Love the Lord your God with all Your heart,
with all Your mind, with all Your soul,
with all Your strength… Love Him with all, and absolutely all.
Utterly impossible, until you realize that it was Christ who loved us all with all His heart, with all His mind, with all His soul, with all His strength, loving us all completely, and absolutely. He was the One who loved us, who committed to pour all of Himself out for all of us, He was the One who knew all there was about us (being the One who made us), and before we took our first breaths in this existence, He already loved us.
Utterly impossible for us to love ourselves, to love others, and absolutely impossible for us to love God, until we realize Christ was the One who loved us, and He loved us FIRST.
He looked at me in spite of my failures, my inconsistencies; He saw me and all possible scenarios involving me, knowing that all of it was for naught, since it was all infected and tainted with sin… and yet He still chose, He intentionally made the conscious decision to work, expressing that I was worth not only being born into this wretched world for, but dying the most horrible death for; He was dead serious in working towards our reconciliation, ascending back into the heavens after His resurrection, proclaiming through His finished work that through our wickedness, we were – I was – worth rising from the dead and ascending into heaven for.
Here we were wasting our time until the end of time, and/or until our time was up… and He loved us so much – loved us with a timeless love – that He actively and intentionally decided to leave His throne to be born as One of us, dying for us, rising again and ascending into heaven for us.
Yes, I’m being repetitive, yes, I’m being redundant, but at this point, I don’t care – there’s nothing else in this world that matters more than reprogramming, rewriting my mind and my being to conform to this Truth – of God’s everlasting love, expressed through Christ and His finished work, which ushered in an outright overflow of His Spirit – too much that we could not consume but could only allow to consume us.
So praise Him, oh my soul. Give God all the glory, in the name of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Give praise and worship due to His name. Thank Him for all that He is, and all He has done.
Thank Him for life, and real life – Thank Him, for by His death and resurrection we have true life that is eternal and everlasting life.
Thank the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – For He extended His love beyond His people, but to the entire world, that whosoever believes in His Son shall not perish, but have this everlasting, real, true, absolute life – and a Life that persists and exists and shall never depart from us. By His death and eternal commitment, we are alive, and alive forever.
Thank God – oh, thank Him, indeed! For this Life we have – This Love we have – is One that never leaves us; But we don’t stop there! For it is a Love that is ALWAYS with us, a love that flows, ever so intently, in our blood, through our thoughts, and in our actions and reactions.
Praise God, oh my soul, and when you find no reason, purpose and/or energy to praise, give Him thanks – SURELY you can give Him thanks, for as sure as we’re alive in this reality, we need no help in finding reason after reason to thank Him… And, my God, my Father – OUR Father – we thank You for Life and Love. We thank You for Your faithfulness, Your goodness, Your patience.
We thank You for Your power, Your wisdom, and Your encouragement.
We thank You, I thank You – just… thank You, Lord. Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Holy Spirit.
Thank You for all You are, and all You’ve done. Thank You for all that’s been done, for all You will do, and all You’re doing, here and now.
Thank You, that time is never wasted with the Creator of time – that we can surely trust in You, because You are good, and good all the time.
Thank You, for even in my many blunders, intentional and unintentional (but all ultimately intentional), You stay consistent, faithful, loyal, loving, rearranging circuits, reprogramming code, changing me, transforming me with the renewal of my mind, and moving me from glory to glory, moving me from grace to grace.
Thank You, Lord! Thank You! For surely as You were with David in all His mistakes, so You are with me, and with all of us in spite of our suffering the consequences of our actions!
Thank You, Father, for through Christ, You have not failed us, nor have You forsaken us, even in all the circumstances we bring ourselves in; Thank You, for You are the consistent Light of the World – Light in all my world, Light faithfully standing out and shining ever brighter even in the darkness, You continue to guide me, correct me, fix me, and give me far more reasons to keep falling in love with You!
Thank You! Oh, Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, my King, thank You for all we have through You and through all You’ve done! For in spite of our rejection and confusion, no matter how much pain we’ve been dealt, and how much pain we’ve inflicted upon ourselves and others, You are not only accepting of us, but You are literally WITH us – even now, You’re with me!
Thank You, Jesus, for being with me, ministering to this broken mind, this compromised soul, this scarred heart – thank You, because even as I write those things and project how I claim them as my own, well, the Truth of the matter is that You take all of me, and make all things new! Oh, Jesus, thank You for this consistent, constant reminder of that timeless Truth – that You make all things new, You’ve made me new!
Thank You, God… Thank You, for everything!
Going through this, and thinking about what I want to go ahead and say to folks later in our Midweek Service, I couldn’t help but ‘connect’ – because there Daniel was, taking the majority (or a huge chunk, anyway) of Daniel 9 praying and just pouring it all out upon the Lord…
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.Daniel 9:3
And, well, I guess there’s something to say about fasting. I’m not here to compare myself to this great man, but I suppose I want to point out that while he was fasting, and while he was placing himself in a state of affliction and humility by way of being in sackcloth and ashes, here I am – the last meal I had was last night, I’m up to a little more than 12 hours without an intentional calorie (‘unintentional’ ones being those present in black coffee, if any at all), and I’ve afflicted myself – by way of workout after workout, and writing in between – in my mind, effectively draining my body and brain of everything…
And while Daniel was seeking God by way of prayer and pleas for mercy, I was doing the will of God through Jesus Christ by way of rejoicing in Him no matter what, and thanking Him in all circumstances.
Now I’m not sure why I pulled up this comparison, but it’s by no means for me to put my name above anyone else’s, especially not Daniel’s. Perhaps it’s a prelude to what else I want to say as we go through the rest of this chapter:
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps 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 your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. Daniel 9:4-11
Our brother Daniel prays openly to the Lord, as we should – Open about our flaws, just as Daniel was open about flaws – his own, and those of his people, Israel. Before the arrival of Christ, this man was humbling himself before God, crying out to Him, even if the consensus of the day was, according to the Israelites, to offer pure sacrifices to God as the primary way of ‘communicating‘ to Him. Lambs and bulls without blemish had to be offered for any sort of sin and offense to be atoned for… and, well in the absence of these rituals in a land and kingdom separate from Jerusalem, Daniel just went ahead and confessed, on his behalf, and on his country’s behalf.
Again and again Daniel says, in sorrow and humility – ‘we have sinned.‘
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 anything like 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 gaining insight by your 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 that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.Daniel 9:12-15
I see Daniel continues by acknowledging that they are suffering the consequences of their actions – for not entreating the favor of God, for not obeying His voice, there was nothing but calamity, according to God, who confirmed His words, and is righteous in all His works.
16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” Daniel 9:16-19
Daniel confesses sin, acknowledges punishment, and cries out for mercy – according to His righteous acts, for His own sake; Not out of Daniel’s righteousness, but because of God’s great mercy.
I personally feel the same way – in the light of all that I’ve done wrong, and in light of all the right I’ve held out on doing, I’ve only led myself to more pain and further away from relief… But on this side of the cross, I claim rescue and mercy from our God, knowing His everlasting love is always for me – not by my own righteousness, but by the finished work of Christ, and nothing else.
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea 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 made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.
The Seventy Weeks
24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” Daniel 9:20-27
I think to myself – at this time, and in light of all that Christ has done, are we not to expect the same visitation from Gabriel, and a vision that was so specific about events to come? Sure, I suppose it’s still a possibility – there are, after all, a bunch of us who claim to have prophetic visions, and we’re also quick to call this event or that happening, ‘prophetic’… But, no matter what, as it is here in the Old Testament, and as we may experience it in the New Covenant, I sincerely believe it will all point to Christ.
Daniel’s vision here in Chapter 9, and I dare say, in the rest of the Chapters we’re to discuss, ultimately serve the same purpose as they do John, on Patmos, in his Revelations – they point to Christ.
Are we, therefore, to ignore the specific details – of the Anointed One, of the Desolator? By no means. I’m not telling anyone to ignore these words just as much as I’m not telling anyone to ignore the words in the book of Revelation. However, I will say that we would be endangering ourselves if we think that we’re able to dive into said words, insulated by nothing more than our own limited senses, thoughts, knowledge and analysis – No, if anything, the first and foremost purpose I believe these visions are, for our perusal, is for us to depend on God even more – and, yes, much as we trust that the revelations all lead back to Christ as a whole, so we also trust in the Lord to give us the proper interpretation and relevance of the more specific details, for us in our day and time.
With all that’s said, let’s hop in the pool for a bit. I’m not staying long, I’m not going deep – I don’t know how to swim.
