Daniel 9:20-27
“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.” (Daniel 9:20-21)
Daniel was praying, asking God to forgive Judah and fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy when God sent him another vision of the angel Gabriel coming to bring more prophecy.
“And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” (Daniel 9:22-23)
Gabriel announced that God had sent him to show Daniel what was to come because He was greatly beloved of God. In Daniel 1, sixty years before, Daniel had purposed in his heart to serve God and had been unswerving in that commitment. As a result, he had a tremendous impact on the nation of Babylon, causing the entire nation to hear about God.
John 14:21 declares, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” For sixty years Daniel had demonstrated his love for God by his obedience. Love is a two way street, and God has promised to demonstrate his love in return.
God loves those who do not love him as well as those who do, but he has to show his love in a different way. Hebrews 12:6 declares, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Disobedient children will always be chastened or punished and corrected because of God’s love. Judas wanted to know how God would reveal his love to them without showing it to the world the same way.
“Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.” (John 14:22-24)
Real love will produce obedience to God just as it does to our parents. Just like a loving parent, God will express his appreciation by a desire to be with and hold child, except that God does it from the inside making his presence felt inside us, and providing the same sense of comfort a physical parents love does to his children. Disobedience, on the other hand, demonstrates a selfish lack of love and prevents him from being able to show his love that way, so he only display his love by chastening. As Hebrews 12:11 points out, chastening is never pleasant, although it is a demonstration of God’s love.
Because of Daniel’s demonstration of his love by obedience, God could show his love by revealing secrets to Daniel others could not receive. He could share his plans for Israel so Daniel would not be troubled about what was going to happen to Israel.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)
Daniel had understood from Jeremiah’s prophecy that their captivity would last seventy years because of their sin. Nearly sixty years had passed and only a few had really turned to God. God revealed that there would be a period of seventy sevens or four hundred ninety years that God would work on Israel to bring them to a point of righteousness, finish the prophecies, and anoint the Messiah king.
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” (Daniel 9:25)
The four hundred ninety year period would be broken up into three separate periods’ the first would start when the command was given to rebuild Jerusalem would last seven weeks, or forty nine years. It would be a period of continuous turmoil, and we find this period described in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. Israel fluctuated between serving god and not serving him throughout the period.
After the death of Nehemiah would be a period of sixty two sevens or four hundred thirty four years. During the period, Israel would be conquered by the Greeks, and later the Romans. It was a period of considerable turmoil, with various leaders including the Macabbees trying to set up a Jewish kingdom between the Greek and Roman empires. Joel, Obadiah and Malachi present our only scriptural record from the period, although a number of Jewish writings have survived.
Christ was to be born at the end of this sixty two week period, and would grow and have a brief ministry. Daniel gave this prophecy in Babylon, and it was the reason the wise men knew what the star that appeared when Christ was born meant, although it took almost two years to discover it and make the journey.
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 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.” (Daniel 9:26-27)
At the end of his ministry, the Messiah, Christ would be executed, but not for any crime he had committed, and not long after that the Roman Emperor would order the city destroyed, including the temple. This occurred in 60 AD, and until 1948, the nation of Israel ceased to exist.
Daniels view was much like looking across a series of mountain ridges. You can see the peaks, but it is impossible to see what lies between them or even make a good estimate of the distance between them, and especially of the more distant ridges. We have been in the valley between those peaks since about 60 AD, but the final seven years has yet to happen.
In 1948 the nation of Israel was re-established and Jews started returning to it from around the world. In Ezekiel 37, in the vision of dry bones, this is pictured as the bones moving together and beginning to grow flesh, but they have not yet come to life, because the nation has not yet turned to God.
When the final seven years of the four hundred ninety starts, the Jews will reestablish the old Jewish worship of God, including the sacrifices. The world ruler of that day will make a treaty with them, but half way through the final seven years, known as the “time of Jacob’s trouble” or the tribulation, the treaty will be broken, and the last three and a half years will be a time when the Jews are severely persecuted. At the end of that time, as we saw in Daniel 8, the Lord will set up his kingdom and judge the world.
Although the entire world will be affected by the Tribulation period, it is primarily judgment on the nation of Israel, to make them turn to God and keep the promises they made in Moses‘ day.
“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.” (Daniel 9:20-21)
Daniel was praying, asking God to forgive Judah and fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy when God sent him another vision of the angel Gabriel coming to bring more prophecy.
“And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” (Daniel 9:22-23)
Gabriel announced that God had sent him to show Daniel what was to come because He was greatly beloved of God. In Daniel 1, sixty years before, Daniel had purposed in his heart to serve God and had been unswerving in that commitment. As a result, he had a tremendous impact on the nation of Babylon, causing the entire nation to hear about God.
John 14:21 declares, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” For sixty years Daniel had demonstrated his love for God by his obedience. Love is a two way street, and God has promised to demonstrate his love in return.
God loves those who do not love him as well as those who do, but he has to show his love in a different way. Hebrews 12:6 declares, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Disobedient children will always be chastened or punished and corrected because of God’s love. Judas wanted to know how God would reveal his love to them without showing it to the world the same way.
“Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.” (John 14:22-24)
Real love will produce obedience to God just as it does to our parents. Just like a loving parent, God will express his appreciation by a desire to be with and hold child, except that God does it from the inside making his presence felt inside us, and providing the same sense of comfort a physical parents love does to his children. Disobedience, on the other hand, demonstrates a selfish lack of love and prevents him from being able to show his love that way, so he only display his love by chastening. As Hebrews 12:11 points out, chastening is never pleasant, although it is a demonstration of God’s love.
Because of Daniel’s demonstration of his love by obedience, God could show his love by revealing secrets to Daniel others could not receive. He could share his plans for Israel so Daniel would not be troubled about what was going to happen to Israel.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)
Daniel had understood from Jeremiah’s prophecy that their captivity would last seventy years because of their sin. Nearly sixty years had passed and only a few had really turned to God. God revealed that there would be a period of seventy sevens or four hundred ninety years that God would work on Israel to bring them to a point of righteousness, finish the prophecies, and anoint the Messiah king.
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” (Daniel 9:25)
The four hundred ninety year period would be broken up into three separate periods’ the first would start when the command was given to rebuild Jerusalem would last seven weeks, or forty nine years. It would be a period of continuous turmoil, and we find this period described in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. Israel fluctuated between serving god and not serving him throughout the period.
After the death of Nehemiah would be a period of sixty two sevens or four hundred thirty four years. During the period, Israel would be conquered by the Greeks, and later the Romans. It was a period of considerable turmoil, with various leaders including the Macabbees trying to set up a Jewish kingdom between the Greek and Roman empires. Joel, Obadiah and Malachi present our only scriptural record from the period, although a number of Jewish writings have survived.
Christ was to be born at the end of this sixty two week period, and would grow and have a brief ministry. Daniel gave this prophecy in Babylon, and it was the reason the wise men knew what the star that appeared when Christ was born meant, although it took almost two years to discover it and make the journey.
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 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.” (Daniel 9:26-27)
At the end of his ministry, the Messiah, Christ would be executed, but not for any crime he had committed, and not long after that the Roman Emperor would order the city destroyed, including the temple. This occurred in 60 AD, and until 1948, the nation of Israel ceased to exist.
Daniels view was much like looking across a series of mountain ridges. You can see the peaks, but it is impossible to see what lies between them or even make a good estimate of the distance between them, and especially of the more distant ridges. We have been in the valley between those peaks since about 60 AD, but the final seven years has yet to happen.
In 1948 the nation of Israel was re-established and Jews started returning to it from around the world. In Ezekiel 37, in the vision of dry bones, this is pictured as the bones moving together and beginning to grow flesh, but they have not yet come to life, because the nation has not yet turned to God.
When the final seven years of the four hundred ninety starts, the Jews will reestablish the old Jewish worship of God, including the sacrifices. The world ruler of that day will make a treaty with them, but half way through the final seven years, known as the “time of Jacob’s trouble” or the tribulation, the treaty will be broken, and the last three and a half years will be a time when the Jews are severely persecuted. At the end of that time, as we saw in Daniel 8, the Lord will set up his kingdom and judge the world.
Although the entire world will be affected by the Tribulation period, it is primarily judgment on the nation of Israel, to make them turn to God and keep the promises they made in Moses‘ day.
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