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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. (NASB) Dan. 10:7-9 |
Did
these men feel excluded and left out? It is a reminder that
while God loves all of us, He responds differently especially
to those who seriously long for Him. Daniel has been pursuing
God all of his life. When was the last time you read the book
of Jeremiah?
Second Visitor.
The new vision that Daniel has just received has new information
which must now be explained. The one who will provide the explanation
now arrives. We will see these individuals together again in
Daniel 12. Here is the new arrival.
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Then
behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands
and knees. And 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.
(NASB) Dan. 10:10-12 |
The angel is kind to this precious man. He seeks to comfort
Daniel and then explains to Daniel why he has come.
Visit Delayed.
Then the angel explains that it has taken him three weeks to
reach Daniel.
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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. (NASB) Dan. 10:13
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Have you ever asked God to meet a special need in your life
and then wondered why He took so long to answer? A person once
asked me why God did not answer her prayers. I explained that
God always answers. Sometimes He answers with a “No”
and sometimes with a “Yes.” Sometimes when God answers
with “Yes,” He makes us wait. When He answers with
“No” or if He makes us wait, He does what is best
for our relationship with Him. Maybe God needs to make us wait
until we have learned an important lesson.
Angel Organization.
This holy angel was not able to reach Daniel for three weeks
because an evil angel, the prince of Persia, had stopped him.
He needed help from a more powerful, holy angel who is named
Michael. Michael is an archangel (Jude 9) and a protector of
Israel (Dan. 12:1). The magnifying glass of scripture has given
us a peek into the invisible world of angels. |
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