Daniel 9:20-23

This month we are covering The Book of Daniel verse-by-verse. In the previous post, we covered what I have called, "the most UN-appreciated event in the Bible": Daniel's prayer. Daniel's prayer was different than every other prayer in the Bible. Here is what we found:

Daniel asked God's anger and wrath to be turned away from God's city (Jerusalem) BECAUSE God's city and people were making a bad name for God among the rest of the known world! Daniel was actually praying IN GOD'S PLACE...He was telling God how to use the value God had received through Justice BECAUSE of the sins of God's people! Daniel was telling God how ceasing from His anger and wrath would benefit God: it would help Him reach the nations outside of Israel.

WOW!!!!!! Daniel was actually referencing the Justice due to God and then making a request FOR GOD...USING GOD'S JUSTICE!!!!!

Daniel had prayed in God's OWN place...

Was God going to curse Daniel?

Was God going to ignore Daniel?

Was God going to bless Daniel?

If God were to deliver a HUGELY critical revelation to Daniel, do you think people would realize that it was an EFFECT of Daniel's prayer? Do you think people would spend massive hours studying Daniel's prayer? Do you think people would spend the majority of their time discussing HOW Daniel got this revelation? Or do you think they would spend the majority of their time discussing WHAT God revealed to Daniel and NEVER explain in detail Daniel's Prayer?

Daniel prayed in God's OWN place...

Today we will look at God's response.


DANIEL 1:20-23
"20 And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God;"

Daniel then explained that the following events occurred WHILE he was speaking, and praying, and confessing, etc. Remember this point: everything that followed happened BEFORE he finished his prayer.

"21 yea, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation."

Again, one sentence and A LOT of information from Daniel...

Gabriel appeared to Daniel and Daniel said it was the same person as he had seen in the vision "at the beginning". ALL of these visions were CONNECTED! Gabriel was going through a process to bring information to Daniel. It was almost as if Daniel continued to "qualify" to get more information.

Gabriel was "being caused to fly swiftly". If you wonder where the Bible stated that angels fly...here was one place. Secondly, Gabriel flew swiftly...we already know: he made it from wherever he was to Daniel DURING the time it took Daniel to pray. Thirdly, Gabriel was CAUSED to fly swiftly...by Daniel's prayer. What would have happened if Gabriel had taken more time and Daniel had prayed more? Is it possible Daniel was on a roll and would have CAUSED other things to happen if he had continued praying?

Gabriel touched Daniel. Besides what we've previously stated about touching angels, did Gabriel touch Daniel so that Daniel would stop praying? What other purpose could the angel have had for touching Daniel?

"22 And he instructed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee wisdom and understanding."

The angel's purpose was to give Daniel wisdom and understanding! Daniel's prayer caused Daniel to get wisdom and understanding. Was it because Daniel stated at the beginning of this chapter that he had understood by books?

Was Daniel trusted with MORE wisdom and understanding because he already demonstrated wisdom and understanding? Or did his wisdom and understanding cause him to pray an amazing (and rarely studied) prayer...and the prayer caused Gabriel to give Daniel more wisdom and understanding?

"23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment went forth, and I am come to tell thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision."

There was A LOT in this sentence...

At the BEGINNING of Daniel's prayer, the order was given for Gabriel to go to Daniel. So it DID take ONLY 15-16 verses for Gabriel to make it from wherever he was to Daniel!

Gabriel stated Daniel was "greatly beloved".

Taking these two points together, we can see the answer to "How is God going to respond to Daniel praying in God's OWN place?" was "Daniel was going to get blessed with wisdom and understanding".

The following is a pet peeve of mine, so bear with me for a second...

Imagine finding a fully functioning and stocked printing press that printed government endorsed hundred dollar bills. Next to the printing press is a one hundred dollar bill. If you could ONLY take one item, which would you take: the printing press or the one hundred dollar bill?

Tomorrow we are going to cover the four verses that Gabriel told Daniel. It was the GREATEST PROPHECY in the Bible! There was NO OTHER prophecy that served as a greater foundation for other key prophecy AND covered both the Old and New Testaments. In fact, next week we will see what the enemy's response was to Daniel receiving this GREATEST PROPHECY recorded in the Bible. Tomorrow we will look at how CRITICAL was the information that Daniel received. For now, the point is this:

Daniel prayed the most unique prayer in the entire Bible and it resulted in the Greatest Prophecy given to man.

The prayer was the CAUSE.

The prophecy was the EFFECT.

Which one OUGHT to be valued MORE: the CAUSE or the EFFECT? the prayer or the prophecy? the printing press or the hundred dollar bill?

For some reason we have valued the prophecy more than the prayer. EVERY intelligent person who speaks about end times HAS to BEGIN with the prophecy Daniel received because of this prayer. VOLUMES have been written about this prophecy...this hundred dollar bill.

However, try to find someone who will focus on the CAUSE of this prophecy. Find an explanation about Daniel's prayer. Look at how much people write about "the printing press" and how much they write about "the hundred dollar bill".

If you were looking for a way to bring about signs and wonders in the church AND you believed prayer was the key, which prayer would you study? I would think it would be the prayer that brought about the GREATEST REVELATION recorded in the Bible, but for some reason, THAT prayer is the LEAST discussed and appreciated event in the entire Bible.

Gabriel's last words before giving Daniel this HUGE revelation was for Daniel to "understand the vision".

What vision?

Daniel was praying and Gabriel showed up to tell Daniel to "understand the vision"...hmmmm.

Gabriel was talking about the vision that he had been helping Daniel understand "at the beginning". These chapters were CONNECTED...don't interpret one chapter without understanding all the chapters that came before it!

Tomorrow, we will look at the GREATEST PROPHECY recorded in the Bible...

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