What does Daniel 9:1 mean?
Biblical scholars place Daniel's initial capture (Daniel 1:1–7) at around 605 BC. He was likely a young teenager at that time. This chapter refers to events happening around 539 to 537 BC: meaning about sixty-six years after Daniel was taken to Babylon. Daniel would be nearing eighty by this time, and still serving as an advisor to rulers in the land of his exile. The presumed timeline would place this vision a few years before Daniel's experience in the lions' den (Daniel 6:1).The identity of "Darius the son of Ahasuerus" is controversial. It's possible he was a sub-ruler appointed by Cyrus the Great. This verse, with others, implies that his leadership was somehow given or appointed (Daniel 5:31). The Medo-Persian empire displaced Babylon when Belshazzar was king (Daniel 5:30). Darius was of royal descent, the son of King Ahasuerus. Inscriptions mention Gobryas, which was likely another name for Darius. Apparently, Cyrus, a highly acclaimed Persian general, made Darius the ruler over the Babylonians, while he continued his military exploits. Darius ruled for only a short time until Cyrus took the reins of government.
This change in rulership seems to have inspired Daniel to research the end of Israel's captivity, especially in the book of Jeremiah (Daniel 9:2).
Daniel 9:1–19 records a prayer of confession on behalf of God's rebellious people; Daniel includes himself by using terms such as "us" and "we." After the fall of Babylon, Daniel sees evidence in the writings of Jeremiah that Israel's exile may be nearing an end. He prays for forgiveness and restoration, referring to God as righteous, merciful, and forgiving. This prayer leads to an appearance from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel will deliver a prophetic message about Israel's future.
Darius became king when Babylon fell to Medo-Persia. Daniel compared this to writings from Jeremiah, and realized the exile of Israel was almost over. As he prayed for God's intervention, the angel Gabriel arrived to provide further explanation. Gabriel's prophecy ties the arrival of an "anointed one," or "Messiah," or "Christ," to a moment in history followed by a set interval of time. This prediction includes dire moments for Israel and Jerusalem.