Daniel - Chapter 10

There’s a battle raging – and we’re in it.

Daniel – Chapter 10

Review

1. What did we discuss in the Intro lesson?  What’s important to keep in mind as we work through Daniel?

1. This is what Habakkuk was about.
2. Daniel young (15?) when taken into Neb’s training program (after Jerusalem captured)
1. What did we discuss in Chapter 1?
1. God will maintain His remnant; cultural assimilation will not succeed.
2. God provides all – protection, knowledge, war spoils (to Neb), deliverance.
2. What about Chapter 2?
1. Daniel’s God has real power.
2. God has a plan and it involves His kingdom setup for eternity.
3. What about Chapter 3?
1. Our boys know to obey God and He’s who to worry about.  Neb is nothing.
2. Neb is preserved for future use by God.
4. Chapter 4?
1. Neb is a slow learner
2. God has patience to humble even Neb (and us).
5. Chapter 5?
1. Contrast between Neb and B.
2. God judges the prideful.
6. Chapter 6?
1. God delivers again.
2. Daniel is an amazing example of consistency and strength in his faith.
7. Chapter 7
1. Beginning of prophesy chapters
2. God has a plan.  Daniel gets AMAZING insights and privileges from God.
8. Chapter 8
1. Focus on the RAM and GOAT (Medo-Persian and Greek Empires) and their relationship (foreshadowing) to end-times.
2. This little horn is NOT the little horn from the Roman Empire (10-horned monster), but it points to him.
9. Chapter 9
1. Two main points: Prayer and Prophecy
2. Lessons in how to pray.
3. Prophecy of end times – events important.  Exact timeline not as much (and impossible for us to know 100%)

Introduction

1. How did you all do this week reading Daniel?
2. What’s your opinion of Daniel (thus far)?  Easy, hard, straightforward, confusing, basic, advanced, etc?
3. What is your opinion of this chapter?  Easy or lots of questions, difficult and convoluted?
1. The part with angels getting delayed, the power struggle between angels and demons interests me.  I never noticed the dynamic (ie, that required Michael) there.
2. Another odd Daniel chapter, but “feels” different, for some reason.  It’s not a pure “vision” like the previous ones. 

Lesson

1. vv. 1-4 [READ – Dan 10:1-4] The Setting
1. When – “the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia” – around 534 BCE (see timeline chart)
2. Context?  What’s already happened (recently)?

                                                               i.      Do you believe Daniel recognizes that the time he’s living in is what he was shown in his visions as the Silver arms / Bear / Ram?  I do.

                                                             ii.      In Ezra (See Ezra 1:1-4), Cyrus has given permission to the Jews to return to Israel.  What happened?  Most of them didn’t go (during this first opportunity).  This is the group under Zerubbabel.  More went later with Ezra and Nehemiah.

3. What?

                                                               i.      NASB= “a message”, NIV = “a revelation”, KJV = “a thing”.  What do other passages say that this one does not?  Others chapters were given as “visions”.  Significance?  The word “vision” IS used later, but not here?  Maybe this suggests some new thing that was confirmed with a vision, etc?

                                                             ii.      “a great war/conflict” – what’s the natural question?  Who is the war between?  We’ll try to find out.

4. Why?

                                                               i.      Daniel was mourning for 3 weeks?  He didn’t eat, bathe, etc.  Perhaps because of the lack of Jews going back to Israel.  (Although, he didn’t go either.)  We don’t know why he was mourning, for certain.

5. When (again)?

                                                               i.      “24^th day of the first month” – roughly the 25^th of March, 534 BCE.  It’s a rare specific detail in the OT concerning dates.

6. Where…

                                                               i.      …was Daniel?  Still in Babylon?  Probably.

                                                             ii.      …did the message transpire?  Next to Hiddekel (the Tigris river).

                                                            iii.      What’s difference?  A distance.  Is Babylon on the Tigris?  No.  It’s on the Euphrates.

2. vv. 5-9 [READ – Dan 10:5-9] Daniel and the Visitor (#1?)
1. The Message “v5 I looked up and to my surprise saw a man dressed in linen with a belt of pure gold around his waist. V6 His body was hard and glistening, as if sculpted from a precious stone, his face radiant, his eyes bright and penetrating like torches, his arms and feet glistening like polished bronze, and his voice, deep and resonant, sounded like a huge choir of voices.”
2. Who was this man? 

                                                               i.      “A heavenly visitor”?  Sure.  Duh.  Sometime, compare this to the description of Christ in Revelation 1:12-16)

                                                             ii.      Maybe it was “just” an angel.  These are the two common positions for the following reasons

3. Comparisons to the description of the visitor are similar to that in Revelation.  Also, angels generally don’t have that effect/description attributed to them when they’re seen.  However, if there’s only one visitor, that single visitor required the help of Michael.  Christ would not require that.  If there are two visitors, it allows for the Christ-like descriptions (ie, follows other patterns of describing Christ in the Bible) AND the fact that the second visitor could have used help by another angel.
4. Alone with Christ? - Daniel saw, others didn’t – but they got “all shook up” and fled.  Daniel stayed.  Daniel lost his strength.  Daniel face-planted.
5. Another reason this may be Christ is because if it was an angel, the angel did not tell Daniel to rise and not worship him. 
6. On the other hand, Daniel had a similar response in Dan 8:18 when he saw Gabriel for the first time.  However, he did not during Gabriel’s second visit in Ch 9.
2. vv. 10-14 [READ – Dan 10:10-14] The message to Daniel (from Visitor #2?)
1. Daniel is restored to hear the message. (v 10)
2. Daniel is (still) greatly beloved (or, as The Message says, man of quality) (v 11).
3. Daniel is restored, but still with knees knocking (v 11)
4. In v 12 and 13, we have a mini timeline of the last 3 weeks.  On the first day Daniel prayed, this visitor made his way to Daniel.  However, he was detained/obstructed by the prince of the kingdom of Persia.  Who/What might that be?  A demon.
5. Michael had to come help.  Who is Michael?  He’s the Archangel.
6. IF there is a single visitor, who might that angel have been?  Gabriel, since that’s who it’s been most often.  Where does Gabriel rank compared to Michael?  Many say the same (an Archangel) since both have presence with God.  What’s the mean about the demon that this angel met and was detained by?  He was in between this angel and Michael.  (In other words, since we/I don’t definitively know Gabriel’s rank (as he needed help and Michael didn’t), we don’t know who this is.)
7. V 14 – The point of his message – to make Daniel understand what’s to happen to HIS people (Israel) in “the latter days”.  This is a specific time, not just “later”.  It refers to that last week of the 70 weeks we discussed in the last chapter.
3. vv. 15-21 [READ – Dan 10:15-21] Daniel Comforted and Strengthened
1. Daniel’s in the dirt again (v 15)
2. V 16 – touched by an Angel, and it’s not Della Reese.
3. V 16 – “lord”, little “l”.
4. V 16-17 - What was Daniel doing?  Sounds like he was excusing himself for his inability to stay upright and involved.  Kind of a “I’m just a man, please forgive me”.
5. V 18-19 – Daniel gets touched again and has strength to continue the conversation.
6. V 20 – the foreshadowing – Do you know why I’m here?  To fight against the prince of Persia.  When I’m done with him, the prince of Greece will be next.

                                                               i.      What’s this tell us?  There are demons associated with each of these empires.

                                                             ii.      There are still demons that are responsible for each major government, etc.  (See Eph. 6:11-12 – (KJV) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.)

                                                            iii.      This is a battle.  Overall, is a war, but each individually is a battle between good and evil, angels and demons, etc.

7. V 21 – this angel and Michael fight, but the story is to be continued (in the next chapter)

Summary

1. What’s your key verse?
1. v 20
2. We should strive for more time alone with God.  Fast (gasp!) if we need to.  Bathe, please, but sincerity in prayer could get you some personal time with God; some knee-weakening, strength zapping, awe-struck face planting, worship time with God.
3. Bible study ideas: Ranking, roles, stories, of angels (what’s real vs. what’s made up), Appearances of Christ (compare Dan 10:5-6 with Rev passage), etc
4. We’re in a war.  The Bible tells that we are to gird ourselves with the Sword of the Lord – the Bible.  The war is on many planes and we’re involved.

Print | posted on Sunday, August 28, 2005 7:58 PM |