Here in this chapter we start by finding Daniel praying for the sins of his people. And in answer he receives information regarding the timeline of the appearance of the Messiah. It is easily realized that the prophesy deals with Jesus Christ, the Messiah. But verses 26 and 27 talk about the first advent where the little horn or king of the north in the first century as spoken of in chapter 8 (Rome) basically kills (cuts off) the Messiah. Compare Daniel 8:9-12; 23-25 with Daniel 11:9-20.
Daniel 9:24-27 Basically goes over the prophesy that helped ones around the turn of the first century know basically when the Messiah was to arrive and included that he would be “cut off”.
The 70 prophetic weeks are divided up as 62 weeks plus 7 weeks plus 1 week. Jesus was “cut off” in the middle of the last week.
This timeline begins with the going forth of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem which was around 455 BCE. At the end of the 69 prophetic weeks (a day for a year – 69×7= 483), the Messiah would appear! Jesus did not start his “mission” until he was baptized being about 30 years old. This is why so many were in expectation of his arrival, at that time! See Luke 2:25-34; John 4:4-26
Daniel 9:27b “And upon the wing of disgusting things there will be the one causing desolation; and until an extermination, the very thing decided upon will go pouring out also upon the one lying desolate.”
- The NIV renders this passage as: “And on a wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
- The rendering varies from translation to translation. However, the important thing is to identify this “abomination that causes desolation” in Jesus’ day (see prior verses). This would be Rome. And it is this “abomination” that Jesus is referring to that causes the trampling of Jerusalem in Luke 21:24. Compare Daniel 8:23-25; 11:13-17.