Study Focus: Daniel 9; Jer. 25:11, 12; Jer. 29:10; 2 Kings 19:15–19; Matt. 5:16; James 5:16.
Introduction: The main themes that call for reflection in Daniel 9 are the intercessory prayer of Daniel on behalf of his people and the prophecy about the Messiah.
Lesson Themes:
The Prayer. Daniel offers a prayer of intercession for his people that functions as a model for our prayers today.
The Prophecy. As a response to Daniel’s prayer, God reveals His long-range saving plan. The city will be rebuilt, the Messiah will come, and the sanctuary will be anointed.
Life Application: As we reflect on Daniel’s prayer and how God answered it, we learn that God is not far from any one of us. Although sin had separated us from God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah, we are forgiven and reunited with Him. Daniel’s prayer was based on the reliability of God’s character and what God had done for His people in the past when He brought them out of Egypt. We have even more reasons to pray with strong confidence. The Messiah has already come and is making intercession in our behalf in the heavenly temple. In some ways, what was for Daniel a future hope is, for us, a present reality. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16, NKJV).
Part II: Commentary
Let us now explore the lesson’s themes in more depth:
The Prayer. This prayer is the longest and most important prayer of Daniel. Two main motivations lie in the backdrop of this prayer. First, in Daniel 8, we learn that after that vision Daniel was physically and emotionally exhausted (Dan. 8:27). Daniel was shown a little horn growing and attacking God’s people and setting up a false worship system. He also heard the puzzling communication that after 2300 evenings and mornings (years) the sanctuary would be cleansed/restored/vindicated. All these enigmatic features still remained obscure to him ten years later. Especially, the chronological information about the 2300 evenings and mornings, conveyed by an appearance/vision (mar’eh) of two heavenly beings, remained without explanation. Therefore, Daniel concluded his vision report by saying: “I was astonished by the [appearance/]vision” (Dan. 8:27, NKJV).
Second, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, in addition to his nation’s exile, weighed heavily on Daniel’s heart. He longed for the restoration of Jerusalem and the return of his people to their homeland. Thus, he immersed himself in the study of Jeremiah and learned that the desolations of Jerusalem would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25 and 29). Therefore, the time was ripe for God to bring His people back to their land and rebuild the city. From Scripture, Daniel knew that the ultimate reason for the exile was Israel’s recalcitrant rebellion against God. They transgressed the law, rejected the prophets, and broke the covenant. Thus, moved by God’s word, the prophet prays for the restoration of Jerusalem and of the temple and for his people to be forgiven. Presumably, this prayer was offered toward Jerusalem in the manner of the prayers that challenged the royal decree of Darius (Daniel 6).
This prayer teaches some important lessons that can help us in our own prayer life and our relationship with the Lord. Closer examination of the biblical text reveals that Daniel’s prayer is profoundly biblical. A look at a cross-reference Bible shows that Daniel’s prayer reverberates with several passages of Scripture. Worthy of note are the similarities between this prayer and Leviticus 26:40–45 and Deuteronomy 30:1–10. Subsequently, Ezra and Nehemiah followed Daniel’s example and infused their prayers with Scriptural allusions and echoes.
In addition, Daniel’s petition is an intercessory prayer. His privileged position as an officer of the empire did not prevent him from identifying with his people. Some individuals forget their own people once they move up the social ladder. But Daniel fully identifies with his people; he intercedes for them as one of them. Several times he uses the pronoun “we,” thus sharing responsibility for the sins of the nation and pleading with God for grace and forgiveness (see e.g., Dan. 9:5, 18, 19). Intercessory prayer can be an opportunity to imitate Jesus. We remove ourselves from the center to focus on the needs of other people. As we pray for others, we are blessed the most. God “restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends” (Job 42:10, NKJV). Furthermore, Daniel’s prayer was an open and sincere prayer. He admits and confesses the sin of his people and their leaders. He does not brush off the fact that they transgressed God’s law and rejected the prophets; therefore, Daniel acknowledges that they fully deserve the punishment of the exile. Finally, Daniel’s prayer is motivated by the desire to vindicate God’s character. Thus, by restoring the people and the city, God’s honor and reputation would be vindicated among the nations.
