Daniel Intercedes for His People
Reading Jeremiah's seventy years, Daniel prays a confession to the Sovereign Father that says we, not they — we have sinned, we did not listen. Gabriel arrives while he is still speaking, with an answer about seventy weeks, an Anointed One cut off, and desolation decreed.
9 1In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede, made king over the Babylonian realm. 2In his reign's first year, I, Daniel, understood from the books how many years our Father told Jeremiah the prophet: seventy, to complete Jerusalem's ruins. 3So I turned my face to the Sovereign Father, to seek him in prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4I prayed to my Father, confessing: "Sovereign Father, great and awesome, keeping covenant and faithful love for those loving him and keeping his commands, 5we have sinned, done wrong, done evil, rebelled, turning from your commands and rulings. 6We haven't listened to your servant prophets speaking in your name to our kings, princes, ancestors, and all the land's people.
7Righteousness is yours, Sovereign Father, but ours is open shame today—Judah's people, Jerusalem's residents, all Israel, near and far, in every land where you drove them for their unfaithfulness to you. 8O our Father, open shame belongs to us—our kings, princes, and ancestors—because we sinned against you. 9To the Sovereign Father belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him, 10and we disobeyed our Father's voice to walk in his laws set before us through his servants the prophets. 11All Israel broke your law and turned away, refusing to obey your voice. So the curse and the sworn oath written in the Law of Moses, our Father's servant, poured out on us, because we sinned against him. 12He confirmed his words against us and our judges who judged us, bringing great disaster on us; nothing under all heaven matches what happened to Jerusalem. 13As written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster came on us; yet we have not sought our Father's favor by turning from our sins and understanding your truth. 14So our Father readied the disaster and brought it on us, for our Father is righteous in all he does; but we did not obey his voice.
15And now, Sovereign Father, you brought your people out of Egypt with a strong hand and made yourself a name lasting to this day—we sinned, we did wrong. 16Sovereign Father, by all your righteous acts, turn your anger and rage from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain—for our sins and our ancestors' wrongdoing made Jerusalem and your people a disgrace to all around us.
17Now, our Father, hear your servant's prayer and pleas, and shine your face on your desolate sanctuary, for your own sake, Sovereign Father. 18Turn your ear toward us, my Father, and hear; open your eyes, see our ruins and the city called by your name. We bring our pleas before you not for our righteousness but your great mercy. 19Sovereign Father, hear! Sovereign Father, forgive! Sovereign Father, listen and act! Don't delay, for your sake, my Father, because your city and your people bear your name."
The Father Sends Gabriel With an Answer
20Still speaking, praying, confessing my sin and my people Israel's sin, laying my plea before my Father for my Father's holy hill, 21while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I saw earlier in the vision, reached me, flying fast, about the time of the evening offering. a a v21 The evening offering was made around three in the afternoon.
22He gave me insight, speaking with me and saying, "Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23As your pleas began, a word went out, and I came to tell you, for you are deeply loved. So weigh the word and understand the vision:
24"Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city: to end wrongdoing, finish sin, atone for guilt, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal vision and prophet, and anoint a most holy place. b b v24 "Seventy weeks" renders a Hebrew phrase meaning seventy periods of seven—likely 490 years in total.
25Know therefore and understand: from the time the command goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Anointed One—Jesus, the Prince—there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a moat, but in troubled times. 26And after the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One—Jesus—will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come like a flood, and to the end there will be war; desolations are decreed. 27He will confirm a covenant with many for one week; mid-week he will stop sacrifice and offering. On a temple wing he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed end pours on the desolator."
