Jesus talked about
the prophet Daniel- and Daniel was used by God to give us a prophecy spanning
2300 years and more- right to the birth of Jesus our Savior, His death, and
resurrection and then through all of our lives up to the second coming of our
Savior Jesus Christ!
This magnificent,
incredible prophecy is worth all the study we can give to it, Jesus wants us to
understand. Jesus mentioned Daniel by name and Daniel had died long before
Jesus was born.
By the grace of God
we will gain knowledge that we need to be fully and wholly our Savior's.
All through His
amazing love.
******* Continuing our prophecy study-- Please
GO back and read the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of
where we are if you haven't been following this study daily. Thank you
:) God bless you! *******
Daniel Chapter 10 -
Dan 10:1 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.
Dan 10:2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three
full weeks.
A thing was
revealed.
The thing was true.
He understood the
thing.
The time appointed
was long.
He understood the vision.
He understood the vision.
Remember in chapter
8 and 9 the angel Gabriel was explaining things to Daniel but it was hard for
Daniel to comprehend it all- understandably so. Daniel understood that this
vision would not be completed for a long, long time - do you think perhaps this
caused some of the mourning?
We have lived
approximate 2500 years after Daniel lived. If Daniel had some comprehension of
just how long it would be until the prophecy would be fulfill how daunting that
would have to be. Even now if I had to imagine 2300 years into the future, if I
had to imagine 1260 years into the future it's just…wow.
Maybe it's 'wow' to
me because I'm living in the hope and expectation of my Savior's soon return,
not life ongoing another 2000 years. Daniel was living with the expectation of
things to take place as well. Think about it…
he'd been thrust from his home at Jerusalem and taken captive to
Babylon. While there He interprets a dream given the king of Babylon and that
first dream, that first vision was an overall grand picture. Then Daniel lived
during the time of the Medes and Persians take over of Babylon - as predicted.
And He was told about Grecia coming up to take over from Medes and Persians. To
His comprehension, for at least a short while there, it could easily be
considered the entire vision would be completed in relatively short order and
our Savior would usher in a whole new world. The end of all evil. How fantastic to imagine it all. Daniel was
human and he had ideas and he struggled with comprehension even after he was
told things. That Daniel was mourning
isn't surprising at all really.
Dan 10:3 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.
For 3 weeks Daniel
didn't allow himself any luxuries at all whatsoever. He was so upset by it all,
very understandable.
Dan 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the
first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
Dan 10:5 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:
Dan 10:6 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.
Just imagine this
Daniel is standing by the great river and when he looks up he sees a man, and
what a man! This wasn't any ordinary person by a long shot.
Dan 10:7 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.
Such an
extraordinary sight this man was that those people who were with Daniel
couldn't see him but a fear overcame them
such a great fear they ran away to hide.
Dan 10:8 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.
Left alone, Daniel
faced this vision and he had no strength left, it's no wonder is it? Something
that could be unseen by others yet cause extreme fear, at the least had a
strength sapping affect on Daniel.
Dan 10:9 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.
Fainted at the sound
of the man's voice?
Dan 10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me
upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
The man touched
Daniel, the man pulled him up onto his hands and knees- waking him obviously to
the point that he could understand what was said next.
Dan 10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly
beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for
unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood
trembling.
Stand upright he was
told and Daniel stood but not without shaking in fear.
Dan 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for
from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
words.
The man in the
vision does not want Daniel to be scared, he tells him not to fear. He tells Daniel from the FIRST day when
Daniel's heart was determined to understand and he abased himself before God- his word were heard! His words…were…heard. The man CAME because of what Daniel
petitioned God for- understanding.
Dan 10:13 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.
The man in the
vision would have come sooner BUT he was warring with a prince of the kingdom
of Persia for 21 days.
Who was this man?
Who was the prince
the man was fighting with, who prevented the man from going to Daniel- IN A
VISION?
We can't for a
moment allow ourselves to believe that this vision man unseen by any but
Daniel, was contending with a flesh and blood prince of Persia and that flesh
and blood prince was able to prevent this vision man from going to Daniel. This had to be a spiritual battle and we KNOW
that beyond a doubt the spiritual world is REAL and mostly unseen. We fight in
this spiritual battle all the time remember this verse--
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This spiritual
Prince of Persia hindered the spiritual vision man before Daniel - read this…
1Th 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I
Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Satan hindered 'us'.
This was Satan hindering flesh and blood.
If Satan hindered flesh and blood it's only understandable that Satan
could contend with this man of God - a spiritual force with spiritual force. What force controls the kingdoms of this
world? We've studied this before. The
kingdoms of this world belong to Satan. Satan offered them to Jesus when he was
tempting Him in the wilderness. The
Prince of the ruling kingdom of Persia would be Satan, and what freed the
spiritual man of God from this battle with Satan?
Dan 10:13 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.
Michael a chief
prince came to help him. Another
spiritual force. This spiritual battle
is more real than Satan would have any of us really, truly believe.
Dan 10:14 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.
Dan 10:15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I
set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
Dan 10:16 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.
Dan 10:17 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.
Dan 10:18 Then there came again and touched me one like
the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
Dan 10:19 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.
Dan 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come
unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I
am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
Dan 10:21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in
the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things,
but Michael your prince.
This wasn't easy! As
a prophet Daniel suffered. He knew that the visions were growing more and more
complex and the things he was seeing, the understanding he was being given
wasn't pleasant. The visions foretold of a future where Satan would rule the earth
and God's people would be in the minority. There would always be a people that
would belong to God, but they would not rule, they would suffer and great
so. The future which was to take place
over a LONG time, didn't predict wondrous things but rather great horrors that
Daniel was allowed to foresee. Is it any wonder that Daniel was frightened, so
incredibly frightened it's guaranteed that He would have died of his fear if he
hadn't been strengthened by these amazing spiritual beings sent by God.
Daniel would be
shown a vision even more complex than any he'd seen prior to this and now that
he was strengthened he'd be able to understand, he'd be able to endure what was
being required of Him. Remember- Daniel prayed for this! Daniel was the one who
initiated this vision that had taken all his strength from him. This wasn't an unwanted vision. This wasn't a
forced vision. This was what Daniel was praying for and had continued to pray
for- depriving himself of all luxurious things, of all comfort thing- for three
weeks! He wanted this and yet, feared it
and doesn't that sound like so much we deal with in our own lives? I'm not putting us on par with Daniel by any
means, but in a small way we can understand a bit about wanting and fearing at
the same time, right?
More tomorrow when
we begin chapter 11 and by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ may
we have understanding just as Daniel prayed for understanding- we too need to
pray earnestly for understanding. All by
the grace of our God, all by the righteousness of our Lord, guide us! Let the
Holy Spirit reveal all truth to us as far as we need to understand to know
God's will now and forever.
Amen!
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