.
Note: God made an oath to Israel "that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you" (Deuteronomy 29:9-13). This was conditional as long as they would be obedient to Him.
Notice the word ‘oath’ in this verse. The N.I.V. has translated this as ‘sworn judgments’. God made a covenant with Israel and if they did not keep their part of the covenant then they would be cursed. See Deuteronomy 28:15.
12. Did God confirm His words against Israel? (Daniel 9:12). Was there a great disaster brought against them?
Note: This great disaster was that they were invaded by King Nebuchadnezzar and were carried off into exile to Babylon for the seventy year captivity.
13. With this disaster upon Israel, what did they not do? (Daniel 9:13).
Note: Even in their captivity the people were still sinning. They had not yet learned their lesson and they were still turning to other gods. See Ezekiel 14.
14. Is God righteous in all the works which He does? (Daniel 9:14).
Note: God was faithful to everything in His part of the covenant and the Jews were not faithful to any of it.
15. How did God make a name for Himself? (Daniel 9:15).
16. Did Daniel pray that God’s anger and fury be turned away from Jerusalem? (Daniel 9:16). Why was Jerusalem and the Jews a reproach to all the nations around them?
17. Did Daniel ask God to hear his prayer? (Daniel 9:17). What did he ask God to do?
18. What did Daniel say to God regarding His ears and eyes? (Daniel 9:18).
Note: Daniel knew that our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). He knew that they needed God’s mercy. Daniel knew that God could pardon them of their sins if they confessed their faults and produced evidence of repentance. See 1 John 1:9.
19. Did Daniel ask God not to delay in answering his prayer? (Daniel 9:19).
20. Was Daniel confessing his sin and the sin of his people Israel? (Daniel 9:20).
21. Did God begin to answer Daniel while he was still praying? (Daniel 9:21). About what time did Gabriel reach Daniel.
Note: Daniel received instant results from his prayer and God sent the angel Gabriel. The earlier vision was twelve years before this time as recorded in Daniel 8. Daniel chapters 8 and 9 are linked together by Gabriel. The vision in Daniel 8 is interpreted more fully in Daniel 9. Daniel recorded that Gabriel "reached me about the time of the evening offering." The Jews were in captivity and were not offering sacrifices in the city of Babylon. There were no sacrifices being offered anywhere because the Temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians.
22. Did the angel Gabriel talk to Daniel and say, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand" (Daniel 9:22).
23. Did Gabriel tell Daniel to consider the matter and understand the vision? (Daniel 9:23).
Note: Gabriel told Daniel to consider the message in order to understand the vision that he had given him some twelve years earlier. (Daniel 8:27).
24. Did Gabriel tell Daniel, "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city" (Daniel 9:24).
Note: Gabriel now begins to interpret what Daniel had seen in his vision.
The Hebrew word used for weeks is ‘sabuim’ and it is plural and it means ‘units of seven’. This phrase ‘seventy weeks’ could be interpreted as ‘seventy units of seven’ or ‘seventy times seven years’.
Gabriel said, "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city." The main emphasis of this 70 weeks prophecy contains these two items, the Jews and the city of Jerusalem.
Remember Gabriel is interpreting the vision from Daniel 8 and in chapter 8 we have the host, the stars and the holy people (Daniel 8:10-13,24). All of these represents God’s people.
Continuing with Gabriel’s interpretation. He said "To finish the transgression" or the sin of the age. "To make an end of sins" - The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." "To make reconciliation for iniquity" - Jesus Christ is our high priest who had made reconciliation for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17). "To bring in everlasting righteousness" - Jesus Christ is the righteous one (1 John 2:1) and by the end of the 70 weeks He will establish righteousness forever. "To seal up vision and prophecy" - to conclude and wrap up prophecy so it is fully explained and interpreted. "And to anoint the Most Holy" - Anointing is a reference to coronating Jesus Christ as king of kings.
This list of accomplishments will not be fully achieved until the 70 weeks are completed.
25. When was the command given to restore and build Jerusalem? (Daniel 7:25).
Note: This command was given in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I, king of Persia. He ruled from 464 to 424 B.C. The command was given by Artaxerxes to Ezra in his seventh year which was 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:7, 12, 13, 18, 21, 9:9).
"From the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince", that is until the coming of the Messiah, which is necessary to atone, to pay the penalty for sin, to accomplish making an end of sin.
"There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks." It does not say 69 weeks. It is two groups, one of 7 weeks that equals 49 years and the other group of 62 weeks that equals 434 years. The group of 7 weeks is interpreted in the final phrase of this verse. "The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times." The 49 years would take us to 408 B.C. when the streets and walls of Jerusalem would be rebuilt and completed 49 years after the decree of Artaxerxes.
The rest of the vision is concerning the holy people. The group of 62 weeks is actually explaining the interim between the completion of the holy city and the beginning of the meaning of the seventieth week, which is the building of the holy people.
The command was given in 457 B.C. and add 49 years (7 weeks) to that and we are at 408 B.C and then add 434 years (62 weeks) and we come to A.D.27 (No year 0). This is when the Messiah came, when Jesus Christ began His public ministry.