The Prophecy. As a response to the prayer, Gabriel—the same angel that met Daniel in chapter 8—came to reveal God’s long-range plans for the people. Let us take a look at Daniel 9:24–27 to learn some significant aspects of this most important Messianic prophecy.
First, Gabriel reached Daniel “about the time of the evening offering” (Dan 9:21, NKJV). The timing suggests that the angel had a message related to the sanctuary and its services. Indeed, among the things the angel came to announce and explain are: the reconstruction of the city, the atoning work of the Messiah, and the inauguration of the heavenly sanctuary for Christ to commence His intercessory ministry there.
Second, this prophecy is given within a chronological framework of seventy weeks (70 x 7 = 490), which is tantamount to ten jubilees (10 x 49). The emphasis on the number seven may indicate the perfect salvation to be accomplished through the Messiah. Moreover, this prophetic timetable indicates that God knows the future and acts within space-time to carry out His saving plan.
Third, Gabriel comes to make Daniel “understand the vision” (Dan. 9:23, NKJV). The verb “understand” points back to Daniel 8, which concluded with Daniel’s not understanding the vision (Dan. 8:27). The word “vision” (mar’eh) is the same Hebrew word employed to designate the appearance of the two angelic beings and the cleansing of the sanctuary after 2300 evenings and mornings (Dan. 8:13, 14).
Fourth, the prophecy of Daniel 9 provides a crucial piece of information to understand the beginning of the 2300 evenings and mornings and, therefore, ascertain its end. According to Gabriel, seventy weeks are “determined”; this Hebrew verb means “cut,” which implies that the seventy weeks are cut or severed from a larger period. So, both prophecies have the same starting point, which is “the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:25, NKJV). This command refers to the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. authorizing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 7).
Fifth, the seventy weeks (490 years) started in 457 B.C. and ended in A.D. 34. The events that would take place during the last week took place as predicted. In the beginning of the week, Jesus the Messiah made His public appearance, being baptized by John the Baptist (A.D. 27). In the middle of the week Jesus was crucified (A.D. 31). And at the end of the week (and of the 490 years), the martyrdom of Stephen propelled the gospel message to be taken to the gentiles.
Sixth, another crucial event that would occur during the seventh week was the anointing of the “Most Holy” (qodesh qodashim), which refers to the inauguration of the sanctuary when Christ ascended to heaven in A.D. 31 and commenced His intercessory ministry there. This sanctuary must be the heavenly one because the Jerusalem temple had ceased to have saving relevance in A.D. 31 when Jesus’s death made the sacrificial system no longer effective.
Seventh, because 457 B.C. is also the starting point of the 2300 evenings and mornings, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary announced in Daniel 8:13, 14 must have begun in 1844. In that year, Christ entered the Most Holy Place in order to carry out the investigative judgment. Eighth, amid the complexity of the prophetic figures and other details, let us not lose sight of Jesus. The events described by the prophecy culminate in the atoning work of the Messiah and indeed would benefit not only Israel but the whole world. So, Daniel received much more than he asked for. How often God does the same to us! He can answer our prayers in ways that exceed our expectations.
Part III: Life Application
1. What are the main characteristics of Daniel’s prayer, and what do they teach you about your personal prayer life?
2. Note that Daniel gives detailed consideration to confession of sin in his prayer. How can this approach inform your own intercessory prayers? How will you change your prayer habits as a result of this study?
3. Are you currently offering intercessory prayers on behalf of someone? How much knowledge do you have of his or her situation?
4. What are some inappropriate attitudes that may hinder intercessory prayer?
5. Are prophetic data such as the 70 weeks and the 2300 evenings and mornings still relevant? Explain. What do these kinds of figures teach us about God? How can such prophetic timetables strengthen your commitment to Jesus?
Put yourself in the shoes of Daniel and reflect on the following:
God took about ten years to clarify certain aspects of the chapter 8 vision to Daniel. How patient have you been as you wait for God’s answers to your own spiritual and existential questions? In what ways has this waiting time prompted you to search the Scriptures for clarification and understanding?
As Daniel was praying, Gabriel was sent in response to his prayers. Have you ever received such an immediate answer to a prayer? Is such a response the way God usually answers your prayers? Explain.
