The War Room | The Book of Daniel | Week 11
Series: The Book of Daniel | Week 11
Text: Daniel 10:1-11:1
We have the opportunity to impact world events through prayer.
Daniel fasted, humbled himself, and was shown that angelic warfare rages behind geopolitical events—the “prince of Persia” resisted God’s messenger until Michael intervened. That window into the spiritual realm reminds us our struggle isn’t ultimately against flesh and blood, and that faithful intercession can clear the way for God’s purposes on earth. Knowing heaven has a plan and hell mounts resistance, we’re called to take our place as prayer warriors who contend until breakthrough comes.
Here’s a thought: South African pastor and writer Andrew Murray urged, “We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth.”
Matt Lockett writes:
On December 26th, 1934 Rees Howells received a vision from the Holy Spirit in the middle of the night. It was 3 a.m., and the Lord began to call him into faith for world evangelization and the completion of the Great Commission.
Rees was an intercessor with powerful testimonies of answered prayer, so he took this very seriously. He knew it would naturally require him to take direct responsibility to see it come to pass. His burden of prayer shifted from local concerns to that of national and international focus.
Rees became a man with a world vision - the “Every Creature Vision” as Jesus gave His disciples in Mark 16:15.
Rees Howells knew that prepared messengers and the Word needed to be thrust out with fresh intensity, but he and his students soon learned just how ferocious the invisible realm of opposition could be. Almost as soon as the vision came for the Gospel to go to every creature, there was a conspicuous rise of evil dictators - Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini - who posed real threats to the nations of the earth. Rees Howells came to understand that these wicked leaders and governmental systems were Satan’s strategy to halt the Gospel’s advancement.
In a short period of time, the whole world was swept into war. Hitler was crushing nation after nation under his seemingly unstoppable war machine. Scores of people were dying, and the fate of the world was hanging in the balance.
When Hitler’s focus turned on Britain in 1940, very little stood in his way. Never losing sight of the “Every Creature Vision,” Rees and the young people at the Bible College of Wales were called to contend for spiritual victory so that real battles on the ground could be won.
Under the black clouds of world war, Rees declared, “Now is the best time to test the Bible in wars, because we are in one ourselves.” As news of Hitler’s advance came over the radio and in the newspapers each day, Rees and his company of intercessors would press into prayer for God’s purposes to prevail.
Royal Air Force pilots were outnumbered four to one at the beginning of the Battle of Britain. On all accounts, it should have been a losing battle. However, when the Nazi advance was mysteriously turned away right when all hope seemed lost, Winston Churchill famously said of the small group of pilots who had maintained air supremacy: “Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.”
Those words ought to inspire us today - those who are contending in prayer for spiritual air supremacy, standing in the victory of the cross of Christ-like Rees Howells and his company. How thankful we are that God had this company of hidden intercessors, whose lives were on the altar day after day as they stood in the gap for the deliverance of Britain.
Daniel lived more than 500 years Before Christ, and he had survived many wars. Let’s look in on him in Daniel 10:1-11:1:
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. 6 His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. 7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. 10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” 15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless.
16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.” 18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.” 20 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. 11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.) NIV
Unseen battles are won or lost by:
Prayer Warriors
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a war room as a room at a military headquarters where maps showing the current status of troops in battle are maintained or a room (as at a business headquarters) used for conferences and planning that is often specially equipped (as with computers, or charts). Here in Daniel chapter 10, we get a glimpse behind the stage of global events. We see that what happens in the spiritual realm dramatically affects the physical realm.
We read in Daniel 6:28 that Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian, showing that Darius and Cyrus ruled concurrently. This reference has caused Bible scholars to suggest that Darius was appointed viceroy or representative over Babylon by his nephew, King Cyrus. Cyrus of Persia was one of the greatest conquerors in history. He inherited the throne of Persia from his father and expanded his empire, including capturing Babylon in 539 B.C. The third year of Cyrus’s rule in 536 was when the first wave of Jews returned from captivity and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem, as recorded in the first chapter of Ezra.
Daniel went into 21 days of mourning, depriving himself not of all foods but pastry, meat and wine. While we read in Daniel 1:5 that he devoted himself to a strict diet for a time when he was a youth, chapter 10 would indicate that he did not make a lifelong commitment to this. Jewish literature outside the Bible often saw fasting as essential preparation for receiving a vision. Daniel was depriving himself of lotions and certain foods in mourning because he wanted to understand the vision. He might have been fasting and praying for the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple while their enemies opposed them. Daniel was fasting during the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which ended on the twenty-first day of the month.
I started a new diet this week. I now abstain from eating any food while putting my mittens on in the winter. I call it inter-mitten fasting.
The text does not tell us who Daniel met here on the twenty-fourth day of the month, but he is one of the archangels (perhaps Gabriel) or the Son of God Himself. Daniel looked up, and there was a man dressed in linen with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. The Apostle John provides a similar description of Jesus in Revelation 1:14-15. I think Daniel saw Jesus, then Gabriel touched him and explained the vision.
While those with Daniel did not see the vision but still ran away in terror, Daniel stood alone with the Lord. The Bible gives many examples of individual encounters with God. Facing and following the Lord is a personal decision, not a private decision. We must be willing to step out of the crowd to affect those around us. While Daniel was overwhelmed by this experience, he received the strength to stand and accept what the Lord wanted to share with him.
Even though Daniel had risen to prominence through several kings of kingdoms, this would pale in comparison to knowing that the God of the universe esteemed him highly. His faithful, consistent life demonstrated how much more he valued what the Lord thought of him than what human beings thought of him. Having settled it in his mind, he positioned himself to be effective as a prayer warrior.
South African pastor and writer Andrew Murray (1828-1917) urged, “We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth.”
Unseen battles are won or lost by:
Prayer Warriors and
Angelic Warriors
The one who touched Daniel and helped him get off the ground explained that God heard his words from the first day he humbled himself and set his mind to understand the vision. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted him for 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help him because he was detained there with the prince of Persia. He came to Daniel to explain what will happen to his people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come. This leads me to believe that the one speaking here was not the pre-incarnate Christ because he would not need the help of the archangel Michael. Michael is mentioned three times in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) – all in the book of Daniel – and twice in the New Testament (Jude 9 and Revelation 12:7). Michael is mentioned much more in other Jewish literature, primarily the book of Enoch. He is considered the guardian of the people of Israel. This warrior/messenger was probably Gabriel, who battled the prince of Persia for 21 days and overcame him with Michael’s support. This prince who resisted was not Cyrus the king of Persia, but an evil angel who opposed Gabriel while carrying this message for Daniel. This satanic figure oversaw the affairs of Persia while influencing its social, financial, political and religious structures toward evil. While Daniel was fasting and praying, angels and demons were fighting. Fascinating!
The Apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 6:12:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. NIV
The Bible does not teach us to pray to angels, but angels certainly go to war on behalf of God’s people. When we pray to the Lord, He sends His angels to help us fight evil forces in the heavenly realms. When I read Daniel chapter 10, I wonder about the spiritual atmosphere over the various countries on the earth. How much do the prayers of God’s people in the war room impact this atmosphere?
Israel was at the centre of world events at the height of its power but was side-lined after generations of sin and rebellion. I see a parallel for the church in Europe and North America. Faithful prayer warriors sought the Lord when nations were founded and adjusted ages ago. God sent angelic warriors to clear out demonic resistance in the heavenly realm. Followers of Jesus were called to prominent roles in strategic historical times and fulfilled their assignments because faithful prayer warriors cleared the way before them.
Sadly, the people of God have lost their passion for personal and corporate prayer and lost ground in the western world. The spiritual sky has clouded over, and the moral ground crumbles beneath our feet. Fortunately, the church in other parts of the world is taking spiritual territory as she seeks the kingdom of God more than the kingdom of humanity. Some of these faithful prayer warriors are moving to western countries and trying to reignite the church’s fire here. We do not need to settle for being marginalized here.
Scottish theologian Thomas Torrance (1913-2007) concluded, “The real cause of the world-disturbance is the prayer of the church.”
Daniel was supernaturally strengthened three times in chapter ten by the one who touched him. The first touch enabled him to arise from the ground, the second to speak, and the third to carry on a conversation. While the forces of darkness are determined to resist us, heaven’s angelic warriors support us as we engage in the spiritual battle. We can ignore, avoid or run from this battle to pursue the pleasures of this world or we can make ourselves available to the commander in chief to use us in whatever ways He wishes. While many people yearn for retirement to put their feet up, Daniel was active in the war room even through his senior years.
Here’s a question to ponder: “When a drummer comes out of retirement, are there repercussions?”
Verse 21 refers to the Book of Truth. Scholars have compared it to the Babylonian Tablet of Destinies because the Babylonians thought it described and dictated the course of history and the cosmos. While the Persian empire dominated at that time in Daniel’s life, the Greeks would soon arise and overtake them as described in previous visions in the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter 10 sets the stage for chapters 11 and 12 and their description of future events. While we stumble around among the proverbial trees, the God of heaven and earth looks down on the forest. He knows how history will unfold and how this will all end.
Knowing that God has a plan for our world, how will we respond? Knowing that the forces of darkness want to resist this plan, how will we respond? We have the choice to get involved. None of us get out of here alive, so why not go out fighting for the winning side? The war room is calling. Will you answer?
Unseen battles are won or lost by:
Prayer Warriors
and
Angelic Warriors
We have the opportunity to impact world events through prayer.