Daniel chapter 10 commentary and notes for Bible study

While a commentary on Daniel chapter 10 may seem uneventful, it was a part of my preparation for Bible study with the men. You see I am just like most of you, a guy who has wanted to understand what I read and its relationship to what is going on around me. I guess that makes me an eschatology person. The guys I sit with call me the expert; I am hardly an expert and I had a religious life filled with presuppositions. Church, while being the place where much of the mental abuse came from, did give me a deep understanding that God loved me; that love trailed me like a hound as I rebounded from hurt to hurt and struggled to free myself from co-dependency - I didn't even understand what that was until a few years ago. As many of you know I put myself in a recovery group called Celebrate Recovery which uses many of the same principles as AA. I did this because my wife wanted me to get help for my rage, and I wanted help as well. For a short period, I worked the information table. There I noticed the paperwork for men's co-dependency and read it; it was pathetic and lacking. You get the impression that men are not allowed to either have or admit that they are co-dependent. The women's brochure, however, had about 30 lines of descriptives. I found myself in about 29 of those descriptions.

Now, several years later, with time spent going through the steps multiple times, and even leading several groups, I am much better than I was. I can apply that same understanding to God's word and its application to my life and the world around me. Having gone through the Bible several times and gaining help from others, such as Joel Richardson, the author of the Islamic Antichrist. I now have a firm grasp on the nature and character of Christ, and, the apocryphal books of the Bible are not only something I can grasp but exciting, as we are living in those times now.

This last sentence is what I try to convey to those who will listen. God, is a God of mercy; if that were not the case we would all be dead now. He loves you and desires a restored relationship with you. If He is a jealous God, it is because we have given our love to the things of this world. Jesus is the Messiah.

Daniel Chapter 10

Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.

chronology. The third year of Cyrus's rule in Babylon was 537/536. This is very close to the time when the first wave of Jews are returning from captivity and beginning the rebuilding of the temple (recorded in the first chapter of Ezra). Dan_10:4 indicates that the vision took place on the twenty-fourth day of the first month (Nisan). This would be in early April. The celebration of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (14-21 Nisan) IVPBBC

The importance of this is that Daniel is a devout Jew, and little would stop him from participating in the Passover.

Daniel chapter nine opened with, in the first year of Darius.” So this is not a chronological recounting of Daniel's dreams, visions, and encounters.

Cyrus killed Belshazzar, quite possibly a son of Nebuchadnezzar (This is the kind statement you make when you have not done your homework. Shortly after this, I did an in-depth study into Daniel chapter 11, where I was compelled to pay attention to background details. It is found in Scripture where God calls Nebuchadnezzar father, but further exploration informs you that it was a sign of respect to call male relatives/elders father.) The implications of the word father are that Belshazzar was related to Nebuchadnezzar. None-the-less, Belshazzar is now dead.

Daniel 5:1. Belshazzar was the son and coregent of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon. Nabonidus spent ten years in Teima while his son was carrying out all the royal duties in Babylon. A number of documents have been found that mention him by name. About thirty years have passed since the last chapter. Nebuchadnezzar died in 562, and the banquet of this chapter takes place in October 539. IVPBBC

• “a message was revealed to Daniel”
  Message - It signified spoken words or speech (Gen_11:1; Isa_36:5; Jer_51:64

• “ the message was true and one of great conflict”
  The word true is the word 'emeth - stabile; figuratively certain, truth, trustworthy.
  Conflict is the Hebrew word tsâbâ' and conveys the idea of a mass of persons organized for war.

• “but he understood the message”
  Understood is the Hebrew word bı̂yn and means to separate mentally. It also implies to consider.

• "and had an understanding of the vision."
  If someone were to say to me, I have an understanding, the implications to me are, that you only have a partial comprehension. However the phrase "had an understanding" derived from the Hebrew word bı̂ynâh means to perfectly understand.

Daniel 10:2-3 In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3) I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.

• Mourn.
  The Hebrew word ’aḇal: It is a verb that means to mourn. The Word Study Dictionary tells us that the word implies, “Those who mourn are persons who mourn for looking at God's coming judgments” (Isa_19:8; Amo_8:8; Amo_9:5). As you can see I have given you their scripture references. The first two do not seem to apply when I try to find an example of someone who mourns because they are looking at God's coming judgment. However, when I look at Amos 9:5 I can almost see their point. Upon further investigation and looking at the context, which takes me back to Amos 8:2, I see this:
  
  

  KJV "And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them anymore."

