Daniel Chapter 9
Daniel Chapter 9 — The Seventy Weeks of Daniel and the Prayer of the Prophet
Daniel 9:1-2 (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— 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."
This chapter is one of the most remarkable in all of Scripture. It begins not with visions or angelic encounters but with the study of Scripture and prayer. Daniel, now an old man, turns to the prophetic writings of Jeremiah and discovers that the seventy years of desolation decreed upon Jerusalem are nearly complete. He responds, not with passive anticipation, but with fervent intercession, demonstrating the deep link between prophecy and prayer.
Daniel 9:3 (NKJV) — "Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes."
Daniel’s preparation for prayer is marked by seriousness, humility, and urgency. He sets his face toward God, a Hebrew idiom expressing unwavering focus. Fasting, sackcloth, and ashes show his repentance and solidarity with the sins of his people. Though personally righteous, Daniel takes responsibility in intercession.
Daniel 9:4-19 (NKJV) — Daniel’s prayer is one of the greatest in the Bible. He acknowledges the righteousness of God and the guilt of Israel, repeatedly confessing, “we have sinned.” He makes no excuses. His request is not based on Israel’s merit but solely on God’s mercy.
Key highlights:
“O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face…”
“We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God…”
“Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant… for the Lord’s sake, cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary…”
Daniel’s prayer teaches us that biblical intercession appeals to the character and promises of God. His petition reflects concern for God’s glory, not merely national restoration. He prays, not just for forgiveness, but for God's name to be honored.
Daniel 9:20-23 (NKJV) — "Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel... the man Gabriel… reached me about the time of the evening offering… and said… 'O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand… for you are greatly beloved.'"
God immediately sends Gabriel in response to Daniel’s prayer. The angel arrives at the hour of the evening sacrifice—though the temple has long been destroyed, Daniel’s heart remains aligned with God’s covenant order.
God answers even before Daniel finishes praying. This moment illustrates Isaiah 65:24: "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear."
Daniel is told that he is “greatly beloved”—a title shared only with the Apostle John. God honors those who walk in holiness and humility.
Daniel 9:24 (NKJV) — "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."
This verse outlines the divine purpose for the seventy “weeks” (literally “sevens”), understood as 490 prophetic years.
Six divine goals:
To finish the transgression — A final end to Israel’s rebellion.
To make an end of sins — A complete removal of sin’s presence.
To make reconciliation for iniquity — Achieved through Christ’s atonement.
To bring in everlasting righteousness — Refers to the millennial and eternal reign of Christ.
To seal up vision and prophecy — The completion and fulfillment of all prophecy.
To anoint the Most Holy — Likely the future Millennial Temple.
Daniel 9:25 (NKJV) — "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."
The prophetic clock starts at the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Only the decree to Nehemiah in 445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8) fits the description of rebuilding both the wall and the city. From this decree, 69 weeks (483 prophetic years) would pass until the public appearance of Messiah the Prince.
Sir Robert Anderson, in The Coming Prince, demonstrated that 173,880 days (483 years using 360-day prophetic years) bring us precisely to April 6, A.D. 32 — the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. On that day, Jesus presented Himself as King and fulfilled Zechariah 9:9.
Daniel 9:26 (NKJV) — "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…"
Messiah will be “cut off” (executed) after the 69 weeks. This was fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion. The phrase “but not for Himself” implies substitutionary atonement.
Then, a gap begins—the “church age.” After this, the city (Jerusalem) and sanctuary (Temple) are destroyed by “the people of the prince who is to come”—Rome. This happened in A.D. 70 under Titus. The coming prince (Antichrist) arises from the remnants of the Roman Empire.
Daniel 9:27 (NKJV) — "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…"
This final “week” (7 years) is yet future. It begins with the Antichrist (“he”) confirming a covenant with Israel, likely involving peace and restored temple worship. Halfway through, he breaks the covenant, stops sacrifices, and commits the abomination of desolation (cf. Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:4).
This 70th week is the seven-year Tribulation period, culminating in Christ’s Second Coming. The final line — "Even until the consummation… is poured out on the desolate" — points to final judgment upon the Antichrist and the nations who align with him.
Chronological Insight: The Precision of Prophecy Sir Robert Anderson’s analysis of Daniel’s seventy weeks demonstrates astonishing accuracy:
Decree to rebuild: March 14, 445 B.C.
69 weeks (483 years of 360-day prophetic years) = 173,880 days
Triumphal Entry: April 6, A.D. 32
Calculation:
476 years (445 B.C. to A.D. 32) x 365 days = 173,740
Add leap years (116 days) + 24 days from March 14 to April 6 = 173,880 days exactly
Jesus, on that very day, declared: “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day…” (Luke 19:42). Psalm 118:24 proclaims: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
God’s prophetic Word is exact. The 70th week is coming. The Church awaits the rapture; Israel awaits her Messiah.
Summary from a Baptist Theological Perspective
The 70 weeks pertain specifically to Israel, not the Church.
69 weeks have been fulfilled in Christ’s First Coming.
A gap exists (the Church Age).
The 70th week begins after the rapture, during the Tribulation.
The Antichrist will break a covenant with Israel midway.
