Join us as we reflect on the personal notes from decades of Bible study journals, focusing on the powerful lessons derived from Daniel’s story. This episode not only highlights the conflict faced by celestial beings but also encourages listeners to contemplate their own spiritual journeys. From the intricate details of fasting to the notion of divine touch, we ponder whether such experiences resonate in our own lives. The episode concludes with a powerful call to transform Bible readings from mere information to life-altering transformation, urging us to engage more deeply with scripture.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
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Today we are in Daniel chapter 10. We’ll listen to Faith Comes By Hearing’s recording of the 21 verses of Daniel 10. Daniel 10
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In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.
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In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen with a belt of fine gold from Euphars around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.” So I was left alone and saw this great vision and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words. And as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me, and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
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And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.
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And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.
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Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.
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When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, O my Lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. How can my Lord’s servant talk with my Lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me. Again, one having the appearance of a man, touched me and strengthened me.
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And he said, O man greatly loved, fear not. Peace be with you.
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Be strong and of good courage. And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me.
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Then he said, ”Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia. And when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth. There is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.”
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In 1988, I read Daniel chapter 10, but I didn’t make any notes in my journal. I just noted reading Daniel 10. So I read it, but I made no notes in my journal. In 2005, after reading Daniel 10, I wrote, Daniel was fasting and praying for three weeks. God answers with another vision. He saw a man and he went into a trance. No explanation is given as to who the man was or what the vision is about, but the communication process is revealed. We pray, God hears, and dispatches answers, but they come through spiritual warfare. In 2012, after reading Daniel 10, I wrote in my personal Bible reading journal, When heavenly beings appear on earth, men tremble and hide. Do we really think we will be any different? The being physically touched Daniel. Daniel was greatly loved. By who? By God? The being is not Jesus or God because he needed help from Michael. Michael and Gabriel are involved with Daniel. Daniel is touched again. Wonder if I have ever been touched by an angel. We are not to fear angels. Between recordings on the book of Daniel, I was thinking about Daniel and his encounter with Gabriel. And then I was reminded that Gabriel also touched Mary, the mother of Jesus. The span of time between the two has got to be five to six hundred years. Now that makes Gabriel a very old angel when he speaks to Mary often. Or, as we know, angels do not age. They’re not humans. They are heavenly beings. So Gabriel existed hundreds of years, probably for eternity. Amazing, as I was just thinking about angels, and especially Gabriel. There are a few concepts we can ponder in chapter 10 of the book of Daniel. First of all, Daniel mourning for three weeks, eating no delicacies, no meat or wine entering his mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all for the full three weeks. Our first application is, have you ever been concerned enough about anything to mourn or fast or just get in a spiritual tone for about three weeks? I don’t think I really have done what I’m thinking Daniel did here, but during the Lenten season of 40 days, I often do something like fast or give up something to make my life a little different for about 40 days, so that would be over three weeks. I do it partly out of my old Catholic background, but also just because I’ve enjoyed it over my spiritual journey for those special days of the Lenten season. I just think it’s fun to change up things, do something different. So a lot of times I give up something, and as I’m giving it up, I think, why am I giving it up? And it puts me in a spiritual framework. And then the last week of Lent, lenten season the last week the holy week of easter i often fast and pray and do different things that week so like daniel in that way i do that but not as a habit of my life other than that special week of the lenten season the next application i see in chapter 10 is daniel a man greatly loved If God, if Jesus, if an angel were to address you and your humanity, how would he address you? He addressed Daniel as a man greatly loved. Would you be a man greatly loved? Would you be a person greatly loved? Are you lovable to God, to his angels, to Jesus? The third application from this chapter may be that our answers to prayer may be on their way from heaven, but they may encounter spiritual warfare. Let’s look at the text starting with verse 12. Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard. and i have come because of your words the prince of the kingdom of persia withstood me twenty-one days but michael one of the chief princes came to help me for i was left there with the king of persia and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days for the vision is for the days yet to come I want to read my English Standard Version Study Bible footnote on verse 13. The angelic messenger was delayed on his journey 21 days by the prince of the kingdom of Persia, an evil angel associated with the Persian Empire and who resists God’s purposes. This information showed that the Jews were not simply facing human opposition and enmity at the earthly court of the Persian king, but powerful spiritual beings operating in the heavenly realms. Although this spiritual opponent was powerful enough to delay God’s messenger for a period of three weeks, all he could do was delay him. When Michael, one of the chief princes’ angels, came to help him, The angel was finally able to complete his journey and bring the message of encouragement to Daniel. I don’t often think about that in my prayer life. I don’t really think about what happens when I pray. I pray to the Lord, but I don’t think about the fact that some angel might be trying to deliver the answer and he may be in spiritual warfare with the demons of hell to try to get me an answer to my prayers. That might change my attitude about prayer. It also might change my attitude about the apparent delay in God’s answers to my prayers from time to time. I don’t really think about prayer as spiritual warfare, as I’ve now discovered in this chapter in Daniel. The last application comes in the closing verses of this chapter. Verse 19, I hope as we read the scriptures, as we read the book of Daniel, we learn to fear not. We learn to have the peace of God. We learn to be strong. We learn to have great courage, not because of who we are, but because of what we know as we read the word of God. Father, as you look down from heaven, I hope that you see me and that you would say, I was a man greatly loved by you. I also confess, Lord, that I may have not understood my own prayer life, that I pray to you. I may not understand that you answer. You send angelic answers my way. But there’s spiritual static, there’s spiritual warfare that sometimes delays these answers. If I have thought differently about that and maybe got impatient with you, forgive me, Lord, and thank you for a new and clearer understanding of my own prayer life through this chapter in the book of Daniel. And lastly, Lord, as we read your word, as we pray to you, would you eliminate fear? Would you grant us peace? Would you help us be strong and courageous for you? We ask these things in the powerful and wonderful name of Jesus. Amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. I love passages like this because they impact my life. I don’t read for information. I read the Bible for transformation. In other words, I can read or listen to a scripture passage, like it, set it aside, and move on with my day. I got information. The Bible offers so much more. After I read the passage for information, I read it again for transformation. I want to personalize what I read, so I get out my daily Bible reading journal and record my thoughts from the passage. What did I read? What does it mean to me in my life right now? What do I need to do to apply it to my day, my week, my life? After I read the passage a second time and journal, then I pray. What I read ignites my prayer as I pray through the concepts of the passage. After that, I pray for other matters on my daily prayer list. If you want to watch me demonstrate my personal quiet time, visit EzraProject.net and watch the Quiet Time How-To video. I know you will enjoy it and want to share it with others.
