Daniel 9:24-26

Our world as we know it will end but then the glorious Kingdom of God will reign.  Until then we are safe in HIS hands. Now we see as if through a clouded lens then we will see things clearly.

What a wonderful world it will be!

John 4:25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

Dear Lord, I'm choosing to hand over to You today all the things I don't understand. It feels overwhelming, but I am declaring Your goodness over each of those situations today. Intercept the stories I'm telling myself that don't line up with Your Truth. I know You love me, and You are for me. I trust Your process for eventual good. In Jesus' name, amen.Second Corinthians 1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort ...". First5 

The function of freedom is to free someone else. Toni Morrison  

When David says in the twenty-third Psalm, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures,” he’s saying, “My shepherd makes me lie down in his finished work.” With his own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place he planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy.

Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of the shepherd when the work is completed, and he sees his sheep rest in the tender grass? Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of God when we do the same? Max Lucado

Daniel 9:24-26

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. The New King James Version

The Hebrew phrase used here (“70 sevens”) is sometimes translated “70 weeks”. These words together likely represent “weeks” of years—70 periods of seven, or 490 years. Gabriel reinterprets Jeremiah’s prophecy about the 70 years of exile in Babylon. The precedent had already been established for reinterpreting years as weeks of years based upon Leviticus 25:8. In conjunction with the required Sabbath rest for the land, Gabriel specifies an extended period of time for remuneration. Rather than trying to see this as precise chronological data, the 70 weeks should be viewed within the framework of the sevenfold vengeance formula of Leviticus 26. Gabriel indicates that the whole period of exile from inception to temple cleansing is approximated by the 490 years. In this way, those living through the oppression of Antiochus can make sense of the ongoing persecution since the time of Daniel but also know that an end has been decreed. The six consecutive infinitives describe what will take place by the end of the 70 weeks. While some believe the events refer to Jesus and His first and second comings, others argue that these events took place before the time of Christ. In the context of Antiochus’ offense and the ensuing rebellion, this phrase likely refers to the cleansing and rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 bc. Others take this as a foreshadowing of an eschatological event

The Hebrew word translated here as “to restore” can also be translated “to return”—a reference to the fact that the Israelites will return from captivity. The resulting concept of returning and rebuilding Jerusalem reflects Daniel’s requests in his prayer. In Daniel’s request that God remove His wrath and anger from His city, Daniel also implies his hope that Judah can return to Jerusalem. Also, his request that God’s face shine upon His sanctuary expresses Daniel’s hope that God’s temple will be rebuilt. 

Alternatively, others apply this hope to an eschatological temple. Likely refers to Joshua, the postexilic high priest. He and Zerubbabel are identified as anointed ones. Joshua and Zerubbabel led the rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem and restored temple worship. 

Others believe this language and imagery refers to the messianic arrival of Jesus, the great high priest of New Testament theology. Jeshua AYBD In the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text, punctuation clearly separates the seven weeks from the 62 weeks. This would require that the two periods of weeks not be read together—the anointed one does not come after a total of 69 weeks rather, he comes after the first seven weeks. There are, therefore, two anointed ones in this passage. A round figure—as opposed to an exact chronological indicator—leading up to the time of Antiochus in the immediate context. This indicates fortification and highlights the troubled times ahead. This likely represents the postexilic period up until the time of Antiochus. Although the spiritual plight of the nation was vastly improved following its return to Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the temple, the social-political situation remained turbulent. 

The identification of the anointed one depends on how the timing of the 70 weeks is interpreted. In the second century bc context, the anointed one could be the high priest Onias III, who was murdered in 171 bc. This murder removed the legitimate high priest; the office was then given to the highest bidder. 

Alternatively, grouping the two periods (Daniel 9:25) allows that the end of the 69th or 70th week may refer to the culmination of Christ’s ministry at the cross. Faithlife Study Bible

Seventy weeks may also be translated seventy sevens. Many scholars agree that the “sevens” are years, as the 70 years of captivity addressed in verse 2 implies. Leviticus 25:8 speaks of “seven sabbaths of years”; Lev. 26:18, 21 implies that Israel’s punishment would be multiplied sevenfold. Therefore, an exile of 70 “weeks” would be expected to last for seven times 70 years. Second Chronicles 36:21 suggests that the captivity was to last long enough to make up for 70 omissions of the sabbatical year, which occurred every seven years. This would amount to 490 years before God’s people would experience perfect reconciliation with their God. There are many different interpretations of how these years account for the eras of world history before the Second Coming of the Messiah. Some interpreters have suggested that the use of the number seven in this verse is symbolic representing completeness—that is, the completion of all of human history. 

The command to restore and build Jerusalem may be a reference to (1) the decree of Cyrus in Ezra 1, (2) the decree of Darius in Ezra 6, (3) the decree of Artaxerxes in Ezra 7, or (4) the decree of Artaxerxes in Nehemiah. 2. 

One commonly held interpretation maintains that the sixty-two weeks can be added to the seven weeks of verse 25, resulting in a total of 69 weeks, or 483 years. If these years are added to the date of the decree of Artaxerxes in Neh. 2, 445 b.c., with an adjustment to allow for the use of a 360-day year, the end of the 69 weeks coincides with the date of the crucifixion of Jesus. 

Various other interpretations of the time periods indicated by the 62 weeks have been presented, including one that asserts that the Messiah in this verse refers to Cyrus, who was also called the Lord’s anointed. Messiah shall be cut off may be a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The phrase cut off means “to destroy, to kill.” The fact that Jesus Christ died not for Himself but for the sins of the world may support the view that the Messiah in this verse refers to Jesus Himself. The prince who is to come may be a reference to the Antichrist. The NKJV Study Bible

Isaiah 53:8 

He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.