Daniel 9: Interpretation

The Defining of the Week

The angelic interpreter of the vision now begins to unfold to Daniel the future for “thy people” and for “the holy city.” Any fair exegesis of these terms must recognize and own that they relate to the nation of Israel and to the city of Jerusalem. All that is given in this prophecy is strictly for Israel and not for the Church. We will see as we consider it in more detail that the present Church age falls between the 69th and 70th week.

Crucial to an understanding of the angelic message is resolving what the “weeks” mentioned in verse 24 refer to. Many suggestions have been made and it is beyond the scope of this article to review them all. The interested reader is referred to Mr. Jim Baker’s excellent handling of the subject in Daniel: What the Bible Teaches. We will accept his logical conclusion that the “weeks,” or “heptads,” actually refer to weeks of years, one week equaling seven years. Thus, the 70 weeks represent 490 prophetic years. And since in the book of Revelation a month is limited to 30 days (the lunar calendar), the number of days can actually be calculated (Rev 11:3; 12:6).

The Division of the Weeks

Verse 24 is a summary of all that will be accomplished at the conclusion of the 490 years. But prior to coming to the details, the angel Gabriel further divides the weeks into three groups: seven weeks, 62 weeks, and one final week.

The first week of seven years began with the decree of Artaxerxes in Nehemiah 2 to rebuild the city, in about 446 B.C. These first 49 years are the subject of the early chapters of Nehemiah. The people rebuilt the city under the supervision of Nehemiah and Ezra. The decree in Ezra 1 was related more to the rebuilding of the temple and not the city.

Then there are 62 weeks of years, or 434 years. This interval was until Messiah the Prince would present Himself to the nation. Once again, we are indebted to men such as Sir Robert Anderson, who has calculated the dates and shown with some degree of certainty that this was the day the Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt, presenting Himself as the King to the nation (John 12).

Certain events then are mentioned as occurring prior to the onset of the 70th week of years, suggesting an interval of undisclosed length. First, Messiah the Prince would be cut off. The language is so similar to Isaiah 53:8 that we instinctively and accurately think of Calvary. Second, the people of a coming prince (not the prince himself) will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The devastation is likened to a flood overwhelming the land. This occurred in 70 A.D. by the Roman army. It is only sometime subsequent to this that the 70th week commences. The Church age is during this undisclosed time interval.

The time marker for the beginning of the 70th week, the last seven years, is the inking of a covenant which assures the nation of Israel her safety and security. This covenant, or treaty, is arranged by the prince linked with the nationality of the people who destroyed the city in 70 A.D. – Rome. Implied in what follows is the construction of a temple and the resumption of sacrifices. How this treaty comes about in light of Arab hostility to the nation reveals the diplomacy and cunning of this ruler.

However, midway through the week, at the three-and-a-half-year mark, everything changes. We can now, from the actions described, link this prince with the first beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn of Daniel 7. He will demand a cessation of the worship of the God of heaven and install an idol (likely of himself) in the temple and demand the worship of the nation. From other prophetic Scriptures, we learn that this will be the moment when the tribulation intensifies. While the earth has endured tribulation and onslaught during the first half of the week (see Rev 6), the intensification of persecution is called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:7). These days will be limited, and the beast will meet his end at the determined time by the breath of Messiah’s mouth and the brightness of His coming. God is still in total control of all (2Th 2:8)!

The Destiny of the Weeks

Returning to verse 24, notice the ultimate destiny to which everything is moving. Six things are mentioned, three relating to the spiritual condition of the nation, and three to their national condition: “to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity.”1  Notice that all three words – transgression, sin, iniquity – were employed by Daniel in his intercession earlier in the chapter. Here is the ultimate answer to Daniel’s burden for the nation. God will provide forgiveness. This will all be effected when Israel looks upon Him whom they pierced (Zec 12:10), when the fountain for sin and uncleanness is opened (13:1), and the efficacy of the propitiation of Calvary is made good to the nation. The sixth feast of Jehovah will be fulfilled (Num 29:7-11), and “so all Israel shall be saved” (Rom 11:26).

Nationally, the nation will know righteous rule (a rule that will be everlasting), the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning her future, and the temple restored as a center of worship (see Eze 40-48). The prophecies of the OT are replete with the glorious future awaiting the nation. Here will be the fulfillment of all for which they have hoped and longed: a King reigning in righteousness, Israel the head of the nations, Jerusalem the new capital of the earth, and every man dwelling in safety “under his vine and under his fig tree.”

It all will rest upon the work of Calvary and the Messiah they once despised. All will be accomplished by His mighty power and presence. Daniel’s 70th week will be complete and bring with it a blessing far greater than Daniel ever envisioned when he bowed to pray that day.


1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.