Notice in verse 23 how Gabriel confirms something that we really shouldn’t be implying – any vision, any word (be it of knowledge and/or prophecy or whatever we’re so bold to ‘categorize’ them as) that does make its way to us, any pronounced, profound revelation we receive is not because we were the ones who prayed, not because we were the ones who put on sackcloth and ashes, not because of our own performance; Note how Gabriel graciously indicated that it was at the BEGINNING of Daniel’s pleas that ‘a word went out’. And furthermore, on top of Daniel openly admitting that he does not present his pleas because of his ‘righteousness’, Gabriel pointed out that the word went out because Daniel was ‘greatly loved‘.
I said I didn’t know how to swim… But give me a life vest (or give my younger self some of those swimming ‘wings’) and you can bet I’ll stay in the water longer. What am I getting at? I consulted ChatGPT for verses 24-27.
Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. Daniel 9:25
The prophecy states that from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Messiah, the Prince, there will be 69 weeks (483 years). Many scholars calculate that this timeline perfectly aligns with Jesus’ ministry, particularly His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. Daniel 9:26-27
First of all, in verse 26 the phrase “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself” is a clear reference to Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. He was rejected and crucified, not for His sins, but for ours (Isaiah 53:5-6).
Second, take a look at both verse 26-27. After the Messiah is cut off, the prophecy speaks of the destruction of the city and sanctuary, which happened in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the Second Temple—just as Jesus Himself predicted (Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”Matthew 24:1-2).
Finally, look at verse 27 on its own: Jesus established the ‘strong covenant’ as the New Covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20), fulfilling the deeper spiritual meaning of the prophecy. Some believe that “putting an end to sacrifice and offering” refers to Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10-14), making the Temple sacrifices unnecessary. Also, Jesus Himself referenced the “Abomination of Desolation” (Matthew 24:15), warning about future tribulation, which some see as pointing to both the Roman destruction of the Temple and a future fulfillment.
So while I was at it, I decided to go deeper, and to get into Daniel 10 – with ChatGPT’s help, again.
I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.Daniel 10:5-6
Daniel sees a heavenly figure with radiant brightness, fiery eyes, and a powerful voice. Some believe this is an angel, possibly Gabriel.
Others see this as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ (a Christophany), similar to His appearances in Joshua 5:13-15 or Daniel 3:25, or resembling the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:12-16. If this is a Christophany, then Jesus Himself appears to Daniel, revealing His power and divine authority.
12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.Daniel 10:12-14, 20-21
The angel explains that he was delayed for 21 days by the Prince of Persia, a demonic force influencing the Persian Empire, until Michael the Archangel came to help. The “Prince of Greece” is also mentioned, foreshadowing the rise of the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great. The spiritual battles behind Persia and Greece align with real historical events, as Persia fell to Greece (Daniel 8:20-21). This shows that behind earthly rulers, spiritual battles are taking place (Ephesians 6:12). The prophecy prepares for Daniel 11, which details the conflicts between Persia, Greece, and later Rome.
The angel’s mission was to also reveal what would happen to God’s people in the future (Daniel 10:14), as he tells Daniel that the vision concerns the latter days. After all, the spiritual warfare continues to this day, BUT Michael will rise again in the end times (Daniel 12:1, Revelation 12:7), where he helps cast Satan down—a victory that Christ made possible. The angelic battle against the Prince of Persia reminds us that Jesus has ultimate power over demonic forces.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14-15).
Daniel 11 describes historical events that foreshadow the rise of the Antichrist, whom Jesus will defeat at His second coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Daniel 12 speaks of the resurrection of the dead, which Jesus confirmed in John 5:28-29.
Daniel 10 is both a historical and prophetic chapter that unveils the spiritual realm behind world events. It ultimately points to Christ’s power, His battle against evil, and His final victory over the forces of darkness.
So, as you can see, if so inclined, we can easily say how this prophecy accurately foretells Jesus’ coming centuries in advance. It confirms that God’s plan of salvation was always centered on Christ. Finally, it strengthens our faith in God’s Word and the reliability of prophecy, even down to the details.
Ultimately, it all really just points to Christ.
It should just keep us trusting in Him, and always appreciating how we are always with Him, no matter how complicated things get.
With that said, let’s keep going. Until the next post, God bless you.
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