It only gets worse for description. The idea of the end seems to be related to the time of wrath and judgment.

The literal translation says, I ate no food for delight, and no flesh or wine came into my mouth. I did not anoint myself at all until three weeks of days were fulfilled. This seems so understandable with no ominous legal aspect to it.

If I were to fast the first thing I would do is to ask myself why. If it is to pay more attention to God then I would divert myself from distractions. In today's world that might mean setting the smartphone aside, so that I could then give myself and my attention to God.

I suddenly found myself thinking about a statement that Oprah Winfrey openly confessed. She said she turned from the God and religion of her church-going mother because she came to understand that God was jealous. Oprah took that to mean that God was suspicious of her, and she could never have anything to do with a suspicious, overprotective God. Her mistake was thinking that she could do anything that would make God jealous. The reality is that God, like a lover, is jealous over us and longs for us to return to a restored relationship. I happen to value that God is that desirous for me. If I, in with my broken, sick mentality, thought that my fasting was merely to win the attention of a jealous God, then yes, this would be sick. So, if it is not mental depravity that motivates me, then what is it? Perhaps a desire for a relationship that is available but my flesh fights to prevent.

It would be logical to assume that Daniel is fasting, as he pleads with the Lord for an answer and wisdom. What are the parameters to Daniel's fast?

• No tasty food,
  Tasty - chamudah desirableness, preciousness: highly esteemed.

  A simple understanding would be to say, I ate no sweets, or perhaps gourmet food.

• nor did meat or wine enter my mouth
  Wine – the Hebrew word yayin: A masculine noun referring to wine. It indicates the juice of the grapevine and its fruits, a common drink for refreshment in the Old Testament (Gen_14:18; Gen_27:25; Jdg_19:19) The Complete Word Study Dictionary

  So it is safe to assume he drank water.

• nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.

  So Daniel did nothing to freshen up around other people. Perhaps he had a three-week vacation and could afford to stink, who knows.

Daniel 10:4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris,

The four and twentieth day of the first month; that is, the month Nisan or Abib [early April]—the month in which the Passover was celebrated in every Jewish home. (The Pulpit Commentary)

How perfect is that, for the preparations involved in the Passover would have allowed for most of Daniel's food choices during this time. 
The celebration of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (14-21 Nisan) would have come and gone during Daniel's three weeks of preparation. There is absolutely no reason to think Daniel would have excluded himself from the Passover, especially since it is a command for the Jews to practice.

Daniel 10:5-6 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6) His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.

Sound familiar? It should for this is who the Apostle John saw as he looked into heaven; and, all of what John saw was a Revelation of Jesus, the Christ.

Revelation 1:13-15 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14) His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15) His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.

Even the Roman guards saw this imagery as Jesus came and sat upon the same stone that He had rolled away.

Matthew 28:2-3 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3) And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

Daniel 10:7-8 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 8) So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength.

• Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision;

This is comparable to what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus.

Acts 9:3-4,7 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4) and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 7) The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

• “ Nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves”
• “So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength.”

We, much to our demise, have put on great stage shows in an effort to show the world the impact we think God has on people. Daniel describes the phenomenon as, “no strength was left in me.”

Daniel 10:9 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

I want you to see something; it happens quite often in scripture and indicates that God is serious about what is being said and the immediate importance of the matter. It is the usage of the Hebrew word radam [fell^H7290a into a deep^H7290a sleep^H7290a ] and it is repeated three times. Its meaning is to fall into a deep sleep. To the Jews, this a pattern, and all prophetic words are aligned with a pattern.

Daniel is now face down on the ground.

Daniel 10:10 Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.

We sang along with the Christian group Mercy Me, so many years ago, I can only imagine what I will do. Apparently overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord we do much trembling.

Daniel 10:11 He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.

I so long for Him to say those words to me, calling me a man of high esteem.

• “..stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.”
• " And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling...

Daniel 10:12 Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.

• “ from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard”

We pray and our hearts cry out to God, but what do we do? We wonder if he hears us and cares. He does.

Daniel 10:13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

• “ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days”

Consider: When Satan rebelled he took one-third of the angels with him.

What are they doing today?I also ask you, how many of these fallen angels are there with him?

What we are seeing here is one of those fallen angels, and it has a name – the Prince of Persia.

A piece of discouraging news. Considering how powerful these angels are, you need to know that there are four chained up in the river Euphrates, awaiting the moment they are released upon the earth.

