Read: Daniel 9: 1-11:1; 1 John 2:18-3:6; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 28:27-28
Daniel heard that Jeremiah had prophesied that Jerusalem would be desolated for seventy years and was so upset he set his face to pray for forgiveness for his nation. He had seen how the people of Israel had forsaken the Lord and refused to listen to any of the prophets God had sent them. They were in captivity because of their great sin but Daniel could not stop interceding for them and begging God to forgive them. He fasted and prayed for days and didn’t hear a thing. At the end of his fast, Gabriel appeared to him and explained to him that as soon as Daniel began to pray he was sent to show him how loved he was. Gabriel said that the punishment of their sins would be 69 weeks plus one. At the end of that time the streets and the wall in Jerusalem would be rebuilt but it would happen in troublesome times. This was fulfilled when Ezra came back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls.
Two years later, Daniel and some other men were fasting and praying again and had been doing this for 21 days. He had another vision where he saw a man in linen clothed in glory and splendor. The men with him didn’t see what he saw but were overcome with the fear of the Lord and ran to hide. The angel, Gabriel touched Daniel and told him he was loved and wanted him to stand on his feet. When Daniel did, he explained that he had been trying to come to him since he began but the prince of Persia had resisted him. He finally had to call on Michael to help him. He came to tell him what would happen in the last days. When he would leave he would have to fight the prince of Persia again then the prince of Greece would come.
These princes are the powers of the air that guard over countries. They are principalities that determine what comes in and what goes out of that nation. The prince of Persia is the principality that rules the Middle East. It is the spirit behind ISIS and the other sects that hate Israel. It is also the spirit that will rules the antichrist spirit. Jesus is Lord over all and he is stronger than any principality or power.
First John talks about this antichrist spirit. Many men in history have carried this spirit: Nero, Antiachus Epiphines, Hitler, ISIS, Obama, etc. This spirit hates Israel and hates Christians. It is not the man that is our fear, they are only pawns in the hands of this spirit. We can fight hatred with love. John explains that the world cannot understand who we are because they didn’t understand who he was. But he has lavished his love on us and called us his children. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.
Lord, we look to the hills because we know it is in you that we have hope and help.
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