SCRIPTURE: Daniel 9
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” [Daniel 9:26-27]
I did not spend a lot of time trying to understand or figure out the specific meaning of the days and numbers (I find too often people spend too much time trying to work out the details).
What I noticed was the death of the Anointed One, the then the flood of evil that follows.
The reference to the “sacrilegious object that causes desecration” is noted by Jesus.
The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) [Matthew 24:15]

We know that after Jesus ascended to His throne with God, the Roman armies surrounded and destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple [one stop did not remain on top of another, Matthew 24:2]
The “sacrilegious object that causes desecration” refers to polluting a holy act by performing an unholy act – for example, sacrificing a pig on the altar, or making a sacrifice to Zeus on God’s altar.
When the Romans attacked Jerusalem under the command of Titus, we know from Josephus (a Jewish historian from that time) that his plans were to turn the Temple into a place of pagan sacrifice and emperor worship; the temple was completely looted as well (there are engravings of Titus and his army marching through the streets of Rome in triumph carrying the furnishings of the temple).

We need to read this in the context of Daniel’s prayer, confessing their sin and pleading for mercy.
The basic sense of this vision is that God is allowing a time when His anointed people will suffer, His anointed temple will be destroyed, and His anointed servant (including ultimately the Messiah Himself) will be defeated.
In other words, God is not simply going to fix everything with a snap of His fingers, but will use suffering, violence, misery (the result of sin in the world, and in our lives) to purge unrighteousness, immorality, evil from the world.
A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. [Daniel 9:24]
Again, without trying to figure out the “seventy sets of seven”, notice the basic idea that God allows this time period of hardship to put an end to sin and re-establish righteousness.
All suffering is for purification and renewal – if we are willing to let God purify and renew us through it!
As Peter says, These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [1 Peter 1:7]

It seems to me that we do not see our sin as serious as it is; we admit that we sometimes do unwise or bad things, but we are less inclined to admit that our hearts are thoroughly selfish and that everything we do is twisted and poisoned.
Do we see how our impure thoughts, words and deeds themselves are “sacrilegious objects that cause desecration”?
Do we have the same penitent spirit as Daniel?
Is repentance a big part of our turning to Jesus, or are we just ‘believing’ for the present comfort and the eternal perks?
God cannot help us until we repent, truly repent, and allow sin to be dealt with.
This is why the Anointed One had to be killed, to make atonement for sin.

But notice what happens when we do repent…
The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. [Daniel 9:23]

PRAYER:
Lord, wow, today’s reflection really struck a nerve for me. Sin, sacrilege, desecration… confession, repentance. I hear what You are saying to me today!