Setting the Scene for Daniel’s Seventy Weeks

The ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel contains one of the most debated and difficult passages in all the Bible–the famous vision of the seventy weeks is found in verses 24-27. This vision, given to Daniel through the Angel Gabriel, is often taken to be a prophetic revelation focusing exclusively on the end times. While the vision does indeed extend to the time of the end, the focus in the opening verses of the chapter is explaining how is it–if, as Israel’s prophets have foretold, the seventy years of exile in Babylon are about to come to an end–that God will extend this time of exile for seventy more weeks. The news of an extension of Israel’s exile (a form of covenant curse) takes a surprising turn, as Gabriel now reveals to Daniel. As promised, God’s people will return to Jerusalem and rebuild both the city and the temple. How then can the people still be said to be in exile?

The Critical Questions

In Daniel 9, the root cause of this extended time of exile is revealed to be human sinfulness. Because God is holy, human sin must be dealt with once and for all before the time of exile finally and ultimately comes to an end. As Gabriel now reveals to Daniel, this is the work of the coming Messiah, who will truly restore Jerusalem, the temple, and the sacrifices, but will also put an end to sin, atone for wickedness, and bring in an everlasting righteousness. Although many take the prophecy of the seventy weeks to predict specific events at the time of the end, Daniel 9 is better understood as one of the most important messianic prophecies in all the Bible. It foretells of a coming Messiah who will overcome all his enemies and ours, and who will once and for all put an end to the guilt and the power of human sin. It is this covenant-making Messiah–not a future Antichrist–who is the key figure of the seventy weeks.

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