Daniel's Prayer for His People
"In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." (Dan. 9:2)
understood by books... By the scrolls of Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11 as well as 29:1, 29:10; 2Ch. 36:21).
he would accomplish... seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
Three Periods of Seventy Years
1. The servitude began in the 4th year of Jehoiakim, and the 1st year of Nebuchadnezzar, when the Judean kingdom passed under the Chaldean rule for 70 years (Jer. 25:1; 2Ki. 24:1-7). This period closed with the fall of Babylon through Darius the Mede (Astyages, Dan. 5:31).
2. The captivity began with the carrying away to Babylon of Jechoniah in the 8th year of Nebuchadnezzar (7 years after the servitude of point 1, above, 2Ki. 24:8-16) and 11 years before Jerusalem was destroyed (Eze. 40:1).
3. "The desolations of Jerusalem" is a term referring to the complete destruction of Jerusalem and captivity of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in the 11th year of Zedekiah (2Ki. 24:17-25:2; Lev. 26:32-35). The desolations of Jerusalem began about 19 years after the first siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (2Ki. 24:1-5), about 11 years after the second siege (2Ki. 24:8-16), and at the time of the third and final siege (2 Kings 24:17-25:4).
By the time of Daniel’s prayer and vision of Dan. 9:1-27 the servitude had ended and the captivity and the desolations of Judah and Jerusalem were soon to end.
We should know from the study on Jeremiah, that God had revealed to him that the Hebrew children would be in captivity about 70 years. Jeremiah had written this down, and it appears that Daniel had read of this. We know, Daniel was an educated man.
Daniel’s study of “the books” focused on the years prophesied for the captivity by Jeremiah in Jerusalem. Since the end of the span was near, he prayed for God’s next move on behalf of Israel, where it is indicated that the 70 years of exile were intended to restore the Sabbath rests that Israel had ignored for so many years.
The chronological notice in this verse is important. The event in the chapter occurred in 539 B.C, the year that Darius the Mede assumed the ruler ship of Babylon. This momentous change of power provoked Daniel to search the Scriptures to determine the prophetic significance, if any, of the capture of Babylon by the Persians. By searching the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel realized that Jeremiah had prophesied that the captivity of the Jews would last 70 years. That period was almost over.
We remember from the study on Jeremiah, that God had revealed to him the Hebrew children would be in captivity about 70 years. Jeremiah had written this down, and it appears that Daniel had read of this. You remember, Daniel was an educated man.
Daniel’s study of the scrolls focused on the years prophesied for the captivity by Jeremiah in Jerusalem. Since the end of the span was near, he prayed for God’s next move on behalf of Israel, where it is indicated that the 70 years of exile were intended to restore the Sabbath rests that Israel had ignored for so many years.
The chronological notice in this verse is important. The event in the chapter occurred (in 539 B.C.), the year that Darius the Mede assumed the rulership of Babylon. This momentous change of power provoked Daniel to search the Scriptures to determine the prophetic significance, if any, of the capture of Babylon by the Persians. By searching the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel realized that Jeremiah had prophesied that the captivity of the Jews would last 70 years. That period was almost over. (Verses 4-19) are, in essence, a prayer of confession and petition: confession of the nation’s sin and petition for God to fulfill His Word.
The overthrow of the Babylonian Kingdom by the Medo-Persians was indeed a momentous event. It had been revealed to Belshazzar through Daniel’s interpretation of the writing on the wall (Dan. 5:25-28, 5:30). The Babylonian overthrow prepared the way for liberation of the Jews who had been in exile since Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion of Jerusalem in 605 b.c. Besides predicting the overthrow of the people Jeremiah had also predicted that Israel’s sojourn in Babylon was to last 70 years (Jer. 25:11-12).
Evidently moved by Darius’ victory Daniel searched the Scriptures to understand the events of which he was a vital part. He understood Darius’ victory meant that the termination of the 70-year Captivity was near. Thus these significant events became even more momentous for Daniel.
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