The Seventy Weeks

 Daniel 9:20-27

Here’s the caveat:

I reserve the right to change my mind

later today

next week - next month - next year

until I finally settle everything and all

the surrounding details.

With all of this, that probably won’t happen this side of heaven…

The goal in studying Scripture is not to land in one particular “camp,” but to arrive at a right understanding of what the Bible teaches. 

Remember Basic Bible study principles

• What does it say?

• What does it mean? (Holy Spirit inspired/

guided study leads you)

• How am I changed?
  How will I act or think differently tomorrow, 

  next week, month, year, etc.

It’s a long term thing - sanctification

Remember: this passage is about Jesus. 

Any interpretation that doesn’t highlight the gospel - the redemption that Jesus came to accomplish on the cross, I’m going to be skeptical of.

We must always make much of Jesus

Daniel 9:20-27 is considered one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament

Verses 20-23 summarize the prayer

Daniel is a wonderful example of what prayer should look like.

James 4:3

Central importance in prayer:

who to - what for - how - motive - all matter

Daniel’s prayer, and Gabriel’s response shows us that we should consider all of this carefully, and that God wants us to understand:

The Seventy Weeks

And it’s almost universally agreed that “Seventy Weeks” should be understood: Seventy Sevens

Or: 490 years. 

Verse 25 gives us the timeline start.

But before the starting point is given, 

The center of the prophecy

This is what we’re looking toward

In verse 24, there are six events listed

(Don’t disconnect verse 24 from 25, 26, 27)

What are the six events?

1. To Finish the Transgression

We’re pointed to the Cross as the culmination of the sin of God’s people. Their transgression will be finished when they crucify Jesus on the cross (See Matthew 21, The Parable of the Tenants).

2. To put an end to sin

The idea here is a “sealing up”

God’s people rejected Him. He is now sealing/storing up, or reserving, their sins for later punishment. 

(Acts 17:30, Romans 2:5)

3. To Atone for Iniquity

It’s impossible to understand this as anything other than what Jesus did on the cross.

Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

4. To Bring in everlasting righteousness

This is what Jesus accomplished on the cross

Salvations’s goal for you: 

• that you should be holy and blameless

• you were created for good works

• zealous to do good works

2 Tim 2:22, Romans 3:20-25 (esp. v. 21)

Our righteousness will be everlasting, not temporary, not there for as long as you maintain it, or keep up the right standards. It’s there forever. 

5. To Seal Both Vision and Prophecy

When He fulfilled prophecy, He confirmed that it was true. 

In Luke 18:31-33, Jesus told His disciples, for the third time, what was going to happen:

Acts 3:18 – But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled

I think the 70 weeks are about the plan

6. To Anoint the Most Holy

Newer translations tend to say “Most Holy Place.” Older translations mostly say “Most Holy.”

Some say it points to the anointing of the Temple at some point in the future. 

Don’t miss that the term “place” isn’t in the original text.

Remember: this passage is inherently Messianic

I believe that the phrase, most holy points to Jesus.

Two more times, in the next two verses, “anointed” is used of Christ, the Anointed One

Luke 1:35, Mark 1:24, John 6:69, Mark 1:10-11 all call Jesus the Holy One.

In Isaiah 61:1, which Jesus read in the temple, was about Him.

And in Mark’s Gospel, immediately following the anointing of the Spirit at His baptism:

Mark 1:15 – Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 

(Seems like the time is fulfilled could refer to this prophecy)

Jesus Christ IS the Anointed One!

Next week, we’ll start looking at the timeline and see even more how all of this is about Jesus!!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob

Practical Principles for Passionate, Persistent Prayers

Passionate, Persistent Prayer - Daniel 9:1-19

Charles Spurgeon:
“I know of no better thermometer to your spiritual temperature than this, the measure of the intensity of your prayer.”

What biblical prayer looks like and how to better pray ourselves.

Here are the eight Prayer Principles in the sermon (watch it here). 

A brief explanation of each is included below the list.

1. Prayer is Founded on God’s Word

2. Prayer is Grounded in God’s Will

3. Prayer Is Persistent & Passionate

4. Prayer Must Be Selfless

5. Prayer Is a Group Project

6. Prayer Prompts Repentance 

7. Prayer Relies on Who God Is

8. Prayer’s Ultimate Goal: God’s Glory

Here’s a brief explanation of each point:

1. Prayer is Founded on God’s Word

Verses 2-3a 

God’s Word must always guide our prayers 

Prayer isn’t about getting God to do what I want Him to do. Prayer is about aligning myself with His desires

2. Prayer is Grounded in God’s Will

Verse 2b

Prayer is about me aligning my heart with God’s will, not guiding His will toward mine.

