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THE PRAYER OF DANIEL,

While this statement respecting the events that attended and followed the death of Belshazzar, is quite in accordance with the narrative in the sacred book of Daniel, it is strictly in conformity with other prophecies that relate to Cyrus, and connect him with the taking of Babylon, the humbling of its power, and the liberation of the Jews. It will be seen that this view presents them still more clearly, and in a more perfect connexion, than the narrative of Xenophon. Nor does it prevent the remarkable prophecy, Isa. xiv. 3-27, from being referred to Belshazzar, whose character and end, and that of his son, seem to be there plainly set forth, as well as the fate of the golden city of Babylon. After a striking personification of the chief ones of the earth, and the kings of the nations, rising from their graves, as moved to meet the descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, and greet him ;

Art thou become weak also as we ? Art thou become like unto us?

It is declared,

The seed of evil doers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children

For the iniquity of their fathers;

That they do not rise, nor possess the land,

Nor fill the face of the world with cities.

For I will rise up against them,

Saith the Lord of hosts,

And cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant,

And son, and nephew, saith the Lord.

I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water:

And I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts.

Darius was sixty-two years old when he became monarch of the Chaldean empire; he appointed Nabonadius to be ruler or viceroy in Babylon. But when Darius had only reigned two years, he died, in the year B.C. 551. In addition to the minute narrative of the deliverance of the prophet from the lions, there is a

AND THE ANSWER SENT.

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remarkable account in the ninth chapter of Daniel, connected with this reign.

The advancement of the prophet did not make him indifferent as to spiritual intercourse with his God; he was also very anxious respecting the people of his own nation. From Dan. ix. 1, 2, we find that he studied the book of the prophecy of Jeremiah. He did this with earnest prayer, and was enabled to understand that the Lord would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

He then engaged still more earnestly in prayer and supplications," with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes." The prayer, or confession, is a beautiful and impressive example of the manner in which one, truly anxious for the forgiveness of his own sins and those of others, may draw near unto the Lord. Especially the deep humiliation for sin is to be marked, and his solemn declaration, "we do not present" (or cause to fall) "our supplications before thee for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies." Daniel seems evidently to have been directed to contemplate the greatest of mercies-the gift of the only Son of God, to die upon the cross for the sins of men, and to rise for their justification. An immediate answer was sent by an angelic messenger, whom the prophet was permitted to behold, and through him Daniel was caused to understand and record the time when the promised Messiah should appear upon earth, Dan. ix. 24—27,

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.

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.

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.

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 periods of time are, by most writers, considered to be expressed here, and elsewhere in prophecy, a day for a year. Prideaux remarks, that if the seventy weeks of years, or four hundred and ninety years, are calculated from the seventh year of Artaxerxes, when Ezra was commissioned to restore the Jewish state and polity, we are brought to the very same month, A.D. 33, in which many consider that our Lord suffered, or was cut off, but not for himself."

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Later writers have gone still more minutely into the calculations of the times here mentioned. Gresswell's calculation may briefly be stated as follows:-The seven weeks or forty-nine years, with the sixty-two weeks or four hundred and thirty-four years, form a period of four hundred and eighty-three years, extending from B.C. 458, the seventh year of Artaxerxes, when Ezra arrived at Jerusalem, to A.D. 26, when John the Baptist began his ministry, and Christ commenced his ministry a few months afterwards. The one week employed in confirming or making good the covenant to many, he understands as seven years after the death of Christ, during which the gospel was preached to Jews only. The first space of seven weeks is supposed to refer to a period of forty-nine years, occupied in restoring the Jews and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The distinct manner in which this prophecy points out the period when the Christ should come is very remarkable, and cannot be opposed by the Jews with fair arguments.

It is certain that the Jewish nation in general was led to look for the appearance of the Messiah, about

THE MESSIAH SHOULD COME.

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the time of Christ's coming. This probably might be the interpretation of the ancient Targum, or Jewish commentary on Daniel, and may account for that Targum having been destroyed, while those on the other books of the Old Testament remain. The Jews show that they are aware of the force of the reasoning founded on this passage, by denouncing a terrible curse on all who dare to compute the times here mentioned. They also now rank the book of Daniel, not as a prophetical, but as an historical book, although there is the fullest evidence that both before and shortly after our blessed Lord appeared upon the earth, this book was reckoned among the prophetic writings. Josephus expressly speaks of Daniel as one of the greatest of the prophets, whose writings were in daily use among the Jews, at the time when he lived, as one who wrote under the dictates of the infallible Spirit, who was admitted into immediate converse with God, who not only predicted events to come, but declared the time of their fulfilment.

Cyrus was nephew of Darius or Cyaxeres, and his successor. This very remarkable individual had been designated by name, by Isaiah, more than a century before his birth. He was pointed out as the conqueror of Babylon, and the restorer of the Jewish nation from their captivity, long before that captivity began. In this remarkable prophecy, see Isa. xliv. and xlv., there is a special reference to the Divine sovereignty in selecting this instrument for the fulfilment of God's will, Isa. xlv. 4-6,

For Jacob my servant's sake,

And Israel mine elect,

I have even called thee by thy name:

I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the Lord, and there is none else,

There is no God beside me :

I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
That they may know from the rising of the sun,
And from the west, that there is none beside me.
I am the Lord, and there is none else.

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THE ACCESSION OF CYRUS.

The peaceable accession of Cyrus to the Medo-Persian empire, including the Chaldean monarchy, is confirmed by some passages in the apocryphal writings.

The words, Dan. vi. 28, "So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian," do not imply a great convulsion or change in Babylon, but the quiet continuance of the prophet in the post of honour and authority, from whence his enemies had in vain sought to cast him down. Cyrus had virtually been ruler of Babylon from the time when the dynasty of Nebuchadnezzar ceased. His uncle Cyaxeres, the Darius of Scripture, was inferior to him in abilities: he felt and complained that his nephew was regarded as his superior. Xenophon represents him expressing himself strongly thereon. The new monarch having already directed the public affairs, would be the better prepared duly to appreciate the wisdom and services of Daniel.

An ancient roll, or record.