9.0- Daniel's Vision by the Tigris River

In Daniel 10 and Daniel 11 verse 1 we read:

1 In the third year that Cyrus was emperor of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who is also called Belteshazzar. The message was true but extremely hard to understand.  It was explained to him in a vision.

2 At that time I was mourning for three weeks. 3 I did not eat any rich food or any meat, drink any wine, or comb my hair until the three weeks were past. 

4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month of the year I was standing on the bank of the mighty Tigris River. 5 I looked up and saw someone who was wearing linen clothes and a belt of fine gold.

6 His body shone like a jewel. His face was as bright as a flash of lightning, and his eyes blazed like fire. His arms and legs shone like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar of a great crowd.

7 I was the only one who saw the vision. Those who were with me did not see anything, but they were terrified and ran and hid. 8 I was left there alone, watching this amazing vision. I had no strength left, and my face was so changed that no one could have recognized me. 9 When I heard his voice, I fell to the ground unconscious and lay there face downward. 10 Then a hand took hold of me and raised me to my hands and knees; I was still trembling.

11 The angel said to me, “Daniel, God loves you. Stand up and listen carefully to what I am going to say. I have been sent to you.” When he had said this, I stood up, still trembling.

12 Then he said, “Daniel, don't be afraid. God has heard your prayers ever since the first day you decided to humble yourself in order to gain understanding. I have come in answer to your prayer.   13 The angel prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief angels, came to help me, because I had been left there alone in Persia. 14 I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the future. This is a vision about the future.”

15 When he said this, I stared at the ground, speechless. 16 Then the angel, who looked like a human being, reached out and touched my lips. I said to him, “Sir, this vision makes me so weak that I can't stop trembling. 17 I am like a slave standing before his master. How can I talk to you? I have no strength or breath left in me.”

18 Once more he took hold of me, and I felt stronger. 19 He said, “God loves you, so don't let anything worry you or frighten you.”

When he had said this, I felt even stronger and said, “Sir, tell me what you have to say. You have made me feel better.”

20-21 He said, “Do you know why I came to you? It is to reveal to you what is written in the book of Truth

Now I have to go back and fight the guardian angel of Persia. After that the guardian angel of Greece will appear. There is no one to help me except Michael, Israel's guardian angel.

He is responsible for helping and defending me.

8.3- Discussion of Daniel 9, verse 27

<<< Verse 27: Suddenly appears here “the ruler”, which is the antichrist. The jump Daniel makes here to the end of times is also the division between the 69 “yearweeks” and the seventieth “yearweek”.

The reason for this long time span is because it concerns here the restoration of all of Israel. See verse 7 of this chapter: “This is true of all of us who live in Judea and in Jerusalem and of all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far because they were unfaithful to you”. This period of time between the 69 “yearweeks” and the seventieth “yearweek” is called in the bible: “The time of the gentiles”. See also Luke 21 verse 24 where we see that a fixed time is set for the heathen to attack Jerusalem: “Some will be killed by the sword, and others will be taken as prisoners to all countries; and the heathen will trample over Jerusalem until their time is up” And also Revelations 11 verse 2:”But do not measure the outer courts, because they have been given to the heathen, who will trample on the Holy City for forty-two months”. ….These 42 months are those of the “Great Tribulation”, which will start immediately after the antichrist breaks the peace pact he had set up, including with Israel. 

This firm pact is the treacherous pact the antichrist will have at the beginning of the last “yearweek”, or 7 years.

In the midst of this, by God fixed period of 7 years, he will show his real nature and bring great evil to Israel by destruction and also ending the daily offering. See also Daniel 8 verse 11: “It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple”. And also Dan. 11verse 31: “Some of his soldiers will make the Temple ritually unclean. They will stop the daily sacrifices and set up The Awful Horror”, and Matt. 24 verse 15: “You will see ‘The Awful Horror’ of which the prophet Daniel spoke. It will be standing in the holy place”, ….. and more verses such as in 2Thess. 2: 3 and 4, Rev. 13: 3 and 4 and 12-15, Rev. 16: 2, and Daniel 12: 11.