3. Prayer Is Persistent & Passionate

verse 3-4a

Don’t pray because you’re supposed to.

Pray with passion and persistence. 

4. Prayer Must Be Selfless

verse 4a

Pride has no Place in Prayer. It will undo what prayer should be. God opposes the proud.

Prayer starts with this mindset:

I don’t even deserve to be here. TO be in your presence speaking to you….

5. Prayer Is a Group Project (5-16)

These verses have “we/us” language. 

Daniel saw himself as part of God’s people.

1 Samuel 12:23 – far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you

6. Prayer Prompts Repentance 

True prayer leads to confession of sin.

These principles are not only about prayer. They’re also about the pursuit of the Christian life: pursuing sanctification.

(If that’s not your goal - fix that NOW!)

When you’re pursuing God, repentance and confession are part of the rhythm and flow of your life.

7. Prayer Relies on Who God Is

God’s character woven into the whole passage. 

Verse 4, 7a, 9a

God is

Great means He has Power

Awesome points to His Majesty

Keeps covenant is about Faithfulness

His mercy is seen in His Love 

to you belongs righteousness that’s His Holiness

To the Lord our God belong Mercy and Forgiveness

Where else do we see these things?

The Gospel

Jesus is Powerful.

He conquered sin and death on the cross

Jesus is Majestic & Awesome

Matthew 27:54 – When [they] saw… what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 

Jesus is Faithful

The plan for Jesus to die for us was from eternity past. He never wavered.

Jesus is the Perfect Picture of Love

It should have been me that was punished.

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 

Jesus was Holy

Colossians 1:19 – For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell

Jesus IS Forgiveness (mercy, grace)

He’s forgiveness incarnate.

Psalm 86:5 – you, O Lord, are good and forgiving 

Hebrews 8:12  – For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more

Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

8. Prayer’s Ultimate Goal: God’s Glory

Verse 17 and 18 wrap it all up

… for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, 

Do you pray for God to be glorified in all the details of your life?

All of life should be focused on and pointed toward a hard, full-on pursuit of God’s glory 

Constantly ask:

Does THIS glorify GOD?
if the answer isn’t an immediate full-on YES

DON’T DO IT!

If you’re a Christian

You were saved to bring glory to God in every comment, conversation, interaction…

We forget daily how comprehensive this is

We get caught up in this or that and leave the pursuit of God’s glory in the dust behind us.

Passionate, persistent prayer will always lead to the pursuit of God’s glory

When we walk with the Lord 

in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way…

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob

LIONS!

What an amazing story!!

This story is one we’re all familiar with, so I’ll just jump right to the application. 

If you didn’t get a chance to listen to the sermon, check it out on our YouTube channel.

January 17 Worship Gathering

Here are the basic points of application I brought up in the sermon:

 

Be Like Daniel

• Be Consistent (Disciplined)

He strived after holiness his entire life.

• Focus on God’s Will

Is being in the dead center of God’s will your primary desire?

• Have a Great Attitude

In the face of many difficulties, he had a great attitude. 

• He Pursued Righteousness & Sanctification

They couldn’t find anything to accuse him of

What could others accuse you of?

What are you known for?

What is your reputation?

• Daniel Trusted God

Daniel obeyed God and trusted Him for the outcome. 

His theme song: Trust and Obey

In light of all this:

Self Evaluation Checkpoints

__ Evaluate your Attitude

Do you tend to complain about things?

Or are you pursuing a positive perspective?

Dwelling on the problem is easy. It doesn’t take work or effort - that comes naturally.

Daniel had an excellent spirit

Here’s a passage that perfectly describes Daniel here in Chapter 6

Philippians 2:14-15 – Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world

What’s your attitude?
What are you known for?

What needs to change?

__ Don’t Be Hasty

The King made a hasty decision because he listened to the wrong people. 

Who are your “go to” people when making decisions? Are they going to speak godly wisdom into the situation?

Are they coming in with an agenda?

Determine to Pursue God’s Will

Spend time in God’s Word

And much time in prayer

Seek input from People with Godly wisdom

__ Persist in Prayer

Is your commitment to prayer be so obvious to others that they know that’s where they could trap you?

I’m adding one that wasn’t in the sermon:

__ Respond with Praise

In any situation, there will be something you could complain or be upset about (see “Attitude” above). 

Instead, look at what God has done. The King, when he saw how the Lord worked in the situation responded with an amazing psalm of praise to God. 

