Invisible Spiritual Warfare

Daniel 10: 1-11: 1

(1) In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia 

This year must have been about 535/534 B.C., as Cyrus was crowned king in Babylon after Darius the Mede, who reigned in Babylon until 538/537. So this would be the latest of all the visions recorded in the book of Daniel. So Daniel must be in his upper eighties by now, an old man. 

a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. 

Daniel's vision was of great spiritual warfare that was actual and going on around us continually. He was able to understand this. 

(2) In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 

For three weeks he had been earnestly praying for his people Israel, probably having heard about the remnant of about forty-two thousand that had already gone back to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Joshua and reinstituted public worship at the site of the temple. He may have heard of the halting of construction on the temple, and was consumed with the desire to intercede for his people and obtain assurance from Yahweh that the nation would survive and carry out with honor and faithfulness its holy mission as God's witness to the world.

(3) I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. 

He was so intent in his concern and prayer that for three weeks he mourned with a semi-fast and neglect of personal grooming. 

(4) On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris,

It was early spring, on 24 Nisan (just ten days after Passover), and Daniel was evidently on some kind of official business that took him out of Babylon to the eastern part of Mesopotamia, to the bank of the Tigris River. So he must have been fasting during the Passover week. 

(5) I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 
(6) His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightening, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. 

This is the most detailed description in Scripture of the appearance of an angel. Other instances record details that are much like what Daniel describes here, and the way Christ appeared to John in Revelation 1: 14 is also similar. Spiritual beings who inhabit heavenly places are not limited to what humans can appear to be on this Earth in our flesh bodies. But when we are resurrected, when our mortal puts on immortality, and our corruptible is swallowed up in the incorruptible (I Corinthians 15: 54), then our spiritual bodies will also be freed from the limits we are now under, and we will glow as bright as the sun.

(7) Now, I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 

Daniel was not by himself on the bank of the river, but all the men who were with him were scared away and they ran and hid from whatever this was. Only one who is spiritually alert will actually see a vision (see also Elisha in II Kings 6, and Saul in Acts 9:7).

(8) So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. 

So only Daniel saw this vision, and it wore him out. He was weakened and his complexion paled.

(9) But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. 

And as soon as he heard this vision speaking, he passed out!

(10) Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 

But when a hand touched him, he came to and he started to get up shakily. 

(11) He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 

When the angel told him that he was considered precious, and that he had been sent to tell him something, he stood up in respect to hear it, still trembling.

(12) Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 

As soon as Daniel had decided to humble himself before the Lord on behalf of his people, God had sent the answer. 

(13) "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; 

We are going to be let into the workings in the spiritual realm a little, with Gabriel's admissions to Daniel. God had sent him right away, but he was detained by the "prince" of the kingdom of Persia for the twenty-one days (three weeks) of Daniel's fasting and prayer. 

So apparently there's some high-ranking spiritual "prince" controlling the kingdom of Persia, and he tried to keep Gabriel from coming to Daniel.  

then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 

These "princes" over the nations must be very powerful, for Gabriel to need Michael's help to get to Daniel; he says he was stuck there with the Persian kings, without his help. Very serious stuff!

(14) "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future." 

Now that he's there, he will give Daniel some further revelation, for him to record it for us to read.

(15) When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 

Daniel must have felt so inadequate for this personage to honor him this way, he looked down, as though shy, and couldn't say anything.

(16) And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, "O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. 
(17) "For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me." 

He couldn't say anything until another touch enabled his mouth to work again, and what he said shows his humility and subservience to this angel.

(18) Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. 
(19) He said, "O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!" Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, "May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." 

A third touch communicated physical strength to Daniel, and also the encouragement helped him to focus on what the angel had to say to him.

(20) Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 

Then Gabriel tells us more about the unseen war taking place around us. He must return to the war with the prince of Persia, and even the prince of Greece will take part against him.

(21) "However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of Truth. (Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.
(1) "In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him.)" 

This next chapter will show us what Gabriel was telling Daniel, but first he gives us more information about the war in the unseen realm. He says that all the other "princes" over all the other nations are fighting against him, and the only one who will help him is Michael, who he calls, "your prince." So Michael is the prince over Israel. 

And back in Darius' first year, when the king took such a liking to Daniel, we find here that it could have been because Gabriel was strengthening Michael against the "prince" of Persia.

This unseen conflict explains so much of what is going on today in the world, with the nations of the world and what they're doing (and why they're hiding stuff and lying!). And why so many in the world today are so deceived, listening to leaders who are leading to destruction. 

As I study God's written word and look at what's going on in the world today, I think that I see the possibility of the first four seals and the first three trumpets of the book of Revelation may have already come to pass. 

I know for sure that the second coming of Jesus Christ will be very soon. I hope all my readers are ready to face our King and Judge, and are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

O my Father, I pray for our Presidents, our Prime Ministers, all the leaders of our nations. I pray that Your warrior angels, Gabriel and Michael, and whatever other ones You know, to be given the power and strength to overshadow the evil spiritual authorities who are leading this world into hell. 

Please give us the time, the opportunity, and the resources to broadcast Your Gospel to every living person, so that each one will be able to understand how much You love us all, and be drawn to the birth into Your family, or have no excuse for rejecting Your gracious and generous gift.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!