Daniel’s Devotion (Part 7)

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Welcome Back! Let’s continue our study of “Daniel’s Devotion” from God’s Word…

Daniel’s Devotion (Part 7)

In the ninth chapter of Daniel's prophecy – chronologically following chapter 6 – this ancient Jewish prophet is approximately 85 years old and had just come under the rule of the Medo-Persian Empire after seventy years under the Babylonians. This information helps us to discern and learn that Bible prophecy is the determining factor in where we are on God's "prophetic time-clock" of human history!

Here we find Daniel had “understood by the books” from his own devotional time of reading God's Word:

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 9:2

Daniel was reading from the book of Jeremiah  Jeremiah 29:10 and 25:11, where the prophet Jeremiah – almost one hundred years before the fact – revealed that the Jews would be out of the land of Israel for a seventy year period of time so that the " whole land” of Israel could get it's " seventy years” of Sabbath rest:

And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years – Jeremiah 25:11

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 – Jeremiah 29:10

By reading God's Word Daniel could determine where he was in God's time-table of history. We see here in chapter 9 that once Daniel realizes where he was in God's "prophetic time" he confessed his sins, the sins of his people and seeks the Lord's direction for his life. In fact, there is not one single negative word said about Daniel any place in the entire Bible! There is, however, a "commendation" from the heavenlies for Daniel:

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 – Daniel 9:23

God gives Daniel a glimpse into the future with the prophecy of the "seventy weeks” of Daniel:

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. 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. 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 – Daniel 9:24

God has a "special plan" – the “seventy weeks” (490 years). God has a "special place" – the Holy City of Jerusalem. And God has a "special people" – the Jewish people!

We see here that the Lord also set the exact time when the Messiah would appear incarnate on the earth:

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. 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 – Daniel 9:25-26

The time for the appearance of the Messiah would be after 69 of the "70 Weeks" – 483 of the 490 years of Daniel's prophecy. This timing would be from when King Artaxerxes – of Nehemiah's day – who gave the command to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and streets of the city in April 445 BC. This timing would extend until the crucifixion of Jesus in April of 30 AD. This passage actually lays out for us when the Messiah would arrive in Jerusalem! In fact, Daniel even added information about the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

This prophecy pin-pointed the exact time that Jesus Christ the Messiah would be crucified – "cut off " – and that it had to happen before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, which was completed by the Roman army. These two verses set the time for the appearance of the Messiah’s first advent on earth. Jesus Christ fulfilled every prophetic detail, proving He was the Messiah and that He arrived “right on time” according to Bible prophecy.

Daniel then describes to the student of Bible prophecy the period of time known as the "The Great Tribulation" with more specifics surrounding the Lord's return:

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 – Daniel 9:27

There are three elements in this passage that must fit within the “seven years” and will actually come to fulfillment within the first three and one half years of The Great Tribulation judgment on the earth leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ – back to the Earth. The first element will be the appearance of a One-world ruler known by twenty-seven different names during his short reign in the Tribulation period. Here are a few of these names:

The "little horn" – Daniel 7:8

The ”prince who is to come" – Daniel 9:26

The "willful king" – Daniel 11:36

The "false Christ" – Matthew 24:24

The "Beast out of the sea" – Revelation 13:1

The "man of sin,” the "son of perdition" and the "wicked one" – 2 Thessalonians 2

But the most familiar name of this man is that which the Apostle John refers to him… The “Antichrist” – 1 John 2:18 

This "world dictator” will appear on the Earth as a result of the revival of the old Roman Empire and will come to power and "confirm a covenant" between the Jews and their Gentile neighbors – the "many" noted by Daniel. Notice that the Antichrist will not "sign" a peace treaty but will "confirm" one already on the negotiation table – but are not currently “working.” Today there are three such treaties that Israel has signed and are waiting to be "confirmed" – forced to work. In fact it is the "confirmation" of this treaty that starts the clock ticking on the seven year Tribulation period.

The last element in the beginning of the Tribulation is the Jewish Temple. The “Antichrist” will perform the "abomination of desolation" in this Temple as he walks into the "Holy of Holies" and claims himself to be God as foretold by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. By the way, all preparations have been made for the building of the Tribulation Temple that the Antichrist will desecrate during the “seven years” of judgment. That Temple is ready to be built – any day soon!

Remember: Jesus Christ will then build His Kingdom Temple after His return to earth where He will rule and reign for 1000 Years as King of kings and Lord of lords!

All the prophecies of Daniel referring to the Lord's first coming and what would happen were fulfilled in every detail. And fulfilled prophecy sets the stage for yet future Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. Keep watch on the "special people" of God – the Jewish people and  the "special place" of God – Jerusalem, to discern where God is on His prophetic time clock…

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued investigation of Daniel’s Devotion…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><