Daniel chapter 9
9:2 The chronological notice in this verse is important. The event is the chapter occurred in 539 B.C., the year that
Darius the Med assumed the rulership of Babylon. This momentous change of power provoked Daniel to search the
Scriptures to determine the prophetic significance, if any, of the capture of Babylon by the Persians. By searching
the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel realized that Jeremiah had prophesied that the captivity of the Jews would last 70
years (Jer. 25:11, 12). That period was almost over. Verses 4-19are, in essence, a prayer of confession and
petition: confession of the nation¡¯s sin and petition for God to fulfill His Word.
9:5 We have sinned: Four times in the chapter (vv 5,8,11,15) Daniel acknowledges the people¡¯s sin, but always
includes himself in their number. As with all great leaders he identifies himself with his people.
9:15-19. After praying his confession (vv-14) Daniel offers a petition. He prayed, negatively, for God¡¯s wrath
against His people to be assuaged (v.16) and, positively, for God¡¯s grace, mercy, and forgiveness to be displayed
in the people¡¯s restoration to their land (vv. 17-19).
9:20-23. The answer of God to Daniel¡¯s prayer came immediately through the angel Gabriel. Although Daniel¡¯s
prayer was primarily for God¡¯s forgiveness and the restoration of the Jews to their land, his initial concern for
God¡¯s program for Israel (v.2) caused the Lord to reveal to him an outline of Israel¡¯s future from that point on.
9:24 The prophecy of the seventy weeks is crucial for understanding biblical prophecy. Every statement in verses
24-27 is important and deserves special attention. The first interpretive problem is the meaning of the expression
seventy weeks. The word weeks is a Hebrew word shab¨±a that can refer to any period of seven: seven days, seven
months, seven years, and so on. Only the context indicates what period of seven is intended. There are four good
reasons for believing that the ¡°seven¡± intended here is a period of seven years: 1) Daniel has just been
concerned about years (vv. 1,2). 2) It is impossible to fit the events of verses 24-27 into 490 days or weeks. 3) In
the only other place where Daniel uses the word week, he qualifies it by adding the word days (10:2, 3). 4) Finally,
the fact that verse 27 speaks of a convenant being broken at the half-way point of the seventieth seven agrees well
with Daniel 7:25, 12:7, and Revelation 12:14, which speak of three-and-one-half years as one-half of a week. In
sum, verse 24 declares that God had determined a period of 490 years to accomplish six key activities on behalf of
Israel. Each divine act is marked out by an infinitive: to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and so on.
The first three are negative and the last three are positive.
Seventy Weeks Prophecy
9:25 The commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem is said to be the point of commencement for the 490-year
period. At least four decrees mentioned in Scripture have been set forth by various scholars as the fulfillment of this
prophecy: the decree of Cyrus in 539 B.C. (2 Chr. 36:22, 23 Ezra 1:1-4); the decree of Darius I in 519/518 B.C.
(Ezra 6:1, 6-12); the decree of Artaxerxes I to Ezra in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-26); and the decree of Artaxerxes to
Nehemiah in 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:1-8). Only the last decree, however, could have fulfilled this statement, since it was for
the purpose of rebuilding the temple. Darius¡¯s decree simply confirmed the intent of Cyrus¡¯s and with the
beautification of the temple. Darius¡¯s decree simply confirmed the intent of Cyrus¡¯s earlier decree. Artaxerxes¡¯
decree to Ezra was concerned only with the return of additional exiles and with the beautification of the temple. Only
Artaxerxes¡¯ decree to Nehemiah refers directly to the restoration of the city. According to Nehemiah 2:1-8 this
decree was given in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes in the month of Nisan, or March-April, 444 B.C. From this date
to the Messiah will transpire a period of seven weeks, and three score and two weeks or 438 years.
9:26 After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off: This phrase assumes that the first seven weeks have
already transpired. And thus serves to summarize the passing of 69 weeks of years (438 years). There is a gap of
time between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks. This is indicated by the statement that the Messiah will be cut off
after the 69 weeks. Daniel used a calculation of time based upon the Book of Revelation where ¡°a time, and times,
and half a time¡± equals 1,260 days or 42 months (cf Dan. 7:24,25; 12:7; Rev. 11:3, 12:6; 13:5). In each case the
calculation is based upon 30-day months. The Messiah¡¯s being cut off refers to the crucifixion of Christ, which
probably occurred on April 3, A.D. 33. The sixty-ninth week ended just prior to His crucifixion, probably at His
triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The time span form Artaxerxes decree to rebuild the city in March 444 B.C. until
Christ¡¯s crucifixion on April A.D. 33 covered 483 prophetical years (173,880 days). This calculation agrees
perfectly with our own solar calendar. Thus, Daniel predicted that 483 prophetic years would lapse from Artaxerxes;
decree until the death of the Messiah. The final week of years (Daniel¡¯s seventieth week) is left unexplained and is
best taken to be the equivalent to the seven years of tribulation that are yet determined for Israel.
The prince that shall come is the little horn of 7:8 who will emerge from the fourth, or Roman Empire. He is known
elsewhere in Scripture as the Antichrist. However, the present verse states that the people of the prince, and not the
prince himself, will destroy the city. This prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Titus, the Roman general, destroyed
the city of Jerusalem, killing thousands.
