END-TIME STUDY--Pt.18

The next portion of Scripture that we will be looking at is chapter nine of the book of Daniel. It is in this chapter that we are introduced to one of the most discussed prophecies of Daniel's book, that being, the 70 weeks of Daniel. The chapter begins with Daniel interceding for the Jewish people. He sets the stage for this dialogue by giving us the time in which he was living when he received the vision of the 70 weeks. The Babylonians had taken the first captives from Jerusalem in 605 B.C. when Daniel was but a young teenager. He is now over 80 years of age and he realizes that he will never leave captivity. The Babylonian empire had fallen to the Medes and Persians in 539 and 538 B.C. Darius was then made king over the Chaldeans (Babylonians). It was in 535 B.C. that some of the Jews would begin their journey back to their homeland.

In verse two Daniel acknowledges that he was aware that when he was taken captive, along with his fellow countrymen, that the duration of that captivity would be 70 years. He would have been aware of the words of Jeremiah who had prophesied not only that captivity but also its duration of 70 years. Although Jeremiah was not taken to Babylon, he sent letters to the captives. It was from these letters that Daniel began to fully understand the 70 years of captivity. As he pondered in his heart the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of his people he begins to pray.

Verse three tells us that Daniel assumed the position of humility and sorrow as he sought the Lord. He fasted. He place sackcloth (a burlap type cloth) upon his body; he also placed ashes on his head, both of which were signs of great sorrow and grief.

If only time and space would permit we could expound upon Daniel's prayer for within it lies a pattern for prayer. But I will only lift out those words pertinent to our subject matter. He starts with his own confession of sin then acknowledges the attributes of God. Since he will be pursuing the mercy of God for his people in captivity, he alludes to the fact that God's mercy is extended to those who "love Him" and "keep His commandments" (a lesson we should all learn). Then in verse five he confesses that the people of Israel were undeserving of His mercy because they had failed to keep His precepts and that they had sinned against Him by their rebellion against His word. They had even gone so far as to reject His prophets as they tried to warn the people. Are we not guilty of the same things as professing Christians today? We want only those prophets, preachers, who tell us what we want to hear not what we need to hear. Rest assured that God is raising up preachers after His own heart who will be declaring, "thus saith the Lord," in these the last days and the vast majority of "professing Christians" will not hearken to their words because they may be harsh, uncomfortable or calling us out of sin. As we reject these words of God, He will be given no other choice but to send judgment upon His church.

Some "professing Christians" will be taken into captivity. Captivity to porn, lust, drugs, alcohol, poverty, etc. Some will watch their children be taken into the captivity of darkness and sin. Until we, like Daniel, come to God in brokenness and humility and confess our sins and rebellion, we too shall remain in captivity until the day of his appearing at which time we then will transfer from our earthly captivity to our eternal captivity.

Daniel states that the Jewish people have "confusion of faces" (v. 7). This means that they were shamefaced, embarrassed by their current existence of captivity and their rebellion to God's word that placed them there. Their homeland lay in ruin. They were captives in a distant land. All they had taken pride in was gone. Daniel not only acknowledges the embarrassment (shamefaced), but also the fact that they deserved it because of their sin (v.8-10).

Verse eleven deserves our attention for in it lies a principle of God's word that is often overlooked or just plain rejected, yet it has a profound effect on the lives of Christians and their families today and for ever. Daniel states, "all Israel have transgressed Your law, even by departing, that they might not obey Your voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us." He is referring to the law of Moses which addresses those who enter into a covenant with God. There are blessings for keeping the covenant and curses for not keeping it. Please take the time to read Deuteronomy chapter 28, especially versus 1-2, 15-26, 32, 36, 41, 45-52. When we accept Jesus as our Savior we enter into a covenant with God. God offers us His eternal benefits and we offer Him our lives and our obedience to His will. When we enter into a covenant with God we are committing ourselves to obey His word. To obey brings blessings. To disobey brings curses.

For this reason many Christians today struggle with understanding why it seems they can never receive God's blessings and favor. It may well be that they have broken their covenant with God by their disobedience to a known law of God or their rejection of His words declared. Many feel that as long as they feel goosebumps occasionally or are still praying in tongues that all is well between them and God, yet they can't seem to receive the much sought after blessings of God. Maybe we need to seek God's face and allow Him to reveal our sins that we, like Daniel, may repent, thus qualifying us for the blessings of God that accompany the keeping of covenant with God.

Beginning with verse twelve Daniel declares the justice of God's judgments upon the people of Israel. He concludes his prayer with a plea for mercy that once again God would cause his face to shine upon his sanctuary.

It's in this setting of prayer that God reveals to Daniel His timetable for the arrival of His Messiah. The One who would take away all sin. Daniel shows us our need for repentance and forgiveness and then he shows us the coming of the One who would forgive us our sins and take away the curse of sin--the Messiah!