Daniel 9:20-27 - Promise and trouble

Daniel was speaking, praying and confessing both his own sin and that of the nation. Only when we acknowledge our own sin do we have the right to confess that of the nation and pray effectively for the nation. Daniel was also praying for "His holy hill", presumably Mount Zion. While he was doing this the angel Gabriel came. The angel had been sent to give Daniel insight. As soon as Daniel had started to pray God had started to answer. He also tells Daniel that he is highly esteemed. Now the concept of being "highly esteemed" doesn't sit well with us because we are afraid of pride, and rightly so. For there have been many who have fallen through pride and it is a pernicious sin. But we need to recognise that God may actually think highly of us. Note that Daniel had confessed his sins. It is only people who humble themselves before God who can possibly be highly esteemed by Him.

We then get lots of talk of sevens and seventy sevens. There are numerous interpretations of all this, debate largely centering around how literal we are to take these time periods.

Verse 24 involves an awful lot! Sin is to be finished with, wickedness atoned for, everlasting righteousness brought in, seal up the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Some of this, especially the atoning of sin, was accomplished on the cross. There is repentance of sin now, the work of transformation has begun, but will only be completed on the return of Christ. Sealing could mean sealing in the sense of closing it, but could also mean authenticating it. This verse probably applies to the whole of history.

Then we read that the rebuilding will be in a time of trouble, lasting sixty nine sevens. The NIV (9:26) says the anointed one shall be put to death. The text doesn't actually say this, rather the ESV says the anointed one shall be cut off. The meaning is unclear.

The final verses seem to talk of the anti-Christ. Whatever the details, it is clear that the end is associated with tough times.

Daniel 9:1-20 - Daniel's Prayer

We are now in the first year of Darius the Mede and we get Daniel's prayer here. Note first that it was motivated by an understanding of the Scriptures, in particular Jeremiah. The word given to Jeremiah indicated that the exile would last for seventy years. See that Jeremiah was regarded as the word of God. See also that God has said something will happen, what is Daniel's reaction? It is not fatalistic, rather the word of God, the decree of God, motivates him to action. In this case it is to repent and pray on behalf of the nation. Similarly any "understanding" of pre-destination that leads to fatalism or passivity is deeply flawed and unBiblical "understanding", in fact it is a deep mis-understanding.

Daniel starts by acknowledging the greatness of God and the sinfulness of the nation. The particular sins were to turn away from God's commands and Laws, and to ignore the prophets who spoke in God's name. The books of Kings and Chronicles, and the prophets themselves clearly outline these failings.

Daniel then declares God's righteousness and reminds God that the people are now covered in shame. Daniel also knows that this is a result of sin. 

So the judgements that were written in the Law came upon the nation. Daniel knows that God's judgement was totally just, and that even then the people failed to repent.

Daniel then calls on God to show mercy, and to do this for His own sake. God's name was (and is) inextricably linked with Israel. 

So there are two strands to Daniel's appeal. The mercy of God and the glory of His name.

Daniel 8:15-27 - Vision explained

An angel is then sent to Daniel to interpret the dream. Note that the angel looked like a man. It is only in Daniel in the Old Testament that angels have names. 

Gabriel tells him that the vision concerns the "time of the end". Now this does not necessarily mean it concerns only the very end of times. It could refer to the question asked in verse 13. I would take it have both this latter meaning, ie concerning the events in history that were about to be outlined, and prefiguring the sorts of things that will happen at the very end.

We are then told explicitly that the ram represents Medo-Persia and the goat represents Greece. Then the four horns represent the development of the Greek kingdom with less power.

Finally there will be an increase in evil and one will come who is a master of intrigue but also incredibly evil. He will have demonic power behind him. His kingdom will be built on lies and pride. He will be defeated, but not by human power. This is the picture of things given in the New Testament of an increase in evil.

Verse 26 tells Daniel that the vision concerns far off events.

Daniel was appalled at the vision. 

Daniel 8:1-14 - Kingdoms attacking God's people

This vision was received in the third year of Belshazzar's reign. When we read of people receiving dreams, visions and prophecies in the Bible we need to realise that they did not come continuously. They did happen but were relatively rare events. Susa was the capital of Elam, and was a fortified city. The Ulai Canal was a major waterway. 