26. Does Gabriel say that Messiah will be cut off after the 62 weeks? (Daniel 9:26).
Note: The Messiah is cut off after the 69 weeks (add 7 to 62) but before the seventieth week is complete. Why will the Messiah be cut off? For the people, to atone for their sins. This verse continues "And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." This is somebody else. Gabriel is explaining the vision of Daniel 8. The prince that is to come is the master of stratagem. He is the one who will stand up against the Messiah. The people of the prince (Daniel 8:23-24) is the armies of the Beast power, the abomination of desolation (Luke 21).
"The end of it shall be with a flood", the N.I.V. says "The end will come like a flood", that is, all of a sudden, quickly.
"And till the end of the war desolations are determined." During this period Jerusalem will be desolated.
27. Who is the covenant to be confirmed with? (Daniel 9:27).
Note: Who is the ‘he’? The ‘he’ is the Messiah. Daniel 9:26 talked about the Messiah first, then talked about the people of the prince. ‘People’ is plural, but here it says ‘he’ which is singular. The Messiah will confirm a covenant with the people for one week, a 7 year period, but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. This verse 27 gives us the meaning of the seventieth week, the third and final group of 7 years which pictures building the holy people.
In A.D. 27 Jesus Christ began personal instruction of His disciples, but in the middle of the week (3-1/2 years) He was cut off. He was crucified and shed His blood in the spring of 31 A.D. He has not yet finished the week. From the indication from the remainder of this verse is that the final 3-1/2 days (3-1/2 years) is fulfilled and completed at the time of His second coming. Jesus’ return ends the 70 weeks.
Scriptures
Scripture Reading:
Daniel's Prayer
(Daniel 9 NKJV) In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; {2} in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. {3} Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. {4} And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, {5} "we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. {6} "Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. {7} "O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day; to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. {8} "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. {9} "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. {10} "We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. {11} "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. {12} "And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem. {13} "As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. {14} "Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. {15} "And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly! {16} "O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. {17} "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. {18} "O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. {19} "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
The Seventy "Sevens"
{20} Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, {21} yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. {22} And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. {23} "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: {24} "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. {25} "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. {26} "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. {27} Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."
Golden Text:
(Daniel 9:4 NKJV) And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
All Questions: See Scripture Reading.
3. (1 Kings 8:48-49 NKJV) "and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: {49} "then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause,
4. (1 John 3:22 NKJV) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
(Nehemiah 1:4-11 NKJV) So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. {5} And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, {6} "please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. {7} "We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. {8} "Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; {9} 'but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.' {10} "Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. {11} "O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer.
6. False Religion Worthless
(Jeremiah 7:1-3 NKJV) The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, {2} "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!'" {3} Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
The Covenant Is Broken
(Jeremiah 11:1-6 NKJV) The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, {2} "Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; {3} "and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant {4} "which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,' {5} "that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them 'a land flowing with milk and honey,' as it is this day." ' " And I answered and said, "So be it, LORD." {6} Then the LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: 'Hear the words of this covenant and do them.
Judgment Against Evil Kings
(Jeremiah 22:1 NKJV) Thus says the LORD: "Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word,
Seventy Years of Captivity
(Jeremiah 25 NKJV) The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), {2} which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: {3} "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the LORD has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened. {4} "And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. {5} "They said, 'Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. {6} 'Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.' {7} "Yet you have not listened to Me," says the LORD, "that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. {8} "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Because you have not heard My words, {9} 'behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the LORD, 'and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. {10} 'Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. {11} 'And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. {12} 'Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,' says the LORD; 'and I will make it a perpetual desolation. {13} 'So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations. {14} '(For many nations and great kings shall be served by them also; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.)'"
The Cup of God's Wrath
{15} For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. {16} "And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them." {17} Then I took the cup from the Lord's hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the LORD had sent me: {18} Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; {19} Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people; {20} all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod); {21} Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon; {22} all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the sea; {23} Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners; {24} all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert; {25} all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes; {26} all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. {27} "Therefore you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you."' {28} "And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "You shall certainly drink! {29} "For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth," say
s the LORD of hosts.' {30} "Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: 'The LORD will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth. {31} A noise will come to the ends of the earth; For the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,' says the LORD." {32} Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth. {33} "And at that day the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground. {34} "Wail, shepherds, and cry! Roll about in the ashes, You leaders of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled; You shall fall like a precious vessel. {35} And the shepherds will have no way to flee, Nor the leaders of the flock to escape. {36} A voice of the cry of the shepherds, And a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard. For the LORD has plundered their pasture, {37} And the peaceful dwellings are cut down Because of the fierce anger of the LORD. {38} He has left His lair like the lion; For their land is desolate Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, And because of His fierce anger."
11. (Deuteronomy 29:9-13 NKJV) "Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. {10} "All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, {11} "your little ones and your wives; also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water; {12} "that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, {13} "that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Curses for Disobedience
(Deuteronomy 28:15 NKJV) "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
18. (Isaiah 64:6 NKJV) But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
(1 John 1:9 NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.