SERIES: 27 Daniel - I Dare You MESSAGE: I Dare You: Fight! SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Daniel 10

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SERIES: 27 Daniel - I Dare You - 2013 MESSAGE: I Dare You: Fight! SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Daniel 10 MESSAGE SUMMARY Fighting is never fun, but it's sometimes necessary.

1 SERIES: 27 Daniel - I Dare You MESSAGE: I Dare You: Fight! SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Daniel 10 MESSAGE SUMMARY Fighting is never fun, but it's sometimes necessary. Certainly that's the case with the Christian life: It's not a playground but a battleground. Spiritual warfare (the cosmic battle between forces of good and evil) is a reality that none can escape but few really understand. For Daniel, the curtain is pulled back and he is allowed to see past the natural world into the supernatural world. Let's get a firsthand briefing on a heavenly battle that has earthly repercussions. DETAILED NOTES I. Introduction A. Remember the bullies in grade school 1. We wanted to steer clear of them 2. Sometimes you can't 3. Older brothers can be bullies B. There is a conflict you are a part of 1. You may want to steer clear of it You can't 2. Daniel got a clear picture of it 3. You are in the conflict because you are a child of God 4. His enemy is on the prowl C. The Gallup organization says that most will believe in God, fewer will believe in the devil; most will believe in heaven, fewer will believe in hell 1. "Humanity falls into two equal, but opposite errors concerning the devil. There's those who don't take him serious enough; and there's those who take him way too seriously" C.S. Lewis 2. Denial or obsession 3. You don't have an enemy more powerful than the one you don't see 4. Some Christians don't engage in spiritual warfare because they're engaged in other things 5. Some people see the devil everywhere and in everything 6. "Have no delusions about the reality of demons or their hostility. They will also oppose you as you obey Christ. If you play it cool and decide not to be fanatic about Christianity, you will have no trouble from them. But if you're serious about Christ being your Lord and God, you can expect opposition" Dr. John White D. Daniel got the cosmic insight into the bully, the devil Page 1

2 1. Daniel 10 introduces us to the fourth and final vision of Daniel 2. Daniel has a problem II. A Concerning Problem A. Daniel was in the latter part of his career 1. He was in his mid-to upper-eighties 2. He was mourning, weeping; he hadn't eaten B. Why was he weeping? 1. It was the third year of Cyrus 2. The Jews had been back in Jerusalem for two years a. This was something he saw in a vision, he prayed for, and it came to pass b. In Ezra 1, we learn that in the first year of Cyrus, the edict was given for the Jews to return 3. Only a small portion of the people returned to Jerusalem (see Ezra 2) a. Many stayed in Babylon b. They were absorbed in the culture c. They had become pagan-ized d. They had raised their kids there 4. Those that went back weren't very successful a. They weren't able to establish the monarchy again b. They went back under the leadership of Zerubbabel c. It took seven months just to clean the rubble d. They were hassled by their enemies e. The work came to a halt C. Daniel was praying to the Lord, as he always did 1. He was about to be let in on a cosmic battle 2. He was engaged in the battle by being on his knees 3. What do you do in a spiritual battle? a. Are you on your feet? b. Do you get on your knees first? 4. Most churches, when there is a spiritual battle, have a committee meeting 5. Most Christians do the same thing; only their committee is smaller 6. The weapons for spiritual warfare can be found in Ephesians 6 7. Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees III. A Commanding Presence A. He's praying when suddenly heaven breaks in on him B. Daniel saw a man clothed in linen 1. His other qualities were amazing and fearful 2. Daniel's friends didn't see the vision but they were afraid and hid 3. Daniel fell on his face 4. Daniel was about 86 years old 5. The problem when an earthly being encounters divinity a. Some Christians appear on TV and almost brag about an encounter they had with God Page 2

3 b. If you see God, you are either humble or you are dead c. The accounts of those in the Bible who encountered God, had that kind of reaction i. Job abhorred himself (see Job 42:5-6) ii. Isaiah said, "Woe is me" when he had a vision of God (see Isaiah 6:5) iii. Peter told Jesus to depart from him when he discovered who Jesus was (see Luke 5:8) iv. In Revelation, a group of people beg the mountains to fall on them and hide them from God (see Revelation 6:15-17) C. Who is this man Daniel saw? 1. Some suggest the angel Gabriel 2. Some suggest the angel Michael 3. Some another angel 4. The context and cross references seem to point to the pre-incarnate Christ sometimes called the Angel of the Lord 5. John describes the Him in Revelation 1 a. White garment b. Gold belt c. Bright eyes d. His countenance like the sun e. John fell as dead when he saw Him 6. Why did Daniel see this? a. He was about to be told all of the future battles of Israel near future and far future b. God wanted Daniel to know who's in charge c. Remember the battle of Jericho; before the battle, Joshua saw a man standing with his sword drawn (see Joshua 5:13-15) d. Just as Joshua saw the commander of the Lord's army, Daniel saw who is in charge e. In the spiritual battle that we face, we better know who our commander is f. We should be looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2) g. When we have problems, we tend to gaze at our problems and glance at the Lord h. AAA article pointed out an interesting occurrence of drivers on the road hitting parked cars; they called it "the moth effect" i. You will hit whatever you look at j. Gaze at the Lord and only glance at your problems IV. Some Contending Powers A. Daniel's words were heard Page 3

4 B. Daniel was shaken by the vision; how he must have been relieved to hear, "Man greatly beloved" (v. 19) 1. In the Bible, there are certain designations of special people 2. Abraham is called the friend of God (see 2 Chronicles 20:7) 3. David is called a man after God's own heart (see Acts 13:22) 4. John the Baptist was called by Jesus, "The greatest man born to woman" (see Matthew 11:11) 5. Only two people in the Bible were given the title greatly beloved: One is Daniel, the other is the apostle John 6. It is interesting that both Daniel and John give us apocalyptic literature C. The angel was dispatched as soon as Daniel prayed. What took him so long? 1. The prince of Persia; who is that? 2. It's not a human it takes two super-duper angels to fight against him and a considerable amount of time 3. Daniel saw into the demonic and the angelic there was a human king, but a demonic prince behind the king 4. Jesus said of Satan, "He is the prince of this world" (see John 14:30 and John 12:31) 5. Paul called Satan "the prince of the power of the air who was at work in the children of disobedience" (see Ephesians 2:2) V. Understand the battle A. Not only is there a God, but there is a devil B. The devil has a gang of demonic forces C. They are a well-organized network set on thwarting God's plan and hinder God's people D. Understand what John said, "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (see Ephesians 6:12) E. Daniel 10 implies that there are demons assigned to nations 1. "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19) 2. We are deceived if we believe the things going on in the world are terrible that's just the spill-over of the battle that is going on in heaven F. Daniel prayed and he got a whole lot more than what he prayed for 1. He got revelation into future battles 2. He got insight into a heavenly battle 3. Something that gripped Skip as he studied this chapter: We piddle around with such mundane things when God wants us to know such monumental truths G. You are part of a conflict: If you are not aware of it, the devil has you right where he wants you H. The encouragement 1. Satan's outnumbered Page 4

5 2. The Bible says that He who is in you (Jesus) is greater than he who is the world (Satan) (see 1 John 4:4) 3. You are on the winning side no matter what 4. To survive well and to engage in the fight a. Scripture the Bible will keep you from deception b. Prayer will keep you from destruction prayer is bringing a gun to a knife fight 5. The battle is real, the enemy is powerful, get suited up! Publications Referenced: Gallup Poll, AAA Figures referenced: C.S. Lewis, Dr. John White Cross references: Joshua 5:13-15, 2 Chronicles 20:7, Ezra 1, Job 42:5-6, Isaiah 6:5, Matthew 11:11, Luke 5:8, John 12:31, John 14:30, Acts 13:22, Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 6, Hebrews 12:2, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 5:19, Revelation 1, Revelation 6:15-17 Topic: Spiritual warfare Keywords: Satan, spiritual warfare, demons, devil, vision, Daniel, battle Page 5

DANIEL - CHAPTER 10 LESSON 10

DANIEL - CHAPTER 10 LESSON 10 THE THIRD VISION GIVEN TO DANIEL CAME IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REIGN OF CYRUS WHICH WAS 536 B.C. ( THIS IS THE LATEST DATE GIVEN IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL ). DANIEL HAD LIVED