What do you think caused this chapter in Daniel? What did Daniel tell us at the first part of it? What time in history was it and what was he reading? The Babylonian Empire had fallen to Darius the Mede and Daniel had been reading books that were written by Jeremiah.
Daniel 9:1
"In the first year of Darius...of the Medes..."
So, the year is about 539 BC and the captivity of the Jews started around 605 BC.
Jeremiah 29:10 tells how they will return to the land after they have been in Babylon for seventy years. Darius will rule and even send Daniel to the den of lions before Cyrus will give the decree around 535 BC.
I know fully about the Decree and its meaning. I also know when Gabriel came he explained to Daniel that he was confused. The 70 years he assumed were Seventy Sevens.
Daniel reckoning the 70 years from the year 605 (when the Jews went into exile) would bring the end of the 70 years to 536 B.C.E. Daniel realized that the captivity had only about three years to go.
But Daniel not only expected the captivity to end after 70 years, he also expected a final termination of any possibility of future desolation's for Jerusalem. He had acted as if the messianic kingdom were about to occur: since the Word of God was to be established on the basis of prayer, he prayed; and realizing that the prerequisite was the confession of national sin, he confessed the sins of Israel.
Then, while Daniel was presenting his supplications,(Daniel 9:20-23) he was interrupted. He apparently had intended to say more, when Gabriel arrived. The interruption came by the touch of the angel’s hand, "about the time of the evening oblation." This refers to the daily, regular evening sacrifice that was offered while the temple stood. Although it had not been practiced for seven decades, Daniel showed his longing for the return from captivity and for the rebuilding of the temple by remembering the sacrifice.
Gabriel told Daniel that the purpose of his visit was 1. to correct Daniel’s misunderstanding concerning when the messianic kingdom would be set up and 2. to present God’s revelation, which contained a timetable for Messiah’s coming.
THE DECREE OF THE SEVENTY SEVENS: Daniel 9:24
Gabriel’s prophecy to Daniel began with the words, “Seventy sevens are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city…”
Many English versions have translated the phrase to read “seventy weeks.” But this translation is not totally accurate and has caused some confusion about the meaning of the passage. Most Jews know the Hebrew for “weeks” because of the observance of the Feast of Weeks, and that Hebrew word is shavuot. However, the word that appears in the Hebrew text is shavuim, which means “sevens.” The word refers to a “seven” of anything, and the context determines the content of the seven.
Here it is obvious Daniel had been thinking in terms of years—specifically the 70 years of captivity. Daniel had assumed that the captivity would end after 70 years and that the kingdom would be established after 70 years. But here Gabriel was using a play upon words in the Hebrew text, pointing out that insofar as Messiah’s kingdom was concerned, it was not “70 years,” but “70 sevens of years,” a total of 490 years (70 times seven).
This period of 490 years had been “decreed” over the Jewish people and over the holy city of Jerusalem. The Hebrew word translated “decreed” literally means “to cut off” or “to determine.” In chapters 2, 7 and 8, God revealed to Daniel the course of future world history in which gentiles would have a dominant role over the Jewish people. This lengthy period, which began with the Babylonian Empire to continue until the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom, is for that reason often referred to as the “Times of the Gentiles.” Now the prophet was told that a total of 490 years was to be “cut out” of the Times of the Gentiles, and a 490-year period had been “determined” or “decreed” for the accomplishment of the final restoration of Israel and the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom.
The focus of the program of the 70 sevens was “thy people and…thy holy city.” The “people” were Daniel’s people, the Jewish people, and the city was Daniel’s city, Jerusalem. Though he had spent the vast majority of his life in the city of Babylon, Jerusalem was still Daniel’s city. For Jews, whether they are in the land or outside the land, their city is always Jerusalem and not any other.
I can give you the purpose of the seventy sevens if needed.
The Little Horn is the Beast.
Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them
another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this
horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the
Ancient of days did sit, (JESUS) whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Daniel 7:11 I beheld then because of the voice of the
great words which the horn spake: I
beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
Revelation 19:20 And the
beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
You still think the LITTLE HORN is not the Beast of Revelation or Anti-Christ?