“O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand...consider the matter, and understand the vision:”
Daniel 9:23
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These visions of Daniel and their explanations by the attending angels are powerful and methodically presented in a timeline, starting with Daniel’s day up to our time. The prophecies of Daniel, as we have discussed, repeats and expands. It adds more detail with each vision. I have used the same approach in sharing with you.
The concept of the events of Daniel’s vision staying in a timeline is extremely important in understanding the prophecy of Daniel 9.
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This Daniel 9 prophecy has become very popular in the last few decades. Through Hal Lindsey and others, a distinct scenario related to the second coming of Christ is painted through the time prophecies in Daniel 9 in particular. The misguided understanding about 7 years of tribulation are forced from this chapter.
The depiction of the events by Hal Lindsey and his followers have been made into books and movies, but there is a fatal flaw as I will attempt to demonstrate in the next two posts.
But more than an argumentative approach, I hope to demonstrate the sovereignty of God and the accuracy of his word.
Because many good people are lead astray through the current popular interpretation, a very key component of the prophecy is missed. Also, the confidence we can gain in the reliability of Bible prophecy is pushed aside in favor of a Hollywood-like second coming. Therefore, I will go along very systematically using as many related Bible verses as possible. My hope is that the truth from God’s word will be presented and we all will have more confidence in our great Creator.
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The words from Daniel 9:23 (see above) come from the angel Gabriel as he is commissioned from the heavenly throne to encourage Daniel and explain what was not understood by Daniel and his friends.
But, what has Gabriel been commissioned to explain?
Many interpreters of Daniel 9 have not connected Daniel 8 with it. This is one mistake. Let’s talk about that for a moment.
From the following verses, we see that Gabriel came to complete what was lacking in Chapter 8. This conclusion is strengthened by the angel’s instructions.
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:
Daniel 9: 22-23
There are no visions in Chapter 9 only Daniel’s prayer and the angel’s explanations. The unexplained portion is, therefore, of the vision in Chapter 8. Is that a fair statement? Let’s see.
When we left Daniel 8, we hear these words from Daniel in the last verse:
And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.
Daniel 8:27
Those last words of Daniel confirms the vision in Daniel 8 is the purpose of Gabriel’s visit. The visit is also for encouragement to Daniel from the throne room of God!
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.
Daniel 9:23
Wouldn’t you love to hear the words from heaven, “You are greatly beloved?” God used more than words to tell us this. He sent His Son to tell us and to prove it. Let us never forget,“we are greatly beloved.” The live, death, and resurrection tells us “we are greatly beloved.” But there is another reason. : It is the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary:
For Christ did not go into a Holy Place made by human hands, which was a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself, where he now appears on our behalf in the presence of God.
Hebrews 9:24
One day, Jesus will leave this part of his ministry as mediator and return as King of Kings!
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Why did the angel have to explain Daniel 8? It had already been explained….That is all but one section….
The elements of Daniel’s dream in chapter 8 included a ram with two horns, a goat with a notable horn that broke into 4 horns and the little horn that appears. This little horn persecutes the things and people of God.
Not only does the attending angel interpret the strange beasts in Chapter 8, leaving no doubt about who they represent, but it is also confirmed by history.
These historical events are explained in Chapter 8 starting with verse 15 as pointed out in the previous post. We can clearly verify from history the succession of powers and world events as foretold by Daniel. They are established in Chapter 2 and repeated in Chapter 7.
Chapter 8 begins to add even more detail and focus. It is very important to remember that these powers and events are all in succession…on a timeline. This is an important point as we enter Chapter 9
The powers and events occur in this order:
1. Babylon
2. Medes and Persians
3. Greece
4. Rome
5. Ten Divisions of Rome
6. Papacy that comes from Rome
7. Three of the ten divisions annihilated by the Papacy with support of Rome.
8. Persecution of the truth by the Papacy
9. The return of Jesus during the divisions of Rome
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All of this is explained, but what is it that Daniel said“no one understood?”
Looking back in Chapter 8, we see a question that has a strange answer and was not explained. Here it is:
“Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
Daniel 8: 13 – 14
The angel that is talking is asked by an angel who is listening. Daniel did not ask it, but he surely must have thought it. The great concern expressed in the question by the angel is due to the little horn’s exceeding power and the “daily sacrifices“ including the “transgression of desolation.“
As we have seen this beast that exercises these religious powers is different from the rest. What makes it different is that it did not rise from wars as did the other, but rather assumed a position through the Roman Beast and through its own deception, religious persecution, and control.
