Plymothian

Having been introduced to the author, the Book of Revelation now focuses on the one who gives the Revelation.  Jesus, in this passage does not come across as gentle Jesus meek and mild.  Jesus in this passage has a sword coming from his mouth which represents justice.  This is a large, two-edged Thracian sword.  It’s not a small Roman gladius.

Jesus’ eyes are burning, which shows his penetrating insight and his hair is white which shows wisdom and dignity.  There is about Jesus a general radiance that is dazzling.

Remember, whenever we are awed by the special effects of a movie where the theatre trembles and the screen blinds us in amazing 3D, we always have our minds telling us this is not real.  In the immersive reality of a vision all the senses are excited and the vision is ‘real’ in a more total sense.  Watching King Kong on a screen has us laughing and gasping.  If we were face to face with a giant gorilla we would wet our pants as we ran for cover.  Reading about the glorified Christ leaves us a little cold, but we must allow ourselves to begin to see that it is the reality of this vision that threw John to the ground dead.

The spiritual reality of the risen Christ was watching keenly the actions of the early church.  Although he loved them he also judged tem with a fearsome, holy righteousness.

Revelation 1:9-20

 ⁹ I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,^[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

   ¹⁹ “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels^[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Questions

1. What descriptors of himself does John use to show his comaraderie with the members of the churches of Asia Minor?
2. How do descriptors of Jesus elevate him to a god-like status?
3. How does this passage set up Jesus’ judgement of the churches?
4. Verse 19 is often seen as an outline to the book.  Chapter 1 is what we have seen, chapters 2 and three are what is now, and chapters 3-22 is what is to come.  How would you agree or disagree with this?
5. What is the point of your learning about Revelation except for your own personal amusement or safety?

Going Deeper

How do pictures like these help?  How do they hinder?

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The book of Revelation is addressed to the Seven Churches in Asia.  Asia was a province of the Roman empire in the modern country of Turkey and the seven churches are really quite close to each other.  The author wants to encourage the churches but in order to drive his message home, John shows that this message comes from the Alpha and Omega.  The power of the descriptors and the use of terms for Jesus and God shows that the author sees that Jesus is God.  The apocalyptic imagery drawn from Daniel and Zechariah also reinforce the power of the introduction.

Revelation 1: 4-8

⁴John,

   To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

   Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits^[a] before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

   To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

⁷ “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”^[b]    and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”;    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”^[c]            So shall it be! Amen.

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Questions

1. To whom was the Book of Revelation written?
2. What words describe the author?
3. How do Zechariah 2:4, 10 inform the passage?
4. Do you see Jesus as God?
5. How would you view a letter sent to you from him?

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Since the opening of the book suggests that we are blessed by reading the book out loud and explicitly says that those who hear the book are blessed, I read the book to my household in one sitting.  They went about their lives and paid little head as the seven trumpets sounded and seven bowls of God’s wrath were poured out.  I thought the four horses of the apocalypse might have turned a head, but the tables needed dusting and house guests were to arrive within the hour.  There were more important things to do.

I am being somewhat facetious, but I think it illustrates something.  We often think, when we are focused, how can an apocalypse occur and no-one notice.  If it wasn’t for film makers we wouldn’t have known much about the plights of Vietnam and Cambodia in the twentieth century.  Band Aid once made us care at Christmas about the starving in Africa.  Even now, though, 26,000 children per day die of preventable causes according to a 2008 we have our apocalypse.  However, while the chaotic, destructive forces of war ravage countries we don’t care about, economic pressures destabilize continents, and people still die of AIDS.  We have compassion fatigue, we are busy and distracted, each person cares about their own kingdom.

As we look at the ground in front of us it is ignorant of how our neglect and our determined defiance helps to move into place a series of circumstances which will end at Armageddon.  Apocalyptic literature (Daniel, Zechariah, Revelation) pulls back our heads so that we see the hand of God at work in the vast scope of history.

After reading the Book of Revelation in one sitting I was busy – I had an appointment to have a massage to lessen my pain.

The students I teach sometimes call the last book of the Bible ‘Revelations’, or ‘The Book of Revelations’.  This might seem like the small addition of an ‘s’.  However, the whole book is one revelation of Jesus Christ to John the Apostle.  The book reveals a different Jesus than the Jesus of Good Friday.  The Jesus of Good Friday was victorious and John emphasises the in his gospel.  However, the glorified Jesus who is a conquering king is revealed fully in the Book of Revelation.  In effect, the veil between the physical and spiritual realities are pulled back and we see Jesus in a way that causes unmixed worship.