Revelation 9:14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."

It only took one angel to kill off the first born in Egypt, in one night. Apparently, Gabriel is the messenger to Israel, God's people, and in this case, Michael, one of the chief princes of the angel armies, has come to Gabriel's assistance.

Daniel 10:14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

Daniel 10:14 Complete Jewish Bible So I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the acharit-hayamim; for there is still another vision which will relate to those days."

If I used the NASB exclusively I would be lead to believe that the two aspects of the statement are the same. But, having looked at the Complete Jewish Bible, it is clear that there is another vision as well. Regardless, what Daniel is about to hear applies to a distant future, that he will never see.

• “I have come to make you understand.”

Understand is the Hebrew word biyn and means to discern, to perceive, to observe, to pay attention to, to be intelligent, to be discreet, to understand; in the causative sense, to give understanding, to teach; in the reflexive sense, to consider diligently. [WSD.]  But have a look at the Strong's concordance and you will find that you have the added meaning of separating details.

A possible rewrite might say this: I have come to make you separate the details.

Daniel 10:15-18 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16) And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, "O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17) "For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me." 18) Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me.

• He - Gabriel

Who did Daniel see in 10:5? Jesus and we have made this apparent. However, because of what we saw in verse 13, Gabriel now before him, I can make the assumption that Gabriel is the one with “human appearance” touching Daniel again.

Our presumption is that angels have wings. Balaam eventually saw the angel standing in the narrow pathway and all he saw was a sword intended for his death.

Daniel 10:19, 20 He said, "O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!" Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, "May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me. Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come.”

• ”Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you?”
• “ But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come.”

  Previously, we were told about the Prince of Persia, now, we learn about the prince of Greece. Having an understanding about the kingdoms of this world gives you some insight into the world of the demonic. These fallen angels have ranks and territories.

Daniel 10:21 "However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.

What, is the “writing of truth?” I see nothing outside of Daniel that defines this. There are, however, things like this: 

Psalms 119:160 NASB The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.

Revelation 22:19 NASB and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

While the obvious fact is: there are books that God keeps, it seems these are documentations of merciful acts performed by people, used by God to show mercy at the end of time.

Gabriel Brings an Answer, but to what? Daniel chapter 9 part two.

I can't believe I did that! What you might ask? I glanced over Daniel nine and found myself wanting to ignore about half of it. Why? Because at first look it seems like it is merely one man's conversation with God. Daniel does not seem to say anything in particular, and he states the obvious, Israel, the nation and people have sinned.

Mind you these aspects are not the major topic here and maybe I didn't need to bring any of that up, but as I prepared these notes so that I could lead appropriately, I was reminded by the Holy Spirit that there is nothing insignificant in God's word. I felt prompted after that to pay close attention to what Daniel was saying.

I found some amazing insights into the man Daniel, and some correlations between what he said and what we do in recovery. For example: in recovery, we take ownership of the wrongs we have done to others. In the case of Israel, their sins were many, but ignoring God's commands is a huge mistake. I thought about this last statement for a moment thinking that what they did was in the past, but I was reminded that their blatant ignorance continues still today.

If you choose to pursue what I have written then I implore you to allow the Holy Spirit to instruct you, and consider my words to be merely a guide.

God bless you on this journey of faith you are on.

Oz

Gabriel brings an answer.

Dan 9:20

“while I was still speaking in prayer,”

Daniel had just spent an extended period of time accepting responsibility, and repenting for his nation, and yet watch what Gabriel says.

“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.”

While I cannot be positive, for Daniel speaks of visions that he saw in: Daniel chapter two; seven; eight, and now nine. Chapter eight gives us some definition that we did not get when Daniel explains the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw. While the theologians around you espouse that Rome is the fourth empire, Daniel never said, nor saw that; what he did see though was the Grecian empire, and it is remnants of the Grecian empire being played out before us in chapter 11. So, maybe the vision he refers to is the one from Daniel chapter eight.

Daniel 9:22

"He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding."

Skill is the Hebrew word sakal and means to be intelligent. If there was a man of intelligence it was Daniel. Clearly, he did not know everything and the future was a part of that.

Understanding is the word bı̂ynâh meaning understanding, comprehension, and discernment. However, it comes from a root word bı̂yn and means to separate mentally (or distinguish).

The Webster's dictionary conveys the idea of comprehension; apprehending the idea, or being informed.

Whether Daniel could comprehend what he heard was another story altogether. To give you an example: In Daniel 11, The angel Gabriel gives Daniel a very precise history that covered an intense period of several hundred years and reaches over 2500 years into the future. When you apply some logic to the information Daniel received, a man potentially in his eighties, he will most likely never live to see any of it, and what he received was such detailed information that the critics of biblical prophecy tend to think that chapter 11 was written after the events happened. We know that is not the case. His mission then was to pass this understanding along to us. Assuming then that you have read Daniel or some of the other prophetic books, did you understand any of it? I know that for years I did not until I came across Joel Richardson's book, The Islamic Antichrist. After that, it all began to make sense.

Daniel 9:23

"At the beginnng of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.”

• “ At the beginning of your supplications, the command was issued”

Lesson one: Never give up.

• “ I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed;”

God is not playing favorites, for you also are highly esteemed.

• “ so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision”

I cannot be positive if the vision Gabriel speaks of is referring to chapter eight, for Daniel speaks of visions that he saw in: chapter two; seven; eight, and now nine. Chapter eight however, gives us some definition that we did not get when Daniel explained the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw. While the theologians around you espouse that Rome is the fourth empire; attempting to explain the vagueness of the legs of Iron, Daniel never said, nor saw that; what he did see though was the Grecian empire, and it is those same remanants of the Grecian empire being played out before us as we read Daniel chapter 11. So, maybe the vision he refers too is the one from Daniel chapter eight.

The Seventy Weeks – What Gabriel had to say.

Daniel 9:24

What did the angel Gabriel say?

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression,”

Seventy weeks? Everyone seems to get hung up on this. A greater understanding will come when you concede to the fact that this book you are trying to understand is a Jewish book. It is written in terminology that had intense meaning to God's people, the Jews. Consider the number of things that God did that seven attached to them: creation; completion; the Sabbath coming on the seventh day, and the time of Jubilee. Seven is key. 70 years x 7 = 490 years. What did this have to do with Daniel's prayer?

What then did Gabriel mean when he said transgression?

peša‛: A masculine noun meaning transgression, rebellion.

What is the problem here?

Rebellion is an integral part of who we are since SIN.

Did Jesus death cause transgression to cease? NO! However, we were relieved from the penalty of that transgression when we accepted Jesus as the final sacrifice.

• “to make an end of sin,”

  Releasing Israel from captivity did not accomplish this; it only happened on the cross.

  So, is Gabriel talking about a cessation of sins or an end of their impact and outcome?

• “to make atonement for iniquity,”
  

  Atonement is the Hebrew word kaphar and means to cover over or pacify.

• “ to bring in everlasting righteousness”
  
  

  Once again, this can go two ways.

  1. One is to perceive that Christ's death and resurrection did just that, bringing about an everlasting righteousness in those who follow Him.
  2. The other is to see this as a future event that initiates with the Millennial reign.

• “to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.”

This is the one thing that I cannot wholeheartedly attribute to Christ's death and resurrection. And yet, there is this:

Hebrews 9:11-12 MKJV But when Christ had become a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building 12) nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered once for all into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

According to Hebrews Jesus did anoint the most holy place?

While that seems to be the case, is the final prophecy sealed and closed? Now one might think that eternal redemption should have sealed up the vision.

The word Seal is the Hebrew word châtham and means to close up.

But isn't closure an aspect of the Great White Throne judgment we see in the book of the Revelation?

Did you notice that this puts an end to prophecy?

Remember that we now see in part, but the day is coming when we shall see face to face. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NASB

What is it that seals, with finality, the end of time?

The one thing that initiates the end of time is:

Zechariah 14:3-4 NASB Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4) In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

Daniel 9:25

".. from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;...

483 years, and yet the message from Gabriel said there were to be 490 years.

When was the decree issued?

Ezra 1:1-2 NASB Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: 2) "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Cyrus reigned from 550-530BC. It appears that Ezra might have come into captivity at this point as well.

Daniel 9:26

“ after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing”

The blunt way of understanding this is that the Messiah will be killed. 434 years after the decree to build the temple.

As a side note, here Daniel calls him the Messiah and yet Israel will not accept Him.

“the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.”

This is the primary statement that motivates “scholars” to look to Rome as the source of the beast in Revelation. The Assyrians are the Persians, and the lasting enemy of Israel. They are descendants of Ishmael.

Note: it does not say that the prince will destroy the city, it says his people.

Daniel 9:27

“And he will make a firm covenant with the many”

This does not say Israel or the Jews. We cannot, however, discount the possibility of a peace treaty with Israel, but, if this person is a Muslim, then his covenant will most likely be with Muslims, and against Israel.

“for one week”

This is a seven-year peace treaty. Do not anticipate it lasting for that long.

“in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering”

How long is this period? 1260 days, three-and-one half years, and in some referrences 42 months.

We now have several problems to contend with:

• • This says nothing about the treaty.

  • Stopping the sacrifice means that he is stopping the “work” within the temple.

  • How would an outsider be able to do this without violence?

“and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate,"

We now have another player coming on the scene. Islam calls this man Isa Ben Maryiam – Jesus, the son of Mary (Not God.)

“even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

What is complete destruction imply?

Being thrown into the lake of fire, the ultimate and eternal separation from God.

Daniel chapter 9, the seventy weeks of years.

In everything I do, I feel I am learning a new lesson. Because one of the groups of men I sit with, subjects ourselves to a false teacher each week (not everyone that sits through the Monday morning Bible Study feels this way,) several of us recognize the painful tedium we subject ourselves to. We all find ourselves asking why we attend and the answer is universally the same for all who see what is going on there. We need fellowship with other faithful men. From my point of view, there are four or five men who have a solid understanding of God's Word, His nature, and His character (These aspects have become utmost in my thinking lately.)

One of the brothers avidly follows another of our false teachers as he carries his twisted gospel to the hamburger stand I used to frequent. I have challenged his reasons and he always leans upon the same thing, that brother is a good friend of mine and we have been through much together.

I get it. There is no denying the value of someone, no matter the twistedness of their theology, who will always have your back in prayer. That aspect is one thing these men have in common, they know how to pray.

While it may seem that the lesson I need to learn is how to separate myself from false teachers, it is really more focused on trusting the Holy Spirit's leading and not asking the opinions of the others. In doing just that I bypassed some essential, reinforcing, and critical aspects of end times prophecy by choosing to jump from Daniel chapter 2 to Daniel chapter 9. In my defense, I only thought I would have a couple of weeks at best, and, I really thought for a moment I could fly through the depth of what is contained in Daniel 2 and 9. I could not, nor does it do the information there any justice.

One more thing. I have come to realize that there is nothing of insignificance in scripture and to fly rapidly past a simple word like strongholds, is to do yourself and your audience an injustice.

All passages are from the NASB unless otherwise specified.

Daniel Chapter 9 – Daniel's third vision:

The seventy weeks of years.

Daniel 9:1

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans--

[ Timeline from Nebuchadnezzar to Darius

Make this clear in your thinking: Daniel, having not only survived but excelled under five Kings/rulers/Emporers, is now facing his sixth ruling authority while still in Babylonian captivity.

If we followed this timeline closely what do we see? Daniel dead before Darius shows up. Is that what scripture tells us? No. But we can also see something else, two other names not spelled out in Daniel. Amel-Marduk who reigned from 556- 539BC; that Belshazzar had an alternative name of Nabonidus; that Cambyses reigned briefly after Cyrus from 530 – 522BC, ending with, for the purposes of our story, Darius 1 who reigned from 522 – 486BC.

Daniel 9:2

"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"

What can we ascertain from this?

• • That Daniel was, either, able to carry the scroll of Jeremiah into captivity with him,
  • Or, Daniel was able to attain a copy.
  • Daniel has perceived according to prophecy that the desolations of Jerusalem are over.
    What does the Hebrew give us as the definition of desolations?
    
    

    The Word Study Dictionary, ḥorbāh or cḥorbāh: A feminine noun meaning ruin. The word almost always refers to an area ruined by the judgment of God.

    
    Strong's tells us: properly drought, that is, (by implication) a desolation: - decayed place, desolate (place, -tion), destruction, (laid) waste (place).

While desolations may have been declared upon Jerusalem, this judgment was upon God's people as well. Daniel, reading from the Prophet Jeremiah, realized that the time of their captivity had, because of timing, come to an end. Someone needed to let the authorities know.

Jeremiah 25:11-13 'This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12- 'Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,' declares the LORD, 'for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13- 'I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.

Jeremiah 29:10 "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

What can I ascertain from verse two, or another way of asking this question would be to say, “what has Daniel come to understand?”

