 Chapter 10. We'll begin reading here in Daniel chapter 10 at verse 1. I'll read verses 1 through 3 and give you a brief introduction to our chapter and then move into our study. Daniel chapter 10 beginning at verse 1, reading to verse 3. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel whose name was called Baltheshisar. The message was true but the appointed time was long and he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meal, no meat or wine came into my mouth nor did I anoint myself at any time or at all, at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Okay, so the last three chapters of Daniel, chapters 10, 11, and 12, the last three chapters of Daniel record what are called detailed prophetic revelation. It all is pertaining to future events and the fact is that chapter 10 actually serves as an introduction to chapter 11. You'll see that when we enter into chapter 11 how this actually proceeds into chapter 11 verse 1 and was really in a sense an introduction to the 11th chapter. You see when you get into chapter 11 and you look at verses 2 through 35, there's prophecy that's spoken of there and that relates to what would be called during the days of Daniel the immediate future. But from chapter 11, 36 to chapter 12 verse 4, these are events that are in the distant future and actually before the second coming of Jesus Christ. And so when you get to chapter 12 verse 5 to the last verse of the chapter, Daniel will conclude with the final message as well as a revelation. We're going to be seeing that as we go through it. But these last chapters contain prophecies that are related to the nation of Israel, to the people of Israel. And so when you look at verse 1 and it says in the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel whose name was called Balthashezar. The message was true but the appointed time was long. Notice he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. And so we're given a date here for those who take notes. This occurs in 536 BC which would be late in the life of Daniel. Daniel it is estimated at this time is in his 80s, somewhere around 85 or so, maybe a little bit older than that. So this is occurring late in his life. We know that Daniel had entered into captivity right around 606 BC. And at this time he's been in captivity for about 70 years or so. And so this message was revealed. It was revealed to Daniel and it says whose name was called Balthashezar. So Daniel receives what is called a prophetic message. He receives what we today refer to as a word from the Lord. So it's a prophetic message because the Lord would communicate to certain individuals those things that he intended to do. They were the prophets. In Amos chapter 3 verse 7 it says, Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. And so what he's doing is God is revealing to a servant Daniel who is a prophet what he is about to do. Now the message is relating to future events but it's something that is very clear to him. Notice how he says that he actually understands it. This is something he understood. It says he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. In other words he didn't have to have a revelation of some sort or an explanation of some sort given to him by an angel or any other. And so this time he understands the message. He has an understanding of the vision and notice how he speaks of it. He says the message is true. Well obviously we would expect it to be true because the message is from the Lord. But he says also that the appointed time was long. Now when it says here that the appointed time was long that's interesting in a way because the word long here has different connotations and one of the commentators I use made a point that I want to make to you as it relates to it. Because he says the appointed time was long. The word long has more than one meaning. Obviously the word long and you see this could be speaking of a long period of time but also the word long and the way that it's presented in the original language speaks of a strenuous time that involves great suffering. And so it's not just a period of time that's being spoken of here in terms of the revelation but it pertains to something that is long in time but also has a lot of pain. It has a lot of difficulty and that's what's going to be taking place. And so this is a message that's true. It's from the Lord. It's going to be a long period of time that is strenuous. It's going to be a long period of time that is filled with conflict for the nation of Israel. And so he understands this. He understands the message. He has understanding of the vision. So verse two here's his response. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food. No, no meat or wine came into my mouth. Nor did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And so after receiving this message his reaction is mourning, fasting and praying. The contents of the revelation great cause great concern for him. So he goes into an attitude of prayer and he mourns. He fasts. He prays. In other words, he's sad and he's greatly troubled. He's greatly troubled at what he's having revealed to him. And by the way, the way he responds to troubling news or something cause pain. If you want to to consider this for a moment with me, that's the proper response of someone who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the working of God. When there's something that that they become aware of that causes concern. The best thing you can do is to actually pray fast, perhaps and even have a time of grief as you bring your your heart and pour it out before the Lord. In the book of Philippians in the New Testament, Paul said something in chapter four verses six and seven that I think applies to this. He said be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Cast your cares on him Peter said because he cares for you. Jesus said your heavenly Father knows those things you have need of before you even ask. And I think that I've had people say something similar to this in the past where they say well you know when there's nothing else to do you should pray. No, it's not the last thing you do guys. It's the first thing. It's the first thing you do. When you hear troubling news the first thing you do is take it to the Lord. When it when it impacts you when it concerns you and it causes you to mourn it grieves you and there's something that you come into contact with or hear about that you get concerned about the first thing you do is you take it to the Lord in prayer. Why? Because he cares for you. Because he can do abundantly above all you can ask or think because there's nothing too hard for the Lord and you need to as a believer you need to you need to live in that awareness because I'm telling you there have been many many times that I've had needless concerns and needless worries when I should have just cast my care on him in the first place. Instead of carrying this burden on my own shoulders for so long I've learned over time to be quick to release it to be quick to hand it to him and that's what happened here. He began to mourn he began to fast began to pray his heart is troubled at what he has heard and notice what he says he says in verse 3 he says I eat no pleasant food no meat or wine came into my mouth nor did I anoint myself he abstained from his normal diet he followed what would be called simply a plain diet he had no delicacies no special foods and and he says in verse 3 till till three whole weeks were fulfilled so he didn't anoint himself at all during this time of prayer and fasting when I was reading this today and it says he didn't anoint himself I said he must have stunk after three weeks I mean that's kind of a practical thing and so you know because because Americans are we're so used to the idea of cleanliness and and bathing not every American I've been around a few who have haven't come to that awareness but somebody once said you you know what your nationality is whenever you get into an elevator and it's true you can go to other countries in some places they just don't bathe there's a fact I wonder how many of you know what I mean it may some of you perhaps who've never really traveled you may think that's a mean thing to say no it's a true thing to say it's a true thing to say it's always interesting I mean I was in Germany when I was 25 years old and I used to wear tank tops because when you're 25 you can and I was standing holding on to a strap on a subway and this East German woman was next to me and I looked at her and she had a hairier armpit than I did I thought I put my hands in my pockets that's really embarrassed and that's exactly what Daniel wants you to know but when we speak of anointing in this context anointing is something that you do when you're joyful it's a picture of joy is what it is when you anointed yourself it was a sign of joy it revealed a joyful attitude and that's why he said I didn't anoint myself what he's saying is because of the fasting because of the morning because of the sorrow and grief of my heart instead of doing what I would normally do eating better foods and all I stopped eating those things I ate plain foods and I stopped anointing myself which is another way of saying that I wasn't in a state of joy and so that's how he's responding and he did that for three whole weeks he said in verse three I didn't anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled so that gives you the timeline these are actually three seven-day weeks so verse four now on the 24th day of the first month as I was by the side of the Great River that is the Tigris and so he gives us the date this is April the 24th day of the first month the first month this would be April and he says I'm by the Tigris River it is also referred to as the Hedekal and if you have that in your Bible it's the Tigris it's just north of the city of Babylon so he says I was by the side of the Great River that is the Tigris verse five I lifted my eyes and looked and behold a certain man clothed in linen whose waist was girded with gold of buffa's his body was like burl his face like the appearance of lightning his eyes like torches of fire his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude I lifted up my eyes and behold in this description and I'm gonna give you a little bit of information here in this description what we have is called there's two words that are usually associated with this one is theophany how many of you ever heard that word just so I know theophany the word theophany is it's an appearance of God theophany it's also called a Christophany a Christophany is a pre incarnate visitation of Jesus himself it's called a Christophany Christophany or a theophany it's a it's a it's it's the Lord is who he's describing and so what we have here is an appearance of Jesus just prior or prior to his incarnation now many times in the Old Testament when you have a Christophany a theophany it is very often referred to as the the the figure is referred to as the angel of the Lord you probably have heard that or read that in your readings of the scriptures I'll give you examples for example judges chapter 2 verse 1 the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bohem and said I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers and I said I will never break my covenant with you no angel ever made a covenant with with Israel this is obviously the Lord who is speaking but he's referred to as the angel of the Lord in judges chapter 6 verse 22 now Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord so Gideon said alas oh Lord God for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face and so again this is a Christophany this is an