| Subject: Dan Chap 10 vss 12-21 Post 55 |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 19:07:02 01/11/11 Tue
Daniel 10:12-21 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. 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. 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. 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.
It is my opinion that a person would be hard pressed to find a more fascinating passage of scripture in the Bible. Read it and ponder the implications. Does it not shatter your notions of God's workings and the power of Satan and his minions?
I think we adequately established in the first study on this chapter that Daniel was being visited by none other than God Himself through the second person of the Trinity in the form of the pre-incarnate Christ. Remember Daniel has been fasting and praying for three full weeks which is 21 days. Notice what his Visitor tells him: "From the first day--- thy words were heard" "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days:" God purposed from the beginning of Daniel's prayer to come to him and evidently immediately. How is it possible and who is this prince of the kingdom of Persia that has enough power to withstand the pre-incarnate Christ?
I don't believe for one minute the prince of the kingdom of Persia and later in the passage the prince of Grecia are flesh and blood princes of the royal line of those kingdoms We are looking at the powers of darkness (Eph. 6:12) as in the "the prince of the power of the air", (Eph. 2:2) or the "prince of this world". (John 12:31, 14:30, John 16:11)
We should also take note of the "warfare" that is going on in the passage. This warfare concerns the order and the direction of the world powers at that time. If we will remember in Daniel 2 it was Babylon, Media/Persia, Greece and then Rome. We are at the end of the reign of the Persian Empire and the Greek or Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great is about to overcome the Persians. Prophecies are involved and these prophecies were from God. Daniel had given the interpretations of dreams to Nebuchadnezzar and don't you know that Satan knew all about these prophecies. Is it possible that the prince of Persia and the prince of Grecia were trying to altar the prophecies? Don't you know that if a prophecy is proven false then the prophet is also false? Deuteronomy 18:20-22 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
God had spoken and it had to come to pass whether Satan tried to stop it or not. There was an order of nations to come on the scene and this order had to happen. God had foreseen or even possibly brought this order to pass. All the devils in or out of hell can not stop God decrees.
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These "princes" are definitely of the "other worldly" just as the prince to Israel is other worldly. Look closely at the closing verses of this chapter: 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. 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.
The implication is that there is heavy warfare behind the scenes and God is in warfare with Satan and his bunch. Notice who is with God in this fight: "Michael your prince"! Michael, according to Jude is an "archangel". Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. The word archangel means "chief angel" or the ruling angel. Michael is the only angel in the Bible named as an archangel. It is supposed that Gabriel (Dan. 8:16, Dan. 9:21, Luke 1:19, 21) is also an archangel but the Bible does not back this up. Michael, according to the Bible, stands up for the people of Israel (Dan. 12:1) and will intercede against Satan for Israel. (Dan. 12:1) Michael is also a warrior angel according to the Bible. As we see in the verses we are studying he comes to aid God in the fight against the prince of Persia and then we find him fighting at the end of the age. Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.
There is much mystery about the hierarchy in heaven but what little we do know shows us that even in the heavens there is much adversity. As long as Satan is free to roam God will be fighting him and God's angels will be right with Him in the fray.
Finally in the passage we are studying we see the weakness of man and the strength of God. Daniel could not stand in the presence of God until God strengthened him and commanded him to stand. We also see the compassion of God in that He gave peace of mind to Daniel. Peace that dispelled all the turmoil in Daniel that was a result of all the knowledge of events he had been given.
Can you imagine the the strengthening and peace that suddenly surged through Daniel's body when God spoke to him in these words: "O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong".
The words that God spoke to Daniel so many years ago He still speaks to us today. He says: John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
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