• • • That Daniel was not completely aware of the timing.
    • That the 70 years of captivity have been completed.
    • That the whole land of Israel is in desolation.
    • While Israel's desolation may be temporary, Babylon, that nation, and the land of the Chaldeans will have an everlasting desolation.

Daniel 9:3-19

The NASB entitles this section: Daniel's Prayer for His People; and yet that is not all Daniel prays for.

Daniel opens his time of prayer with a preparation.

3) “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.”

Are we required by the law to take an appropriate attitude before God? Why then “pay attention?” Because we are not in control, He is.

I once heard someone say, always open your prayer with praise.

4) “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,”

Daniel acknowledges God for who He is. He is great, awesome, and most important of all: He is the one ho keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments

Verse 5 shows Daniel confessing for the nation.

“we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances.”

In verse 6 he admits:

“we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.”

Since apostasy, the act of turning our backs on God is a significant marker of the end times, what does this idea of “we have not listened” have to say to us?

As a side note: I sit with religious men who make bold statements contrary to the Word of God and will not listen when corrected by that same Word.

Verses 7,8 demonstrate that it is more than just the land, the temple and the city that is punished; it is people as well.

7) ".. 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, ..”8) "Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You."

This judgment is directly applicable to Jewish people of that day, everywhere. But who wants to carry around open shame?

Here we sit some two thousand five hundred years later and yet once again there is a wrath/judgment coming upon God's people. Why? Because, still, they will not listen.

Daniel 9:9-10

"To the Lord, our God belongs compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10) nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets."

Isaiah 43:25-26 "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. 26) "Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together; State your cause, that you may be proved right."

In remembrance of what? Who God is and what He has done.

Why? Not because he forgets, but because we do.

Consider what this says: “To the Lord, our God belong compassion and forgiveness,” while He may show compassion and forgiveness, there is a debt to pay. In our case, Jesus paid the price for our debts. Did this exclude Israel? Not at all, but it is clear, even today, that ma many choose to reject Jesus as the Messiah.

Daniel 9:11-14

What does Daniel say here, in his prayer to God?

•  "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice;
•  so the curse has been poured out on us,
•  along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, 

Spend some time in the book of Deuteronomy and there you will find the Blessings and the Curses. Chapter 28 is where it says, "if you will do these things then all these blessings will come upon you." But, like any two-edged sword, there are curses for not following God's commands.

In finding the character of God, you will find that He is rather straightforward; this is affirmed in chapter 30.

Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

In general, is that what Israel did, choose life? No, therefore Daniel had this to say, “As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us;”

Did knowledge of Deuteronomy's blessings and curses change the heart of Israel?

I doubt it, but we know that there were four men who stood on God's side.

•  Sadly we have this evidence: “yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth.”

Does, or has, God, relented from his wrath and anger?

The answer is yes, and Nineveh is one of those examples. Jeremiah 42:10, an example of God relenting from His wrath, was spoken concerning Israel and their pending captivity.

Jeremiah 42:10 'If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent concerning the calamity that I have inflicted on you."

What land is God referring to? Babylon.

At the same time, we have examples where God is done overlooking transgressions.

Ezekiel 24:14 "I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord GOD.'"

Daniel 9:15

"And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day--we have sinned, we have been wicked.”

This is not so dissimilar from one of Moses' prayers.

Daniel 9:16

If I were to foolishly ask, when does Daniel begin to pray, It would be about verse 15. However, the entire interaction is a prayer.

• • “ Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts”
  • “let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain.”
• 
  
  What kind of knowledge is Daniel sitting on?
  
  

  The knowledge that the 70 years is completed, and that God has little reason to keep Israel in captivity.

  
  

  With that understanding, Daniel still remains submissive to the God of Israel.

• 
  
• “for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem, and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.”
  
  

  Daniel gets it; the reasons why Israel is captive in Babylon. Did he get it as a young man, probably about to get married? Maybe not, but he literally kept his head by being submissive to his Babylonian captors, as the prophet Jeremiah had told them.

Daniel 9:17-19

What direction did this portion of his prayer take?

• • • “So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant “
    • “incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name”
      
      

      Again, Moses implored the Lord to have mercy upon His people, called by your name, and asked, what will the nations think, that God could not save them.

    • “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive!”
      
      

      Forgiving is a part of God's nature and character.

    • “do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
      
      

      Perhaps this is a human emotion that we are attaching to God, but everyone has pride.

For the moment we will end this, keeping this study in brief sections.  The next section/chapter will be:

Gabriel Brings an Answer, but to what?