SERMON: “490 Years for Israel, Part 2: The Predicted Messiah” (Dan. 9:25–26)
“490 Years for Israel, Part 2:
The Predicted Messiah” (Dan. 9:25–26)
Series: “Daniel:
God’s Sovereign Plans” #24 Text: Daniel
9:25–24
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: March 29, 2026
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
Introduction
Of all the prophecies in the Old Testament that predict the
coming Messiah, none seem to give an exact timing of His coming quite like this
one. While some misunderstood the
elements of this prophecy, people had been looking for the Messiah in the first
century for a reason — God predicted the time.
When Jesus Christ presented Himself, it was in fulfillment of the timing
of this very prophecy, not to mention hundreds of other incidental prophecies
He also fulfilled in His life.
Last time, we began looking at this incredible prophecy that
so divides Christians. It demonstrates,
however, the most impressive predictions of Christ in all of Scripture. It perfectly predicts when the Jewish nation
was supposed to expect the coming of the Messiah.
One of the important points we discussed was the fact that
Daniel was reading and understanding that the Babylonian Captivity for his
people was ending. In v. 2, we read, “I,
Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to
Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” He interpreted the number “seventy” to be
literal and was praying for the preparation of God’s people for God’s glory.
Literal interpretation is essential for understanding this
passage. The prophecies concerning
Persia and Greece, along with the rise Antiochus IV, all came to pass in a
straightforward manner. We should
interpret the prophecy of Daniel 9 with the same literal hermeneutic if we are
to understand what this passage is promising for the future.
We must note that because some read this as being
symbolic. Even if people read these as
literal weeks, every aspect of this prophecy is debated. So, we must take our time.
This is going to be a bit more technical this evening, but
it’s essential that we understand this.
We’ll note two points from these two verses. First, we’ll see the timeframe of the first
sixty-nine weeks (v. 25). Second, we’ll
see the events following the sixty-nine weeks (v. 26). Let’s consider this detailed prophecy
together!
First, the Timeframe of the First Sixty-Nine Weeks
(v. 25)
So you are to know
and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will
be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.
Here, we have announced the start of the countdown and the
anointed one (vv. 25–26). As I noted a
moment ago, scholars disagree with how to view this timetable, with some
believing it to be symbolic, with the “seventy sevens” figuratively
representing indefinite periods of time.
For instance, some think these sevens could be emblematic of moments of
“jubilee” that point to a coming “super-jubilee.”[1] It’s hard to believe that the Jews holding a
theory like this would have been able to determine when the Messiah would come.
However, since Daniel believed the Babylonian Captivity
earlier in this chapter to be a literal seventy years, it seems that he would
also view this as a literal time period.
Now, even those who view this literally have disagreements about the
time. Some of the timings fall well
short of the first century. Others
overshoot the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
A.
What Are the “Weeks?”
Even though I’ve tutored children for years, I have never
been the biggest fan of math, and perhaps you are the same way. Yet, Gabriel tells Daniel that he needs to
“know and discern” this prophecy, and so should we. The God who created the world did so while
weaving in patterns that we can discern through intricate equations, so we
glorify Him by knowing something of numbers.
He has something spelled out for us with some easier arithmetic here, if
we’re willing to put in the work.
We talked a bit about this last time, but it’s worth
reviewing. In v. 24, we saw that seventy
weeks (literally, “seventy sevens” are decreed.
In this prophecy, we noted that a week is equal to seven years (a “week
of years”). In other words, this
prophecy is concerning 70 x 7 years, providing a prophecy spanning 490 years.
We note in this verse that there are some divisions in the
seventy weeks to consider. There are
seven weeks mentioned, and then sixty-two more, bringing us to sixty-nine of
the seventy weeks. We won’t discuss that
final week until we get down to v. 27, so we are only focused on the other
sixty-nine weeks in vv. 25–26. The seven
weeks in this verse equal forty-nine years, and the other sixty-two equal 434
years.
That brings us to 483 years of prophecy for vv. 25–26. Again, the last week of years is in v. 27,
which is why we don’t have the full 490 here.
The previous verse covered the scope and purposes for the 490-year
prophecy, and these two verses cover most of history of it.
We should note one more thing about these years. It’s easy from a Western mindset to assume
that they reference a 365¼-day solar year.
That’s not to say that the Bible is unaware of different calendars —
there are both civil and religious calendars, and the Jews knew that other
nations used different methods of time keeping.
Incidentally, that may be why some of the Jews were only aware of the
general timeframe of the Messiah’s coming.
That also may be part of what causes such disagreements among scholars.
