They convince the king to sign a law forbidding prayer to anyone but the king for 30 days. Knowing the decree was signed, Daniel does not waver. He goes home, opens his windows toward Jerusalem, and kneels in prayer three times a day, just as he had always done (Daniel 6:10). His unwavering faithfulness leads him to the lion’s den – but also to divine favor and deliverance.
That same faithfulness is what positions him in chapter 9 to receive revelation. Prayer was not a ritual – it was the lifeblood of his relationship with God.
Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 wasn’t self-centered. He confessed his sins and the sins of his nation, interceding for Jerusalem and the desolate temple, where no sacrifice had been offered in over 50 years. He prayed during the time of the evening sacrifice, the same hour centuries later when Christ would breathe His last on the Cross.
It was in that place of humility that Gabriel arrived, delivering a message spanning centuries – the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). This divine timetable unfolds the arc of redemption: from Jerusalem’s rebuilding to the arrival, rejection, and death of the Messiah, eventually culminating in the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
Gabriel’s message outlines six things that would be accomplished over these prophesied 490 years (seventy “sevens” of years):
1. Finish Transgression
Human rebellion against God will ultimately end – not at the Cross, but at the start of the Millennial Kingdom when Christ rules with justice and peace.
2. Put an End to Sin
Not merely the forgiveness of sin, but the restraining and removal of sin’s influence. This speaks to a future reality, not yet fulfilled.
3. Atone for Wickedness
The atonement was accomplished at Calvary, where Jesus paid the price for sin. Daniel’s prayer for forgiveness was answered through Christ’s redeeming work.
4. Bring in Everlasting Righteousness
A righteousness that is not temporary or symbolic, but eternal – ushered in when Satan is permanently defeated, and God’s Kingdom is fully established.
5. Seal Up Vision and Prophecy
All prophecies will be fulfilled. Once they are complete, there will be no further need for prophetic vision – everything will have come to pass.
6. Anoint the Most Holy
A reference to the Millennial Temple, the “Holy of Holies” sanctified and ready for the eternal reign of Christ.
Daniel 9:25 offers a precise timeline: “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’”
This points directly from Nehemiah’s rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls to Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered the holy city and was temperately received as King. The prophecy is exact and awe-inspiring – foretold centuries before Christ’s triumphal entry.
But the prophecy doesn’t stop there. Daniel is told that the Messiah will be “cut off” – a reference to Christ’s crucifixion. The city and sanctuary would later be destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. These events have already occurred, fulfilling the first 69 weeks. That leaves one week – seven years – still to come.
Where Are We Now?
Today, we are living in the prophetic pause – between the 69th and 70th week. The final “week,” the Tribulation, has yet to begin. But with every passing day, the signs of the times grow clearer. Wars, moral decline, and global unrest remind us: the day draws near.
Daniel’s story began with prayer and ended with a revelation of eternal proportions. It reminds us that deep insight often flows from faithful, fervent prayer. As we walk through this Holy Week, may we do so with eyes lifted – looking to the Cross, anticipating the empty tomb, and awaiting the trumpet sound of His return.
Maranatha, Lord Jesus.
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