Join us as we delve into the complexities of spiritual warfare portrayed in Daniel’s encounter with a divine messenger. Learn how God’s strength becomes evident in moments of personal weakness and discover the resilient faith that is forged in the fires of spiritual conflict. This episode encourages listeners to find solace and courage in understanding that while the battles we face are significant, God’s power and love are far greater. Whether you are familiar with biblical prophecies or new to these themes, this conversation offers insightful reflections on faith, struggle, and divine reassurance.
Many times when you didn’t want to take another step, when your problems are so great and the pressure’s so great and you can’t tell anybody. After all, you’re not supposed to. You’re supposed to appear strong. Amen? But those of you who are wise in the Lord know that I’m just snowing you. We all need the Lord, don’t we? And God has touched me frequently with his strength and his power. They’ve come quietly sometimes and other times very forcefully. Sometimes it’s come through his children and sometimes it’s come through a passage that I’ve read. And sometimes it’s come to an event or a circumstance, and I found God touching sweetly my heart and saying again, I love you, David. Keep on keeping on. I love you.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. And on today’s broadcast, we come to day three of our message from Daniel chapter 10, a vision of the Messiah. Daniel is flat on his face. He’s overwhelmed by glory and crushed by revelation. And well, he’s stripped of strength as well. But you know something? God doesn’t leave him there. A divine touch lifts him. A word of encouragement steadies him. And a message of truth unfolds, exposing the spiritual warfare that’s been waged behind the scenes since the beginning of time. It’s a reminder that while the battle is real, God is greater. Well, stay with us. Day three of A Vision of the Messiah begins in just a moment. And before we get started, just a quick word from the heart. If this ministry has been a blessing to you, if you’ve grown closer to the Lord through these Bible studies each day on Hope for Today, what would you please pray about becoming a part of what God is doing through Hope for Today? You know, we’re trusting the Lord to supply what’s needed, and he does that through his people. This is a listener-sponsored broadcast. And, well, maybe that’s you. Maybe today is the day that you step into something bigger, something that makes an eternal difference. We’re in a current situation now where we need to catch up on some bills, and your gift right now could help bridge the gap. No pressure, no gimmicks, just a simple… invitation to partner with us in bringing the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible to a world that’s desperate for truth. So please pray first, pray for God’s supply to meet our needs, and ask the Lord if he would have you be a part of meeting that need. You can donate online at davidhawking.org or call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 1-888-75-BIBLE in Canada. The Bible is 242-53. Let’s get back to Daniel chapter 10 now. Here’s David.
SPEAKER 02 :
A vision of the Messiah. Daniel chapter 10. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long, and he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, which is a sign of joy according to the book of Proverbs, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river that is the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of euphaz. His body was like burl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.” And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision. For the men who were with me did not see the vision, but great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me, for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words, and while I heard the sound of his words, I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Then suddenly a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly beloved. Understand the words that I speak to you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you. While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days.” And behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come. When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And suddenly one, having the likeness of the sons of men, touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, My Lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. For how can this servant of my Lord talk with you, my Lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me. Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not. Peace be to you. Be strong. Yes, be strong. So when he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me. Then he said, Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia. And when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of truth. No one upholds me against these except Michael, your prince. Continue in verse 1, please, of chapter 11, which finishes the discourse here. Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him. Probably referring to Michael the prince in the last of verse 21. We all understand this is God’s Word. And in this passage, there are some troublesome things about a prince of Persia, about this man clothed in linen, who he really is, and what this is all about. Well, let me break it down for you in four areas. In the opening three verses, we have the effect of the vision upon Daniel. In verses 4 to 9, we have the encounter with the man clothed in linen. In verses 10 to 14, we have the explanation of the vision. And in verses 15 to 21, we have the enablement of Daniel to receive and understand that vision. The final section, verses 15 to 21, deals with the enablement of Daniel to receive and understand the vision. And I’d like to point out four things in this passage. One, his strength left him. Strength in our life, what we need in the real battle of life, the real spiritual warfare that’s going on that we may not be understanding, we may be oblivious to it, but it’s going on all the time. And the strength and boldness we need comes from the touch of God. That’s what’s going to give us the ability to deal with life and to cope with the satanic pressure that’s everywhere. We’re in a terrible battle. His strength left him. This happened to John also. Verse 16 says, because of the vision, my sorrows have overwhelmed me. And this was a deep burden for the people of Israel. What are you talking about, all this suffering? Then he said, how can this servant of my Lord talk with you, my Lord? No strength remains in me. There’s no breath left in me. He thought he was dying. His strength left him. Secondly, the Savior touched him. That’s all we need to know. Verse 18 and 19. Just a couple of things, three things about the Savior touching him that really was a blessing to me. I hope it will be a blessing to you in verse 18 and 19. One, he reassured him of his love again. And he started right out again. He touched him and said, O man greatly beloved. It’s almost like, didn’t you remember what I told you a moment ago? I love you. He reassured him of his love, too. He relieved him of his fear. He said, do not be afraid. Fear not. Turn to John 14, please. What a precious passage this is. I guess we could call it all the touch of our Lord that we all need. The Savior touched him and reassured him of his love and relieved him of his fear. Jesus did the same to his disciples in John 14, 1, the night before he went to the cross. What an emotional occasion that was. And he said, Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. Verse 27, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Chapter 16, verse 33. These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world, and all God’s people say. Isn’t that wonderful? What a Lord we’ve got. He touched him, reassured him of his love. I love you, Daniel. Don’t be afraid. Have peace in your heart. And third, he reemphasized his need of strength. I like what it says in Daniel 10. The Lord said, be strong. Then he repeats it. Yes, be strong. Paul writes the same thing in Ephesians 6.10. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Joshua heard that message from God when he was asked to take over from Moses. He was told that the book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. You shall meditate in a day and night. Don’t turn to the right or the left, Joshua. You do everything it says. Be strong and have a good courage. Be not dismayed. Don’t fear at all, for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go. He reemphasized his need of strength. Daniel, I’ll give you strength. Be strong. Yes, be strong. His strength left him. The Savior touched him. Verse 20, the situation was explained. We have to compare it back to verse 14. I’ve come to make you understand what will happen to your people, Israel, in the latter days. For the vision refers to many days yet to come. Verse 20, then he said, do you know why I’ve come to you? Situation’s going to be explained. And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia. I want you to know, Daniel, you don’t need to be afraid. I’m going to fight for you. You know, all the way through the testimony of God’s people Israel, what’s the message they hear all the time? The Lord will fight for you. Deliverance comes from the Lord. The battle is the Lord’s. And the Lord said, don’t worry, I’m going to go back and I’m going to fight with that prince of Persia. We are not going to allow those demonic forces to hurt the people of Israel. Persia is going to give them the freedom to go back. It has been decreed. It’s a part of God’s plan. It’s going to occur. Don’t worry, Daniel. Rest in the sovereignty of God. The situation was explained, I think, in two ways. One, by the concern of our Lord himself. I must return, but also the conflict of angelic forces that there’s going to be fighting. And then he said, when I have gone forth, indeed, the prince of Greece will come. You think that’s all there is, Daniel? Let me tell you, there’s going to be more trouble. Why, the evil forces that are in back of a nation that isn’t even in existence yet. named Greece, is going to come to power. And there’s going to be more persecution of your people. And Daniel chapter 11 is dealing with a blow-by-blow description of how the Grecian empire, as it broke up after Alexander the Great, and including Alexander the Great, persecuted the people of Israel severely. And you’re going to learn about it in Daniel chapter 11. You’re going to learn about one of those Grecian leaders named Antiochus Epiphanes, who will desecrate the temple that the Jews went back to rebuild under Ezra and Nehemiah. And you will see the persecution again. You’ll learn about the Maccabean revolt and the Jewish fight against them. But you’ll learn that the only hope is the Lord, who is really fighting all the evil forces in behalf of His people Israel. Has God cast away His people? Paul asked in Romans. God forbid. God has never cast away His people. He said, I’ll bless those who bless you, and I’ll curse him who curses you. The Bible teaches according to the treatment of Israel, that’s how He will judge the nations. Matthew 25, 31-46. The Bible is clear. God has chosen Israel, not because they are few in number, not because they’re militarily successful or financially capable. He chose them to demonstrate two things. Deuteronomy 7, 6-9. One, His love. I set my love on you. I loved you even though I knew you’d be unfaithful to me. And to his faithfulness, I will keep my promise to a people who will turn their back on me. Psalm 89 