Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
SUMMARY OF THE ENTIRE BOOK OF DANIEL
Author: The Book of Daniel identifies the Prophet Daniel as its author (Daniel 9:2; 10:2). Jesus mentions
Daniel as the author as well (Matthew 24:15).
Date of Writing: The Book of Daniel was likely written between 540 and 530 B.C.
Purpose of Writing: In 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had conquered Judah and deported
many of its inhabitants to Babylon – Daniel included. Daniel served in the royal court of Nebuchadnezzar
and several rulers who followed Nebuchadnezzar. The Book of Daniel records the actions, prophecies,
and visions of the Prophet Daniel.
Key Verses: Daniel 1:19-20, “The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and
enchanters in his whole kingdom.”
Daniel 2:31, “You looked, O king, and there before you stood a
large statue - an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.”
Daniel 3:17-18, “If we are
thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from
your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your
gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Daniel 4:34-35, “His dominion is an eternal
dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded
as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can
hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’”
Daniel 9:25-27, “Know and understand this:
From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler,
comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench,
but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have
nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will
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Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a
covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and
offering. 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.”
Brief Summary: Chapter 1 describes the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Along with many
others, Daniel and his three friends were deported to Babylon and because of their courage and the
obvious blessings of God upon them, they were “promoted” in the king’s service (Daniel 1:17-20). Chapters 2-7 record Nebuchadnezzar having a dream that only Daniel could correctly interpret.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great statue represented the kingdoms that would arise in the future.
Nebuchadnezzar made a great statue of himself and forced everyone to worship it. Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego refused and were miraculously spared by God despite being thrown into a fiery furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar is judged by God for his pride, but later restored once he recognized and admitted
God’s sovereignty. Daniel chapter 5 records Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar misusing the items
taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and receiving a message from God, written into the wall, in
response. Only Daniel could interpret the writing, a message of coming judgment from God. Daniel is
thrown into the lions’ den for refusing to pray to the emperor, but was miraculously spared. God gave
Daniel a vision of four beasts. The four beasts represented the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece, and Rome.
Chapters 8-12 contain a vision involving a ram, a goat, and several horns – also
referring to future kingdoms and their rulers.
Daniel chapter 9 records Daniel’s “seventy weeks” prophecy. God gave Daniel the precise timeline of
when the Messiah would come and be cut off. The prophecy also mentions a future ruler who will make
a seven-year covenant with Israel and break it after three and a half years, followed shortly thereafter
by the great judgment and consummation of all things. Daniel is visited and strengthened by an angel
after this great vision, and the angel explains the vision to Daniel in great detail.
Foreshadowings: We see in the stories of the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lions’ den a foreshadowing
of the salvation provided by Christ. The three men declare that God is a saving God who can provide a
way of escape from the fire (Daniel 3:17). In the same way, by sending Jesus to die for our sins, God has
provided an escape from the fires of hell (1 Peter 3:18). In Daniel’s case, God provided an angel to shut
the lions’ mouths and saved Daniel from death. Jesus Christ is our provision from the dangers of the sin
that threatens to consume us.
Daniel’s vision of the end times depicts Israel’s Messiah by whom many
will be made pure and holy (Daniel 12:10). He is our righteousness (1 Peter 5:21) by whom our sins,
though blood-red, will be washed away and we will be as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).
-taken from gotquestions.org (we do not endorse every view presented on this website)
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Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
Daniel’s 70 Weeks
THE PROPHECY
The content of that prophecy, as recorded in Daniel 9:24-27, is as follows:
24 - Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to
finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 - Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall
be seven weeks(49 years), and threescore and two weeksthe street shall be built
again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 - And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, (434 years + 49
years=483 years=30A.D. Jesus begins ministry): but not for himself: and the people
of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end
thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are
determined.
27- And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:
and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,
(possible that this “he” is Jesus because He did confirm covenant and sacrifices
and offerings did cease as His prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem came to
pass) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even
until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
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Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS
By the use of a series of categorical phrases in verse 24, it states the six-fold
purpose of these seventy weeks: "(1) to bring transgression to an end, and (2) to
make an end for sin, and (3) to make reconciliation for iniquity, and (4) to bring in
everlasting righteousness, and (5) to seal up the vision and prophesy, and (6) to
anoint the most Holy."
This context sets forth the primary purpose of Jesus
Christ’s mission to Earth. First, the Messiah would come to deal with the problem
of human sin. He would “finish transgression,” make an “end of sins,” and effect
“reconciliation for iniquity.” That theme is developed gloriously throughout the
New Testament (Read Matthew 1:21; 20:28; 26:28; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2
Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20; 1 Peter 2:24;
Revelation 1:5).
DANIEL'S Seventy Weeks, which are equal to 490 years, are
scripturally divided into three periods: first, into a period of "Seven Weeks;
"secondly, of " Sixty Two Weeks; "and thirdly, of "One Week."
The
commencement of the Seventy Weeks and of the Seven Weeks, are the same.
Both periods began at "the going forth of a commandment causing to return and
to build Jerusalem," eighty-three years after the end of the seventy years
Babylonian captivity. This imperial decree of the Persian king was the official
restoration of the Commonwealth of Israel, at present in continuity "until the
times of the restitution of all things which the Deity hath spoken by the mouth of
all His holy prophets," from the beginning of the Mosaic Economy (Acts 3:21,) and
until He shall send Jesus Christ to "raise up, or build again the Tabernacle of
David," that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof: and to set it up as in the
days of old.(Acts 15:16 ; Amos 9:11).
The “seventy weeks” of Daniel’s prophecy are divided into three segments —
(1)seven weeks, (2) 62 weeks, and (3) the “midst” of one week (70th). 4
Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
Extremely Simple Overview of three Segments:
1. Seven weeks =49 years= actual rebuilding of Jerusalem-Nehemiah, Ezra etc.
(few question this perspective)
2. 62 Weeks = 434 years (plus 49 years above) = 457 B.C. until 30 A.D. (few
question this perspective)
3. 70th week
A) Jesus Fulfilled first 3.5 and we’re headed for or are presently in the last
3.5
B) The last week is yet to begin and will be the 7 years split in 2
MORE DETAILED THREE SEGMENTS 1. The first division of “seven weeks” (literally, forty-nine years) covers that
period of time during which the actual rebuilding of Jerusalem would be
underway, following the Hebrews’ return to Palestine (9:25b). This was the
answer to Daniel’s prayer (9:16). That reconstruction era was to be one of
“troublous times.” The Jews’ enemies had harassed them in earlier days (see
Ezra 4:1-6), and they continued to do so in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
2. The second segment of sixty-two weeks (434 years), when added to the
previous forty-nine, yields a total of 483 years. When this figure is computed
from 457 B.C., using the Hebrew Calendar, it terminates at A.D. 30. This
was the year of Jesus’ baptism and the beginning of His public ministry.
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Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
3. 70th week has more than one option.
A) Finally, the “midst of the week” (3½ years) reflects the time of the Lord’s
preaching ministry. This segment of the prophecy concludes in A.D. 33
— the year of the Savior’s death. It is now clear that the First half of
the SEVENTIETH WEEK of Daniel pertained to the 3 ½ years ministry
of Jesus Christ on earth from the day of His Water Baptism at the River
Jordan till his death in 33 ½ A.D. This fulfilled the verses “And after
threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off”
B) The last week begins sometime in the future and the 7 years (70th week)
will be split in two.
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Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
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Survey of Daniel and the End of the Age
Encountering God’s Presence
-portions taken from endtimesmessage.com (we do not endorse every view presented on this website)
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