Daniel 9:18, commentary and pictures

Daniel prayed near the close of the seventy years of captivity learned from Jeremiah, asking God to hear and look upon the desolations of Jerusalem and the sanctuary and the suffering of the people and city called by His name, pleading for pardon, restoration and the honor of His name. He rested his appeal not on any righteousness of Israel but only on God's great mercies, acknowledging that transgression of the law and refusal to hear the prophets had brought the desolation and that restoration required repentance and obedience. Though greatly beloved and commended for faithfulness, he joined himself with his sinful people and confessed his own unworthiness, showing that true sanctification is marked by humility and contrition rather than claims of personal holiness. While he was still speaking his earnest intercession was heard, and Gabriel was sent to give him understanding in the seventy-weeks answer that granted Israel renewed favor and foretold the Messiah. His prayer remains the pattern for God's people now to seek together in humility, contrition and fervent faith, confessing sin and asking for the working of the Holy Spirit not for their own merit but for God's mercy.

Setting and Plea

The prayer belongs to the first year of Darius the Mede, after the fall of Babylon and before Cyrus succeeded him, when the seventy years of Jewish captivity and of Jerusalem's desolation learned from Jeremiah were nearing completion. Daniel had learned from Jeremiah that those seventy years were to be accomplished, and in sorrow and humiliation he sought God with confession of Israel's sin, rebellion, and refusal to obey the prophets.

He set his face to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes, afflicting his soul and praying most earnestly in tears, with confession, humiliation, sorrow, and contrition as he witnessed Jerusalem's desolation. This seeking followed the true vision of the evening and the morning which was to be for many days, which left him faint and sick certain days and astonished with none understanding it. His was an earnest and complete prayer, and its result was an experience of deep humility before God.

The plea asks God to incline His ear and hear and to open His eyes and behold the desolations, Jerusalem and the desolate sanctuary, with the distress and suffering of the people identified with Him in the city called by His name. It is the pleading of an intercessor laying hold of the throne of infinite power, asking God to look on the desolations and on the city called by His name and pleading earnestly for pardon and restoration. The object is the restoration of Jerusalem and the exiles, and the preservation of God's honor and the glory due His name.

The appeal rests not on Israel's righteousnesses or earned favor or goodness, but only on God's great mercies. The desolation is acknowledged as the result of the people's sins, rebellion, transgression of God's law, and refusal to obey the prophets. Restoration could come only as they repented and became humble, faithful, and obedient.

Though Daniel had long served God and received His commendation, and though greatly beloved, devoted, faithful, and honored, he approached as a sinner and did not rely on his own righteousness. He joined himself to his sinful people, included himself among them, identified himself with their sin, confessed his unworthiness, and acknowledged that he and the people had sinned. He claimed no personal holiness and denied no sin, but pleaded for God's great mercy on behalf of the people he loved.

Heard and Foretold

Daniel's prayer was earnest, complete, and intercessory for himself and for Israel, offered in tears with fasting, affliction of soul, confession and humiliation, and all heaven was interested in the supplication. While he was still speaking his prayer was heard because it came from unfeigned lips, and ministering angels came to him with communication from God. Gabriel was sent to give skill and understanding with the seventy-weeks answer.

God is ready to hear the contrite and is willing to help those who come to Him and ask, and those who seek Him wholeheartedly in faith and depend on His power rather than their own wisdom may expect Him to answer. Daniel's wisdom and understanding came through such seeking, and asking God for wisdom can bring increased ability and power from heaven. Such full, earnest, complete prayer places the hearer's feet on solid rock.

Before Daniel finished praying, Gabriel appeared and outlined the seventy weeks, beginning with the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. The Lord again had mercy on His rebellious people and took them into favor, so a second temple was built and Jerusalem was given another probation.

The seventy-weeks time prophecy formed the basis for the first disciples' proclamation that the appointed time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God was at hand. The same prophecy foretold the death of the Messiah.

The time message was right and given at the right time in God's will. The disciples did not recognize the predicted death, and popular errors blinded them to expect an earthly kingdom to be set up at the end of the seventy weeks, so they misunderstood what would happen when the seventy weeks ended. They suffered disappointment just as later believers did over the 2300 days.

The prayer follows the true vision of the evening and the morning for many days, which left Daniel faint and sick certain days and astonished with none understanding it. The judgments of God witnessed in San Francisco are a standing warning to the people in Oakland, opening to them what Daniel saw in vision would be.

Humility and Present Call

True sanctification shows itself in humility and contrition rather than self-righteousness, for even a faithful and honored servant recognizes human unworthiness before God and places hope in divine mercy rather than personal merit. The plea to hear and behold the desolation of Jerusalem rests not on any righteousness earned by Israel but solely on great mercy, with the intercessor joining himself to his sinful people in confession instead of claiming personal holiness.

The prayer stands as the pattern for approaching God in humility, contrition, and fervent faith, confessing sin and asking for help while depending on divine power and mercy rather than trusting human goodness or wisdom. It joins prayer with humility before God rather than pride in self, holding up humbling of self before God as both example and test of whether His people are rightly prepared. Those who seek in faith in this way depend on His power on behalf of His people.

Sin must be acknowledged and confessed rather than denied, since refusal to confess leaves a person uncleansed from unrighteousness and unready for the kingdom of God. Although greatly beloved, the prophet confessed that he and the people had sinned and humbled his heart before God, and one reproved for departing from the faith should read this prayer and change by humbling the heart in the same way.

This is a prayer God's people need to offer together now, assembling to confess sins, repent, and continue in prayer until the Lord manifests Himself with power. It pleads for attention to desolation on the ground of great mercies and not human righteousness, in humility opposite to self-confidence and presumption, calling those who claim to believe the truth to practice the truth they profess.

That present call meets the condition where light has been sent but not heeded, where there is departure from expressed commands and working contrary to messages given. It meets the condition where facilities are selfishly gathered to a few favored places while large cities and the Southern field are neglected.

The prayer is to be made our own prayer for the Holy Spirit to work on our behalf, asking God to hear and to work not for our righteousnesses but for His great mercies. Prayed with the cost of redemption in view, it expels pride, self-esteem, and stubbornness, gives a true sense of human worth as purchased at infinite cost, and consecrates every capability and talent as a precious endowment to be used to the glory of His name in reaching perfection and completeness in Christ. It teaches believers to humble themselves before God and give Him the glory due His name, while never erasing the line of separation between His commandment-keeping people and those who have no respect for His law.

Those who pray as Daniel prayed — faithful and true, living wholly for God's glory and feeling the need of praying and confessing sins — remain awake and not asleep in the last great controversy. They stay keenly alive to the enemy's malignant devices in the day-by-day conflict between good and evil and between loyal and disloyal angels, knowing their only safety is in keeping God's commandments.

Such prayer finds pardon, brings the protection of angels and the guard of heavenly intelligences and ministering spirits over the good and evil striving for every person, and gives evidence that prayer is heard and victory is won. Sincere, earnest prayer seeks the character needed to honor God and do Christ's work, and God who heard prayer offered in trust, reliance, and unceasing communion will hear present prayer offered in the same way. He gives victories to those who rely on Him, enlightening the mind, giving clear conceptions of truth, softening and subduing the heart, quickening understanding to discern truth from error, and establishing the wavering mind with knowledge and faith that will stand the test. Those who so pray become greatly beloved, prepared to stand in their lot and place, making thorough work for eternity and becoming ready for the Lord's coming.