DANIEL: THRIVING IN A GODLESS CULTURE

XIII: God's Encouraging Insight On The Angelic Conflict Behind The Nations

(Daniel 10:1-21)

I. Introduction

A. We believers living in a spiritually decaying, godless culture, need to live affirmatively in victory over sin.

B. Daniel as a young man was taken captive by godless Babylonians, and he lived through Persia's conquest of Babylon, righteously and wisely serving the Lord in a godless culture as a great example for us.

C. We view Daniel 10:1-21 on God's encouraging insight on the angelic conflict behind the nations for insight:

II. God's Encouraging Insight On The Angelic Conflict Behind The Nations, Daniel 10:1-21.

A. The Daniel 7-12 visions describe challenges God's people would face after Daniel's era under future godless empires until the arrival of Christ’s Kingdom. Much of these challenges are fueled by the angelic conflict that wages behind the scenes, and a glimpse of this was given for God's people in Daniel 10:1-21 for their insight.

B. We view that insight for our edification (as follows), Daniel 10:1-21:

1. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel had a vision on a great conflict Israel would face, Daniel 10:1 ESV. The Hebrews had begun to return from Babylon (Ezra 1:1-11), so the vision "shattered any hope the prophet might have had that Israel would enjoy her new freedom and peace for long," B. K. C., O. T., p. 1365.

2. Daniel was elderly, having not returned to Israel due to his age and his duties in the Persian government (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Daniel 10:4), so he had asked God in prayer for greater insight on his people's future with such great conflict, Daniel 10:12.

3. However, Daniel's answer to prayer was delayed, and he mourned and fasted for three weeks, Dan. 10:2-3.

4. At the end of three weeks, he was by the Tigris River with some associates when an angel from God appeared to him in great glory, Daniel 10:4-6; Ibid. Daniel's associates did not see the angel, but his mere presence caused them to tremble and flee, leaving Daniel alone with him, Daniel 10:7-8.

5. The presence of this powerful angel sapped Daniel's strength, and the sound of his voice, like that of a multitude of people, caused him to end up on his face in a deep trance, Daniel 10:9.

6. In a series of stages, Daniel was strengthened and enabled to stand up by this angel, and he explained that God had sent him to clarify the vision to Daniel when he had first begun to pray about it, Daniel 10:10-12.

7. However, this powerful angel had been in conflict with an opposing, powerful demon behind the king of Persia until the Archangel Michael, a chief prince, had come to help him so that he could continue on his mission from God to explain the vision to Daniel, Daniel 10:13.

8. The angel said that the vision predicted the latter days of Israel, and being informed of this sobering truth, Daniel faced downward, unable to speak in great depression and shock, Daniel 10:14-15. Another angel touched Daniel's lips, enabling him to speak, and when Daniel stated that the sorrows of the meaning of the vision still hindered him, the angel touched him again, strengthening him, Daniel 10:16-18.

9. The original angel twice told Daniel that he was greatly beloved of God (Dan. 10:11a, 19a), showing why God wanted to tell him of the future, that he was not to fear, but to be at peace and be strong, Dan. 10:19b.

10. The angel then explained that he had yet to return to fight against the powerful demon behind the king of Persia, and that later he would fight against the powerful demon behind the king of Greece, Daniel 10:20. Nevertheless, at the moment, he would inform Daniel of the details of the vision he had seen, information taken out of the "book of truth" that includes information that is in excess of what we have in our Bible, but that is apparently available to the heavenly angels, Daniel 10:21a.

11. The angel added that only Michael, the angel for Israel who would also be Daniel's own major angel, stood with him in his angelic conflicts, and that he had been a help to Darius the Mede in his first year, Daniel 10:21b-11:1. Thus, Daniel was informed of a huge, powerful war in the spiritual realm behind the nations.

Lesson: Through a prolonged delay to an answer to his prayer, Daniel was informed by a great angel from God whose mere presence overwhelmed his human strength, that a vast, great angelic conflict exists behind the rulers of the world's nations, affecting the experiences of God's people on earth.

Application: May we realize that behind the events we view or face in today's world, very powerful angelic beings, both good and evil, are locked in enormous conflict. Thus, like Daniel, may we cleave to God in faith and prayer instead of trying to solve the world's problems in our own efforts. The battle we face is far too great for us to handle in our mere human strength -- the battle belongs to the Lord. We must thus live by faith in Him.