This chapter covers Daniel’s spiritual journey, sometime after the events of chapter five, in the first year of the Medo-Persian take-over of the Babylonian Empire. As Daniel adjusts to the upheaval, he consults God’s Word. His pursuit of Scripture leads Daniel to prayer and greater revelations of God’s plan.

Part One – 70 Years of Captivity – Daniel 9:1-19

The prophecy comes from Jeremiah 25:11-12. We call Daniel a prophet, yet He was a student of prophecy also. We can learn greatly from Daniel’s example of how we should use the Scriptures and how we should respond to them. We don’t see Daniel boasting of his knowledge. We don’t see him arguing and debating. We don’t even see him travelling and preaching. We see Daniel humbled, concerned and praying.

Why Study Prophecy?

Encouragement: Getting the big picture of what God is doing.
We should not allow ourselves to be overcome with panic or fear. Note: in the take-over of Babylon by the Medo-Persian Empire, there was no fear in Daniel. He already knew that something like this would happen (Daniel 2 & 7). See Jeremiah 24:1-7 cp. 25:11-14. See also Matthew 24:3-14; Romans 15:4; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:9-11; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:1-2; Psalm 2; 46:1-3, 6-11; 30:4-5.

Direction: Getting the big picture of what I’m supposed to be doing.
Along with a sense of well-being, we need to know how to occupy our time and redeem it (Luke 19:11- 13; Ephesians 5:14-17). Too many people become impractical (and dangerous) when they get side- tracked trying to predict dates and events. Daniel had the writings of Jeremiah to explain the priorities that God expected of Israel. This also explained the reason for the hard times that were upon them (Jeremiah 24:8-10; 25:1-10). See also Romans 13:11-14; I Thessalonians 5:1-8; II Timothy 3:1-5; 4:1-5; II Peter 1:2-21; 2:1-3; 3:1-3, 10-14.

Prayer Life: Stop worrying about what the World is doing.
That does not mean stop caring about where the world is going! The prophecies of Scripture should awaken us to spiritual priorities and burdens for seeking God about our own spiritual needs and the needs of others in this world. See Daniel 9:3 cp. Mark 13:28-37; Luke 21:34-36; 22:31-32. Acts 6:4 aptly describes the priorities of Daniel.