Seventy Times Seven

Daniel 9:1-10

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; 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.

Here we see the principle of seventy times seven spoken of in Matthew 18:21-22. Forgiveness and judgement is a process. It is more than just trite words. It is until the fullness of time, spoken of by Galatians 4:4, has come that judgment can be rendered. A lot of people read that passage and think, 'my, the Lord has called his people to be long-suffering.' But if Israel must remain desolate for seventy years and the Tribulation goes on for seven, then can judgment begin at the house of God. Forgiveness is no longer mandatory at that point. Even long-suffering has its limits. Judgment is always based on seventy times seven. We see here that God is patient towards the children of disobedience and his alike. However, such patience will not go on forever. Daniel understands some things about what is to come through books. This is why it is important to have the right people in your ear that can teach you about the Lord. Here, King Darius's lineage and right to the throne is further verified. If there were any questions before, there are none now concerning all that God has done. Darius of Median descent was the son of Ahasuerus. Now, some people are under the impression that Esther and Daniel are contemporaries. It may be this clue provided here that fuels such a belief. However, King Darius also named his son Ahasuerus as well after his father.

Therefore, Esther occurs well after the captives have been allowed to return home in Ezra. As such it is a stunning example of why disobedience to the Lord and staying somewhere longer than you were intended can have disastrous consequences. But as Esther shows us, God can save even from that. How much of Israel's history and the seventy years of dealings from the Lord, I wonder, have been a direct result of their own stubbornness and disobedience. Now, Darius's father was of "the seed of the Medes." I know we discussed the Medes in the prior texts. I will not push myself out on a Scriptural limb, so to speak, for something that is not stated directly in the text. Neither should you for there are some things the Lord wishes to make known at the time appointed. King Darius was made king over the Chaldeans at this time. Now, there were some Babylonians in this empire certainly. However, this is now becoming the house of faith it always was intended to be thanks to the efforts of the Hebrew children, the Lord, and King Nebuchanezzer. Even if their words had no effect, their testimony remained. Daniel learned by books indicating that this is not yet the time for the truth to be cast down to the ground where it would practice and prosper. Do not get so caught up in the prophecy that you miss the set-up of shadows for what is to come.

And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

After everything that has happened, Daniel now begins to pray. I wonder whether Daniel has seen or heard something that has made him seek the Lord in this fashion. There are always all sorts of times that are good to pray. Whether on your daily business, or as Daniel did in Psalm 55:17: morning, noon, and night. However, when a crisis comes, that is not the time to start praying. It should have been a habit all along. I seek the Lord daily, not just when it is convenient for me. Then shall the deliverance, spoken of in Psalm 34:4, come to pass. I do not know about you, but I live in a house with a spider infestation. Because I cannot tell if they are daddy long legs or brown recluses, I patrol the house daily seeking for them. I have faith that they will not hurt me for they ought to be the former. Then, when I find one, I am ready and prepared to swat it. This is how seeking the Lord should be. Not that I am comparing our Lord to a spider; rather, I believe our challenges might be like those spiders with some big and some small. I believe Daniel is genuinely terrified of the Lord here and for good reason. The source of his sickness has been removed and the wicked king has gone. Now, a new one sits upon the throne.

God has delivered Daniel from the lion's den sometime around this point as well. Rather than being comforted, Daniel fears after seeing all this. I would be afraid too if I knew everything God intends to happen. Not at any time has God abandoned his people. No, Daniel fears because of the character of God. It is just like that servant with the talent of Matthew 25:25 who hid it in the ground; then he told the master it was because he was a hard man. Daniel has seen or is about to see the Lord. There is something about the Lord's character that I cannot escape. Daniel praises him because of his mercy and his judgement. Just as the redemption with was complete, so also his judgement also will be complete. It will lack nothing. The same that has been done to his Son, will be poured out upon the world as a testimony against them. There are seven words of judgement determined for this time. In them are found seven statements about Jesus. Is not his mercy and faithfulness based upon the actions of the people and his justice and judgment also? Those who would walk with him, love his covenant, and keep his commandments according to John 15:10. To them who do not, well that is a different story. Could it be that what comes next is a speaking of the things of the vision. If you will recall, there was a vision from the evening and morning he was told to seal up. But God's words, like Jeremiah 20:9, remained in him like fire shut up in his bones. The only way for Daniel to feel better is to pray on this fire. He seems to be feeling worse than ever here covered in rags and ashes.

