The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying the book of Daniel. Last week in session 8 we talked about Daniel's prayer that God do what He told Jeremiah to tell the nation of Israel, that after 70 years of captivity He would return them their land. In this session Daniel gets an answer to his prayer. Later Daniel has another vision of the future of the Jewish people and a peek into the distant future of the end times. Study along with us by reading these notes, and listening to the audio of the session.
Daniel 9:21-23 NLT As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.
Daniel 9:25-26 NLT Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One —comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
The 490-year clock begins with a "decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem".
Daniel 9:26 NLT “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
This probably refers to either Cyrus's decree to rebuild the temple in 539 B.C. or Artaxerxes' decree to rebuild the city in 444 B.C. In your opinion, which of these decrees best fits?
Ezra 1:1-4 (HCSB)1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The LORD put it into the mind of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and ⌊to put it⌋ in writing:2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.3 Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.4 Let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.”
Ezra 4:21 (HCSB)21 Therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a ⌊further⌋ decree has been pronounced by me.
Nehemiah 2:1-10 (HCSB)1 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,2 so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but depression.” I was overwhelmed with fear3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.7 I also said to the king: “If it pleases the king, let me have letters ⌊written⌋ to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me ⌊safe⌋ passage until I reach Judah.8 And ⌊let me have⌋ a letter ⌊written⌋ to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my ⌊requests⌋, for I was graciously strengthened by my God.9 I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me.10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
3. Gabriel states that once the decree is issued, there will be seven "sevens" and sixty-two "sevens", or sevens of years so 7 x7 = 49 and 7 x 62=434 or a total of 483 years until the Anointed One comes and is "cut off".
Daniel 9:26 NLT “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
Those who take the later date for the decree note that 483 years after 444 B.C. is A.D. 33, the date of Christ's triumphal entry, into Jerusalem.
McDowell, page 199 of his "The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict," takes information from a Christian scholar named J.D. Wilson and says that:
"The decree was given in 444 B.C., based on the following:
'In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' (Nehemiah 2:1). He ascended the throne in 465 BC so 444 would have been his 20th year
Daniel 9:26 NLT “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
According to Wycliffe this is what happens between the 69th week and before the final week the 70th one. It is agreed by almost all evangelical interpreters that these two events, the cutting off of the Messiah (Anointed One) and the destruction of the sanctuary refer to the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. These two events were separated by a period of nearly forty years (29-70 a.d.).
Yet, in the literary order of the passage, they are both after the sixty-ninth week and before the final "one week" mentioned in
The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Daniel 9:27 NLT
Here are the reasons there is an apparent gap between the weeks. Again according to Wycliffe:
Other important reasons for supposing a gap here are: (1) Jesus placed the culminating week, with its "abomination" in the times of final Antichrist, just before His second advent
Matthew 24:15 NLT “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)
Daniel 7:25 NLT He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.
and
Daniel 9:27 NLT The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
appear to be the very same events and looks to be certainly a prophecy of the times of final Antichrist.
The period of three and one-half times or years (the second half-week of v. 27) is often mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and always in an eschatological (relating to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind) setting.
But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
Revelation 11:2-3 NLT
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days. But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time.
Revelation 12:6, 14 NLT
Daniel 9:25-26 NLT Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One —comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
The 490-year clock begins with a "decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem".
Daniel 9:26 NLT “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
This probably refers to either Cyrus's decree to rebuild the temple in 539 B.C. or Artaxerxes' decree to rebuild the city in 444 B.C. In your opinion, which of these decrees best fits?
Ezra 1:1-4 (HCSB)1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The LORD put it into the mind of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and ⌊to put it⌋ in writing:2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.3 Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.4 Let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.”
Ezra 4:21 (HCSB)21 Therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a ⌊further⌋ decree has been pronounced by me.
Nehemiah 2:1-10 (HCSB)1 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,2 so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but depression.” I was overwhelmed with fear3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.7 I also said to the king: “If it pleases the king, let me have letters ⌊written⌋ to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me ⌊safe⌋ passage until I reach Judah.8 And ⌊let me have⌋ a letter ⌊written⌋ to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my ⌊requests⌋, for I was graciously strengthened by my God.9 I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me.10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
3. Gabriel states that once the decree is issued, there will be seven "sevens" and sixty-two "sevens", or sevens of years so 7 x7 = 49 and 7 x 62=434 or a total of 483 years until the Anointed One comes and is "cut off".
Daniel 9:26 NLT “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
Those who take the later date for the decree note that 483 years after 444 B.C. is A.D. 33, the date of Christ's triumphal entry, into Jerusalem.
McDowell, page 199 of his "The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict," takes information from a Christian scholar named J.D. Wilson and says that:
"The decree was given in 444 B.C., based on the following:
'In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' (Nehemiah 2:1). He ascended the throne in 465 BC so 444 would have been his 20th year
Daniel 9:26 NLT “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
According to Wycliffe this is what happens between the 69th week and before the final week the 70th one. It is agreed by almost all evangelical interpreters that these two events, the cutting off of the Messiah (Anointed One) and the destruction of the sanctuary refer to the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. These two events were separated by a period of nearly forty years (29-70 a.d.).
Yet, in the literary order of the passage, they are both after the sixty-ninth week and before the final "one week" mentioned in
The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Daniel 9:27 NLT
Here are the reasons there is an apparent gap between the weeks. Again according to Wycliffe:
Other important reasons for supposing a gap here are: (1) Jesus placed the culminating week, with its "abomination" in the times of final Antichrist, just before His second advent
Matthew 24:15 NLT “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)
Daniel 7:25 NLT He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.
and
Daniel 9:27 NLT The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
appear to be the very same events and looks to be certainly a prophecy of the times of final Antichrist.
The period of three and one-half times or years (the second half-week of v. 27) is often mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and always in an eschatological (relating to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind) setting.
But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
Revelation 11:2-3 NLT
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days. But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time.
Revelation 12:6, 14 NLT
Another Vision of the Future
Daniel 10:1-11:4
Daniel 10:1-3 NLT In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship. When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
Let’s try to figure out why Daniel was mouring.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread took place in the first month of the year, from the 14th to the 21st. Why was Daniel mourning and fasting when traditionally Jews feasted and gave thanks for God's deliverance out of Egypt?
The date explains Daniel's mourning.
Go to Ezra 1:1-4 (NKJV)1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
If you read the rest of chapter 1 and chapters 2 and 3 of Ezra there is a record of people who went back to Judah and Jerusalem and how they started restoring the temple and the opposition they got from the people that were there.
Go now to Ezra 4:4-5 (NKJV)4 Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
So by Cyrus' third year, the work begun on the restoration of the Temple had been stopped.
So Daniel was upset and stopped eating. It doesn’t say that he fasted; he just didn’t eat what he may have usually eaten during this traditional time of year. Now remember that this was during Passover which would have been a time of celebration and feasting though nothing that included leaven was to be eaten from the 14th through the 21st. Sort of like us during the holiday season of Thanksgiving through New Years us not eating turkey and dressing and all the traditional things.
Daniel 10:4-11 NLT On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people. Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.
3. Why did the vision of Daniel 10:4-6 cause Daniel to react the way he did (Daniel 10:7-11)?
He was probably awestruck because of the brilliance of the man’s appearance and the power of his voice.
Actually he was frightened and so were the guys that were with him because they took off apparently after hearing the voice that sounded “like the voice of a multitude” because verse 7 says that Daniel was the only one that stuck around and he was so frightened that he apparently couldn’t run:
How would you react if you saw this after praying?
The effect of this sight on Daniel should make men cautious about seeking or praying for unusual supernatural experiences of the presence of God beyond those experiences ordinarily granted to sincere believers.
Remember God told Moses when he asked to see His glory?
Exodus 33:18-20 (NKJV)18 And he said, "Please, show me Your glory."19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."
How did Ezekiel and Isaiah respond after seeing God’s glory?
Ezekiel 1:28 NLT All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.
Isaiah 6:1-5 NLT It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Daniel 10:12-14 NLT Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”
4. What do the angel's words to Daniel tell us about God's response to those who seek him (Daniel 10:12-14)?
They tell us that God hears our prayer immediately and he will answer even if the answer doesn’t come right away and I might add in the way we want or expect. Look how he answered Daniel in a way that it frightened him.
5. How might Daniel's experience encourage us to be persistent in prayer?
In Daniel’s case the answer didn’t happen right away and it sounds like he prayed constantly for 24 days before he got an answer. However he did get an answer from God.
Daniel 10:2 (NKJV)2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. Daniel 10:4-5 (NKJV)4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!
6. When Daniel mentions "the prince of the Persian kingdom" (Daniel 10:13) who resisted God's messenger, he probably means an evil spirit who influenced the affairs of the Persian government.
What does this "unveiling" of demonic activity in political affairs teach us about our modern world?
That the unrest throughout the world is caused by demonic activity.
It was the prince of the *kingdom of Persia. This was not a human prince. This was one of the devil’s servants. He made the king of Persia do bad things. Different ranks are seen among the hosts of Satan.
In the OT world men believed each nation had its own special god.
Isaiah 37:37-38 (NKJV)37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.38 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Daniel 4:8 (NKJV)8 But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying:
2 Chronicles 28:23 (NKJV)23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
We are not talking about idols because the scripture says that idols are nothing but wood or stone.