We should be on the lookout for how God is working (Hint: He’s ALWAYS working) and quick to praise Him for what He has done!

Ultimately, however, this passage is about

The GOSPEL

It points us to the final judgment.

Daniel - who had done nothing wrong - is a picture, or a “type” of Jesus, pointing to judgment day, a day when He will judge the world in righteousness.

Daniel went down into the Lion’s Den. 

He was not guilty

He was lifted up out of the Den.

The guilty ones, when thrown into the den, were destroyed. 

When Daniel went into the Lion’s Den - he emerged safely.

Why? Because he was found NOT GUILTY

So the Lions did not harm him 

They were God’s agents of judgment. 

And those who plotted against Daniel were judged, found guilty, and destroyed. 

Pointing to the final judgment

On that day - those who are in Adam - 

declared guilty - face destruction

Those who are in Christ - not guilty

you will be lifted up

Jesus was innocent - but He suffered a punishment that we should have endured.

He suffered for the guilty ones.

When we repent of the sin of unbelief, the sin of rejecting who Jesus is and what He did, we become part of the people redeemed from the pit through His death. 

We get His verdict because He took ours.

We get His “NOT GUILTY” 

Because He took our “GUILTY”

Lions are fierce, deadly animals

And only when you’re in Christ - united with Jesus through repentance… through faith will the mouths of the lions be closed

God is faithful

He will hold on to us

Through all the struggles of life.

He will lift us up out of the pit

sometimes in this life

ultimately we’ll be lifted up to be with Him

forever in heaven.

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob

The Call to Holiness in Daniel 1

As Daniel opens, four young men: Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah are taken WAY out of their comfort zone.

Verses 1-2 

A Picture of God’s Sovereignty

One of the most comforting doctrines in Scripture is the doctrine of God’s Sovereignty.

We can rest easy, no matter the circumstances, because God is In Control

(Isaiah 45:7, Acts 4:28, Job 42:2, Daniel 4:35)

God, in His sovereignty, can accomplish all of His will and all of His purposes even while allowing men and women to make their own decisions. He is that powerful. He is that wise

Verses 3-7

The Conformity Challenge

The world always wants to press us into its mold. The whole concept of holiness is to be set apart, to be different, to have a special purpose

The name change is saying you were a servant of the Jewish God, now you’re with us and WE worship the Babylonian gods. The world is doing that very thing today on every conceivable level. Rather than call it sin, the world wants to call it a struggle, orientation, illness, right, choice, etc.

Verses 8-16

Daniel’s Resolve

The most important verse in Chapter 1 is verse 8

Daniel had a radical commitment to holiness.

The problem Daniel and his friends faced: the standards of Scripture are not compatible with the world. 

In asking for different food, there’s a lesson in this for all of us. There’s godly wisdom here for us all.

Principles for disagreement 

1. A Radical Commitment to Obedience

Daniel’s commitment was to God

Not to making himself look good or getting his own way.

2. Be Gracious and Humble

Daniel wasn’t arrogant, rude, obnoxious, or stubborn.

He didn’t demand, but made a humble request

3. Ask God for Wisdom

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…

Daniel, no doubt, asked God for wisdom. He demonstrated wisdom beyond his years. 

Verses 17-21

God Blessed them with Ability and Success (verses 17-21)

They were blessed physically.

Daniel and friend honored God, and He honored them by giving them favor with the stewarding with healthy bodies

They were also blessed Mentally

God gave them learning and skill in literature and understanding

They were blessed Spiritually

Daniel was given the gift of being a seer or a prophet. This gift is going to prove very valuable and to Daniel’s benefit very soon in chapter 2. 

They were blessed Socially

They were given key administrative posts. The king was confident in their abilities. He trusted them to serve and represent him. He sought their counsel in all areas. They were TEN times better than everyone else.

This story points us to Christ:

Jesus left His home and travelled to a foreign land to demonstrate and live out the truths of God’s Word.

He left his home

Entered a radically sinful world

Ddidn’t defile Himself - not even once

He found favor with God and man

He amazed others with His understanding

Remember: when Jesus was tempted by Satan - it started with food

A Call to Holiness

• Holiness is commanded

• Christ died so that we would be holy.

• Our holiness is actually evidence of our salvation

• Without holiness no one will see the Lord

• Holiness is a demonstration of our love for the Lord

And at the end of the day you’re either going to conform, or transform

1 Peter 1:13-15 – Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Holiness is not an option

Be holy in ALL your conduct

In the big things

In the little details

In every aspect of your conduct

In your attitude - toward everyone and everything

In your actions - things you do, places you go, 

In your words - what you say to people and what you say about them as well.

