Dan 9:24-27 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Dan 9:24-27: 9:24-27 Gabriel further explained the meaning of Daniel’s vision (9:22-23 ). Because the vision of ch 8 culminated with Antiochus IV (see 8:23-25 ; cp. 11:21-39 ), many interpreters understand this explanation as also pointing to Antiochus. Others understand it as culminating in the death of Christ, followed by the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the coming of the antichrist. 9:24 Many understand the period of seventy sets of seven as seventy “weeks of years”—i.e., 490 years. However, they are not called “years” in the Hebrew text, and it has proven difficult to assign this period to an actual historical period of 490 years. Therefore, many interpreters believe that the numbers are not intended as calendar years but as symbolic periods of time to fulfill the visions. Just as Jerusalem suffered a lifetime of desolation (9:2 ; see study note on Jer 25:11), the city would experience many lifetimes of restoration. • The period of time was for your people (the Jews) and your holy city (Jerusalem). The six purposes listed here appear to refer to the restoration of the Jews and the city of Jerusalem. Other interpreters see these six purposes as representing God’s universal work of redemption in the world. • God would finish the rebellion of the Israelites, and he would also finish the rebellions of human rulers who defy the Lord and attack the holy people (Dan 7:8 , 22 , 25-26 ; 8:13-14 ; 11:29-45 ). • To confirm the prophetic vision means to fulfill the content of the visionary answer to Daniel’s prayer. • the Most Holy Place (Or the Most Holy One; literally a most holy ): Some interpreters see this as referring to the restored Most Holy Place in the Temple in 164 BC . Others see it as referring to the anointing of Christ and his church as God’s own temple (Matt 12:6 ; Eph 2:19-22 ).

Summary for Dan 9:24-27: 9:24-27 ^a Gabriel further explained the meaning of Daniel’s vision (9:22-23 ^b). Because the vision of ch 8 ^c culminated with Antiochus IV (see 8:23-25 ^d; cp. 11:21-39 ^e), many interpreters understand this explanation as also pointing to Antiochus. Others understand it as culminating in the death of Christ, followed by the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the coming of the antichrist. 9:24 ^f Many understand the period of seventy sets of seven as seventy “weeks of years”—i.e., 490 years. However, they are not called “years” in the Hebrew text, and it has proven difficult to assign this period to an actual historical period of 490 years. Therefore, many interpreters believe that the numbers are not intended as calendar years but as symbolic periods of time to fulfill the visions. Just as Jerusalem suffered a lifetime of desolation (9:2 ^g; see study note on Jer 25:11), the city would experience many lifetimes of restoration.

• The period of time was for your people (the Jews) and your holy city (Jerusalem). The six purposes listed here appear to refer to the restoration of the Jews and the city of Jerusalem. Other interpreters see these six purposes as representing God’s universal work of redemption in the world.

• God would finish the rebellion of the Israelites, and he would also finish the rebellions of human rulers who defy the Lord and attack the holy people (Dan 7:8 ^h, 22 ⁱ, 25-26 ^j; 8:13-14 ^k; 11:29-45 ^l).

• To confirm the prophetic vision means to fulfill the content of the visionary answer to Daniel’s prayer.

• the Most Holy Place (Or the Most Holy One; literally a most holy): Some interpreters see this as referring to the restored Most Holy Place in the Temple in 164 BC. Others see it as referring to the anointing of Christ and his church as God’s own temple (Matt 12:6 ^m; Eph 2:19-22 ⁿ).
9:25 ^o The command ... to rebuild Jerusalem and its Temple marks the beginning of the seventy sets of seven. The event that best fits this description is the decree of Cyrus the Great in 538 BC that allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding (see 5:31 ^p; 9:1 ^q; Ezra 1:2-4 ^r). Less likely are the decrees of Artaxerxes I in 458 BC (see Ezra 7:12-26 ^s) and 445 BC (see Neh 2:5-8 ^t).

• a ruler—the Anointed One: Many interpreters see Christ as fulfilling this prophecy, so they understand this passage as describing history from the time of Daniel to the time of Christ. However, an “anointed one” can refer to any of Israel’s kings or priests, who were ordained by anointing with oil. If the passage was fulfilled in the time of Antiochus IV, then the anointed one was probably the high priest at the time, Onias III (cp. Dan 11:22 ^u).

• and strong defenses: The vision refers to Jerusalem as being physically rebuilt. The rebuilding of the Temple was completed in 515 BC (Ezra 3:1–6:22 ^v); in 445 BC, Nehemiah completed the wall of Jerusalem (Neh 2–6 ^w).

• The perilous times can refer to the history of Jerusalem and its Temple from the time the decree was published until the end of the seventy sets of seven (see Dan 11:2-45 ^x).
9:26 ^y the Anointed One (literally an anointed): Those who see the fulfillment of this passage in the time of Antiochus IV point to the murder of the high priest Onias III in 171 BC as the fulfillment of this prophecy (see study note on 11:22). Those who see the fulfillment of this passage in the time of Christ will refer this prophecy to the crucifixion of the Messiah in AD 30 or 33.

• The ruler who will arise could refer to Antiochus IV, who attempted to destroy the Jewish people and their worship in the Temple between 171 and 164 BC (see 1 Maccabees 1:20-40). Many believe, however, that the destruction of the city and the Temple refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 66–70.

• The end refers to the completion of the seventy sets of seven. The text implies that the very end is a later time, and that the war would continue into the future (cp. Matt 24:4-8 ^z; Mark 13:5-8 ^aa).

• The image of a flood often represents an invading army (cp. Dan 11:10 ^ab, 22 ^ac, 40 ^ad; Nah 1:8 ^ae) or devastating destruction.
9:27 ^af The ruler (literally he): Most interpreters understand this pronoun as referring to the ruler of 9:26 ^ag. Some think that it refers back to the anointed one of 9:25-26 ^ah and is thus a prophecy about Christ, meaning that Christ caused a covenant to prevail and removed the need for sacrifices and offerings by his death. However, the word behind make a treaty has the sense of imposing a covenant, evidently by the use of force or intimidation. Antiochus IV imposed a covenant with the people of Judea following the beginning of his rule in 175 BC (cp. 11:23 ^ai; see 1 Maccabees 1:10-15). Other interpreters believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in the events of AD 66–70. For still others, it refers to a future ruler.

• The phrase put an end refers to a destructive action, not an act of God’s salvation such as the Messiah would accomplish by his death. In 167 BC, Antiochus IV ordered the people of Judea to cease all practice of Jewish worship in the Temple and instead practice pagan worship, on pain of death (see 1 Maccabees 1:41-63). Similarly, the Roman general Titus put an end to the sacrifices and offerings in the Temple when he destroyed it in AD 70.

• a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (literally an abomination of desolation): Cp. Dan 8:13 ^aj; 11:31 ^ak; 12:11 ^al. This expression (Hebrew shiqqutsim meshomem) is possibly a mocking play on the Semitic name for Zeus (Ba‘al Shamayim, “Lord of the Heavens”). Idol-gods are often referred to as shiqquts, “abomination,” “desolation,” elsewhere in the Bible (see Deut 29:17 ^am; 2 Chr 15:8 ^an; Isa 66:3 ^ao; Jer 32:34 ^ap; Ezek 20:7 ^aq), and the similarity between the sounds of shomem, “devastation, destruction, desolation,” and shamayim is clear. In December 167 BC, Antiochus IV erected an image of Zeus atop the altar of burnt offering in the Temple court and sacrificed unclean animals there. The same phrase (abomination of desolation) is used in 1 Maccabees 1:54 to describe that altar and its sacrifices. Jesus and multiple New Testament authors anticipated a desolating sacrilege in the future (Matt 24:15 ^ar; Mark 13:14 ^as; Luke 21:20 ^at; 2 Thes 2:3-4 ^au). After Titus destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, the Romans set up their idols in the Temple precinct and made sacrifices to their gods (see Josephus, War 6.6.1). The apostle John later observed that many antichrists had appeared (1 Jn 2:18-23 ^av) and that the spirit of the antichrist was at work in the world (1 Jn 4:3 ^aw).

• The time of destruction is under God’s control, and the fate decreed for this defiler is certain to come (cp. Dan 7:11 ^ax; 8:25 ^ay; 11:45 ^az). So it is with every ruler who exalts himself against God and seeks to destroy God’s people.

Thematic note: Community Identity
In modern Western society, the individual is considered to be the primary social entity. In Israel, by contrast, an individual’s identity and significance were determined by his or her membership in the community. All Israelites were expected to partake of the common identity of the community as the “children of Israel” and to embody the characteristics that marked the whole.
In the Old Testament, the people are often referred to or addressed in the singular, emphasizing their oneness. The Decalogue (Exod 20:2-17 ^ba) and the blessing of Aaron (Num 6:24-26 ^bb), for example, are given in the singular. The individual could often represent the group, and the group could be referred to as an individual. Nehemiah, for example, asks forgiveness for the sins that caused the exile to Babylon as though he had been one of those transgressors (“we have sinned,” Neh 1:6-7 ^bc). Nehemiah was governor of Judea from 445 to 433 BC, about 140 years after the destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC), so he did not participate in the sins leading to the Exile. Yet in his prayer, he identifies with his people in their sinfulness. In this same way, the high priest could represent the entire people on the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16 ^bd). Because the individual Israelite was so strongly identified with the community, the sin of the individual would become the sin of the community if not addressed (see Lev 4:3-21 ^be; 20:1-5 ^bf).
In like manner, the Christian community is described as the “body of Christ” (1 Cor 12:27 ^bg; Eph 4:12 ^bh). The members partake of Christ’s identity through the Holy Spirit. That is, as the body of Christ they manifest Christ’s life in their lives, and as a unified whole they reveal him to the world. Paul exhorts the Galatians to share the burdens of others (Gal 6:2 ^bi) and so to model Christ’s example (Matt 11:28-30 ^bj).

Passages for Further Study
Exod 20:5-6 ^bk, 8-10 ^bl; Lev 4:3-21 ^bm; 20:1-5 ^bn; Josh 7:1-26 ^bo; Neh 1:6-7 ^bp; 1 Cor 12:12-27 ^bq; Gal 6:2 ^br; Eph 4:11-13 ^bs