says, If my sons, the sons of Israel, forsake my law and rebel against me, I will never forget my promise and my covenant. It will be like the faithful witness in the sky referring to the rainbow. from the time of Noah. God will never go back on his faithfulness. In Lamentations, as the people of Israel, like they do today in front of the Wailing Wall, are lamenting over the tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. In that wonderful book of Lamentations, you hear this message, that it is through the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. His mercies are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Amen. That message is for us, we Gentiles, who because of the blessing of God through Abraham and Israel have come to be a part of the true olive tree, grafted in by the Lord himself, now receiving the blessing of God that he gave to his people Israel as he brought us the Messiah. Praise the Lord. What a blessing we have. One final thing is the support of Michael himself was revealed. Verse 21, I tell you what is noted in the Scripture of truth. because it’s already settled by God. No one upholds me against these except Michael, your prince. Michael is the prince of Israel. The devil has his demonic forces of all the nations of the world. Well, God has his prince of Israel too, and he happens to be Michael, the archangel, who can call legions of angels to help him anytime he wants. And verse 1 of chapter 11 says, also in the first year of Darius the Mede, the Lord still talking, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him, Michael. Who’s going to give Michael courage? Who’s going to strengthen Michael in his great attack against Satan and his forces? The Lord Jesus Christ will. Turn, please, to Jude 9. We’ve got two passages and we’re done. Jude, one of the brothers of our Lord. You want to learn about Michael? Yet Michael, the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you. Listen, Michael needs the strength of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ has to say, Michael, it’s okay, go for it. Michael knows the power of Satan, knows it well. Michael, the leader of God’s good angels, knows Satan well. Lucifer, son of the morning, and knows his plans and his evil plans, and knows that one-third of the angels of heaven fell with him and went along with him. And Michael knows that he’s got more in his army than the devil has in his, but he also knows that he needs the strength of the Lord himself in order for him to take him on. I hope you’re still with me. Revelation 12. This might blow your mind. Verse 7 to 9. We are now in the middle of the tribulation period, and the Bible speaks about Satan’s anger toward the woman and her child. Verse 4 says the dragon stood before the woman, which is Israel, described in verse 1, and who was ready to give birth and to devour her child, the Messiah, as soon as it was born. He tried to Herod, you remember, who killed all the babies in Bethlehem. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. We read in this passage how the devil is angered with Israel. Verse 17, the dragon was enraged with the woman. That’s what it says. But look at verse 7. In the middle of this tribulation period, we read these amazing words. The war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. Talk about a battle. But they did not prevail, nor was the place found for them in heaven any longer. Yes, Satan has access into heaven, still does to this day, where he accuses believers day and night. No, he was not kicked out of heaven between Genesis 1, 1 and 1, 2. We invented that to help us answer the arguments of evolution. We read in verse 9, the dragon was cast out. He won’t be cast out till the tribulation period. That serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth and his angels were cast with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren. who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. Let’s pray. Father in heaven, the Father of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of your love and your plan, the Lamb of God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Father, we delight in your sovereignty. We’re amazed at what you have revealed. Help us again, Lord, to know that there’s a spiritual battle going on, but we do not see it. There’s a fight over the souls of men and women. Thank you for your loving protection. As you put a hedge around Job and would not let the enemy touch him, except as you allowed it, we thank you, Lord, that your control and care is there for us. Help us to understand where Israel comes in your heart. You call them the apple of your eye, the people who were chosen by you, a treasure above all the peoples of the earth. Though they have been disobedient and rebellious, though they do not believe in you, you have loved them faithfully, and we thank you. Thank you for what we’ve learned about your touch, what we learned about who your son really is. May we have a different attitude towards you because of it. May there be worship in our hearts of he who is King of kings and Lord of lords. Thank you for the wonderful encouragement that you love us. Thank you that you want to relieve us of all fear and doubt. You told us not to be afraid. You will never leave us nor forsake us. Lord, we love you. And God, strengthen your people. Some of us are really discouraged and defeated. The devil has done a number on us. And though we have not seen how he has worked, his target has been to defeat and discourage and destroy us. Thank you, Lord, for reminding us again of your marvelous touch. I pray for those that may be listening right now who are not sure that they’re believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. God, would you, by your Holy Spirit, bring them to your Son. May they be saved now. In Jesus’ name we pray.
