Daniel 9:20, commentary and pictures

Daniel was speaking and praying with fasting, tears and deep humiliation, confessing his own sin and the sin of Israel as his own while pleading for the desolate sanctuary at Jerusalem and the restoration of the captives as the seventy years neared their end. While he was still speaking heaven answered, and Gabriel whom he had seen in the vision at the beginning was caused to fly swiftly and touch him about the time of the evening oblation to give him skill, understanding and light about future ages extending to the advent of the Redeemer. The prayer belongs to the prophetic periods of Daniel 8 and 9 reckoned from 457 B.C., containing the seventy-week prophecy pointing to the first coming of Christ and His death, which the first disciples proclaimed as fulfilled though they misunderstood the kingdom as earthly and suffered disappointment. Though greatly beloved, highly favored and faithful after a long life of noble service, Daniel claimed no purity, holiness or freedom from sin but identified himself with sinful Israel, proving that true holiness is joined with humility and contrition and there is no self-exaltation in those who walk near God. His plea rested on God's greatness, righteousness and mercy and not on human righteousness, presenting humble confession and earnest prevailing prayer for others as the pattern believers are to follow, showing that God is ready to help, pardon, guard and give wisdom and power to all who seek Him wholeheartedly in faith.

Prayer, Plea, and Answer

Daniel was speaking and praying with fasting and afflicting of soul, most earnestly and in tears, with confession and humiliation and with contrition and sorrow over the desolation of Jerusalem. His prayer was not for himself alone but in identification with his people, for he confessed his own sin and the sin of his people Israel as his own while presenting his supplication before God for others. By the holy mountain of God he meant the desolate sanctuary in Jerusalem, pleading for Jerusalem and for the restoration of the captive exiles as he believed the seventy years of captivity were nearing their end.

While he was still speaking and praying heaven answered, and his earnest seeking was not in vain, for his prayer was heard and ministering angels came to him to give him in vision the communication from God in answer to his petitions. Gabriel, the man he had seen in the vision at the beginning, was caused to fly swiftly and touched him about the time of the evening oblation. He called Daniel greatly beloved and came to inform him and talk with him, to give him skill and understanding and a direct message from God.

That answer brought needed light and truth for him and his people, skill and understanding about future ages extending to the advent of the Redeemer. God heard as He heard Daniel, came to his deliverance, and made known what shall take place and what is shortly to take place. The verse thus means that heavenly powers are joined with the earthly, with heavenly agencies communing with earthly men.

Time Prophecy and Fulfillment

The prayer stands within the connected prophetic periods of Daniel 8 and 9, and this chapter supplies the key for finding the commencement of the 2,300-year period introduced in Daniel 8. Those periods are reckoned from the year 457 B.C., a date established by historical and chronological facts. At the time Daniel was praying and confessing his own sin and the sins of Israel while pleading for God's holy mountain, the desolate sanctuary in Jerusalem. He believed the seventy years of captivity were nearing their end and mistakenly supposed that the 2,300 days ended with that period. While he was still praying, Gabriel came to give him understanding about the vision.

The chapter contains the seventy-week time prophecy pointing to the first coming of Christ. The first disciples used that prophecy as the basis for proclaiming that the appointed time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God was at hand. The same prophecy foretold the death of the Messiah and the kingdom to be set up at the end of the seventy weeks. In delivering that message the disciples gave the right message at the right time and fulfilled the will of God. Yet popular errors blinded them so that they misunderstood the kingdom as an earthly kingdom, and through misapprehension of the event they suffered disappointment, paralleling the Adventists who preached from Daniel 8:14 and Revelation 14:7 yet misunderstood the event at the expiration of the 2,300 days.

Humility and Prayer Example

Daniel, though greatly beloved of Heaven, highly favored and wise, faithful and true with a long life of noble service wholly for God's glory, does not claim to be pure, holy, righteous or free from sin, but confesses his own sin together with the sin of Israel and identifies himself with the really sinful of his people while pleading for them. Having seen the awful majesty of holiness he saw his own unworthiness in contrast with the purity and exalted perfection of the Infinite One, proving that true holiness is joined with humility and contrition and that there is no self-exaltation or boastful claim to freedom from sin in those who walk near God. His plea rests on God's greatness, righteousness and mercy and appeals in earnest faith to God's promises, not on the people's own righteousness. His prayer and its results show God is ready and willing to help those who come to Him, seek Him wholeheartedly, and pray in faith, and that asking God for wisdom and help can bring greater ability, skill, understanding and power from heaven.

The verse presents humble confession and earnest prayer for others as part of seeking the Lord, a pattern believers are urged to follow. It illustrates that true sanctification involves searching Scripture and earnestly praying for a clearer understanding of Bible truth, with needed light and truth given in answer extending even to future events and the advent of the Redeemer. It presents Daniel as an example of making time for prayer despite pressing responsibilities, bringing his request before God while confessing his own sin and the sin of Israel.

Prevailing prayer as shown here must come from a heart overflowing with love for God, softened and subdued by the Saviour's love, cleansed from selfishness, sincere and under the moving of the Holy Spirit, crying for more wisdom and a deeper realization of Christ's love, not dry, tame, spiritless, set and formal, or merely eloquent. Its intensity and earnestness draws the petitioner nearer and still nearer to God with assurance of answer, as assurance came to Daniel while he was still offering it. So it is for every child of God, whose simple petitions even in broken sentences from a full and burdened heart cast the helpless soul upon the Burden-bearer and take hold of Christ's strength to make peace with God.

Those who pray as Daniel prayed are not asleep but keenly alive to exposure to the enemy's malignant devices, see their only safety in keeping God's commandments, confess their sins and find pardon, and are guarded and protected by heavenly intelligences. God hears them as He heard Daniel, comes to their deliverance, and makes known coming events and things shortly to take place, clothing His servants with salvation to arise and shine and reveal Him as a good and merciful God who hates oppression, neither intimidated by threatenings nor overcome by despondency. This makes them ready for the last great controversy and the Lord's coming. This requires seeking the Lord for understanding because great things are before us, with sanctification in speech and heart, and ministers, teachers, and all God's people now with the end at hand are to pray with the same earnestness and fervor and learn daily in the school of Christ how to pray, or darkness will follow; then their prayers will be heard and answered and the Word proclaimed with power.