Lesson for August 3, 2022
The Book of Daniel
Chapter 9
Chapter 9 speaks of Israel from the time of Daniel to that of Christ; it is silent concerning the Church Age; and then it continues with the rise of the Antichrist. Not only was Daniel, a prophet of God, used as an instrument to reveal the things of the future, but he was a firm believer in the prophecy of the past prophets of God. Israel was warned by God through Moses that judgment would be poured out on the nation if it should forget God or God’s Law. Blessings would be theirs if they obeyed Him, but cursing would be theirs if they disobeyed Him.
They were in the land of their enemies as national judgment – proof that they had broken His covenant. Jeremiah prophesied the Babylonian exile, and its duration of 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11, 12). The Israelites had been in Babylon nearly 70 years, and by reading Jeremiah, Daniel knew that it was about time for the Israelites to go back to Jerusalem.
Daniel 9:1-19 records Daniel’s prayer on behalf of Israel and the restoration of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed.
Verses 1-19
“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. So, I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said, ‘Oh, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, we have done wrong, and acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You.
Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness because we have rebelled against Him; and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. Indeed, all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. So He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our wrongdoing and giving attention to Your truth. So, the Lord has kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. And now, Lord, our God, You who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of taunting to all those around us. So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for Your sake, Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. My God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our pleas before You based on any merits of our own but based on Your great compassion. Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.’”
Daniel took God’s side against Israel as he acknowledged God’s justice in punishing Israel. He readily admitted that the Laws of God were broken by the people of God, and with sorrow of heart he acknowledged how shamefully the prophets were treated. Summing it up, he appealed to the mercy of God for forgiveness. He did not appeal to God on the grounds of Israel’s righteousness, because they had none. The mercy of God was the only appeal that Daniel could make to God. Three times a day he prayed with his face toward Jerusalem. And in his prayer, he begged the Lord to forgive the disobedience of Israel and allow them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city.
Daniel 9:20-27 records God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer communicated to him by the angel Gabriel.
Verses 20-27
“While I was still speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. And he instructed me and talked with me and said, ‘Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with understanding. At the beginning of your pleas the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain understanding of the vision. Seventy weeks (490 years) have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. So, you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince (Jesus), there will be seven weeks (49 years) and sixty-two weeks (434 years); it will be built again, with streets and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week (7 years), but in the middle of the week (3 ½ years) he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.’”
While Daniel was confessing the disobedience of Israel, God sent the angel Gabriel to reveal the days ahead for Israel, to give them hope and to assure them of security again. For 70 years Israel was punished in exile; now God revealed that for 70 weeks Israel would continue, until the millennial reign of Christ. Seventy weeks are seventy “sevens” in prophetic language. These “sevens,” were years. The meaning of the “70 sevens” is 70 x seven years – equals 490 years. Therefore, in 490 years the Messiah (Christ) would set up the millennial kingdom. True to this prophesy, Jesus died on the Cross exactly 483 years after the command was given to restore Jerusalem, leaving seven years before the Millennium.
What happens between the 69th week (483rd year) and the 70th week (the last remaining seven years) is the Church Age (the valley between the first coming of Christ and the Second Coming of Christ). As we know, the Church Age was never revealed in the Old Testament. It was a hidden mystery revealed to the apostles during the Church Age. (Ephesians 3:1-10). As soon as the Church Age is over, the remaining last seven years, known as the Tribulation, will begin.
The prince is the Antichrist, who will confirm a seven-year covenant of peace with Israel. In the middle of that seven-year agreement, the Antichrist will break his covenant, will place his throne in the Temple and cause the world to worship him as God. (II Thessalonians 2:1- 12) After the Tribulation is over, the Messiah (Jesus Christ) will return and set up His Kingdom and He will reign over the world.
(Commentary from Dr. Mark Cambron’s book, “Daniel and Revelation Made Plain.”)