Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Whenever God draws you to Himself and you want to draw yourself to God, expect great spiritual conflict in your life. You're going to see that today in your family, among your friends, among your loved ones. You will expect great spiritual conflict.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. We are focusing on the spiritual realm, and it's great to have you with us today. Raul will establish how prayer is a powerful weapon in the unseen war that's raging daily all around us.

God hears every petition, and you may not receive an answer as soon as you'd like, but you can always be confident of God's sovereign control both now and in the future as the world's final days unfold. Today's lesson is War in the Heavens. In Daniel chapter 10, here's Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: Daniel now not only has he been in Babylon for 68 years, in chapter nine he is wondering, "Hey God, You said 70 years of captivity." And then not only recognizing the captivity, but God answering not only his reading of the Word, and then praying and confessing and repenting for sin.

And then God sending Gabriel to speak to him and to show him that, "Hey, this is what I'm going to do in the next two years. I'm going to release 55,000 of your people. They're going to go back to Jerusalem. Nehemiah and Ezra will be there. The walls will be rebuilt."

And then in 483 years, what I'm going to do is I'm going to fulfill 483 years. And on April the 6th, 32 AD, the Messiah will ride into Jerusalem on a donkey and He will fulfill prophecy. And then there'll be one more year left, the last seven years of world history. But that will take 1,900 years to be fulfilled. To me, that's incredible when I read it.

Let me give you historically in chapter 10 of Daniel what's happening because now it's 72 years. The people of God already have returned back to Jerusalem, only 55,000. Read the book of Haggai. And they've gone back and at this particular time now, Daniel is an old man.

He came into captivity at the age of 12 or 13 years old. He came from Jerusalem to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar is history now. Cyrus, the king, is now ruling over the Persian Empire. And Daniel is remaining in Persia not only until his death, but at this particular moment Ezra and Nehemiah are being written at this particular time.

And if you already have read the book of Ezra and the book of Nehemiah, you know that those 55,000 people that have returned back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, even as Nehemiah was born in captivity in Persia, and the King Artaxerxes gave him permission to go back to rebuild the walls for 12 years.

The Tobiah and Sanballat and the Arabians are harassing the Jews. And it seems that every problem in the Old Testament, as we hear in the headlines today, is the problem with Israel and the Arabs. And it's nothing unusual because we even know that as Ezra and Nehemiah were being written and the Jews were going back only 55,000, the rest of them remained in Babylon and in Persia.

And then God began in the last days of the prophet Daniel. Probably Daniel now is 91 years old. That God once again would speak to Daniel one more time. And this time, God would speak to him about the uprising of Persia, the uprising of Greece, the uprising of Rome, and the uprising of the last world government of world history, the Antichrist, in chapter 10, chapter 11, and chapter 12 of Daniel. Imagine that.

Here is Daniel now in Persia, an old man. And listen to what he does beginning with chapter 10, beginning with verse one. In verses one to nine, we see the vision of the glory of God. He says, in the third year of Cyrus, 535 BC, king of Persia, a message literally a word was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar, the name given to him by Nebuchadnezzar, which is a Babylonian name.

The message or the word was true. But the appointed time was long. And he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. Now, I find that very interesting that the word was given to or the word was revealed to Daniel, but the appointed time was very long. And that word that he uses here, appointed time, literally in the Hebrew, it says a great warfare and conflict, a time of conflict and warfare. And it took 500 years to be fulfilled, 500 years before Jesus Christ came from the time that the prophecy was given, His first coming. We know that for a fact.

Guest (Male): This is Somebody Loves You radio with Raul Ries. Don't forget, we're here to equip you with the Bible's truth that will help you stand strong on the spiritual battlefield. Visit us at somebodylovesyou.com for a wealth of resources. You can also download our app for live-streamed Bible teaching and digital Bible studies. Let's continue now with more of our study, War in the Heavens.

Raul Ries: And here is now Daniel as he's not only waiting upon God, but check this out, verse two. "In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks." He says, "I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all for three whole weeks until they were fulfilled."

21 whole days. He gave himself to God, 21 whole days. He did not touch any food, he drank water, no wine, nothing. Just stood there before God in prayer, waiting, denying of himself before the Lord, asking God, "God, I'm Your instrument. How do You want to use me one more time?"

You see, you're never too old. When I hear people get this, they say, "I'm going to retire." I go, "Retire to do what? Nothing?" Seriously. Most people that I have known that have retired have died within the next five or ten years. You retire to die. Why not put yourself in the service of God and when they say, "Hey, Raul has died," then you can say he retired. Because that's true when you retire. That's when you go to be with the Lord. You see?

And I think it's important that we understand the mentality that we are to have as God's children. Daniel was giving himself to the Lord in prayer, in fasting, waiting upon Him. And then watch what happens, verse four.

And now on the 24th day of the first month, which is the 24th day of Nisan, as I was by the side of the great river, the river Tigris River, I lifted up my eyes and I looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz.

His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished brass in color, and the sound of his words were like the voice of multitudes. Who do you think that is? Jesus Christ. Same vision that John the Beloved had 1,900 years later. Same vision that Ezekiel had in the book of Ezekiel and now Daniel once again sees the presence of Jesus Christ as Christ reveals Himself to Daniel. Imagine that. Why? Because Daniel was waiting upon God.

Watch this, verse seven. He says, "And then I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great terror, a great fear fell upon them, so that they actually started running to hide themselves." And therefore, because of this, I, Daniel, was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me, for my vigor was turned into frailty in me, and I retained no physical strength.

Imagine that. He was wiped out, just like John. When John saw Jesus Christ, John fainted, he was on the ground. When Ezekiel saw God, he fainted, too. No man can actually see God and live. But it's a manifestation, a revelation of God. And here God is speaking to Daniel. And Daniel's reaction is that he sees Jesus Christ, and it wipes him out when he sees God.

And then what happens, verse nine. "And while I heard the sound of his words, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground." Notice that. I mean, when he saw God, he threw himself to the floor with his face down in total surrender and submission and humility before God, completely wiped out. That's what happens to people that see God. There's no arrogance in their lives. No pride at all in their lives.

But let me warn you, very important warning. That whenever God draws you to Himself and you want to draw yourself to God, expect great spiritual conflict in your life. And I want you to write that down. You're going to see that today. Great spiritual conflict in your family, among your friends, among your loved ones. You will expect great spiritual conflict.

Guest (Male): This is Somebody Loves You radio with Raul Ries. Don't forget, we are here to equip you with the Bible's truth that will help you stand strong on the spiritual battlefield. Visit us at somebodylovesyou.com for a wealth of resources. You can also download our app for live-streamed Bible teaching and digital Bible studies. Let's continue now with more of our study, War in the Heavens.

Raul Ries: Verses 10 to 21, the conflict now with Satan. And then suddenly, a hand came and touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hand. Can you imagine? He sees Jesus Christ, and then a hand touches him. And at the same time, many commentators declare that this was Jesus Himself. Others declare that it's an angel. There's going to be many angels here talking to Daniel.

He says, "Suddenly a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands." And then he said to me, "Oh, 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.

Now notice that every time when Gabriel came to him, what was Daniel doing? Reading, praying, worshipping. And then, boom, the message came. It says that God heard his prayer. God hears your prayers. And God always sends His answers. Now, the problem with answered prayer, it could be one day, it could be a few weeks, it could be months, it could be years, or it could be after you die God will answer your prayer. You see? We need to understand that.

In this case here, Daniel is praying for 21 days and it takes 21 days for him to receive the answer to his prayer. 21 days. You say, "Well, why 21 days?" I'll tell you in a moment. Verse 12. "Then he said to me, 'Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you started praying and set your heart to understand...'" Notice the condition of the heart.

From the day God saw you submitted to Him, and God saw you open to the Holy Spirit and say, "God, not my will but Your will. God, I'm through with myself. Whatever You want to do in my life, however You want to use my life," God heard that and God answered your prayer. He says, "Now we can speak. Now I can deal with you."

What happened? He says, "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 now because of your words." Imagine that. I'm here because of your prayer. I'm here to give you the answer. To me, that's amazing.

Verse 13. He says, "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for 21 days. And behold, Michael, the archangel of God, one of the chief princes, came to help me for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia." Did you notice that he also said the king of Persia? Why? Because demons rule over the nations of the world. That's what he's telling you. There are demons ruling over governments of the world, even today.

And here he makes the confession, say, "Hey, look, it took me a long time, 21 days to get to you, but Michael came to help me because I was all alone fighting hand-to-hand combat for 21 days and I could not break the ranks until he came to help me. And then I broke through. And I have to go back," you'll read it in a moment.

Verse 14. "And now I have come to make to you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come." Can you imagine that? "Hey Lord, I thought You said in chapter nine that was it." No, there's more. There's more. Chapter 10, chapter 11, chapter 12. I'm going to show you, Daniel, the whole thing for the last days.

The word "latter days" here in the Hebrew, it's speaking of the last days when Christ will return in all of His glory to set up His kingdom. And then he uses the word here, "your people," in reference to who? To the nation of Israel. Hey, who's the conflict with today? The Jews and the Arabs. It's always been the Jews and the Arabs. And even though Israel is the primary factor, and then among the Arabs, yet we have the world government already in power, the world monetary system coming already in the future.

Wars and rumors of wars and we know that in Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39, there is going to be World War III. The Russia will come along with all of the Muslim nations together and they'll try to invade the Middle East, Israel. And then God will intervene and five-sixths of that army will be wiped out and the Jews will win the battle.

And they will use what? The weapons that they came with for seven years for fuel. And they will bury their dead for seven months and they'll use professional buriers to do that because of a nuclear holocaust. Who ever knew that until today? We never knew that. We have the capacity today to do that. It's happening all over the world.

And yet God spoke to Daniel, "Daniel, this is what's going to happen." Watch this, verse 15. "And when he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face again towards the ground and became speechless." He couldn't, he was in shock. He couldn't believe it. And suddenly another angel having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips, and then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My Lord, because of my vision, my sorrows have overwhelmed me and I have retained no strength. Lord, this is too much for me." That's what John said and that's what Ezekiel said.

Too much. When they saw the future, they said, "Whoa, man, that is too much for me." Can you imagine as we read today in the 21st century what's ahead? It's hard to conceive, hard to understand. That today's 24-hour days are going to be shortened unless no flesh would survive. And the moon will turn into blood red and the stars of the heavens will fall.

And there will be two major earthquakes, one will shake the islands and the mountains out of their sockets in Revelation chapter six. And then in Revelation chapter 16, there'll be a second earthquake that will come and what will happen? It will shake not only the islands and mountains out of their sockets, but not one island and one mountain will be found on the face of the earth. All these things are the beginning of sorrows, the Bible said. Jesus said that.

The worst is yet to come, not the best. The worst is yet to come before the best comes. And yet people don't understand it. How we need a real awakening today to these things that are coming upon the earth. And we are that generation that the Lord has talked about. Look what else he says, verse 17.

"For how can this servant of my Lord talk with you, my Lord? As for me, Daniel, no strength remains in me now nor is my breath left in me." It just wiped him out when he saw it. And then again another angel came in the likeness of a man and touched me and strengthened me. And then he said, "Oh, greatly beloved, fear not, Daniel. 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." Hey, don't you remember what Jesus said to Peter, James, and John right before He was leaving and He told them everything that was going to happen? He said what? "Let not your heart be troubled. If you believe in Me, believe also that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will return again to receive you unto Myself so that where I am, you also will be with Me."

The great promise. Don't get hooked on this earth. Get your roots in heaven. Everything's going to burn in this world. And when the things begin to happen, let me warn you, they're going to happen so quickly, you'll be in shock. You will be in shock when they begin to happen.

The next great event in God's calendar will be the disappearance of the Church of Jesus Christ to heaven, what we call in Scripture the Rapture of the Church. That could happen at any time. Then World War III will happen, Ezekiel 38, 39. Then Jacob's trouble, seven years of world history like the world has never seen before once the Church is out of here.

The Antichrist will appear, the unveiling of the Antichrist, the false prophet, Satan, and all of his power against Israel and against the nations of the world. And then Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ. And then 45-day judgment of the nations, and then the thousand-year reign of Christ, we call the Millennium Kingdom, the reign of Christ on the earth.

Check this out, verse 20. "Daniel, you're greatly loved, fear not, peace be to you, be strong, yes, be strong." And so when he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Let my Lord speak now, for you have strengthened me. Tell me what else." Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you?" "Why?" "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."

Daniel, this is just the beginning. Until Jesus Christ comes, there's going to be spiritual warfare, heavy, against the Jews and against the world.

Guest (Male): Well, it is hard to fully grasp the reality of a spiritual realm where angels and demons are at war and our prayers are weapons in God's mighty hand. You're listening to Somebody Loves You radio with Raul Ries. Today's study was titled War in the Heavens. For a complete unedited version, just call us at 800-634-9165, and for a donation of $5 or more, we'll send a copy to you.

Now, as you contemplate your role on this battlefield, we'd like to tell you about Raul's four-part series titled Heaven or Hell. It's available on CD and USB. Exploring the Bible's insights into the afterlife, this study underscores God's desire for every person to enjoy true communion with Him beyond this world and for all eternity. You'll also learn more about the influence you can have in pointing others to God's salvation.

Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's clarifying four-message series titled Heaven or Hell. We'll send you the CD set for $18 or the thumb drive for just $10. The number again is 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You radio, P.O. Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

Your partnership in this ministry enables us to keep sharing the gospel and we are grateful for every tax-deductible contribution. Tune in next time as we continue this series with more encouragement to live with eternity in view. The spiritual darkness of this world can feel oppressively overwhelming, but God has promised us the light of Christ and the hope of heaven. Now, with the closing comment, here's Raul once again.

Raul Ries: Verse 21, "But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of truth." Hey, I'm going to tell you what God said in His Scripture. "No one upholds me against these except Michael, your prince." Hey Daniel, turn the page. In chapter 11 that we begin, until chapter 12, everything God said, everything He said about Napoleon, everything He said about the Antichrist, everything He said about the last days, about Greece and Alexander the Great, and what He said about every one of the kings and every one of the leaders in Rome, everything is written in the book of Daniel, chapter 11.