9:1
The bulk of this chapter is a prayer of Daniel, and a prayer that is very instructive. This is followed by more revelations from Gabriel. These events happened in the first year of the Persian Kingdom. There is great debate over the precise identity of Darius son of Xerxes. Part of the problem is that it was not uncommon for kings to be known by two or more names. He was a descendent of a Mede, so had affinities with both the Perisan and Mede kingdoms.
9:2,3
Daniel knew the book of Jeremiah. Note also that he refers to “the Scriptures”, so it is clear that Jeremiah had canonical status at a very early stage. Jer 25:10 and 29:11 state that the desolation would last for seventy years. The Babylonian reign was over and so Daniel concluded that the end of the exile must be in sight. We should not get bogged down in looking for a precise seventy years, rather it signifies the period of God’s judgment upon both the people and the land.
Biblical prophecy does not lead to passivity. The attitude of “God has said this will happen, therefore it will just happen and it doesn’t matter what we do” is not an attitude that finds any support in the Bible. Daniel’s response is to pray to the Lord, and to fast in sackcloth and ashes. God’s word leads to action on our part, God involves us in His plans.
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