Introduction to Daniel Chapter 9

The 9^th chapter of Daniel is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. Understanding this chapter is the key to understanding God’s plan of redemption and prophecy. Chapter nine ties together the other visions in the book of Daniel, and unlocks their meaning.

Here we find out how the “Son of Man” in Daniel 7 became the “Son of Man”.  The Messiah would die for the sins of the world, fulfilling the words of Isaiah 52:12 to 53:13. Daniel chapter nine would revealed the exact month and year of Messiah’s death 538 years before his birth.

God also informs Daniel about what will happen to Israel in the future, and how Israel’s future will relate to events at the end of time.  The event known as the “Abomination of Desolation” referenced by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 is illuminated as the half way mark in the final week of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.  Through Gabriel, God informs Daniel, how a third Temple will be the beginning sign of the completion of the times of the Gentiles, ending with God’s judgment poured out on the desolate.

Chronologically chapter 9 follows 5, and is in the same year of chapter 6, when Daniel is cast into den of lions. Whether Daniel has this great vision before or after he cast into the lions den is not clear.   

Historical background

1 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-

2 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.

First year of Darius:  Cyrus the Great appointed Darius to rule over the Babylon.  This covered in more detail in chapter 6.  Darius the Mede was an ally of Persia, led by Cyrus the great.  The Medes were the Persian overlords prior to Cyrus the Great who rebelled against Median control.  Cyrus rebelled his Mede grandfather, and the Median generals allied with him.  Darius was likely one of his Mede generals who was 64 years of age at the time of this event.

There are two explanations to the identity of this Darius as Walvoord give the explanation given by John C. Whitcomb,

One of these explanations…Whitcomb hold that Ugbaru, identified previously as the governor of Gutium in the Nabonidus Chronical, led the army of Cyrus into Babylon and died less than a month later.  Gubaru, however, identified by Whitcomb as Darius the Mede, a king of Babylon under the authority of Cyrus….The third view, held by the conservative scholar, D.J. Wiseman, has simplicity in its favor.  It claims Darius the Mede is another name of Cyrus the Persian.  This is based on the translation of Daniel 6;28 which the Aramaic permits to read, “Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, even the reign of Cyrus the Persian.  The fact that monarchs had more than one name is common in ancient literature.[1]

Made king:   The words “was made king”  demonstrates the accuracy of the book of Daniel. Since he was made King he is more likely appointed to the position, contrary the critics charge Daniel is in error.  Darius served as governor over the Babylonian conquests of Persia. 

I Daniel: Daniel is about 81 to 83 years old at this point in his life.  This vision in the ninth chapter is either follows or precedes Daniel being thrown in the Lions den in chapter 6. 

Understood:  Daniel had acquired a copy of the writings of Jeremiah, who was a contemporary of Daniel.  Daniel was a youth when he was taken captive into the land of Babylon at 14.  Jeremiah at the time Daniel was taken captive would have been 36 years of age. 

Jeremiah: Jeremiah lived a turbulent life in the courts of Israel.  For twenty-two years he served under the righteous rule of Josiah.  After Josiah’s death, he served under his sons who, were wicked and refused to obey the words of God, spoken through Jeremiah, to their own destruction.

In 605 B.C. the Babylonians received the submission of Jerusalem after the victory of Carcemeish. Jehoiakim refused to submit to Babylon as instructed by Jeremiah and was overthrown after he rebelled in 597 B.C.

He was replaced by his uncle Zedekiah, who also refused to listen to the word of God, through Jeremiah.  Zedekiah burned God’s word by the prophet Jeremiah in the fire. (Jeremiah 36:20-26) 

Finally, after a third and final rebellion against Babylon, the Babylonian armies came and destroyed the city and the temple in 587 B.C.  The rebels took Jeremiah captive to the land of Egypt where he died in an unmarked grave.

Jeremiah’s scrolls were rewritten after they were burned, and either the originals or copies made their way to Daniel.  From the scrolls Daniel read the words of Jeremiah, concerning what would happen to the city of Jerusalem.

Seventy years:  Jeremiah foretold Babylon’s success for a period of 70 years, in 605 B.C., (Jeremiah 25:1).   Resulting in Jerusalem’s desolation.

