Week 26: Conviction Under Fire | Day 2

Tasks for this week:

  1. Watch all three parts of Conviction Under Fire
  2. Complete daily Bible reading
  3. Memorize Daniel 6:26-27 and Daniel 9:19

Week 26: Day 2

Today’s F260 Bible reading: Daniel 9-10; 12

9:1 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, who was of Median descent and who had been appointed king over the Babylonian empire— 2in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books that the number of years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem, which had come as the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah, would be 70 years. 3So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4I prayed to the Lord my God, confessing in this way: “O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards. 6We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, and to all the inhabitants of the land as well. 7“You are righteous, O Lord, but we are humiliated this day—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you. 8O Lord, we have been humiliated—our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors—because we have sinned against you. 9Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. 10We have not obeyed the Lord our God by living according to his laws that he set before us through his servants the prophets. 11“All Israel has broken your law and turned away by not obeying you. Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you. 12He has carried out his threats against us and our rulers who were over us by bringing great calamity on us—what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 13Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify the Lord our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom from your reliable moral standards. 14The Lord was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the Lord our God is just in all he has done, and we have not obeyed him. 15“Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day—we have sinned and behaved wickedly. 16O Lord, according to all your justice, please turn your raging anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors. 17“So now, our God, accept the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. 18Listen attentively, my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins and the city called by your name. For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, but because your compassion is abundant. 19O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.” 20While I was still speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my request before the Lord my God concerning his holy mountain— 21yes, while I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previously in a vision, was approaching me in my state of extreme weariness, around the time of the evening offering. 22He spoke with me, instructing me as follows: “Daniel, I have now come to impart understanding to you. 23At the beginning of your requests a message went out, and I have come to convey it to you, for you are of great value in God’s sight. Therefore consider the message and understand the vision: 24“Seventy weeks have been determined concerning your people and your holy city to put an end to rebellion, to bring sin to completion, to atone for iniquity, to bring in perpetual righteousness, to seal up the prophetic vision, and to anoint a Most Holy Place. 25So know and understand: From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times. 26Now after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. As for the city and the sanctuary, the people of the coming prince will destroy them. But his end will come speedily like a flood. Until the end of the war that has been decreed there will be destruction. 27He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of that week he will bring sacrifices and offerings to a halt. On the wing of abominations will come one who destroys, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys.” 10:1 In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar). This message was true and concerned a great war. He understood the message and gained insight by the vision. 2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three whole weeks. 3I ate no choice food, no meat or wine came to my lips, nor did I anoint myself with oil until the end of those three weeks. 4On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was beside the great river, the Tigris. 5I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen; around his waist was a belt made of gold from Ufaz. 6His body resembled yellow jasper, and his face had an appearance like lightning. His eyes were like blazing torches; his arms and feet had the gleam of polished bronze. His voice thundered forth like the sound of a large crowd. 7Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see it. On the contrary, they were overcome with fright and ran away to hide. 8I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from me, and my vigor disappeared; I was without energy. 9I listened to his voice, and as I did so I fell into a trance-like sleep with my face to the ground. 10Then a hand touched me and set me on my hands and knees. 11He said to me, “Daniel, you are of great value. Understand the words that I am about to speak to you. So stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up shaking. 12Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words. 13However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for 21 days. But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia. 14Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in future days, for the vision pertains to days to come.” 15While he was saying this to me, I was flat on the ground and unable to speak. 16Then one who appeared to be a human being was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, “Sir, due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I have no strength. 17How, sir, am I able to speak with you? My strength is gone, and I am breathless.” 18Then the one who appeared to be a human being touched me again and strengthened me. 19He said to me, “Don’t be afraid, you who are highly valued. Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, “Sir, you may speak now, for you have given me strength.” 20He said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I am about to return to engage in battle with the prince of Persia. When I go, the prince of Greece is coming. 21However, I will first tell you what is written in a dependable book. (There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, except Michael your prince. (NET Bible)
12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation’s beginning up to that time. But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book, will escape. 2Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake— some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. 3But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever. 4“But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, and knowledge will increase.” 5I, Daniel, watched as two others stood there, one on each side of the river. 6One said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river, “When will the end of these wondrous events occur?” 7Then I heard the man clothed in linen who was over the waters of the river as he raised both his right and left hands to the sky and made an oath by the one who lives forever: “It is for a time, times, and half a time. Then, when the power of the one who shatters the holy people has been exhausted, all these things will be finished.” 8I heard, but I did not understand. So I said, “Sir, what will happen after these things?” 9He said, “Go, Daniel. For these matters are closed and sealed until the time of the end. 10Many will be purified, made clean, and refined, but the wicked will go on being wicked. None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand. 11From the time that the daily sacrifice is removed and the abomination that causes desolation is set in place, there are 1,290 days. 12Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days. 13But you should go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will arise to receive what you have been allotted.” (NET Bible)

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),
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Used by permission. www.Lockman.org