Daniel 9:15-27

Daniel Asks for Jerusalem

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15Now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and who made for Yourself a name renowned to this day, we have sinned; we have acted wickedly.

16O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, I pray that Your anger and wrath may turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all around us.

17So now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary.

18Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion.

19O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your name.”

20While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—

21while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.

22He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.

23At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision:

24Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

25Know and understand this: From the issuance of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of distress.

26Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed.

27And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Daniel remembers how God brought His people out of Egypt. Now he asks Him to turn His anger away from Jerusalem and let His face shine on the desolate sanctuary. He appeals to God’s great compassion, not the people’s righteous acts. The city and its people bear God’s name, and Daniel pleads with Him to listen, forgive, and act.

While Daniel is still praying, Gabriel arrives about the time of the evening sacrifice. An answer went out when Daniel began his petitions. Gabriel calls him highly precious and tells him to consider the message carefully.

Seventy weeks are decreed for Daniel’s people and holy city: to end transgression and sin, make atonement for iniquity, bring everlasting righteousness, seal vision and prophecy, and anoint the Most Holy Place. Gabriel speaks of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince. The city will be rebuilt in distressing times.

After the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing. The people of a coming prince will destroy the city and sanctuary. The final verse describes a covenant with many for one week, the ending of sacrifice and offering halfway through it, and an abomination that causes desolation until decreed destruction comes upon the desolator.

These are difficult words to understand in every detail. They give Daniel more than a promise that the city will be rebuilt: God’s answer reaches to atonement and everlasting righteousness, while also announcing suffering and devastation.

Questions

1 What does Daniel base his request on?

AnswerHe remembers God's rescue from Egypt and asks for mercy because Jerusalem and the people bear God's name. He does not present Israel's righteousness as the reason for restoration.

2 What does Gabriel call Daniel?

AnswerGabriel calls him highly precious and comes to give him insight. The message is delivered to a person who has been praying honestly rather than claiming spiritual superiority.

3 What do the seventy weeks concern?

AnswerThey concern Daniel's people and holy city and include an end to sin, atonement, everlasting righteousness, and the fulfillment of vision. The passage should be handled carefully rather than reduced to a date chart.

4 What difficult events appear in the vision?

AnswerAn anointed one is cut off, the city and sanctuary are destroyed, and desolation continues until a decreed end. Hope here does not deny judgment and devastation.

What This Means for Us

Daniel asks God to look on a ruined city and hear its people. He brings their sin into the prayer rather than hiding it, and appeals to God’s compassion rather than their record.

Pray that way for a place you love. Name what is broken, acknowledge wrong where it is yours, and ask for mercy and restoration. You do not need to make your family, church, or community sound deserving before you can ask God to help. Daniel’s prayer gives us words for bringing both love and regret before Him.

Prayer

God of mercy, remember the places and people we bring before You. Help us receive difficult answers without losing hope, confess honestly, and trust Your righteousness when the way forward remains unclear. Amen.

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