Daniel 10

Let’s continue on with our series on Daniel. First let’s again recall some  key notes so far.

We have learned the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue. The ancient civilisations of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome impress man with their value and strength just like the gold, silver, bronze and iron of the statue. However we learned that Heaven has an opposite perspective on these same 4 empires. Instead the 4 empires are inhumane Beasts. They get more grotesque and fearsome as history progresses.

We discovered that the ancient Babylonian harlot religion described in Revelation 17 has never gone away. Incredibly, the ancient throne of Satan mentioned in the letter to the Pergamon church was moved to a museum in Berlin in 1930 and was an inspiration for Adolf Hitler and even though Hitler was defeated, a one world religion of tolerance is emerging in our lifetimes and this should be another warning to us to get ready for the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah had prophesied that the Jews would go into captivity for 70 years. This was fulfilled in 605 BC by Nebuchadnezzar. Then in 539 BC the empire of Babylon came to an end when the Medes and Persians invaded the city of Babylon and killed Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar. Daniel remembered the prophecy of 70 years captivity and realised that the 70 years were coming to an end. He began to seek the Lord, confessing his sin and the sins of his people and was given a vision. An Angel explained that there would be 70 weeks until a sixfold purpose of God was completed and this would begin at the command to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 BC about 90 years after Daniel’s lifetime.

Daniel 9:24

“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, 

1. To finish the transgression, 
2. To make an end of sins, 
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity, 
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness,
5. To seal up vision and prophecy, 
6. And to anoint the Most Holy.

Of special note is the third in the list of results: “to make reconciliation for iniquity.” Jesus accomplished the atonement for sin by His death on the cross. We know that Jesus fulfilled these first 3 purposes however all 6 will only be completely achieved when the Son of Man comes who we now know is Jesus.

We also learned that the prophetic clock stopped at 69 weeks when the Messiah was cut off (Jesus was crucified) and so we are waiting for the final week of 7 years, which will start ticking when the little horn, the Son of Perdition, the Antichrist emerges right at the end of the age just before the Son of Man, Jesus comes on the clouds. 

So let’s move now to Daniel 10. 

Daniel 10-12 constitute a single prophecy but we will cover just Daniel 10 today.

Daniel 10:1-3

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

History tells us that the 3rd year year of Cyrus’s reign over Babylon was around 536 BC which was near to the end of the 70 years of captivity when Daniel was a very old man, about 90 years old. 

Daniel understood that the message was true but the appointed time was long and it was obvious that God did not have Daniel as part of his plan to rebuild Jerusalem, it was God’s will for him to finish his ministry in Babylon.

Sometimes a personal promise of God is not fulfilled in our lifetime. Yet it requires faith in our lifetime to keep believing. The message is true but the appointed time is long. Chapter 11 of Hebrews affirms this truth.

Hebrews 11:39-40

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

And yes, God’s promise through Jeremiah was coming true. Cyrus had made a proclamation 2 years earlier that can be found in the book of Ezra.

Ezra 1:1-4

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

This was not the edict we talked about last Sunday to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 BC which started the 70 weeks prophecy. However Cyrus’s proclamation to rebuild the temple meant that the 70 years captivity had come to an end. The Jews were allowed to leave Babylon and go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. 

Nevertheless it was going to be a very difficult task after 70 years away, in a temple that was in ruins and overgrown and in a city with other occupants by now.

1. Only 50,000 took up the offer to go back to Israel, the vast majority decided to stay in Babylon where they were established and comfortable. 
2. The people of Israel encountered tremendous opposition to rebuilding the temple.

It is rarely easy to leave our comfort zone to do God’s will. There are many lessons for us in that aren’t there!

This left Daniel feeling discouraged and sad. Sometimes it feels like mourning and fasting haven’t changed the present situation but God is about to respond.

Daniel was in mourning for 3 weeks, fasting. Denial of self was a mark of Daniel’s humility. Of all God’s people captive in Babylon, he was the most righteous, the most faithful, the most prayerful, if anyone deserved to see the fulfilment of God’s promise it was Daniel. But Daniel did not see himself that way. He saw himself as a sinner just like everyone else. 

