23<\/strong>. the commandment came forth<\/em> ] a word went forth<\/strong> (cf. Est 7:8<\/span>; Isa 55:11<\/span>). The reference is not to the commandment given to Gabriel to go to Daniel, but to the Divine declaration contained in Dan 9:24-27<\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n to shew thee<\/em> ] to<\/em> declare<\/strong> (it): cf. on Dan 2:2<\/span>.<\/p>\n greatly beloved<\/em> ] greatly desired<\/strong>, or (R.V. marg.<\/em>) very precious<\/strong>: lit. desirable things<\/em> or desirablenesses<\/em>; cf. Dan 10:11<\/span>; Dan 10:19<\/span>, ‘a man of desirablenesses,’ the plural being intensive [333] .<\/p>\n [333] For the Heb. idiom here employed cf. Psa 109:4<\/span>; Psa 110:3<\/span>: and see Ges.-Kautzsch, 141 c.<\/p>\n The cognate verb means to desire<\/em> (Psa 19:10<\/span>; Exo 20:17<\/span>, ‘covet’); and when applied to men has usually reference to their personal attractiveness (Isa 53:2<\/span>; Psa 39:11<\/span>, ‘his desirableness,’ A.V., R.V., ‘his beauty’). The word here used, properly desired<\/em>, is elsewhere rendered precious<\/em> (2Ch 20:25<\/span>; Ezr 8:27<\/span>; Dan 11:43<\/span>), or pleasant<\/em> (Dan 10:3<\/span>; Dan 11:38<\/span>): hence R.V. marg.<\/em> ‘very precious.’<\/p>\n understand consider<\/em> ] R.V. consider understand<\/em>. The two words in the Heb. are different forms of one and the same verb: R.V. transposes the renderings, probably on the ground that ‘understanding’ implies more than ‘consideration,’ and would naturally follow it.<\/p>\n the matter<\/em> ] the<\/em> word<\/strong> (Dan 10:1<\/span>), i.e. the prophetic word following (Dan 9:24-27<\/span>).<\/p>\n the vision<\/em> ] Dan 8:16<\/span>; Dan 8:27<\/span>, Dan 10:1<\/span>. Also a term descriptive of the revelation following, and implying that the appearance of Gabriel to Daniel took place in a vision. The word ( ) is not the one found in Isa 1:1<\/span> ( ), which does sometimes mean no more than ‘prophecy’.<\/p>\n At the beginning of thy supplications – <\/B>We are not informed at what time Daniel began to pray, but as remarked above, it is most natural to suppose that he devoted the day to prayer, and had commenced these solemn acts of devotion in the morning.<\/P> The commandment came forth – <\/B>Margin, word. That is, the word of God. This evidently means, in heaven; and the idea is, that as soon as he began to pray a command was issued from God to Gabriel that he should visit Daniel, and convey to him the important message respecting future events. It is fair to conclude that he had at once left heaven in obedience to the order, and on this high embassage, and that he had passed over the amazing distance between heaven and earth in the short time during which Daniel was engaged in prayer. If so, and if heaven – the peculiar seat of God, the dwelling-place of angels and of the just – is beyond the region of the fixed stars, some central place in this vast universe, then this may give us some idea of the amazing rapidity with which celestial beings may move. It is calculated that there are stars so remote from our earth, that their light would not travel down to us for many thousand years. If so, how much more rapid may be the movements of celestial beings than even light; perhaps more than that of the lightnings flash – than the electric fluid on telegraphic wires – though that moves at the rate of more than 200,000 miles in a second. Compare Dicks Philosophy of a Future State, p. 220. During the few minutes employed in uttering this prayer, says Dr. Dick, this angelic messenger descended from the celestial regions to the country of Babylonia. This was a rapidity of motion surpassing the comprehension of the most vigorous imagination, and far exceeding even the amazing velocity of light. With such a rapidity it may be our privilege yet to pass from world to world on errands of mercy and love, or to survey in distant parts of the universe the wonderful works of God.<\/P> And I am come to show thee – <\/B>To make thee acquainted with what will yet be.<\/P> For thou art greatly beloved – <\/B>Margin, as in Hebrew, a man of desires. That is, he was one whose happiness was greatly desired by God; or, a man of Gods delight; that is, as in our version, greatly beloved. It was on this account that his prayer was heard, and that God sent to him this important message respecting what was to come.<\/P> Therefore understand the matter – <\/B>The matter respecting what was yet to occur in regard to his people.<\/P> And consider the vision – <\/B>This vision – the vision of future things which he was now about to present to his view. From this passage, describing the appearance of Gabriel to Daniel, we may learn,<\/P> (a) That our prayers, if sincere, are heard in heaven as soon as they are offered. They enter at once into the ears of God, and he regards them at the instant.<\/P> (b) A command, as it were, may be at once issued to answer them – as if he directed an angel to bear the answer at once.<\/P> (c) The angels are ready to hasten down to men, to communicate the will of God. Gabriel came evidently with pleasure on his embassage, and to a benevolent being anywhere there is nothing more grateful than to be commissioned to bear glad tidings to others. Possibly that may be a part of the employment of the righteous forever.<\/P> (d) The thought is an interesting one, if we are permitted to entertain it, that good angels may be constantly employed as Gabriel was; that whenever prayer is offered on earth they may be commissioned to bring answers of peace and mercy, or despatched to render aid, and that thus the universe may be constantly traversed by these holy beings ministering to those who are heirs of salvation, Heb 1:1<\/span>, Heb 1:4<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Dan 9:23<\/span><\/p>\n At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Dawn of Revival, or Prayer Speedily Answered<\/strong><\/p>\n Prayer is useful in a thousand ways. It is spiritually what the old physicians sought after naturally, namely, a catholicon–a remedy of universal application. There is no case of need, distress, or dilemma, in which prayer will not be found to be a very present help. In the case before us Daniel had been studying the book of Jeremiah, and had learned that God would accomplish seventy weeks in the desolation of Jerusalem, but he felt that there was still more to be learned, and he set his face to learn it. His was a noble and acute mind, and with all its energies he sought to pry into the prophetic meaning; but he did not rely upon his own judgment; he betook himself at once to prayer. Prayer is that great key which opens mysteries. To whom should we go for an explanation if we cannot understand a writing, but to the author of the book? Daniel appealed at once to the Great Author, in whose hand Jeremiah had been the pen. In lonely retirement the prophet knelt upon his knees, and cried unto God that he would open up to him the mystery of the prophecy, that he might know the fall meaning of the seventy weeks, and what God intended to do at the end thereof, and how He would have His people behave themselves to obtain deliverance from their captivity. Daniel made his suit unto the Lord to unloose the seals and open the volume of