Daniel’s Repentance

Daniel found himself at the end of Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years in Exile. Like most of us he wanted to know what was to come next.

This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Jer. 25:11

Daniel 9

1   In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasu-erus, by birth a Mede, who became king over the realm of the Chaldeans —  2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years which, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 

Like most people of faith, Daniel now turns to God for further instructions. He repents, both for himself and his nation.

As we now live at the end of the prophecies of Daniel 2 and 8 and those judgements are about to fall upon these nations. Forget the nonsense that is the Rapture. Judgment is coming. It is time for us to follow Daniel’s example and repent for our selves and our nations. Just substitute your nation and capital city, for Judah and Jerusalem, unless of course you live in modern Israel, then pray the prayer.

FYI: I personally think that the Judgment of the Nations is eminent, so this call to repentance is rather urgent. However everyone in church history has thought this for centuries. So, even if I am wrong in this, we must remember that everyone faces the Judgment at their death, and death can be very unexpected.

Daniel’s Prayer

3   Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.  4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and terrible God, who keepest covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,  5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances;  6 we have not listened to thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.  7 To thee, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which thou hast driven them, because of the treachery which they have committed against thee.  8 To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.  9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have rebelled against him,  10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.  11 All Israel has transgressed thy law and turned aside, refusing to obey thy voice. And the curse and oath which are written in the law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.  12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done the like of what has been done against Jerusalem.  13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and giving heed to thy truth.  14 Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.  15 And now, O Lord our God, who didst bring thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast made thee a name, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.  16 O Lord, according to all thy righteous acts, let thy anger and thy wrath turn away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy hill; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people have become a byword among all who are round about us.  17 Now therefore, O our God, hearken to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications, and for thy own sake, O Lord, cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary, which is desolate.  18 O my God, incline thy ear and hear; open thy eyes and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name; for we do not present our supplications before thee on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of thy great mercy.  19 O LORD, hear; O LORD, forgive; O LORD, give heed and act; delay not, for thy own sake, O my God, because thy city and thy people are called by thy name.” 

Daniel’s Answer

20   While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God;  21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.  22 He came and he said to me, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding.  23 At the beginning of your supplications a word went forth, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the word and understand the vision. 

After this prayer Daniel is told one of the greatest prophecies in all the Bible, that the Messiah will come in 490 years, a subject we have already cover in, Daniel 9: Proof that Jesus/Yeshua is the Messiah