“It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. ² During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for SEVENTY YEARS. ³ So I TURNED TO THE LORD GOD and pleaded with him in PRAYER and FASTING. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. (Daniel 9:1-3 NLT)

• Daniel is around 80.

QUESTION: What was Daniel reading in the scrolls of Jeremiah? – Jeremiah 29:10.

¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for SEVENTY YEARS. But then I WILL COME AND DO FOR YOU ALL THE GOOD THINGS I HAVE PROMISED, AND I WILL BRING YOU HOME AGAIN. (Jeremiah 29:10 NLT)

• Daniel was reading what Prophet Jeremiah wrote in 605 B.C, when Nebuchadzzar invaded Israel and took them into captivity
• By looking at Jeremiah 29:10, Daniel could see how it lined up on God’s time clock.
• The best way to tell God’s “Time” is to look at scriptures
• Let’s do the math like Daniel did. He was taken at the age of 15 and he is now 80. So 65 out of the 70 years of captivity have passed. There are only 5 years on the clock.

STATEMENT: Now you would expect Daniel to celebrate. There’s only 5 years left!

• But not Daniel- he prayed, he fasted, he wore burlap and sprinkled himself with ashes

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are PLANS FOR GOOD and not for disaster, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT)

• Daniel didn’t just stop there at the promise, he kept on reading:

¹² In those days WHEN YOU PRAY, I WILL LISTEN. ¹³ IF YOU LOOK FOR ME WHOLEHEARTEDLY, YOU WILL FIND ME.

• Daniel was not satisfied with just holding on to God’s promise… He was looking for God

TRANSITION: Prayer is the key! Let’s set camp here in Daniel’s prayer closet. (Verse 4)

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. ⁵ But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. ⁶ We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets (Daniel 9: 4-6 NLT)

• In fact as you read verses 4-15, Daniel outlines how you and I should pray: Confessions, declarations of God’s righteousness and faithfulness.

TRANSITION: Today, as a culture, as a nation, we find ourselves in serious times that requires our prayers, that requires our confessions, that requires divine intervention, that requires God’s righteousness to be restored.

LET ME SAY IT BOLDLY: PRAYER GETS GOD’S ATTENTION

¹⁴ Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. ¹⁵ My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. (2 Chronicles 7:14-15 NLT)

• Prayer opens up the eyes and ears of our God
• Now let’s connect that with another scene from Daniel’s prayer closet: (Verse 20)

²⁰ I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. ²¹ AS I WAS PRAYING, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, CAME SWIFTLY TO ME at the time of the evening sacrifice. ²² He explained to me, “DANIEL, I HAVE COME HERE TO GIVE YOU INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING. ²³ THE MOMENT YOU BEGAN PRAYING, A COMMAND WAS GIVEN. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. (Daniel 9:20-23 NLT)

TRANSITION:  Can you imagine you are on your knees praying about something super important. Suddenly out of nowhere, Angel Gabriel pops up and says: “Sorry I took so long, I got here as fast as I could. God sent me with your answer” Would you flip out now or later?

• God does not have voicemail. He does not check his messages when He gets a minute. We’re not put on hold and told that all calls will be answered in the order they are received.
• WHILE WE ARE STILL PRAYING, A COMMAND IS GIVEN.

TRANSITION: Now let’s get back to Daniel’s conversation with Angel Gabriel. (verse 24)

²⁴ “A period of SEVENTY SETS OF SEVEN has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.(Daniel 9:24 NLT)

• Now if you read this in the NKJV you will not see sets but weeks. Weeks in Hebrew is the word “Shabua” which means a set of 7 just like dozen means a set of 12 for us.
• Set of what? Years. So 70 sets of 7 years = 490 years.
• Remember this prophecy is dealing with the Jewish nation only. 490 years is the time frame to rebuild the temple, repent and receive Jesus as Messiah.
• Let’s put the 490 years on a timeline . (see picture)
• The clock on this 490 years began in 444 B.C when the rebuilding of the temple began after the Babylonian exile was over
• That’s God’s clock…I need you remember the 490 years.

²⁵ Now listen and understand! SEVEN SETS OF SEVEN plus SIXTY-TWO SETS OF SEVEN will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler – the ANOINTED ONE comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. (Daniel 9:25 NLT)

• It will take 7 sets of 7 (7x 7) or 49 years to finish the rebuilding of the temple
• And the 62 sets of 7 (62×7) or 434 years leading to the time Jesus will show up

²⁶ “After this period of SIXTY-TWO SETS OF SEVEN, the ANOINTED ONE WILL BE KILLED, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.

• After 62 set of 7 or 434 years, Jesus will be killed.
• Now let’s plot this one a timeline (see picture)
• There is no other scripture in the Bible that pinpoints the exact time of Jesus’s death -33 A.D.
• Now where is the church in this Remember the church does not exist in the old testament.

TRANSITION: Now I know some of you are doing the math here. Remember Pastor you said there will be 490 years total. From what you are showing us there is only 483 years. So where is the remaining 7 years.

²⁷ The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of ONE SET OF SEVEN, but after HALF THIS TIME, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” (Daniel 9:27 NLT)

• There is one last set of 7 or 7 years. That’s the missing 7 years! (see picture)
• That’s the 7 years of tribulation. At the beginning of this period the antichrist will be revealed. He will make a peace treaty with Israel for 7 years, but at the halfway point, he will break that treaty

QUESTION: Where are we, the church in all of this? Right there in the gap.

That’s why the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 are so relevant to us now. No one knows the day or the hour… that’s why it is not accounted for in the 490 years in Daniel’s Timeline. But Jesus told us pay attention to the signs. We are told to keep watch. Those signs will be very evident to the church because of the Holy Spirit in us.

STATEMENT: What do we, the church, do while we wait for His return?

Pray like Daniel did. Pray in anticipation for the return of Jesus when the church will be taken up when the trumpet sounds and when Jesus comes down on a cloud for his bride, the church.

CONCLUSION:

Church now it’s time to look up for our redemption is drawing near!