This is the most obsessed over chapter among those focused on prophecy that there is in the Scripture, with the exception of maybe revelation. The question is did the 70 7’s the angel mentions mean at the coming of Jesus, or a future anti-Christ?
I will get into that in the next post, but for the sake of this post, it’s important that that “what” of this chapter is waaaaaaay more important than the when. How would Daniel have heard this?
Consider this. It’s close to the 70 years and he knows that soon enough, by a miracle of God, they will be headed back to Jerusalem. Cyrus has won against Babylon and in a day, the unconquerable empire was now the Medo-Persian empire. And Cyrus was a benevolent King. He wanted the people to return to their land.
Instead of whining, “Isn’t it time, yet?”. Daniel apologizes before God profusely for the shame of their many sins. There sins and wickedness were an abomination to God.
As he was praying the angel showed up and told him some earth shattering things, things that often get missed:
- Transgression will be coming to an end
- Sin will becoming to an end
- Wickedness will be atoned for
- There will be everlasting righteousness
- Prophecy and Vision will be sealed up
- The Most Holy Place will be anointed
Can you imagine hearing this after 70 years of misery and captivity and shame? They could make a grown man in this circumstance weep. What joy! And how will that all be possible? It’s too good to be true.
Sin coming to an end? Everlasting righteousness? That means that the judgment of God would not be upon them again like it had been. That there was an eternal safety that would come through the Messiah.
His heart would have leapt with joy.
But then there was the bad news.
The temple would be rebuilt again only to be destroyed again. The city of Jerusalem would be destroyed again. Sacrifices and offerings would end. The Anointed One, the Messiah would be killed. There would be a terrible event that would lead to the emptying out of temple.
That was heart breaking news. Crushing.
How could this all be? Such unbelievably good news followed by unbelievably difficult news. And then there were the other visions of the statue and the 4 beasts and the kingdom. It was all such a grand mystery.
Forget the timing. How on earth would these things come to pass?
That’s how Daniel would have heard it. With his heart. Not with running to charts to try to figure out the timing of these things. Rather, trying to understand the hope and the horror of the Anointed One.
I think it’s important we do the same. To remember what this chapter is about. The glorious things that will be done through the Messiah which we know to be Jesus.
Yes, our end times understandings affect how we see things. But let’s be careful not to miss the point.