Back to Daniel

Daniel 9:20-27

²⁰ While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God,

²¹ while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.

²² He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.

²³ At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

²⁴ “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

²⁵ Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

²⁶ And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

²⁷ And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Having completed our six weeks of Lenten meditation upon our lives as Disciples of Christ and the disciplines that enhance that lifestyle, we go back to our study of Daniel. When we last left Daniel, he was seeking forgiveness for his own sin and that of his nation. Now, he is visited by Gabriel again as another message is coming Daniel’s way. This passage is not an easy one. In fact one Biblical scholar has called these verses and the study that has been done of them over the centuries “the dismal swamp of Old Testament criticism.” (Daniel Montgomery) So this passage is a tough one. That means that I will in no way attempt to add to that swamp for I do not possess the knowledge or the skill set necessary to do so. Instead, we read the passage and pluck out a few key points, allowing greater minds to plumb the depths of this passage.

Just a couple of things stand out in an obvious way. Verse 23 tugs at the conscience a little, as we hear Daniel’s faith and devotion praised on the lips of Gabriel. “. . . I have come to tell you, for you are greatly loved.” Daniel’s consistent and unrelenting faith brought him to the attention of God such that God is granting him special revelation. It’s hard not to wish for that favor but one gets the impression that Daniel’s relationship with God was the most important aspect of his life and his devotion was noteworthy for God Himself takes note!

Then we have all the verses that speak of the “weeks”. I’m not even going to attempt to shine light on these passages as I stated earlier. No need to add to the speculation, for that is all I would have. My one and only insight would be that the “week” (which is not a literal week, but a symbolic one in this case) probably points back to the seven days that God took to create everything (which I believe was a literal seven days). In the end, God is pointing Daniel to a future Messiah who would make all things right even through the destruction of the temple and the scattering of God’s people. Just a few days ago we rehearsed that redemption being lived out in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even when they are tough to figure out, God keeps all of His promises.