Daniel chapter nine lays the groundwork for the chronology of End-Time events. But, this understanding came to Daniel after a season of prayer for his own people. When God answered Daniels intercession, He did so in an exceeding abundant fashion. The God who is more than enough gave Daniel way more than he asked for. That’s how He is. He is more than enough or we can say a ‘way too much’ God. And, He will do the same for you. In today’s post, we begin to look at Daniels. Seventy Year Prophecy which is the bedrock for understanding the timeline for End-Times.

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What Do the Words Seventy Weeks Mean?

Daniel 9:24–27 (KJV) — 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Context Is King in Interpreting Scripture

• Context is king in scripture meaning that in order to understand what’s happening in this passage, we have to look at it in it’s setting.
• In order to do that, we should go to the start of this chapter.

Daniel 9:1–2 (KJV) — 1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; 2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

• The children of Israel, specifically Judah or the southern kingdom was under Babylonian captivity.
• This was a captivity that was prophesied through the lips of the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 25:8–11 (KJV) — 8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, 9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an 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 candle. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Daniel Sought the Lord about God’s Prophetic Word

• Daniel said, he understood by the books the number of the years was approaching and when he did, he set his face to seek the Lord about His Word to His people.
• Basically, he was saying to the Lord, “The time is up and we are still in jail, what gives?”
• So, Daniel was asking about the future of his people.
• As he set himself to understand an Angel of the Lord appeared to him.

Daniel 9:21–23 (KJV) — 21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.is

God Always Goes Above and Beyond

• The angel Gabriel gives Daniel more than he asks for.
• Daniel asks about the immediate future for his people relative to Jeremiah’s prophecy and instead the Lord gives him the prophetic future for his people.
• This is a future that Daniel will never live to see.
• This is God’s nature.
• He always goes above and beyond our requests.

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV) — 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

• His thinking is so much bigger than our thinking and His ways of answering so much larger and creative in scope.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV) — 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

• So, that’s the context of Daniel 9:24–27.
• It is an explanation of future events.
• It is a Jewish man asking about what will befall the Jewish people.
• We will pick-up where we left off in next week’s blog.

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