Daniel 10.20-The Angel Asks Daniel If He Understands Why He Was Sent to Him and Reveals He Will Return to Fight Against the Princes of Persia and Greece
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday March 19, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 10:20-The Angel Asks Daniel If He Understands Why He Was Sent to Him and Reveals He Will Return to Fight Against the Princes of Persia and Greece
Lesson # 315
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 10:1.
Daniel 10:1 During Cyrus’s third year, king over Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel who was called by his name Belteshazzar. Specifically this message was truth and concerning a great conflict because he understood this message, yes he possessed understanding concerning this revelation. 2 During those days, I myself, Daniel caused myself to enter the state of mourning for three weeks. 3 I never ate expensive choice food or meat. Also, wine never entered into my mouth likewise I never anointed myself with oil until the end of the three weeks. 4 Then, on the twenty-fourth day of the first month while I myself was beside that great river, namely the Tigris, 5 while I lifted up my eyes, I then stared as behold there was a certain man dressed in linen. Specifically, his waist was girded with gold from Uphaz, 6 his torso like chrysolite, his face like a glittering appearance, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms as well as his legs like the appearance of polished bronze, and in addition the sound of his words like the sound of a large crowd. 7 Now, I myself, Daniel alone saw this revelatory vision while the men who were with me never saw this revelatory vision. However, a great panic fell upon them. In fact, they fled because they were hiding themselves. 8 Thus, I myself was left alone while staring at this great revelatory vision. However, absolutely no strength was left in me. Also, to my dismay, my facial appearance was transformed into a deathly pale state. Indeed, I retained absolutely no strength. 9 However, despite this, I could hear the sound of his words. In fact, as soon as I myself heard the sound of his words, I myself was then caused to enter the state of being in a deep sleep on my face, yes my face to the ground. 10 Then, behold, a hand touched me. Next, it set me trembling on my knees and the palms of my hands. 11 Immediately after this, he said, “O Daniel, a precious man. Please understand the message which I myself am about to communicate to you. Therefore, please stand in your place because for your benefit, I have been sent.” Consequently when he communicated this statement for my benefit, I stood shaking. 12 Then, he said to me, “Please do not be terrified, Daniel, because from the first day that you applied your heart in order to understand as well as to humble yourself in the presence of your God, your words were heard. Consequently, I myself have come because of your words. 13 But the ruler over the Persian kingdom stood opposing me twenty-one days. Then, behold, Michael, one of our chief rulers came to help me because I myself was left there opposing the kings ruling over Persia. 14 Now, I have come in order to cause you to understand what will take place for and against your people during the latter days because the revelation pertains to these days as in the future.” 15 Consequently, when, for my benefit, he communicated with these statements, I turned my face to the ground while I became speechless. 16 Then, behold, for my benefit, one who resembled the sons of Adam touched my lips so that I could open my mouth in order that I could speak. Therefore, I spoke to the one who was standing directly in front of me, “O my lord, because of this revelation, I have been overcome by feelings of anguish, disabling me so that I retained absolutely no strength. 17 Furthermore, how can someone like my lord’s servant speak with someone like my lord? Indeed, as for me, even now, absolutely no strength is present in me because absolutely no breath is left in me.” 18 Then, he did it again, namely, he whose appearance resembled a human’s, touched me so that he strengthened me. 19 Then, he said, “Please do not be terrified, O precious man so that you possess peace of mind. Please become strong, yes very strong!” Consequently, as soon as he spoke for my benefit, I caused myself to enter the state of being strengthened. Then, I said, “O my lord, please speak because you caused me to enter the state of being strengthened.” 20 So then, he said, “Do you understand why I have come to you? Now, at this present time, I must return to wage war against the ruler over Persia. Therefore, I am about to go forth. Indeed, behold, the ruler over Greece is about to arrive.” (My translation)
In response to Daniel’s request to speak to him, the unidentified elect angel of God poses a question to Daniel which he would have responded to by nodding in approval.
The angel asks Daniel if he understands why he visited him.
Daniel 10:11-14 makes clear that the angel has already told Daniel the reason for his visit.
Therefore, here in Daniel 10:20, when this unidentified angel of God asks Daniel if he understands why he has come to visit him, Daniel would have nodded his head because the angel had already informed him of the purpose of his visit as recorded in Daniel 10:11-14.