Then Daniel has a vision which is overwhelming.

Daniel 10:4-6

Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

V4 He’s beside the Tigris, about 20 miles from the city of Babylon when he sees the vision. 

This is an OT appearance of Jesus as it so closely matched to the Son of Man John saw.

Revelation 1:12-15

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

It is the Son of Man who Jesus referred to himself as.

Daniel 10:7-9

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

V7 the other men reacted with fear and ran away and hid.  The other men when Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus were left speechless. When God really turns up, there is a physical effect on our bodies. They stop working normally ! Daniel’s strength drains away and the other men felt fear at the change in the spiritual atmosphere. When people encounter the real Holy presence of God, it is normal to feel fear. For Daniel, all his strength drained away and he fell into a deep sleep.

The effect on the human body is to make it collapse before a holy God. If this was the effect on a righteous man such as Daniel, do you think anyone who wants to challenge God on Judgement Day will be physically able to do that? That is why we need a new body, why we must be born again ! 

We have no comprehension of what it is like to stand before a Holy God. The way some atheists talk, shaking their fist at God, they have no idea ! No proud person can stand before the Lord. 

This should give us pause to think. Is our worship just emotion or an actual  encounter with the presence of God. A good worship leader isn’t there just because they’re a good musician or singer. They are there to lead us to worship the Lord and that comes with a sense of weakness in his presence. That’s why it’s a blessing to have Matthew lead us in worship, who takes that responsibility seriously and combining the music and bringing us back to the Word and the Gospel so that we’re not just being led along by the emotion of beautiful songs but by Truth as well. That’s why the Scripture tells us to examine ourselves when we take Communion.

Hebrews 10:28-31

Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Jesus is our friend but portraying him as some casual, easy going guy as some do is not the reality of what it is like to be brought before him in all his glory. Even as Christians, we need to retain a healthy fear of the Lord. Certainly Daniel experienced what it was like to be brought before the Lord.

Daniel 10:10-14

Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

Key Verse

Daniel 10:14

Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.

Daniel is awakened from his sleep by an angel’s hand touching him. From v10 it’s the Angel he hears. The Bible says that Angels are sent to minister to those who are to receive salvation (Hebrews 1:14). The Angel reassures Daniel by telling him he’s loved and to stand up. Boy it’s good to hear from God when you’ve been low spiritually.

Standing up is hard when all your strength has left you. On top of that, as soon as the Angel touched him he starts trembling. 

The Angel tells him not to fear. He says as soon as he set his heart to understand and to humble himself before God, his prayers were heard. Daniel had been going through a hard time of mourning. The 70 years were coming to an end but there didn’t appear to be any progress. What was wrong? Sometimes we have a word from the Lord but things aren’t working out as we expect. Some people don’t even pause to think why. They try all kinds of solutions without seeking the Lord. Daniel was seeking the Lord, confessing his sin and praying. It is good for us to ask ourselves why we have all the problems we face. Often the answer is we made some poor choices. Sometimes the circumstances have changed, things aren’t what they used to be. It is good to try and understand why but it is better to do what Daniel did and pray. 

His first step had already been to start confessing his sin and the sin of his people. But so far nothing seemed to have changed. Now the Angel had arrived to tell Daniel that he was beloved and to give him an explanation of what had been happening.

What Daniel was to be told is that for the past 3 weeks, while he had been sad and praying, there was a unseen war going on that explained why even though the help was on its way, hadn’t arrived in those 3 weeks. 

But when the thing you are struggling with is to do with your faith, your Church, your ministry, you’d better know that you’re involved in a spiritual war.

V13. The prince of the Kingdom of Persia stopped him for 3 weeks before some help came in the form of Michael one of the chief princes. Even the Angel has trouble getting through. The spiritual opposition was very strong. The Devil is a strongman. He can attack you in many ways. We need to be clothed in the armour of God especially if we’re in ministry. The real reason for the discouragement and defeat Daniel was encountering was spiritual warfare. 

Now the Angel was going to provide the answers Daniel was looking for. The vision that Daniel had seen of Jesus was to do with the end times, many days off in the future. It was not something for him to be troubled about now.

