Prophecy - 20

Dan 9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and 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
Dan 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.


Gabriel touched Daniel as he prayed right about the time of the evening oblation. Gabriel was familiar to Daniel, it was Gabriel who came to him at the beginning. It was Gabriel who had been told to give Daniel understanding before, and stopped short of giving a full understanding because time needed to pass to suit the Lord's design.


How much time passed between the vision and Gabriel RETURNING to bring more understanding?


Various historians have come up with different answers to this over the many, many years since that time. Some believing that it was a quick succession from Belshazzar and Darius-


Dan 8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
Dan 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans


But the truth is Cyrus took over directly after Belshazzar/Nabonious. This is history here and we MUST look at history. History cannot be rewritten. History cannot be altered to suit OUR purposes. History is what it is and God's design is perfect in His prophecies and their fulfillments.


Factually from all I could discern in my own studying using the vast internet resources available this is what I found--


550 BC - 3rd yr Belshazzar
521 BC - 1st yr Darius


Between those two happenstances were 29 years.


Now like I said, others have come up with 11 years and still others no time at all, just 3rd year of Belshazzar and then immediately 1st year of Darius. When we read the Biblical account and then history it's not readily discerned how they go hand in hand, but we need to remember that for the sake of prophecy here what comes to pass DOES come to pass. What was said to have come to pass, came to pass.


There is only one pinpoint here of concern about the time passing and it's not really a concern so much as an interesting point to look at.


The 2300 day prophecy in Daniel 8 that Daniel was unable to comprehend and left sick after not understanding is something that we need to discuss.


Is that 2300 days literal- 2300 days?
When we read about the vision in the case of the 2300 days it means- evening and mornings NOT evening to evening. Evening and morning is a half day not a full day. So are 2300 days really 1150 full days which equals 3.194 years? Or are they 2300 literal days which equals 6.38 years? OR… are they 2300 prophetic days- a day for a year being 2300 years?


Looking back at history with the passing of years between Daniel's vision and Gabriel returning to give understanding 3.194 years AND 6.38 years passed and that vision of 2300 days was NOT fulfilled. Daniel was still captive in Babylon, Jerusalem was still desolate, the sanctuary was still not rebuilt to even be cleansed. Daniel was looking at Jeremiah's prophecies and knew that it wasn't time for the 70 years to be up yet. Daniel knew that and he wanted understanding about that 2300 days, and you know I don't blame him. It troubled so that it made him sick for a bit. Then there were several years between the angel Gabriel's visits. Remember the angel Gabriel was the angel that herald Jesus' birth! This was an important angel, and this was a VERY important prophecy. So many things point to its importance and we have to pray earnestly for understanding, just as Daniel prayed. Let's continue on now and read what Gabriel came to reveal to Daniel about the prophecy.


Dan 9:22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Dan 9:23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.


Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.


Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.


Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.


Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.


Did you read all that? If not please go back and read it, it's soooooo important!


Just for the sake of doing so jump now to verse 26 and read that again --


Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.


'SHALL THE MESSIAH BE CUT OFF'


The MESSIAH! We know who the Messiah is, we know that He was 'cut off and not for himself'. Gabriel was revealing this to Daniel in the year 521 BC!!! The very angel who would in the future herald the Messiah's birth was prophesying of His death!


There is so much incredible information here! So much and we can understanding it by the grace of God.


What year was Jesus 'cut off'?


Date of the Crucifixion- let's look at some scriptures.


Joh 2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem
Joh 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Joh 6:4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
Joh 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.


Going up to Jerusalem for the Passover feast was something very important for the Jews. There is mention in the book of John of four Passover feasts. At the last Passover, our Savior was crucified.


Jesus began His ministry in 27 AD then there was--
1 Passover John 2:13
2 Passovers John 5:1
3 Passovers John 6:4,
4 Passovers John 13:1.


27 AD- Ministry began
1st 28 AD
2nd 29 AD
3rd 30 AD
4th 31 AD


Christ was crucified in 31AD


Now because there is so incredibly much for us to comprehend here we are going to take this in baby steps.

For now we've seen that this prophecy of Daniel's is super important. The angel Gabriel the same angel who was there to announce the Savior's birth was the angel bringing the understanding to Daniel. The message Gabriel was bringing contains a lot of time references and one of those reference was the Messiah being cut off- the Savior's death. We need to find some time references to figure this all out and that is one of them.


Tomorrow when we continue our study we will delve deeper into this VERY important prophecy, all by the grace of God.


It's the love of God that matters above all and God would have us know His love, know His will. People think that life is just a fluke, that things that happen do so willy nilly without any rhyme or reason. God has a purpose for us all and I know, I know that people will start citing occurrence after occurrence of things that make absolutely no sense to them, no reason they can fathom for them happening and so because they don't know the reasons they believe there can't be a reason. God knows. God has all the reasons and because we don't means nothing at all whatsoever. What God allows us to know is very important and if we choose to ignore it we do so at a risk to ourselves.


Please Lord help us! Help us to understand your will in all things! We need your love, your forgiveness, your mercy, your grace! Please Lord, please.



Amen.