the hook, and he was heard and favoured with the knowledge which he might have sought for in vain by any other mean. The particular point in the text to which I would direct your attention is that Daniels prayer was answered at once, while he was yet speaking, ay, and at the beginning of his supplication. It is not always so. Prayer sometimes tarrieth like a petitioner at the gate until the king cometh forth to fill her bosom with the blessings which she seeketh. The Lord when He hath given great faith, has been known to try it by long delayings. If it pleases Him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall He not do as He wills with His own? Beggars must not be choosers either as to time, place, or form, We must not take delays in prayer for denial; Gods long-dated hills will be punctually honoured; we must not suffer Satan to shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers. However, in the case of Daniel, the man greatly beloved, there was no waiting at all. In Daniels case the promise was true, Before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear. The man Gabriel was made to fly very swiftly, as though even the flight of an angel was hardly swift enough for Gods mercy. Oh, how fast the mercy of God travels, and how long his anger lingers! Fly, said He, bright spirit, try thine utmost power of wing! Descend to my waiting servant and fulfil his desire. <\/p>\n For thou art greatly beloved<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A Man Greatly Beloved<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel was alike eminent as a prophet of the Lord and as a man of piety and goodness. His piety was enlightened, decided, and persevering. He had, doubtless, his infirmities; but nothing is alleged against him. <\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>The inflexible constancy with which he adhered to the service of Jehovah. No honours could win him from his allegiance to the true God; no dangers could deter him from openly maintaining and professing the true religion. <\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>He was s man of prayer. Such firm and determined adherence to true religion as his could be kept alive only by regular and intimate intercourse with Heaven. He prayed frequently. He prayed in a right spirit–this is seen in his just views of God; in his deep humiliation before God; and in the earnestness of his pleadings. <\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>He was eminently faithful in discharging the duties of his exalted station. The insidious acts of designing men could not impeach his integrity, or darken the lustre of his character. This fidelity and honesty in his office were indeed the natural effects of his eminent piety. Religion is the only sure foundation for the regular and faithful performance of the duties of our office and station in society. Principles of honour, and prudence, and self-interest properly understood, will often go far in leading to fidelity in secular trusts; but religious principles will enable men to resist greater temptations, and be more uniformly and perfectly upright than any inferior motive. If our religion has not a similar influence upon us, to that his religion exerted on Daniel, it is vain and insincere. Faith in God necessarily leads to right conduct towards mankind. <\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>Daniel was distinguished by the pious and patriotic interest which he took in the welfare of his countrymen. Every Jew, indeed, had something of this feeling. In a particular manner, however, were these the sentiments and feelings of Daniel. His views on national matters were of a more enlightened and spiritual character than those of his countrymen in general. He saw that the glory of God and the interests of true religion were intimately connected with the re-establishment of Israel. This made him so peculiarly ardent in the cause of his people, and led him to use all the influence of his exalted station, and all the might or power which he possessed with God, that Zion might no longer be a desolation. Patriotism is a feeling honourable to the character. But how is that feeling hallowed and exalted when we feel that, with the prosperity of our country, the glory of God and the everlasting interests of mankind are most intimately connected. <\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>He was greatly beloved of God. All the people of God, indeed, are the subjects of His affection. But, in addition to this, He bears to everyone of them a love of complacency founded on the amiable and holy qualities with which they are endowed by the Spirit of grace. No privilege is more amazing than that with which Daniel was favoured. Gabriel was despatched from Heaven with an ample answer to his prayer, and a pointed assurance that he was a special favourite of Heaven. <\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Daniel was greatly beloved of men. It is natural to us to desire the esteem and friendship of men, and the gratification of that desire is, in no slight degree, conducive both to our usefulness and our happiness. And this did Daniel enjoy in no ordinary measure. Then <\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> Imitate the conduct and character of Daniel. Like him, be steadfast in the faith. Like him, be men of prayer. Like him, discharge with fidelity the duties of your station. Like him, be solicitous for the good of the Israel of God. <\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> Remember that, if you resemble Daniel in character, you shall also be like him in privilege. You shall be in favour with God and man. (James Kirkwood<\/em>.)<\/p>\n The commandment came forth:<\/B> this thing was decreed before in Gods counsel; but not divulged, or ordered to be proclaimed, till Daniel petitioned. <\/P> Greatly beloved, <\/B>Heb. a man of desires<\/I>, i.e. dear to God, Luk 1:28<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n 23. At the beginning of thysupplications,<\/B> c.The promulgation of the divine decree wasmade in heaven to the angels as soon as Daniel began to pray. <\/P> came forth<\/B>from thedivine throne so Da 9:22<\/span>. <\/P> thou art greatlybeloved<\/B>literally, “a man of desires” (compareEze 23:6<\/span>; Eze 23:12<\/span>);the object of God’s delight. As the apocalyptic prophet of the NewTestament was “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” so theapocalyptic prophet of the Old Testament was “greatly beloved”of God. <\/P> the vision<\/B>the furtherrevelation as to Messiah in connection with Jeremiah’s prophecy ofseventy years of the captivity. The charge to “understand”is the same as in Mt 24:15<\/span>,where Rome primarily, and Antichrist ultimately, is referred to(compare Note,<\/I> see on Da9:27<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n At the beginning of thy supplications<\/strong>,…. As soon as ever he began to pray. This circumstance shows how ready the Lord is to hear the prayers of his people; and yet it was not owing to the prayers of the prophet, and to any intrinsic virtue or merit in them that the Lord did what he afterwards declares should be done; and, besides, more is revealed and promised than Daniel asked for:<\/p>\n the commandment came forth<\/strong>; either the order from the Lord to the angel, dispatching him on this errand to the prophet, to acquaint him with his mind and will; or the proclamation of Cyrus, to let the people of the Jews go free, and go up to Jerusalem to build their city and temple, published that morning, just about the time Daniel began to pray, the seventy years’ captivity being completely finished; see Da 9:25<\/span>:<\/p>\n and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved<\/strong>; or, “art desires” p; all desire, exceedingly desired; very lovely, amiable, and delightful, in the sight of God, and all good men: or, “that thou art greatly beloved” q; thus the angel came from God, out of heaven, to show it to him, to make it appear that he was highly in the favour of God, in that he made known his secrets to him:<\/p>\n therefore understand the matter<\/strong>; or “word” r; attend to the word; advert to the form of speaking used, and labour to get the knowledge of it:<\/p>\n and consider the vision<\/strong>; this vision, as Japhet; the following vision or prophecy of the seventy weeks; think of it well, as being a matter of great importance and consequence.<\/p>\n p “desideria”, Michaelis; “vir desideriorum”, Pagninus, Munster, Piscator; so Ben Melech. q “quod dilectus tu sis”, Cocceius; “quod desideria tu sis”, Michaelis. r “in verbo”, Montanus; “verbum”, Pagninus; “ipsum verbum”, Junius Tremellius “sermonem”, Cocceius.<\/p>\n Here the angel not only exacts docility from the Prophet, but also exhorts him to greater attention. We shall afterwards perceive that this singular and extraordinary prophecy needed no common study. This is the reason why the angel not only commands Daniel to receive his message with the obedience of faith, but also to pay greater attention than usual, because this was an important and singular mystery. He states first of all — the word went forth from the time when the Prophet began to pray I will not delay by reciting the opinions of others, because I think I understand the genuine sense of the passage; namely, God heard the prayers of his servant, and then promulgated what he had already decreed. For by the word “went forth” he expresses the publication of a decree which had formerly been made; it was then issued just as the decrees of princes are said to go forth when they are publicly spread abroad. God had determined what he would do, directly Daniel had ceased, for God’s counsel would never fail of its accomplishment; but he here points out the impossibility of the prayers of his saints being in vain, because he grants them the very thing which he would have bestowed had they not prayed for them, as if he were obedient to their desires, and approved of their conduct. It is clear enough, that we can obtain nothing by our prayer, without God’s previous determination to grant it; yet these points are not contrary to each other; for God attends to our prayers, as it is said in the Psalms, — -He performs our wishes, and yet executes what he had determined before the creation of the world. (Psa 145:19<\/span>.) He had predicted by Jeremiah, (Jer 25:11<\/span>,) as we have remarked before, the close of the people’s exile in seventy years; Daniel already knew this, as he related at the beginning of the chapter, yet he did not relax in his prayers, for he knew that God’s promises afford us no ground or occasion for sloth or listlessness. The Prophet, therefore, prayed, and God shews how his desires were by no means vain as they concerned the welfare of the whole Church. He next states — the word went forth as soon as Daniel began to pray; that is, as soon as he opened his lips he was divinely answered. He afterwards adds, he came to make this known, because, says he, thou art a desirable man Some take the word “desirable” actively, as if Daniel glowed with intense zeal; but this is forced and contrary to the usage of the language. Without doubt, the Prophet uses the word in the sense of acceptance with God, and the majority of interpreters fully agree with me. The angel therefore announces his arrival on behalf of Daniel, because he was in the enjoyment of God’s favor. And this is worthy of notice, for we gather from the passage the impossibility of our vows and prayers acquiring favor for us before God, unless we are already embraced by his regards; for in no other way do we find God propitious, than when we flee by faith to his loving-kindness. Then, in reliance upon Christ as our Mediator and Advocate, we dare to approach him as sons to a parent. For these reasons our prayers are of no avail before God, unless they are in some degree founded in faith, which alone reconciles us to God, since we can never be pleasing to him without pardon and remission of sins. We observe also, the sense in which the saints are said to please God by their sometimes failing to obtain their requests. For Daniel was subject to continual groaning for many years, and was afflicted by much grief; and yet he never perceived himself to have accomplished anything worthy of his labors. he might really conclude all his labor to be utterly lost, after praying so often and so perseveringly without effect. But the angel meets him finally and testifies to his acceptance with God, and enables him to acknowledge that he had not suffered any repulse, although he had failed to obtain the object of his earnest desires. Hence, when we become anxious in our thoughts, and are induced to despair through the absence of all profit or fruit from our prayers, and through the want of an open and immediate answer, we must derive this instruction from the angel’s teaching, Daniel, who was most acceptable to God, was heard at length, without being permitted to see the object of his wishes with his bodily eyes. He died in exile, and never beheld the performance of the Prophet’s prophecies concerning the happy state of the Church, as if immediately preparing to celebrate its triumphs. At the end of the verse, as I have already mentioned, the angel stimulates Daniel to greater zeal, and urges him to apply his mind and all his senses attentively to understand the prophecy which the angel was commanded to bring before him. It now follows, — <\/p>\n (23) The commandment.<\/strong>The marginal version is to be preferred, which points to the revelation which follows Dan. 9:24-27<\/span>. The title greatly beloved occurs again (Dan. 10:11<\/span>; Dan. 10:19<\/span>). It implies that Daniel was worthy of this proof of Gods love. St. Jerome compares (2Sa. 12:25<\/span>) Jedidiah.<\/p>\n 23<\/strong>. <\/strong> The word from God came forth <\/strong> at the beginning of Daniel’s prayer, and before the prayer was ended the angelic messenger had reached the supplicant with his divine revelation of comfort (Dan 9:20<\/span>). It was not the answer Daniel had hoped for, but it was a better answer. He had asked for a proof of God’s mercy in a speedy deliverance from Babylon; the answer brings the news of continuing sorrows and persecutions but of a final and heavenly triumph. <\/p>\n Therefore understand the matter <\/strong> Rather, therefore consider the word and give heed to the vision. <\/em> This “word” is the larger explanation of Daniel’s former vision (Dan 8:2-16<\/span>) with which God had intrusted Gabriel at the opening of this prayer (Dan 9:20<\/span>). Jehovah had really sent to Daniel long ago the answer to his present petition, and relief for all his sadness, but he had not been able, through lack of attention or through physical exhaustion (Dan 8:27<\/span>), to understand the divine answer.