From Babylon to Jerusalem - (Daniel) ch.9 & 10 — Zac Poonen

Daniel 8:23 and Judgment When Sin Reaches Its Fullness

Daniel again, considering chapter 7 and 8, the last study. I want you to look at a verse in the end of chapter 8 which I'd just like to say a few words on before we move into chapter 9 today. We were studying in these last two chapters of how God raises up a particular nation and then when that nation gets puffed up thinking that it's accomplished everything in its own strength and power, God pushes it down and raises up another.

And there's this verse in Daniel chapter 8 verse 23, it says in the latter period of their rule, speaking about the rising of the Antichrist, when the transgressors have run their course or finished their course, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue.

It speaks about the time when the Antichrist is going to arise. And it says here that that time will be when the transgressors have finished their course. In other words, when sin, which has been building up, building up, building up, building up in the world, comes to a particular level, then God comes down in judgment.

There are two verses in the Old Testament which I want to point out to you in this connection. One is Genesis 15, 16, where God spoke to Abraham in a vision and told him that the Israelites would come back from Egypt to occupy the land of Canaan.

Genesis 15, 13, they will be in a strange country for 400 years and then they would come back into verse 16, in the fourth generation, they will return here to Canaan. And that will be the time when the iniquity of the Amorites who are living in Canaan is going to be complete.

It's not yet complete. God was watching the Amorites who lived in Canaan. They were sinners, but God was merciful. But when they continued to sin, a time came when we could say they crossed the line. God said, alright, now it's time to judge them.

And God brought the Israelites back and told them to wipe out the Canaanites. If you want to know why God asked the Israelites to wipe out the Canaanites, the answer is in Genesis 15, 16, that their iniquity had come to the full.

Just like in the days of Noah, God gave man 120 years, but when the 120 years was complete, a day came when humanity in Noah's day crossed the line and God's judgment fell. And the same thing we read in Genesis 18, verse 20, wherein Sodom and Gomorrah, we read there in Genesis 18, 20, God sent his angels and the Lord said in Genesis 18, 20, the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great and their sin is exceedingly grave.

And I want to go down and see if they've done entirely according to its outcry. In other words, Sodom and Gomorrah, their sins were piling up. A particular time came when the vessel was full of sin and God said judgment.

He said it in Noah's time. He said it when Israel occupied Canaan. He said it when he judged Sodom and Gomorrah. And that's what we read in Daniel 8, 23, when the transgressors have finished their course, they've reached the finishing line.

They've crossed the line. God is very merciful. In front of every man, he keeps a line. And when the man crosses that line, God strikes him down in judgment. You find King Herod one day received the approval, the admiration of men when they said this was the voice of a God.

And he crossed the line and God judged him. In the same way, finally, this world, we see now so much sin going on in the world, so much evil, so much wickedness, and we wonder why has God not judged yet?

Here is the answer in Daniel 8, 23. They have not yet crossed the line and it's amazing the greatness of God's mercy that the world as we see it today, God still says they haven't crossed the line. We would think they've crossed the line long ago.

They deserve judgment long ago. But God's mercy is so great. His long suffering is so great. He's waiting, still waiting, hoping that people will repent. But they are nearing the line. Mankind is nearing that line.

Or to use another illustration, the vessel is almost getting full. And one of these days when God sees that the vessel is full, then men will rise. The Antichrist, the close of the age. We read in Ecclesiastes 8, verse 11, another verse in this connection, as to why men can keep on sinning.

Ecclesiastes 8, 11. Here it says that because judgment or sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly and immediately, therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set to do evil. It's because God does not judge immediately that people keep on living in sin.

But that doesn't mean the judgment will never come. It will surely come at the appointed time. In the time of Jesus, we read that they crucified Jesus and they said his blood be upon our heads. But history tells us that God gave 40 years to the Jews.

40 years for them to repent. And when they did not, the Romans came and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple exactly 40 years after they crucified Jesus. So that's how it's going to be at the end of the age.

Daniel 9 and the Seventy Years of Captivity

We are approaching that time now. Now Daniel chapter 9 now. We come to another prophecy concerning the future. We saw that verse 7, chapter 7 to chapter 12 are the prophecies that Daniel received at various times which he has compiled together.

Here in chapter 9 verse 1 he speaks about something that he understood in the first year of Darius. This is after the Babylonian Empire was finished. Daniel had come in, brought by Nebuchadnezzar when Daniel was a young man of about 17.

And he had lived in Babylon for 70 years. And Daniel was now 87 years old. And Darius, the king of Medo-Persia under Cyrus who overcame the Babylonian Empire had taken over Babylon and the 70 years of captivity were over.

In the first year of his reign, verse 2, I Daniel observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet. You see Jeremiah lived more than 70 years prior to this.

And in Jerusalem, in Israel rather, Jeremiah had prophesied and let me just read that prophecy to you. In Jeremiah 25, 12 he had said when 70 years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

And later on he said in Jeremiah 29 and verse 10 that when 70 years have been completed in Babylon I will visit you and fulfill my good work to you and bring you back to Israel. Now Daniel had studied the book of Jeremiah which teaches us that even at the age of 87 he was a student of God's word just like he was at 17.

When he was 17 he knew enough of the book of Leviticus to know that it was wrong to eat certain meats. He knew the book of Proverbs which said you shouldn't touch wine when it is red, when it shows its color in the cup.

And we see at 87 he knows the scriptures. In the last days those who are going to stand for God are those who know the scriptures. God cannot use those who do not know the scriptures, who do not take pains to study what is written in his word.

And that's why the most important preparation for being God's end time overcoming remnant is to be students of the scriptures, careful students of the scriptures. He studied Jeremiah carefully and he knew God had said 70 years in Babylon then I will bring you back.

And it says here it was prophesied there that 70 years was the period God had appointed for the desolations of Jerusalem. So what did he do? He could have done one thing, he could have sat down in an easy chair, crossed his legs and with one sentence said Lord in your name I claim that you take us back to Israel.

Amen. And gone to sleep. Like a lot of believers who try to claim things from God, in one sentence what they call faith is actually spiritual laziness. They don't want to fast, they don't want to pray, they want to sit, in one sentence claiming it by faith they say.

Actually it's a deception for their laziness. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. If God has said that after 70 years you're going to come back, do you have to do something for it? Well let's turn to Ezekiel, we'll find out.

Prayer, Fasting, and the Promises of God

Ezekiel chapter 36, we read there, Ezekiel 36. Here is another promise that God gave through Ezekiel to the remnant in Babylon saying I will bring you back into the land. Verse 28, you will live in the land that I gave to your fathers.

And verse 33, I will cause the cities to be inhabited again. This is what Ezekiel prophesied to the captives in Babylon. And he said this desolate land, verse 35, of Israel destroyed by the Babylonians will once again become like the Garden of Eden.

Verse 36, then the nations that are left about will know that I the Lord have rebuilt the ruined places. So what should you do about it? Verse 37, this also I am waiting for the house of Israel to pray to me to do it for them.

Did you get that? It's not going to be automatic. I just want to tell you brothers and sisters, there's no promise in the Bible that's automatically fulfilled. You have not because you ask not. It's written there.

But it never becomes ours till we ask and we ask in faith. And prayer and fasting, we say why should we fast? I'll tell you why. Why do you sharpen your knife? You can cut with a blunt knife. It's more difficult.

Fasting sharpens our faith so that it cuts, really accomplishes something. And that's why we read in Daniel 9 that I gain my attention, Daniel 9 3, to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and supplications.

Supplications is a word that comes in the word of God often. All it means is specific request. You remember the blind man who came to Jesus and said Lord have mercy on us. That was prayer. Jesus said what do you want me to do for you?

That our eyes may be opened. That is supplication. Specific request. Oh Lord bless us. That's prayer. Oh Lord do this in this particular way bless me right now. That's supplication. So Daniel prayed and he offered supplications, specific requests.

Lord I'm not just saying generally bless Israel but take us back to Jerusalem. Take us back out of Babylon into Jerusalem. I told you in the beginning that Daniel is a book which shows the birth pangs of the movement that brought forth, the birth pangs of the movement that brought forth that movement from Babylon to Jerusalem.

And it began with prayer. To come out of spiritual Babylon into building spiritual Jerusalem has to come through prayer, through a burden, through prayer, supplication and fasting. And he humbled himself.

He had faith. He looked beyond Darius and Cyrus and all these people. And he had faith in the God who was over all. That if God had said in his words 70 years it would be accomplished in 70 years. He was a man of faith.

At the age of 87 he didn't think he was too old to fast. He didn't think he was too old to kneel down. He didn't think he was too old to fast. He didn't think he was too old to pray. He was a wholehearted man.

An 87 year old overcomer standing for God in that day. God shows us in the book of Daniel that you can be an overcomer at 17, chapter 1. That you can be an overcomer at 87, chapter 9. And anywhere in between where all of us are, mostly anyway.

That every one of us can be overcomers for God in these last days. Our age makes no difference. And verse 4, I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant in loving kindness for those who love him and keep his commandments.

Though Daniel lived in the old covenant he knew one thing. Have you noticed that last phrase? Those who love him and manifest their love by keeping his commandments. Even in the old testament Daniel knew that long before Jesus said it in John 14, if you love me you will keep my commandments.

He knew that. God keeps covenant not with any Tom, Dick and Harry in the world. God keeps covenant with only certain people. Those who love him and keep his commandments. If I fit into that category God will keep his covenant with me.

Sure. And Daniel says, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, rebelled, even turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances. It would have been very easy for him to say, Lord, these wretched sinners over there, they have committed iniquity, they have committed wickedness, but he included himself.

He was a part of Israel. And he said, Lord, we have sinned. He judges himself. He doesn't point his finger at other people. There's a verse in Isaiah 58 which Daniel knew. Daniel being a student of the scriptures knew that there's only, there's one thing we have to be very careful of when we fast and pray.

In Isaiah 58, it's the one chapter in the Bible that tells us how to fast and pray. And here it says, one of the most important, one of the requirements for fasting is this. Isaiah 58 9, we don't have time to go into it all.

Verse 6, it's not this, the fast which I choose. Verse 9, when you call the Lord will answer. The last part of verse 9, if you remove the pointing of the finger at other people. When we stop pointing the finger at other people, then God listens to our prayer.

And maybe this is the reason why God does not hear the prayer of 99 .9 of Christians. And they say these things don't work. Well, they certainly don't work for those who are spending their time pointing their fingers at other people.

God says in his word, it doesn't work for such people. That's not surprising. Well, Daniel did not point his finger at others. He pointed his finger at himself. He said, Lord, we. He judged himself. Here was a man who studied the scriptures, prayed, judged himself, and thus became an overcomer.

And let any man in these days do the same thing. Diligently study the scriptures, pray and fast and judge himself and humble himself before God. And he can be part of God's remnant in these days too. He says, we.

He doesn't point his fingers at others. And then notice he says, we have sinned. And he says that at least four times. Again in verse 8, the last part, we have sinned. Again in verse 11, the last part, we have sinned.

And again in the last part of verse 15, we have sinned. Here is the theme of his prayer. Lord, we have sinned. You are righteous in judging us. And then in verse 6 he says, we have not obeyed your servants, the prophets who spoke to us in your name.

Our kings, our princes, our fathers, all the people of the land have not obeyed your prophets. And that also he repeats four times. Verse 10, we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord God. Verse 11, we have not obeyed your voice.

Verse 14, the last part, we have not obeyed his voice. This is the thing that he repeats. We have sinned. We have not obeyed his voice. He humbled himself and he saw his own shortcoming. He did not think he was perfect.

That is the mark of an overcomer. He knows he is not perfect. He has no time to judge other people. He stands against corrupt systems like Daniel stood against the corruption of Babylon. But he did not stop judging himself.

A true overcomer is one who stands against corruption in Babylon, but at the same time he judges himself before God secretly. That is the mark of one who is going to stand for God in the last days. And he says, O Lord, verse 7, righteousness belongs to you, O Lord.

But to us, open shame as it is this day. To the men of Judah, Jerusalem, Israel, those who are near, those who are far away in all their countries which you have driven them because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against thee.

That is the previous generation before him. Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, to our princes, our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. Verse 9, to the Lord our God belongs compassion, forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.

Nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his teachings which he set before us through his servants, the prophets. Twice he mentions God's servants, the prophets. Verse 6 and verse 10, which teaches us that Daniel had a great respect for the true servants of God and the prophets.

That is another mark of an overcomer, that he's able to recognize the true servant of God, distinguish between the true and the false, and respects the true servant of God, speaking God's word. Daniel respected the prophets, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Moses.

He respected the prophets. Indeed, he says, all Israel has transgressed thy law and turned aside, not obeying thy voice. Therefore, the curse has been poured out on us along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, for we have sinned against him.

There we read that Daniel was a careful student, even of the Old Testament books of Moses. And what was he thinking of particularly? I think Leviticus 26, where Moses had said, listen to this, Leviticus 26, Moses had said to the Israelites before they ever got into Canaan, he said to them in Leviticus 26, verse 33, the Lord says, because you disobey, I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you.

Verse 34, then the land will enjoy its sabbaths. You remember we saw that in chapter 1 of Daniel. All the days of the desolation while you're in your enemy's land, the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.

Verse 38, you will perish among the nations, your enemy's land will consume you, and those of you who are left will rot away. That is because you disobeyed my voice. Verse 27, if you do not obey me, but act with hostility against me, this is what I'll do.

And Daniel says in chapter 9, Daniel 9 and verse 11, Lord, that curse which you spoke through Moses in Leviticus, it's been fulfilled. Exactly like you said, because our fathers for 490 years, they did not keep the sabbatical year on the land, therefore they were sent into captivity for 70 years, just like God said.

Daniel knew that. He knew there was a reason why God's judgment had come. There's always a reason for God's judgment, and the spiritual man is the man who understands the reason. And then he says, thus God has confirmed his word, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity.

And look at this phrase, for under the whole heaven, there has never been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. Why did God judge the Israelites more than any other nation on the face of the earth?

There's a reason for it, and Daniel knew it. Daniel knew the writing of the prophet Amos. Amos lived before Daniel's time, even though the book comes later on in the Old Testament. He lived before Daniel's time.

One of the things that Amos said was this, thus says the Lord, Amos chapter 3, to the whole family which he brought up from the land of Egypt, to all the Israelites, here's the reason. You are the only family, among all the families of the earth, that have me.

You're the only ones got me, the true and living God, and that has known me. Therefore, that's the reason, I will punish you more than all the others for your sins. To whom much is given, much is required.

That teaches us that if God gives us more life, our punishment is going to be greater too. Let's never forget that. And so, when you read the history of the last 3 ,500 years, world history, you'll find that there's been no people who has suffered as much as the Jews.

No nation on the face of the earth. And there's no nation that's been blessed as much as the Jews either. It's a fact. That is a proof that God keeps his word. He punishes and he blesses. And the Jew is a living proof to us today that God's word is true.

That's what he says here. In the whole earth, there's never been anything like you did to Jerusalem. It's never been heard of. Absolutely true. And even today. And just like that, the way Jerusalem's being brought back into the hands of the Jews today, that's also been never heard of before.

Verse 13, as it was written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us. And in spite of that, we have not sought the favor of the Lord by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.

Therefore, the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us. In other words, God's kept it reserved and poured it at the right time on the Israelites. And the Lord, our God, is righteous with respect to all his deeds which he has done, but we have not obeyed his voice.

Lord, you're righteous in judging us. And now, oh Lord, he says, what he's saying is, Lord, what you did in Egypt, do in Babylon again. You did some fantastic things in Egypt, which is the greatest world power in those days.

You delivered the Israelites. Now, we are under the greatest world power of today, Persia. Deliver us out again. It's wonderful to know the scriptures when we are in a tight spot, where we can say, Lord, you did this for so and so in the Old Testament or the New Testament.

Now, do the same thing for me in this situation that I'm in. I believe that there is an answer in the scriptures to every situation that we can ever face in our whole life. But the important thing is to know where to find that answer.

And that's why it's important that we study the scriptures, so that when we find ourselves in a difficult situation, the Spirit of God can remind us of an exactly similar situation that someone faced in the scriptures, and there was an answer there.

But the person who's been lazy to study the word will flounder at that time in unbelief. That's why it's important to be prepared. And so he says, Lord, like you brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for yourself, do it again.

Daniel’s Burden for God’s Name and Jerusalem

Now, I want you to notice something in verse 16 to 19. You find Daniel having a burden. Not that, Lord, we are suffering so much, relieve us of our suffering. That's not his burden. He doesn't pray that at all.

Notice, when we are in difficulty, very often our prayer is to relieve us of our suffering. But the Jews were suffering. They were slaves. But he wasn't concerned so much about their suffering. Notice his concern in verses 16 to 19.

Ten times his concern is thy name, thy city. Thy name is being reproached among the heathen, Lord. Notice that as I read it. Lord, in accordance with all your righteous acts and your anger and your wrath, turn away from thy city.

Not our city. Jerusalem is thy city, Lord. Thy holy mountain. Our sins and our iniquities, Jerusalem and thy people have become a reproach. It's not Abraham's seed. Lord, they are thy people. So now, O God, listen to the prayer of thy servant.

He's not saying, Lord, I am the wholehearted man in Babylon. Lord, I am your servant and to my specific request, not for our sake, O Lord, but for thy sake. Let thy face shine on not our sanctuary, but thy sanctuary.

Oh my God, look at his burden. Incline your ear in here. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by thy name. We are not presenting our supplications before thee on account of any merits of our own.

He was in the old covenant, but he understood grace. Not because we deserve it. God gives us freely. But on account of thy great compassion, O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen. Look at the burden three times.

O Lord, O Lord, O Lord. And take action. For what? For thine own sake. Oh my God, do not delay because thy city, thy people called by thy name. Thy sake, thy city, thy people, thy name. Do you see a single word there?

Lord, don't you see how we are suffering? These fellows are torturing us. These fellows are troubling us. Lord, this is a very inconvenient place to be in. None of these things which we find in the prayer requests of so many believers.

This is the mark of an overcomer. He knew the Lord's prayer before Jesus ever taught it. You know what the Lord's prayer is? Our father who art in heaven, not Lord, look what I'm suffering. I'm not having this.

Look at that. Look at the other thing. This problem I have, Lord. No. Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. Daniel knew that long before Jesus taught it.

He was a new covenant man living in the Old Testament in a sense. He knew he deserved nothing. He knew how to judge himself. He knew that God would answer prayer. He was interested in Jerusalem being built.

But he was concerned for God's name. He wasn't concerned about his own suffering. He was concerned about God's name, God's glory, God's honor. I just want to say, dear brothers and sisters, there can never be a true spiritual movement out of religious Christian Babylon into the true Jerusalem, the bride and body of Christ today, unless God finds people who have such a burden, not just to start a new group or a new denomination or a new fellowship like there are lots of people starting around the world today, but people who have a concern, Lord, your name is dishonored among the heathen because of Christians who do not obey your word, who do not live according to the standards of your word in financial matters, in their family life, in their other relationships.

Lord, it's bringing reproach in the name of Jesus Christ in this heathen land of ours and I'm concerned about it and I want to just share this burden that I believe God's looking in India for those who have a burden in their heart like Daniel had for the Lord's name and the Lord's glory.

My prayer is that God will find people like that in our midst who got a burden across this land who will pray. You know, we read in Daniel chapter 6 that he used to pray three times a day, kneeling with his windows open to Jerusalem.

Do you know what he prayed? Doesn't tell us in Daniel 6, but it tells us in Daniel 9 what he prayed. Three times a day he knelt down and said, Oh God, I'm burdened about your name. How many times a day are we burdened about God's name?

We are burdened about our aches and pains and our financial difficulties and various other silly things which we call persecution, which are actually just like mosquito bites, which we want God to help us in.

But the real thing, how much are we concerned about God's name being glorified in the land? Do we feel that God's name is highly exalted in the land of India? Do we believe that Jesus Christ is highly lifted up in this land?

He isn't. Then aren't we burdened or are we more burdened about our own petty little problems and our aches and pains much more? Fasting and praying for various earthly material things. Have we once fasted and prayed because God's name has been dishonored in this land?

That's a pretty searching question. We have fasted and prayed for aches and pains and healings and many other material blessings, but for the Lord's name being dishonored in this land, that's the mark of an overcomer.

He's burdened, he's concerned, and he doesn't know what to do, so he expresses that burden in prayer to God. I believe that's one reason God gives us the gift of tongues, so that we can express that burden of the Spirit.

No, Daniel didn't have it, but we can have it today. But how many express here Daniel chapter 6 verse 20, while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin, the sin of my people Israel, presenting my supplication before the Lord my God, in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I'd seen in a vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness.

God always answers a man who's got a burden like that, about the time of the evening offering. And he gave me instruction and talked with me and said, oh Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding.

Daniel was a very clever man intellectually, but when he wanted to understand spiritual things, he needed revelation from God. Blessed are the clever people in the world who understand this, that without the revelation of the Holy Spirit, they'll be absolutely blind when it comes to the scriptures.

Gabriel came and gave him understanding. We don't have Gabriel today, we have someone even greater, the Holy Spirit. At the beginning of your supplications, the command was issued. As soon as Daniel started praying, God heard immediately.

And in the next chapter, we'll see why there was a delay in the answer. And the next chapter tells us why there's a delay sometimes in the answer to prayer. And Gabriel came and said, I've come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.

God highly esteems those who have such a burden and a concern for his name. So give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. I want to tell you brothers and sisters, it is God's will that we understand the vision that Daniel speaks of here, particularly verses 24 to 27.

The Seventy Weeks and Christ’s Work of Redemption

Seventy weeks, or as the margin says, seventy-sevens. Seventy-sevens are 490, which means 490 years have been decreed for your people. Your people means the Jewish people, to finish transgression. There are six things mentioned here that Jesus is going to do.

First, to finish transgression means to deal with rebellion, for rebellion was the origin of all transgression in the time of Lucifer. The first thing that Jesus is going to do is deal with rebellion.

Second, he's going to make an end of sin, and of sinning, and sinning, and sinning, which is old covenant life. Jesus is going to come to make an end of that, speaking about victory over sin. What is the word to us?

Last part of verse 23, give heed to the message and gain understanding of this vision. It's not just prophecy about various events in the world, it's related to our life. And third, to make atonement for iniquity, that was on Calvary's cross.

To deal with rebellion, that is with the devil, to finish with sin, to make an end of sin, to open the new and living way, and to make atonement for iniquity on Calvary's cross. Fourth, to bring in not a righteousness which is up and down, part of the time righteous, part of the time unrighteous, but everlasting righteousness, where I can be righteous all the time.

Number five, to seal up vision and prophecy means to fulfill the word of God, which has been prophesied, to fulfill every promise in God's word. And number six, to anoint the most holy place, which was closed up with the veil, in other words, the veil would be rent, and the most holy place would be opened up for man to enter.

That speaks of the new and living way that Jesus made through the flesh, when sin was condemned in the flesh of Jesus. It's amazing how all these things are brought out. Six things that Jesus was going to do when he came in.

Give heed to the message, verse 23, and gain understanding of the vision. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. So he says, you are to know this, verse 25, you are not to be ignorant of this, and you are to discern it.

Now he says, I'll tell you the exact time in history when this is going to take place. From the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, you see, Daniel was only concerned about the rebuilding of Jerusalem, but the Lord said, I'll give you more than you asked for.