Daniel 9:27 Meaning and Explanation
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Even in the darkest stretch of the vision, a covenant is confirmed and an end is already fixed.
The Context of Daniel 9:27
The closing line of Gabriel's answer to Daniel's prayer, sealing the prophecy of the seventy weeks (verses 24 to 27). It moves from the long-awaited Anointed One to a time of sacrifice ceasing and desolation, and finally to a determined end.
What Does Daniel 9:27 Mean?
This is the last and densest line of Gabriel's message, and it holds together a covenant and a catastrophe. A covenant is confirmed with many; in the middle of the appointed week, sacrifice and offering are made to cease; and a desolation runs its course. Readers across the centuries have traced these pieces in different ways, yet the shape is plain: God's purpose carries straight through the worst of it, and even the desolation is bounded by what God has 'determined,' an end already appointed.
The covenant confirmed and the sacrifices brought to an end both turn our eyes toward Jesus. When He gave Himself, the old offerings found their fulfillment and the new covenant was sealed in His blood (Luke 22:20). The verse refuses to end in ruin: judgment is poured out, but on a fixed schedule, held in the hand of a God who is moving history toward its consummation. The last word here is not desolation but determination.
Daniel 9:27 in the Original Language
berith (בְּרִית), 'covenant' -- a binding promise, a bond God makes and keeps.
How to Apply Daniel 9:27 Today
This verse sits us down in front of hard things, sacrifice ceasing, desolation spreading, and still insists that God has set the limits and fixed the end. When history feels like it is unraveling, we are reminded that a covenant has been confirmed in Christ and that even judgment runs on God's appointed clock, not loose and not endless.
Frequently Asked Questions About Daniel 9:27
What does Daniel 9:27 mean?
Even in the darkest stretch of the vision, a covenant is confirmed and an end is already fixed.
What is the context of Daniel 9:27?
The closing line of Gabriel's answer to Daniel's prayer, sealing the prophecy of the seventy weeks (verses 24 to 27). It moves from the long-awaited Anointed One to a time of sacrifice ceasing and desolation, and finally to a determined end.
How can I apply Daniel 9:27 today?
This verse sits us down in front of hard things, sacrifice ceasing, desolation spreading, and still insists that God has set the limits and fixed the end. When history feels like it is unraveling, we are reminded that a covenant has been confirmed in Christ and that even judgment runs on God's appointed clock, not loose and not endless.