The scripture does however indicate that evil spirits are behind the illusion that the idols have power.
Paul writes about something similar in;
Ephesians 6:12 NLT For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
7. If an evil power could hinder an angel in Daniel's day, what does this indicate about our own need for help against Satan's forces?
If it took three weeks or more to get past the Prince of Persia and he was struggling with an angelic power then we as humans don’t have a chance. But thank God we don’t have to do it because Jesus has been victorious and God has given us, through His Spirit His armor.
Go to Ephesians 6:11-13 (NKJV)11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NKJV)3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down
strongholds,
Daniel 10:1-11:4
Daniel 10:1-3 NLT In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship. When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
Let’s try to figure out why Daniel was mouring.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread took place in the first month of the year, from the 14th to the 21st. Why was Daniel mourning and fasting when traditionally Jews feasted and gave thanks for God's deliverance out of Egypt?
The date explains Daniel's mourning.
Go to Ezra 1:1-4 (NKJV)1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
If you read the rest of chapter 1 and chapters 2 and 3 of Ezra there is a record of people who went back to Judah and Jerusalem and how they started restoring the temple and the opposition they got from the people that were there.
Go now to Ezra 4:4-5 (NKJV)4 Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
So by Cyrus' third year, the work begun on the restoration of the Temple had been stopped.
So Daniel was upset and stopped eating. It doesn’t say that he fasted; he just didn’t eat what he may have usually eaten during this traditional time of year. Now remember that this was during Passover which would have been a time of celebration and feasting though nothing that included leaven was to be eaten from the 14th through the 21st. Sort of like us during the holiday season of Thanksgiving through New Years us not eating turkey and dressing and all the traditional things.
Daniel 10:4-11 NLT On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people. Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.
3. Why did the vision of Daniel 10:4-6 cause Daniel to react the way he did (Daniel 10:7-11)?
He was probably awestruck because of the brilliance of the man’s appearance and the power of his voice.
Actually he was frightened and so were the guys that were with him because they took off apparently after hearing the voice that sounded “like the voice of a multitude” because verse 7 says that Daniel was the only one that stuck around and he was so frightened that he apparently couldn’t run:
How would you react if you saw this after praying?
The effect of this sight on Daniel should make men cautious about seeking or praying for unusual supernatural experiences of the presence of God beyond those experiences ordinarily granted to sincere believers.
Remember God told Moses when he asked to see His glory?
Exodus 33:18-20 (NKJV)18 And he said, "Please, show me Your glory."19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."
How did Ezekiel and Isaiah respond after seeing God’s glory?
Ezekiel 1:28 NLT All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.
Isaiah 6:1-5 NLT It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Daniel 10:12-14 NLT Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”
4. What do the angel's words to Daniel tell us about God's response to those who seek him (Daniel 10:12-14)?
They tell us that God hears our prayer immediately and he will answer even if the answer doesn’t come right away and I might add in the way we want or expect. Look how he answered Daniel in a way that it frightened him.
5. How might Daniel's experience encourage us to be persistent in prayer?
In Daniel’s case the answer didn’t happen right away and it sounds like he prayed constantly for 24 days before he got an answer. However he did get an answer from God.
Daniel 10:2 (NKJV)2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. Daniel 10:4-5 (NKJV)4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!
6. When Daniel mentions "the prince of the Persian kingdom" (Daniel 10:13) who resisted God's messenger, he probably means an evil spirit who influenced the affairs of the Persian government.
What does this "unveiling" of demonic activity in political affairs teach us about our modern world?
That the unrest throughout the world is caused by demonic activity.
It was the prince of the *kingdom of Persia. This was not a human prince. This was one of the devil’s servants. He made the king of Persia do bad things. Different ranks are seen among the hosts of Satan.
In the OT world men believed each nation had its own special god.
Isaiah 37:37-38 (NKJV)37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.38 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
Daniel 4:8 (NKJV)8 But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying:
2 Chronicles 28:23 (NKJV)23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
We are not talking about idols because the scripture says that idols are nothing but wood or stone.
The scripture does however indicate that evil spirits are behind the illusion that the idols have power.
Paul writes about something similar in;
Ephesians 6:12 NLT For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
7. If an evil power could hinder an angel in Daniel's day, what does this indicate about our own need for help against Satan's forces?
If it took three weeks or more to get past the Prince of Persia and he was struggling with an angelic power then we as humans don’t have a chance. But thank God we don’t have to do it because Jesus has been victorious and God has given us, through His Spirit His armor.
Go to Ephesians 6:11-13 (NKJV)11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NKJV)3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down
strongholds,
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