Daniel 12:1-12
English Standard Version

The Time of the End
12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.

The prophecy we studied last time has both a "near" fulfillment and a "far" fulfillment.  That is to say, one facet of it has already been fulfilled, but another facet of it remains to be fulfilled.  There will be a time in the end called the time of Jacob's Trouble, also known as the Tribulation.  The world leaders will try to destroy the people of God (both the Jews and the Christians).  It will be worse than any other persecution that has happened in the past.  Yet, once again, the LORD will deliver His people from the hand of these wicked rulers.  After this, the dead will be raised to either eternal life or everlasting shame and contempt.  Those whom the LORD has made righteous will shine like the stars of the heavens and be given the wisdom of God.

Daniel was not to trouble himself with these things though because there would be many years before these things would come to pass and things would continue to go from bad to worse during that time.  Only when things are as bas as they were in the days of Noah when every inclination of man's heart was always evil all the time will the end come.  The end will also not come before there is a remnant from every tribe, tongue and nation.  So, the gospel will go forth to the whole word, and then the end will come.  Yes, as time progresses knowledge will increase, but wisdom does not necessarily increase with it.  Men will invent many more ways to be evil and the world will become even more connect as man will be focused on going to and fro throughout the whole earth

Daniel then finally realizes there are others there with him--I assume these are other heavenly beings as Daniel indicated that none of his human companions could see or hear the vision.  One of the other men asks the question that Daniel has probably been longing to ask--"How long until these things happen?"  The man clothed in white linen who sat above the waters who had been speaking to Daniel swore by God's holy name that this time of Great Tribulation would only last for three-and-a-half years.  It will seem as if the Antichrist and the kingdom of this world will be successful, and at what seems like the last possible moment, God will intervene and destroy the wicked and save the righteous.

Daniel then asks the LORD again to explain the end of these things, but the LORD tells him to go his way and not concern himself with it anymore.  The end of the book has been written but he need not concern himself with it right now because it is far off.  The words of this book will be sealed up so that only the righteous will be able to understand them, and they will make sense to the people whom God will give understanding to that they are living through the prophecies recorded in this book.  The same kind of promise is given for the book of Revelation.

Many will try to purify themselves, but be unsuccessful.  Only the LORD can purify us to make us ready for heaven.  There are no amount of good works that we can do to be accounted as righteous in the final judgment.  All those who depend on their own righteousness will be counted among the wicked and will perish, yet the wicked will be kept from understanding the words of this prophecy so that they do not try to repent at the last minute to avoid the judgment that they deserve.  Only those with the spiritual wisdom and discernment that come from God will see the words of this prophecy and understand the times that they live in.  They will not fear because they know that they are citizens of the kingdom of God, and that can never be taken away from them.  All the world can do is help them enter into the blessings that have been prepared for them a little bit sooner.

God gives Israel a very specific clock to follow, though we're not exactly sure from the descriptions here what this clock is counting down to.  Each half of the tribulation would be three-and-one-half prophetic years, that is, 1,260 days.  We seem to have an extra 30-day month here in the timing of 1,290 days.  There is speculation that I think is founded that this time will be what is required to clear all the dead bodies, bury them and restore Jerusalem and the Temple.  Then, there is another 45 day period after this (a total of 75 days after the end of the time of the seven-year tribulation period with the Antichrist setting up his image and breaking the peace treaty in the exact middle of the seven years) that something else will happen.  Some people speculate this will be when the Land is given back to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the Millennial Kingdom begins.  Whatever it is, God wants the Jewish people to be ready for it and He gives them a very specific timeline so they don't miss it.

This is where the book ends, but the book of Revelation has much to day about the questions that remained unanswered for Daniel.  John is shown the New Jerusalem that is the place God is preparing for His people (it seems a lot like what Ezekiel saw with the heavenly Temple).  God will fulfill all of His promises both to His people and to the wicked--salvation for those who belong to Him and judgment for those who choose to reject Him.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Daniel 11
English Standard Version

The Kings of the South and the North
11 “And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

2 “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. 4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.

5 “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. 6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.

7 “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. 8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.

10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.

14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. 23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. 24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. 28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.

29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.

36 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.

Don't forget as we start chapter 11 that this is still the anger who appeared in Daniel 10 speaking to Daniel.  The angel says that he has been at work to minister to the different Persian kings and to strengthen them since the time of Darius the Mede (who conquered Babylon in chapter 6).  However, the time of the Persian Empire has come to an end, and Greece is about to conquer the world.

The angel gives Daniel a timeline that there will be three more Persian kings before a king far richer than all of them arises.  He will use his war to make war with the other nations, and he will go to war against Greece and will lose.  Alexander the Great will quickly conquer everything that was the Persian Empire and add more territory to it, but he will not live long.  His kingdom will be divided among four generals who were not his sons.

After this, there will be two pieces of the remnants of the Greek Empire that will be fighting over the Holy Land, one from the North and one from the South.  The "King of the North" is the Seleucid kingdom (actually a series of kings with one in particular being Antiochus IV Epiphanies that we've already talked about being an Antichrist-like figure) and the "king of the South" is the Ptolemy kingdom of Greeks that ruled Egypt.

There is so much here that I'll link to two Got Questions articles for you that will go verse by verse and explain the fulfillment. 

Who is the king of the North in Daniel 11?
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​Who is the king of the South in Daniel 11?​

​I hope you find these articles helpful in understanding this prophecy.  Again, the was prophesied hundreds of years before it happened and with such great specificity that skeptics argue that this had to be written after the fact and written as if God prophesied the events ahead of time because in the skeptic's mind, there is no way for the LORD to give such specific details about future events.  The skeptics are wrong and their assumptions lead to other contradictions they won't admit (things Daniel giving specific details that wouldn't be included in a story you were making up hundreds of years after the fact).  God is able to see the past, present and future clearly because He is outside of time.  It is nothing for him to reveal future events to the pagan kings or to his servant Daniel.  However, there was a difference in expectation of reaction to these dreams.  The LORD expected the pagan kings to fear, tremble and repent because of what they saw.  Daniel saw the same things and was expected to rejoice and feel at peace because the LORD and His Kingdom would be victorious and His plan of salvation for His people and the coming of His Messiah would not be thwarted by evil men and evil empires.  Yet, we see reactions we don't expect.  The pagan kings do repent and give great doxology and command all the earth to join them in worship and Daniel is fearful of the bits that he does not understand even though the LORD continually sends him angels to comfort him and tell him not to be afraid.  I'm not saying I would be any different and I know we are not different today, because we approach the book of Revelation very much the same way to this day.  Jesus gave those words to John to comfort the persecuted church, and yet, comfort is usually the last word that we would associate with the book of Revelation.  We are to focus on the promise of the end of the book that is certain and sweet and understand that the plagues and judgments described in the middle of the book are not meant for those who are in Christ (we can look back to the plagues that fell on Egypt on how God's people were safe in the Land of Goshen).  God will allow the kingdoms of this world to persecute the Church and kill many Christians, but it will not stop His gospel message from going forth to the whole world--God will send witnesses from heaven and angels if necessary to make sure the gospel goes out even to those who refuse to listen and then the end will come.  The day of the LORD that we will read about in the Minor Prophets to come is a day of wrath for the kingdoms of this world, but it is a day of salvation, blessing and reward for those who are part of the kingdom of God.  We should not fear even we read passages like this that re the equivalent of being stuck in the middle of what seemed like a World War.  God is still in control and these nations that rage are still working according to His perfect will in His perfect time.  At just the right time, Christ died, the Righteous for the unrighteous.  

Galatians 4:4-5
English Standard Version
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Ephesians 1:7-12
English Standard Version
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Daniel 10
English Standard Version

Daniel's Terrifying Vision of a Man
10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”

18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.

We are not told exactly what the vision was that Daniel saw in the third year of King Cyrus, only that Daniel understood it, but it was something that cause great conflict.  It led Daniel to fast and pray for three weeks before Daniel received an answer from the LORD.  The LORD sent the answer immediately, but it had taken the angel this long to get to Daniel because the one called the Prince of Persia (we can infer this to be some kind of demonic principality) delayed his arrival, and he even had to call for help from Michael the archangel.  No one else saw the angel or heard his words to Daniel.

