|
Daniel 10:20-11:1 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. 11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
DANIEL has seen and interpreted dreams and visions pointing to Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome as earthly kingdoms ruling over Israel in succession. In each vision was a clear indication that those events would happen in God’s time and authority. Even so, it would be a very difficult message to tell the Jews. It’s as if a prophet came to your country over a period of about 70 years to repeatedly say, “Your nation will be ruled by one empire after another.” Now Daniel learns the war is even in the spiritual realm. The prince of Persia and the prince of Greece are the devil’s agents, moving these nations toward evil in general and specifically against God’s people. This reminds us Satan is not omnipresent or omnipotent. He is a fallen angel, and he appoints other demons to oppose God. Our LORD allows the battle to continue through the ages as a judgment against our sins. He also uses such warfare to awaken our souls to know of sin’s destruction to seek the Savior’s redemption. The darkness exists to give way to the light. The wrong strives, so the righteous will thrive. God has ordained the victory. The angel also tells Daniel of a victory. He has helped the angel Michael, Israel’s prince, in the first year of Darius’ rule. This could refer to Darius’s decree to permit the Jews to return home in God’s redemptive plan. Then the messenger promised to tell what is in the Book of Truth. This is God’s Word. He is preparing Daniel to hear and believe. This is similar to Jesus often declaring, “I tell you the truth.” The angel was essentially saying, “My words are complete truth. Listen to them and believe.” Daniel must be ready to hear and know. How are your ears? Matthew 13:17 “For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Daniel 10:15-19 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.” 18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”
ARE you sometimes, even often, overcome with the tasks God gives to you? When we seriously consider our Lord’s commands to minister to a broken world, our weary response may be, “I can’t do this, Lord.” That’s Daniel’s confession, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless.” Yet, in this encounter we learn how God cares for his own. See how the angel touches the weakened prophet. The angel then encourages, “Do not be afraid.” And the angel affirms Daniel, “O man, highly esteemed. Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” God’s messenger strengthens and renews God’s weary servant with a tender touch. We also know that Jesus, the Son in the flesh, needed help. In the Wilderness temptation: Mark 1:13 and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. In Gethsemane: Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Then in this dark hour the Father cared for his son: Luke 22:43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. You might say, “I’m not Daniel, and I’m not Jesus. They’re work was much larger than what I can do.” Jesus, though, wouldn’t agree with you. John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.” As Daniel did, you are to declare God’s message to the world. As Jesus did, you are to submit to the Father’s will. When you are devoted to the Father’s purpose, his Spirit will empower you; his angels will attend to you. Acts 12:8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Daniel 10:12-14 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
SPIRITUAL warfare is real. For some reason, this is often denied, quickly dismissed or never discussed in the church today. Perhaps we think we know too much to believe in the unseen evil. In fact, we celebrate evil, don’t we? Our culture in the U.S. spends much money to highlight demonic images during this Halloween time. In my own faith journey, it was some time before my eyes opened to heavenly conflict. I am thankful for those who testified of their experiences with demonic attacks and God’s Spirit’s protection and deliverance. This passage is one way the Spirit has taught me. Another is Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. As the angel spoke to Daniel, he revealed how Satanic forces consistently fight to keep God’s Word from us. Here the conflict delays God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer. The “prince of the Persian kingdom” and the “King of Persia” are two terms for an evil spirit Satan assigned to influence people in Persia. Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help Gabriel to reach Daniel. We can picture this, can’t we? The King has a message, the Word for his people. The messenger goes. The enemy opposes him. Reinforcements enable the message to be heard and understood. Yes, it’s a bit confusing for the word “prince” to apply to both good and evil beings. The term, though, tells us higher authorities respectively assign the angel and the demon to their tasks. Each has a role as do earthly princes under a king. God had established a heavenly order. Satan has likewise set up a hellish order to attack God’s angels and his people. Be aware the battle against God’s truth rages in heaven. Join in the fight with a diligent effort to receive God’s holy Word. Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Daniel 10:7-11 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. 10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
