Spiritual World In Our Midst Series

We are at the closing Chapters of our study of the Book of Daniel.

What title do we give Daniel?

Daniel was a prophet!

The original Hebrew word for prophet in the Old Testament is “nabiy”, meaning a spokesman or speaker. And how do we know prophets spoke for God?

God gave prophets visions and actual words to say!

Daniel Chapter 10 sets up the vision of the end of the world described in Daniel 11-12. God called Daniel and gave him visions to tell other people. God Himself directly spoke about the end of the world. Please open your Bibles and read along with me Daniel Chapter 10….

As alluded to in the last verse, God speaks of Truth!

What truths can we note from Daniel Chapter 10?

v1: revelation about a great war was given to Daniel

(and it is something that will go on for a long time!)

v2: Daniel mourned for three weeks

Why did Daniel mourn for so long? We noted from Daniel 9, that he learned that the judgment from God was not only the 70 years of captivity by the Babylonians but another 490 years of being persecuted through many wars! The sins of Israel needed to be judged! God hates sin!

v4-9: Daniel and his companions encountered an angel

How do we know it was an angel?

We read in v11 that he was sent to Daniel.

Was the encounter with the angel pleasant??

Daniel’s companions didn’t even see the vision but they sensed the powerful spiritual presence and so they fled! How about Daniel?

Daniel was so helpless, he fell into a coma!

Why did the angel come??

Yes, we note in v12, Daniel asked; Daniel prayed and so God answered!

Why do you think God answered Daniel’s prayers??

Daniel had strong convictions about God!

Daniel gave up many things for God! (v2-3)

And yes look again at v12;

Daniel did 2 important things:

1. set his heart and mind to understand what God was going to do

(Daniel was completely focused on God! How is our focus?)

2. humbled himself before God

v16-20: One like a man came to Daniel!

Who was this one who looked liked a man?

What can we say about Him from the passage, verses 16-21?

The One who looked like a man:

- had power to make Daniel speak

- gave strength to Daniel with a touch

- knew Daniel

- gave Daniel peace

- Daniel called Him Lord.

- was going to tell Daniel Truth

Who do you think that One who looked like a man was?

Likely, that Son of Man was Jesus Christ!

In the next few weeks, we will study Daniel 11 and 12 and learn more about the future of the world. But for today, what Biblical principles can we apply to our lives from Daniel 10?

Did you note that God and the spiritual world are involved with the events of the physical world? Angels will come to us when sent by God. I don’t know about you but I know I need to work on living on earth everyday with the spiritual world in mind.

a. Everyday reality is: there is a spiritual world in our midst!

Do we really think about this everyday? Most of the time, we are so blinded by the physical world that we neglect God and His spiritual world around us! See God often!

And Daniel mourned because he knew the judgment to come. What’s our attitude towards those who will be judged? Jesus Himself wept when He saw the lost in Jerusalem!

b. Are we grieving and praying for those around us who are lost?

And Jesus did miraculous things for weak, helpless Daniel! That same Jesus is the same powerful God available to us today! Do you sometimes feel weak and helpless?

c. Jesus Christ can and desires to do miraculous things for us!

How’s our faith in Christ on a daily basis?

And Daniel’s prayer was answered because of the right attitude. Do we think about that when we pray or do we just get right into asking for what we want?

d. Before praying, cry out for understanding and humble yourself before Him;

then experience the powerful presence of God and his angels and truly know that God is in control and is always victorious!