September 1: ONGOING TEMPLE BUILDING

And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Daniel 10:11

The assurance of God’s love is welcome news, especially in trying circumstances. This is the second time that Gabriel had assured Daniel that he was greatly beloved (see also 9:23).

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. (v.12)

Daniel’s three-weeks of prayer may have seemed to him unanswered. But, in addition to the assurance of God’s love, Gabriel also assured him that his prayers were most definitely heard. From the outset, the process of answering had already begun. Daniel’s deep concern over the news from Jerusalem caused him a certain amount of anxiety, but God was in control. Clarity of his previous visions and more information about the future would remind him of this fact. Moreover, the Lord had prompted Isaiah to write: “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). Daniel, a prophet himself, was a student of the prophets.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. (v.13)

Unseen spiritual battles are a reality (see Ephesians 6:10-18). Though King Cyrus had issued a decree encouraging the Jews to go and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, Satan exerted a strong effort to stop the work. Not only was Satan working through the local Samaritans in Judea who pretended to be friends (see Ezra 4:1-4), but he used them to negatively influence King Cyrus (v.5). Daniel could sense an alarming shift in the king’s attitude. Both Satan and Gabriel sought to have an influence on the king’s mind, but the fact remains that neither could force his will. Through the years of building, many were yielded to Satan in the varied attempts to influence Cyrus, Darius, Ahasuerus, and Artaxerxes to work against the Jews. But those yielded to God were a positive influence, aided by angels, and the temple that the Messiah would enter was eventually completed. This scenario illustrates God’s respect for the will of each individual. Salvation is based upon our free choice. We are invited to choose Jesus, and are called to reaffirm that choice every day. Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). Do not allow the enemy of souls to ravage your temple and leave it in a state of ruins.

…For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 (see also 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20)