♪ theme music ♪
(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
an in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
We are in the middle
of an amazing, life-changing series of studies
on the book of Daniel.
Today we're studying Daniel, chapter 9,
and the topic, From Confession to Consolation.
I'm excited because Stephanie
is going to be leading our study.
I know it's going to be a great blessing.
So, welcome to you
and welcome to our team.
We're always happy to hear from you.
What's been the greatest blessing in this series?
(Nicole) Victories in Jesus.
(Derek) Yes, just realizing
that Jesus is at the center,
the Messiah, the One who is to come,
the Prince of the host,
and we've discovered that Jesus wins.
That's good news, isn't it?
We're always happy to hear from you,
our Hope Sabbath School viewers.
Leila writes to us
from British Columbia in Canada;
thanks for writing to us.
"Hello, Hope Sabbath School members."
(Team) Hello.
(Derek) "Just wanted to say
that every week I'm watching
Hope Sabbath School;
sometimes I watch it twice.
God bless you all.
I'd also like to share with you
that I accepted Jesus about one year ago."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Isn't that awesome?!
And I just want to affirm you, Leila,
for studying the Word of God
to help you grow strong in the Lord.
I love what it says next,
"Since that day, I have found peace in my life."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "Peace in God is an experience
that no one and nothing
can take away from me.
This is an amazing experience
I never had before.
I thank God for His unconditional love
and saving me, no matter
how far I was from Him."
This is powerful, isn't it?
"The first thing that made me curious
about the Seventh-day Adventist Church
was hearing the word 'Sabbath' from a friend,
and the conversation
led me to search for God.
At that time, I was being accused,
insulted and rejected by my loved one,
was feeling hopeless and desperate,
but God who created me and loved me has saved me."
(Team) Amen!
(Derek) I think that's a preacher right there.
"I am a precious child of God."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Well, thank you so much
for writing to us Leila;
that is so powerful.
I am praying someone heard your testimony
and said, "Oh, Lord, do You
feel that way about me, too?"
and what's the answer?
(Team) Yes.
(Derek) Absolutely. Absolutely.
Here's a short note from Franck
in Massachusetts in the United States of America,
"Good job, brothers and sisters in Christ.
Keep up the good work until Jesus returns,
and you will all be rewarded.
I would love to join you one day.
May the Lord bless you all."
What is our reward when Jesus comes?
(Travis) Jesus.
(Derek) Just being with Jesus. Absolutely.
Thanks for writing to us.
Here is another note
from Trinidad and Tobago.
We had one of those just recently.
Garnet writes to us, "Hi,
Hope Sabbath School members."
(Team) Hi.
(Derek) "Just letting you know
that the lessons have been a blessing to me
and to my Sabbath School class in Trinidad.
We also have a link to the weekly study
on our church website,
so anyone visiting our church website
can click on Hope Sabbath School."
What a great idea.
"Thanks for making a difference
in our study of the Bible," praise God.
Here's a note from a donor in Georgia.
I want to just say thank you
to all of our donors;
it's a donor-supported ministry.
Here's a note that says, "We have been
contributing 25 dollars a month
to Hope Channel; we love Hope
and particularly like Hope Sabbath School.
God bless you all."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) You know, we are all part
of a great miracle, aren't we?
And I'm just thankful
to each of our donors.
To this couple in Georgia,
thank you for being part
of this great miracle of God.
And one from the other side of the world,
from Patrick in Vanuatu,
way over in the South Pacific,
"Hi, Hope Sabbath School team."
(Team) Hi!
(Derek) I think they say that
just so that we'll smile
and wave at them, right?
"I've learned about your program
for the past two years;
I started downloading the series to watch.
I never get tired of repeating
the same series for the week.
I watch it over and over again."
That's a great way to learn, isn't it?
"I wish we would follow the same outline
in our Sabbath School class at church."
Well, I've got good news for you, Patrick.
You can go to our website,
hopetv.org/hopess;
you can download the outline.
We do that at the small church
that I attend each week,
and we give a copy
to everyone who is participating.
So, think about that.
"Lives are transformed,
and I personally understand the Bible better
than studying by myself.
I praise God for the lovely members,
and most of all for our great teacher, the Holy Spirit."
(Team) Amen!
(Derek) We were hoping
he'd say that, right? Absolutely.
We're part of the team,
but He's the Great Teacher.
"Keep witnessing for the Lord until He comes."
Well, Patrick, thanks for writing
to us from Vanuatu.
We've got Hope Sabbath School members
in over 200 countries
around the world now,
and we are glad that you're part
of our Hope Sabbath School family,
and we're going to ask you
to sing a song with us now.
You can download it from our website,
but you probably have already learned it.
Written by the prophet Daniel,
a little tune by my wife
to help us to memorize it.
Let's sing it together.
♪ music ♪
(Derek) That song just makes us
want to praise God, doesn't it?
Stephanie, why don't you lead us in prayer
as we begin our study today.
(Stephanie) It does make us
want to praise God; let's pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Lord, thank You so much
that You are the source
of wisdom and knowledge.
We ask that You would be with us today;
teach us from Your Word, that we would
not only have a head knowledge,
but our hearts would be energized
for who You are and what You've done
and what You will be doing.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
(Derek, Team) Amen.
(Stephanie) Our study today
is in Daniel, chapter 9,
and I'd like us to start out in verse 1.
John, if you would be prepared
to read that for us,
Daniel, chapter 9, verse 1.
And as we're listening to this verse,
keep in mind, or think about,
what the setting is for Daniel, chapter 9.
(John) All right, reading
from the King James Version,
Daniel 9, verse 1, says:
(Stephanie) All right. What have you learned
in just that first verse?
(Gladys) It was not Babylon anymore;
it had just moved to the Medes and the Persians.
(Stephanie) So it's not Babylon.
(Travis) We've passed chapter 5
in the chronological order
in the book of Daniel.
(Stephanie) That's right, so let's
kind of do a quick review of chapter 5.
What happened in chapter 5?
Babylon was still in reign, right? Who was the king?
(Gladys) Belshazzar.
(Stephanie) Belshazzar, and he has a feast
in Daniel, chapter 5.
Then there's, what, writing on the wall?
Okay, and who came
to give the interpretation?
(Team) Daniel.
(Stephanie) Daniel, okay.
And then, that interpretation, was it fulfilled?
(Team) Yes.
(Stephanie) It was, so what happened that night?
(Derek, Stephanie, Team) Babylon fell.
(Stephanie) The beginning
of Daniel, chapter 6, what do we see?
(Team Member) Darius as king.
(Stephanie) We see Darius, right?
And he comes to the throne,
and he is setting up his kingdom.
And who does he set on top?
(Stephanie, Team) Daniel.
(Stephanie) What does that do to the others?
(Team) Jealousy.
(Stephanie) Some jealousy.
What happens as a result of that?
(Team) A plot.
(Stephanie) There's a plot,
but there's a decree, right?
(Team) Yes.
(Stephanie) What is the decree, specifically?
(Gladys) Worship, whoever worships
anybody besides the king.
(Stephanie) Worship, but what aspect of worship?
(Team) Prayer.
(Stephanie) Prayer and supplication.
"Do not make any other supplication
to anyone other than King Darius."
This is about the same time frame
as we look at Daniel, chapter 9, okay?
Daniel, chapter 9, let's go back
and look at verses 2 and 3.
And, Nicole, would you read that for us?
Daniel, chapter 9, verses 2 and 3,
what does the Bible say?
(Nicole) The New King James Version says:
(Stephanie) All right, what is Daniel doing here?
(Gladys) He's humbling himself.
(Stephanie) He's humbling himself.
He's studying the Word of God with prayer.
What was it that he was studying in Jeremiah?
Let's turn over to Jeremiah, chapter 25,
and look at verses 11 and 12. Derek.
(Derek) While they are about to read that,
I think a crucial lesson,
and it relates to Hope Sabbath School,
even though he's receiving
special revelations from God,
he's still wanting to study,
both the Hebrew Scriptures that are existing
and even a contemporary prophet.
Jeremiah is receiving messages
from the Lord, too.
So it tells me, we all
have more to learn, right?
And he's got a teachable spirit.
(Stephanie) Amen. Thank you.
Jeremiah 25, looking at verses 11 and 12,
and, Gladys, would you read that for us?
(Gladys) Sure.
(Stephanie) As Gladys is reading,
let's ask ourselves the question,
what is that revelation
that is being revealed to Daniel?
(Gladys) I'll be reading
from the book of Jeremiah,
in the New International Version,
chapter 25, verses 11 and 12:
(Stephanie) All right, and let's
move over to Jeremiah 29, verse 10,
and, Evelyn, would you read that for us?
Jeremiah 29, verse 10.
(Evelyn) I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Stephanie) That was a beautiful promise, wasn't it?
So, what is it that was revealed to Jeremiah
that Daniel was studying,
that it was becoming clear to him?
(John) The number of years that Jerusalem
would be captives in Babylon.
(Stephanie) All right, what value
was that to him at that time?
Can you tell me the time frame?
(Derek) Well, it's about the end of that 70 years.