Daniel is at first without strength and speechless until the angel touches his lips, then he is able to open his mouth, but expresses how he feels unable to speak before the Lord, and how he feels to weak (probably because of a combination of the fasting, his reaction to the vision, and being in the presence of the angelic messenger).  The angel again touches him and gives him the strength he needs to speak, and comforted him by reminding him how much the LORD loved him.

The angel will explain the vision to Daniel in the next chapter (even though it says Daniel understood it, it is explained and recorded for our benefit, and we'll see at the end of the book that there are still things that Daniel doesn't understand and he is told that it is not for him to understand in his time.  We also have the book of Revelation which helps us to understand these thigs a little better, but there are still things "sealed up" until the end that won't be fully understood until they are happening.  That being said, the book of Daniel really helps us to properly interpret the book of Revelation as God shows John many of the same things that He showed Daniel and we don't need to find another interpretation, just look at the interpretation that He already gave to Daniel.

Daniel 9:24-27
English Standard Version

The Seventy Weeks
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. 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. And for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 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. 27 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.”

I've been making mention of this prophecy since we started studying the book of Daniel.  I believe it's one of the most important prophecies to let us know that points people, especially Jewish people, to the fact that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  He came at just the right time as prophesied by this prophecy, and the prophecy is so specific and was clearly written before Jesus fulfilled it.

So, let's break down what this prophecy says and why I think it tells us that the Jews should no longer be expecting the First Advent of Jesus (no one should be fooled by the Antichrist to think that it is the first coming of Messiah because it will be at the wrong time).  First, the word translated "weeks" is actually "sevens."  I don't understand why translators continue translating it as "weeks" when it is clear that it is speaking about groups of seven years and not periods of seven days.  Also of note, these years would be years on the Jewish calendar (what many people call prophetic years) which are based off of the lunar calendar that is 360 days long, not solar years that are 365 days long.  I will try to not get that specific because there are some great online tools to calculate dates of the lunar cycle for us 

The "going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem" could refer to different edicts/decrees, but the one that makes the most sense for this prophecy occurs in 445 B.C. when Artaxerxes issued a decree to Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 2:1-8). Using a 360-day fixed lunar calendar instead of a 365-day solar calendar, accounting for leap years, and accounting for the fact that there is no  year zero (you go from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D., which still doesn't account for all the corrections, because we know there is an error in where the "zero" between B.C. and A.D. was placed by as many as 6 years too late, the date prophesied for Jesus' crucifixion falls exactly when we expected it to, and I think it was intended for the Jewish people to be able to use their calendar (which does not have B.C. and A.D. and is a lunar calendar) to calculate this to exactly the right year (maybe even the right month and day if they had that level of specificity of when the edit mentioned was issued).

For those that want a rough estimate calculation, 483 lunar years is 173880 days.  Divide this by 365.26 days per yet to account for 365 days in a solar year, an extra day every 4 years, and skipping the extra day every 100 years.  This gives us  a solar date of 30.04446148 AD (roughly two weeks after the same date on the lunar calendar in the year 30 AD).  This lines up exactly with what we expect if the edict was given at the beginning of the month (at the New Moon) and Passover happens in the middle of the month at the full moon.  It seems like God intended the prophecy to be specific enough to get the Jews to the right year, the right month, and even the right day--Passover.

With a prophecy this specific we wonder, "How could anyone have ever missed Him?" and yet, many of our day miss seeing Him too because they also do not read or believe the Scriptures.  The fulfillment of Daniel's 70th week is just around the corner and things are lining up to happen just as God said they would.  Will you be ready for His Second Coming?  Give your life to Him today so that will no longer be a part of the kingdom of this world that is coming to an end, but you will a be a part of His kingdom which is forever and ever.

Daniel 9:20-23
English Standard Version

Gabriel Brings an Answer
20 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, 21 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. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 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.

Last time we talked about Daniel's prayer of confession for himself and his people Israel, and his prayer for Jerusalem and the Temple (the holy hill of his God).  While he was in the midst of this prayer, the angel Gabriel appears to him at the time of the evening sacrifice (though they had no Temple at which to offer sacrifices, they still kept time of day by when these sacrifices were to be offered both morning and evening).

