Wednesday: A Great Conflict
Read Daniel 10:20-21. What is revealed to Daniel here?
The heavenly messenger pulls the curtain aside and reveals to Daniel the cosmic war that transpires behind the scenes of human history. As soon as Daniel begins to pray, a spiritual battle starts between heaven and earth.
Image © Frank Gampel at Goodsalt.com
Heavenly beings began a struggle with the king of Persia to let the Jews continue the reconstruction of the temple. We know from the opening of Daniel chapter 10 that the king of Persia is Cyrus. However, a human king left by himself cannot offer significant opposition to a heavenly being. This indicates that behind the human king stands a spiritual agent who instigates Cyrus to stop the Jews from rebuilding the temple.
A similar situation occurs in Ezekiel chapter 28, in which the king of Tyre represents Satan, the spiritual power behind the human king of that city. So, it should not be surprising that the kings of Persia against whom Michael comes to fight include Satan and his angels. This shows that the human opposition to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem has a counterpart in the spiritual realm.
Read Daniel 10:13. What kind of battle is described here?
“While Satan was striving to influence the highest powers in the kingdom of Medo-Persia to show disfavor to God’s people, angels worked in behalf of the exiles. The controversy was one in which all heaven was interested. Through the prophet Daniel, we are given a glimpse of this mighty struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. For three weeks Gabriel wrestled with the powers of darkness, seeking to counteract the influences at work on the mind of Cyrus; and before the contest closed, Christ Himself came to Gabriel’s aid. ‘The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days’, Gabriel declares; ‘but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia’. Daniel 10:13. All that heaven could do in behalf of the people of God was done. The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses, who reigned about seven and a half years”. — Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 571, 572.
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Jack Provonsha, a Seventh-day Adventist ethicist and theologian was a guest at an Avondale College staff retreat back in the 1980s. I remember the event very well for two reasons. The weather was atrocious, and Dr Provonsha made a statement that seriously challenged my view of the battle between God and Satan. He stated:
He even explored the idea that the battle could have been lost and that would have threatened existence itself. We should not think of the plan of salvation as a bit of play-acting to impress us humans.
Daniel gives us a glimpse of the battle beyond the dimensions of time and space as we see them and while we have some difficulty with the imagery, there is no doubt that the battle is real. He draws the curtain aside to give us the bigger picture.
While we believe that the battle was won at the cross and ultimate victory assured, that does not mean that evil has abated and accepted the consequence.
Paul advises:
Hello, could you please explain why Gabriel was not able to overcome the Kings of Persia. Why was Michael (Jesus) referred to as, "one of the chief princes". Were there others like him?
It helps to remember that God is not coercive. Sometimes it takes time for God (through Gabriel) to achieve the results they desire.
Georgia, I believe that the reference to Michael as "one of the chief princes" is an error by the translators who assumed that He was an angel.
I believe it should/could have been translated as the First or Chief of the Angels or Archangel, similar to Jude 1:9, or 1Thess 4:16 or Rev 12:7.
Dan 10:21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:
Both Jude and Peter addressed the problem of false teachers/prophets entering the church of Christ. They are revilers who “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ”(Jude 4; 2 Pt 2:1). They will be judged like the fallen angels who were cast into darkness bound until judgment day - Satan and his angels. They fearlessly slander and revile dignities, angelic majesties, or authorities (2 Pt 2:10; Jude 8).
These humans’ behavior was compared with God’s angels’: “Whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.”(2 Pt 2:11). Jude gives a specific example: “But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the Devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”(Jude 9). This is one honored angel against another condemned angel. He invoked the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jude 5, not himself. Christ never took the form of angels (Heb 2:14-17).
Kenny it is not uncommon for leaders to speak in 3rd person. I hear teachers do it often. Jesus was not an Angel. He was an archangels meaning over the angels. Just like the U.S. president is commander in chief of the military.
https://ssnet.org/blog/please-send-michael/
Georgia, I think we first have to remember that this is not a physical battle. This Great Controversy is a battle for our minds. I picture Cyrus with Jesus on one side of him and Satan on the other side, both pleading with Cyrus. This was before Christ came to earth so He was still omnipresent and could be in more than one place. The decision that Cyrus had to make was crucial to Jesus later coming to this earth as a human. This was confusing to me at the beginning of the weeks lesson, but with some prayer and study, it became more clear to me.
I would like to address Georgia's question concerning Michael as "one of the chief princes" as translated by the KJV.
Georgia, you wrote: "Were there others like him?". The short answer is: yes. Read on...
First, this is Gabriel speaking of Michael, who came to aid him in his fight against the prince of Persia. William Montende below makes a good case for who this prince of Persia is, vs the "kings of Persia".
Also, Gabriel is the creature(created as we are) who "stands in the presence of God"(Luke 1:19), meaning, this is his position in the order of God's creation, his occupation we might say. He is the closest in station to God, who alone is above him(Gabriel). There is no higher creature that we know of since Lucifer was cast down from that position because of his rebellion against God(Isa 14, Eze 28, Rev 12).
So who would be superior to Gabriel? Only "the chief princes". I believe this is a clear reference to the Godhead, the trinity, all 3 persons called "God".
Let's examine these words in the original Hebrew:
one = echad (plural, meaning: "alike, united, equal", used in Deut 6:4; "the LORD our God is one[echad] God")
chief = rishon ("first in place, time or rank, before time, beginning of old time past", in the realm of all creation, only God would fit this title.)
princes = sar ("head person of any rank, master, principal ruler[again, from Gabriel's perspective], steward"[isn't God the self-proclaimed steward of all His creation, by whom all things "consist"? It is God who is shown in the Psalms as providing for all the creatures of the earth. God by His very nature and being is the greatest servant, who brings forth life and sustains it by His power alone. We are not independent of God's power, though we often act as if we are.])Sar is also the root of Czar, Kaiser, and Caesar(actually pronounced more like Kaiser), all the highest in command over their realm, like God. By the use of "rishon sar" together denotes the highest of the high, from the position of Gabriel, the highest of all creatures.
To me it is unmistakable in who these "chief princes" are("princes" probably not the best word as most of us consider it today, but the original word "sar" is unmistakable in it's true meaning), called such by Gabriel, highest in rank of all creatures, who is their servant and does their bidding(see Daniel 8:16; 9:21,22; 10:11). I'd be glad for any further discussion on this idea that might give more light on the matter, but presently this is how I have come to understand this verse, which seems to prove Michael is NOT a created angel, but "one" of the Godhead(rishon sar).
I hope this helps to answer your question Georgia. This is the brief version, but I believe is sufficient to help understand this passage.
Also, any translation that uses "angels" is guessing, since the word "malak" is nowhere to be found in this verse.
PRINCE OF ISRAEL vs PRINCE OF PERSIA
This is what we typically, as Adventists call "The Great Controversy" coming to the fore in this chapter.
Before we can talk about the controversy, and what the fight is about, it is important to understand who the two "princes" are.
Critically, we MUST, first of all, recognize that the prince of the kingdom of Persia is not the same as the king of Persia (the lesson for today mixes this all up!). There are 420 uses of the word ‘prince’ in the Old Testament and not once is the word used to denote a king. In actual fact, the word is most frequently used to describe military commanders. Daniel 10:13 makes it abundantly clear that Gabriel and Michael were working on two fronts. First, they were contending with the prince of the kingdom of Persia and secondly they were working with the kings of Persia. Thus, there is a clear cut distinction between the prince of Persia and the kings of Persia. Who is this prince of the kingdom of Persia? And who is Michael who stands watch over Daniel’s people?
The book of Daniel makes three references to Michael. Two of them are found in the chapter we are presently studying (verses 13, 21) and the other one is in Daniel 12:1. This last verse is of particular importance for two reasons. First, Michael is spoken of as the great prince who stands watch over Israel. That is to say, Michael is Israel’s guardian angel. Second, Michael is the deliverer of Israel and the one who resurrects those who sleep in the dust of the earth. Michael is the enigmatic personage described in the Old Testament as ‘Angel of the Lord’ and as this is outside of the scope of what we are studying, suffice it to say that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ, the name Michael meaning ‘Who is Like God’.
But who is the prince of Persia? If Michael the Prince is Christ, then the prince of the kingdom of Persia must be Satan. Jesus called Satan the ‘prince of the world’ on at least three (John 14:30; 12:30-33; 16:11).
But why were they battling? The prince of Persia (Satan) was trying to influence the kings of Persia so that they would halt the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Here is a telling statement from SOP:
“Untiring in their opposition, the Samaritans ‘weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius.’ (Ezra 4:4, 5) By false reports they aroused suspicion in minds easily led to suspect. But for many years the powers of evil were held in check, and the people of Judea had liberty to continue their work.
“While Satan was striving to influence the highest powers in the kingdom of Medo-Persia to show disfavor to God’s people, angels worked in behalf of the exiles. The controversy was one in which all heaven was interested. Through the prophet Daniel we are given a glimpse of this mighty struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. For three weeks Gabriel wrestled with the powers of darkness, seeking to counteract the influences at work on the mind of Cyrus; and before the contest closed, Christ Himself came to Gabriel’s aid [Daniel 10:13 is quoted]. All that heaven could do in behalf of the people of God was done. The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses, who reigned about seven and a half years.” Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 571-572
“The king of Persia was controlled by the highest of all evil angels. He refused, as did Pharaoh, to obey the word of the Lord. Gabriel declared, He withstood me twenty-one days by his representations against the Jews. But Michael came to his help, and then he remained with the kings of Persia, holding the powers in check, giving right counsel against evil counsel.” Ellen G. White, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 4, p. 1173
Summary:
Prince of Israel = Michael
Prince of Persia = Satan
king of persia = the physical kings including Cyrus, Darius etc
Great controversy between prince of Israel and prince of persia = Because the devil was contending over controlling the times and setting up kings and kingdoms and thereby disrupt the Messiah's calendar as it had been given to Daniel.
I believe that Michael/Jesus came with Gabriel to visit Daniel because of the description of Michael in other places in the Bible and Daniel fell down on his face before Him.
However I believe the other being is the angel Gabriel for several reasons, he said: 1) I was sent, 2) your words were heard and I have come 3) king of Persia with stood me 4) Michael came to help me 5) none support me only Michael your ruler 6)Gabriel was the angel who came to make Daniel understand in Chap 9.
Dan 9:21-23 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, touched me in my severe exhaustion, about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 And he enlightened me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I have now come out to give you skill and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your prayers the commandment came out, and I have come to explain. For you are greatly beloved; therefore understand the matter, and attend to the vision:
Dan 10:5-6 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 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 colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
Rev 1:12-17 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Jos 5:13-15 And it happened, when Joshua was beside Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked. And, behold, there stood a Man in front of him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, Are You for us, or for our foes? 14 And He said, No, but I have come as the Commander of the army of Jehovah. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth. And he worshiped and said to Him, What does my Lord say to His servant? 15 And the Commander of Jehovah's army said to Joshua, Take your shoe off your foot, for the place on which you stand is holy. And Joshua did so.
Rev 12:7-9 And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels warring against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels warred, 8 but did not prevail. Nor was place found for them in Heaven any more. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Sometimes bad things happen to our lives when we are not really expecting at all. Besides having the world gone quite strange and out of its natural order, some things can seem pretty awkward. Out of nowhere there comes a blow, and another one...! At this point we may ask ourselves "why?" There might be a fight between evil and good that we can't really grasp or understand. This calls for faith in love, faith in a force that is always present to help us, a strenght not from human standpoint, but out of the metaphysical world, a force that can heal and give real comfort. Faith in the name of Love, faith in Jesus, Who already gained all the fights against darkness at the cross! Let us plead for His mercy so we can go on, perhaps not without scars, but in peace within His arms! May we all hide in this Love today!
Praise the Lord. Father we thank you for Your victory at Calvary and for every day since. We look forward to celebrating when Our Lord Jesus returns.
After reading the lesson today and Maurice's comentary. I have aboslutly seen which side I fix my alegence too. Now can I do this of my own metits, absoluty not.
"Jesus proceeded to show His hearers what it means to keep the commandments of God—that it is a reproduction in themselves of the character of Christ. For in Him, God was daily made manifest before them." MB 55.1
Furthermore: "Christ alone can give us the victory. He desires us to have the mastery over ourselves, our own will and ways. But He cannot work in us without our consent and co-operation. The divine Spirit works through the faculties and powers given to man. Our energies are required to co-operate with God." MB 141.3
Guidance from the Holy Spirit. I am not alone for my father is with me.
Throughout the Bible we read about Satan deceiving humans. He works behind the scenes. Humans are caught between the forces of good and evil.
Satan is a great deceiver. Working through the Egyptians with all the witch craft, etc to prevent the release of the children of Israel from bondage. He was working through James and John when they asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven to burn up the Samaritans, working in Peter when he told Christ not to go to the cross.
Rev 16:13-14 mentioned the final battle between good and evil and the joining of forces before Jesus comes the second time. Satan will use humans to do his work. He has his angels working through humans. No one can escape except we are covered by the blood of Christ.
This battle is a spiritual one. It can be very subtle and undetected to his final work, that is, appearing as Christ coming to take his people home.
While I find no evidence in the Bible of a pre-advent investigative judgment and a closing of probation prior to the second coming I do understand where this concept comes from. Morris Venden, the late great SDA evangelist and preacher, wrote the book “Never Without an Intercessor.”
The lesson states “Daniel’s vision shows that God is in control”. One of Satan’s greatest lives is that God is in control! When somebody ask me or states that fact I always ask them, in control of what?...Royce
Royce, what aspect of the pre-advent investigative judgement do you not find in the Bible? "Judgement per se", or that there is a "closed or public investigation" or the "close of probation for the living" or that any of these take place before the advent?
I presume you have read Chapter 28 of the Great Controversy by EG White. I don't understand your reference to Morris Venden's book "Never without an Intercessor" because he clearly states that the concept of the Pre-Advent Investigative Judgement is Biblical (I think it is pg 55)
Shirley; I can only answer with a question. What does God need to investigate as an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, totally intelligent being, what does he need to investigate. The answer is nothing! We are the ones that need to investigate, investigate the God is actually just and loving.
I was in Adventist Church schools for the first 10 years of my life. Even at that early age some of the things attributed to God seemed nonsensical to me. Like he’s making a list and checking it twice to be sure there’s not one Little sin you forgot to ask forgiveness for. God is love not vindictive!
Royce, God held an investigative judgment in Genesis 3 even though He was all knowing. In Genesis 18:21 God says He is going to go see how wicked Sodom was. He obviously already knew but went ahead and investigated and in saying He was going to go check Himself the investigation was not for others it was for Him. We need to be careful not to call God’s ways foolish just because they don’t make sense to our finite minds. Proverbs 3:5 says to trust the Lord instead of our own finite understanding.
Bro. William thanks for the explanation re Arch angel. God is all knowing so why did Jesus waited 3 weeks before stepping in to help Gabriel? At times I dont understand the dynamics of prayer. I've had prayers answered for things like catching the train to get to my destination on time but I've been praying for my 2 children to have a personal encounter with God for 3yrs now and nothing. I've been praying for healing of my memory(I'm fairly young) and even taken ginko and I eat plant based and I see no improvement. Others have asked me to pray for them and thank God their prayers have been answered. But I sometimes dont understand the dynamics of prayer and how God works thru prayer. I know God is not there to give me everything I asked for butI reasoned, I'm not asking to consume on my own lust, so why no answer?
I too need another encounter with Him.
Nikki, Lazarus’ sisters wondered the same thing about God’s timing, but it’s always perfect even when we think it is not. As far as Your children goes, God never turns anybody into a robot. Even though He works upon their hearts they still have free choice. Don’t give up! I will be praying too.