<\/p>\n “At the beginning of your supplications the word went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.”<\/p>\n Gabriel assures him that ‘the word went forth’ for the fulfilment of his hopes right from the beginning of his prayer. He was not heard for his much speaking but because of the graciousness of God towards a beloved servant. The idea of ‘the word going forth’ is powerful. God makes His decree and sends forth His word to bring it about. The exact phraseology is paralleled in Dan 9:25<\/span>. Thus Dan 9:25<\/span> must also be seen in similar terms. The word that goes forth there, is the word that has gone forth here. It is God’s word bringing about His purpose (compare Isa 55:11<\/span>). We are not therefore left to hazard as to when the seventy sevens commences. It commences in 539\/8 BC in the first year of Darius the Mede, when Daniel put forth his intercession for the rebuilding of the city and the Temple.<\/p>\n Here we learn the vital lesson that God’s response is prompt and not dependent on the volume of our prayers, as Jesus Himself would make clear (Mat 6:7-8<\/span>). But Daniel had not wasted his time. It had brought him nearer to God. Now he would learn what God was going to do in the future. His prayer had been the final touch to the prayers of all the faithful throughout the world. And he was to hear, and consider and understand.<\/p>\n The Great Vision.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n We have come now to what is probably one of the most crucial passages in eschatology. It is the passage on which is based the idea of the ‘seven year’ tribulation, a concept which must be very seriously questioned. The Bible knows nothing of a seven year tribulation period, for as we shall see it is not in mind here, and the suggestion of seven years occurs nowhere else. And yet it is pivotal to many schemes. On the other hand this passage in Daniel is often also interpreted to fit in with those schemes with scant regard to the niceties of the Hebrew in this passage. I would therefore suggest that in view of the importance of the passage the first thing that we need to ask ourselves is, ‘what does the Hebrew actually say?’ And as we look at these verses that will be the first priority that we keep in mind.<\/p>\n So as a preliminary to our study let us consider some of the niceties of the Hebrew, and the first one that leaps to our attention is that the word for ‘prince’ in both cases is nagid. Elsewhere Daniel uses a number of words for ‘prince’ but the only time that he uses nagid is when he is speaking of an Israelite prince, a ‘prince of the covenant’ (Dan 11:22<\/span>). And in Dan 9:25<\/span> it is also clear that it is an Israelite prince that is in mind. The only possible ambiguous use is in Dan 9:26<\/span> where it speaks of ‘the prince who is coming’. But as the coming of a prince (nagid) has been mentioned in Dan 9:25<\/span> it seems reasonable to see ‘the coming prince’ in Dan 9:26<\/span> as the same prince, that is, as the one previously referred to in Dan 9:25<\/span> as coming, and thus as an Israelite prince. There are, however, those who seek to make it signify an foreign unknown prince who is coming. But if the latter was intended why did Daniel not use sar as he normally does?<\/p>\n This is especially so in that, outside Daniel, nagid as a title is a regular term for the anointed rulers of Israel. It is only once used in the singular of a ruler outside Israel, and then specifically of him as an ‘anointed one’, probably in ironic contrast to the son of David. Let us consider the facts.<\/p>\n From the earliest days nagid was a regular term applied to rulers of Israel, to Saul, David and Solomon (1Sa 9:16<\/span>; 1Sa 10:1 ; 1Sa 13:14<\/span>; 1Sa 25:30<\/span>; 2Sa 5:2 ; 2Sa 6:21<\/span>; 2Sa 7:8<\/span>; 1Ki 1:35<\/span>) and to early rulers of Israel and Judah after Solomon (1Ki 14:7<\/span>; 1Ki 16:2<\/span>; 2Ki 20:5<\/span>) . Saul was anointed ‘nagid’ (1Sa 9:16<\/span>; 1Sa 10:1<\/span>). David was to replace him as ‘nagid’ (1Sa 13:14<\/span>), as David himself acknowledged (2Sa 6:21<\/span>). And it was a title of honour recognised by others (1Sa 25:30<\/span>; 2Sa 5:2 ; 2Sa 6:21<\/span>; 2Sa 7:8<\/span>) And even though David later saw Solomon as king, he still recognised that in his becoming king Solomon would be appointed ‘nagid’ (1Ki 1:35<\/span>). God was King, each king was His chosen nagid, His anointed representative and war leader. It will further be noted that in all the verses except one (2Ki 20:5<\/span>) it is used of the initial appointment of the king. However, 2Ki 20:5<\/span> is probably not to be seen as an exception, for there it is used by God of Hezekiah, and we may therefore well see that reference as also having the fact that he was a God-appointed king in mind.<\/p>\n In the remainder of the Old Testament there is only one use of nagid where it refers to a foreign prince, and that is when it is applied by Ezekiel to the king of Tyre at the point where he is claiming to be a god. This is found in Eze 28:2<\/span>. There is, however, very good reason for seeing its use there as deliberately derisive, contrasting him with his grand claims with God’s chosen princes. The contrast is between on the one hand him as a self-proclaimed ‘nagid’, one who claims to be the chosen of the gods (see Dan 9:2<\/span>), an ‘anointed’ cherub (Dan 9:14<\/span>), and on the other hand the true nagid of the people of God, who are the true anointed of God, and adopted as His sons (Psa 2:7<\/span>; 2Sa 7:14<\/span>; Psa 89:26-27<\/span>). It is derisive of his great and blasphemous claims. He thinks he is a ‘nagid’ but he is only a king. Later in the passage he is in fact called ‘the king of Tyre’ (Eze 28:12<\/span>). Thus nagid in its use here also points to one anointed and divinely chosen.<\/p>\n Daniel maintains this emphasis when he speaks of ‘the prince of the covenant’ in Dan 11:28<\/span> and when he speaks in Dan 9:25<\/span> of ‘an anointed one, a nagid’, clearly connecting the use of nagid with one who is anointed by God.<\/p>\n In the plural, but only in the plural, it is also used of important men in authority in Israel and Judah, for example of ‘rulers over the house of God’, of rulers of priestly courses, and of grand viziers of Judah and Israel, once kingship was fully established, who all represented God under the king. In the plural it is also used more generally in Psa 76:12<\/span>, but even there it may actually signify princes of Israel in contrast with the kings of the earth. The only time it is ever definitely applied outside Israel and Judah is in 2Ch 32:21<\/span>, where it is used in the plural of the king of Assyria’s war leaders. Thus even in the plural it is almost always used of leaders of Israel, although not totally exclusively.<\/p>\n In the singular<\/em>, however, its only certain use of a foreign prince, even outside Daniel, is in Eze 28:2<\/span>, and there it is as one chosen of the gods, and whose anointing is mentioned in context (Dan 9:14<\/span>), and as we have suggested, the idea of the nagid of Israel is in mind as a contrast. It is being used ironically while keeping its basic meaning in mind. He is being seen as imitating the true nagids of YHWH.<\/p>\n That being so there is overwhelming reason for seeing nagid in the singular as being a unique title referring exclusively to princes of Israel as representatives of God, a title used when they are appointed, adopted as His sons and anointed in His name. If this be so it means that we should then see ‘the people of the nagid who is coming’ as referring to Israel as the people of an Israelite prince, and it would seem sensible to parallel it with ‘the coming prince’ whom they had rejected and killed. This explains fully why the action is referred to the people and not to the prince. The prince was dead. And as we shall see later there are other reasons also why we should interpret it in this way.<\/p>\n The second thing we should note is that ‘the covenant’ mentioned in Dan 9:27<\/span> is ‘confirmed’ not made. Now the only covenant mentioned elsewhere in Daniel is in Dan 9:4<\/span>; Dan 11:22<\/span>, (where there is reference to Israel’s ‘nagid’ as ‘the prince of the covenant’); Dan 11:28<\/span>; Dan 11:30<\/span>; Dan 11:32<\/span>. Thus in Daniel ‘covenant’ always means ‘the holy covenant with God’. It is God’s covenant with His people, closely connected with His nagid. We should note in this regard that the idea of the covenant has already been introduced in this chapter (Dan 9:4<\/span>), and is clearly continually in mind.<\/p>\n The third thing that we should note is that there is no mention anywhere of ‘years’. Indeed the seventy ‘sevens’ are contrasted with the seventy ‘years’ prophesied by Jeremiah. Deliverance for Judah will come after seventy years, but God’s full and final deliverance will only come after seventy ‘sevens’. There are therefore no real grounds for applying the idea of ‘years’ to the seventy ‘sevens’.<\/p>\n The more detailed niceties we will refer to as we come to them.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Ver. 23. At the beginning of thy supplications.<\/strong> ] Thy prayer was scarce in thy mouth ere it was in God’s ear. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psa 34:15 See Trapp on “<\/em> Psa 34:15 “<\/em> He heard at the very first, but answered not till Daniel had tugged with him. See Jas 5:16-17<\/span> . <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For thou art greatly beloved.<\/strong> ] a<\/em> Kimchi readeth it, A man of measures, a man every inch of thee. But the word is not Hamiddoth,<\/em> but Chamudoth,<\/em> ‘a man of desires,’ a favourite in heaven, because desirous of things truly desirable. b<\/em> Christ is said to be totus totas desiderabilis,<\/em> lovely all over. Son 5:16 The saints are also so in their measure, as on the contrary the wicked are not desired, Zep 2:1 but loathed and abhorred. Pro 13:5 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Therefore understand the matter.<\/strong> ] Good men shall know God’s secrets. Gen 18:17<\/span> ; <\/em> Gen 18:19 <\/em> Psa 25:14 <\/p>\n<\/p>\n a<\/em> Desideratissimus es.<\/em> – Trem.<\/em> <\/p>\n b<\/em> Rerum expetendarum cupidus.<\/em> – Vatab.<\/p>\n Dan 9:23<\/p>\n Dan 9:23 At the beginningH8462 of thy supplicationsH8469 the commandmentH1697 came forth,H3318 and IH589 am comeH935 to shewH5046 thee; forH3588 thouH859 art greatly beloved:H2530 therefore understandH995 the matter,H1697 and considerH995 the vision.H4758 <\/p>\n Dan 9:23<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Gabriel was sent as soon as Daniel started to pray. Daniel was allowed to finish his supplication before he was interrupted. He had confessed the sins of Israel, acknowledge their guilt, accepted responsibility of their transgressions, declared that God was justified in His actions and pleaded for forgiveness and mercy. Everything that is required for forgiveness and mercy through prayer had been done. Daniel may have had more to say when Gabriel touched him, but at that time, more was unnecessary. <\/p>\n “for thou art greatly beloved:”<\/p>\n Oh, how it would thrill my heart to have any heavenly messenger tell me this. One could only imagine the joy Daniel had to have felt upon hearing these words. Torn from his home as a young boy, mutilated, enslaved and carried away to a foreign land by a hostile force where he lived out his days in forced servitude to others. He had been a slave for almost seventy years. He had survived the conquest of Israel and seen two empires come to power in his lifetime. He had seen more bloodshed, pain and suffering than many people today could imagine. He had been unable to offer worship in the temple his whole life from the day of his capture. <\/p>\n It is obvious from the text that Daniel enjoyed privileges that were most certainly denied to his countrymen, however no amount of privileged treatment can make slavery anything less than what it was. Daniel was never free to return to Israel or he doubtless would have. Daniel would never be able to marry and have a family and in any way live any kind of a normal life. One can only imagine how he had to feel all those years and to maintain his faith to a degree that few on earth ever achieved. And then, at the twilight years of his life, to hear from Gabriel himself that he was greatly beloved amongst the heavenly host would no doubt make it all worthwhile. This student of the scriptures cannot imagine a greater compliment that could be paid a man this side of eternity than to inform him that he was greatly beloved by God. <\/p>\n “therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”<\/p>\n I am not sure whether the following is the vision itself or if this is Gabriel explaining a vision Daniel previously had but did not fully understand. The wording of the following prophecy is not worded like it is a vision. It is worded more like an explanation of one. We may never know this side of judgment and it makes no difference one way or the other. What is significant is that the next four verses contain some of the most widely disputed prophecy in all of scripture. And in looking at it, I am forced to speculate on why it is that way. The prophecy is marvelously simple. The wording is not at all cryptic or shrouded in apocalyptic imagery. I am persuaded that the following prophecy is the explanation of a vision and I have to concede that Gabriel did a wonderful job of explaining it to Daniel. I have read almost everything I can get my hands on prior to this point in the study in hopes of gleaning whatever knowledge I can to help me better understand it when the time came for me to address this prophecy. And setting here looking at it and preparing to present my thoughts on it, I cannot help but wonder what all the disagreement is about. <\/p>\n First of all, we need to determine what the weeks mean and whether the number 70 is literal or not. The short answer is that we know the weeks are figurative. So then if the weeks are figurative then why would the number then be literal? The seventy weeks is for a literal number of figurative time periods? I think not. <\/p>\n The long answer is that it can be determined through a really simple process of elimination. When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth. Dan 9:25 gives us the time when the seventy weeks begins. It begins at the point that the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem went forth. This will be the first one and not any commands subsequent to that. We know from the prophecy itself in Dan 9:25 that the rebuilding will be in troublous times. We know from history and from scripture that this was indeed so. The Israelites did not just get an order to go home and rebuild the temple and get to accomplish that without some difficulties. It didn’t happen that way and the prophecy says so. The entire prophecy is said to occur in seventy weeks, which is from the first command to its fulfillment in Christ. The initial command to restore and build Jerusalem came from Cyrus in the first year of his reign. It is recorded in words that cannot be misunderstood in more than one place by more than one inspired writer. <\/p>\n Ezr 1:1-3<\/p>\n “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.”