Revelation 1:1-3

¹ The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Questions

1. What does the Book of Revelation reveal and from whom?
2. How was Jesus’ revelation communicated?
3. How is one blessed by the book according to this passage?
4. How has the Book of Revelation blessed you?
5. How could reading the book bless you now?

My small group wanted to look at Daniel and Revelation.  The theme of both books is basically the same:  God is in control, or God wins out in the end.  In both books the people the book was delivered to would be in serious doubt as to whether God was really in control of anything.  In the case of the Book of Revelation Roman persecution was on the rise and many of God’s people were losing their lives for not worshipping the emperor.  John was exiled to Patmos, a Greek Isle.  He lived an exceptionally long time and wrote this book after a vision in about 95 A.D.

The book is written in the apocalyptic genre.  Like Daniel, the imagery is highly symbolic. For example the number 7 shows completeness. In many cases the book tells us what the symbolism represents, but in many cases we must use our imagination.  Using our fallen imagination can result in a level of understanding, but we can not be overly dogmatic.  Some people have seen symbolic portrayal of nuclear war and helicopters, others think that the events of Revelation have already happened.  The main four interpretations of Revelation are:

1. Preterist:  Everything has happened.
2. Historicists:  The book lays out an overview of history as a whole.
3. Futurists:  The book is mostly set in the End Times.
4. Idealists:  The book relays events that occur in cycles at various times.

I am in the futurist camp.

Questions

1. Who wrote Revelation?
2. When was it written?
3. Why was it written?
4. What kind of writing is it?
5. What are the four modes of interpretation of Revelation?

Going Deeper

Not how an artist like Prince writes his song 7 in an apocalyptic style.  He draws heavily from the kind of imagery Revelation is written in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnN2OQWQxkY&feature=related

Truly apocalyptic literature is found rarely in the Bible.  however, the two books which communicate it most are Daniel and Revelation.  As we move into Revelation it would be good to review Daniel and see how the language is used.  Use these questions to guide you.

1. What kind of animals are used to represent people and peoples?
2. What role does the sea play?
3. How are angels utilized in the book of Daniel?
4. How does Daniel feel upon receiving these visions?
5. What numbers were mentioned and why?

In Daniel 11 and 12 an extensive overview of the development of Greek dominion in the Ancient Near East is overviewed.  The timeline is increasingly unclear as we read through the chapters and at the end we seem to be looking beyond the tyrranical reign of  Antiochus IV and into the future.  In fact the passage seems to look to the End Times and foresee the Antichrist and the resurrection of the dead.  In Jewish theology the fate of the dead was not well developed in the Old Testament.  Daniel is very clear that Daniel’s eternal fate is secure.

God is therefore seen as ultimately sovereign.  He rules the events of history as they unfold and he rules the future.  Ultimately he rules eternity and in the light of eternity the fate of the wise and righteous far outshines the fate of the follish and evil.

Daniel 11 & 12

 ¹And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)

The Kings of the South and the North

² “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. ³ Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. ⁴After he has arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.

⁵ “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power. ⁶ After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power^[a] will not last. In those days she will be betrayed, together with her royal escort and her father^[b]and the one who supported her.

⁷ “One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. ⁸ He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone. ⁹ Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. ¹⁰His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.

¹¹ “Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. ¹² When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. ¹³For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.

¹⁴ “In those times many will rise against the king of the South. Those who are violent among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. ¹⁵ Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will be powerless to resist; even their best troops will not have the strength to stand. ¹⁶ The invader will do as he pleases; no one will be able to stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land and will have the power to destroy it. ¹⁷ He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans^[c] will not succeed or help him. ¹⁸ Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back on him. ¹⁹After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.

²⁰“His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.

²¹ “He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue. ²² Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. ²³ After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. ²⁴When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time.

²⁵ “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. ²⁶ Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. ²⁷ The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. ²⁸The king of the North will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.