11 'And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12 'Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,' says the Lord; 'and I will make it a perpetual desolation.

13 'So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations.

Jeremiah 25:11-13

10 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.

Jeremiah 29:10

Desolations of Jerusalem:  The city of Jerusalem was completely destroyed in 586 B.C. when the armies attacked the city for the third time.  The seventy years were compete with the destruction of the Jewish temple.  The Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C., and construction was started in 536 B.C., but it was not completed unit 516 B.C.

Daniel prepares to pray

3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,

I set my face: Daniel is a man of prayer, from the time he was taken as a captive at 14, till the last days of his life, prayer was present.  Daniel was in the habit of praying three times each day toward the city of Jerusalem.

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Daniel 6:10

Daniel had a method to his prayer and his approach to God. Daniel understood God operated through his faithful people.  Daniel understood he part of the plan’s fulfillment; through Daniel’s prayer, God would accomplish his plan. Daniel prepared himself before he approached God in prayer.  Daniel had every reason to rest on his laurels, he was there at the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and the fall of Babylon. He was now appointed to high office in the new Persian administration. Daniel did not magnify his heart or position, but approached God in humility and awe.

He came to God with prayer and according to his Word; that His will might be accomplished.

Made confession: Daniel interceded for his people and himself, the reason Daniel was in Babylon and now Persia was because of the sins of his people, Israel.  God’s mercy allowed Daniel to be used, but his descendents and forefathers were punished because of their sins.  Daniel confessed the sins of the nation before God.

Daniel’s Confession

5 "we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.

6 "Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.

7 "O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day-to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

8 "O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.

9 "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.

10 "We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.

11 "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.

12 "And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.

13 "As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.

14 "Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.

We have sinned:  Daniel acknowledged the reason for Jerusalem’s punishment.  Their rebellion against God and his word. 

Prophets: The people, rulers and kings rejected the message given by God through his prophets. Jeremiah’s scroll was burned by Zedekiah king of Judah and Ahab tried to kill Elijah. Jeremiah’s messages were rejected by most people and the kings, even when they promised him they would follow whatever the Lord said whether good or bad.

The Law of Moses:  Before Israel entered the promised land they confirmed the covenant of Moses with promises of curses and blessings.  If Israel was obedient they would be blessed above all nations of the earth, if they disobeyed and turned away from God they would receive the curses of the covenant.

"Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known-wood and stone.

Deuteronomy 28:64

He has confirmed:  Daniel understood the truth of God’s word, he knew God kept his word and confirmed it through events.  The people were judged according to the promises God made through his prophets. If the people turned away from God, and followed after other gods, then they would receive the promises of judgment.

As it is written:  The evidence of God’s faithfulness is the events are fulfilled that were proclaimed before they happened.  God, by demonstrated his nature and faithfulness to his word by confirming his word in the events.  Daniel knew God was faithful to his word proclaimed through the prophets.  The destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem were in fulfillment of God’s Word.

19 "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them,

20 "then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

2 Chronicles 7:19-20

The Jewish Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C. according to God’s word.  The destruction of the Temple and the scattering of the people was a sign of Israel’s disobedience.

Daniel Intercedes

15 "And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day-we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

16 "O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.

17 "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.

18 "O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.

19 "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

Now o Lord

Now O Lord: The children of Israel are identified with God, the one and only Lord who brought the children out of Egypt.  God had chosen Israel to be an example in the earth to the nations of the earth.

6 "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

7 "The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;

Deuteronomy 7:6-7

Made a name: Through Israel the Lord established himself in the Earth, Israel is his witnesses to earth. They as a people reflect God to the world, therefore when they sin and fall away, God for the sake of His own holiness brings judgment on the people.

10 "You are My witnesses," says the Lord, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.

22 "But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.

Isaiah 43:10,21-22

Jerusalem: The city of Jerusalem is God’s city, the city

Your Holy Mountain: The holy mountain of God is what we know today as the Temple Mount, Mt. Moriah.  Mount Moriah, is the mount Abraham was called to from the land of Ur, (Genesis 12:6, 22:2, 2 Chronicles 3:1)  On Mount Moriah, God commanded that His holy Temple be built. 