appearance of Jesus Christ prior to his physical incarnation in birth through Mary in judges 13 verses 21 and 22 when the angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoa and his wife then Manoa knew that he was the angel of the Lord and Manoa said to his wife we shall surely die because we have seen God and so what we have here as we're looking at it here in this description and all this man clothing linen etc is actually a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ and he begins to describe him here in verses 5 and 6 he says his body was like barrel his face like the appearance of lightning and so it refers to the fact that his waist was girded it's girded with gold so this this this this belt that he has his waist is girded it would be linen it was like the fine white linen that was worn by priests you see that in Exodus 29 he speaks of the belt and the belt is also referred to as a girdle and it's embroidered with perfect gold his body verse 6 is like barrel it that's actually a chrysalite or topaz which is a gold mixed with green his face is like the appearance of lightning his eyes like torches of fire his voice is like a multitude it's loud it's mighty and what we have is a description that is very similar to one that we saw in the book of Revelation when we went through Revelation recently and this is a picture of majesty and a picture of of dignity when you look in Revelation in chapter 1 verses 12 through 15 John said it like this he said I turned to see the voice that spoke with me and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the son of man clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band his head and hair were white like wool it's white as snow his eyes like a flame of fire his feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace his voice is the sound of many waters and so what Daniel has is a Christophany he has a he sees the Lord in a pre incarnate appearance and as he sees this it's an it you'll see a moment his response now notice how it says in verse 7 I Daniel alone saw the vision for the men who are with me did not see the vision but a great terror fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves this reminds me of Saul in the New Testament who would later become Paul and his road to Damascus experience we see that experience in in the book of Acts in chapter 9 when when Luke who wrote the book of Acts speaks to us concerning how that Saul was breathing out threatening against the followers of Jesus Christ and that he had obtained letters giving him permission to arrest any who were following Christ because they considered it he considered Christianity a heretical sect false faith and then he would take him in chains and bring him back and try them as heretics and we know the story of his conversion how that while he was on his way to Damascus having obtained letters giving him permission to arrest people how that he himself was arrested how that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and said Saul Saul why are you persecuting me and you remember the story how that he responds and he says who am I person who are you who are you Lord and he said I am Jesus and and when you persecute one of these who believe in me he said you're persecuting me and so we know that famous story of his conversion the most famous conversion in history and later on he was speaking and he was sharing some tidbits of that particular testimony and and there were these Jewish people who were opposing him at that time they had thought that he had had brought a non-Jew a Gentile into into the temple area which was forbidden where they had said that they had believed he had brought this non-Jew who actually wasn't brought into there into that area but he began to defend himself to those who were accusing him and and so in Acts 22 let me read this to you found in verses 6 through 11 he was given his testimony and he said about noon as I came near Damascus suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me I fell to the ground heard a voice say to me Saul Saul why do you persecute me who are you Lord I asked I am Jesus of Nathara whom you are persecuting you replied my companions saw the light but they didn't understand the voice of him who was speaking to me what shall I do Lord I asked get up the Lord said go into Damascus and there you will be told all that you have been assigned to do my companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light had blinded me well this is something very similar here because it says in verse 7 I Daniel alone saw the vision for the men who were with me did not see the vision a great terror fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves the men with Daniel didn't see the vision but Daniel did which reminds us that the Lord reveals himself to whomever he wills well in verse 8 therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision and no strength remained in me for my vigor was turned to frailty in me I I retained no strength the immediate effect was that he became weak he lost all of his strength and and he even appeared is even changed in his appearance he was completely drained of strength and he fell to his face now why would he do that because in seeing the Lord Daniel saw himself you know the origin of true humility is simply having an opportunity to more clearly see who he is because when you see God for who he is you will see yourself for who you are there is no room for boasting in your life when you actually have a close walk with God it's a matter of fact rather than becoming a self-righteous person you become what the world refers to as a humble person because the origin of true humility is coming into contact with the Lord a great preacher of another day by the name of Charles Spurgeon said it like this he said it is not humility to underrate yourself humility is to think of yourself as God thinks of you it is to feel that if we have talents God has given them to us and let it be seen that like freight in a vessel they tend to sink us low the more we have the lower we ought to lie and so if you want to have humility it comes to spending time in the word of the Lord and in prayerful presence of God and and when he had this experience he said I had no strength my strength diminished my vigor was turned to frailty I retained no strength and so he became weak in his presence becoming aware of his own frailty yet verse 9 I heard the sound of his words and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face with my with my face to the ground completely drained in complete weakness and humility he fell before the Lord in his line face down and it was in this complete weakness that Daniel was to be strengthened for revelation one of the one of the scriptures all of us in this room are familiar with is found in 2nd Corinthians 12 verse 9 when the apostle Paul had been speaking concerning the multitude of revelations and extraordinary experiences that he had with the Lord but to keep him humble he said the Lord provided something for him that he didn't want he gave him a thorn in the flesh when you read 2nd Corinthians 12 and he speaks of the thorn in the flesh when you think of thorn we Americans we think of thorns we may be thinking of those goat head thorns that you can step on when you're walking you know and they're they're small no the thorn he's that the thorn that's being referred to is actually a tent stake it's not some small thing it was a huge thing that he was speaking about he said a thorn was given to me why why did this did you have this this intense pressure and pain why did you have this basically thrust upon you he said to keep me humble to keep me humble he said so that I wouldn't glory in the multitude of revelations because remember during that day in when you read 2nd Corinthians you'll see this he was actually being he had opponents who were trying to undermine his ministry and and and and they were saying they were calling themselves super apostles Paul refers to him as the eminent apostles but the word eminent speaks of them being super apostles and they were actually comparing themselves with him and they were saying the things that he's done they've done mightier and he says listen there are things that I could speak to you about I can talk to about revelations how that I went into the third heaven and I saw things and I heard things that are not lawful to repeat I could speak concerning those things but God because of the multitude of revelations that he gave to me gave me also a tent stake that was in my flesh he said to keep me humble so I could learn one lesson and that's in 2nd Corinthians 12 9 my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness and that by the way is one of those prayers that most of us never asked God to answer God would you please give me a stake in my I want to get married no God would you put a stake in my flesh God would you will you bring humility to me do you want it I think that sometimes sometimes we learn prayers that are appropriate to pray in front of people that we never pray privately oh Lord humble me we say in front of crowds or friends but in private we don't pray that because we know that humility comes at a cost and if you walk with the Lord for a while you begin to learn that oh Lord I'd love you to give me patience and then you go how do you get patience you go through trials you go through pain right the only person who sincerely ever prays for patience is a doctor everybody else just say I want to I want patience and Lord I want to learn to love what does the Lord do he brings people into your life that difficult difficult to love doesn't he you know I don't want to love that much Lord you know and so I've discovered that have you I'm sure you have when you begin to pray the Lord will answer your prayers but he very often does it in ways that you didn't expect Lord I want patience and you go through trials Lord I I want to learn to love you encounter difficult people but I want to live with hope and you go through terrible trials struggles pains and losses that's how it happens that's how your faith is refined and why is that well because God says my my strength is made perfect in weakness and therefore I will glory in my weaknesses because God's strength remains on me that's the mature thing to do well in this particular case we have Daniel going through some very difficult time and and there he is on the ground and and as this takes place verse 10 suddenly a hand touched me which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands he said to me oh Daniel man greatly beloved understand the words that I speak to you and stand upright for I have now been sent to you and while he was speaking this word to me I stood trembling well this other person is is an angel this is not Jesus this is an angel but notice with me that Daniel was trembling on his knees but he also was trembling while he stood and again that's what happens when God reveals himself to us in Psalm 96 verse 9 it reads worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness tremble before him all the earth and now he's going to explain why Daniel's answers for his prayer had been delayed and this is this is really interesting as we look at this in verse 12 he said to me do not fear Daniel for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God your words were here we're heard I have come because of your words but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days and behold Michael one of the chief princes came to help me for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia now I I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days for the vision refers to many days yet to come and so from the time you determined to understand the message your and prayed your words were heard now in chapter 9 we saw in verse 20 21 while Daniel was speaking in prayer we saw how that Gabriel came to bring the answer and remember as I said to you last time as Daniel was praying the answer was already on the way God's ears were open to his prayers this reminds me of 1 Peter 3 10 3 12 where it says for he who would love life and see good days let him refrain his tongue from evil in his lips from speaking deceit let him turn away from evil and do good let him seek peace and pursue it for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil well God's ears were open to the prayers of Daniel but in this case there's a delay have you ever wondered why sometimes there seems to be an incredible delay in the answer to any prayers that you pray there are times that we will sense a delay sometimes we may pray and we wonder why our prayers seem to go unanswered and and there are there are biblical reasons for this for example sometimes we're simply in sin you know we're living in sin and here we are praying and the Bible tells us in Psalm 66 18 if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me but here we are in sin just living and practicing in sin and we wonder how come heaven seems to be you know close to me why are why are the heavens like brass my words seem to rise only as far as the voice travels and then they fall to the ground unheard well sometimes it's because I'm living in sin and all and I have to deal with that sometimes we may pray with selfish reasons we we're asking God for something not not not to bring glory to him or to be a blessing to others but just because we want it for ourselves in James 4 verse 3 it says when you ask you don't receive because you asked with wrong motives sometimes we have unanswered prayer because we're asking for something that's not his will for us and that I think a lot of times people have a difficult time with that one you know know everything God's God I read this on Facebook with the Facebook theologians all the time social media pastors it's interesting I read these things and I think you and I sometimes I think my goodness you're not getting taught the word and you're certainly not reading it because what you're writing is in scriptural at all and yet you're giving this advice and all of that well you know what sometimes people say just asking you receive you know whatever you want just ask well in 1st John chapter 5 verse 14 this is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us now I'm so grateful to God and I won't belabor this you all agree with this I know I'm so grateful to God that he didn't answer every one of my prayers in the way I wanted him to I am thankful that God has said no that there are there are prayers that I prayed where he has simply said no and you know what I appreciate that because I had learned I have learned God I just want to do things according to your will I don't want to be anywhere that you're not I don't want anything you don't want me to have you know because he can give like the psalmist said he he answered their prayers he gave them what they desired but sent leadness to their souls I don't I don't want to be asking for something that is going to take me from you I'm not going to ask you for that a young lady many years ago and I'm talking about probably 37 years ago she's not a young lady anymore neither I'm not a young man anymore but anyway she she came into my office and we were talking and she was she asked me would you please pray for me I said of course she was about to leave and I said and what would I be praying for and she said I I want you to pray for me so that this boy she was in high school she said this boy that I like in high school that he'll he'll become my boyfriend you know I don't pray those kinds of prayers I have to be honest with that but anyway so I'm but that was her heart and I said really and and let me ask you one question and she said what is that I said is he a Christian and she says no no he's not a Christian I said why would you ask me to pray for something God doesn't want you to have because God says if you ask anything in my name I will give it to you and that's where a lot of people's minds are to this day if you ask anything in in my name I will give it to you I said no we need to learn to pray according to the will of the Lord and sometimes people don't get their prayers answered in the way they want because it isn't the will of the Lord there are times that we simply lack the faith to trust that he's going to answer us again in James chapter 4 verse 2 you don't have because you don't ask sometimes we simply don't ask and so there are times when when your prayer doesn't seem to be answered or isn't answered quickly or at all but in this case we see a reason for the hindrance to the answer of prayer it's satanic opposition God had heard his prayer but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood now this gives us insight inside into Satan's work of opposition you see sometimes when prayers aren't answered quickly opposition is occurring all during his time of prayer and fasting there was a battle taking place notice verse 13 the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days that the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia is a fallen angel what you have is you have fallen angels that are given in Satan's hierarchy of authority certain places that they actually exercise certain influences if you will this one's referred to as the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia and so he's over a certain geographical area they're called demonic principalities in Ephesians 6 verse 12 Paul said 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 so there is an actual organization