HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1152
D A N IEL 1 0
page 782
“So now the solemn curses and
judgments written in the Law of Moses, the
servant of God, have been poured down on
us because of our sin. 12 You have kept your
word and done to us and our rulers exactly
as you warned. Never has there been such a
disaster as happened in Jerusalem. 13 Every
curse written against us in the Law of Moses
has come true. Yet we have refused to seek
mercy from the Lord our God by turning
from our sins and recognizing his truth.
14 Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us
the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God
was right to do all of these things, for we did
not obey him.
— promises —
from God
“You always . . . keep your
promises of unfailing love
to those who love you and
obey your commands.”
DA N I E L 9:4
15 “O Lord our God, you brought lasting
honor to your name by rescuing your people
from Egypt in a great display of power. But
we have sinned and are full of wickedness.
16 In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord,
please turn your furious anger away from
your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain.
All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem
and your people because of our sins and the
sins of our ancestors.
17 “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer!
Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord,
smile again on your desolate sanctuary.
18 “O my God, lean down and listen to
me. Open your eyes and see our despair.
See how your city—the city that bears your
name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not
because we deserve help, but because of
your mercy.
19 “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord,
listen and act! For your own sake, do not
delay, O my God, for your people and your
city bear your name.”
Gabriel’s Message about the Anointed One
20 I went on praying and confessing my sin and
the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord
my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. 21 As
I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the
earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time
of the evening sacrifice. 22 He explained to me,
“Daniel, I have come here to give you insight
and understanding. 23 The moment you began
praying, a command was given. And now I am
here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can
understand the meaning of your vision.
24 “A period of seventy sets of seven* has been
decreed for your people and your holy city to
finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin,
to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting
righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision,
and to anoint the Most Holy Place.* 25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus
sixty-two sets of seven* will pass from the time
the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until
a ruler—the Anointed One*—comes. Jerusalem
will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses,*
despite the perilous times.
26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven,*
the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to
have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will
arise whose armies will destroy the city and the
Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war
and its miseries are decreed from that time to the
very end. 27 The ruler will make a treaty with the
people for a period of one set of seven,* but after
half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices
and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible
deeds,* he will set up a sacrilegious object that
causes desecration,* until the fate decreed for
this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Daniel’s Vision of a Messenger
In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia,* Daniel (also known as
Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain
to happen in the future—times of war and great
hardship.
2 When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had
been in mourning for three whole weeks. 3 All
that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or
wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
4 On April 23,* as I was standing on the bank
of the great Tigris River, 5 I looked up and saw
a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of
pure gold around his waist. 6 His body looked
like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms
and feet shone like polished bronze, and his
voice roared like a vast multitude of people.
7 Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with
10
9:24a Hebrew seventy sevens. 9:24b Or the Most Holy One.
9:25a Hebrew Seven sevens plus sixty-two sevens. 9:25b Or
an anointed one; similarly in 9:26. Hebrew reads a messiah.
9:25c Or and a moat, or and trenches. 9:26 Hebrew After
sixty-two sevens. 9:27a Hebrew for one seven. 9:27b Hebrew
And on the wing; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
9:27c Hebrew an abomination of desolation. 10:1 The
third year of Cyrus’s reign was 536 b.c. 10:4 Hebrew On the
twenty-fourth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew
lunar calendar. This date in the book of Daniel can be
cross-checked with dates in surviving Persian records and
can be related accurately to our modern calendar. This event
occurred on April 23, 536 b.c.