“The mighty Catholic Church was little more than the Roman Empire baptised … The very capital of the old Roman Empire became the capital of the Christian empire. The office of Pontifex Maximus was continued in that of the pope.”
Alexander Clarence Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, pp. 148, 149.
This is the background for Chapter 9
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The 9th chapter of Daniel starts off with an earnest prayer by Daniel for the people of God who were in captivity. Daniel knew from the study of Jeremiah that they would be in captivity for 70 years. That time was coming to a close.
I was studying the sacred books and thinking about the Seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins, according to what the Lord had told the prophet Jeremiah.
Daniel 9:2
It is interesting that Daniel was, in effect, studying the Bible or the sacred books. He had great confidence in the validity and accuracy of God’s word through the prophet Jeremiah. Shouldn’t we?
As we have seen in previous studies, Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and demolished the city and the temple. Many of Jerusalem’s brightest people, including Daniel and his three friends, were taken captive. But, they would not remain in captivity forever. It would last only for 70 literal years according to Jeremiah.
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
Jeremiah 25: 11 – 12
It is important to understand perpetual desolations. It means there is no one there (desolation) and it is ongoing (perpetual). This was the fate of Babylon: perpetual desolations.
Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
Jeremiah 50:39
This bit of information will help us to understand Jesus when he said,
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Matthew 24: 15 – 18
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Daniel prayer is a moving prayer for himself and his people. Please take time to read it (Verses 1-19). He begins by acknowledging the faithfulness of God, who never fails in any of His dealings with His followers. It was not from any lack on God’s part that the Jews were then in captivity but only on account of their sins.
Although Daniel had suffered long for others’ sins (70 years of captivity), he lived a godly life, and received honors and blessings from the Lord. Despite this, he brings he accuses on no one! In addition, he pleads no sympathy for himself as a victim of others’ wrongs, but classes himself with the others, saying, “We have sinned, and unto us belongs confusion of face.” He acknowledges that they had not heeded the lessons God designed to teach them by their afflictions.
Herein lies a great lesson in how we are to relate to others and our own sins.
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Daniel’s prayer is interrupted by Gabriel with a message and an explanation as shown above. Verse 24 becomes critical in understanding the unexplained portion of Daniel 8. It reads:
“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.
Daniel 9: 24
Please notice the word “determined.” It is the Hebrew word “chathak” It appears one time and it means to “cut” or “divide” The angel Gabriel is telling Daniel that 70 weeks are cut or divided from the longer prophecy (left unexplained in Daniel). So of the 2,300 days described in Daniel 8, 70 weeks are cut off or divided for Daniel’s people, the children of Israel.
With the start of verse 24, the angel is explaining the question and answer in Chapter 8 as repeated here:
“How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
Daniel 8: 13-14
So as I mentioned at the start, we have an answer to the question, but it is unclear. What does it mean? If Daniel and the angels desired to know, shouldn’t we? Of course!
But, staying true to the principal of repeating and expanding. The 2,300 days is part of the detail the angel adds in this chapter.
It is obvious the angel is explaining the 2,300-day prophecy because in the next verse of Daniel 9, the angel says the words,
“Know therefore and understand,….”
Daniel 9:25
So, we have two time periods: 2,300 days for the Sanctuary to be cleansed and 70 weeks “cut off” (determined) from this period. The purpose of the 70 weeks was for the children of Israel to accomplish 6 things:
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.
Daniel 9:24
For this prophecy to have any meaning, we must know when it starts. We find our answer in the next verse:
“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,…”
Daniel 9: 25
When the command goes forth to restore and build Jerusalem it becomes our starting point. From this command, it takes us to Messiah the Prince. How long does it take us to get to the Messiah (Jesus)?
There shall be seven (7) weeks and sixty-two weeks (62);
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
Daniel 9: 25
For us to understand the events and timelines, we must use the day- for-a -year principal in interpreting Bible prophecy. If, however, we try to take this time period as literal, the verse above would indicate that from the time the command goes forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the advent of Jesus would only be 70 weeks or about 490 days. As we will see the command to restore Jerusalem occurred in the fall of 457 BC. Jesus appeared on the scene in 27 AD
So, when we see a day in Bible prophecy, we can translate that to a year. This will be explained in detail in the next study. Here is a chart showing the longer line of time (2,300 days or years) and the 70 weeks (490 years):
We will stop here and I will give you a few days to digest. I urge questions. In a few days, I will re-post a detailed explanation of the 70-week prophecy and the 7 years of tribulation error. If you want to to read an early study, see: Part 3-Second Coming Predictions (7 Years of Tribulation?)
Until then, blessings my friends….