Daniel’s 70th Week

We left off our study of Daniel’s amazing 70 weeks prophecy at Daniel 10:6, as the archangel Gabriel has just appeared to Daniel once again, after Daniel prayed and fasted for three weeks. “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 color to polished brass and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 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. 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” Daniel 10:6-8. This is amazing. Daniel was not alone, but he was the only one who saw the angel; the others felt an earthquake of sorts and fled the scene. We have experienced a lot of earthquakes, haven’t we? Aren’t we generally hiding somewhere, like under a table or desk? This causes me to wonder if possibly someone who has been fasting, praying and seeking God with all of their heart is seeing visions from God, while I am hiding. We might want to think about that. This reminds me a bit of Jacob’s experience too. He wrestled with the Lord all night for a blessing from Him, even to the point that his hip was placed out of joint and he was left with a limp afterward (Genesis 32). God changed his name to Israel and we know the magnitude of the blessings after that. God has a cache of dreams, visions, revelations, and even heavenly visits at times, if we are willing to demonstrate to Him how eager we are to receive the blessings! This is for real, folks. Are we willing to lay our lives out before the Lord and say, “Take me, Father; I’m yours. Lead me and guide me; I am here, Lord.” Sometimes, as in Daniel’s case, it takes up all of our strength, but what greater reward than to experience heavenly things? Daniel continued, “Yet heard I the voice of his words, and when I heard the voice of his words, then I was in a deep sleep on my face and my face toward the ground. And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O, Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto you and stand upright, for unto you am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the very first day that you did set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia (Iran today) 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” Daniel 10:9-13. It is noteworthy that from the time Daniel humbled himself again before the Lord and began his three week fast and prayer vigil, Gabriel explained to him that his prayer was heard and he was sent to deliver the answer, but the prince of Persia, a fallen angel who worked in Persia, withstood Gabriel, fighting against him for 21 days. We need to understand that when we pray, God always answers the sincere prayers of His people, but we are informed here that sometimes satan’s fallen angels, also known as princes (“prince and power of the air” Ephesians 2:2), fight against the delivery of the answers to our prayers. Persia was a very wicked country in the Middle East, and it still is today. It wasn’t until 1935 that the name of the country was officially referred to as Iran, instead of the historical name of Persia. Some of satan’s fallen angels are assigned “territories” over evil nations, and other principalities consistently try to take over new areas of the world. If you are a child of the Most High God, you can be certain that your “territory” is inhabited by angelic beings, who work to not only set a boundary around your space, but they ward off attacks from satanic influences in response to your prayers.

This does not mean Christians will never be attacked spiritually, as in Job’s case (Book of Job); but in spite of Job’s horrendous battle emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually (he was hit with everything), was he not victorious in the end? Job was patient. The Word of God tells us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” Romans 12:1. That commitment having been made to God each and every day will allow the holy angels to “ascend and descend” (Genesis 28) from and to your territory. To be continued, God willing.