God was going to bring about an end to the 70 years of captivity but there was far more he was going to do for the Jews in the future. 

Daniel 10:15-17

When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.” 

Daniel acknowledges his weakness and sin, we would do well to follow his example. Because Daniel sort the Lord in humility, in fasting and prayer, Heaven answered.

Daniel 10:18-21

Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

The Angel told him 3 things - not to fear, peace and be strong. And these words strengthened Daniel. When we are in a spiritual war, we need to pray. The answer will come and at the same time we will lose our fear, we’ll have peace and we will be strengthened. We need God to help us when we’re in a spiritual war, we will not defeat the enemy on our own. As soon as we pray, the help is on its way !

And notice the Angel says he will tell Daniel the Scripture of Truth. We need the Word of God in our fight. Jesus defeated the Devil in the Wilderness with the Word of God. 

Behind the earthly governments The demonic realm has a hierarchy of authority which is military in fashion (Ephesians 6)

The realm of flesh and blood is not what we are fighting against.

The demonic realm behind the kingdom of Persia was very strong and could only be defeated by Michael, the chief commander of the armies of heaven.

The devil works very hard to keep us from the word of God and does not want us to know prophecy as It tells us that God will win. 

We need to pray !! We don’t know what is going on in the spiritual world. We are not aware of it. Have we been facing trial and tribulations. We need to enter into spiritual warfare. There is demonic resistance particularly when we are in frontline ministry like the Church. This means war. We can’t turn up in our jandals and Hawaiian shirt.

We need to persevere in prayer.

There are good angels and there are fallen angels. The devil is against the Church, against marriages, against families, ruling over nations. The godly heritage of New Zealand has been abandoned in less than one generation and replaced with licentiousness, who do you think is behind that. Watching the news we feel like we’re going crazy.

The devil though must remain within God’s appointed borders and what will fulfil GOD’s purposes. Therefore we should not be afraid in the battle despite the difficulty and discouragement we may feel when under attack.

The devil has been cast out of heaven. Michael is the great archangel who watches over Israel. Which Angel has been watching over New Zealand and do you think that same Angel is ruling over New Zealand now. We need to pray, we need to take up the fight.

Once we understand that we are up against evil spiritual forces, that changes our perspective. When we are dealing with depression, we need to realise there are spiritual forces that could be attacking us, it is not necessarily something that can be medicated. Learn to recognise the signs. Conflict in close relationships, attacks on all sides, things that make us react emotionally. The devil has many people and situations that can cause you trouble. 

If nothing has changed in the physical realm, consider whether this may be a spiritual attack. Come out boldly against the demonic realm when we come under attack.

The devil is a murderer, a liar, a thief. Do you think what Hitler did with the Holocaust was just humanity, what about abortion, religious terrorism, evolution, governments changing the definition of marriage, bringing in euthanasia, efforts to legalise drugs, all these things that are so anti God, the list is long. The devil has a foothold in our Parliament. The Beehive has been taken over by a Hornets Nest and there will be no more honey instil it’s destroyed and we bring back the bees.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Daniel 9 Part 2

 Let’s continue on with our series on Daniel. First let’s recall some  key notes so far.

We have learned the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue as revealed to Daniel. The ancient civilisations of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome impress man with their value and strength just like the gold, silver, bronze and iron of the statue. However we learned in Chapter 7 through the dream Daniel had, that Heaven has an opposite perspective on these same 4 empires as seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the impressive statue. Instead the 4 empires are inhumane Beasts. They get more grotesque and fearsome as history progresses.

We discovered that the ancient Babylonian harlot religion described in Revelation 17 has never gone away. Incredibly, the ancient throne of Satan mentioned in the letter to the Pergamon church was moved to a museum in Berlin in 1930 and is still open today. This throne was an inspiration for Adolf Hitler and even though Hitler was defeated, a one world religion of tolerance is emerging in our lifetimes and this should be another warning to us to get ready for the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Last week we heard Daniel’s prayer of confession of sin which happened in the first year of Darius’s reign in 539 BC. Daniel included himself as sinner. We are no different to anyone else. We’re not good and there’s no work we can do that can persuade God to answer our prayers. But the Lord is good and kind and merciful, Praise God!

