Daniel 9:20 Commentary and Bible Study

We note Daniel’s great humility and submission to God in making this prayer, and in the way he describes his approach to God. What is recorded in this chapter is a summary of the prayer, for Daniel has certainly been praying for an extended period of time. He said in verse 3, ‘I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.’ That is not the work of an hour, or even of a single day. There had been a prolonged struggle in prayer and we can imagine that he had been continually coming before the Lord for days and even weeks. This was a matter of such urgency that all else must be set aside in order to devote himself to prayer. He was praying for the future of Israel, and even more for the future of God’s cause on earth. Israel must return to Jerusalem, and the temple must be rebuilt on God’s holy mountain, Mount Zion (verse 16), and Daniel stood in the breach to plead for this by prayer, and fasting, and sackcloth.It is while he is praying that he receives God’s answer. It comes in the form of a visitation from heaven. ‘And whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.’ He is an angel of course, but he has appeared before in the visions of Daniel (8:16) as a man – God showing his sympathy so as not to alarm his servant unduly. He has been caused to fly, and to fly swiftly in carrying out the Lord’s commission. Why is that mentioned? Because God is rewarding this earnest prayer with speedy action and revelation. We are being taught that God hears and responds to our prayers with very real answers. Gabriel is a ministering spirit sent forth to minister to the saints, and on this occasion to Daniel. ‘And he touched me about the time of the evening oblation.’ Why did God’s messenger interrupt God’s prayer at this time? The evening oblation pointed forward to a future work of Messiah, and it was when sacrifice was in Daniel’s mind that he is given a new revelation about the coming of Christ. ‘O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.’ Daniel has already been given understanding of all visions and dreams (1:17), but this vision that Daniel is about to be given can only be understood if he approaches it Scripturally with the existing Old Testament Scriptures before him. He is going to need skill and understanding to unravel its meaning, for it will contain truths which need to be at the centre of the believer’s thinking, and it will shed more light on these most important of matters. His mind must be attuned to the great purposes of God in the world.God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer of confession is this prophecy providing great detail about the future. Even while still praying, God commands the answer even from the start. God sent his angel, as soon as Daniel began to pray, and Daniel is informed about this, so that he is assured of the effectiveness of prayer.