WORSHIP is our only response to God’s holy presence. The men with Daniel saw God’s holy light and ran. Daniel saw the angel’s holy light and fell into a deep sleep. God’s pure light, his perfection and his power cause all people to react. Some run. Some fearfully – reverently – fall before him. The Spirit prepared the prophet to hear from God. Our mortal souls cannot remain idle when God’s holiness bursts forth in his glory. This is an illustration of God’s call to save his own. Listen to Isaiah before God: Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then consider the words of the usually bold Peter as Jesus begins to reveal himself: Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw this (the great catch of fish), he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Isaiah, Peter and Daniel saw God’s holiness. These anointed men knew their sins disqualified them from God’s presence. Then they saw how God extended his holy mercy to call them to himself. By grace he notified them, “You are mine! You are highly esteemed.” He appointed them and used them to proclaim his Word to the world. Isaiah, Daniel and Peter would rise up and respond. Now they live in glory with him, completely qualified to enjoy God’s eternal holiness. This is for you, too. In God’s grace you are, indeed, highly esteemed. The Lord God has chosen you to be his people – his church – to hear his message. Worship the Lord God. Rejoice in his light. Stand up to hear and to proclaim his words. Romans 8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Daniel 10:1-6 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. 6 His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
WE are about to embark on the study of Daniel’s final vision in chapters 10-12. Taking appropriate steps through the images and interpretations, the Holy Spirit, as always, will help us understand what we are to know. Remember, to know is to receive knowledge that translates into action. Let’s pray we actively respond to God as we come to know what he teaches us. As with all visions, Daniel gives us the time God comes to him. This helps us to understand the visions’ meanings throughout, and it will do so here. We can trust Daniel’s words. God has anointed him to know and to obey. In the third year of Cyrus, the Jews were returning to Jerusalem. Daniel did not accompany them. We can consider the Lord God still had work for him in Persia. He would no longer be considered an exile but an honored member of Persia’s government. It is good to have God’s people in such authority. But then he sees a distressing view of Jerusalem’s future. At a time when Daniel surely hoped his people would live in peace, he learns otherwise. He quickly knew this new message concerned a great war. In response he fasts and mourns for three weeks. It is likely Gabriel has returned to him. Or it could be another angel. No matter, Daniel sees the holy splendor of heaven in God’s messenger. The LORD God continues to favor his faithful servant. One lesson here is that knowledge can cause distress. We look around us to see there is a great spiritual war. This continual opposition to God may cause us to grieve, to fast, to mourn and to lose hope. But we must focus on God’s glory, so we know ultimate victory comes in Jesus Christ. Regardless of worldly troubles, as we are in Christ we will one day see heaven’s splendor. Be firm and steadfast. Live in joy, knowing your God. Revelation 22:5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Daniel 9:25-26a “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.”
WE have seen how six spiritual events pointing to a remnant of Jews’ repentance. God’s saving work will occur within the seventy sevens – 490 years. Now we’ll divide the seventy sevens into three separate timeframes. Within those times are three historic events regarding the Jews’ future. The first time period is seven sevens – 49 years. This is 445 BC when Artaxerxes issued through Nehemiah the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. As written in Nehemiah the walls were rebuilt in 52 days, and there were times of trouble to oppose the work. And as you can understand, it would require much more time to remove and restore the rubble of the city Babylon had burned and leveled. In the second segment is 62 sevens – 434 years. At the end of this time the Anointed One, the ruler will come. This is the prophecy of Jesus. Thus, from 445 BC to the day of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is 483 years: this is 49 years to rebuild the temple plus 434 years. Jesus entered Jerusalem to officially present himself to the nation of Israel as the Messiah – the Anointed One. It is likely Jesus referred to this prophecy when he lamented on that day, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42). To Daniel, God had revealed his plan. But the Jews disregarded his pan, purpose and timetable. As a result, Jesus, the Anointed One, was then cut off – crucified. We know those dates in history are from 445 BC to about 29/30 AD. Yes, this is 475 years on our calendar. The prophecy, though, is written in the Hebrew calendar, which has 360 lunar days and no leap year. The total of the seven sevens and 62 sevens are 483 Hebrew years. This accounts for 69 of the 70 sevens. We’ll look at that one seven in verse 27. This is God’s ultimate purpose, isn’t it? Through visions, dreams, prophecies and promises fulfilled, God continually points his people to a Savior. Yet, they continually reject him – even to this day. This is one reason for the repeated visions of the world’s empires in Daniel 2-8. God revealed multiple descriptions of particular kingdoms to come. The fulfillment of these visons is evidence of God’s true Word. We can look at this point in history to know the many ways God’s Word is true. The Triune God is moving world history to prepare for his Kingdom. The world – and your future – is in his hands. Matthew 21:10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” Daniel 9:22-24 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you true insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: 24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.”