Christ will return at the end of the 70th week.
All prophecy and vision will be fulfilled in Him.
I. Structure of Daniel 9
Daniel 9 is divided into two major sections:
Daniel’s intercessory prayer (vv. 1–19)
Gabriel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (vv. 20–27)
These passages demonstrate both the personal holiness and theological depth of Daniel. The chapter combines covenantal confession with one of the most mathematically and theologically profound prophecies in Scripture.
II. Daniel’s Prayer of Confession (Daniel 9:1–19)
A. The Setting (vv. 1–2)
In the first year of Darius, Daniel studies the scroll of Jeremiah and recognizes that the 70 years of desolation for Jerusalem are nearly complete (Jeremiah 25:11–12; 29:10).
Rather than assuming deliverance, Daniel is moved to pray and fast, showing deep humility.
Baptist Doctrine – The Sufficiency of Scripture: Daniel's actions show that even prophets submit to the authority of Scripture. The Bible informs and drives our response to God (2 Timothy 3:16).
B. The Prayer (vv. 3–19)
Daniel confesses national sin, affirming the righteousness of God and the unfaithfulness of Israel.
He appeals not to Israel’s merit, but to God’s covenantal mercy (v. 18), invoking God's name and His glory.
There is a clear structure: confession, acknowledgment of judgment, and plea for restoration.
Theological Insight – Corporate Responsibility: Daniel includes himself in the guilt of the people, though he personally is not blamed in the text. Baptist theology emphasizes individual repentance, yet recognizes the collective impact of national and ecclesiastical sin (cf. Nehemiah 1:6).
Dispensational Application: Daniel’s prayer arises from an understanding that God’s prophetic calendar is tied to Israel’s repentance and obedience. Thus, even though 70 years were decreed, confession precedes restoration (Leviticus 26:40–42).
III. The Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:20–27)
A. Gabriel’s Arrival (vv. 20–23)
While still praying, Daniel is visited by Gabriel, who explains that he is “greatly beloved” and given understanding regarding God’s plan for Israel.
The immediacy of Gabriel’s arrival shows the power of intercessory prayer (cf. James 5:16).
B. The Seventy Weeks Prophecy (vv. 24–27)
This is one of the most debated and mathematically precise prophecies in the Old Testament. It covers God’s entire prophetic program for Israel.
Key Term – “Seventy Weeks” (v. 24):
The Hebrew word translated “weeks” (שָׁבוּעַ, shabu‘a) literally means “sevens.” In context, it refers to seventy sevens of years = 490 years.
1. The Purpose (v. 24)
“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to…”
Daniel is told six purposes for this time:
Finish the transgression
Make an end of sins
Make reconciliation for iniquity
Bring in everlasting righteousness
Seal up vision and prophecy
Anoint the Most Holy
Dispensational View: These goals will be fully completed at Christ’s Second Coming. Some aspects were inaugurated at the Cross (e.g., atonement), but the full realization is future.
2. The Division of the Weeks (vv. 25–26)
7 weeks (49 years): Rebuilding Jerusalem, beginning with the decree (possibly Artaxerxes’ decree in 445 B.C. – Nehemiah 2).
62 weeks (434 years): Until the arrival of Messiah the Prince.
After the 69th week: Messiah is “cut off” (crucifixion), and Jerusalem is again destroyed (fulfilled in A.D. 70 by Rome).
Mathematical Precision: Using prophetic years (360 days), 69 weeks = 173,880 days. From 445 B.C. to A.D. 32 marks the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem—fulfilled exactly.
Baptist Theology and the Messiah: This passage is a clear declaration of Messiah’s death, confirming the substitutionary atonement and the unfolding plan of redemption (Isaiah 53; Romans 5:8).
3. The Final Week (v. 27)
A covenant is confirmed with many for one week (7 years), but in the middle of the week, the covenant is broken.
The abomination of desolation is set up, and desolations continue until the decreed end.
Dispensational Understanding:
The 70th week is still future.
The “prince who is to come” is the Antichrist.
The 70th week is the Great Tribulation, a 7-year period following the rapture of the Church and leading to Christ’s return.
The abomination is echoed by Christ in Matthew 24:15, referring to future desecration.
IV. Theological and Eschatological Implications
1. God’s Timetable
History is not random. God sets precise boundaries for empires, messiahs, and antichrists.
The calendar of redemption is exact.
2. Christ as the Fulfillment
Jesus is the Messiah who is “cut off,” not for His own sins, but for ours.
His appearance was right on time (Galatians 4:4).
3. Future Tribulation for Israel
The 70th week is key to understanding Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) and the unfolding of Revelation 6–19.
Israel remains distinct in God's plan (Romans 11), and the final week centers on her purification and ultimate salvation.
V. Summary and Application
Daniel 9 teaches us:
God's plans are precise, predictive, and rooted in His covenants.
The Messiah came right on time and was cut off to make atonement.
A future seven-year period (Daniel’s 70th week) remains, leading to Christ's visible return.
Prayer is vital, even when prophecy is certain—Daniel shows that prayer aligns us with God's will.
God will complete His work of redemption for Israel and the nations.
“He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week…” (Daniel 9:27) – The final countdown has been written.
