The Unseen Battle Series

In Daniel chapter 9 (which I said would be our last message in this series) we see where Daniel took it on himself to intercede on behalf of all the people of Israel who were in captivity in Babylon; and Daniel was just one individual, yet the Lord heard his supplication. Daniel’s prayer reminds us that God will intervene on behalf of the few who fear His name and seek His face. You see, it might appear at times as though our nation is not going to make it for all the problems, but if God’s faithful remnant get serious about praying for America, then it’s never too late to turn things around.

Now, we’re not going to be viewing Daniel’s entire intercessory prayer this morning. Suffice it say that, in addition to a prayer of repentance, he also offered up a prayer for the release of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. His prayer for release in Daniel chapter 9, and the reason for the delay as explained in Daniel chapter 10, is what we’re going to focus on in today’s message, which I’ve entitled, “The Unseen Battle.” So, let’s go ahead and get started with Daniel 9:1-3:

Standing on the Promises (Daniel 9:1-3)

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans – 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. 3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

In verse 2, Daniel stated that he understood “by the books” and “by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet” concerning how long the captivity would be. In my message on “A Time to Kneel,” I said the books that Daniel was familiar with were found in the Torah, or the Law, which we know as the first five books of the Bible – Genesis through Deuteronomy. Well, that was actually an oversight. According to commentator Warren Wiersbe, among “the books” mentioned by Daniel would have also been a scroll containing the prophecies of Jeremiah.(1)

Now, look again at verse 2. Daniel said that he understood from Jeremiah that God “would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.” Israel was sentenced to captivity in Babylon, because the people had lived in defiance to God’s commands; and in Jeremiah chapter 25, the prophet had warned of this impending judgment, declaring, “Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: ‘Because you have not listened to My words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring them against this land . . . This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years’” (Jeremiah 25:8-9a, 11, NIV).

Daniel was well aware of this seventy-year prophecy. He also knew, based on Jeremiah, what God had promised to do as soon as the seventy years were up. In Jeremiah 29:10-11, we read this: “For thus says the Lord: ‘After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope’.” So, Daniel had been counting the days and marking his calendar for the seventy years to be completed; and as soon as he knew that God’s people had entered the prophesied time of release, he began praying.

Daniel began standing on God’s promise at that very moment. You see, it wouldn’t have done him any good to be praying for release from captivity before the appointed time. When God was planning to cast His people into captivity, He said in Jeremiah 7:16, “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.” If Daniel had prayer before the appointed time, he would have been praying in vain, for he couldn’t override what God had declared; but as soon as the time of deliverance was at hand, he knew he had something to stand on. So, he began pressing the Lord to uphold His Word, and he did so through prayer and fasting; which Jesus tells us is a powerful combination. In fact, in Matthew 17:19-21, Jesus said that if there’s ever a moment when our faith can’t move mountains, then we need to get busy with prayer and fasting! Let’s now skip down and look at Daniel 9:20-23a: