This chapter gives us information on something quite
different from anything we’ve read as we are introduced to a unique group of
angels. Some who harbor ill-will toward
God and attempt to defeat the divine purpose as it relates to God’s rule over
His people, Israel -- both in Daniel’s
present day and in the days yet to come (at the time of the end).
Chapter 10 is graphic in that it also provides detailed
information on how Daniel received his final revelation, including many
surprising incidents that accompany God’s delivery of His message to Daniel.
vs. 1-3 (Daniel’s state of mind)
vs. 1-3 (Daniel’s state of mind)
This last revelation received by Daniel came to him just 2
years after king Cyrus had officially brought the Babylon captivity to an end
by allowing the Jews to return to Israel. However, the Jews returned home
without Daniel. We don’t know precisely why Daniel remained behind, but we can
speculate. It was either because of his advancing years – now in his mid to
upper 80’s – or because he still may have had essential work to do for the
Persian leadership – perhaps a senior advisor.
- DANIEL
UNDERSTANDS THE VISION -
The revelation Daniel was about to receive was hard for him
to hear and more difficult for him to accept, although he knew in his heart
that it was true.
Daniel’s vision revealed an enormous conflict that would
affect his people at a later time. This would be the greatest war the world’s
powers had ever encountered, a future conflict that would include something
unheard of before.
--- A massive angelic invasion that, while unseen, would be
instrumental in shaping the final result of international events.
The most difficult part of the message for Daniel to accept
was that his future trauma would threaten the very existence of Israel. A nation and people who had already suffered
so much – been so long in captivity – and seemed to be on a perpetual losing
streak that would play out to the time of the end (of course, which it does).
Unlike Daniel’s earlier visions and dreams, he declared that
he understood this one, and that he also comprehended how the events predicted
would NOT occur during his
own lifetime.
Daniel, however, took little comfort in this knowledge,
because his heart was so tender toward the ultimate destiny of his people.
Had the Jews not suffered enough?! – And, had God not made a
promise to relieve them of their pain at the close of the 70 years of
captivity?
What we now see in Daniel is a progressive understanding of
what was to happen in the days to come – How it pained him!!
DANIEL SEES CHRIST
Here we see Daniel standing by the Tigris River. There he
was confronted by a likeness he had never observed before.
The bible describes this figure as dressed in linen – with a
waist girded with a belt of pure gold – a body like beryl – a face with the
appearance like that of lightening – eyes like flaming torches – arms and feet
of polished brass – and the sound of His voice like a sound of a multitude!
Is there any doubt in our minds of who this is?
We don’t need to search long for our answer because the description
of His being bears a direct comparison to the GLORIFIED CHRIST we read about in
REV 1:13-15
It’s an almost exact description of what Daniel saw that day
by the great river.
Like the appearance f the 4th person in the fiery
furnace, this was a ‘CHRISTOPHANY’ – a physical appearance of the person of
Jesus Christ.
We also see that Daniel was not alone when he was confronted
by the person of Jesus Christ.
There were companions with him – but not for long. – While
they apparently sensed that something momentous was taking place, they were
unable to withstand the fear and dread of the moment, similar to Saul’s
experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:7)
They, too, could do nothing but hide their faces from the
Glory of Christ and flee, leaving Daniel alone in his encounter with Christ.
Suddenly Daniel – man among men – strong – counselor to the
kings of Babylon – fell to the ground when he heard the words of the Lord.
Immediately, his strength was gone!
VS 10-17
now the scene suddenly changes! It is no longer Christ who stands before Daniel but a holy messenger.
now the scene suddenly changes! It is no longer Christ who stands before Daniel but a holy messenger.
There is a specific reason for us to interpret this passage
this way …
If this were still Christ speaking to Daniel we would be
FORCED to conclude that Christ had little or no power, because the prince of
Persia (V13) who withstood the messenger would be able to stand firmly against
Christ.
This, of course, would be IMPOSSIBLE. Therefore, we know
that the one standing before Daniel is an appointed angel.
Imagine Daniel’s confusion! One moment he sees the
pre-incarnate Christ, and the next moment… an angel!
The words uttered by this heavenly being are words you and I
would certainly want Jesus to say to us when that great day arrives as we stand
before Him. Words of love and
appreciation for our faithfulness to the cause of Christ during our time and
witness on Earth.
In verse 12 and 13 we get a remarkable insight into the
unseen world and the conflict even now being carried out in the heavenly
planes. And may we not find here also the reason why many of our prayers do not
seem to be answered when and as we would desire to have them?
For three whole weeks Daniel had been before God in earnest
supplication. He prayed, he interceded on behalf of his people, yet no answer
had come.
Had Daniel ceased praying, he might have given up the object
of his prayers and declared that God turned a deaf ear to his petitions.
But the angel tells him that at the very beginning of his
supplication the commandment went forth, and he was set from the very throne of
God to make known to Daniel that which would set his mind at rest in regard to
God’s purpose and the final blessing of his people.
But, for 21 days this angel had been fighting his way
through the ‘fiends of the upper air’. The prince of the kingdom of Persia (not
Cyrus himself, but an evil angel evidently, delegated by satan to seek to
influence the hearts of the Persian kings against the people of God) had
withstood this holy angel of the Lord for 21 days
Nor could the divinely sent messenger prevail until Michael,
here called “one of the chief princes” and in the New Testament “the
Archangel”, came to help him.
Now I would agree with you that all of this stuff is very
mysterious. It is something altogether outside the sphere of our human thought
processes.
We know nothing whatsoever about the conflicts continuously
being carried out in the unseen world; accept what we can learn from our
Bibles.
This much is clear! Here was a man who was praying earnestly
on earth and God had heard that prayer in Heaven. In answer to it, He sent an
angel, but for 3 weeks there was some hindrance keeping that angel from
reaching Daniel. That hindrance was in the unseen world and by such a power
that the ARCHANGEL HIMSELF was
needed to overcome it!
Now let’s bring a few other scriptures that have to do with
this solemnic subject. In the first chapters of the book of Job we find the
sons of God presenting themselves before the Lord, and we are told that satan
came also.
The sons of God are clearly an order of angelic ministers
engaged in carrying out the will of God in connection with this world in
accordance with the word.
7) “He maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers aflame
of fire. “
14) “Are they not all ministering spirits, send forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation”
Hebrews 1: 7 & 14
14) “Are they not all ministering spirits, send forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation”
Hebrews 1: 7 & 14
Among these sons of God, satan, the foul leader of the evil
hosts walks unabashed. He acts as one who has no fear of rebuke in that
company.
He is there, as on other occasions in scripture, as the
great adversary and accuser of the brethren. He accuses Job in the very face of
God and as in the case of the apostle Peter and the other disciples; he seems
to demand them that he may sift them as wheat.
And the Lord does not deny his demand but delivers Job into
his hands… for Job’s own good, as we know.
So we gather from this scripture that God is able to use
even the devil to carry out His own purposes for the blessing of His children.
He has not been outwitted by satan, but uses him all through
this present time.
THE DEVIL IS THE
SIFTER OF GOD’S WHEAT
The Lord wants His wheat sifted; He does not want a lot of
chaff.
But when the devil is used to sift God’s wheat, when His
children are thus put into the devil’s sieve, not one grain of wheat is lost.
The devil is simply used by God for the separation of the
chaff from the wheat – that is all.
Do not despair then, if, like Job and like Peter you are put
into the devil’s sieve. It is God who is letting you be sifted like that,
because he has seen the chaff in your life and wants the real to be separated
from the false!
Now, let us link up with this important passage in Rev 12: 7-10. Remember that it speaks
of something that is still future.
This gives us the end of satan’s place as the accuser with
access to the Heavens. He is driven out by that same Michael who came to the
assistance of the Angel who speaks to Daniel in our chapter.
This event will take place in the midst of the 70th week of
the 9th chapter, and after that, no foul or evil spirit will
evermore have access to the presence of God.
SATAN IS THROWN OUT OF HEAVEN!
In the 6th chapter of Ephesians there is a
passage of great importance. In vs. 11 & 12 it says
“Put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
“Put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
In other words, we Christian’s foes are these wicked
spirits, who, like the prince of the kingdom of Persia, are ruling the hearts
of men in these final days of darkness.
Against their wills – we are warned
The great and immediate business of satan at this present
time is to seek to deceive the people of God with things that seem to be in
accordance with his mind & will, but in fact are really deceitful
imitations.
Look at today’s churches or Christians themselves.
In the 6th chapter of Ephesians we are told that
our warfare is with “the world rulers of this darkness”
Who are these world rulers?
Who are these world rulers?
They are not the
Queen of England, the presidents of Russia or Germany, nor the president f this
country.
These important and sometimes good men have to do with the
temporal government of this world. They are ‘The powers that be’ and are
ordained by God – yet they may be like the little figures on a chessboard, in
the hands of the real rulers of this darkness.
This is what we learn
in this 10th chapter of Daniel
·
The prince of the kingdom of Persia who
withstood the angel of the Lord 21 days was one of the world rulers of this darkness
prince of Greece coming up in vs 20 was another one seeking to influence the
hearts of the Grecian rulers against the will of God.
·
And then, on the other hand, have you noticed
what Michael is called in the last verse (vs 13)? He is designated as Michael,
the chief prince, or, Your prince – and in 12:1 he is called “The great prince
who protected your people”
·
That is, Michael the archangel seems in a
special manner to have a care for the people of Israel. Thusly, while evil
angels were seeking Israel’s ruin, Michael and his hosts of benevolent angels
were protecting their interests.
·
In the present age our conflicts as Christians
is said to be with ‘principalities and powers’ who are not of flesh and blood.
·
This makes it evident that there are degrees in
rank among angels, whether fallen or unfallen, as there are in human armies.
·
The special effort of these organized ‘hosts of
hell’ is now to deceive the people of God by presenting something else for
their hearts to take the place of Jesus Christ and His truth and keep them from
their blessings, or worse, their very salvation.
Have any of you noticed how every precious truth of
scripture has its satanic counterfeit?
It has been so from the very beginning of the church…
Remember how Paul talks to the early churches in his letters – Corinth,
Galatia, Ephesus etc
Let’s get back to teaching the basic salvation of the cross
for those who accept its full meaning and the consequences for those who don’t.
The simple basic truth of all the 1st Century Church will do just
fine.
Now, thank God that the hosts of the ‘upper air’ are NOT all
evil. You remember at the siege of Dothan, in answer to the prayer of Elisha,
the Lord opened the eyes of the prophet’s servant and he saw the mountains all
around full of fiery chariots
“The angel of the Lord encamps around them that fear Him” Ps 34:7
“The angel of the Lord encamps around them that fear Him” Ps 34:7
WE JUST NEED TO OPEN
OUR EYES then we would see the angelic host camping around us for our protection
and watching over us for good. Then we would fight on with new courage,
clothes in this armor of God, knowing hat against Christ’s church, the gates of
hell shall NOT prevail!
VS 18-21
The angel now comes and touches Daniel again, giving him more strength as he encourages this prophet to be strong. This is as important a message for us today as it was for Daniel back then. Our strength comes from the Lord, and it comes by degrees.
The angel now comes and touches Daniel again, giving him more strength as he encourages this prophet to be strong. This is as important a message for us today as it was for Daniel back then. Our strength comes from the Lord, and it comes by degrees.
The Bible says that we should partake of His strength on a
daily basis. We don’t receive a month or a years worth of strength all at once.
Instead, God gives us grace for each day.
That’s why we are to pray without ceasing, because it is
when we become lazy that the ‘prince of the power of the air’ attempts to
devour us.
(1 Peter 5:8)
(1 Peter 5:8)
Remember Daniel knew he needed help, and he did not decline
it. Ask, listen and God will send help. At this point, the angel announced his
departure because he needed to get back to the battle zone. But not until he
was sure Daniel fully understood what God had shown him about the future of His
people, the Jews.
This angel was going to join Michael in the battle against the fallen spirits controlling the ruler of Persia. Later, when the battle in the heavens would cease concerning Persia, there would be yet another skirmish with the leader of Greece. Simply stated, Medo-Persia would ultimately fall to Greece and another satanic spirit would control the ruler of this conquering nation.
This angel was going to join Michael in the battle against the fallen spirits controlling the ruler of Persia. Later, when the battle in the heavens would cease concerning Persia, there would be yet another skirmish with the leader of Greece. Simply stated, Medo-Persia would ultimately fall to Greece and another satanic spirit would control the ruler of this conquering nation.
Isn’t the Word of God amazing? This is precisely what
happened – just as the angel told Daniel it would – 200 years in advance!
Finally, we see Michael, the warrior, mentioned right at the
end of chapter 10 – Gabriel, is the one who, while able to do battle, is
usually cast in the role of the announcer of the message. But, the arch-angel
who leads the military hosts of heaven is Michael, and he is the one mentioned
here as well as in the book of Revelation.
One of the most significant predictions Daniel received is
in 12:1 where Michael stands for (or protects) the people of Israel.
And when will Michael arise to do battle for the Jews? When
the greatest anti-semetic purge in history takes place, when satan is cast out
of Heaven (Rev 12:7 – the middle of the 70th week).
Michael will be there to fight for – and protect – God’s
people.
Amazing mysteries have been revealed in Chapter 10, but the
vision is only partially unsealed to our eyes. As we now move on to the final 2
chapters of Daniel, angelic beings persevere in providing us with information
about the time of the end and how the role of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ
– and legions of angels – will continue to intervene in the affairs of men and
women everywhere.
