Daniel Lesson 20

Daniel Lesson 20

Text: Daniel 10:1-21

Intro: in the 3^rd year of Cyrus would put us around 536 B.C. By this time Daniel had lived long enough to see the Prophets Jeremiahs prophecy of returning to Jerusalem fulfilled. The first group of exiles had returned to Jerusalem and began the work on it. To put this in perspective, if Daniel was taken captive at the age of 16, he would now be 85, (and remember there are some that would put Daniel even older than this). Daniel was greatly concerned with his people and Nation Israel, and it shows in his longing to know what would happen to them. As one gets older, their attention often turns to their prosperity. So God was going to reveal some truths to him, but knowing these truths would be the long view of things. “the time appointed was long”.

1. Daniels Experience,

   1. A Concerned Prophet, vs.1-3

      1. Fasting And Prayer,

         1. fasting is simply the concept of giving up something for a period of time,

            • IE, we break form our fast in the morning, “Breakfast” we went all night without eating.

         2. This doesn’t not mean that for three weeks Daniel didn’t eat anything, but that he restricted what he did, he excluded things.

            • For today we can fast on any number of things, TV, Computer, Phones, and so on

         3. Why was Daniel Fasting and praying?

            • His concern for the nation,

            • nearly 50,000 people returned to Jerusalem,

              • and we should remember that they would have to give updates to Cyrus, and Daniel was most likely in the line of communication between them.

                • So what ever was going on with them, Daniel knew.

         4. So What were some of the things that were happening around this time in Jerusalem?

            • The foundation would have been laid,

            • however the work would have been stopped

              • See Ezra 4,

            • the people there would have been living in hardships and in the ruins of the city.

      2. Fulfillment of Prophecies,

         1. this is referring to the prophecies of

         2. Jeremiah 25:11&12 “ And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. ”

         3. See Also Jeremiah 29:10-14

         4. OK hold on and let’s do some math:

            • in 605 B.C. The first captives were taken,

            • in 536 the first captives returned, 70 years,

            • in 586 the temple was destroyed,

            • in 515 the second temple was dedicated, 70 years