I'm sure Daniel is thinking,
"I get to go home," because he was
a teenager when he was taken
as a prisoner of war.
As it is, God has another special work
for him to do in the next kingdom.
But I can imagine on a personal level
that he was thinking, "We get to go home,"
after all of this time.
(Stephanie) So he knew
that the time was coming
for them to be able to go back
or go out of captivity.
Why is it that prayer is important
when we are seeking to understand
God's Word and His will?
Because that's what Daniel was doing.
He was praying, in addition to studying. Alex.
(Alex) I think a lot of times,
when we think of stuff without praying,
our personal desires come into play.
I could even think
that I'm acting on my own
or acting on what is right,
but without taking it to prayer,
I really may not be in line
with what God wants for me.
(Stephanie) So, putting us
in alignment with God's will
and understanding it? Gladys?
(Gladys) Well, this is God's Word,
and He's the better Translator.
There are a lot of things that we are
not going to be able to understand,
but this is His Word.
So it's best to go back to Him and say,
"What is the message
that I need to understand right now?"
(Stephanie) Yes, Shaina?
(Shaina) So, praying is communicating
with the One who knows all things,
the Omniscient One,
so it's like fact-checking
to make sure that my steps are ordered,
I am going in the right way.
(Stephanie) So it sounds like Daniel
was on the right track, right?
(Derek) Absolutely.
(Stephanie) Travis.
(Travis) We just read in Jeremiah,
Jeremiah had wrote that God had said,
"You'll find Me if you search for Me
with all your heart.
I will be found by you,"
So Daniel in his innocence
is just claiming the promises
that Jeremiah had written.
So he's claiming Scripture, the promise,
"Lord, You said You would restore us."
(Stephanie) So, Daniel...
This is not the first time
Daniel is about to pray, right,
but this is the longest prayer
that's recorded for Daniel.
Where else have you seen Daniel praying
and making supplication? Rodney.
(Rodney) In Daniel 2.
(Stephanie) Daniel, chapter 2,
what was happening then?
(Rodney) His life was about to be ended
among many other...
(Team Member) Wise men.
(Rodney) ....wise men.
And when the news came to him
that, "Okay, it's time for you to die,"
he asked for more time.
And he went to his friends, and said,
"Friends, please pray with me
so that the Lord will reveal the vision
so that I can report back to the king."
(Stephanie) And after he receives that in the night,
what does he do?
He praises the Lord, exactly.
John, did you have a comment?
(John) No, that was it.
(Stephanie) All right. Very good.
So, where else do we see? Yes, Kim.
(Kim) In Daniel, chapter 6,
as we just spoke about earlier.
When the king sets out the decree
for nobody to petition to any god
or any person but him,
Daniel still goes to his window and prays.
(Stephanie) That is faith
and trust in God, isn't it?
(Derek) And it happens
all the way back in chapter 1
when he purposes in his heart
that he will not defile himself.
And you know that before he asks the steward,
because he gets turned down
by the chief of the eunuchs, right?
When he asks the steward,
you know he's praying,
because, "God, I want to honor You
but I need divine help."
So I see him even as a teenager,
and like Kim said,
all the way up to now, he's older,
but he's developed this life practice
of staying in communication with God.
(Stephanie) This is a way of life.
What can we learn from that?
(Gladys) More prayer, more power.
(Stephanie) More prayer, more power. Evelyn?
(Evelyn) I think also something admirable about Daniel
is that he's praising God even when he's facing
a really scary or devastating situation.
I mean, I know that's not easy to do,
to say, "Thank You, God.
Even though something bad
is going to happen,
or this bad situation is going on,
I praise You for what You have done
and what You're going to do for me."
(Derek) Amen.
(Stephanie) Notice in verse 3, he prayed with...
How does it describe his prayer?
(Gladys) Fasting, sackcloth...
(Stephanie) With fasting, sackcloth, ashes.
What is the significance of that? Kenneth.
(Kenneth) Humbling himself before God
and not thinking that somehow
he has a righteousness of his own
to stand before God and to boast.
But going down, humbling himself,
and allowing God to do what He does best.
(Stephanie) Yes, thank you, Kenneth. Gladys.
(Gladys) In the past,
whenever they used a sackcloth and the ashes,
that was a sign of pain and suffering,
and kind of like stripping yourself
from anything that would be self.
More like, relying completely on God.
(Derek) I think it's important
to realize, Stephanie, that it's
not like some kind of self-punishment
or flagellation or something,
where, you think with Jonah and Nineveh,
it's a sign of true repentance.
When you repent with sackcloth and ashes,
it's not like, "Dear God,
help me to have a nice day. Amen."
