Daniel 9:13, commentary and pictures

The calamity that fell upon Israel had come exactly as written and foretold in the law of Moses, yet the people had still not prayed before the Lord God in order to turn from their iniquities and understand His truth. It is part of Daniel's confession in which he set his face to seek God by prayer and supplications with fasting, sackcloth and ashes, humbled over the desolation of Jerusalem and giving God the glory due His name. Though greatly beloved and faithful, Daniel confessed both his own sin and the sin of his people, pleading for restoration on the ground of God's righteousness and mercy rather than any human merit. That prayer of Daniel 9:3-19 is the prayer God's people now need to offer, in earnest, humble, united and intercessory confession and repentance until the Lord manifests Himself with power. His earnest prayer of confession and humility was not in vain, for God heard it from sincere lips and sent an angel to him, and the God who heard Daniel will hear prayer now when approached as Daniel approached Him.

Meaning in Daniel's Prayer

The evil or calamity that came upon Israel had come exactly as written and foretold in the law of Moses. Yet the people had not made prayer before the Lord God in order to turn from iniquities and understand His truth. Turning from sin and understanding truth require seeking God in prayer. The failure was not only that calamity had fallen as Moses' law warned, but that under it there was no such prayerful turning and understanding.

The verse belongs to a confession in which Daniel set his face to seek God by prayer and supplications with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, and prayed and made confession. It was offered with contrition of soul and deep sorrow over the desolation of Jerusalem. In it Daniel in Babylon humbled himself before God and gave God the glory due to His name.

Though greatly beloved, faithful, and loved by God, Daniel confessed both his own sin and the sin of his people. He acknowledged that he and the people had sinned. He pleaded for restoration on the basis of God's righteousness and mercy rather than human merit.

The prayer followed the evening-morning vision that is true and for many days. At that vision Daniel fainted, was sick, afterward rose to do the king's business, and was astonished with none understanding it. It opens to people what was seen in vision. The judgments witnessed in San Francisco and many places stand as a warning to Oakland of the great things to take place to the end, to be seen by all who are living.

Prophetic Time and Fulfillment

The verse stands within the prophetic periods of Daniel 8 and 9, whose historical and chronological facts point to the year 457 B.C. as the proper time from which to begin reckoning those periods.

The prophecy of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9 supplied the first disciples with their basis for proclaiming that the appointed time was fulfilled and that the kingdom of God was at hand. That same prophecy foretold the death of the Messiah, a part of the prediction the disciples did not recognize at the time they preached. They misunderstood what the nature of the kingdom would be and failed to see the foretold death of the Messiah. Their experience is paralleled by Advent believers, who had a correct message concerning the 2300 days but a mistaken expectation of what would take place when those days ended.

Model Prayer for Today

The chapter is given for instruction and encouragement as the model of seeking God through earnest, full, complete, and sincere prayer, with humility, contrition, and confession of sin. Its earnestness and completeness show that the foretold calamities had come, yet without the kind of prayer that turns from sin and leads to understanding truth, and its humility is joined to the spiritual experience that followed. Daniel's simplicity and earnestness teach the need to confess mistakes and errors, repent, humble the heart before God, and seek Him sincerely, even after long service approaching Him as a sinner and pleading for a loved people. A clear knowledge of God brings contrition rather than self-esteem, and makes humbling of self before Him essential.

The prayer of Daniel 9:3-19 is the prayer God's people now need to offer, in confession, repentance, and continued united, earnest, intercessory prayer until the Lord manifests Himself with power, so that they may turn from iniquities and understand truth. It is earnest intercession for self and for Israel after calamity came exactly as written in the law of Moses, because the people had not prayed in order to turn and understand. This call applies to a people marked by self-confidence, presumption, and trust in self, by failure to heed light sent to them, by departure from expressed commands, and by working contrary to messages long given about the different features of the work. That spirit has been shown in selfishly gathering facilities to a few favored places while neglecting other parts of the field, the large cities, and the Southern field, and when those who claim to believe the truth practice the truth this neglect will end.

The prayer is the pattern for one who has been reproved for walking in false paths, not doing the Lord's will, and departing from the faith while enemies watch, calling that person to read the prayer, humble the heart as Daniel did, confess sins, make a change, and receive God's peace spoken to him. Though greatly beloved, Daniel humbled himself in this way and prayed that the people might turn from iniquities and understand truth. His humble confession and repentance is held up as the test of whether people are ready to stand before God. His earnest prayer of confession and humility was not in vain, for God heard it from sincere lips and sent an angel to communicate with him. This shows God ready to hear the contrite and willing to help those who come to Him, so that those who seek Him wholeheartedly and ask in faith may receive wisdom, greater ability, and heaven's power.

The God who heard Daniel will hear prayer now when approached as Daniel approached Him, in trust and communion with God, praying without ceasing and praying in the Holy Ghost. Such prayer is too much neglected and its power and efficacy are not valued as they should be. God wants to be asked to enlighten the mind so souls may understand truth, for He alone can give clear conceptions of truth, soften and subdue the heart, quicken understanding to discern truth from error, establish the wavering mind, and give a knowledge and faith that will stand the test and give victories to those who rely on Him. Prayer and confession to turn from iniquity, understand truth, keep the commandments, and find pardon bring guarding by heavenly intelligences in the ongoing conflict between good and evil and between loyal and disloyal angels, giving the only safety against the enemy's malignant devices. Those who pray as Daniel prayed do not sleep but wake and watch for what is soon coming upon the earth in the last great controversy, live wholly for God's glory, stand in their lot and place under angelic protection, hold the written Word as the only safety without fanciful speculations, learn the ministration of angels, make thorough work for eternity, and become prepared for the Lord's coming.

Humble prayer never erases the dividing line between God's commandment-keeping people and those who have no respect for His law. It keeps the commandments, obeys God's voice, and lets His Word guide the life as a lamp to the feet and a light to the path, while failure to let that Word guide is identified as a deficiency. Turning from sin and understanding truth require seeking God in prayer. Daniel's prayer is to be made our own, asking for the Holy Spirit to work on our behalf. It is to be prayed with pride expelled and self humbled in sight of God by what redemption cost at the cross so He may lift us up, while holding personal value by God's estimate in the price paid for redemption, valuing every capability and talent as the Lord's precious endowment to use to His name's glory, and making every gift a treasure of influence to have every advantage in the strife for immortality and eternal life and to reach perfection and completeness in Christ, and Daniel's faithfulness in this experience is joined with being called greatly beloved.