How do you balance prayer and Bible reading/study in your devotional life?
7. Among the events foretold by the prophecy of Daniel 9, which one, if any, is the most important for your spiritual life, and why?
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Key Text: Dan. 9:19
Study Focus: Daniel 9; Jer. 25:11, 12; Jer. 29:10; 2 Kings 19:15–19; Matt. 5:16; James 5:16.
Introduction: The main themes that call for reflection in Daniel 9 are the intercessory prayer of Daniel on behalf of his people and the prophecy about the Messiah.
Lesson Themes:
Life Application: As we reflect on Daniel’s prayer and how God answered it, we learn that God is not far from any one of us. Although sin had separated us from God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah, we are forgiven and reunited with Him. Daniel’s prayer was based on the reliability of God’s character and what God had done for His people in the past when He brought them out of Egypt. We have even more reasons to pray with strong confidence. The Messiah has already come and is making intercession in our behalf in the heavenly temple. In some ways, what was for Daniel a future hope is, for us, a present reality. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16, NKJV).
Part II: Commentary
Let us now explore the lesson’s themes in more depth:
The Prayer. This prayer is the longest and most important prayer of Daniel. Two main motivations lie in the backdrop of this prayer. First, in Daniel 8, we learn that after that vision Daniel was physically and emotionally exhausted (Dan. 8:27). Daniel was shown a little horn growing and attacking God’s people and setting up a false worship system. He also heard the puzzling communication that after 2300 evenings and mornings (years) the sanctuary would be cleansed/restored/vindicated. All these enigmatic features still remained obscure to him ten years later. Especially, the chronological information about the 2300 evenings and mornings, conveyed by an appearance/vision (mar’eh) of two heavenly beings, remained without explanation. Therefore, Daniel concluded his vision report by saying: “I was astonished by the [appearance/]vision” (Dan. 8:27, NKJV). Second, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, in addition to his nation’s exile, weighed heavily on Daniel’s heart. He longed for the restoration of Jerusalem and the return of his people to their homeland. Thus, he immersed himself in the study of Jeremiah and learned that the desolations of Jerusalem would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25 and 29). Therefore, the time was ripe for God to bring His people back to their land and rebuild the city. From Scripture, Daniel knew that the ultimate reason for the exile was Israel’s recalcitrant rebellion against God. They transgressed the law, rejected the prophets, and broke the covenant. Thus, moved by God’s word, the prophet prays for the restoration of Jerusalem and of the temple and for his people to be forgiven. Presumably, this prayer was offered toward Jerusalem in the manner of the prayers that challenged the royal decree of Darius (Daniel 6). This prayer teaches some important lessons that can help us in our own prayer life and our relationship with the Lord. Closer examination of the biblical text reveals that Daniel’s prayer is profoundly biblical. A look at a cross-reference Bible shows that Daniel’s prayer reverberates with several passages of Scripture. Worthy of note are the similarities between this prayer and Leviticus 26:40–45 and Deuteronomy 30:1–10. Subsequently, Ezra and Nehemiah followed Daniel’s example and infused their prayers with Scriptural allusions and echoes. In addition, Daniel’s petition is an intercessory prayer. His privileged position as an officer of the empire did not prevent him from identifying with his people. Some individuals forget their own people once they move up the social ladder. But Daniel fully identifies with his people; he intercedes for them as one of them. Several times he uses the pronoun “we,” thus sharing responsibility for the sins of the nation and pleading with God for grace and forgiveness (see e.g., Dan. 9:5, 18, 19). Intercessory prayer can be an opportunity to imitate Jesus. We remove ourselves from the center to focus on the needs of other people. As we pray for others, we are blessed the most. God “restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends” (Job 42:10, NKJV). Furthermore, Daniel’s prayer was an open and sincere prayer. He admits and confesses the sin of his people and their leaders. He does not brush off the fact that they transgressed God’s law and rejected the prophets; therefore, Daniel acknowledges that they fully deserve the punishment of the exile. Finally, Daniel’s prayer is motivated by the desire to vindicate God’s character. Thus, by restoring the people and the city, God’s honor and reputation would be vindicated among the nations.
