Daniel 9:2
"During Darius' first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years..."
He was a man of the Word this is obvious. And he kept his word. And he followed the Lord's instructions to the letter. His people weren't even as faithful by half. The people weren't keeping the sabbaths in the land. They didn't let the land rest as they were commanded. And so we see the contrasts between these people of God. All these failures to make good on the covenants caused a need for reconciliation. But first there must be justice. And so there is a time set aside for the exile. And following that pouring out of God's wrath there is also a time created for the coming reconciliation.
Daniel prayed and fasted throughout his entire life. And he confessed the many faults of his people to The Lord.
Daniel 9:20
"I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain."
And as Daniel was praying he was visited again by the archangel Gabriel. And the Lord's messenger explained to Daniel that from the very moment he began praying there was a command from heaven to set a time for the coming of the "Anointed One", the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Messiah who will bring the reconciliation. Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven was the proclamation of time for the fulfillment of God's salvation.
At the end of the set times the times in Jerusalem will be perilous but even so the temple will be built up again. And remember, the prophecy includes the death of the Anointed One, he will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and an occupying ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple (Daniel 9:20-27).
And so here we are, Daniel the prophet is given the inside scoop on the coming of Jesus the Christ. And the ultimate outcome of that first advent. Seventy seven year cycles before his coming, beginning on the day when the command to rebuild the temple was given. With the inspiration of Gabriel, Daniel predicts the Messiahs coming. In that time, the reconciliation of sins is being achieved. The year was about 538BC when Daniel prayed and wrote this, when he was visited by Gabriel. In about the year 445 BC the order was given by the Persian king Artaxerxes to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, specifically March 14th 445 BC that command was given (see Ezra 6:2–5). And from that day God proclaims this work of His will be accomplished in seventy seven year cycles. God's goal is to fulfill and completely seal this prophecy through Daniel's writing. His reconciliation must be accomplished and fulfilled in this time. In 483 years following that command he intends to see a rebuilt temple and the Messiah having come...and don't get too excited, remember what Gabriel said, the Messiah would be killed.
On April 6th in the year 32 AD, Jesus instructs his disciples to go out into the city and find a colt tied up and bring it to him (A colt that had not been ridden was considered holy by the Jews and was fit to carry a king).
On a path between Bethany and Jerusalem, they traveled the prophesied path of the coming Messiah and his entering into the city. And with Palms and songs they came with him into the temple city. They sang Hossanna! Hossanna! And prior to this day Jesus had not allowed public worship of himself. But this was the day that the Lord had made for this very important moment in human history. Right on schedule.
The Messiah had come just as Daniel had written. Down to the very day. And largely the people missed it. And again just as the prophet wrote, the Messiah would be cut off. Jesus was crucified that very week. Rejected and despised as Jeremiah predicted. And seventy years later the Romans absolutely destroyed the city, the temple, and everything in it. Not one stone was left standing. And the Jews were displaced, and dispersed. They were spread out throughout the whole earth until the year 1948.
Daniel's vision from Gabriel following his prayer is now fulfilled and yet the story continues. For now the prophet clock is stopped as his other prophetic visions about the future kingdoms to come are yet to be completed.
What's left is for the temple to be rebuilt. North of the Dome of the Rock mosque (which sits in the outer courts of the gentiles) is about ten acres of temple land, and it's likely there is where they will rebuild the temple. And so it's a curiosity for many in this age as we watch and wait to see what is going to happen there.
Whatever happens, there is one thing I am for certain convinced of...I am convinced that God's prophecies will be fulfilled right on schedule. He hasn't failed to keep his promises as of yet, why would we doubt him now?
God Bless You All...and Come Lord Jesus, Come!