²⁹ “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. ³⁰Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

³¹ “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. ³²With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

³³ “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. ³⁴ When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. ³⁵Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

The King Who Exalts Himself

³⁶ “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. ³⁷ He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. ³⁸ Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. ³⁹ He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.^[d]

⁴⁰ “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. ⁴¹ He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. ⁴² He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. ⁴³ He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites^[e] in submission. ⁴⁴ But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. ⁴⁵ He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at^[f] the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

 ¹ “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise^[a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. ⁶One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”

⁷ The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time.^[b]When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”

⁸I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”

⁹ He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

¹¹ “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ¹²Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

¹³ “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

Questions

1. Which empires are in view here?
2. Why do you think there is such a focus on the intertestimental (between the Old and New Testament) period?
3. How does the passage look to the distant future?
4. How does the promise of heaven after death affect people?
5. How do we think of God managing history and people making free choices?

In Daniel 10 an angel appears and is scary.  He is majestic, but he is scary.  Angels really were objects of fear in the Old Testament.  When an angel brought a message it struck fear into the heart of the listener.  In the season of small girls hoisted by ropes over a manger scene, it would be good to remember the awesome beings that they represent.  Angels are majestic, fearsome and powerful.  When one brings a message from God we are to take note.  Daniel was awe struck.  When we see Mary meeting an angel in the nativity, we should be awestruck too.

Daniel 10

¹ In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war.^[a]The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.

² At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. ³I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, ⁵ I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

⁷ I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. ⁹Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.

¹⁰ A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

¹² Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

¹⁵ While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. ¹⁶ Then one who looked like a man^[b] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. ¹⁷How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”

¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. ¹⁹“Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”

   When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”

²⁰ So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; ²¹ but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.

Questions

1. How is the angel described?
2. How does Daniel react?
3. How does the angel prepare Daniel?
4. How are angels represented today?
5. How should we talk about angels in everyday conversation?

The seventy weeks in Daniel nine is a point of controversy.  It is generally agreed that the weeks represent years and so we are talking of 70 weeks of years or 70×7=490 years.  After that accusations of sophistry, conspiracy and blasphemy start flying. I am a dispensationalist and the dispensationalist interpretation makes sense to me.

From the time when Israel cried out until the time of the Messiah’s death (cutting off) would be 483 years.  From the cutting off to the final week is a time undetermined.  The resumption is one year of weeks, which is seven years.  So in the end an apocalyptic period of seven years is in view.  This timeline has been popularized by Left Behind, but it is not the only view on this passage.

The NIV Application commentary says that these prophetic numbers only really make sense to God and should not be pressed to hard; http://www.daniels70weeks.com/ gives another perspective.  The thrust of the passage and the book as a whole can get lost in the debate.  The overall theme is, “God is in control”.  If that is obscured and we beat each other up and malign each other over the 70 weeks issue, it is a terrible testimony to our petty divisions.

Daniel 9:25-27

²⁵ “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,^[f] 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. ²⁶ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.^[g] 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.’^[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’^[i] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple^[j] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Questions

1. What events happen before the Anointed One comes?
2. What does the Anointed One achieve?
3. What is set up in the temple?
4. Do you believe the last part of this prophecy is future or past?
5. What difference does it make?

Time for Repentance

Some people believe that Daniel 9 doesn’t really fit with the rest of the book.  It is not a simple story like Daniel 1-6 and it is not prophecy like many of the latter chapters.  It contains a little prophecy but it is primarily a response to teh seventy years of exile foretold by the prophet Jeremiah.  In effect, Daniel realises that the time of return to Israel or Judah has come about and that a contrite heart is needed for God to do his work.

The chapter follows the patterns of Deuteronomy.  deuteronomy says that if the people depart from God he will eventually lead them into exile and slavery.  However, if they repent he will bring them back.  Daniel sees that it is time to repent.

Daniel 9 

¹ In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes^[a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian^[b] kingdom— ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. ³So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

 ⁴I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:

   “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. ⁶We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

 ⁷ “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. ⁸ We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, LORD, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰ we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. ¹¹All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.

   “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. ¹² You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. ¹³ Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. ¹⁴The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

 ¹⁵ “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. ¹⁶Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

 ¹⁷ “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

The Seventy “Sevens”

 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. ²³As 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:

 ²⁴ “Seventy ‘sevens’^[c] are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish^[d] 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.^[e]

 ²⁵ “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,^[f] 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. ²⁶ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.^[g] 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.’^[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’^[i] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple^[j] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him”.

Questions

1. Who has become the ruler of Babylon?
2. Which biblical book has Daniel been reading?
3. What is Daniel’s response to his reading?
4. How should reading prophecy affect our prayer lives?
5. Pray a prayer of repentance for your nation.