It's a heartfelt, genuine repentance.
And what's interesting is there's
no record of Daniel committing sins.
Now, I'm sure he made mistakes,
but he's actually repenting
for his whole nation,
not just for himself.
(Stephanie) Yes, and we are
going to look at that for sure. Travis.
(Travis) I'm just going to say, too,
there's a mourning, you know,
it's a time of mourning, too,
the way he's praying.
And I've always thought of ashes to be...
it's always mentioned with dust,
and by putting that on their head,
it's like, "Lord, I know
that I'm made of dust."
And so it's just this really incredible sign of humility,
like, "I know that You're my Creator,"
that, "I only exist because of You."
(Stephanie) And fasting also,
another aspect is, fasting is helpful
to clear our minds so that we're
in tune and focused with God.
Let's go into this prayer,
and we'll look at Daniel, chapter 9,
verse 4 and then verses 5 through 14.
Evelyn, if you would read verse 4,
and then, Nicole, if you would read
verses 5 through 14,
and, Abigail, if you would be prepared
to read 15 through 19.
Let's take a look at this prayer in segments.
(Evelyn) All right, and I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Stephanie) What does that verse
tell you about Daniel?
(Gladys) He praises God,
he's acknowledging who God is.
(Stephanie) He is acknowledging
who God is, absolutely.
Let's go to verses 5 through 14, Nicole?
(Nicole) The New King James Version
of Daniel 9:5-14 says:
(Stephanie) What do you see
Daniel doing in this passage? Rodney.
(Rodney) I'm just blown away by his humility.
He is saying "we," and from all
that we have read so far,
we have seen that Daniel
has been an upright man.
He wasn't sinless, but he was upright.
And he is saying, "We have sinned,"
and, "We have committed..."
Not they, "They, Lord,
they are the ones that..."
He's including himself because he sees;
he's humbling himself before God
because the same prayer
that he has for his fellowmen
he has for himself; great humility.
(Stephanie) On that note, it does appear
that he's identifying himself with their sins.
Why? Why would Daniel
ask for forgiveness of sins
that he did not commit?
(Derek) That's a good question, Stephanie,
because when his enemies
put his life under a microscope,
they're unable to find any fault with him
except that he's fully devoted
to the God of Heaven.
But I think he's demonstrating
the humility of saying, "I am
as much in need of a Messiah, of a Redeemer,
as anyone else," which is true for all of us.
(Stephanie) Yes, for all of us, exactly.
What else do you see
Daniel doing in this passage?
It's definitely confession, right? John.
(John) He sees himself
as one with God's people,
and that's what you see.
When you do that, just as Christ,
you identify with them,
then you can take upon, you know,
almost the guilt because of that.
And so I see confession,
but he's also pleading
on God's goodness and His mercy.
(Stephanie) We'll get to you, Travis.
Why do you think it's important
to focus on God's mercy and his goodness
instead of our shortcomings,
our sins and our needs?
(Gladys) It gives us hope.
(Stephanie) Gladys? Hope,
It gives us hope. Kim.
(Kim) Sometimes when we focus on our sins,
we can focus too much on the guilt.
But when we focus on God,
we know that He forgives us,
and He can also help us
to overcome sins in our life.
(Stephanie) Amen. Kenneth.
(Kenneth) When we focus on our sins,
we make our sins greater than God,
and, you know, we make God less of something.
But when we focus on God,
we see, though we have sinned,
we know that in His hand
are mercy and forgiveness, and He is able
to redeem us and forgive us.
(Stephanie) Amen. Derek.
(Derek) I saw Shaina's hand, too,
but I just want to say
there is a place for confession of sin.
The Bible says, "If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just."
The issue is, is that all we do?
"Oh, I did this sin; I did that sin; I did..."
I think that's depressing.
I think, by beholding all of that sin,
we stay focused on it.
So it's good to recognize
where we're out of harmony with God.
That's what confession is, right?
But then we turn our eyes toward Jesus,
who is the One who can
forgive us and cleanse us.
Or, of course, he's looking forward
to the Messiah to come.
So, I think, yeah, don't stay there,
but it is important to recognize
where we need forgiveness.
(Stephanie) So he acknowledged
at the very beginning who God was,
and now He's essentially acknowledging who man is.
They are weak, right?
But he's focusing, again, on God. Travis.
(Travis) Well, I just kind of agree
with everything everyone's been saying,
but he acknowledges, he tells God,
"You said this would happen,
and now it's happened, but You also said
that You would have mercy."
So he's acknowledging
that what God has said
would happen all along,
but at the end of his prayer,
he's just claiming the mercies
that God has also promised.
So, as Derek mentioned,
when we confess our sins,
we're looking to God the whole time,
but we can also claim
the promises that He has,
and we can rejoice
because we have a Savior who loves us
and has promised to redeem us.
(Stephanie) Very true. So, Abigail,
if you would take us to that last portion
that Travis referred to,
verses 15 through 19.
(Abigail) Okay, and I'll be reading
from the New Living Translation:
(Stephanie) What impresses you the most
about this intercessory prayer of Daniel? Kenneth.
(Kenneth) It's not even about the people,
but because of God's name.
(Stephanie) He's claiming the promises
and provisions, right?
Not just the promises
but the provisions. Rodney.
(Rodney) This sounds like
he knows God very well.
The language that is used;
it's like he's talking
to a Friend, a Father.
It's like, "Please..."
It's just amazing to see
how he goes through and intercedes
on behalf of the people.
And the language, the actual language used - very personal.
So he had that relationship with his God.
(Stephanie) That is beautiful. Nicole. Thank you.
(Nicole) It's funny, he's
where we should be.
You can tell that he dislikes sin.
He's like, "This is horrible,
but, Lord, You are who You say You are."
And so, we should be at a point
where, even if we're not involved
in some of the activities of the world,
we despise what's going on around us
so much that we are pleading to God
to please do what only He can do for us, including ourselves.
(Stephanie) So, that's a great point, Nicole.
How do we get there, practically speaking?
How do we get to the point
where we detest sin?
We detest it. Someone help me out. Evelyn.
(Evelyn) I think we get to that point
when we love God,
and we know that by sinning,
or transgressing His law,
that separates us from Him.
And just that slight separation from Him
is devastating for us.
(Stephanie) Gladys.
(Gladys) Having a close relationship with Him,
like Rodney was saying,
that his relationship with God was so close
that he can say to Him, "Lord, forgive!
Lord, hear! Lord, act!"
because he knows who He's talking about.
It's just that close relationship with Him.
The more you get closer to God,
the more you're going to shun evil.
(Stephanie) The things of this world...
(Stephanie, Gladys) Grow strangely dim.
(Stephanie) Dark, right? Derek.
(Derek) I imagine tears
running down his cheeks, "Oh, Lord!"
And I'm thinking, we don't pray like that very much,
because it's not just that he knows God,
but he knows how much
God loves His people.
It's a very intense prayer,
and it's not, you know,
"Thank You for this nice day."
I mean, it's "Oh, Lord!"
And he knows he's not trying
to change God's heart
because God loves all of His people
with an everlasting love.
But it's like it's a heart cry,
and I find myself saying,
"God, I want to know you like that
and pray like that," not just for myself.
(Stephanie) The intercessory prayer,
and, Travis, we're going
to take your point,
but as Travis is going to share,
I'd like you to think
about other intercessory prayers
in the Bible that you recall. Travis.
(Travis) And while this is an intercessory prayer,
in verses 17 and 18, the focus
really is on Daniel, chapter 8:14,
the restoration of the sanctuary in Jerusalem.
The thing that made him faint
because he thinks this thing
is not going to be restored.
(Stephanie) Okay, so referring
back to chapter 8 in Daniel.
All right, can anyone share
another intercessory prayer in the Bible? Alex?
(Alex) I think of Jesus in, I'd say,
in Luke 23, if you want to turn there.
(Stephanie) Would you like to take us there?
(Alex) Yeah, Luke 23, verse 34.
(Stephanie) Luke 23, verse 34,
and what does the Bible say?
(Alex) Okay, I'll be reading
from the King James Version:
So here's the Son of God,
and He's, you know, they're crucifying Him;
they're killing Him on the cross,
and He's praying for them
on their behalf, at a time like that.
(Derek) It shows you
that an intercessory prayer
doesn't have to be long.
(Stephanie) Exactly.
(Derek) It's one sentence, right?
But you sense that same intensity and passion.
(Stephanie) Yes, oh to have that as we pray. Shaina.
(Shaina) Another intercessory prayer
is in Exodus, chapter 32, verses 11 to 14.
(Stephanie) All right, Exodus,
chapter 32, 11 through 14,
and you're saying that this is
another example of intercessory prayer?
All right, would you like
to read that for us?
(Shaina) Sure, I'll be reading
from the King James Version:
(Stephanie) Again we hear intercession,
"Remember who You are;
this is Your people, God." Abigail.
(Abigail) There is another one;
Moses intercedes for the people
in Numbers 14:17-19.
(Stephanie) All right, let's go there.
Would you read that for us?
(Abigail) Yes, and I'll be reading
from the New Living Translation:
(Stephanie) What do you notice there?
He's referring back to the character of God? All right.
How is it possible
to offer intercessory prayer with joy,
even though you do not see
the outcome of that prayer? Kenneth.
(Kenneth) I think Daniel says something
in the chapter, verse 4 of chapter 9,
where he says that, "You are
a covenant-keeping God."
God keeps His covenants
because He is the One
who made a covenant, not us with Him.
And He is faithful,
so whenever we seek Him,
and then we ask Him
because we know He is a faithful God,
He will always keep His covenant.
(Stephanie) So the joy is in Jesus,
not in the circumstances
or what we can see?
(Derek) I'm thinking
of the Scripture song, Stephanie, we've been singing.
When he's going, "Blessed
be the name of God,"
he's not seen any evidence,
apart from the faithfulness of God,
that he's got the right dream
and the right interpretation.
(Stephanie) That's right.
(Derek) He's going to find that out in just a few minutes
when he goes before the king.
But there's this, like, total confidence
in a God who loves us,
that he's already rejoicing.
And what that illustrates is,
"I know who is in charge
of the outcome - God -
so I'm going to praise Him ahead of time."
(Stephanie) He had a praise session,
and then he went and delivered
the message to the king.
Let's see what the response is
to Daniel's prayer here
in Daniel, chapter 9.
We're going to look at Daniel, chapter 9,
verses 20 through 23,
and, Kim, would you read that for us?
(Kim) Sure, I'll be reading
from the New King James Version,
Daniel, chapter 9, verses 20 to 23:
(Stephanie) What encouragement
do you find in Daniel's testimony?
And, by the way, this is a heavenly being
that is having a conversation
with Daniel, all right; go ahead, Nancy.
(Nancy) As soon as he called to God,
the prayer was answered.
He sent Gabriel just like that.
Heaven is listening attentively to us; God loves us.
(Stephanie) Nicole.
(Nicole) In all the prayers we read
just in the last segment
and just this segment,
it seems like when you have
that fervent desire to know
what God wants you to do,
and you pray to Him in earnest,
He speaks to you right then.
I mean, you don't have to wait...
I mean, some may have to wait a long time,
but in these examples,
right when they were done with their prayers,
somehow God came and told them
what was needed for that time.
That's true intercession.
(Stephanie) That's awesome. Kenneth.
(Kenneth) There's a key phrase he uses.
It says, "This being was caused
to fly swiftly to reach out to him."
You know, like, it tells you
how much God cares about you.
God doesn't use snail mail,
He uses express mail, you know, immediate.
(Stephanie) "Snail mail" being...
Put a postage stamp on the letter and send it.
(Kenneth) But immediate...
(Stephanie) Immediate.
God is in the business
of answering prayers.
The question is, why are we
so reluctant to petition
His throne of grace?
That's not a question
to answer here today.
(Derek) You know the word, Stephanie,
"You are greatly beloved,"
and immediately I think,
"God so loved the world."
That's not just the feeling of Heaven
for one man or woman.
But imagine an angel coming to you
and saying, "You're greatly beloved."
You know, I'd just have to use
my favorite Hebrew word.
(Derek, Team) Hallelujah!
(Derek) I mean, that is a breakthrough
for so many people
even watching Hope Sabbath School today,
is to understand how greatly beloved they are by God.
(Stephanie) Somebody needs to know that.
(Derek) That's right.
(Stephanie) Someone needs to know that.
There is a vision that the Bible speak of
in these verses that Daniel
was seeking to understand.
Can you tell me what that vision was? Travis.
(Travis) Well, some might say
that it was the vision of Daniel 8,
but actually in Daniel 8,
almost the whole vision was explained,
but it was specifically the 2,300 days
in Daniel, chapter 8, verse 14,
that he didn't have an understanding of.
(Stephanie) All right, so, let's go
to Daniel, chapter 8, verse 14 and 27.
And, Nancy, would you read that for us?
Daniel, chapter 8, verses 14 and 27,
this is the one piece of that vision
that did not receive an interpretation
at the time - go ahead.
(Nancy) I'm reading
from the New King James Version, verse 14:
And then verse 27:
(Stephanie) So, he was astonished why?
(Gladys) Perhaps he had
Jeremiah's prophecy about the 70 years,
and like we said at the beginning,
he was probably thinking
it's about coming to an end.
And then he receives this new meaning, 2,300.
He was like, "What is that?"
Another number, basically, to add.
So he might be a little bit confused,
"What is this all about?"
(Stephanie) So he potentially thought
the captivity time would be extended
instead of the 70 years. Travis.
(Travis) I think the sanctuary service,
what it pointed forward to
meant so much to Daniel,
it was just like being
in the presence of God, by the sanctuary.
He knew that God came to dwell with him.
We found that out in Moses' day,
that, that's why He had
the sanctuary built,
was so that He could dwell with His people.
And He just looked so forward
to being close to God
and living with God again.
And all of a sudden, "What?
It's taken away from me?
It's, like, almost here? I want this now."
And I imagine it's like losing
a best friend, "What?!" you know...
(Stephanie) So he's on the brink
of giving the interpretation.
Let's see what the Bible says in verse 24.
And, Rodney, if you
would read that for us.
Daniel, chapter 9, verse 24,
which is really just a continuation
of that interpretation
from Daniel, chapter 8.
(Rodney) I'm reading
from the New King James Version:
(Stephanie) So, Gabriel is bringing in
this time frame of 70 weeks.
According to prophetic time,
how many years is that?
So do some quick calculations.
(Derek, Stephanie) 70 times 7.
(Stephanie, Team) 490 years.
(Stephanie) And it says
that it was determined.
What does that mean literally, determined?
(Gladys) It's been separated;
it has been set apart.
(Stephanie) It's been cut off, right?
Cut off from what?
(Gladys, Rodney) From the larger piece.
(Stephanie) From the larger time period, which was the...?
(Stephanie, Team) 2,300 years.
(Stephanie) Okay, and this verse
is really giving us somewhat of a summary
of the next three verses, okay?
The next three verses
we're going to break out
some of the details.
So let's go to verses 25 and 26,
and, Travis, if you would read that for us,
Daniel, chapter 9, verses 25 and 26.
(Travis) And I'll be reading
from the New King James Version:
(Stephanie) All right, so, in verse 24
we talked about the 70 weeks.
In verse 25, we have a starting point
for the 70 weeks, right?
When was that starting point?
(Gladys) When King Darius sent the decree
that the captives will go back to Jerusalem.
(Stephanie) So, Artaxerxes had a decree
that the Jews would go back
and rebuild Jerusalem.
When was that? 457 BC, all right.
So, if we know the beginning of the 70 weeks,
we'll know the beginning
of the 2300-day prophecy, right?
(Derek) I think the fact
that that is so important -
Ezra, chapter 4, actually records the whole decree -
when you see that whole decree,
you think, "There must be something
really significant about this decree."
Because there were some other times
they were given permission to go home,
but with this one, it's like,
the whole thing's written down,
like, "Mark this decree well."
Now, at that time,
certainly not everybody realized
how important it was,
but I think Ezra was obedient,
and he wrote down the details of the decree
because that's a historical moment.
It's not like, "somewhere, sometime."
A specific king makes a specific decree
in a specific year, and that's crucial
for giving us that starting point
for the 2,300-year prophecy.
(Stephanie) Thank you. Definitely.
Daniel, chapter 9, verses 25 and 26,
in addition to giving us
the time when it starts,
it also broke down
just the first how many weeks?
The first seven plus three score and two,
so, 69 weeks, that's what it's looking at.
So, if I take 69 weeks times 7,
how many years do I get?
We're looking at prophetic time.
(Stephanie, Team) 483 years.
(Stephanie) So, 457 BC,
483 years from there,
what does that take us to? 27 AD.
All right, what happened in 27 AD?
(Team) The baptism of Jesus.
(Stephanie) Jesus was baptized;
what does that signify?
(Travis, Gladys) Anointing.
(Stephanie) The anointing,
and we can see that in Luke and Acts, right?
(Derek) I'm thinking
a lot of things happen in 27 AD,
but the question is,
what happened related to Messiah?
Because that's what this prophecy
is all about, the plan of salvation.
And it's interesting that Dr. Luke specifically says,
"It's in the fifteenth year
of the reign of Tiberius," and it's like,
does it really matter to us
what year Jesus was baptized?
Shouldn't we just say,
"Well, He was baptized,
and we should be baptized, as His followers"?
The answer is, "It does matter,"
because that is a key point in this prophecy.
And so Luke says specifically,
"Fifteenth year of the reign
of Tiberius Caesar.
(Stephanie) Thank you. Travis.
(Travis) And another key point
is found in Matthew 3:15
when John the Baptist
wants Jesus to baptize him,
and Jesus said, "No, permit it to be so
for righteousness to be fulfilled."
So there's a fulfillment
of time going to happen.
Jesus becomes the Messiah,
the anointed Messiah.
(Derek) He's already the Messiah,
if I can correct that.
He doesn't become Messiah; He is Messiah,
but He begins His work as Messiah.
And, of course, the anointing
of the Spirit at His baptism
is all like you said,
part of the fulfillment
of this great prophecy.
(Stephanie) I'd like us to turn...
I know it's not in your outline,
but let's turn to Galatians,
chapter 4, verses 4 and 5,
because we're talking about the timing
and how detailed the timing was
when events took place.
Galatians, chapter 4, verses 4 and 5,
and, John, would you read that for us?
(John) Sure, from the King James it says:
(Stephanie) "When the fullness
of time had come."
There is no haste nor delay
in what God does; it's always on time.
Going back to Daniel, chapter 9,
our last verse is verse 27,
and, Nicole, do you have that?
Would you read that for us?
(Nicole) The New King James Version
of Daniel 9:27 says:
(Stephanie) All right, so, 25 and 26
talk about the 69 weeks of the 70, right?
Verse 27 talks about that last week.
What's going to happen
in the middle of the week?
(Team) Messiah cut off.
(Stephanie) "The Messiah shall be cut off."
If we're looking at the middle
of the week, that last week,
that would be AD 31.
What took place in AD 31
as it relates to the Messiah?
(Gladys) Jesus died.
(Stephanie) The cross, Jesus died
right on time, perfect timing.
Three-and-a-half years later,
what took place in AD 34?
(Derek) According to the prophecy, Stephanie,
the end of this time
for the Jewish people.
So that means, as we see
the book of Acts taking
the gospel to the Gentiles,
and certainly you've got the event
of Stephen being martyred
and the persecution that leads
to the people going everywhere to share,
is clearly a fulfillment of the conclusion
of the 70-week prophecy.
(Stephanie) Yes, beautiful!
Do you see the connection?
No detail is missed.
God is very intentional.
Now, we're just going to recap.
We said that the 2300 days,
it started at the same time
as the 70 weeks, right?
When did it start?
When was that decree? 457 BC.
Twenty-three hundred years after that takes us to...?
(Stephanie, Team) 1844.
This is the antitypical Day of Atonement
and the cleansing
of the heavenly sanctuary.
And we spoke about that
in a previous lesson already.
What does this prophecy...
Why is that so important to us today?
Does it even impact us today? Travis.
(Travis) Because we're living
in the time of judgment.
Jesus is coming soon,
and we see that in Revelation 14
where it says, "The hour
of His judgment has come,"
and that's the message to the world.
Jesus is coming soon; He loves you
with an unfailing, immeasurable love,
and He is coming back soon for His people.
And He just wants us to come to Him.
(Stephanie) Yes. Evelyn.
(Evelyn) If we wanted any more proof
to know if we're in the Last Times, this is it.
I mean, the angel told Daniel,
"These will come to happen
in the Last Days."
This last date, 1844,
of the 2,300 years has passed.
So now we know for a fact we are
in the Last Days of Christ's coming.
(Stephanie) What hope,
in the last few seconds
of our study today,
what hope have you found
in this lesson as we've studied?
(Travis) You can trust Jesus.
(Stephanie) You can trust Jesus.
(Abigail) God is always on time, and He will come back.
(Stephanie) God is always on time,
and He will come back. Gladys.
(Gladys) He is faithful to His Word.
(Stephanie) He's faithful to His Word. Nicole.
(Nicole) Because of Him,
we're going to win; we're going to win this battle.
(Stephanie) Amen. We are going to win.
Praise God for His faithfulness.
Aren't you glad we have the Word of God?
(Team) Amen!
(Stephanie) We've got to share it with more people.
Thank you for studying.
(Derek) Thank you, Stephanie.
And there is so much more we have to learn.
We're not done with the series.
We've got chapter 10, 11 and 12,
but I hope you've learned
the most important lesson through this book:
There's a Most High God who rules,
and He will accomplish
His perfect plan of salvation.
And He wants you to be a part of that.
He wants you to make a decision today.
Maybe you've not made that decision yet
to say, "God, will You save me?
Will You forgive my sins?
Will You have a place for me
in Your eternal Kingdom?"
I want to personally invite you
to make that decision today
while there's still time; let's pray.
Father in Heaven, there may be
someone today listening to our prayer
who needs to make that decision,
"God, will you save me?
We're living in the Last Days.
Will You be my Savior
and soon-coming King?"
I thank You that You're touching hearts
right now by Your Holy Spirit.
And we, too, say thank You, Jesus,
that You have saved us,
and for Your amazing plan of salvation,
that You love us with an everlasting love.
May we live a life that would honor You
and be a blessing to those around us.
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Well, we're not done with our series,
but take the truths you've learned
and go out now and be a blessing
to those around you.
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