The Prophecy. As a response to the prayer, Gabriel—the same angel that met Daniel in chapter 8—came to reveal God’s long-range plans for the people. Let us take a look at Daniel 9:24–27 to learn some significant aspects of this most important Messianic prophecy. First, Gabriel reached Daniel “about the time of the evening offering” (Dan 9:21, NKJV). The timing suggests that the angel had a message related to the sanctuary and its services. Indeed, among the things the angel came to announce and explain are: the reconstruction of the city, the atoning work of the Messiah, and the inauguration of the heavenly sanctuary for Christ to commence His intercessory ministry there. Second, this prophecy is given within a chronological framework of seventy weeks (70 x 7 = 490), which is tantamount to ten jubilees (10 x 49). The emphasis on the number seven may indicate the perfect salvation to be accomplished through the Messiah. Moreover, this prophetic timetable indicates that God knows the future and acts within space-time to carry out His saving plan. Third, Gabriel comes to make Daniel “understand the vision” (Dan. 9:23, NKJV). The verb “understand” points back to Daniel 8, which concluded with Daniel’s not understanding the vision (Dan. 8:27). The word “vision” (mar’eh) is the same Hebrew word employed to designate the appearance of the two angelic beings and the cleansing of the sanctuary after 2300 evenings and mornings (Dan. 8:13, 14). Fourth, the prophecy of Daniel 9 provides a crucial piece of information to understand the beginning of the 2300 evenings and mornings and, therefore, ascertain its end. According to Gabriel, seventy weeks are “determined”; this Hebrew verb means “cut,” which implies that the seventy weeks are cut or severed from a larger period. So, both prophecies have the same starting point, which is “the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:25, NKJV). This command refers to the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. authorizing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 7). Fifth, the seventy weeks (490 years) started in 457 B.C. and ended in A.D. 34. The events that would take place during the last week took place as predicted. In the beginning of the week, Jesus the Messiah made His public appearance, being baptized by John the Baptist (A.D. 27). In the middle of the week Jesus was crucified (A.D. 31). And at the end of the week (and of the 490 years), the martyrdom of Stephen propelled the gospel message to be taken to the gentiles. Sixth, another crucial event that would occur during the seventh week was the anointing of the “Most Holy” (qodesh qodashim), which refers to the inauguration of the sanctuary when Christ ascended to heaven in A.D. 31 and commenced His intercessory ministry there. This sanctuary must be the heavenly one because the Jerusalem temple had ceased to have saving relevance in A.D. 31 when Jesus’s death made the sacrificial system no longer effective. Seventh, because 457 B.C. is also the starting point of the 2300 evenings and mornings, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary announced in Daniel 8:13, 14 must have begun in 1844. In that year, Christ entered the Most Holy Place in order to carry out the investigative judgment.
Eighth, amid the complexity of the prophetic figures and other details, let us not lose sight of Jesus. The events described by the prophecy culminate in the atoning work of the Messiah and indeed would benefit not only Israel but the whole world. So, Daniel received much more than he asked for. How often God does the same to us! He can answer our prayers in ways that exceed our expectations.
Part III: Life Application
1. What are the main characteristics of Daniel’s prayer, and what do they teach you about your personal prayer life?
2. Note that Daniel gives detailed consideration to confession of sin in his prayer. How can this approach inform your own intercessory prayers? How will you change your prayer habits as a result of this study?
3. Are you currently offering intercessory prayers on behalf of someone? How much knowledge do you have of his or her situation?
4. What are some inappropriate attitudes that may hinder intercessory prayer?
5. Are prophetic data such as the 70 weeks and the 2300 evenings and mornings still relevant? Explain. What do these kinds of figures teach us about God? How can such prophetic timetables strengthen your commitment to Jesus?
God took about ten years to clarify certain aspects of the chapter 8 vision to Daniel. How patient have you been as you wait for God’s answers to your own spiritual and existential questions? In what ways has this waiting time prompted you to search the Scriptures for clarification and understanding?As Daniel was praying, Gabriel was sent in response to his prayers. Have you ever received such an immediate answer to a prayer? Is such a response the way God usually answers your prayers? Explain.
How do you balance prayer and Bible reading/study in your devotional life?
7. Among the events foretold by the prophecy of Daniel 9, which one, if any, is the most important for your spiritual life, and why?