Yet, is that what the Bible intends here? There’s evidence in Scripture that we should sometimes
consider years in terms of 360 “prophetic” day years, based on a more of a
lunar calendar. For instance, in the
flood account of Genesis 7–8, we’re told that 150 days equaled exactly five
months, or thirty days per month. In Revelation
12:14, “time, times, and half a time” equals 1,260 days, or three and a half
years. These aren’t the only examples of
the 360 days calendar being used, and it seems like such apocalyptic texts use
this scale.
The 483 years in Daniel 9 are prophetic years. The total number of days is straightforward
arithmetic, then: 483 prophetic years × 360 days per year = 173,880 days. That is the exact countdown God gave Daniel. We’ll come back to those days in a moment,
but keep that number in mind—173,880. It will become breathtakingly
significant.
The Total Number of Days: 483 prophetic years × 360
days/year. 483 times 360 = 173,880
days. This is the exact countdown God
gave Daniel. (Don’t worry — we’ll come
back to this.)
B.
When Do the Weeks Begin?
Let’s take a break from math and move into history. Gabriel speaks here of a “decree” or a “word,”
and we must determine what declaration in history triggers the 70 Weeks. This will help us to understand whether this
is a decree that is past, present, or future to Daniel; could it be that Daniel
is already in the 70 Weeks without knowing it?
The biggest clue in this verse is that the effects of the decree are all
future and would have been of immediate concern to this prayerful prophet — that
Jerusalem “will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.”
Scholars have proposed several Persian decrees, and for the
sake of time, we won’t go through each.[2] In Ezra’s day, the city was still in ruins.[3] So, only decree fits every detail: the one
given to Nehemiah, because it clearly allowed for the construction of the
walls, streets, and infrastructure of the city. Artaxerxes Longimanus granted Nehemiah
permission to restore and rebuild Jerusalem itself (Neh. 2:1–8). This was on the 1st of Nisan, in the 20th year
of his reign, which we know to be March 14, 445 B.C.
This was around a hundred years from Daniel, meaning that
the 70 Weeks were yet future to him.
It’s true that the people could return and begin work, but wouldn’t be
finished until Nehemiah’s time. The
faithful returning to Jerusalem, though, could return to the promised land with
the promise of the Lord that the work would be done.
C.
Who is This Messiah?
The terminus of these sixty-nine weeks is the mashiach
nagid, the “Messiah the Prince.” This could also be translated as the “Anointed
One, the Ruler.” So, some have suggested
this looks at the Cyrus that Daniel already knows, since Isaiah 45:1 calls him
God’s anointed. Some have also suggested
the high priest Joshua after the exile.[4] However, a better option exists.
The language of verse 26 fits only one person — the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah who “will
be cut off and have nothing.” He is also
the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6) and the Commander of the hosts (Dan. 8:11), so
“Messiah the Prince” is fitting for our Lord.
Moreover, the first-century Jews were still expecting Him (John 1:41;
4:25). Jesus is the terminating point
of this stage of the prophecy.
When will that be? We
consider that next:
D.
The First and Second Periods of Weeks
This verse says that, between the decree and the Messiah,
“there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.” Now, for brevity, we might say sixty-nine
weeks. But why does this verse divide it
into seven weeks (49 years) and sixty-two weeks (434 years)? It may be that the first seven weeks are
likely to mark a different terminating point in the midst of the prophecy.
Remember that Daniel is wanting his people to be safe in the
land, and that’s what the Jews returning from exile would also want. It is also interesting that the Messiah isn’t
mentioned again until the next verse, and there, “after the sixty-two
weeks.” Thus, the seven weeks may refer
to the time it takes from the decree until the time of Jerusalem’s restoration
under Nehemiah and Ezra. Nehemiah’s wall
took only fifty-two days, but clearing debris, building housing, and restoring
streets and a moat (or plaza and trench)[5] took decades. This was roughly from 445 B.C. to about 396
B.C.
All of this happened “even in times of distress.” Remember that Nehemiah 4 records opposition
from Sanballat, Tobiah, and others.[6] Yet, the Jews could be confident that it
would be completed in about 49 years, and it was!
Now, that was just the first time period. For the next sixty-two weeks of years, life
continued in the restored but troubled city, even when they faced the likes of
Antiochus IV.[7] The children of Israel could know that they
would remain in the land during this time.
And, they could know that, at the end of the process, they can expect
the arrival of Messiah the Prince.
Now, this depends on whether they would be faithful to read
and discern the meaning of God’s Word.
So, before we move on to v. 26, let’s consider the math. Starting March 14, 445 B.C., add exactly
173,880 days. The result is April 6,
A.D. 30 — what the Jews would have said was Nisan 9 or 10. If they had a slightly different
understanding, they still would have arrived at a date early in the first
century, but we’ll go with this date.