Gabriel gives Daniel further insight and understanding.  God has heard Daniel's pleas for mercy for himself and his people, and Gabriel tells Daniel that he is greatly loved by God (he has no fear of God casting him away).  Then Gabriel gives Daniel additional revelation that we'll talk about next time--the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks.  I said last time that this is one of the most important prophecies in the book of Daniel (and in the entire Bible) because it gives an extremely specific timeline for when we should expect the Messiah to be "cut off" (die), the Temple to be destroyed, and that this is going to pause the "prophetic clock" until the coming of the time of the Tribulation (there will be seven prophetic years remaining that will be the final seven years of the kingdoms of this world).  What happens between these two events in history?  The gospel goes forth to the whole world!  That is not something that God puts a time limit on, because it is about going to every tribe, tongue and nation to the utter most ends of the earth, and it takes as long as it takes.  However, there will be a day when the clock will start ticking again and man will have a limited amount of time left--we don't see a marker for the beginning of those seven years, just a marker to know when we are in the middle of them, so it would be wise for no one to resist the call that the LORD may be giving to you today to repent and believe the gospel while there is yet time.  Pray like Daniel to confess your sins and the sins of all mankind, specifically focusing on how you are personally guilty and need the LORD's mercy and grace.  You deserve eternal death and separation from God, but you know that God will give you a new spirit and new heart and eternal life if you ask for it by faith.  Thank the LORD that Jesus died in your place to take the punishment that you deserved and was raised from the dead to give us victory over sin and death and that He is God in the Flesh. "21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).

This salvation is a free gift of God.  You can find more about it under the Evangelism Techniques tab (though this is meant to be training for those who know Jesus on how to share the gospel with others, it will also walk you through the gospel as you watch these videos).  If you would like to talk to someone about giving your life to Jesus by phone, text, or chat, you can talk to someone at this URL:  ChatAboutJesus – Helping you Know, Trust and Follow Jesus.

Daniel 9:1-19
English Standard Version

Daniel's Prayer for His People
9 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 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.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 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, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O LORD , belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 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. 11 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. 12 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. 13 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. 14 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. 15 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.

16 “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. 17 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. 18 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. 19 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.”

You may not have been paying attention to this like i have, but this is the first time that the covenant name of God (The LORD, YHWH, or I AM) is used in the book of Daniel.  I've actually been looking for it, because it is strange to not see it in the prophets.  My best guess is that the portions written in Aramaic did not use it because it is a strictly Hebrew word (the Aramaic section just ended in Chapter 7, verse 28).  It appears Daniel was reading the book of Jeremiah while he was in exile (probably trying to see if the LORD told additional details to other prophets that could fill in some of the holes he had in his understanding of his visions, because God often tells the same things in different ways to different Old Testament prophets).  In the course of reading Jeremiah, Daniel came across the passage that prophesied that the people would be in exile for 70 years in direct relationship to the amount of time they had failed to observe the Sabbath year.

Daniel realizes that in many ways, the people have not learned anything from being sent into exile, and Daniel fears that the nation will either not return home after the 70 years, because they have continued in their sin, or, they will again be exiled or otherwise cut off from the Land.  Daniel will then intercede for the people of God--though he was of the tribe of Judah and not from the tribe of Levi, he will mediate and intercede as a priest would for the people.  We will see the same in Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, years later as He intercedes, mediates, and actually is able to atone for the sins of the people in a way that no Levitical priest ever could because He is our Great High Priest.

Daniel confesses his personal sin and the corporate sin of Israel as he fasted and put on sackcloth (a sign of mourning).  It then becomes obvious why He is using the name of the LORD.  He is praying to the LORD remembering His steadfast, covenant love for His people, and that He does not desire to destroy them--He wants to save them, not just from the enemy nations that surround them, but from the sin that is within them (Jeremiah also speaks of the new covenant and the new heart that the LORD would give His people).  Daniel clearly sees now that the LORD was good in sending the prophets to the people to warn them, but that the people ignored their warning and continued in sin and forced the LORD to deal justly with them so that a remnant might be preserved.  Daniel is ashamed of how he and the others of his nation have acted, and Daniel says it is right for them to feel that shame because they have acted shamefully.  However, the LORD doesn't just take away our sin, he also takes away our guilt and our shame when He forgives us.  That doesn't sound as wonderful to us as it should, but Eastern cultures like this are "shame cultures" in where the worst thing that you can do is to bring shame on yourself, your family and your people, and they will go so far as to shun or exile you as a visible representation of the shame you have caused.  Daniel realizes that is exactly what is going on with the Exile, and yet, the people in general still feel no shame for what they have done.  It should be so ingrained in them that they realize they are being shunned/exiled that they desire forgiveness and reconciliation, but they just threw up their hands and said, "Oh well, I guess God doesn't love us anymore.  I guess we just keep on sinning and acting like all the other nations of the world now now." (not a direct quote, but they could have said something much like this give what Daniel says about how they feel they are positionally before God and how they continue to break the Law).