We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel begins by confessing what he knew the nation and the people had done. This is what they have done. They could one day stand before God and say, 'I did not know.' Romans 1:20 says that all will be without excuse before him. So therefore, will not God make them to know what has been done in the end. This is why judgement is always based on whose names are found written in the Lamb's book of life mentioned in Revelation 13:8. For in it there is covering of sin. Luke 23:34 speaks of the word forgiveness from the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." In this word is no recognition of sin. Thus, it is like the church of Laodicea, which was blind, poor, wretched, naked, and in need of everything but could see it not. Revelation 3:14-22 teaches that they knew not of their need. Hence, they would have had no awareness of what they had done. Even now, they did not know their true condition. Jesus promised to come quickly and spew them out of his mouth. These events mirror those of the pale horse of Revelation 6:8 that is to ride forth.

The pale horse is but a shadow of what is to come just as this church is but a shadow of what it should be. I believe John meant to say a pale horse so there is no confusion in colors. Later in Revelation 19 Jesus is seen riding a white horse to conquer. Revelation 9:13-21 tells of the four angels bound under Euphrates. The voice commanding came from between the altar which held the key of David. He tells one church that he holds the key to another church which is not even his. Revelation 16:12-16 seems to correlate with the sixth bowl which describes Christ knocking on earth's door at Armageddon. There are some certain words from the angel shared here that remind the listeners to stay awake and clothed lest he come. Note that Christ's sacrifice should have been enough. He has been standing at the door and knocking for a long time. All they had to do was let him in. To those who overcame, he promised they would sit with him on his throne. If you follow each out to their logical progression you will soon see that if this church is no church at all and his people they are not, God is well within his rights to just turn out the lights, lock the doors, and head home. But he will not do that. He will instead bind the strong man and then spoil his house as in Mark 3:27.

O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

In the phrase, "woman behold your son" spoken in John 19:26 we see that people become unrecognizable. Even Daniel agrees here that due to sin, there is no recognition of persons to be had. Now, I am finding it difficult to recognize the faces of the churches as it were. Nevertheless, I will do my best. Revelation 3:1-6 speaks to the church of Sardis, the church that is alive but dead. Their reputation is incorrect, and their deeds are unfinished. However, there is yet time for them to strengthen what remains. To them, Jesus will appear as a thief to restore their soiled clothing or to take their life. For their reward, they are forever dressed in white walking beside the Lord; even so, their names are written in the Lamb's book of life. There will be times such as those in Revelation 6:2 where the rider was given a long sword. As he rides, he makes false peace throughout the earth. In that we see the beginning of this identity theft of the highest levels. It is followed by the locusts with the stinging tails told of in Revelation 9:1-11 which harmed only those without the seal of God. Revelation 16:2 speaks of loathsome sores affecting those marked with the beast and worshipping his image. See, they had only the power to torment those who were not the children of God and to afflict them for a time. God will make it clear to all whom his children are. Nor will he tolerate such blatant disrespect as identity theft of the highest levels. There is a temptation here to take someone else's place as the beast has done. However, only God holds his rightful position, and none will take that from him.

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

By this, the basis of judgment is set. Every prophet was slain; even Zacharias of Matthew 23:35 died between the temple and the altar. After years of silence, God sent Jesus and none other than the testimony of the prophet Jonas in Matthew 16:4. Matthew 12:40 equates the three days and nights of Jonah in the whale's belly with those of the Son of Man in the heart of the earth. By this they made their own house desolate as in Matthew 23:37-39. How often would God have gathered them as a mother hen gathered her chicks under her wings. But now, the time for that is almost passed. This is why the devil makes sure of his followers in the end so there is no changing their mind once their heart nature has been revealed. As such of 1 Corinthians 11:27, they are now guilty of the body and blood of Christ. From this there is no turning back. King Belshazzar ought not to have drunk from the temple vessels nor shared them with others. But they did not heed sound advice and here we are. I hear some of you disrespecting the Lord loudly with your lives, words, and actions. To them I would say, now is the day of salvation before it is too late. There are seven churches, seven words, seven seals, seven bowls of wrath, seven trumpets, and seven blessings to come which are visited on those inhabiting the seven seas which are known as the earth. I would elaborate on the cup of the Lord and how it is mixed. Suffice to say, the example of the churches of Revelation tells the story sufficiently. God's justice will more than suffice when that time comes for it is his suffering; he has committed all judgment unto the Son in John 5:22.