Daniel 9

Repentance and Revelation

The Language of Daniel

• Hebrew (1:1-2:4a, 8:1-12:13) – biblical, theological,

historical, in-house• Aramaic (2:4b-7:28) – colloquial,

international, contemporary

• Bilingual and cross-cultural

• ‘Theological’ and ‘popular’ style

Different styles of Daniel

• Narrative – theology through events

• Apocalyptic – apocalypto - hide

• Coded language to describe political events

• Think Dreams and Events!

Why study the book of Daniel?1. Character study2. Theology of history3. Missionary manual4. Textbook on prayer5. Messianic prophecies

fulfilled in NT6. Witness in an oppressive

regime

6 Narratives (chapters 1-6)

• Arrival at Babylon (1)• Interpretation of

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (2)• The golden image and fiery

furnace (3)• Nebuchadnezzar’s second

dream (4) • The writing on the wall (5)• The lion’s den (6)

4 Visions (chapters 7-12)

• Dream of the four beasts (7)• Vision of the ram and the goat

(8)• Daniel’s prayer and word of

revelation (9)• Vision of the end of days (10-

12)

Daniel 9:1-2 1 In the first year of Darius son of

Xerxes[a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[b] kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

In the 1st year

• Jeremiah 25:11-14• 11 This whole country will become a

desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

• 12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,[a] for their guilt,” declares the LORD, “and will make it desolate forever.

Jeremiah 29:10-12• 10 This is what the LORD says:

“When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Jeremiah 29:13-14• 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all

your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Daniel 9:2

• 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel’s Prayer• 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:

• “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

GENERAL CONFESSION

Almighty and most merciful Father; we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders.

GENERAL CONFESSION

Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life, to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen

Daniel’s Lament 7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this

day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, LORD, because we have sinned against you.

What is a lament?

Where O where’s your presence?Where O where’s Your presence O GodIn this dry and weary landSo many people drifting awayHow we need to understand…You’re still GodEven when we’re unbelieving , still God, When we’re desperate for our healingStill God, still God, You’re still GodYou’re still GodEven when our friends desert usStill GodEven though the things that hurt usStill God, Still GodSo I will be still and know you are God

Where O where’s your kingdom O God?We have let holiness goSo many idols litter our landWe’ve got to let this nation knowYou’re still GodWhen the government has no answersStill GodWhen the media lowers the standardStill God, still God, You’re still GodYou’re still GodWhen the plans we make are worthlessStill GodWhen we lose our sense of purposeStill God, still GodSo I will be still and know you are God

When will Jesus really be seenThrough the church that bears his nameAgents of his kingdom, his peaceIn a world for which he cameYou’re still God even though you were rejectedStill GodThough you were ridiculed, desertedStill God, still God, still GodYou’re still GodThough you suffered executionStill GodYou’re alive and Christ our championStill God, still GodSo we will be still and know you are God(Geoffrey and Gill Birtill, 2004© Thankyou Music)

Daniel’s plea 17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and

petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favour on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

HASHIVENU

Hashivenu, hashivenu, hashivenu, Adonai elechaV ’nashuva, v’nashuva. Chadesh, chadesh, yameinu k’kedem (x2)

Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old (Lamentations 5:21).

Daniel’s Revelation 24 “Seventy ‘sevens’[c] are decreed for your people

and your holy city to finish[d] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.[e]

7 x 7 + 62 x 7 = ?25 “Know and understand this: From the time the

word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,[f] the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.[g]

24

Isaac Newton1642-1727

• “Thus have we in this short Prophecy, a prediction of all the main periods relating to the coming of the Messiah; the time of his birth, that of his death, that of the rejection of the Jews, the duration of the Jewish war whereby he caused the city and the sanctuary to be destroyed, and the time of his second coming:”

The Command to Restore Jerusalem

• Rebuilding the Temple– Cyrus cylinder – 538 b.c. (Ezra 1:1)– Darius Hystapsis – 519 b.c. (Ezra 6:3)– Artaxerxes – 458 b.c. (Ezra 7:11)

• Rebuilding the City of Jerusalem• Artaxerxes - 445 b.c. (Nehemiah 2:1) + 483

years = ?

Different Interpretations Possible!

• Jewish view – 1 Maccabees –164 b.c. – Rededication of the Temple

• Jeremiah’s prophecy – 605 b.c.• Cyrus on throne -556 b.c. (7 x 7 =49

years)• Death of Onias III – 171 bc (62 x 7 =

434 years) • Total – 69 x 7 = 483 years plus 7 =

164 b.c.

Traditional Christian view

• Jesus’ death at Passover a.d. 33• Decree of Nehemiah – 445 b.c.• 69 x 7 = 483 years (360 days per solar

year)• = 32 a.d.• But John Goldingay ‘it is not

chronology but chronography – a stylized scheme of history’

Daniel in the New Testament

• The Son of Man (7:13)• The anointed prince -

Messiah (9:26)• The abomination of

desolation (9:27)• The restoration of Israel (9)• Book of Revelation

Conclusion

• Repent!• Receive!• Rely!• Rejoice!

Context of Daniel - Exile

• Abraham leaves Ur 1650 bce• Moses leaves Egypt 1280• Joshua enters Israel 1240• David king of united tribes 1004• Northern Kingdom falls 722• Josiah’s reforms 621• Babylon captures Nineveh 612• Jerusalem falls 586