We have a hard time confessing sin. We also have a hard time accepting our punishment which can last a long time. A quick apology does not always fix things, especially if our heart isn’t right. For Israel it was 70 years of captivity which was applied based on the law of Moses. 

But the good news of the Gospel is that we can be forgiven if we confess our sins because He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)

At the end of last week we read

Daniel 9:20-24

Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 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; 

It says as soon as Daniel started praying, the Angel was sent to help him. God is ready to show mercy if we will only humble ourselves and pray (2 Chronicles 7:14). Then the answers to our questions are told.

therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: “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.

That left us with a question though. Daniel was expecting that they would soon be free after 70 years of captivity. What are these 70 weeks until the Everlasting Righteousness that the Angel talked about. Are they the same thing?

Based on everything we’ve learned so far and the fact that Jesus has now been revealed as the Messiah, we can understand that the prophecy of the 70 weeks summarizes what happens before Jesus sets up His millennium kingdom.

Daniel 9:24

“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, 

1. To finish the transgression, 
2. To make an end of sins, 
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity, 
4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, 
5. To seal up vision and prophecy, 
6. And to anoint the Most Holy.

There are some very significant things to note;

1. The prophecy concerns a period of time 

The Hebrew word for week is a period of 7. Almost all commentators agree that the seventy “sevens” should be understood as seventy “weeks” of years, in other words, a period of 490 years.

2. The 70 years of captivity are nearly finished at this point and nowhere near have accomplished the things that will be accomplished in the so called 70 weeks.

3. The prophecy concerns the Jewish people and Jerusalem for these were Daniel’s people and the holy city was his true home

The prophecy contains a statement concerning God’s six-fold purpose in bringing these events to pass. Verse 24 says this purpose is 1) “to finish the transgression,” 2) “to put an end of sins,” 3) “to make reconciliation for iniquity,” 

Of special note is the third in the list of results: “to make reconciliation for iniquity.” Jesus accomplished the atonement for sin by His death on the cross. We know that Jesus fulfilled these first 3 purposes however they are not been completely achieved. 

4) “to bring in everlasting righteousness,” 5) “to seal up vision and prophecy,” and 6) “to anoint the most holy” clearly have not happened yet.

Notice that these 6 purposes  concern the total eradication of sin and the establishing of everlasting righteousness.

The beginning of everlasting righteousness only comes when Christs returns and sets up his Kingdom on Earth. So it is future. This should be really obvious by reading the daily news as sin is running rampant in our world today. However, even in Paul’s day, the early Christian’s needed to be told that the Day of the Lord was future because some of them were worried they’d been left behind.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Remember, the Little Horn, the Antichrist that Daniel spoke of is revealed before the return of the Son of Man on the clouds. If someone appears claiming to be God even Jesus, even if he does great miracles, signs and wonders, that person is Antichrist because the Antichrist  must come first before Jesus returns on the clouds.

As soon as the Antichrist is revealed, the prophetic clock will start ticking again after it stopped at 483 years when Jesus died on the Cross.

Then, after the 490 years are completed, the return of Jesus will fulfil the final 3 purposes of the 6. Notice that when the 490 years is over all vision and prophecy is sealed which means it is finished. At the point that Jesus is anointed King, there is nothing left to fulfil. 

When did the 490 years start? Incredibly, we are about to be told, so listen carefully. For Daniel, it wouldn’t happen in his lifetime. It was going to happen in just under 100 years from the time Daniel had his vision around 539 BC.

Daniel 9:25-27

“Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. 

The 490 year period begins with the command to rebuild Jerusalem. Messiah the Prince (capital P) comes at 62 + 7 = 69 weeks or 483 years but is cut off, leaving 7 more years until the fulfilment of the 490 years. As we shall see, we can prove to the very day that Jesus is the Messiah the Prince killed at 69 weeks.

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 

After he is killed, the people of the prince (little p), who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The people of the prince to come we now know are the Romans. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. Remember Rome is the 4th Beast and the Antichrist eventually emerges as the little horn of the 4th beast right at the end of history before Jesus comes again. 

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

The prince who will come, the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many for one week, that is 7 years. So again, the prophecy confirms that the coming prince is the Antichrist, not Jesus, and is from the same people who destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD.

A few years ago I read “The Coming Prince” by Sir Robert Anderson which is the book to read concerning the Daniel 9 prophecy of the Messiah being cut off at 69 weeks. Sir Robert was also the author of more than 20 other books but even more interestingly, he was the Assistant Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard) from 1888-1901 at the time of the Ripper murders which occurred from August 31st - November 9th 1888.

Sir Robert became Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard on 28th August just 3 days before the first murder on 31st August 1888.

But on doctors orders, Sir Robert had to immediately go on holiday in Switzerland between 7th September and 6th October just before the 2nd Ripper Murder occurred on September 8th.

During that time, there were 3 other victims. This prompted Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren to appoint Chief Inspector Donald Swanson to coordinate the enquiry from Scotland Yard. 

The Coming Prince was published in 1894 which means that the work on the book was hampered by the high profile nature of the investigation into the Ripper murders. Much of The Coming Prince was written late at night after "overtime" official work. 

To those who doubt whether Sir Robert was able to do both jobs of writing a great book and being the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, the records show that crime decreased in London during that period. Daniel’s enemies criticised him too but the fact was that the Lord was with Sir Robert just like he was with Daniel and he was knighted upon retiring in 1901. 

The amount of work that Sir Robert put in to writing such a detailed book as The Coming Prince without the aid of internet and fast travel was utterly phenomenal. Being such a highly ranked Police Officer, he brought the highest level of investigative detailed research and quality that few either then or now could match. Sir Robert was an expert on prophecy because he did the research and put it all together piece by piece. 

So there was to be 483 years between the time the edict is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes and is killed. We can prove that Jesus is the Anointed One killed, fulfilling part 1 of the prophecy. 

The edict to rebuild Jerusalem was 14th March 445 BC

Nehemiah’s version

And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?” Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

Nehemiah 2:1-6 

So the edict was issued in the month of Nisan in the 20th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes. It is commonly accepted that the 1st of Nisan is the day the King’s edict was made. This ties in with the new moon when the Jews celebrate the New Year and is logical that the King would make an edict for the Jews on that day. The 1st of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes was March 14th, 445 B.C. This new moon date was confirmed to Sir Robert by the British Royal Astronomer in 1877 which means that research for his book was in progress for many years before he was appointed Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard. When you consider the timing of the start of the Jack the Ripper murders, no doubt Satan wanted to stop that book ever being published!

When was Palm Sunday, the date that Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem as King? First of all Jesus ministry begun between 28 AD and 29 AD just before Passover. We can determine that from

Luke 3:1-3

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar* Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 

*Tiberius reign began 14 AD 

Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 

Luke 3:23 

Sir Robert assumed a ministry of 3 years plus however many months between 19th August 28 AD (Tiberius start of reign) and the 1st Passover in 29 AD until his last when he was crucified. 

Using proofs from John it is commonly accepted that Jesus’s ministry lasted about 3 years. In John's Gospel, Jesus attended three annual Passover feasts (John 2:13; 6:4; 11:55-57). At the shortest, His ministry could have been 2½ years. 

However it is almost certain there was a 4th Passover during Jesus’s ministry. By the time of the first Passover mentioned in John 2:13, Jesus had already been baptised, spent 40 days being tempted in the wilderness, had started preaching in various towns and villages (Matthew 4:17), selected His first followers (John 1:35-51), performed His first miracle at Cana in Galilee (John 2:1-11), and traveled to Capernaum north of the Sea of Galilee (John 2:12). These efforts would have covered the course of several months, adding enough time to easily fit the 3½ years mentioned above. 

Checking the Passover of 32 AD therefore and asking the Royal Astronomer again, Sir Robert found that the Last Supper night of the Passover in 32 AD was a full moon on the night of 14th Nisan (Thursday 10th April). Because of the full moon, Judas and those who came to arrest Jesus were able to find him quietly without torch light so that the people were not alarmed to what was happening. 

All of this means that Palm Sunday was 6th April 32 AD fulfilling the Daniel prophecy of the 483 years to the very day. 

The calculation of 483 years based on the Jewish Calendar of 360 days per year = 173,880 days.

Anderson wrote: "The Julian date of that 10th Nisan was Sunday the 6th April, A.D. 32. What then was the length of the period intervening between the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the public advent of 'Messiah the Prince,' -- between the 14th March, B.C. 445, and the 6th April, A.D. 32 THE INTERVAL CONTAINED EXACTLY AND TO THE VERY DAY 173,880 DAYS, OR SEVEN TIMES SIXTY-NINE PROPHETIC YEARS OF 360 DAYS, the first sixty-nine weeks of Gabriel's prophecy." 

This meant Jesus was crucified on Friday 11th April in 32 AD.

Now there’s going to be the odd sceptic who will say you can’t be 100% sure of the exact start date of the 490 years, therefore it’s wrong. Well the start date is definitely within 30 days and the end date coincides exactly so I would argue that is far beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus is the Messiah who was killed based on the extremely low probability of it not being correct. I’ll leave that up to you to decide for yourself.

But that accounts for only 483 of the 490 years, there remains another 7 years of further punishment to complete the 490 years of punishment as per the Daniel 9 prophecy. Some may argue that the 7 years of WWII have already fulfilled this prediction since it was halfway through the war that the Nazis began deporting the Jews to Concentration Camps and the holocaust really started. And after the Holocaust and WWII came the establishment of Israel in 1948. The Coming Prince indeed contains some remarkable prophetic statements about the establishment of Israel at a time when the Jews were still scattered everywhere around the world. 

However, the fact is that Jesus has not returned yet so we are still waiting for the final fulfilment of Daniel 9. And that’s the thing. When you read the Daniel 9 passage which is prophesying Palm Sunday, you inevitably end up talking about the end times because Jesus made the connection when his disciples asked him when the end times will come in Matthew 24. 

Matthew 24:15-16

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’* spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

*Daniel 9:27

Sometimes in scripture there is a near fulfilment of prophecy and another far fulfilment. It’s true that The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD which Jesus himself prophesied; 

Luke 21:20-24

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.

This is what the Romans did in 70 AD and the Jews became exiles and captives all over the World. Jerusalem will be trampled until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

We can see the Western World is crumbling and the times of the Gentiles is coming to an end. Soon the door will be closed to the Gentiles so we must be earnest to enter through the narrow gate, to accept the invitation to the wedding feast, before it is too late.The prophecy then switches to supernatural type events just before Jesus comes on the clouds.

Luke 21:25-28

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

It was perhaps the greatest tragedy the world has ever known that on that exact date when Jesus fulfilled the 69 weeks, that Jerusalem rejected him. 

Jesus knew that he would be rejected and killed because of the Daniel 9 prophecy. Therefore his ministry wasn’t one of someone about to take power. Rather he prepared the people for life in the kingdom before he would finally reign. We would have to learn to turn the other cheek. We would have to forgive so that we can be forgiven. We would have to learn what it takes to take up our cross and follow him. The years to come would be tough so he taught with illustrations, like a sower sows his seed rather than a king laying down the law. The final results would not be seen until he comes in power a second time. But his return was to be delayed as he emphasised in his parables. 

Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, in peace. He could have come in power but he chose to come humbly. In these times of the Gentiles, God does not act in power as he did in the days of Moses for example but that is because we are in the age of Grace. But Revelation speaks of a coming time when the Lord will move in power and judgment and that will be a time of terror! So we should have a healthy fear of the Lord! 

You don’t know the circumstances and arrangements that the Father has made to bring you here today to hear this message. And if Jesus is calling you today to come follow him and you reject him like Jerusalem, you may never get another chance just like they never got another chance. 

Daniel 9 Part 1

Let’s continue on with our series on Daniel. First let’s recall some  important notes that will help us this week.

