Jeremiah 25:3–11
“For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.
“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (ESV)
INTRODUCTION:
Chapters 9, 10, and 11
1. Daniel prays and fasts (9:3-19 & 10:2-3)
2. Daniel receives a prophetic message through an angelic messenger
3. The 70 Weeks (9:20-27)
4. A Look behind the curtain (10:4-21)
5. A prophetic message for the next 275 years (11:1-35)
6. A prophetic message concerning the final enemy (11:36-45)
DANIEL’S BIBLE STUDY:
Daniel 9:1–2
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. (ESV)
DANIEL’S PRAYER:
A.C.T.S
1. Adoration
2. Confession
3. Thanksgiving
4. Supplication
Daniel 9:3–4
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments… (ESV)
GOD’S CHARACTER:
- Great
- Awesome
- Keeps Covenant
- Steadfast Love
- Righteous
- Merciful
- Powerful
- Forgiving
- Trustworthy
- Just
Daniel 9:9–15
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. (ESV)
MAN’S SIN
- We have sinned
- We have done wrong
- We have acted wickedly
- We have rebelled
- We have turned aside from your commandments
- We have not listened to your prophets
- We have committed treachery
- We have transgressed
- We have not prayed
- We have not repented
- We have learned nothing
WE NEED MERCY AND FORGIVENESS!
Daniel 9:16–19
“O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” (ESV)
A PRAYER FOR RESTORATION:
- Let your anger and wrath pass away
- Listen to our prayers
- Have mercy
- Let your face shine upon us
- Incline your ear
- Look upon us in mercy
- Hear us
- Forgive us
NOT BECAUSE WE ARE RIGHTEOUS BUT BECAUSE OF GOD’S MERCY!
Daniel 9:20–23
While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision. (ESV)
70 WEEKS
Daniel 9:24–27
“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. 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. 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. 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.” (ESV)
70 Weeks = 70 weeks of years
70x7 = 490 years
Leviticus 25:8
“You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. (ESV)
Daniel 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. (ESV)
FOR YOUR PEOPLE = ISRAELITES
FOR YOUR HOLY CITY = JERUSALEM
- FINISH THE TRANSGRESSION
- PUT AN END TO SIN
- ATONE FOR INIQUITY
- BRING EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS
- SEAL VISION AND PROPHET
- ANOINT A MOST HOLY PLACE
Daniel 9:25
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. (ESV)
Daniel 9:26a
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. (ESV)
WHICH DECREE?
DECREE OF CYRUS - 538 BC - Ezra 1:1-4
DECREE OF DARIUS - 517 BC - Ezra 6:1-12
1st DECREE OF ARTAXERXES - 458 BC - Ezra 7:11-26
2nd DECREE OF ARTAXERXES - 445 BC - Nehemiah 2:1-8
WHAT TYPE OF YEARS?
Jewish Calendar = 360 days per year
Lunar Calendar = 365 days per year
COMPLICATED MATH:
7 Sevens = 49 years
62 Sevens = 434 years
69 Sevens = 483 years
483 x 360 = 173,880 days = 476 years
Option 1: 538 BC - 476 years = 62 BC
Option 2: 458 BC - 476 year = 18 AD
Option 3: 458 BC - 483 years = 25/26 AD
Option 4: 445 BC - 476 years = 31 AD
Daniel 26b-27
Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 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.” (ESV)
JESUS CAME
JESUS DIED
JESUS ROSE
JESUS INTERCEDES
JESUS DEPLOYS HIS SERVANTS
JESUS IS COMING AGAIN
JESUS WILL REIGN FOREVER