Daniel 9 -- Hearing Gabriel Deliver God's Message

My commentary noted three steps in Daniel's experience with the message Gabriel delivered.

1)  Insight:  Learning God's Plan:  "Daniel started studying afresh the scroll of the prophet Jeremiah ... One of the beautiful things about the inspired Word of God is its constant freshness; no matter how often we read it, there is always something new to learn or something familiar to see in a new light."

2)  Intercession:  Praying for God's Mercy:  "When God showed Daniel visions of future events, the prophet wasn't satisfied until he had asked for an explanation.  Prayer was a vital part of Daniel's life ... He prepared himself to pray ... It would be his holy task to confess the sins of the Jewish nation, asking God to forgive His people and receive them back again.  He humbled himself in sackcloth and ashes; he fasted; and he directed his heart and mind to the Lord."

3)  Instruction:  Discovering God's timetable:  "The angel had come to explain to Daniel what God had planned for Jerusalem, the temple, and the Jewish people."  Gabriel described a 49-year period, a 483-year period, and a 7-year period.  "But Gabriel didn't tell Daniel what would happen between the 69th and 70th 'weeks'.  Between Daniel 9:26-27 there is a strange parenthesis which has to do with the church:  the body of Christ, which was a mystery God had hidden in Old Testament times and didn't reveal until the time of Christ and the apostles."

Father, thank You for Your revelations.  Your wisdom and planning are incredible and I can't wait to learn more!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford