Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levitan.

Gideon Levytam: We want this evening to turn to Daniel 10 so we'll follow up one verse at a time. Now we have covered the first 10 verses last session together, but I'm going to read from verse 11 to Daniel 11 1 so we get the text before. And he said unto me, Oh Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee and and stand upright for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken these words unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard and I am come for thy words.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 1 and 20 days. But Lo, Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make the understand what shall befall thy people, this is Israel, in the latter days, for yet the vision is for many days. And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face towards the ground and I became dumb. And behold, one like a similitude of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and I spake and said unto him that stood before me, Oh my Lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and I have retained no strength.

For how can the servant of this my Lord talk with this my Lord? For as for me, straightway there remain no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man and he strengthened me and said, Oh man greatly beloved, in Hebrew is Grace be unto thee. Be strong, yeah, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened and I said, Let my Lord speak for thou hast strengthened me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee?

And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia. And when I am going forth, Lo, the prince of Gracia will come. But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth. And there is none that holdeth with me in those things but Michael, your prince. Chapter 11 verse 1. Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And I'm going to stop here with this with this verse chapter 10 verse 1 to chapter 11 and verse 1. Just by way of reminder, chapter 10, 11 and 12 of the prophet Daniel really is ought to be read together because together those three chapters are composed really one unit in the book of Daniel.

But the the chapter chapter 10 verse 1 to chapter 11 verse 1, these particular verses gives us an introduction to the totality of the of the final vision or the last vision that Daniel is receiving here in this book. And this particular vision which is contained chapter 10, 11 and 12 really deals with the future of the people of Israel. But it takes that that vision takes us not only to the time of Israel's restoration from Babylon, which was already done as far as the time that Daniel is writing, but it takes us all the way up till the end of the tribulation period.

And so chapter 11 and 12 are very important chapters which we need to study carefully so we can gain some help as we are looking into these chapters. But chapter 10 in which we are read last session and this session really gives us the the introduction to this final vision. Now really we have tagged this particular chapter the introduction to the prophecy, the introduction to the final prophecy of Daniel. And this is really it's like it's like a history looking at certain things that happened in the history and telling us of how Daniel received that final vision.

Now we have already covered the first 10 verses. And in the first 10 verses, first of all, we said the background or when did Daniel receive the vision? When Daniel received the vision, it was about 536 535 BC, the people of Israel or I should say some of the Jewish people have already returned to their promised land about two years prior. So when Daniel received this final vision, there are certain Jewish people that have already gone back, have already gone to the the the if you will the promised land, the land of Canaan after 70 years of being in captivity by the Babylonians.

And so when he's receiving that vision, the time was the time about 535 536 BC. And if you remember what I said that in the first three verses Daniel find himself mourning, weeping, crying. And of course, immediately as we have said last time, last session, why was Daniel weeping? Why was he weeping? Well, remember it says here in verse 1 in the third years of Cyrus king of Persia. But in Ezra chapter 1 it was in the first year of of of Cyrus king of Persia that the Jewish people receive or he receive a instruction from God to give room for the Jewish people to return to be restored to the promised land.

Well, here is the third year, much things have happened. Only 49 50,000 Jewish people went back to the promised land to Israel. The rest of the Jewish people were satisfied to remain in Babylon. That was enough to cause Daniel a lot of grief. Why? Finally the 70 years have ended. We can be restored. Our people can be restored to the land. The rest of the Jewish people are satisfied to live in the diaspora. That's number one. Number two that we have said that when they have arrived to the land and they were beginning to to rebuild the the temple and so on, they had so much opposition by the Samaritans that we know them today, as we call them Samaritan, by the foreigners that have come all the way from Assyria from Syria came back and being placed in the northern of Israel, they began to tell to the Jewish people who returned from Babylon, We are going to work with you together.

We're going to help you. And they had so much problems because of these particular people who claimed that they want to help, but in actuality they were nothing but troublemakers. You know, let me just tell you for a moment I have these problems existing today in a local church setting without people who are coming to church meetings that have no interest to build. They have no interest to help the things of God to go forward. But what they want is really and I'm amazed. You know what? I I said this to some of my classes, If you don't have the desire to build you're better off.

Don't put your hand into anything. Because if you intend to only make trouble God will have to deal with you one way or another. I don't envy a person that is attending church meetings and doesn't have an honest desire in his heart to be a builder. I tell you it is so sad to see it. And it's happening in the church of Jesus Christ just the same like it happened in the among the people of Israel when they were restored going back to the promised land and beginning to build the temple and so on. I just don't understand why people would want even to be involved in so-called congregational setting or church setting if they don't have any desire in their heart to be a builders.

Why? Why? If a person does not want to get involved and be a helpful, if you want to put the foot or to cause people to stumble, what's the point? Why? There is no reason to do that unless somehow the influence is not from God, it's from the flesh and it's from Satan and it's from the world. That's what it is. And that was happening and Daniel Daniel saw and we read Ezra 2 Ezra I'm sorry Ezra chapter 4 and we read that last time if you remember and we saw how they they they they wanted to help them so-called, but in actuality they were not helpers.

They were not helpers at all. In fact, the third reason that why Daniel perhaps was crying and weeping, it says here, In those days I Daniel was mourning for three full weeks. Why? You know why? Because perhaps the third reason is the temple the building of the temple ceased, stopped. It stopped and Daniel was so grieved when he heard about the rumors there. You know, it remind me a little bit of the Apostle Paul when Apostle Paul receive instruction or I mean information about certain local assemblies or local churches that there was troubles there in Galatia in Corinth.

You remember he received about the Galatian the the legalists that came in in in in in Corinthian the looseness that were among the people of God. And so Paul was grieved and I believe there is a there is a parallel here to see Daniel is grieving and he's weeping and he's mourning for whole three weeks. And it says here in those verses it says no pleasant bread, neither came any any flesh or no wine to my to my mouth, neither in neither did I anoint he didn't anoint himself at all until the end of the three weeks.

Why? Because he was so concerned with the condition of the people of Israel of his own brethren. And you know I tell you that is something that I believe is lacking so much in our lives. The little bit concern that we have for the people of God and for the things of God, we have such little concern for the things of God. You know, if we would weep more if we will be more concerned with the condition of God's people God will honor it a lot more than if we will try to to straighten up every matter.

God want his people to have so much concern for his people and for the things of God that we will have an attitude like Daniel or an attitude like the Apostle Paul. And so and so this this is just a parallel that I want you to see that and so that's what the that was the the occasion, that was the the state, that was if you will the the the time in which Daniel received all of a sudden some special instruction and special help and a special vision from that particular individual. And so we have covered those three verses.

The next verses verses 4 5 and 6 there was a man that came. And you remember that man that came, we know he was an angel. It was a unique angel that came to give instruction to Daniel. It says here in the 4 and 20th day of the of the first month as I was by the side of the great river which was I lifted up mine eyes and I looked and behold a certain man close and we see here in verses 5 and 6 certain things he was he was he was he was dressing in a special way and the appearance of these man was a unique appearance.

And we can see that this person was a unique messenger of God that God sent him to give instruction to Daniel. We notice in verses 7 to 10 there was a a reaction. When Daniel saw that man he reacted. The people that were with him first of all notice in verse 7 I Daniel alone saw the vision. For the man m e n the people that were with me saw not the vision, but a great quaking fell upon the upon them so that they fled and hid themselves. They end up hiding themselves. In other words, the word here means a great quick.

The quaking here that fell upon them is a great fear fell upon them. They went away. They hid themselves. Verse 8, I was left alone and I saw the great vision and there remained no strength in me for my commonness was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength. There was no strength left in Daniel. And then we find out what happened to him. When I heard the voice of his words and when I heard the voice of when when I heard the voice of his words he said here, Then I I fell if you will, I was in a deep sleep on my face and my face was towards the ground.

That's the last the last point I think that we have mentioned, the deep sleep that we have been speaking about in the Hebrew or simply mean a super natural sleep that God in a sense like almost cause him to to fall asleep almost like it's a it's not death, but the sleep is so strong that it's only they're waking up. It's only done by a super natural way where God himself would wake one up. It happened in Genesis into to Adam. It happened in Genesis to Abraham. It happened to Saul in the book of of Samuel.

And we talked about it last time. And now I want to continue from verse 11 on. By the way verse 10 says, And behold, the hand touched me. And he set me upon my knees and upon my palms all of my hands. In other words, the the men touched him and in a sense he lifted him up and he was remaining upon his as it says here in verse 10 upon his knees and upon his palms. He was almost like a like in a position like a like a bowing on his knees if you will.

His palms and his knees were touching the ground. That's the position that he was it when the man touched him. Now we're moving on now. Let's move on to the next next verses. In verses 11 to 14 we we hear the message that this angel or this man was giving to Daniel. First of all, in verse 11 we see the reason for the hand that touched him. Why did he touch him? When Daniel when Daniel was in verse 9 in a deep sleep, he touched him. The reason for the touching it because he wanted to give Daniel to understand what he was about to tell him.

It says in verse 11, And he said unto me, Oh Daniel, a man greatly beloved. Now just pause here for a moment. You know the word the expression greatly beloved in Hebrew is an expression that you would say to someone who is a who is a sweet person. You know, sometime a a husband will say to his wife, Sweetheart. It's a very same expression. You know, I'm thinking about the here the the the English says greatly beloved. I think of an expression that Apostle John often use in the in the gospel that he was the Apostle whom Jesus loved.

The Apostle whom Jesus loved. And you can see the kind of a man he was that God honored Daniel. This man saw something special about Daniel because he was a man that had a concern for the things of God. He was a man that had a concern for the people of God. And so he's touching him and he said to him, Oh Daniel, a man greatly beloved. He said to him, You understand understand the word that I speak unto you and stand upright for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken these words unto me, I stood trembling.

You see the reason he's saying this particular man, this angel, he says, You know the reason that I was sent I was sent to that you will understand certain events that are going to happen to your people, Daniel. So what does he do? What's happened here? He is a he is a when he when he told him that when he had spoken to him he stood trembling. He's still trembling at that at that sight of that special man that came to give him these instruction. And then verse 12 the angel say that he was sent Notice when this angel said that he was sent from he was sent to give Daniel an answer to his prayer.

Already when Daniel began to pray three weeks prior 21 days prior. Notice it says here in verse 12, Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thine self before thy God, thine words were heard and I am come for thy words. Now you know you know I don't know about you, but in my prayer life many times there are certain things that I really desire that the Lord will help and answer with. And it seems like that the time is passing and there is no answer.

And sometime I one one is wondering you say, What didn't God hear what I have heard on my heart to tell him? Didn't he hear my words? And it's for all of us it's the same thing. Sometime we feel like I'm praying and I'm praying and I'm praying and the answer do not come exactly when I need it. It doesn't seem like it it comes. I'm How long time I'm going to wait? Well, apparently we learn here a very important lesson. Whether God gives us the answer immediately or not from the first time that we are crying to the Lord about anything God hears already in the beginning when we say something or even even if we don't say, even if we think about something in our heart and we we in a silent praying to the Lord God already heard it.

God already knows that even though it seem like it didn't rise above the ceiling. It seem like it didn't go up enough. Does God is God hearing my prayer? That is how sometime we do feel. Well, according to this verse verse 12 Daniel's words came up before the Lord already from the first time that Daniel began to seek to know the mind of God about the the future of his people, the people of Israel. For he says to him, Fear not, Daniel, for from Notice the word from the first day. By the way, if you go back to verse 2 for a minute.

In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. Verse 3, I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I I I I anoint myself at all until three full weeks were fulfilled. Then we have in our verse verse 12 where it says, For from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thine self before thy God, thine words were heard. And I am come for thy words. You know this is actually is very comforting for us. It's very comforting for us because even though a time we feel like God does not answer immediately or he doesn't seems like he hearing my prayer the words of the believer are definitely being heard by God.

And God in his timing he's going to give us an answer. I know it's easily said words like that. And you know when you are in trouble and you really need the help of the Lord and you say, Wow, Oh I need you now, God. And it doesn't seem the answer doesn't seem to come. It is a real comfort to know that he does hear and he's going to come up with the answer. He either can say yes or he can say no, we don't like that. Or he can say wait. And for us we like yes, right?

Who likes no? And who likes wait? Wait, you know, Oh I you know you know sometime you see on a on a on a on a desk of a secretary, God, I want patient and I want it now. Well, you know what the verse tell us in Romans, Tribulation worketh patience. You want patience? Well, God is going to get to take us through a a lesson of tribulation of trials. And that's the way God is we we we will work in a life of his people. But here is a man that had a concern for his people and God is giving him the answer.

But the answer did not arrive at the time that he wanted. It arrived later. But now we are going to find out why did the answer did not arrive immediately on the first day when Daniel prayed. In fact, In fact, Daniel could have have the answer on the first day. But there's something that we learn here from this verse, the next verse is that it is a there is a New Testament lesson as well for us from verse 13. Notice what it says in the next verse. In verse 13 we learn the reason for the delay.

Look at the reason for the delay, verse 13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me, this man, this angel saying, 1 and 20 days, 21 days. It is three full weeks. But Lo Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me. And I remained there with the king of Persia. Now you know this is a very interesting verse. Actually verse 13 is very interesting in this particular chapter. Why? Is because that man apparently is an angel. An angel that God was sending to give the instruction instruction to Daniel about the future days of Daniel's people, Daniel people is Israel.

But apparently this is something that Daniel does not see just like you and I do not see. In the heavenly realm there are warfares that are going on between the what we would call it the good angels or the angels that serve God and the evil angels, the the fallen angels, the one that fell with Satan they were we call them today demons. This is fallen angels. And so what happened that particular angel, this particular man that we hear as we have the appearance of him here is an angel coming was sent by by God to give an answer to Daniel.

But already when he was intending to come, it says here that the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for 21 days. The prince of the kingdom of Persia.

Guest (Male): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levitan. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 1411 Niagara on the Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com.

God bless you. Shalom. Shalom.