This happens to be the day of the Triumphal entry of
Christ! Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a
donkey in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.
He did so while the crowds shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matt.
21:9). For the first and only time in
His earthly ministry, Jesus deliberately arranged to be publicly presented as
the Messiah-King. On that day He was
“Messiah the Prince.”
Yet, the Sanhedrin rejected Jesus, despite all the evidence,
and they wanted the crowds to stop praising Him. So, He warns those who did not believe with
the destruction of Jerusalem; in Luke 19:42–44, He says,
If you had known in this day, even
you, the things which make for peace! But
now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your
enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in
on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within
you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not
recognize the time of your visitation.
They missed the day that these remaining sixty-two weeks
prophesied. And that was also
prophesied, as we see next.
Second, the Events Following the Sixty-Nine Weeks (v.
26)
Then after the
sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of
the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to
the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
Again, notice the little word “after.” The events of v. 26 do not occur in the
sixty-ninth week; they follow it. And we
see that includes the cutting off of the Messiah, the destruction of the city
and sanctuary, and ongoing war until the very end. Let’s consider each of these points.
A.
What Happens to the Messiah?
First, the Messiah will be “cut off.” The term means to be executed or killed
violently, the same word used for making a covenant by cutting an animal in
two.[8] It echoes Isaiah 53:8: “He was cut off out of
the land of the living.” Jesus was
crucified, not for His own sins, but for ours and those who repent of their
lack of faith and believe.
The phrase “and have nothing” is heartbreaking. Literally, “and there will be nothing to Him.”
[9] At the cross, Jesus appeared to have
accomplished nothing. His disciples
scattered and the kingdom seemed lost. Yet,
that very death purchased our redemption, for He arose and ascended to heaven.[10]
The Jewish leadership continued to reject the truth,
however. So, the rest of the judgment
comes.
B.
What Happens to the City and Sanctuary?
The “prince who is to come” is the future ruler we meet in
verse 27 — the Antichrist — who we will talk about next time. His people (the Romans) destroy Jerusalem and
the temple in A.D. 70. Again, Jesus
Himself predicted this in Luke 19:43–44 and Matthew 24:2. The destruction came “with a flood,” which is a
figure of overwhelming devastation[11] (compare Isa. 8:7–8; Nahum
1:8). War and desolations would continue
“even to the end,” meaning that even after the destruction of the holy city,
there would not be rest for the Jewish people until the kingdom of Christ.
C.
What Happened to the Seventieth Week?
Perhaps you’re wondering how all of this fits after the
sixty-second (or sixty-ninth) week and before the seventieth. How can events separated by five decades — and
perhaps still unfolding today — fit inside a 490-year prophecy mostly spent by
the first century?
The answer is in the text itself. Again, v. 26 says “after the sixty-two weeks,”
and not all six purposes of v. 24 have yet been fulfilled for Israel. Sin has not been ended; everlasting
righteousness has not been brought in for the nation. There is a gap.
This is no contrived “gap theory!” It is the plain reading of the text. The prophecy concerns “your people and your
holy city” (v. 24) — Israel and Jerusalem. The church is a mystery revealed later (Eph.
3), so this prophecy doesn’t address church history. Yet, this means God has not forgotten Israel;
He has sovereignly paused the clock to graft us in.
We’ll talk more about that next time.
Conclusion
This prophecy is more than a history lesson or a
math puzzle. It is God’s unbreakable
promise that He is sovereign over time itself.
Five centuries before the events, He told Daniel the exact window in
which Messiah would be presented and then cut off. Jesus fulfilled it to the very day. On that first Palm Sunday He looked at the
city and said, in effect, “You did not recognize the time of your visitation”
(Luke 19:44). On this Palm Sunday, let’s
not make the same mistake.
If you have never trusted Christ as your Messiah and King,
today is the day. The same Jesus who
rode into Jerusalem as Prince will one day return as King. The purposes of the seventy weeks will be
completed when He establishes everlasting righteousness.
Until then, we live in the gap. For now, proclaim the gospel, to watch, and
to wait. Next time, we will examine the
final, yet-future week and the covenant the prince will make.
[1] Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail,
eds. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today, (Nottingham,
England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2013), 132.
[2] A detailed list is in J. Dwight Pentecost, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An
Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 1, 1362.
[3] Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, The New American Commentary,
(Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 18:263.
[4] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Da 9:25.
[5] Miller, 18:266–267.
[6] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Resolute, “Be” Commentary Series,
(Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2000), 115.
[7] Barry, et. al., Da 9:25.
[8] Miller, 18:267.
[9] Ibid., 18:267–268.
[10] Wiersbe, 116.
[11] Miller, 18:268.