Then after posing this question to Daniel, this angelic being reveals new and fantastic information, namely that he must return to wage war against the angel of Satan who ruled over the Persian Empire.
This statement refers back to the angel’s statement to Daniel in Daniel 10:13.
That “the ruler over Persia” here in Daniel 10:20 is a non-elect angel of Satan is indicated by a couple of factors.
First, a human ruler would have absolutely no ability whatsoever to defeat an elect angel in combat since angels are a higher creation than mankind and have superior abilities to that of mankind.
The elect angel who came to deliver an answer to the prayer of Daniel fought this ruler over the kingdom of Persia.
The human ruler over the kingdom of Persia in Daniel’s day would have no chance in combat against an elect angel like the one who came to serve Daniel.
That this ruler over the kingdom of Persia is a non-elect angel who belongs to Satan’s kingdom is clearly indicated by the fact that he opposes the angel who came to deliver God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer.
When Daniel received this visit from this unidentified elect angel as recorded in Daniel chapter ten, Persia was the superpower of the world.
They had defeated Babylon and were now a world-wide empire, which was according to the prophecies recorded in Daniel chapters two and seven.
Thus, the angelic ruler who opposed this elect angel attempting to give Daniel God’s answer to his prayer for Israel was delegated authority by Satan to rule over the Persian kingdom.
So here in Daniel 10:20, the angel of God speaks once again of the conflict he and the other elect angels of God were involved in when he was commanded by God to deliver the answer to Daniel’s intercessory prayer on behalf of his fellow Jewish countrymen.
This intercessory prayer was directly related to this conflict between the angels of God led by Michael and the angels of Satan led by the ruler over the Persian Empire since the subject of the prayer was the Israelites and Satan and his angels are devoted to destroying Israel.
God has chosen Israel to be the nation through which His Son will rule His kingdom on the earth.
The land which He promised to Israel is the place in which His Son Jesus Christ will rule His kingdom bodily.
The opposition that the Jewish exiles returning from exile in Babylon were facing was the direct result of Satan’s forces waging war against Israel.
Specifically the angel of Satan who ruled over Persia and the one who ruled over Greece were waging war against Israel and the elect angel of God, Michael was defending the nation of Israel from these fallen angels of Satan.
Satan is the god of this world temporarily and the Gentile nations of this world are under his authority and deceived by him (1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:10).
Satan is opposed to God establishing His kingdom on planet earth and thus he wages war against Israel in order to prevent this from taking place.
Satan assumed the rulership of planet earth through the fall of Adam.
If you recall, mankind was created to rule over creation (Genesis 1:26).
So Adam was created and designed in the image and likeness of God in order that he might exercise sovereign authority over all creation (Psalm 2:1-9).
The rulership of the creation was lost by Adam and the Woman in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed the Lord’s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3).
However, the Last Adam, the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ has regained that rulership over the earth with His obedience to the Father’s will in going to the Cross in order to die a substitutionary spiritual and physical death in the place of all of sinful humanity (Hebrews 2:5-9).
Daniel 7:14 as well as Hebrews 2:5-9 and Philippians 2:6-11 teach that Jesus Christ is God the Father’s true regent on planet earth.
Now, in Daniel 10:20 after informing Daniel that he must return to wage war against the angel of Satan who ruled the Persian Empire, the unidentified elect angel reveals another fantastic fact, namely that the angel of Satan who rules the Greek Empire was about to join the angel of Satan who ruled Persia.
Together, they would fight Michael and the other elect angels.
Interestingly, as we have seen in our studies of Daniel chapters two, seven and eight, Greece would follow Persia as a world wide empire.
Both empires were under Satan’s control since he is the temporary ruler of this earth until Jesus Christ returns to earth at His Second Advent.
Throughout the history of both empires, we see that in some form or another they attempted to harm the Jewish nation.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the angelic ruler over Greece would join the angelic ruler over the Persian Empire since both of them oppose God and Israel and Daniel chapters two, seven, and eight predict that Greece would follow Persia as a world-wide empire.
The angelic rulers of Persia and Greece enlisted unregenerate humanity to do their bidding.
They deceive the unregenerate inhabitants of these nations to wage war against the Jewish people in order to thwart God’s purpose for the Jews and planet earth.