History Books in 90 Days: Judges 16-17
HOPE OF RESTORATION
Daniel 9:25 Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two
‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. (NIV)
Daniel received this prophecy from the Lord during the time of the Babylonian captivity. God’s
people had been taken away from their homes and were being ruled by the evil foreign Babylon.
While the prophet Daniel was living in Babylon, God gave him several visions of the future. These
visions were often awesome and very detailed. The things in them referred to important, future
events. The prophecy in Daniel 9:25 is a very important prophecy. This prophecy was given so
that the Jews and the Gentiles would recognize the coming of the Messiah. There are many
prophetic scriptures about the Messiah, but this one is very special. The angel gave Daniel this
prophecy during one of Israel’s times of deepest distress. This prophecy is a coded message
that explains the exact amount of time between the command to restore and build Jerusalem
and when the Messiah will arrive! Wow, in the middle of exile to a foreign land they are told that
the temple would be rebuilt and that the Messiah would come. They were even given the exact
number of years between these two events! Talk about God giving His people HOPE in dark
times!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Do you have any relationships that are in need of restoration? Have you given up HOPE?
Ask the Lord for a word, thought or picture about these relationships, ask Him for HOPE.
2. Ask the Lord what conditions are necessary for you to experience this HOPE – what sorts of
things is He asking you to do?
3. Pray that the Lord will restore this relationship, pray that you would follow through on what
the Lord is requiring of you so that you can stand before Him one day and know that you
have done everything that He has required of you.
