The Book of Dainel 10

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said to me, “O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.” When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.” Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. He said, “O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.

Sermon Summary
On Sunday, Pastor Russell Johnson explored Daniel 10 by pulling back the curtain on the unseen spiritual realm that influences everything we see in the physical world. Pastor Russell opened with a chilling story from his wife's family about a pregnant woman who was likely gang bait in Galveston, illustrating his main point: "Things are not always as they seem. What we see on the surface isn't always what's really happening." He taught four profound truths from Daniel's encounter with a heavenly messenger: faithfulness is harder than it seems, truth is weightier than it seems, prayer is more crucial than it seems, and history is more complicated than it seems. Pastor Russell explained that Daniel's three weeks of prayer mobilized angelic forces in spiritual warfare, with the messenger declaring "from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." He concluded by revealing that behind earthly kingdoms like Persia and Greece stood demonic princes engaged in cosmic warfare, reminding us that "an invisible war is going on behind the 'seens.'"

1. Pastor Russell opened with the story of his wife's family narrowly escaping a dangerous situation in Galveston when a pregnant woman turned out to be potential gang bait, noting "what we see on the surface isn't always what's really happening." When has a situation in your life turned out to be far more complex or dangerous than it first appeared?
2. Read Daniel 10:1-3 and Philippians 1:29. Pastor Russell noted that the heading "one of great conflict" reminds us "we live in an abnormal situation here in the States" where we don't face overt persecution, and he quoted Philippians 1:29: "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." How does understanding that suffering for Christ is the global norm—not the exception—challenge our perspective on the difficulties we do face in standing against cultural trends?
3. Read Daniel 10:5-9, 15-17. Pastor Russell walked through Daniel's repeated physical collapse—losing strength, turning pale, becoming speechless, retaining no breath—emphasizing "how much did carrying the word of God cost them?" and noting "I seldom, if ever, think of the horror and pain the Lord's servants endured in order to be the vessels used by God to get his word passed on to us in the Scriptures." How should recognizing the immense physical and emotional toll on biblical authors deepen our reverence for Scripture and our gratitude for the Bible we hold in our hands?
4. Read Daniel 10:2-3, 12-14. Pastor Russell taught that the angelic messenger said "I have come in response to your words," explaining that "Daniel's prayers succeeded in drawing angels from heaven to earth. These angels formed an invincible heavenly guard around the people of the Lord, keeping the plans of the enemy from succeeding." When you pray and see no visible change for days or even weeks, how does knowing that "every prayer we pray is heard immediately in heaven, even when nothing seems to change on earth" sustain your perseverance in prayer?
5. Read Daniel 10:13, 20 and Ephesians 6:12. Pastor Russell explained that the "prince of Persia" and "prince of Greece" are demonic powers opposing God's messengers, and he referenced Ephesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." How does understanding that unseen spiritual forces influence earthly kingdoms and cultural movements change the way we pray for our nation, our leaders, and global events?
6. Read Daniel 10:12, 19 and Matthew 26:53. Pastor Russell noted that Daniel was repeatedly strengthened by the angel's touch and words, and he reminded us that Jesus spoke of "more than twelve legions of angels" at His disposal. Given that we serve the God who commands angelic armies and hears our prayers from the first day, what fears or discouragements in our spiritual lives need to be surrendered to the reality that "history is more complicated than it seems" and God is actively at work in the unseen realm?
7. Read Daniel 10:11 and Revelation 12:7-9. Pastor Russell concluded by revealing "an invisible war is going on behind the 'seens'" but also that Michael and his angels are stronger than the dragon and his angels, giving us confidence that "there is what we see on the surface, but then there is this whole unseen realm" where God's forces are victorious. What specific situation in our lives this week—whether personal, relational, or cultural—needs to be viewed through the lens of spiritual warfare rather than merely human conflict?
   
   

Extra Credit

Look up and read these passages about the unseen spiritual realm, angelic activity, and spiritual warfare:
2 Kings 6:15-17 - "Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?' So he answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' Then Elisha prayed and said, 'O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
Luke 22:31-32 - "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
Colossians 2:15 - "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him."
James 5:16 - "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

What common threads do you see in these passages about the power of prayer, the reality of unseen spiritual forces, and God's ultimate victory over evil powers? How do these truths encourage us to persist in prayer even when we cannot see immediate results in the physical realm?