Table of Contents
Thy Words Were Heard : Daniel 10:12
When Daniel set down in his chamber to record his most recent vision and the effects that it had upon his soul, he was an aged man of at least 90 years. As a young teenager, he was taken captive by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon.
He lived in Babylon until the kingdom fell to the Medes and Persian seventy-years later. He would have been approaching 88 years of age when the Medo-Persian Empire began its 200-year reign. Since Daniel made the practice of dating his visions, it was received and recorded by him in the third year of the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia (1). This would have made the prophet no less than 90-year-old.
He had lived a long time. He had witnessed many changes in the world. He had been a part of three kingdoms: his own kingdom in Judah where he was born, the Babylonian Empire, and now the Medo-Persian. And yet, through all these kings and kingdoms, through all these changes, he had not been changed. He was unchanged. He was still constant, steadfast, and faithful to the Lord. There was perhaps no other saint that could say that!
1. The final prophecy
The final prophecy, which covers Daniel chapters 10-12, deeply grieved the heart of the aged prophet. Dark, mysterious, troubling events and unknown characters were going to bring even greater anguish, warfare, and trouble upon his beloved land of Israel and his people. Daniel understood the significance of the vision, which caused him to mourn, fast, and pray. For three weeks he didn’t eat nor drink but waited on God in prayer. His wait in prayer was met with silence. It was during this three-week period that he learned one of the most valuable and instructive spiritual and practical lessons of his long life. The truths that he learned are valuable and instructive to all of God people.
Twenty-one days into his mourning, a “certain man,” a heavenly angel, probably Gabriel, appeared unto the prophet and touched him. He set Daniel on his knees and the palms of his hand (10).
Stranger yet was the message given to Daniel. He learned that his prayers had been hindered. The angel revealed to Daniel the cause of the delay, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days.”
What could the “certain man” have meant when he said to Daniel that “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me?” Unknown to the prophet there was an “invisible war” taking place in the heavenlies, a spiritual struggle between the ‘good angels’ in heaven and ‘fallen angels’ that affects all of mankind.
Satan is the “prince of this world” according to the Lord Jesus. Three times Jesus referred to him with this designation (Jn. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). It is believed that after he was cast out of heaven and given authority over the earth, Satan placed certain angels who fell with him over the kingdoms of the world, and these fallen angels do the bidding of their master. They attempt to influence world leaders to fulfill their evil designs and to hinder the holy purposes of the Lord God regarding His people.
One way these fallen spirits accomplish their evil design is by hindering the prayers of the people of God.
2. Twenty-one days Daniel prayed
Twenty-one days Daniel prayed for understanding. Twenty-one days he waited with no answer. It is a good lesson to teach all believers not to give-up, not to quit praying, and not to yield to the false notion that God hasn’t heard or has said ‘no’ to your prayers. He does hear. But we are involved in a spiritual warfare that is taking place in the heavens just as Daniel experienced. The Apostle Paul said, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). The persistency of Daniel in his prayer life gives understanding to the parable of the Lord Jesus when He said, “Men out always to pray, and not to faint” (Lk. 18:1) and to Paul’s exhortation to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Th. 5:17).
The breakthrough to Daniel came when Michael the archangel “came to help me” said the “certain man” to the prophet. Daniel learned from Gabriel that his prayers had been heard “from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand” (12).
Daniel had prayed for understanding of the things that the Lord God had shown him in the visions and how the “times of the Gentiles” (the times when Gentile rule would dominate and govern the nations of the earth) would adversely affect the chosen people. He hadn’t asked God for wealth or power. He hadn’t prayed for his health. He just wanted to understand. Prayers of this kind are always heard by our God and Savior.
Did not James say, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (Jas. 1:5)? The prayer of Solomon when he ascended to the throne following the death of King David was, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (1 Ki. 3:9). And God heard his prayer and said to him, “Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee” (1 Ki. 3:11-12).
In the day in which we live, our prayer unto the Lord should be for an understanding heart also.
3. Daniel’s prayers were hindered
Daniel’s prayers were hindered. But they were also heard. Lastly, when the angel came to Daniel, he helped him. How did he help him? He touched him. “And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands” (10). Daniel said, “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips” (16). One “like the appearance of a man” came “and he strengthened me,” said Daniel (18). As a result of these touches, Daniel said, “I was strengthened” (19). Three times in this chapter and twice more in Daniel chapters 8:18 and 9:21, Daniel was supernaturally touched by an angel in his body. Five times total. He was helped. Ministering spirits they were.
Let us thank our God that He has given unto His children “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1:14).
When we become discouraged because it seems God has turned a deaf ear to us and isn’t answering our prayers, encourage yourself in the Lord. It may be that your prayers are being hindered by evil spirits warring against you. God hears the prayers of His children, His saints, if we are clean of sin.
Confess sin as Daniel did in the previous chapter, and remember the words of the Apostle John, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). The Lord God will then assure our hearts and say, “Thy words were heard” (12)
