CHAPTER 9 THE VISION OF THE SEVENTY SEVENS. Daniel prays over the situation of Jerusalem and passionately declares the undeserving of Israel and expresses his hope in the mercy and forgiveness of God. He pleads for the restoration of Jerusalem. His prayer reveals the powerful influence of Jeremiah'... [ Continue Reading ]
‘In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of years about which the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah the prophet for the bringing to conclu... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And I set my face towards the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.' He ‘set his face', suggesting firm intention and perseverance. The Lord Who is God had promised and He must do it. Note the signs of repentance and humility, fasting, sackcloth and a... [ Continue Reading ]
DANIEL'S PRAYER. ‘And I prayed to YHWH my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love him and keep his commandments.” ' In Babylon the Israelite God was called ‘the God of heaven', but in private prayer He was still YHWH,... [ Continue Reading ]
“We have sinned and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your judgments.” Daniel here identifies himself with his people. Note the multiplying of words to express sinfulness; wandered from the right way, behaved unrighteousl... [ Continue Reading ]
“Nor have we 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.” They had added to their sins in that they had refused to listen to the words of the true prophets, who had spoken in YHWH's name. All were invol... [ Continue Reading ]
“O Lord, righteousness belongs to you (is what is yours), but to us confusion of face as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass which they... [ Continue Reading ]
“O Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, and to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.” Daniel repeats his confession that they can only be ashamed before God. The princes were the heads of the tribes. ‘The fathers', the heads of sub-tribes and family gr... [ Continue Reading ]
“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him, nor have we obeyed the voice of YHWH our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us by his servants the prophets.” He declares that YHWH is the compassionate and forgiving One. This is literally ‘compassions... [ Continue Reading ]
“Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, even turning aside that they should not obey your voice. Therefore has the curse been poured out on us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God. For we have sinned against him.” Daniel points back to the written Law. Remember h... [ Continue Reading ]
DANIEL RELATES WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO WHAT THEY DESERVED SHOULD HAPPEN. In this section Daniel does not speak to God directly, but indirectly. Indeed it may be that this short section was included by Daniel as an explanation of his prayer when he wrote the details down. “And he has confirmed his wor... [ Continue Reading ]
“In accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, all this evil has come on us, yet have we not appeased (begged the favour of) YHWH our God, that we should turn from our iniquities and have discernment in your truth. Therefore has YHWH watched over the evil and brought it on us.... [ Continue Reading ]
“And now, O Lord our God, you have brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made for yourself a name as at this day. We have sinned, we have done wickedly. O Lord, in accordance with all your righteousness, let your anger and your fury, I pray you, be turned aw... [ Continue Reading ]
“Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his supplications, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary which is desolate, for the Lord's sake (or ‘which is desolate because of the Lord'). O my God, incline your ear and hear, open your eyes, and behold our desolatio... [ Continue Reading ]
“O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act, and do not put it off, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” Daniel's prayer was becoming more fervent. His pleading increased, ‘hear, forgive, listen, act, do not put off'. His desperation is... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before YHWH my God for the mountain of holiness of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused... [ Continue Reading ]
“At the beginning of your supplications the word went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.” Gabriel assures him that ‘the word went forth' for the fulfilment of his hopes right from the beginning of his prayer. He w... [ Continue Reading ]
“Seventy sevens are decreed on your people, and on your holy city, to finish transgression, and to make and end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy (‘one' or ‘place').” The sevent... [ Continue Reading ]
“Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the command to restore and to build Jerusalem to the anointed one, the prince (nagid), will be seven sevens, and sixty two sevens. It will be built again with street and moat, even in troubled times.” The command (literally ‘word') to restore... [ Continue Reading ]
“And after the sixty two sevens the anointed one will be cut off, and will have nothing, and the people of the coming prince will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And their end will be with a flood. And even to the end there will be war. Desolations are determined.” Now if we read this verse with... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he/they will make a covenant to prevail (‘will confirm covenant') with many for one seven, and in the midst of the seven they will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, and even to the consummation, and that determined,... [ Continue Reading ]