Daniel 9:26-27

Daniel 9:26-27

Over the past 3 weeks we have reviewed a framework for understanding Dan 9:24-27.  For review there are six parts to the passage:

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.

We have covered the Decree of the Seventy Sevens, their Purpose, the Start of the Seventy Sevens, and the first 69 Sevens. Again, for review:

The Decree of the Seventy Sevens.

There will be a 490-year period marked out for the Jewish people and their city, Jerusalem, within the times of the Gentiles divided into three subsections: a Seven Seventy-week period (49 years), a 62 Sevens week period (434 years), and a 1 week Seven-year period (7 years).

The Purpose of the Seventy Sevens.

We then reviewed the Purpose of the Seventy Sevens.

1. To put an end to the Transgression: there will be forgiveness for the transgression of rejecting Messiah (Zech 12:10).
2. To put an end to Sin: The sins of the people will be put in box and sealed away (Ezk 35:24-27).
3. To put an end to Wickedness:  The sin nature of the people will be removed (Ps 51:5).
4. To bring in Everlasting Righteousness: A Righteous age will come about (Is 1:26, 11:2-25, 32:17).
5. To seal up Vision and Prophecy: there will be no need for vision or prophecy for the Lord will be in their midst (Jer 33:14-18).
6. To anoint the most Holy Place: Most likely an anointing of the New Millennial Temple.

The Start of the Seventy Sevens

1. The decree of Cyrus begins this Seventy-week period (given in 538/537/536 BC).
2. The duration of the Persian Empire is debatable. Conventional wisdom holds to a 205-year period from Cyrus to Alexander, while the Biblical account is shorter, 123 years.

The Seven and Sixty-two weeks

1. Gabriel notes the first 49 years of the rebuild would be tumultuous. Historically the accounts of Ezra and Nehemiah corroborate this.
2. However, the timing issue mentioned above remains unresolved as it pertains to our understanding of this first seven-sevens period.  The conventional account holds that Nehemiah was written almost 90 yrs after Cyrus’s decree. The Biblical account suggests Nehemiah was closer to the decree -well within the 49-year period Gabriel noted that opposition would be noted.
3. The end of the 69-week period is found in verse 26 and is the crucifixion of the Messiah.

The Gap and Events between the 69^th and 70^th week.  

Today we will focus on verse 26 and the events between the 69^th and start of the 70^th week. The verse reads as follows: Vs 26, After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.^[g] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.  We noted last time the death of Christ marks the terminus of the initial 69-week period described by Gabriel in vs 25.  Note in verse 26, Gabriel specifically says after the sixty-two sevens. The word “after” implies a gap between the 69^th week and the 70^th week. This is also confirmed if we read verse 27 in which Gabriel starts talking about the last (or 70^th) week: He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.  In other words, there is a gap between these two sets of weeks (i.e., the first 69 weeks and the last 70^th week).  Note three things will occur during this gap:  

1. Christ’s Crucifixion
2. The city and sanctuary will be destroyed, and it will be like a flood.
3. There will be continuous war with desolation.

Christ’s Crucifixion, vs 26a.  

After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. 

Gabriel notes the terminus of the 483-year period was to be the Lord’s crucifixion.  We can also look at this event as the beginning of the events that occur between the end of the 69^th and the beginning of the 70^th week. Gabriel mentions to Daniel the phrase “the Anointed One” assuming Daniel would know to whom this referred.  Since Gen 3:15 when God promised that someone from the seed of the woman would come, men began to look for the coming of a mighty deliverer. Hannah was the first to use this phrase in 1 Sam 2:10 when she explained this person would judge all the wicked of the earth (Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth, and he will give strength unto his King, and exalt the horn of his anointed). The word anointed was used of prophets and kings, but this phrase, Anointed One was in reference to the Messiah. Daniel would have understood this. Gabriel then notes, he will be put to death (some translations have cut off which refers to death, see Ps 109:13, Nahum 3:15), and have nothing. The word nothing means without or naught.  It is in reference to the Messiah’s condition at his death. He had nothing: no kingdom, no throne, no material things.   

The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, vs 26b. 

The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood.

Some translations use the word prince for ruler. This is a reference to the prince or ruler of chapters 7 and 8. We saw in our earlier studies this was a reference initially to Antiochus Epiphanes and then the Anti-Christ. Gabriel, however, is highlighting the people of this ruler and not the ruler himself. In other words, those who will destroy the city and the temple will be of the same nationality as the Anti-Christ who is to come. This is to say they will be of Roman origin. 

The phrase “the end will come like a flood” has a two-fold meaning. First, the word flood is used symbolically for a military invasion (see Is 8:7-8, 28:2). Second, a flood is a sudden and powerful event. This was true of Jerusalem’s destruction.  The city and temple were besieged, then suddenly taken and destroyed. In verse 25 Gabriel predicts the arrival and death of the Messiah and now in verse 26, he predicts the destruction of the city, which came 40 years later in 70 AD.  The city was destroyed by Roman gentiles as Gabriel notes. What remains is the rise to power of the Anti-Christ who is yet to come.  

Continuous War and desolations, vs 26c.  

War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.   

The third event of this gap period will be war.  From verse 24 we know the recipients of this prophecy were the Jewish people. What Gabirel is saying is the interval between the 69^th and 70^th week will be characterized by war and desolation. This prediction has been vindicated by history, as the land has had numerous conflicts upon it, trading hands between Romans, Byzantines, Arab Muslims, Crusaders, Egyptian Muslims, Ottomans, Brits, and then the Israelis. Since Israel’s independence in 1948, the country has been at war for most of its’ existence. It has also remained desolate. Not until Israel regained sovereignty over the land in 1948 did the land begin to produce and be productive again.

The Seventieth Week, vs 27. 

He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’^[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’^[i] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple^[j] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. 

We now come to the final division of the 70-week period.  Gabriel now describes the events of this last one week of seven years. Gabriel points out this seven-year period will be divided into two equal parts of 3 and ½ years each. Elsewhere in scripture these halves are described in different terms. In Rev 11:2-3 and 12:6 they are spoken of as each having 1260 days.  Rev 11:2-3 and 13:5 speak of each having 42 months. Dan 7:25 states each is a time, times, and one half a time. All these scriptures, however, agree and are in reference to this 7-year period called the tribulation.   

Biblically there are three reasons for this period:

1. To end wickedness and destroy the wicked, Is 13:9, 24:19-20.
2. To bring about worldwide revival, Rev 7:1-17.
3. To break the stubborn will of the Jewish Nation, Dan 12:5-7.

Note there are four things that characterize this last one-week period:

1. A Covenant
2. The End of Sacrifices and Offerings
3. The Abomination of Desolation
4. The Destruction of the Anti-Christ.

The Covenant, vs 27a.  

He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ 

Note the verse opens with “He.” This is a reference to the Anti-Christ noted previously. Gabriel then gives us the starting time of this final week of sevens in 27a, He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’   Some translations have a firm covenant for the word confirm.  The idea here is this is a strong covenant with guarantees.  We do not know what the content of this covenant will be or the nature of its promises.  We just know it will be strong. The phrase with many has a definite article in front of it indicating the many. In Is 28:14-22 this phrase is used as a reference to the leaders of Israel (see also Is 52:14).  Note the covenant is signed for one seven.  This means it is signed to extend through this seven-year period.  In summary, the Anti-Christ will sign a strong covenant with the leaders of Israel that will extend through this seven-year period. This signing will mark the start of the Tribulation. The start of the Tribulation is not the rapture, rather it is the signing of this covenant (see Is 28:14-22).  

The End of Sacrifices and Offerings, vs 27b.  

In the middle of the ‘seven’^[i] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. 

We then note the Anti-Christ will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings.  This implies Jerusalem will once again have a functioning temple, and at the midpoint of this seven-year period, the Anti-Christ will end the sacrificial system by force.  

The Abomination of Desolation, vs 27c.  

And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation. 

Following the end of the sacrificial system, the Anti-Christ will then set up an abomination that causes desolation.  The term abomination means detested thing and refers to an idol. In other words, the Anti-Christ will set up an idol of himself in the temple and declare himself “God.” This is also referenced in Mt 24:15, 2 Thess 2:3-4, and Rev 13:14-15.  Note after this event is desolation. The remaining 3 and ½ year period will then see unprecedented persecution of the Jewish people. 

The Destruction of the Anti-Christ, vs 27d. 

until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. 

Daniel 9 ends with the end of the seventieth week in which God himself will destroy the Anti-Christ. Note the end has been decreed.  This means God is sovereign over all these affairs. He has it mapped out and it will unfold as He has determined (see Mt 24:22).  At the end of this time God will judge and destroy the Anti-Christ and his armies (see Rev 19:19-21).  

We now end chapter 9. Next time we will tackle Daniel’s last vision in chapters 10-12.