Daniel 9 - Seventy Sevens
Daniel had become an exile from his home country, Judah. He was taken to Babylon where he declared what God said or had shown him regarding what was to come, about the current and subsequent empires of the world, and the future kingdom of God established by Jesus.
Daniel was endowed with wisdom and because he was able to discern what he received from God, he rose in stature to a place where kings would listen to him. He absorbed the words of the prophets before him and realized he was brought to a pivotal point in time. Daniel understood that the desolation caused by Babylon had ended, as spoken by Jeremiah.
This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever.
Jeremiah 25:11-12
So, Daniel wrote in 539 BC:
In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom, in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So, I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Daniel 9:1-3
On the 'Cyrus' page I stated that this Darius was the king is Cyaxares II and how Cyrus found the allegiance of the Medes to fight against the Babylonians. For this is what was written in Jeremiah.
Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:11
Daniel continues with a heart felt prayer to God in Daniel 9:4-19, seeking forgiveness and restoration on behalf of his people. He was probably inspired by other words spoken by God through Jeremiah, and which also stand as an inspiration to many Christians today.
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honour before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’
Jeremiah 33:3-9
God hears Daniel’s prayer and he sends the Angel Gabriel with his response:
While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill - while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.
Daniel 9:20-23
Daniel knew the Promise (the 'The Promise' page) and here we find the Word (see the 'The Word' page) taking root in the fertile soil of his soul.
Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:
“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish 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.”
Daniel 9:23-24
The next verses begin to expand on what the word produces:
Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’
Daniel 9:25
This is the way the word is referenced in this chapter, namely:
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A word went out from God - Daniel 9:23 דָבָ֗ר (ḏā·ḇār)
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The word is delivered immediately by the Angel Gabriel and entrusted to Daniel – Daniel 9:23 בַּדָּבָ֔ר (bad·dā·ḇār)
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The word will go out – Daniel 9:25 (this is the start of the ‘sevens’) דָבָ֗ר (ḏā·ḇār)
This is the Word becomes something of substance, an actual person, or as the apostle John puts it 'The Word became flesh' in the person of Jesus. And as the Word spreads it germinates, as we read and understand more of who Jesus is, then he becomes a real person to us.
The Word emanates inline with the Cyrus call "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid."' within the chapters of Isaiah speaking of new hope - "see I do a new thing..."
The Word in Daniel's Sevens is seen to propagate righteousness and justice by way of the building of Jerusalem during the Persian Empire. In Zechariah 1, Jesus is right there in the midst in the visioning of a new Jerusalem, not only an earthly one, but also a heavenly one built of living stone. Jesus is amongst 'Myrtle' trees, symbolising an everlasting kingdom. And soon after we have the imagery of the Church as the Bride in the book of Esther,
This is truly a message of great hope, yet the last two verses of Daniel 9 seem to show a message of despair.
After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.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. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
Daniel 9:26-27
We can only reconcile these two contrasting messages in the person of Jesus Christ.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-2
It's clear that the word is focused on the ending of the Old Covenant and bringing in the New Covenant. It is concerned primarily with people of the Old and New Covenant, but also brings along with it the end of reliance on sacrifices for sin at the temple. Jesus here is the focus; his death is the biggest watershed moment in history. And as said, we can read the whole Book of Daniel (including the seventy ‘sevens’) in respect to judgement and how the judgement is answered by Jesus death.
Purim announcing Freedom, Identity, Righteousness and Eternity - F.I.R.E.
Ingrained in these was Jesus. He was born in Bethlehem House of Bread. He was the Bread of Life. It shows the narrative of his death especially, starting from the casting of Lots for his clothing a reference to the feast of Purim in the book of Esther.
One must pause here and recollect how first the united kingdom of Israel under king David was split apart. The prophet Ahijah took a cloak and tore it into 12 pieces and gave 10 pieces to Jeroboam.
Every moment in Jesus death was meticulously adorned with meaning to match the Old Testament (see Psalm 22:28 also). And so was when the soldiers divided his clothes, they cast lots for his undergarment, it was kept as one piece. Just a Jesus body was 'broken' for us (though his bones were not), it was broken to unify us (Luke 22:19). This is a spiritual truth littered throughout the bible and our lives become a testament of the fact.
Take for instance in Ezekiel's of the valley of dry bones. These weren't broken bones just 'broken' apart (I hope you get the nuance) and then God rebuilt, restored and revived them. Remember the depths of Job's, Jacob's, Joseph's 'brokenness' before being put back together. This is how God works to break the power of sin in our lives.
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
Post exile there was a lot of mending required. The people had to be returned to their land. They had to rebuild and restore, whilst being prepared to fight of enemies. Yet there was a deeper revival needed,
It took time for the Jews to realise their sin was paid for, even after their return home from Exile in Babylon. The shroud of shame still darkened their countenance. The sins of their fathers did not wash easily. But when it did, they could realise their true identity as God’s holy people.
Note the similarities with the parable of the prodigal son. And we should remember the blessing the Israelites received as they emerged from Egypt in Exodus.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26
It was a definitive moment when the Jews assumed their true identity as God’s people once again, when God rescued his people from annihilation they and stood up against their enemy, all across the Persian empire, at the time of Esther. They had, then, definitely received the word. Plus they had what drew other nations to their light. shining like a beacon.
My Missing Piece Interpretation
My interpretation for Daniel's Seventy Sevens separates from previous interpretations that rely on Ezra and Nehemiah related decrees. I have shown how Ezra and Nehemiah may well have been active shortly after the temple was built and before the Esther's account (See the 'Return' page). This significantly shifts the focus on to the Word, behind the decree/edicts that potentially mark the going out of the Word in Daniel 9:25.
Any interpretation can be reviewed against these criteria.
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Word goes out with God’s authority to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (city/people)
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The 49 years (or the Babylonian equivalent) relates to a significant decree, order or issue, the purpose of which is to establish righteousness and justice.
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49 years (or the Babylonian equivalent) and the 434 (or the Babylonian equivalent) are contiguous unless a significant scriptural reason is given to separate the two timespans.
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The last ‘seven’ focuses on Jesus death (later verses leave it open as to if his death was in the middle or the end of the week). There is a consensus that this is either 30 AD or 33 AD based on an eclipse occurring at Passover. 33 AD is further bolstered, with Jesus serving a 3 ½ year ministry starting in 29 AD, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3v1). Tiberius Caesar began his reign as emperor in 14 AD.
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There is no requirement for there to be a totally span of 490 years (or the Babylonian equivalent); though, if the total number of days did correspond that would provide some assurance to the interpretation. If there were to be any break between the 62 ‘sevens’ and the last ‘seven’, then like point c, there should be scriptural significance.
Any interpretation can be reviewed against these criteria.
In my interpretation several pieces fit together with the 522 BC/473 BC/29 AD Jubilees and identifies the 17 years from 539 BC - 522 BC, 12 AD - 29 AD where the Holy Spirit is working behind the scenes helping to become strong and overcomers, growing in wisdom and maturity.