Royce, Of course the LORD is all-knowing, however He reveals Himself using terms and concepts to people depending on their experience and spiritual maturity Heb 5:11 - 6:3.
When the Word implies that the LORD is investigating or checking something - I believe it is conveying that He is taking all the facts into consideration and that He is not making an arbitrary decision on a whim or based on greed like the people believed the pagan gods did. In addition He wants the Universe and this world to understand what is involved in the Great Controversy or why let it go on for so long?
I am sorry that you were taught some incorrect concepts, I trust you have been able to get a clearer picture of the character of the LORD.
Royce, I do believe that Gods ways of doing things we don’t understand. Isaiah 55:8,9. Christ had to say to Peter, “what is that to you”. John 21:23. I do believe He would say the same thing to us with some of the questions we bring up. So what is that to us, that an investigative judgement began in 1844 and has taken this long. God has His ways that we may not know His reason till we get to heaven. We need to accept Gods ways by faith.
The investigation is not for the Omniscient God, it is for the rest of creation. God’s government of love and free will is on trial, not us. The purpose of the whole of cosmic and earthly history is to ustify the action He will allow in the end for His goodness to be revealed to Satan, his host and those that do not choose Christ’s work to cover them. God will reveal His goodness and it will be a “consuming fire”.
Royce, finding no evidence in scripture may only be a matter of understanding and/or interpretation. There are "small" words in the Bible that in the original language have larger implications. Notice in Genesis that we often find the word "see" or "saw", which sounds like a casual observation, yet the Hebrew "raah" means more than a casual sight. Among other meanings, it may indicate: advise self, approve, consider, discern, take heed, perceive, regard, think, etc.
This word is found in God's experience with the wickedness before the flood, causing Him to render a judgment against the continually evil thoughts/actions of men. It is also found in the story of the tower of Babel, which God came to "see", and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which the Lord came to "see" IF the reports were true.
Of course the Lord God knows everything, but these are demonstration for all others to understand His thoroughness in understanding every case where judgment is called for. The blood of Abel required justice. The souls under the altar(Rev 6:9,10) also called for justice. Don't we expect the "Judge of all the earth" to do the right thing and be fair to all concerned(Gen 18:25)? This concern requires for those who are expectant(God's creatures who do not have His all-knowing insights) to be able to find assurance that God has been thorough and fair. So He demonstrates for our benefit His fairness and thorough understanding for Himself. He doesn't need this, but His finite creatures do.
In Leviticus 16, the day of atonement is described, and this "type" is of the judgment/examination that will determine the fate of every member of Adam's race, for life or death. It will "demonstrate" God's thoroughness and fairness in every case. Notice in Revelation 22:12 that Jesus says: "Behold I come quickly", meaning; He hasn't come yet, but is now finished with determining the reward for every soul "according to his works. This requires an observance of the record for each life. Jesus taught that "every idle word" will be judged, and that by our own words, we will be justified or condemned(Matt 12:36,37). Solomon also warns us that "every work will be brought into judgment", even those which are secret to all others(Eccl 12:13,14), and compared to God's Law given to all mankind. And at last we find that those who were found keeping the commandments will have the right to enter into the city of God, and all others will have earned the "wages of sin".
There's more to say on this matter, but a prayerful study to know the truth as God would have us understand it, along with observing/obeying all things He has commanded us(Matt 28:20, Prov 3:6, etc), which if doing, will enable us to "know the doctrine(John 7:17).
Yes, our education in SDA schools may have been imperfect, but the Bible is a worthy "lamp for our feet and light for our path".
Why does the lesson say that as soon as Daniel starts praying the spiritual battle starts. Is it implying that if Daniel didn't pray Gabriel would not have come to fight against the evil spirit behind the king of Persia?
Was Daniel aware of the evil spirit or only of the physical problems that the Jews encountered?
Not to be argumentative. But weren't the people in Jerusalem praying about this even before Daniel? Daniel would have gotten the news at least 3 months late. What about their prayer? Just asking not attacking.
Bro. Williams,
Thanks for your response. I understand now.
Blessings!