Daniel 9 represents one of the most contentious and difficult areas of prophecy in the Bible.
The "seventy weeks" which Gabriel announces (vs. 20-27) has alternatively been explained by biblical scholars as constituting the time from the exile to the restoration, from the exile or the restoration to the time of desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes, and from the resettlement of Jerusalem to the life of Christ and/or the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, along with several other theories.
Much care has been taken to try to get the math right involving the correct breakdown of weeks to match noteworthy events and individuals in the history of Israel. Many tweaks and adjustments are made to have it line up precisely. These kinds of gymnastics makes me deeply suspicious that an interpreter is imposing his or her own scheme onto the Bible.
How would I interpret Daniel 9 then? I look for the broad theme. Rather than the specifics of counting weeks and figuring out who the "prince to come" is, what is the message of this chapter? My take would be that Daniel is told that a lot of history has yet to take place - there will be wars, and rebuilding, and trouble, and enemies of God. You can try to figure it out if you like, but knowledge is uncertain. Yet the real call is to be faithful and hold out hope to the end. God is in charge. Even when nations are overrun and it looks like all is lost, the people of God must remember to put their trust in the Lord. This message is still true today.
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