of evil where Satan is overseeing it and he has placed demonic influences over certain geographic areas this one is referred to as the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia so it's a demonic stronghold there are demons overseeing spiritual oppression does that exist to this day absolutely there are certain countries that are dominated by demonic spirits countries that have have yielded themselves to false beliefs so you can look at like different areas with different religions that are the main religion they have yielded themselves to demonic oppression they resist you if the gospel they forbid you from speaking it in that area it's a stronghold but not only countries there are states here in the United States when my mom when my mom moved to to New Mexico I wonder if I have any new Mexicans in here with me do I raise your hand if you're from New Mexico I can't see so that means you're not here but there may be some watching right now you guys know your food isn't any good but anyway I get in arguments with my new Mexican friends I have family in New Mexico my mom lived there and my sisters live there I have a brother who lives there and also I have family in New Mexico so I tease about it but with that said when my mom moved there my mom would would talk to me on the phone and she would say she says son this is a very demonic place it's a very demonic place and I and I have to agree I have to agree when Marie and I've gone to New Mexico many times and you can sense the strongholds it's true you can sense it that there is a sense of evil there is so much so much in certain regions and you can actually take that to cities you can take that to cities anywhere there is a university in in your area here you're gonna have a stronghold and somebody says are you kidding me about that no you're gonna have a stronghold you're gonna have a stronghold Claremont has several universities there it's just it's a stronghold I ministered in Claremont for a long time there as it's a stronghold it's very difficult minister San Luis Obispo used to have a very conservative feel but they have Cal Pali San Luis Obispo and I was just speaking with somebody just yesterday who is telling me how the entire city has changed over the years and it's become a principality it's become a stronghold and it in and I'll tell you especially in ministry there are times and when you know because God gives you the Holy Spirit and I as a minister will enter into an area sometimes and and I'm not trying to tell you silly stories it's just true and some will understand others will think this is nonsense but it's true you can sense you can sense there's something evil here there is something evil here you can sense that and what that's called it's it's it's it there are principalities there are there are areas that are oversaw oversawed by by demonic entities in this particularly area you have it here you have the Prince of Persia and the Prince of Persia is is demonic it's a demonic stronghold and the opposition was so strong that the answer to the prayer that Daniel had been praying was actually it took three weeks for it to actually be answered and notice what he says here when he's speaking about that he says in verse 13 the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days behold Michael one of the chief princes came to help me for I had been left alone there with the Kings of Persia Michael had to come and help me because it was a stronghold that was so mighty Michael is an extremely powerful angel and so the way that the answer is coming is by using one of his mighty angels here and this angel needed to call on Michael for help when we get to chapter 12 verse 1 and I'll read this to you you're going to see something about Michael that's revealed to us it speaks of Michael in verse 1 of chapter 12 it says at that time Michael shall stand up the great Prince who stands watch over the sons of your people so the way this Prince of Persia was in opposition Michael is the angel that has authority there the one who keeps watch over the nation of Israel and so Michael came to help now this is this is just something I'm going to give to you because well because you may need to know this someday and I'll make it brief and this is not an aside this is just an added thing when you speak to people who represent the Jehovah's Witnesses how many of you have spoken to Jehovah's Witnesses almost almost all of us almost all of us Jehovah's Witnesses in their theology there are a lot of people who believe that Jehovah's Witnesses are Christian they call themselves Jehovah's Christian Witnesses so there are a lot of people would say oh they're Christians just like we are no they're really not no they're not what do you mean well Jehovah's Witnesses for example will say that Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel did you know that some of you did some of you don't Jehovah's Witnesses will tell you Michael the Archangel is Jesus Christ Jehovah's Witnesses will say to you that the name Michael means who is like God and so they will say that Jesus Christ is actually Michael the Archangel and I've had many discussions with Jehovah's Witnesses about this and that's exactly what they say oh no no Jesus is not God in the flesh there's only one God Jesus is Michael the Archangel is what they say because the name means who is like God and the response to that is that is not true at all when you look in the New Testament book of Jude verse 9 it says even the Archangel Michael when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said the Lord rebuke you so Michael did not have the authority in himself to rebuke Satan he didn't have that so he had to call on the one greater than himself that's why he said the Lord rebuke you but in Matthew 4 when the Lord Jesus Christ was being tempted by Satan it says in verses 8 through 10 that the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and he said to him all these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me Jesus said to him away with you Satan for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve notice that Jesus did not say the Lord rebuke you Jesus himself rebuke him and so that's a great difference and when I've spoken to Jehovah's Witnesses I've said why is it that that that Michael had to call on the Lord to rebuke the enemy but Jesus himself didn't have to do that it's because Jesus isn't Michael the Archangel it's because Jesus is God in the flesh in the flesh that's how that works and so with that said one commentator pointed out that the Prince of Persia is speaking of an angel and but if you look at this and I don't want to go without touching this it says in verse 13 again I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia so you have the prince of the kingdom of Persia but he says I've been left alone with the kings of Persia so one commentator pointed out that the prince of Persia speaking of an angel but the kings of Persia were not speaking of an angel the kings of Persia were referring to the political power and a major victory was won over the demonic forces that were influencing Persia and the kings became more open to the spirit of God because of what is taking place here which is another way of saying that the enemy has a tendency of trying to infiltrate the political systems on the face of the earth to make it impossible or difficult to preach the messages that bring people to salvation that's part of what we're seeing in the United States right now in the forbidding of proclamation of the gospel when churches and I won't go into this a long time don't worry but when churches were being shut down by fiat by governmental orders that you were seeing was a demonic work to keep the gospel from going forth but with God all things are possible and the enemy can't shut down the gospel of Jesus Christ and we saw that and so with that said he says I've come to make you understand what will happen to your people I've come to reveal to you what is going to happen in the latter days this we're going to see in chapters 11 and 12 and so moving into verse 15 and moving to conclude when he had spoken such words to me I turned my face toward the ground it became speechless suddenly one having the likeness of the sons men touch my lips I opened my mouth and spoke saying to him who stood before me my Lord because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me I have retained no strength for how can this servant of my Lord talk with you my Lord as for me no strength remains in me now nor is any breath left in me and then again the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me and he said oh man greatly beloved fear not peace be to you be strong yes be strong so when he spoke to me I was strengthened and said let my Lord speak for you have strengthened me and he said do you know why I've come to you and now I must return to fight with the Prince of Persia and when I have gone forth indeed the Prince of Greece will come but I will tell you what is noted in the scripture of truth no one upholds me against these except Michael your prince so once again Daniel is speechless Daniel is weak and so one having the likeness of sons men touches his lips and he recovers his speech and as he recovers his speech the first thing he begins to do is confess his weakness his weakness that he's experiencing is a physical reaction to his sense of unworthiness and as this is taking place versus it 18 and 19 tell us that he received a touch and encouragement and it strengthened him and notice how it says here you are greatly loved fear not receive peace and be courageous because God loves you you can be courageous and you can have peace when I was a young believer and I was in college and this has happened in other places but it always comes to mind is a new believer and knew very little scripture I'm still a new believer I was you know I was learning I was studying going to school but I was going to secular college and all and I can still remember when I went to school that the Lord began to minister to me something that I want to encourage all you to and that is he said open your mouth and I will feel it he said it's the spirit of my father who speaks in you you need to take into yourself the word of God so that you have you're filling yourself with God's word and then you need to be ready to speak when given opportunity in our day it seems to me that people are afraid to speak out openly and and and if there's ever been a time when believers need to with love grace and and all of that you know we need to we need to be willing to speak but we need to do so with love and grace I believe that a lot of Christians right now are actually have lost their courage have lost their ability to speak and and recently I was sharing with somebody about the Jesus moving and all and I realized that that's ancient history but it's still it's still a benchmark in my life that helps me to understand what I'm to be doing now 50 years later and the bottom line is is during that day one of the reasons you saw the movement of the Spirit of God in the way that you did in that day is because young people like myself didn't wait until we had seven years of college experience in theology to begin to present what we did is we simply gave what we knew of the word of God and we mixed that with the experience of our testimony that's how it worked and so I was one I can still remember saying this listen I can't answer questions like that I don't know but I do know this I do know that I was raised in a religion I do know that that religion didn't set me free I do know that there were traditions and things I was told to do that was supposed to