In chapter 2, all the magicians, sorcerers and wise men of Babylon were threatened with execution if they could not both tell and interpret the disturbing dream of Nebuchadnezzar. So Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, otherwise known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego prayed together and the dream of the statue with it’s gold head, silver chest and arms, it’s belly and thighs of bronze, it’s legs of iron and it’s feet of iron and clay and the interpretation were revealed to Daniel. 

At the end of Chapter 5 we learned that the Babylonian empire fell under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar in 539 BC when God passed judgement on him through the writing on the wall and on that very night, the Medes and Persians invaded the seemingly impregnable city of Babylon, killing Belshazzar and making Darius the regent of Babylon at the age of 62. This ended the Babylonian empire represented  by the gold head in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and brought in the silver arms and chest that represented Medo-Persian empire.

However we learned in Chapter 7 through the dream Daniel had, that Heaven has an opposite perspective on these same 4 empires as seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the impressive statue. Instead the 4 empires are inhumane Beasts. They get more grotesque and fearsome as history progresses.

We discovered that the ancient Babylonian harlot religion described in Revelation 17 has never gone away. Incredibly, the ancient throne of Satan mentioned in the letter to the Pergamon church was moved to a museum in Berlin in 1930 and is still open today. This throne was an inspiration for Adolf Hitler and even though Hitler was defeated, a one world religion of tolerance is emerging in our lifetimes and this should be another warning to us to get ready for the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Last week, we learned in Daniel 8 a little bit more detail of the Medo-Persian empire with Daniel’s vision of the ram with 2 horns and of the goat with the 1 horn that became 4 representing the Greek empire, the first horn being Alexander the Great who died at the young age of 32 at the peak of his powers. We noted that the Greek Empire was important to the rapid spread of the Gospel throughout Asia and Europe in early Church history because Greek was the common  language as a result of the Greek conquests. We also learned some more about the coming Antichrist who will emerge in the latter times when sin is at it’s worst in history. As the Antichrist emerges, the Ancient of Days is seated ready to judge and the Son of Man who we now know is Jesus Christ the Son of Man, Son of God who will come on the Clouds to slay the Antichrist and establish his reign on earth with the saints of God to inherit the greatness of his kingdom which will be forever. Amen !

Now let’s turn to Daniel 9.

Daniel 9:1

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans

 Darius was the son of King Ahasuerus. That reminded me that a certain King Ahasuerus was mentioned in the book of Esther so I looked him up.

Esther 1:1-4

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia), in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel, that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him— when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all.

The party lasted 6 months and was basically a continuous drink fest. At the party, King Ahasuerus replaced his Queen Vashti with Esther as his wife after Vashti refused to come and parade herself before the other partygoers. 

Let’s join some dots. If Darius was the son of Ahasuerus and 62 years old when he became regent of Babylon, there is a very high probability that as the royal son, Darius would have known Esther very well growing up. In fact there is a Jewish tradition that Esther was Darius’s mother. Certainly his age is a pointer to this being true.

Also note that the throne of King Ahasuerus was based in  Shushan. Last week when we heard about Daniel’s dream of the ram and the goat, we heard that he had the dream while he was visiting Shushan. 

All of this might explain why Darius treated Daniel with favour and had the great concern for Daniel’s welfare we saw in Chapter 6 with the story of Daniel and the Lions Den. He would have not been able to say but if Darius was half Jewish, it explains a lot.

See the work of God in making all the connections that would fulfil his promise to the Jews after seventy years of captivity in Babylon. Who of us can tell how events in far off places will work for the good of believers far into the future.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Daniel 9:2

— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. 

Daniel had seen the fall of Babylon and he remembered the prophecy of Jeremiah long ago. His hope was renewed by recent events. They had been made captive and brought to Babylon in 605 BC and it was now 539 BC so they had been there about 66 years at this point.

Daniel read the words of Jeremiah and his eyes lit up. Our hope is renewed when we read prophecy and see it coming true in our lifetimes. Daniel had not had an easy life remember. He had been taken captive when he was a teenager and now he was an old man in his 80’s, still a prisoner in a foreign land. He’d been thrown to the lions and faced other very difficult trials. Daniel remembered what Jeremiah had written about these dark years.