Your servant:  Daniel was God’s servant, who knew he was personally involved in the struggle, he represented Israel on earth before God through prayer. In the same way Daniel, interceded for Israel, those who know Christ can intercede according to God’s will in the affairs of humanity.

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

James 5:16-18

Not….because of our righteous: Daniel acknowledged Israel did not deserve God to be faithful to them based on their works, but based on God’s mercy.

Your mercies:

The Angel Gabriel delivers the Message

20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God,

21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.

23 "At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

Now while:  In the process of his prayer, Daniel received an answer.  This is Daniel’s third vision, the first occurred in chapter seven, and the second occurred in eight. 

Holy mountain:  Daniel was specifically praying about the Temple-Mount and God’s plan regarding his holy house.  In the Seventy weeks vision, The Temple and the Temple Mount play significant roles.  Daniel prayer regarding the Temple is answered beyond what Daniel was praying about.  Daniel was praying for the Temple’s restoration.

Gabriel tells Daniel, not only will the Temple be restored again, but it will be destroyed again, after an anointed one (Messiah) is cut off or killed.

Gabriel:  This is Gabriel’s second appearance to Daniel.

Evening offering:  Daniel prayed three times a day, according to Temple time.  He prayed towards the Temple-Mount, as instructed by scripture.  Israel is instructed to pray toward the Temple, asking for God’s forgiveness, Daniel prayed according to God’s word.

33 "When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, 34 "then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers. 35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

I Kings 8:33-35

He informed: Gabriel informs Daniel of the answer to his prayer. He also sheds light on process of prayer in relation to God and heaven.  Through Daniel was on earth, his prayer had immediate attention in Heaven.   Gabriel tells Daniel at the start of his request the command went out, as if the c

Skill to understand: What Gabriel is going to tell Daniel is going to equip Daniel to understand God’s plan.  This is Daniel third vision, with one more to follow.  Daniel’s key to understanding the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Chapter 2), his first and second visions (Daniel 7,8), this vision and the vision to follow (Daniel 10,11,12) all hinge on what is revealed in the Seventy Weeks.

You are greatly beloved:  Gabriel also makes another statement revealing another dimension of prayer.  Daniel is a known personality in Heaven.  Gabriel tells Daniel, he is greatly beloved.  Daniel is about 81 or 82 years old, from the time of his youth, prayer is a consistent part of Daniel’s life.  Daniel’s prayers are known before the throne of God.  Daniel is known before the thrown of God because Daniel is a prayer warrior.

Understand the vision:   Gabriel is here to help Daniel understand this vision, the vision regarding the Seventy Weeks determined on his people and Jerusalem.  This was command directly from the throne to Gabriel

The Seventy Weeks (a more detailed explanation)

24 "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.

25 "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.

26 "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. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 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. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

The Seventy weeks of Daniel is a prophecy, which can be used as an example of associating facts with claims.

• God has a 490-year plan involving the Jewish People and Jerusalem.

·          We are told Jerusalem would be rebuilt with walls, and streets

·          The Messiah would be killed 483 years after the command to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls and streets is given.

·          The rebuilt temple would be destroyed by the descends of a future world leader

·          A future world leader who is descendent of the armies who destroyed Jerusalem would make an agreement to build a Third Temple.

·          The Temple would be rebuilt and sacrifices stopped after 3.5 years.

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[1] The Hebrew word for seven is [wbX Shabuwa means seven, or period of seven and could be 7 days or years.  Year of Jubilee takes place on the 50^th year after 7 periods of 7. Leviticus 25:8.

[2] The Hebrew world for determined is #rx Charats and means to cut, sharpen,decide, a 490 year period has been  ‘Cut” on Jerusalem and the Jewish People.

[3] A Jewish Biblical year was 12 months of 30 days per month and based on a lunar calendar. Genesis 7-8, Noah’s arc was in the water 150 days, 5months (See Genesis 7:11,24,8:3,4)

[4] 483 Jewish years =476 years and 24 days with our Solar calendar.  1. 360x483=173,880  2. 173,880/365.242= 476.06792 years 3.  444 B.C. -476 years=33 A.D. 4. March 15^th was Nisan 1^st that year, Add 24 days for .06792x 365=24 days. 5. Messiah cut off March 29^th 33 A.D.