tence and petition, to help bear the burdens of such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of spiritual death. (c) PENETRATION. 9:20-27. 20 And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; 21 Yea, while 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. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. The arm of God is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear. For "Impenetrable Darkness" God gave to the Prophet, "Temples of the Dawn." He is shown the program of God. Seventy weeks have been determined upon. Sixty-nine of these were fulfilled in the period of time beginning with the edict of Cyrus and ending with the Ascension of Christ. The seventieth week is still future. It is not our business to advise the Almighty as to when this seventieth week shall occur. The truth we need to remember is that God has a program for His people. Every nation and every life is a plan of God. In His own good time God will perfect His plan. How vividly this is illustrated in the life of the Jewish people. Although driven from Palestine, yet the Jew today dominates in many fields of human endeavor. He is a piece of stubborn antiquity, utterly inexplicable. There is not a realm either of art, science, literature, music, drama, law or finance, but the Jew fills a very high place therein. What a lesson there is in this chapter for us. Daniel was given to see the things that would come to pass. His heart was made to be at ease in the quiet confidence that God had the end of all things, in view, from the beginning. Some years ago a young man embarked upon a business venture of harvesting ice. His plant was located on the Hudson river. For weeks cold weather had prevailed and all evidence pointed to wonderful financial returns. Then one night just before the ice was to be cut, a thaw set in. All the money he possessed was in that venture. The young man began to worry and through the early part of the night he became very fretful. Finally he saw that his faith in Christ was a matter he had talked about but had never been put to a test. Yielding himself to the Lord he gave everything into His hands. In quiet trust he went to sleep. He awakened late in the morning to discover that during the night God had sent a great storm of sleet and rain and with it a drop in temperature with the result that the finest crop of ice seen in many a year was ready to be harvested. The hairs of our heads are all numbered, why then should we dishonor God by worrying? Let us pray for that spiritual penetration that will enable us to believe that "all things work together for good to them that love God." Thus will life's "Impenetrable Darkness" be changed into glorious "Temples of the D'awn." CHAPTER TEN THEME "Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear."10:1-21. Divisional Words-Person-Purity-Passion. (a) PERSON. 10:1-7. In the third year of Cyrus_king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. 4 And in the fourth and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; 5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. In a very deep sense it is what a man sees that makes or unmakes him. It is said that when Michael Angelo contemplated painting his great picture of the Crucifixion, he had the story read to him from each of the Gospels while he sat blindfolded. He listened till his spirit was imbued with the spirit of the narrative, and then he took his palette and brush and did the work which made his name immortal. It was the sight and thought of the Cross that inspired him. The effect of vision on character and service is unlimited. The men who have shaped destinies and directed histories have been those who have had eyes to see. Moses saw the invisible, and raised a nation of slaves into the greatest theocracy of all time. Saul of Tarsus saw Christ and a life once Christless beams in blessing on the centuries. Luther saw the life of faith and the vision resulted in the liberty and progress of the Reformation. Livingston saw a dark continent bound, and because he saw, Africa was given the light of Christ. The prophet who comes with a message for his age, whose ideas change the course of history, is the prophet who has the power of seeing things. Such was Daniel. Although his world was filled with darkness and sin, yet he was able to recognize spiritual realities. The person whom he saw in these verses, was none other than the Messiah before His incarnation. The measure of every man is the measure of his vision. Would that each of us could see the person of our Lord with undimmed eye as did Daniel. What transformations there would be in our lives and in our homes! (b) PURITY. 10:8-19. 8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. a hand touched me, 10 And, behold, 11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I 12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Dan- 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. 15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. 16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. 18 Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, 19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. If the measure of a man is the measure of his vision then there is another truth that is equally applicable, namely the measure of a vision depends upon the spirit of a man. St. John was in the spirit on the Lord's Day when the Apocalypse came to him. It was while David mused that the fire burned. Isaiah was in the Temple at worship when he saw the Lord. For three weeks Daniel mourned and fasted. Whilst it may be true that the Lord was hindered, as some believe, in answering Daniel's prayer because of machinations of Satan, there is |