<\/p>\n That is the command that came forth to “restore and to build Jerusalem”. It is recorded also in 2Ch 36:22-23. It is exceedingly significant also to consider the Prophecy of Isaiah in 44:26-28, “That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid”. The decree to rebuild Jerusalem absolutely came forth from Cyrus in 539 or 538 BC. of which there can be no reasonable doubt. <\/p>\n In September 539 BC, the Battle of Opis, a major engagement between the armies of Persia under Cyrus the Great and the Babylonian Empire under Nabonidus during the Persian invasion of Mesopotamia was won by Cyrus. At the time, Babylonia was the last major power in western Asia that was not yet under Persian control. The battle was fought in or near the strategic riverside city of Opis, north of the capital Babylon. It resulted in a decisive defeat for the Babylonians.<\/p>\n Nabonidus fled to the city of Babylon, which he had not visited in years. On October 12 Gubaru’s troops entered Babylon without any resistance from the Babylonian armies, and detained Nabonidus. They accomplished this by diverting the Euphrates river into a canal so that the water level dropped to only about three feet which allowed the invading forces to march directly through the river bed and enter at night. On October 29, 539 BC, Cyrus himself entered the city of Babylon and detained Nabonidus. After taking Babylon, according to history, Cyrus proclaimed himself “king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four corners of the world”. <\/p>\n It was in the winter months of 539 when Cyrus took Babylon and proclaimed himself king of the world. Ezra wrote that it was in the first year of the reign of Cyrus that the decree to rebuild Jerusalem went forth. At the very latest it could not have been any later than 538 BC that this decree went forth. We know the day and year that Cyrus came into power and we know from Ezra that he gave the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in the first year of his reign. So let’s say the decree went out in 538 BC at the latest. <\/p>\n The end of seventy weeks prophecy culminates with the ending of sacrifice and the destruction of the city and the sanctuary. That is the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple which put an end to the animal sacrifices and this happened in 70 AD. That is 608 years in round figures. Way more than seventy weeks so we know before anything else that the language is not literal. It does not say seventy years. People seem to somehow look at that and automatically correlate a week to seven years. It doesn’t say that anywhere in the text. It says seventy weeks. We do not have to look any further than that to conclude that the time period is not a literal one. Now, suppose a week really did mean seven years. The text in Dan 9:26 says “AFTER” threescore and two weeks, the Messiah shall be cut off. That is sixty nine of the seventy weeks and the end of it is pinpointed at the crucifixion of Christ which happened in 30 AD (some say 33 AD). If a week is seven years then we are talking about 483 years. The time span between the decree of Cyrus and the cutting off of the Messiah was 568 years in round numbers. <\/p>\n Premillennialists try and literalize the seventy sevens into a literal time frame of one week for one year by trying to use the decree of Artaxerxes in 458 BC. as the time when the commandment to rebuild the temple went forth. It is true that 490 years after the decree of Artaxerxes is 32 AD which is a remarkable coincidence to say the least. It is exceedingly important to note that the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem did not originate with Artaxerxes. The decree of Artaxerxes was a re-issue of the original written decree of Cyrus in 538 BC. To use the decree of Artaxerxes as the time when the seventy weeks began is to utterly discount and ignore the one made by Cyrus in 538 and to utterly throw out Isaiah’s prophecy in Isa 44:26-28. That’s like saying the decree of Cyrus didn’t count even though several Israelites returned to Jerusalem and began working on the temple and taking with them many of the temple treasures that had been confiscated in Nebuchadnezzar’s siege. The Premillennialists also miss the fact that the prophecy said the Messiah would be cut off (executed), after sixty nine weeks. They are still one full 7 year period of time off according to their interpretation. <\/p>\n The decree of Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem came 69 years after the initial overthrow of the city by Nebuchadnezzar. That’s too close to the seventy year time of the captivity to be a coincidence. The scripture says the captivity would last for 70 years and the decree to go forth happened about that time in their captivity. If we use the decree of Artaxerxes which happened for Ezra in the seventh year of his reign (Ezr 7:7), which was about 458 BC., then the captivity really lasted from 606 to 457 BC which in round numbers is 149 years. The end of the Babylonian captivity of seventy years was when the decree by Cyrus went out, as prophesied in Isa 44:26-28 and recorded in Ezr 1:1-3 and 2Ch 36:22-23, which allowed the Israelites to return home and to rebuild the city. Yes the captivity was for seventy years because Jeremiah said seventy years and it was seventy years in round numbers. Gabriel told Daniel seventy weeks. It is obviously a figurative time period because we know for a fact that it was longer than seventy literal weeks from the end of the captivity till Jesus. Weeks cannot mean years because that doesn’t fit the time frame either. There is simply no way to get from 70 weeks to 490 years without doing some pretty impressive scriptural gymnastics and there is no way to fit 490 years into the historical account in any way. So through the process of elimination, we can determine that seventy weeks was not a literal period of time. <\/p>\n So then what did seventy weeks mean? How long of a period of time was it? First off, we should look at the original language to see where the term “seventy weeks” comes from. The word for weeks is the Hebrew word transliterated as “shabua”. This word’s literal meaning is “sevens” or “sevenths”. Apparently the word is translated into the English word “weeks” based on the fact that it is similarly translated in other passages which clearly tie the context to a literal and defined period of time. Since the context of Dan 9:24 clearly looks like a period of time and that it is following on the heels of the 70 years prophecy of the Babylonian captivity, the translators are deferring to the word “weeks” based largely upon the translation of other passages elsewhere. The translation of the Hebrew words for seventy weeks can rightfully be translated as “seventy sevens”. In fact, the NIV does translate this passage as “seventy sevens” instead of “seventy weeks”. <\/p>\n Some numbers had specific meaning to the Israelites and the number 7 was one such number. Multiples of a number with a specific meaning added emphasis or strength to the imagery. The number 7 came to symbolize the meaning of totality or completeness associated with God’s authority on the earth. It is believed by many that the number 7 is a product of adding the number 3 which represented the complete divine, to the number 4 which symbolized the whole earth. The number 10 came to represent human completeness (fullness or power). The number 70 is a multiple of 7 and 10 then being multiplied another 7 times would therefore represent a period of time sufficient for God to accomplish his complete purpose both in heaven and on earth. This expression would be another way of saying “in the fullness of time” as we see in Gal 4:4. <\/p>\n Now that we have answered the question about the literalness of the seventy weeks timeframe for the prophecy, we are ready to move on to the text of the prophecy itself. The language may have been difficult for someone living centuries before Christ, but from our perspective it is easy to look at the prophecy and correlate the language to actual events that we know happened. It is always easier to look back and identify and understand prophecy which has been fulfilled than it is to look at it before its fulfillment then try to look ahead and speculate. And that is how God meant for it to be. His intention with prophecy and fulfillment was to demonstrate His divine nature in a way that could not be reasonably denied. Prophecy and fulfillment is how God proves Himself to man because only God possesses the ability to look down the road of time at what lies ahead and predict with pinpoint accuracy events that have not yet happened. <\/p>\n the beginning: Dan 10:12 <\/p>\n commandment: Heb. word <\/p>\n for: Dan 10:11, Dan 10:19, Luk 1:28 <\/p>\n greatly beloved: Heb. a man of desires, Son 7:10, Eze 24:16, Eze 26:12, *marg. <\/p>\n understand: Mat 24:15 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 24:45 – before 1Ki 9:3 – I have heard Pro 18:12 – and Dan 6:3 – an Dan 8:17 – Understand Dan 9:25 – and understand Zec 1:9 – the angel Act 10:31 – thy 2Th 2:13 – beloved Rev 1:1 – and he<\/p>\n THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH OF PRAYER<\/p>\n At the beginning of the supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee.<\/p>\n Dan 9:23<\/p>\n What would that ancient, who first caught a faint glimpse of electrical power when he rubbed the amber (, electrum) on the seashore, and saw the light straws put into motion round it,what would he think if he were told that cities, two hundred miles apart, could convey messages and receive answers by means of this mysterious power with such rapidity that the three hundred and sixtieth part of a second of time is the only perceptible interval between the sending of the message and its arrival at its destination? So that, if only the wires could be laid, the antipodes would speak with each other in this way as rapidly as by words.<\/p>\n I. There is an electricity more rapid still than thisan electric telegraph between far-distant worlds, which has been long at work, though not many wise have known of its existence; or, if they have heard of it, have smiled in supercilious unbelief.<\/p>\n II. Daniel knew how to use it, when, having understood by books the number of the years whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem, he set his face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. The petitions of that holy and humble man of God sped with speed above that of the vollied lightningabove that of the rapid sunbeam through this lower heaven around our earth, through the second heaven, blazing with those countless stars which require sixty millions of years to revolve round the central sun, to the third heaven,to the very throne of God.<\/p>\n III. As he began his prayer on earth, a summons from the Almighty Word came forththe waiting angel received the commandment, and before the short prayer was ended, Gabriel stood by his dear fellow-servant, to show him the things that should be hereafter. Blessed Christian! who hast such a means of communication with that glorious world, and that gracious King, always near and with thy reach! Christian mother! your child, the son of your prayers and your tears, of whom your heart has been so full as you have been lying awake in the silent night, rejoiceyou cannot speak to your child,you cannot warn him of the snares of a world that lieth in wickedness,you cannot unseal his inward ear, even if he could hear your voice. But you can in a second, yea, in less time than thought could clothe itself in words, you can speak to Him, Who, if He speaks, will speak not to the ear, but to the heart and conscience and affections of your child and hold him back from eviland keep him in temptation, when all the words even of a mother, and all the chains that man could forge to bind him, would be as tow before the fire, or green withes on Sampsons arms.<\/p>\n Rev. Canon Champneys.<\/p>\n Dan 9:23. As soon a9 Daniel had begun ills prayer, the Lord gave the order to Gabriel to go unto the earth and deliver the message. We do not know when the angel began his flight to the land of Persia, for he did not interrupt the prophet until he was near the conclusion of his prayer. When it was the proper instant to make the contact, Daniel saw him in a “forced march or flight as he approached him. As a personal merit on the part of Daniel for his receiving the favor just promised, the angel tells him he is greatly beloved. The severe tests of faith which Daniel had undergone and withstood, endeared him to the God of heaven and determined Him to bestow upon the prophet this honor.<\/p>\n At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show [thee]; for thou [art] greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. 23. the commandment came forth ] a word went forth (cf. Est 7:8; Isa 55:11). The reference is not to the commandment given to Gabriel … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Daniel 9:23”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22022\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I.