Today we are stepping back from Matthew for some context, specifically we are going to look at Daniel. A lot of what Jesus refers to in the later chapters of Matthew has its background in these later chapters of Daniel. In the time of exile, it seemed like there was no hope for Israel. The nation was carted off to Babylon and whatever that was left in the land was in ruins. God had enacted his judgment on his people. However, even in this time, there were people who were still faithful to the Lord, who were repentant. Daniel was one of these people. Earlier in this chapter, Daniel had been pleading for God to show mercy to his people. While Daniel was praying, the angel Gabriel came and gave him a vision and this is where we land here today.

A time frame is set up of ‘Seventy ‘sevens’’ or seventy weeks. Now we have to remember that this is apocalyptic literature so we shouldn’t take this as a literal time frame but as a whole period of time. This is because seven represented wholeness or completion. In this time period, Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the ‘Anointed One’ or the Messiah will come! However, there will be times of trouble. The ‘Anointed One’ will be put to death and have nothing, and the city will be once again raised to the ground. In the Temple there will be an abomination, a horror, something detested, and something absolutely appalling. Eventually, the Temple was rebuilt and the Anointed One, Jesus Christ did come but was cut off, having been cut off from the Father at his death on the cross. Some years later, there were absolute horrors occurring in the Temple in 70AD. Daniel was waiting for the restoration of the Temple and a mighty warrior Messiah, but this vision shows us that his hope and ours shouldn’t be in a Temple made of stone but it is to be fixed on Jesus. Jesus who is the true Temple and whose kingdom will never fall by human hands, but will last forever. MC

Questions

Prayer

Almighty God, you alone are just and you are to be feared. Thank you that you are sovereign over all and help us not to trust in human forces or schemes but ultimately in you alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.