The antichrist will continue his awful destruction and devastation for the time God has prepared for him. After this time of great tribulation, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, will return. See Matthew24 verse 29-31: “Soon after the trouble of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other”.  ….. This will mean the end of the seventh week, or last seven years, as seen by Daniel in his vision. 

8.2- Discussion of Daniel 9, verses 25 and 26

>>>Verse 25: Basically, at the time from 536-457 B.C., the Israelites were a group of people with no real government, city, or well defined country. It wasn't until Artaxerxes came to the throne in 464 B.C., that we actually see them starting to rebuild the city. The time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem occurred in approximately 457 BC. See Nehemiah 2 verse 1-8, where we read:  “One day four months later, when Emperor Artaxerxes was dining, I took the wine to him. He had never seen me look sad before, so he asked, “Why are you looking so sad…………...“What is it that you want?” …… and then I said to the emperor, “……..  let me go to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city.” The emperor, with the empress sitting at his side, approved my request…………….. I asked also for a letter to the keeper of the royal forests, instructing him to supply me with timber for the gates of the fort that guards the Temple, for the city walls, and for the house I was to live in. The emperor gave me all I asked for, because God was with me”. The rebuilding of the city took 49 years. The restoration is finished in approximately 408 BC, 49 years later. (-457 + 49= - 408).    

62 “yearweeks” later (=434 years in reality,-> 62 times 7= 434), Jesus Christ arrives as Messiah in the year 27 AD, approximately.

During all of the years that Jerusalem existed, until the arrival of the Messiah, the Jews have been suffering under the Persians, the Greek, the Seleucids, The Ptolemy’s, the Maccabees, the Romans, such that this has been “a time of troubles” as is mentioned at the end of this verse.

>>> Verse 26: The 69 “yearweeks” bring us at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross.  This is the time mentioned in this verse saying that :  God's chosen leader, (the Messiah), will be killed unjustly”, and there is nothing that can be said against Him.

See John 15 verse 25: “This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true: They hated me for no reason at all.” And also Isaiah 53 verse 5: “But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did” 

The destruction of Jerusalem took place in 70 AC., however not without God’s permission, See Romans 8 verse 20: For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope……” This is the hope for the New Jerusalem. 

8.1- Discussion of Daniel 9, verses 20-24

>>> Verses 20-23: From the moment that Daniel began to plead with God, He already answered him. God wants to be prayed to. See Ephesians 6 verse 18: “Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people”.

In the beginning of verse 20 it says: “I (Daniel) went on praying”….  Our prayers are as “gold bowls filled with incense”, to His honor. See Rev. 5 verse 8: “As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people”. See also Rev. 8 verses 3 and 4: “Another angel, who had a gold incense container, came and stood at the altar. He was given a lot of incense to add to the prayers of all God's people and to offer it on the gold altar that stands before the throne. The smoke of the burning incense went up with the prayers of God's people from the hands of the angel standing before God”

Verse 21 says that it was the “time for the evening sacrifice to be offered”. God always acts at the time of - (and on the basis of) - the evening sacrifice. This of course speaks of Golgotha, where Jesus died towards the evening. See also 1 Kings 18 verse 29: “They kept on ranting and raving until the middle of the afternoon; but no answer came, not a sound was heard”. Only after that, in the evening, Elijah set about repairing the altar of the Lord.

>>> Verse 24: The 70 years, about which Daniel prayed in verse 2, and where it says that he “was studying the sacred books and thinking about the seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins “, are now being explained by Gabriel. It is important to understand the relation between verse 2 and verses 24 – 27: Because, as the 70 years of exile relate to the 490 years of iniquity (not celebrated Sabbath rests), these 70 years also speak about the coming 490 years- (70 “sevens” of yearweeks)- , in which all the iniquities are being reconciled. These iniquities include those of the whole nation of Israel, and not only the Jews. In this verse it says: “Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established”. This is prophecy of the time when all sin will be ended and the eternal kingdom of the Messiah is being installed. 

8.0- Gabriel Explains the Prophecy

In Daniel 9 verses 20 through 27 we read:

20 I went on praying, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel and pleading with the Lord my God to restore his holy Temple.   21 While I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying down to where I was. It was the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered. 22 He explained, “Daniel, I have come here to help you understand the prophecy. 23 When you began to plead with God, he answered you. He loves you, and so I have come to tell you the answer. Now pay attention while I explain the vision. 

24 “Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil. Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established, so that the vision and the prophecy will come true, and the holy Temple will be rededicated.

25 Note this and understand it: From the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until God's chosen leader comes, seven times seven years will pass. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, and will stand for seven times sixty-two years, but this will be a time of troubles. 26 And at the end of that time God's chosen leader will be killed unjustly.  The city and the Temple will be destroyed by the invading army of a powerful ruler. The end will come like a flood, bringing the war and destruction which God has prepared. 27 That ruler will have a firm agreement with many people for seven years, and when half this time is past, he will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him.”

7.3 – Discussion of Daniel 9 verses 12-19

>>> Verses 12 and 13: Verse 12 explains that God punished Jerusalem more severely than any other city on earth.   It says in verse 13 that God gave them the punishment described in the Law of Moses. We can see what this means in Leviticus 26 verses 18, where it says: ……….”I will increase your punishment seven times”, verse 24: “……..and punish you seven times harder than before”, verse 28: “…………again make your punishment seven times worse than before”, verse 34/35: “Then the land will enjoy the years of complete rest that you would not give it; it will lie abandoned and get its rest while you are in exile in the land of your enemies”. Several times we see mentioned the term “seven times” This refers to the number of 7 times 70 not celebrated Sabbath rests, or 490 years.   See also Daniel 9 verse 24: “Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil”. God Himself brings the time of calamity over His disobedient people.

>>> Verse 14-19: Daniel recognizes that God’s justness is also in his punishment. He prays according to the will of God and in accordance with Leviticus 26 verse 40-42: “But your descendants will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors, who resisted me and rebelled against me, and caused me to turn against them and send them into exile in the land of their enemies. At last, when your descendants are humbled and they have paid the penalty for their sin and rebellion, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and with Isaac and with Abraham, and I will renew my promise to give my people the land”. Reading these verses, Daniel trusted that the Lord would remember the covenant He made. This is the same as Moses did in Exodus 32 verses 9-14, where it says: “I (the Lord) know how stubborn these people are. Now, don't try to stop me….. and I am going to destroy them…...”But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God and said, “Lord, …………..change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people.   Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember the solemn promise you made to them to give them as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and to give their descendants all that land you promised would be their possession forever.” So the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened”.

We see that the covenant God made with Abraham is being referred to repeatedly, as the bases for God’s decision to forgive his people.

7.2 – Discussion of Daniel 9 verses 4 – 11

>>> Verses 4-6: Daniel prays for Israel on the basis of God’s covenant with them: The covenant with Abraham, see Gen. 12verse 7: “The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “This is the country that I am going to give to your descendants.” Then Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him”, and Gen. 15 verse 18: “Then and there the Lord made a covenant with Abram. He said, “I promise to give your descendants all this land from the border of Egypt to the Euphrates River”. This covenant was broken by the people from Israel.

>>> Verses 7-11: Daniel recognizes that God always does what is right and that all of Israel refused to listen to what He said.  It should be noted that Daniel includes all of Israel, comprising the ten tribes. They had been deported to Assyria already in around 722 BC, and they have never returned until today. See 2 Kings 17 verses 22 and 23: “They followed Jeroboam and continued to practice all the sins he had committed, until at last the Lord banished them from his sight, as he had warned through his servants the prophets that he would do. So the people of Israel were taken into exile to Assyria, where they still live”.

The end of their exile will be at the same time as the time of the conversion of Judah. See Ezekiel 37 verses 15-24: “…….I will unite them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. They will have one king to rule over them, and they will no longer be divided into two nations or split into two kingdoms………… “ And also 1 Kings 11 verses 1-13: “…...And I will not take the whole kingdom away from him; instead, I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have made my own”. We see that the division, as decided by God, will be over at the end of times, simultaneously with the conversion of Judah.  Also we can conclude that Daniel knew of this division of the 10 tribes and Judah with Benjamin, in two parts.