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Daniel Chapter Six

1. Darius the Mede “received” the kingdom at the age of 62 (Dan. 5:31).  He was “made” king (Dan. 9:1).
   1. Known as Gubaru in the cuneiform texts of the period, he was appointed by Cyrus the Great to reign over Babylon, Syria, Phoenicia, & Judah.
   2. He must not be confused with Darius I (Hystapes) (Darius the Great) who is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture (Hag. 1:1,15; 2:10; Zech. 1:1,7; 7:1; Ezra 4:5,24; 5:5-7; 6:1,12-15).  Neither should he be confused with Darius II (the Persian) (Neh. 12:22).
2. Darius restructured the political organization of Babylonia into 120 satraps under three commissioners (NASB), administrators (CSB, LEB, NIV), governors (NKJV), presidents (KJV, Darby, YLT).  Daniel shone forth with such wisdom that Darius intended to make him the sole commissioner.
3. The other two commissioners and the satraps conspired to trap Daniel (Dan. 6:6-9).
4. Daniel, in full-knowledge of the consequences, continued his prayer ministry (Dan. 6:10-11).
5. Daniel is arrested and sentenced to die in the lion’s den, but Darius grieved over the trap he had fallen into (Dan. 6:12-18).
6. Darius is pleased to find Daniel alive in the morning, and orders the malicious witnesses to suffer the judgment they had sought for their prey (Dan. 6:19-24).
7. The chapter closes with an expression of Darius’ conversion and a statement of Daniel’s high esteem among the Medes and the Persians (Dan. 6:25-28).

Daniel Chapter Nine

1. This vision came to Daniel during the first year of Darius the Mede, probably before the lion’s den incident (Dan. 5:31; 6:1,22).
2. Daniel’s Bible study in Jeremiah motivated him to undertake an intensive prayer ministry (Dan. 9:2-19; Jer. 25:11-12).
3. His full day of prayer was answered by the angelic visitation of Gabriel (Dan. 9:20-21).
4. The answer to Daniel’s prayer comes as a message and a vision (Dan. 9:24-27).
   1. Seventy “weeks” (sevens) have been decreed for Daniel’s people (the Jews) and Daniel’s holy city (Jerusalem) (Dan. 9:24).  These “weeks” are septads: periods of 7 years.
   2. Six objectives of the decree are all fulfilled in the course of those seventy septads.
   3. The beginning of the decreed time-span is marked by another decree—to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25). This was the fourth of four Persian decrees concerning the Jews.
      1. Cyrus’ decree in 538BC (2nd Chr. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 5:13). This decree authorizes the rebuilding of the temple.
      2. Darius I (522-486BC) in 520BC (Ezra 6:1,6-12). This decree was a confirmation of the first decree.
      3. Artaxerxes Longimanus (464-424BC) in 457BC (Ezra 7:11-26). Relates to finances for animal sacrifices.
      4. Artaxerxes Longimanus issued this decree on March 5, 444BC (Neh. 2:1-8).  The previous decrees by Cyrus & Darius did not reference the walls of Jerusalem, as this one did.
   4. After the sixty-ninth septad, Messiah the Prince will be cut off and have nothing (Dan. 9:25-26).
      1. Daniel’s prophetic messages utilize a 360 day “prophetic year,” and not the 365¼ day solar year (Dan. 7:25; 9:27; 12:7,11**; Rev. 11:2*,3**; 12:6**,14; 13:5*). 
         1. A “prophetic year” consists of 12 30-day months.
         2. The second half of this septad: times, time & half a time 3½ years equals 42 months* equals 1260 days**.
         3. This understanding compares Scripture to Scripture and upholds the truth value for every passage. It is not a mathematical gimmick to make the dates come out right.
      2. The 483 “prophetic years” of the 69 septads therefore equals 173,880 days (just over 476 calendar years) and extended from March 5, 444BC to March 30 (Nisan 10), 33AD. See BKC chart.
      3. The 69th septad concluded on Monday, March 30th (Nisan 10), 33AD, with the triumphant entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem.  Four days later, on Friday April 3rd (Nisan 14), the Christ was “cut off” (crucified).
   5. After the 69th septad the people of the Prince Who is To Come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Dan. 9:26). These people were the Romans, the legs of iron from Dan. 2.
   6. The Prince Who is To Come will make a 7 year covenant (treaty), but will break it after 3½ years (Dan. 9:27).
      1. This time-span is the 70th septad of the 70 septads prophecy, and is still yet future from the perspective of the Church (2nd Thess. 2:6-7).
      2. It will end with the fulfillment of the six listed objectives (Dan. 9:24), and the destruction of the Prince Who is To Come (Dan. 9:27; 2nd Thess. 2:8).