make me a believer and and bless my life and those things did not work and let me tell you why they didn't and I would say this it's because Jesus wasn't in the center of it Jesus wasn't there it was religious tradition without spirit and so when I came to faith in Christ I didn't know much but I knew this I was once lost and now I'm found I was once blind but now I see I was once without the ability to hear but now I can hear the spirit and I may not be able to answer your question but you cannot argue me out of my salvation because Jesus Christ sets the captive spree and that and that's all I knew I didn't know anything more than that but it's absolutely true it's absolutely true we got to come back to that we got to come back to that Isaiah sees the Lord in the year the king as I died I saw the Lord who was high news lifted up his train filled the temple there was smoke throughout the temple light I saw the winged angels as they're crying out holy holy holy and I said to myself I said out loud he said oh I'm an evil man a wicked man a man of unclean lips I dwell amongst the people of unclean lips for the Lord said who will go for us and God took a coal from that are from that and a coal was pleased and his lips from that that altar purifying him and he said go and that's how it works I made a statement to the Lord long time ago as a young man I said Lord if nobody else will speak for you please give me the courage to do it somebody has to somebody has to speak in your name to a world that is lost today to a generation that is hopeless I came from a similar generation a hopeless generation then we found out there is hope and it's in Jesus Christ there is forgiveness of sins it comes to Jesus Christ there is such a thing as love and it can be pure and it comes to Jesus Christ I don't need the drugs I don't need the alcohol I don't need those sexual relationships what I need is him and when that comes through your life is transformed and and he was strengthened it says in verse 19 oh man greatly beloved fear not peace be to you be strong be strong yes be strong and when he spoke to me I was strengthened the Lord will strengthen you from within and so he closes by saying in verse 20 and 21 do you know why I've come to you and now I must return to fight with the Prince of Persia when I've gone forth indeed the Prince of Greece these are two demonic oppressors like the Prince of Persia Prince of Greece same thing I will tell you what is noted in scripture of truth no one upholds me against these except Michael your prince and so this is actually an introduction that to what is going to take place as we get back together and look at chapter 11 and he simply saying there's going to be a continuing spiritual war but I'm going to give you insight into what is about to take place and what will take place and we'll stop here and we'll pick up next time at chapter 11 our father we asked that there's so many things that we could be asking you to help us with but we would ask that our our our ears would be open to what the Spirit says and our eyes would see that there is demonic stronghold there are demonic strongholds Lord even in our area and Lord it can appear sometimes that there's nothing we can do but as we see that Daniel was without strength because he saw of how great you were and that was a good starting point for him I pray that we would realize that we too are in in a different way but we are without strength and without you we can do nothing so I pray for the church I pray for all of us I pray that you would work within us and that Lord you would have your way and that we would follow you with all of our heart and that your word would actually be our guide and that your word will be the joy in the strength of our lives and so Lord I ask that you would strengthen each person in this room right now and that we would be used as a mighty army to reach people to be willing to speak we ask that we would just open our mouth and and Lord just allow your spirit to give us the words to speak even as our eyes are closed before we conclude there's anybody right now who needs prayer neat you need to get right with the Lord I want to pray for you before we close and if you do need prayer to get right with him would you raise your hand let me pray for you right now right where you're at father you see these hands you know the reason why they're being raised to you and I ask in Jesus name that you would reach down and touch each one whose hand is raised to you you know exactly what is needed and Lord we would yield to you right now we would yield to you we thank you for your washing in your cleansing we thank you for the newness of life we have in you and we receive by faith Lord and we will walk with you now so we bless you and thank you thank you Lord you can put your hands down and again if there be anybody in in this room right now that has a need for a physical touch a healing of the Lord I want to pray for you for that too before we close if your body is breaking down you need prayer I want to pray for you would you raise your hand before we close Lord you see these whose bodies are rebelling against them right now I ask in Jesus name that you would by your power that you would touch them Lord is they over their heart and they say God we need your touch we need to be healed Lord our bodies are in need of you would you please Lord because you are the Lord our healer I pray that you would touch these lives and that you would bring healing and father that all the glory all the glory will go to you by faith we say God please and we ask that you will and we would by faith receive and thank you for it and we bless you thank you Lord you can put your hands down and Jesus I ask that as we're about to leave as we worship in one last song I pray that you go with us and we give you praise in Jesus name