DANIEL — LESSON 12

Scriptures for Lesson 12 are taken from Daniel 9, Ezra 1, and Nehemiah 2.

In Daniel Lesson 11, we studied the first part of chapter 9 where Daniel had been reading the prophecy of the prophet, Jeremiah. Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would be in exile for seventy years. Knowing that the seventy years of exile were about over, Daniel went to God in prayer asking what would happen to Israel after their exile. God then sent the angel, Gabriel, to give Daniel the answer to his prayer.

[Daniel 9:20-23] (20) While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill — (21) while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. (22) He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. (23) As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:

As soon as Daniel began to pray, God heard him. Gabriel said that Daniel was highly esteemed. God was pleased with Daniel’s life, his worship and his prayer. God sent His angel Gabriel to tell Daniel what will happen to Israel when the seventy years of exile end.

[Daniel 9:24] (24) “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

In verse 24, Gabriel gives a summation of the answer to Daniel’s prayer. Israel is about to be released from their seventy years in exile, but their punishment for sin is not over. God established Israel as His people for a reason. They had a twofold mission: to be an example and a teacher for the rest of the world about God and to bring forth the Messiah. This prophecy of the seventy weeks tells how long it will be before Israel is right with God. Daniel asked God in his prayer what would happen to Israel and this is God’s answer. The length of time is seventy weeks times seven. The weeks are years, so that makes seventy years times seven which makes a total of 490 years.

Before we go to the next two verses I would like to discuss the number 7. In scripture, 7 is the number for completeness. The number 3 stands for God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, the triune God. The number for man is 4. Therefore, man is complete with God: 3 + 4 = 7. All through the Bible the number 7 stands for completeness, perfection.

[Daniel 7:25] (25) “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens, and sixty-two sevens. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.

From the time the word is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. We have two time periods here. When the seventy years of captivity is over, the Jews will be released by the King of the Medes and the Persians.

[Ezra 1:1-4] (1) In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: (2) “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. (3) Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. (4) And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.

The prophecy of Jeremiah the prophet is fulfilled at the end of the seventy years of exile. God moved the heart of King Cyrus to release the Israelites and let them go home. He also proclaimed that they should go back to Jerusalem, all those who chose to, and they should build a house for the God of Israel which would be the temple. Those Israelites who chose to stay there were help those who went back to Jerusalem by giving them silver, gold, animals and other goods for an offering for the house of God. This took place about 536 BC. Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David and Jeshua the High Priest led a over 42,000 Jews back to Jerusalem and began to rebuild the temple.

[Nehemiah 2:1-6] (1) In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, (2) so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (4) The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, (5) and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” (6) Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

Nehemiah is an Israelite who has the very high position of Cup Bearer to King Artaxerxes, King of the Persians. The best way to get rid of a king in ancient times was to poison him. The men who served the king’s drink and food were highly trusted and valued. When the king noticed Nehemiah’s sad countenance, he asked what Nehemiah wanted from him. Nehemiah requested permission to leave the king’s service for a period of twelve years (Nehemiah 5:14). During that time he wanted to go to Jerusalem and see that the city and the walls and gates were rebuilt. It was in the king’s interest to see this work accomplished because Jerusalem was in his territory and he collected taxes from them. If the city was fortified and productive it would mean more income for him. The date for this event is generally accepted to be 445BC. From the time Artaxerxes gave the decree for Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem until the city was rebuilt is “7 weeks times 7” which is 49 years. This generally fits the historical time table.

[Daniel 9:26-27] (26) After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. (27) He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on Him.”

This is the beginning of the prophecy where Gabriel sums it up in one sentence. After seven sevens or seventy weeks of years which is 490 years, then Israel’s atonement for wickedness will be at an end. They will once again be right with God.

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