The people have realized they have broken the Old Covenant and that they will never be able to keep it and that it can only end in separation from God.  They need a new and better covenant, and they seem to have missed the promise in Jeremiah that the LORD would restore His people and return them to the Land as a visible representation of the spiritual healing that would happen in them as He would make a new covenant with them that would give them a new heart and give them a new spirit--He would put His Spirit within them that would internalize their desire to obey His commandments.  No longer would they be laws written on stone that were an exterior force, but there would be an inside-out change in their lives that was proceeded by a changed heart and changed mind--a work that only God can do.

​Daniel sees that the people have despised the way in which the LORD has been saving them since they were slaves in Egypt and He saved them through the Passover.  He led them out and completely defeated the Egyptian army at the Red Sea, led them through the Wilderness where He gave them His Covenant and the Tabernacle, and all they have done is do the things that will bring the curses of the covenant upon them.  They will never do the things that will earn the blessings of the covenant.  They can never be good enough to be holy as He is holy.  All Daniel can do as He realizes that God is not just gracious but holy and just is to plead with the LORD to turn away from the wrath and anger that He must feel in this moment. 

No longer does the name of the LORD or the name of His people Israel or the name of His Holy City Jerusalem hold a special place of beauty and reverence in the hearts and minds of the peoples of the world,.  Instead, these have come to be bywords that make people want to cleanse their mouths when they say them or they try to avoid saying them altogether.  The people of God have brought dishonor upon their name and the name of the LORD where they are supposed to bring glory to Him that will in turn cause them to be exalted as they humble themselves as His servants.  Daniel considers then what would bring the LORD more glory and restore His name among His people and among the nations.  Would it be for Him to deal harshly and justly with the people of Israel who deserve to be destroyed just like all the other nations, or would it be restore them, allow them to rebuild the Temple, rebuild Jerusalem and show them that He loves those who are unlovely and are undeserving of His love (because that is exactly the same situation the Gentiles are in, and it would speak volumes to them that if the LORD can forgive His people who have sinned so greatly against Him, perhaps there is a chance they too can be forgiven by Him).  Daniel asks that the timeline of the restoration of Israel not change and the LORD bring His promises to pass, not because His people deserve it, but for the sake of His great Name so that the nations would not accuse Him of making promises that He did not intend to keep and giving His people hope only to destroy them.  That is what they deserved, but God has something much greater in view where the history of the nation of Israel and their restoration is intertwined with the coming of Messiah and the gospel going forth to the nations.  Daniel doesn't completely understand this, but he's seen enough to know that God is concerned about His Name not just among Israel, but among the nations and that there is more at play here than the comfort of the people of Israel and Judah, though it all starts with them returning to the Land and rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem.

Now, I skipped something on purpose, but we learn a little more about who Darius is at the beginning of this chapter.  He is the son (descendant) of Ahasuerus.  Does that name sound familiar to you?  If not, go back and read the book of Esther.  He is the king that took Esther to be his wife and Esther's uncle Mordechai was his closest advisor, and the feast of Purim was instituted because of the salvation that the LORD brought to the people when Haman desired to annihilate all of them (a kind of antichrist figure).  God preserved His people and brought the curses they deserved on the heads of those who wished to do evil to them.  I think Darius is making the connection that Daniel's God that saves him is the same God that saved Esther and her people, and it appears that the next king we'll read about in chapter 10 should make our ears perk up as we should know that name from somewhere else (and we've talked about it from the very first chapter of the book of Daniel).  We have a couple more sections to get through before we get there though, including one of the most important prophecies in the entire book of Daniel--Daniel's Seventy Weeks.

Daniel 8:15-27
English Standard Version

The Interpretation of the Vision
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”

18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. 20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.