Jeremiah 25:8-13

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. ‘Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the Lord; ‘and I will make it a perpetual desolation. So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations.

Notice that Jeremiah’s prophecy concerns all the nations. That means it is important for us in New Zealand to pay attention. Our nation would do well to learn from Daniel’s response.

Daniel read again that it was going to be 70 years of very tough punishment from God. That’s a long time to be sorry ! A simple apology doesn’t always fix things. Some times we think life is unfair and not working out as hoped but we are not home yet ! Just remember it’s not all roses, there are thorns too. God is working in your life too and even if it is a difficult life, God is doing far greater things than you can know so we ought to remain faithful to him just like Daniel. The Lord is faithful to his promises. Daniel remembers that the 70 years is nearly over, there’s not long and they will be free. 

Jeremiah 29:10-14

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

Daniel read they would be free but he also read they needed to pray, to call on the Lord and seek him with all their heart. 

How was Daniel able to persevere through such trials being a prisoner for 70 years? Daniel was faithful to the Lord because Daniel was a man of prayer. That was the key. May the Holy Spirit give us all the grace we need to be men and women of prayer so we can remain faithful to the Lord throughout the entirety of our lives just like Daniel.

Daniel didn’t assume everything would be alright without a change in himself. He recognised that he needed to change.

Daniel 9:3-7

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 

Notice how Daniel included himself with his people. He didn’t think he was better than anyone else. He realised all have fallen short of the lives we should be living including himself. I also have sinned.

We look forward to Jesus coming again to release us from our captivity. But maybe we also need to take a sober look at ourselves. Instead of being happy that his captivity would soon be over, Daniel felt great sorrow instead and acknowledged things needed to change in his nation, even in himself. And Daniel was as godly a man as there has ever been !

Despite being a very godly and faithful man, he felt sorrow remembering that as a people, himself included, they had not followed the Lord like they should and instead done evil instead. Living in this world, we don’t always recognise how much we have become like it. We’ve absorbed the culture, we watch the same movies, listen to the same music, we have not separated ourselves and lived holy lives like we know we should.

Israel had forgotten about what the prophets said. We also can neglect to read our Bibles daily. We also can easily forget what the Lord said would happen in the future. If we remember and watch, we can see like Daniel, the Lord’s promise coming true. It is as in the days of Noah right now.

It wasn’t just in Babylon where the Jews were captive away from home. They were not free in the Medo-Persian territory either which went from Ethiopia to India. Haman had persecuted the Jews in Esther’s time as well. Sometimes we need to take an honest stock of where our lives are at. What is the honest truth about New Zealand at the moment. Are we truly Godzone right now?

Daniel 9:8-15

“O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem. “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though 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 made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly! 

Confessing and repenting of our sins is not the part of being a Christian we like to do. It doesn’t make us feel good. We don’t want others to know we have done wrong or even that we’re  not as good as they think. The world calls it imposter’s syndrome and tells you to ignore the feeling. It is really difficult to be honest with ourselves and others, that we have been wicked and deserve God’s judgement. But Daniel goes on to say the good news. 

Daniel 9:16-19

“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” 

Only according to the Lord’s righteousness and mercy, nothing to do with our deeds. I appreciate what our government are trying to do but I don’t think a budget will fix our nation’s woes. If the nation repents it may not be too late, not because we are good but because the Lord is good and merciful.

Daniel 9:20-24

Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 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: “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. 

At last some good news, Heaven responds to Daniel’s prayer. Have you ever had an encouraging word from the Lord when you were seeking the Lord  but feeling at your worst? Repenting and putting his faith in the Lord’s mercy is why the Angel was sent by God to tell Daniel he was loved and freedom was coming. We also need to acknowledge we’re not good and put our trust in what Jesus did for us by dying on the Cross for our sins. Not because we are good but because He is good and merciful. 

Wait just a minute though! Daniel was expecting that they would soon be free after 70 years of captivity. What are these 70 weeks until the Everlasting Righteousness that the Angel talked about. Are they the same thing?

To be continued next week…