9:27 He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: the pronoun he here refers to its nearest antecedent,
¡°the prince that shall come,¡± or Antichrist, in verse 26. The commencement of the future seventieth ¡°week¡± then
occurs when the Antichrist makes a covenant with the Jews for a seven-year period. It will evidently be a covenant
intended to provide peace for Israel. However, in the middle of the period, the Antichrist will break this covenant and
cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, that is, put an end to Jewish worship and set himself up as an object
of worship (2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:8). The statement that for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it
desolate refers to what Jesus called ¡°the abomination of desolation: (Matt. 24:15). It foreshadows the act of
sacrilege when the Antichrist ends organized religion and demands that he be worshiped. This final seventieth week
is also known in Scripture as the Tribulation (Matt. 24:21). Revelation 4-19 is an exposition of what will take place
during this period. The seventieth week will end when Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom (Rev.
19:11-21).
Daniel chapter 10
10:1 The final vision given to Daniel was in the third year of Cyrus, or 536 B.C. In the Book of Daniel it takes up
chapters 10-12.
10:2 The entirety of chapter 10 is concerned with Daniel¡¯s preparation to receive the vision. The emphasis of the
chapter is the strengthening of Daniel and the satanic opposition that he and God¡¯s angels encountered.
10:5 A certain man is probably not the preincarnate Christ, because this angel was hindered by ¡°the prince¡of
Persia¡± (a demon), and because he needed the help of Michael the archangel (v. 13). Neither of these statements
could have been said of Christ.
10:20 The prince of Grecia and the prince of Persia were demons who worked in those nations to oppose God¡¯s
people.
10:21 The scripture of truth, or ¡°book of truth: probably refers to God¡¯s knowledge or record of all truth, of which
the Bible is a partial revelation.
Daniel chapter 11
11:2 This verse through verse 35 is an amazing summary of about two hundred years of the history of the wars
between Egypt and Syria that took place during the fourth through the second centuries B.C. All of these
prophecies, however, were written by Daniel in the sixth century B.C.! Three kings in Persia are Cambyses, the son
of Cyrus (529-521 B.C.), Pseudo-Smerdis (521 B.C.), and Darius I (521-487 B.C.). The fourth is the most powerful
of the four kings, Xerxes (485-464 B.C.), or as he is known in the Book of Esther, Ahasuerus.
11:3,4. The mighty king is Alexander the Great (336-323 B.C.) and the four winds are the four prominent generals
who seized control of various parts of his empire.
11:5,6 The king of the south is the general who assumed control of Egypt, Ptolemy I (3213-283 B.C.); and the king
of the north is another general, Seleucus I Nicator (312-280 B.C.), who had sovereignty over Syria and
Mesopotamia. The conflict between these two generals and their successors, called the Ptolemies and Seleucids, is
taken up in verses 5-20.
11:21 A vile person introduces Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.), the last of the Seleucid rulers mentioned in
the chapter. Because of his extreme persecution of the Jews, his devious reign is fully described in verses 21-35.
11:36 The events described in verses 2-35 have all been fulfilled. So detailed are these prophecies that critics have
denied that Daniel could have written these words in the sixth century B.C. However, God is God. He is sovereign
and fully capable of revealing these matters to His prophet. In verse 36 a new individual is introduced simply as the
king. This cannot refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes since the details of the passage could not refer to him. Rather, it
must refer to the same individual already prophesied by Daniel, the little horn of 7:8 and ¡°the prince¡± of 9:26; that
is, the Antichrist. Indeed, the work of this individual described in 11:36-12:1 bears an inescapable agreement with
the work of the Antichrist described in the New Testament (2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13; 17).
11:40-45. The king of the south, the Egyptian ruler, will attack Israel during the Great Tribulation; the king of the
north is not clearly identified, but the description of his work prohibits identification with any Seleucid king. He may
originate from Magog (Ezek 38:15) or simply be a king not identified anywhere in Scripture. But the point of the
verse is clear: the king of the south and the king of the north will fight in the wars of the Antichrist. His wars are
described in verses 40-45, including his occupation of Israel, the glorious land (v. 41), and his ultimate end (v. 45).
Daniel chapter 12
12:1 During the Great Tribulation there will be an unprecedented attack to exterminate the Jews, but they will be
delivered by Michael the archangel.
12:2, 3. After the Great Tribulation there will be two resurrections, one of the righteous to everlasting life and
another of the unrighteous to everlasting contempt. A comparison with Revelation 20:4 shows that these two
resurrections are separated by the one-thousand-year reign of Christ.
12:4 It was impossible to understand the significance of these prophecies in Daniel¡¯s own day, but God indicated
that at the time of the end many would seek to understand these predictions and be able to do so.
12:7 A time, times, and a half refers to the second half of the Great Tribulation, when these prophecies will be
fulfilled. The first half of the Great Tribulation will be a time of relative peace for Israel because of their covenant with
the prince (9:27). However, after the prince (Antichrist) breaks the covenant at the end of three-and-a-half-years,
there will be a tremendous time of persecution and wars (11:40-45).
12:11 A thousand two hundred and ninety days differs from the second half of the Great Tribulation. Known
elsewhere as only 1,260 days. The additional 30 days may occur before the ¡°abomination of desolation¡± takes
place in the middle of the Great Tribulation, perhaps as a prior, 30-day announcement of the Antichrist¡¯s intention.
On the other hand, the 30 days could be added to the end of the Great Tribulation to allow time of the judgment of
Israel and the nations.
12:12 The thousand three hundred and five and thirty days (1,335 days) contains an additional 45 days beyond the
figure of verse 11. This additional period probably occurs between the Great Tribulation and the commencement of
the Millennium. The verse uses the word blessed to apply to those who wait for these days to be terminated, and
thus would easily speak of the blessedness of the Millennium.
12:13 For thou shalt rest: Daniel would not live to see the fulfillment of his own prophecies, but is here promised that
he would be resurrected to receive his reward (thou shalt ¡stand in thy lot). All who trust in Daniel¡¯s God will
likewise be blessed.