FIRST, let’s know about the ‘seventy sevens”. Why does Gabriel, the messenger, divide time into units of seven? In truth, this is God-ordained from the beginning. God created the earth in seven day s. God commanded every seventh day is a Sabbath. Every seven years is a Sabbath year. (That’s right. Take a year off!) Every Seven 7’s – 49 years – is the Year of Jubilee. This was to be a time of redemption, renewal and rest. Thus, seventy sevens is 490 years. This is quite amazing. When you consider the time segments from the birth of Jacob’s sons to the Jews’ release from Egypt, the time of the Judges, the years of the kings, and the time from the Exile’s beginning to Jesus, 490 years is near the length of each of these different segments. Then Gabriel changes the visions’ focus. The prior visions have been about the Gentile nations. Now Gabriel reveals what and when six significant events that are decreed for your people and your holy city. To correctly interpret the visions, it is essential we know this is for the Jews and Jerusalem. The first of the six is to finish transgression. This refers to the “sin-covering” death of Jesus, who paid the price and covers our sins with his righteousness. The second is the time to put an end to sin. This refers to a remnant, a minority of the Jews, who will accept Jesus as the Messiah (Paul writes of the remnant in Romans 9 & 11). Third is similar. The Jews will atone for wickedness, which is the Jews’ lack of faith and faithfulness toward God. This atonement – reconciliation with God – will bring the saved remnant into God’s family. Fourth, will bring in everlasting righteousness. Here is a promise the faithful Jews will receive and live in a right relationship with God. Number five is to seal up vision and prophecy. This points to the end of prophecy regarding the Messiah. Acts 3:25 “He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’” The Blessing of salvation has come from Abraham to the world. It was then time to evangelize the world. Sixth, then, is the repentant Jews’ response to salvation. This is the time to anoint the most holy. The redeemed will anoint the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as King for eternity. Yes, there are various interpretations. This explanation from various commentaries seems to be most in line with the other prophecies. We’ll continue the understanding of these years and events in the next lesson on verses 25-26. As we’ve seen in the prophecies of the Gentiles, God is very specific about the times to accomplish his will. Scripture continues to reveal the LORD God’s absolute authority. Are you saved? Praise the Lord for your blessed assurance. Live in joy and confidence of God’s promises continue to come true. Are you wondering, “Can I trust the Lord’s Word for my life?” Pray, then, for the Spirit to open your eyes to see God’s magnificent plan for eternal life, promised in the past, fulfilled now and forever. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15b God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Daniel 9:7-19 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame — the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 O Lord, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 15 Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
THREE aspects of this prayer are worth our attention in the church today. First, we acknowledge God is righteous. This means we believe all of his commands are for our good. We submit to his authority to judge us in our disobedience. We rejoice in his blessings on our obedience. Acknowledge God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. Second, we admit the shame of our sin. Shame caused Adam and Eve to hide from God. Shame causes each of us to hide from God. It keeps us from prayer, his Word, his church and his love. Admit your shame and allow the Lord to cleanse you with his favor. Third, praise God’s mercy. Doing so, you praise God for his favor, the unmerited grace to forgive and wipe away your sins. As Daniel praised God for delivering his people from Egypt, you praise God’s mercy to deliver you from sin’s slavery. One other thing. Daniel didn’t say, “They sinned.” He counted himself among the sinners. A man whom God had so richly blessed could have separated himself from the Jews’ sins. But he knew “there is no one righteous, no not even one.” (Romans 3:10a) Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Daniel 9:4-6 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.”
DANIEL does what we all must do. He reads Scripture and he prays. He knew Jeremiah’s and Isaiah’s prophecies regarding the end of the Jews’ exile in Babylon. In response, he prayed for God’s will to be done on earth. He begins the prayer with reference to Moses’ words. The covenant of love he refers to is God’s specific promise – covenant – to the Jews through Moses. Here again is a beautiful illustration of God’s will to love the Jews even as they turn from him: Deuteronomy 30:1 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you, and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, 2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. 5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. Do you understand why Daniel calls this a covenant of love? The LORD God prophesied through Moses of his people’s dispersion to a foreign land. In love he warns them of disobedience. In love he promises reward to those who love the LORD God and obey his commands. We often wonder, “Why do some people have so much trouble in their lives?” The fundamental answer most often is their disregard for God’s commands, his will and purpose for a close relationship with him. I know the culture wants to tell us, “God loves everyone and lets us do as we desire.” But in truth, God will curse those who disobey and bless those who lovingly obey. This is really very simple, isn’t it? John 15:10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. Would you rather remain cursed or remain loved? Daniel 9:1-3 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom, 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
NOW we return to the time of Darius’ rule as first recorded in Daniel 6. We have read prophetic visions of times future to Daniel’s life. Daniel now responds to other prophets to know the time of Israel’s exile. The wise Daniel knew Jeremiah prophesied the length of the exile: Jeremiah 25:11 “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever.” It has been 67 years since Nebuchadnezzar brought Daniel and the Jews to Babylon. The time is near. Further, Isaiah foretold Cyrus would allow the Jews’ return: Isaiah 44:28 who says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’” Isn’t this remarkable? Daniel responds in faith. We know this because he turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. The one who prayed for understanding of dreams and visions has experienced God’s personal response to his prayers. He has faithfully prayed to the point of being condemned to die in a lions’ den. He has witnessed heaven’s glory. The man knows how to pray, and he knows prayer’s power. Daniel wears the outward sign of humility because his heart is humble to seek God. Daniel fasts because he hungers for God’s power to redeem his people. The agony of exile is nearly done. It is time to seek the Lord for his wisdom to live faithfully under the sovereign Lord’s authority. Daniel and his friends have had remarkable experiences to see God’s power over those 67 years. Daniel prays because he knows God will faithfully answer prayers to fulfill his Word. We, too, know God’s prophecies for his church. Are we praying for God’s will to be done? Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” |
AuthorBob James Archives
November 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed