From Prayers to Prophecy

Introduction

Confession of sins. Last Sunday as we began 2023 we looked at the reading of the Word of God by Ezra after the return to Jerusalem from Exile. The people then took a long period of time to confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors. I mentioned that this had a direct correlation to Daniel’s prayer for confession in Daniel 9. Today we head back to Daniel 9 and that the events that took place after his prayer for confession as he realized that the 70 years of exile was soon to be over and the people were soon to return back to the land. His prayers for confession would lead to a prophecy of future events. Let us turn back to Daniel 9.

End of the Prayer of Confession

While we are not going to read the whole prayer again I would encourage you to read it again. We are going to look at the last few verses of the confession of Daniel.

Daniel 9:16–19 NKJV

“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

As we learned from last week, they did return to Jerusalem and they had a similar prayer in Nehemiah 9. If you missed last week’s New Year sermon I would encourage you to read that prayer as well. Daniel asked God to forgive the sins of the fathers. Daniel 9:19 “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.””

Arrival of Gabriel

Daniel is praying and something happens. Let us look at the next couple of workers.

Daniel 9:20–21 NKJV

Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

Imagine that you are praying and an angel shows up!

I was speaking, praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel. In the midst of this prayer that takes place in the early part of chapter 9 and then Gabriel shows up! We first met Gabriel in chapter 8.

Daniel 8:15–18 NKJV

Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.” Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.

We saw him also show up in the Christmas story later on.

Luke 1:19 NKJV

And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.

Luke 1:26 NKJV

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

So once again the appearance of Gabriel looks like any human. Though from the accounts in Luke, while he may look like a man he does look a bit freaky to cause fear. Yet, he shows back up to Daniel.

Daniel specifically makes mention that it is the same angel that came to him in chapter 8.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.

He came swiftly at the time of the evening sacrifice.

Purpose of his coming

Daniel 9:22–23 NKJV

And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

Prophecy of the Sevens

Daniel 9:24–27 NKJV

“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

Let us look at what it says and then we will look at how it is interpreted by some.

70 weeks are determined. The Hebrew word translated as “weeks” literally means sevens.

These 70 sevens are determined for Daniel’s people (people of Israel, the Jews) and for the holy city of Jerusalem.

Finish Transgression and put an end to sin and to atone for iniquity! (Transgression, Sin, Iniquity)

English Standard Version Chapter 9

24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

From “The Daniel Papers” by Radio Bible Class:

This prophecy began by predicting that the messianic age would arrive after "70 Weeks.” "Seventy weeks" sounds like a relatively short period of time for Daniel to wait. But almost without exception, Jewish and Christian scholars take the "weeks" (lit. "sevens") to represent "sevens" of years. Since a "week" is the translation of a Hebrew word meaning "a seven,” most believe that the 70 weeks is a period of 490 years (70 x 7). Some take the number literally. Others, noting that 7 and 70 often have symbolic significance, view the 490 years as an indefinite span of time. In either case, according to the angel Gabriel, the messianic kingdom that will be ushered in at the close of this 70 weeks will be marked by six elements: