Daniel 9:24b

Daniel 9:24b

“Seventy ‘sevens’^[c] are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish^[d] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.^[e]

Last time we started a study of Daniel 9:24-27 and noted there was a period of Seventy Sevens prescribed for Israel before the Lord would establish his earthly kingdom. These Seventy Sevens were explained by the angel Gabriel to Daniel in verses 24-27 and can be outlined in six sections as follows: 

1. The Decree of the Seventy Sevens, vs 24a.
2. The Purpose of the Seventy Sevens, vs 24b.
3. The Start of the Seventy Sevens, vs 25a.
4. The First 69 Sevens,  vs 25b.
5. The Events between the 69^th and 70^th Seven, vs 26.
6. The Seventieth Seven, vs 27.

Last week we looked at the first section, The Decree of the Seventy-Sevens, which states, Seventy Sevens are decreed for your people and your holy city. In summary of last week, we noted:

1. The word for seven is like our word dozen and relies on the surrounding context for what the seven signify.  In this case it refers to years as Daniel had been thinking of the completion of the captivity which Jeremiah stated was 70 years.  Commentators all agree that this Seventy-sevens is a 490-year period.
2. Also note the word decreed meant cut off, determined,  or cut out. Daniel is under the impression the Messianic Kingdom will come after the 70-year period of captivity.  Gabriel is telling him, no there will be a 490-year period cut out of, or determined for, the nation before the Messianic kingdom comes.
3. We also noted it was decreed for your people and the holy city. This period is designed for the Jewish people (not the church) and for their city, Jerusalem.

The Purpose of the Seventy Sevens.

This week we will continue our study of the Purpose of the Seventy Sevens. To review, we noted there were three positive purposes and three negative purposes. The negative are as follows:

Negative:

1. To put an End to the Transgression
2. To put an End to Sin
3. To put an End to Wickedness

Positive:

1. To bring in Everlasting Righteousness
2. To Seal up Vision and Prophecy
3. To Anoint the most Holy Place.

To put an End to the Transgression.

Last week we examined what it meant to put an end to the transgression. Some translations have just transgression, but in Hebrew there is a definite article in front of transgression, so it is a definite transgression to which Gabriel is referring. We then read Lev 26, Jer 3:11-14 and Mt 12: 22-23, and learned this specific transgression was the rejection of God himself.  In Lev and Jer (and numerous other OT books) it was the rejection of God the Father, and in Mt 12 it was the national rejection of Christ the Messiah, God’s Son. Gabriel states one of the purposes of this seventy-week period is to rid Israel of this specific transgression.

To put an End to Sin.

The Hebrew term to put an end to means to seal up, or to affix a seal. It derives from a root that means to restrain or withhold. It is like putting something in a box and then placing a seal on it so nothing may escape. The word sin means to miss the mark. Hence Gabirel is saying there will be a restraint put on sin. Sin will be put in a box and sealed. As Ez 35:24-27 notes, For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  

 Additionally, Ez 37:23 states, They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, [^b] and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.  

In summary then, he first two purposes of the seventy sevens will be to abolish the national transgression of the rejection of Jesus and to seal up and put away personal sin.  

To Atone for Wickedness 

The third purpose is to Atone for Wickedness. The Hebrew word for atonement is also translated as reconcile.  The idea was if you were wronged, the offending party could make it right by making a gift that would appease and satisfy your anger, and hence the two of you would be reconciled.  Biblically we have offended God with our sin and rightly deserve the punishment of his anger. Yet Christ intercedes for us and makes the gift of his blood on our behalf.  God is appeased and satisfied with Christ’s gift, and we are thus reconciled to Him. The word wickedness is also translated as iniquity.  It is a reference to our fallen nature and innate desire to sin, as Ps 51:5 states I was brought forth in iniquity.  Gabriel is saying one of the purposes of the Seventy Sevens will be to atone for man’s fallen nature. This makes sense in context of the other purposes we have noted and that is to put an end to Sin. That cannot happen until the old nature of man is done away with. Both the removal of personal sin and the sin nature of man will require divine intervention. 

To Bring an Everlasting Righteousness 

We now come to the positive purposes of the Seventy-Seven Weeks.  Their fourth purpose is to bring about everlasting Righteousness. The Hebrew term for everlasting is olam which means “long duration.”  English translations use everlasting and imply the sense of eternity. But “olam” is best translated as an age.  In other words, the Seventy Sevens will bring forth an age of Righteousness.  Many verses relate to this period.  See Is 1:26, 11:2-5, 32:17, Jer 23:5-6, and 33:15-18.  

To Seal up Vision and Prophecy

The fifth purpose will be to seal up vision and prophecy.  The phrase “seal up” means to cease. The word “vision” refers to Divine communication through a vision or oracle. It is experiential by nature.  “Prophecy” implies a written communication.  Hence Gabriel is saying this period of the Seventy Sevens will be used to stop any further experiential (oral) or written Divine communication.  The answer as to why is because the Lord himself will be present hence there will be no need for ancillary discussion.  The Lord will speak for Himself! 

To Anoint the Most Holy Place

The sixth and final purpose to the Seventy Sevens is to anoint the Most Holy Place. Many scholars have offered interpretations of what this might mean. They vary from an anointing of the temple, an anointing of the Holy of Holies within the temple, or this is a reference to Christ himself. Fructenbaum suggests it refers to the new Messianic Temple, although there is a difference opinion on this matter. The conclusion is this period of the Seventy Sevens will be used to anoint (set apart or dedicate) the most Holy (most likely the temple).