<\/strong> First, have we any REASONS TO EXPECT THAT AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF OUR SUPPLICATIONS THE COMMANDMENT OF MERCY WILL COME FORTH<\/strong>? Rest assured that we have, if we are found in the same posture as Daniel, for God acts towards His servants by a fixed rule. Let self-examination be now in vigilant exercise while we compare ourselves with the successful prophet. God will hear His people at the commencement of their prayers if the condition of the supplicant be fitted for it. The nature of such fitness we may gather from the state of Daniels mind and the mode of his procedure. Upon this our first noteworthy observation is, that Daniel was determined to obtain the blessing which he was seeking. Note carefully the expression which he has used in the third verse–I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication. That setting of the face is expressive of resolute purpose, firm determination, undivided attention, fixed resolute perseverance. I set my face towards the Lord. We never do anything in this world until we set our faces thoroughly to it. The warriors who win battles are those who are resolved to conquer or die. The merchants who prosper in this world are those who do their business with all their hearts, and watch for wealth with eagerness. The half-hearted man is nowhere in the race of life; he is usually contemptible in the sight of others, and a misery to himself. If a thing be worth doing, it is worth doing well; and if it be not worth doing thoroughly, wise men let it alone. Especially is this a truth in the spiritual life. Wonders are not done for God and for the truth by men upon their beds asleep, or out of their beds, but still asleep. A man if he would do anything for God for the truth, for the cross of Christ, must set his face and with the whole force of his will resolve to serve his God. The soldier of Christ must set his face like a flint against all opposition, and at the same moment set his face towards the Lord with the attentive eye of the handmaiden looking towards her mistress. This was the first proof that God might safely give Daniel the blessing at once, for the prophets heart was fixed in immutable resolve, and there was no turning him from the point. Next, Daniel felt deeply the misery of the people for whom he pleaded. Read that expression, a under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. The condition of that city, lying in ruins, her inhabitants captive, her choicest sons banished to, the ends of the earth, afflicted him very sorely. He had not a light superficial acquaintance with the sorrows of his people, but his inmost heart was embittered with the wormwood and the gall of their cup. If God intends to give us souls he will prepare us for the honour by causing us to feel the deep ruin of our fellow-creatures. In the next place, Daniel was ready to receive the blessing, because he felt deeply his own unworthiness of it. I do not know that even the fifty-first Psalm is more penitential than the chapter which contains our text. Read the chapter, and note how he humbly acknowledges sins of commission, sins of omission, and especially sins against the warnings of Gods word and the entreaties of Gods servants. Let us confess our unworthiness, our coldness, and deadness, and lethargy, and wanderings of heart, and the backsliding of many among us, and then, having confessed our faults, we may expect that at the very commencement God will visit us. When the vessel is empty, Heavens fountain will fill it; when the ground is dried and chapped, and begins to open her mouth with thirst, down shall come the rain to make fat the soil. But again, we have not exhausted the points in Daniel which deserve our imitation; you will notice that Daniel had a clear conviction of Gods power to help his people in their distress, his lively sense of Divine power being based upon what God had done in the olden time. One is interested to note in the history of the Jews, how in every dark and stormy hour their minds reverted to one particular point in their history! Just as the Greek would remember Thermopylae and Marathon, and feel his eyes sparkle and every sinew grow strong at the thought of the heroic day when his fathers slew the Persians, and broke the yoke of the great king, so with nobler emotions, because more Heavenly, the Israelite always thought of the Red Sea, and what the Lord did to Egypt when He divided the waters, and they stood upright as a heap, that His people might pass through. Daniel in the prayer says, Thou hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day. He lays hold upon that deed of ancient prowess, and pleads in effect after this fashion: Thou canst do the like, O God, and glorify thy name anew, and send deliverance to thy people. We worship the God who loves His chosen now even as He did of old. But once more, the most apparent point about Daniels prayer is his peculiar earnestness. To multiply expressions such as O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! may not always be right. There may be much sin in such repetitions, amounting to taking Gods name in vain. But it is not so with Daniel. His repetitious are forced from the depths of his soul, O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hearken and do! These are the fiery volcanic eruptions of a soul on fire, heaving terribly. It is just the mans soul wanting vent. No prayer is at all likely to bring down an immediate answer if it be not a fervent prayer. We must get rid of the icicles that hang about our lips. We must ask the Lord to thaw the ice-caves of our soul and to make our hearts like a furnace of firs heated seven times hotter. Thus much upon that first reason. We may expect a speedy answer to prayer when the condition of the suppliant is as God would have it. Secondly, I believe we have every reason to expect a blessing when we consider the mercy itself. That which we as a church are seeking is, if I understand your hearts and my own, just this: we want to see our own personal piety deepened and revived, and we want to see sinners saved. Well, is not that in itself so good a thing that we may expect the giver of every good and perfect gift to give it to us? What we ask is for Gods glory. We are not seeking a boon which may glorify us or may exalt some one of our fellow-men. We crave not victory for the arms of a warrior; we ask not success for the researches of a philosopher. Thirdly, there is another thing which encourages me, namely, the nature of the relations which exist between God and us. Is not that a choice word, O man greatly beloved? Yes, you will perhaps say, it is easy to understand why God should send so swift an answer to Daniel, because he was a man greatly beloved. Ah! has your unbelief made you forget that you are greatly beloved too? Who will refuse to ask when such encouragements are suggested to our, minds? <\/p>\n
II.<\/strong> If we are to gain the blessing at the commencement, IN WHAT FORM SHOULD WE PREFER TO HAVE IT<\/strong>? Could I have my hearts desire, I would crave a blessing for every one of you. I was turning over in my mind how early and sweet a blessing it would be if the Lord would give us to-day some conversions. But make no tarrying, O our God! Make haste our Beloved. Be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether, for Thy names sake. Amen. (C<\/em>. H<\/em>. Spurgeon<\/em>.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I.<\/strong> THE EXALTED CHARACTER OF <\/strong>DANIEL<\/strong>. <\/p>\n
II.<\/strong> THE HIGH PRIVILEGE OF <\/strong>DANIEL<\/strong>. <\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"