I gave you a lot of the interpretation as we went through the vision last time, but there will be some things in the passage today that I didn't say yesterday.  Daniel does not immediately make the connection between this vision and the previous vision from Chapter 7 and the dream he delivered the interpretation for in chapter 2 (God gave the interpretation to Daniel, but He let Daniel deliver it to Nebuchadnezzar).  The angel Gabriel appears (I'll tell you why this is significant in a bit) to explain Daniels vision to him.  In fact, Gabriel was commanded by God to make Daniel understand the vision.  Daniel was afraid at the appearance of Gabriel (like others are in the Bible).  Daniel was told that these visions he had received were about "the end times."  While some of these events would happen soon and other would not happen for a very long time from Daniel's perspective, these are all things that Daniel needed to understand needed to happen before Messiah would appear--that's going to be the big vision that he's going to receive very soon, and we know part of Jesus arriving "in the fullness of time" is that the Roman Empire had conquered the known world before He arrived and this prepared the world to have a single written language (Greek, from the conquering of Alexander the Great) and roads that went to every corner of their empire so that they could quickly respond with military force when needed, but these same roads would be used by the Apostles to take the gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth.  All this must happen before the end will come.

Daniel was put into a deep sleep and when he was rested, Gabriel touched him to wake him up and give him even more interpretation for the vision he just received.  The ram in the dream was the king of Media-Persia, and the goat was the king of Greece. (Alexander the Great).  Four kingdoms would come out of the Greek empire, each ruled by a different man, though none of them rose to the level of Alexander the Great--able to unite the entire world under their leadership.  God would let people continue in their wickedness until things get so bad that he allows an antichrist-figure to appear out of one of these four kingdoms.  Without warning, he will lash out and destroy many people and seek to make war with the Messiah (to keep God's promises from coming to pass).  Just as Antiochus IV Epiphanies desired to keep Jesus from coming in His first Advent, the Antichrist will seek to keep Jesus from coming in His Second Coming to bring His Kingdom.

No harm will come to God's plan (and this also looks forward to the Antichrist in the future who will also be unsuccessful in his attempts to stop Jesus from coming back and setting His feet on the Mount of Olives).  Daniel is told that these visions he has received are all true things that will happen, but they are not for people to understand in his day and time.  He is to write them down but they are to be sealed up and preserved for a people from another time (like our time, when we are very close to the end of days now, since all of these four kingdoms have come and sort of gone--though you could argue that the Roman Empire is what we would now call "The Western World" and "First World Countries" (the major centers of power is still in Europe and European colonies and places with a European worldview that came directly out of the influence of the Roman Empire).  It appears that dynamic won't change until there is a confederation of ten nations that comes together to try to rule the world once again (we can see this being possible with the globalist movement today and lots of organizations such as the League of Nations, the European Union, the United Nations, The World Bank, The World Health Organization, and many other such organizations that desire to have global influence in existence today that all seem ready to follow the lead of a single individual if he could unify all of them.  We appear to be in the last days, not just because these are the days after Jesus's birth, death, burial, and resurrection and the birth of the church.  We are just waiting now for the gospel to go to every people and tongue so that there will be a remnant from every tribe, tongue and nation.  The kingdom of God will make it to the ends of the earth first, and then the end will come with Satan trying to stop the work that God has done, but he will be unsuccessful.

Daniel heeded what Gabriel said and got up and went about the king's business (his daily work), but he was still troubled by and appalled by the vision that he received, and did not completely understand it.  I mentioned before that I would come back and tell you why it was important that Gabriel delivers this message.  We see Gabriel usually connected with Messianic prophecies (prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah).  This vision doesn't seem to directly connect with that, but I already made the connection for you that the fall of Media-Persia and the rise and fall of Greece must all happen before Messiah would come.  We will see another named angel in the book of Daniel named Michael, and he is given watch over the people and nation of Israel.  There will be one place in Daniel where the two of them show up together because the continued existence of the Jewish people and the coming of the Messiah from the line of Judah were very much connected ideas--if the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ceased to exist, where would the promised Messiah come from?  Perhaps you see now why Satan was so busy working through so many different kingdoms to try to exterminate the Jewish people in the past (and he still attacks them to this day along with the Christians because he hates all the people that God has chosen to love).  More on this as we continue to study the prophecies given in this book.