SPEAKER 1 :
Amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
Have you given your heart to Him? We’d like to pray for you right now. Open your hearts, please, as we pray. Lord, You know who’s listening and who isn’t. And I pray for those that have never settled their relationship with You. O God, I pray that through Your powerful Holy Spirit, as they put their faith and trust in the finished work of our Lord, who died for our sins and rose again from the dead, ascended to heaven and is coming back, Lord, if they will believe in You, You have told us in Your Word. that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I pray, friends, that you’ll give your heart to Him right now.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, and friend, if you prayed that prayer with David, or if you’re still searching for what it really means to follow Jesus Christ, we have two free resources we’d love to send specifically to you. The first is a powerful booklet by David called What Is Christianity? The second is our free Bible study by mail. Call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the US or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And just before David returns, Matt’s joining me in studio now, and we’re going to tell you about a great study resource.
SPEAKER 03 :
Our Lord tells us that whoever reads the words of Revelation and heeds the message will be blessed. So let’s study Revelation. Amen. Amen.
SPEAKER 04 :
And we’re going to do just that coming up soon on Hope for Today. But you know, Matt, historically, people have often avoided studying this prophetic book because of the symbolism in it. Or because it just seemed too overwhelming to undertake. Or they write it off as too controversial. But we have a solution for you. We do. Number one, Jim. Yeah, stay tuned for David’s radio series in Revelation.
SPEAKER 03 :
And number two. Get the Revelation study, guide, handbook, commentary, titles, the book of Revelation, Understanding the Future. It’s normally $25, but just $20 this month. And third?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, we have David’s original sermon outlines and notes. Matt, these are the sermon outlines and notes that he drafted to preach each message in the series. And they’re wonderful for following along through the series and then into the future when you want to review or share the teaching with others.
SPEAKER 03 :
Discover and experience Revelation in a deeper, more encouraging fashion with our Revelation radio series and these resources.
SPEAKER 04 :
Get the Revelation series sermon notes ahead of time for just $10. And you can purchase and download at davidhawking.org.
SPEAKER 03 :
Or receive them by PDF CD when you call us. And again, the book, Revelation, Understanding the Future, is just $20 this month. In Canada, call 1-888-75-BIBLE. In the U.S., call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE. And Bible by the Numbers is 242-53.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Matt, I also want to mention your dad’s complete MP3 series, Through the Book of Daniel, all of the messages in the current series on MP3, and it’s just $30. And you can get it by calling 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And of course, you can order online our website, davidhawking.org. You know, as I mentioned earlier, just a quick note here that this is a very critical season for the ministry of Hope for Today. If God is leading you to give to this ministry, well, write to us at Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California. 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 8P1. Let’s get back to our study. Here’s David.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thanks for listening to Hope for Today. We’re in Daniel chapter 10 on a vision of the Messiah. And it concerns a future time, definitely, for the people of Israel. What is happening here to Daniel? He’s enabled by God to now receive and understand this vision, and that is in Daniel 10, verses 15 to 21. And that will wrap up our study of his vision of the Messiah, some of the details of which are going to continue through chapters 11 and 12. Daniel is suffering a bit in understanding. His strength left him, according to verse 15 to 17, but the Savior touched him, reassured him of his love, and relieved him of all his fear and reemphasized the need of strength to be strong. Well, the support of Michael is also revealed in verse 21. He is mentioned in Jude 9 and Revelation chapter 12. The archangel is only one of them. His name is Michael. So this is wrapping up the vision of the Messiah. God bless you all.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, thank you, David. And next time on the broadcast, kings clash, kingdoms rise and fall, and Daniel 11 lays it all out in advance. It’s day one of David’s message called North vs. South. Don’t miss it. And until then, thanks for joining us. And we’ll see you right here tomorrow on Hope for Today.
Join us as we delve into the complexities of spiritual warfare portrayed in Daniel’s encounter with a divine messenger. Learn how God’s strength becomes evident in moments of personal weakness and discover the resilient faith that is forged in the fires of spiritual conflict. This episode encourages listeners to find solace and courage in understanding that while the battles we face are significant, God’s power and love are far greater. Whether you are familiar with biblical prophecies or new to these themes, this conversation offers insightful reflections on faith, struggle, and divine reassurance.