In what you watch, listen to, read

You must train yourself to ask: is it holy?

Daniel was resolved toward holiness

And we must be too

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pastor Rob

 

At last! ROME!!

From Jerusalem to ROME!

Acts 28

Acts 27 & 28 show us 

Five Characteristics of a Faithful Disciple

A Faithful Disciple is

1. Trustworthy

We see this clearly in Julius’s trust of Paul

2. Counselor

Offering wise counsel

Godly advice

Biblical Wisdom

3. Encourager

Paul encouraged others consistently.

4. Servant

We’re given gifts, passions, desires, and abilities for the purpose of serving the church. 

But it’s not serving just the Body, but also being a servant in general: helping those in need that the Lord brings across your path.

In truth - whether serving believers or serving others, you’re really serving God. 

Paul kept serving after the shipwreck. From helping gather wood for the fire, to healing the sick on the island. 

And Paul certainly shared the gospel with them. The hospitality shown to them at the beginning became generosity when they left the island. Likely, many were saved as a result of Paul’s preaching the gospel. 

When they left the island, they had everything they need. God literally supplied all of their needs. 

And so they came to Rome

They landed about 125 miles from Rome and as they made their way to Rome, a group of believers travelled 43 miles to greet them. This was extremely encouraging to Paul that people would walk 43 miles to greet him and accompany him into Rome. 

This shows us that we, as believers, through simple acts can be of great encouragement to one another through simple things, and making effort.

_________________________________________________________________

What can you do this week to encourage someone? 

As we Pursue Christianity Intentionally I’m challenging everyone to be intentional to encourage someone this week. Just something simple, but it will take effort. 

It could be as simple as:

• Taking a meal to someone who recently 

  had surgery. 

• Writing a note of encouragement.

• Sending a few text messages.

• Checking on someone you haven’t seen

  in a while.

• Helping someone with a project.

_________________________________________________________________

It can be very simple. It will take intentionality, commitment, and effort, but it will be absolutely worth it. Imagine coming to church next week hearing stories of how everyone was encouraged this week!

As Paul arrives in Rome, we see the final Characteristic of a Faithful Disciple: 

5. An Evangelist

He Preaches the Gospel

Paul still loves his people. He immediately meets with the Jewish leadership and sets up a time to talk about the gospel. 

He spends an entire day dialoguing with them about Jesus and sharing how they can be saved. 

Following the example we see in Jesus on the road to Emmaus, he shares the gospel with them from the Old Testament. 

And again, in spite of being those who should have been most likely to trust in Christ, many of the Jews rejected the gospel, reminding us that growing up with the Bible, in church, is no guarantee of salvation. You must turn from your sins and place your faith in Jesus. Believing that He is the Son of God, and trusting in His sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. 

Paul consistently proclaims the gospel to everyone he can in every circumstance.

The final two verses are so much more than the end of the story. They’re two years of incredible ministry that was just the beginning.

Lessons We Learn in Acts

1. The Gospel Never Changes

Paul’s gospel in Acts 28

Peter’s Gospel in Acts 2

No matter who

No matter where

No matter when

The Gospel doesn’t change

2. Preaching Results in:

Some Reject it

Some Respond in Repentance & belief

When (not if) you’re rejected - know this - you’re not the first - you won’t ‘be the last. 

You’re no different from Paul and everyone who has ever shared the gospel with others. 

3. God’s Plan Hasn’t Changed

God’s plans can’t be thwarted.

Tradition tells us Paul was beheaded

All of the Apostles but John were martyred

Along with countless others.

People were burned at the stake over their beliefs

Even today - people are dying for their faith

But God’s plan remains unchanged 

There will be times when everything seems to be going great! 

In those times: GOD IS AT WORK.

There will be times when nothing seems to go right - 

In those times: GOD IS AT WORK.

While we think of Paul as the central character in the second half of Acts, it’s not really about Paul (and your story isn’t about you).

It’s about the gospel 

Our task is so simple:

Proclaim the Gospel

God’s Word says: 

Isaiah 55:11 – so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 

1 Peter 1:25 – the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 

Our task is simple:

Make God’s Word known 

God’s Word will

Convict

Confuse

Convert

Comfort

The question is always in front of us:

Will you be intentional to share Christ with others?

As I outlined in my sermon: Take the Next Step, we need to:

• be intentional about building relationships

• become equipped - 

• invite others to church

• share the gospel message

Let’s follow Paul’s example and be intentional to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob