Time Determined For The Jews Lesson 11

1. Time Determined For The JewsLesson 11 Daniel 9-10(Waldron, p.67-69, 224-229) Sunday July 18, 2010

2. Key Dates and Events • 605 B.C. – 1st Wave of Captives (Daniel) • 597 B.C. – 2nd Wave of Captives (Jeconiah and Ezekiel) • 586 B.C. – 3rd Wave of Captives; Jerusalem is destroyed. • 556 B.C. – Nabonidus, last king of Babylon, begins his reign.His son, Belshazzar, eventually reigns in Babylon as second. • 539 B.C.: • Babylon Falls. Belshazzar is killed. • Cyrus of Persia overtakes the Babylon Empire. • Darius the Mede rules in Babylon. • 538 B.C.: • Cyrus releases all captives. • Babylonian captivity ends.

3. Outline – Daniel 9-10 • Daniel 9 – Daniel’s Prayer and Answer: • 9:1-20 – Daniel Begs Forgiveness for the Jews. • 9:20-27 – God Answers Daniel’s Prayer, Prophecy of the 70 Weeks. • Daniel 10 – Introduction to Latter Day Prophecy for the Jews: • 10:1-12 – Appearance of the Heavenly Being. • 10:13-11:1 – Spiritual Warfare. • Skim Daniel 10 due to time constraints.

4. Questions Daniel’s Prayer (Daniel 9:1-20) • What was the purpose of Daniel’s prayer? Why was he praying? • What were the “words” of God that were “confirmed”, as mentioned by Daniel (Daniel 9:12)? • What lessons can we learn from Daniel’s prayer, especially concerning humility, penitence, and praise?

5. Occasion of Daniel’s Prayer In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage 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 the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.” (Daniel 9:1-6)

6. 70 Years of Desolation “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the LORD, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will make it a perpetual desolation. So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations.’” (Jeremiah 25:8-13) “For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.” (Jeremiah 29:10) … see also Isaiah 44:28-45:5 about Cyrus’ decree.

7. Questions Daniel’s Prayer (Daniel 9:1-20) • What was the purpose of Daniel’s prayer? Why was he praying? • What were the “words” of God that were “confirmed”, as mentioned by Daniel (Daniel 9:12)? • What lessons can we learn from Daniel’s prayer, especially concerning humility, penitence, and praise?

8. God’s Words Confirmed “O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day -- to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.” (Daniel 9:7-13)

9. The Curse of the Law of Moses “ ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas. I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest -- for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it. (Leviticus 26:27-35)

10. The Need for Penitent Prayer to Return “ ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt -- then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land. The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.’ ” These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the LORD made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. (Leviticus 26:40-46)

11. Questions Prophecy of 70 Weeks and the Messiah (Daniel 9:20-27) • What does Daniel’s prayer seem to have triggered? Please explain. • This prophecy can be very difficult. Please pick and explain a few statements that were most obviously fulfilled. Try to develop a timeline that corresponds to the prophecy.

12. The Answer – Prophecy of 70 Weeks 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. 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: Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, 1To finish the transgression, 2To make an end of sins, 3To make reconciliation for iniquity, 4To bring in everlasting righteousness, 5To seal up vision and prophecy, And 6to 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.” (Daniel 9:20-27)

13. “70 Weeks For Your People and City” Week 1 7 69 70 538 B.C. 445 B.C. 6 B.C. 70 AD • Weeks 1-7: • Begins with “command to restore and build Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:1-4; Isaiah 44:28; 45:13). • Ends with “street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times”. • Weeks 8-69 • Period of Silence (see Daniel 7-8, 10-11) – “Until Messiah the Prince” • Week 70 • “Messiah shall be cut off” (Isaiah 53:8; Acts 8:32-33) - crucifixion • “The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.” – Destruction of Jerusalem, 70 A.D. • “The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war, desolations are determined.” • The Messiah “shall confirm a covenant with many for one week” – Christianity Established. • The Messiah “shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering … in the middle of the week” – Old Law • Abomination, Consummation of Desolation of the Desolate (Matthew 23:38; 24:15; Mark 13:5-13; Luke 21:8-18) – End of the Jewish (Economy or) Nation as a Chosen People.

14. The Abomination of Desolation “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. … For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. … Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” (Matthew 24:15-34; see also, Luke 21:20-33)

15. Possible Significance of 490 (70 x 7) • 70 weeks (1 day = 1 year ???) does not correlate exactly to 490 years. Approximately 637 years elapsed between the return and destruction (538 B.C. – 70 AD) – Symbolic. • The 7 days of creation and God’s rest on the 7th day attached the significance of divinely completed work and rest or peace (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11). • God used this 7-day period as the basis for the Sabbath observance (a day of rest) to the Jews (Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17). • The Jews were also to not plant crops for 1 year of every 7 years (Leviticus 25:1-7) – a year of rest every 7 years. • Every 7 Sabbath years (49 years), they were to observe the Jubilee. A second year (50th year) of rest (no planting), plus they also were to release all slaves and restore all lands (Leviticus 25:8-17). • These commands greatly tested the faith and generosity of an agricultural society (Leviticus 25:18-55). • Israel’s rebellion against the command determined the duration of the captivity – 70 years of captivity (Leviticus 26:34-35; II Chronicles 3:20-21). • Each year captivity stood for one Sabbath year, so (70x7) 490 years of rebellion. • Daniel’s answer in parallel: • Jewish sin for 490 years (70x7) climaxed in destruction and 70 years of bondage. • Again, Jewish sin after 490 days (70x7) will climax in destruction (Jerusalem, 70 A.D.) and liberty. (Think Jubilee, liberty: 490 = 10x49 = 10 Jubilees) • God will use Jewish sin to finish the economy of the Jews and usher in liberty for all.

16. Questions Introduction to Prophecy of the Latter Days (Daniel 10:1-12) • What kind of person brought this vision to Daniel? • How did He affect Daniel? • Why was Daniel’s prayers heard? How might this relate to his label, “greatly beloved”? An Unseen Spiritual Warfare (Daniel 10:13-11:1) • What battle is described in Daniel 10:13-11:1? Who are the “princes”? Where is the battlefield? What kind of fighting is being discussed?

17. Key Points: Intro to End Days of Jews • Daniel saw a vision, and he mourned and fasted for 3 weeks. • A heavenly being came to explain the message after the 3 weeks were over. • Some debate to his identity: Preincarnate Word (Jesus) or a “mighty angel” (Revelation 10:1-7; 18:21-24) • Daniel crumbled in His presence. • This being encouraged Daniel and gave him strength to hear the interpretation. • This being was active in the affairs of kingdoms. • This being was supported by Michael the archangel (chief of princes). • The struggle and warfare of these heavenly beings dictated the power and transition of world powers (Persia and Greece, in this case). • Regardless of the struggle, the results are determined. • The vision detailed the impact of Greece (Ptolemies and Seleucids) on the Jews. Warned diligent Jews of events preceding the Messiah’s coming.

18. “Greatly Beloved” Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. … Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.” When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.” Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” (Daniel 10:10-19)

19. Key Lessons • God’s promises and curses will be fulfilled. • God acts when we repent. He is waiting on us. • We should regret sin and guilt – not punishment. • The Jews sins brought captivity to themselves and rest to the land. • The Jews later sins would bring destruction to themselves and redemption for the elect. • Daniel’s concern for God, His city, and His people. • Daniel’s concern for his city and his people. • God is patient, but only for so long. Ultimately, the Jews were destroyed, despite God’s patience and His purpose for them. • God is aware of those who diligently seek Him, and He has tender affection and great love toward them. • We are part of a great spiritual battle that proceeds on a plane mostly hidden from us.