The ram represents the Medo-Persian empire. As we saw earlier, the empire was not two equal partners, and the longer horn represents Persia being the dominant partner. The ram charged here and there and no one could withstand it. This represents the dominant role of the empire and its conquering power.

However, no human kingdom lasts forever, no matter how powerful it seems. So the ram was utterly defeated by a goat. The goat represents Alexander the Great and it was the Greek empire that crushed the Medo-Persian one.

When Alexander the Great died he was replaced by four rulers. When a dominant figure dies there is usually a power vacuum of some sort, resentments that had been contained are released and things are never quite the same.

Out of one of the four came a powerful ruler. He started off as insignificant but grew mighty. Historically this may be Antiochus IV Epiphanes (or so my study Bible tells me). The key thing is that he waged war against God's people. Understanding the details of all these visions is difficult, but a key theme, and one repeated in Revelation, is that powerful kingdoms will rise that for a time will wage war against God's people. 

There may also be references to AD66-70 as well.

The use of the term 2300 mornings and evenings represents the number of sacrifices that would be missed, so is 1150 days, or about three and a half years.

Daniel 7:23-28 - The fall of the fourth beast

This fourth beast is kingdom that is different from the others, much more pervasive in its power. Now the partial fulfilment of this was the Roman Empire, an empire that covered more territory and lasted for longer than previous kingdoms. If we take the view that this is looking forward to a greater fulfilment then it is the kingdom of the beast or anti-Christ. This kingdom itself will spawn ten others and a final anti-Christ. There will then be war on God's people, this includes the church. There are those who believe that believers will be raptured before the great tribulation, I believe such a view is deluded. 

The clear teaching of Scripture is to warn about a time of great persecution. 

Salvation will come through judgement. The court of God will sit and pronounce eternal judgement on the anti-Christ. His power will be taken away forever. Then the kingdoms will be given to God's people. But note that in v27 it immediately switches to turning "His kingdom". The "Most Holy People" will be living lives of complete obedience to the Father, just as Jesus did. 

Not surprisingly Daniel was greatly troubled by all this.

Daniel 7:19-22 - The importance of judgement

The fourth beast was different from all the others, being even more ferocious and merciless. The imagery of the ten horns is used in Revelation as well (Rev 17:12).

The other horn waged war against the holy people and was defeating them. So we see that we will receive the kingdom, but also that the enemy will wage war against us first and it will seem that we are being defeated. Salvation came when the Ancient of Days pronounced judgement in favour of the holy people. Then they possessed the kingdom.

All of us need to pay close attention to this, and to examine our theology in the light of it. There are many who don't like the idea of judgement, of God judging. Well, the fact is that if God doesn't judge we are all dead! We are actually saved by judgement. We are saved because on the cross the Son took upon Himself the judgement that should have been ours, and because He will pronounce judgement in our favour at the end.

Then there are those with a triumphalist view. If you hold this view you are going to be in for a rude awakening because the consistent testimony of Scripture is that it doesn't happen that way.

Victory is assured, a great prize is assured, but the road there is not easy.

Daniel 7:15-18 - We will receive a kingdom!

Daniel was deeply troubled by the dreams and did not fully understand them. Remember that God had given Daniel the gift of interpreting dreams, as he had done so for Nebuchadnezzar. Now he had received a dream and could not understand it. So he approached "one of those standing there" (v16). Zechariah too asked an angel to explain the visions he saw.

The four beasts represent four kings. These kings will rise for a time and have a degree of power for a time. They will seem to be dominant. As seen earlier, these four beasts can be identified with various kingdoms of the time, but I think they are also generally representative of human kingdoms, and finally the openly demonic kingdom. When we look around us, whatever period of history we are in, we see various kingdoms rising and falling, all claiming to be powerful in their own way.

In v14 we read that the Messiah's kingdom is everlasting. Now here we read that this everlasting kingdom will be given to God's Holy people, and we will possess it for ever and ever. Just contemplate that for a moment, what an amazing promise it is.

We will receive the kingdom. Now this has always been God's plan. In Genesis 1 we read that God told man to have dominion over the earth (Gen 1:28). In Luke 12:32 Jesus says "do not be afraid little flock, for the Father has been pleased to give the kingdom to you". Now who is it given to? The "most holy people", a people dedicated to the Lord.

We need to realise the enormity of God's plans for us!