Welcome to From the Pulpit in Classic Sermons.
Each week we bring you a different message
from some of history's greatest speakers in the
Christian faith, and powerful sermons from modern preachers
too.
This week we have William Milan with his
message, Daniel, 21 Days of Prayer.
Good evening of Daniel.
Daniel chapter 10.
And I make bold to say tonight that
this is one of the greatest chapters, not
only in the book of Daniel, but I
think it's one of the great chapters of
the Bible.
Of course you might rightfully say to me,
all the chapters in this Bible are great,
and that is very true.
But then you know sometimes when one has
to give a week's Bible readings here and
there, sometimes I take a Bible reading, Bible
week of readings, on great chapters of the
Bible.
And I call them great because there are
chapters that bring doctrines to us, and revelations,
and give us an insight into things that
we don't find in other chapters.
Think of Genesis 1, and we get the
doctrine of creation, and the doctrine of the
Creator.
Think of Hebrews chapter 1, and there you
get the great story of the sweet fellowship
between the Father and the Son.
In times past, through the prophets, the Father
spake unto the Fathers about his Son.
And there are great chapters just like that,
right on through.
And this is a great chapter this evening,
because it gives us an insight into what
goes on in the heavenlies, when men and
women get really down to pray.
That's why I think it's one of the
great chapters.
I think that this is an inspiring chapter,
because you're going to see an old man
of 86 years of age, and I'll sort
of prove his age for you, an old
man of 86 years of age, getting down
to pray something through.
Not just saying prayers.
Not just bowing his knee at the bedside
for a moment or two.
An old man of 86 years of age,
getting the grip of God's throne, and determining
in his own heart to pray this matter
right through, and staying there for 21 days.
No food, no washing, no anointing.
Praying it through.
And I venture to say, that not one
of us know anything about it.
I trust we shall learn what it really
means to get alone with God.
It's much easier to sing choruses than do
this, I assure you.
And it's much easier to come to the
Bible class than do this.
Blessed are both choruses and Bible classes.
This is our man, getting alone with his
God, and determining in his soul to see
it through in prayer.
This is the mighty thing.
We're getting an insight into what this means
in the heavens.
This scares the devil, you know.
He's got to get his forces going now,
if there's such a man around.
And so it's an inspiring chapter, when you
come to look at it from that angle.
It's a very interesting chapter, because you see
all heaven moving to meet and answer this
man's prayers.
All heaven, I tell you.
All heaven moving.
Most interesting.
And then I think it's a great chapter,
not only because it gives us an insight
into this, and inspires us to pray, and
it's interesting to watch all heaven moving.
But we get an instruction here about principalities,
and powers, and the rules of the darkness
of this world.
I don't know whether we've ever stopped to
consider this phrase, the rules of the darkness
of this world.
Who are these rulers that are determined to
keep the world in darkness?
Well, there's instruction here for us.
It's an interesting chapter.
It's an inspiring one.
It's an instructive one.
It's an indispensable one.
The modernists would love to tear it out.
And they have tried.
They say it doesn't come, but if not,
we shall see.
I tell you, if they could tear this
chapter out, we haven't this instruction anywhere else
in the book that I know of.
That's why I say it's one of the
great ones.
And it's not only inspiring, and interesting, and
instructive, and indispensable, it's an intricate chapter.
There are difficulties, I admit that.
We've got to face them honestly, why some
of the greatest expositors in the world are
all at sixes and sevens with each other
as regards this chapter.
So one must think as it were the
shoes from off his feet when we come
here.
We're on very holy ground.
It's ground that the devil doesn't want us
to be on.
And all the forces of hell will be
against this bible reading this evening.
And then we take fresh courage because we're
living in the age of grace.
And the Holy Ghost the Comforter has come.
And Jesus promised us when he the spirit
of truth is come, he will guide you
into all truth.
So depending on the Holy Ghost, we're coming
to this great chapter this evening.
I've called it 21 Days of Prayer.
You see, first of all, in those days
I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
And it's the same word that we had
last week in the chapter, it's the word
weeks, it's the word sevens.
But it was sevens of years last week
from the context.
And it's quite easy to see that it's
sevens of days this week.
It's three sevens of days.
It's 21 days, three full weeks.
See what verse 3 says, I eat no
pleasant bread, neither keep flesh nor wine in
my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at
all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
21 days of prayer.
My, what a lesson you see in this
evening.
And when you realize that the same Daniel
was somewhere above 86 years of age.
Let's get the first verse in now.
In the third year of Cyrus, king of
Persia.
Now that's very interesting, isn't it?
Those of you who know this book, and
I think by now you should know it.
Do you know how the chapters go?
Well chapter 1 and 2 and 3 and
4.
All have to do with Nebuchadnezzar, the great
king of Babylon.
That's an easy way of knowing Daniel.
1, 2, 3, 4, all belong to the
reign of Nebuchadnezzar.
And then you want to watch this because
it's chapter 5, and then it misses 6
and 7, it's chapter 5 and 8 that
belong to Belshazzar.
You see the chapters are not in chronological
order.
But 1, 2, 3, 4 belong to Nebuchadnezzar,
and then 5 and 8 belong to Belshazzar.
And then 6 and 7 and 9 belong
to Darius.
And then 10, we find Cyrus the king
of Persia.
So that you can see at a glance
that Daniel lived right through the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar, right through the reign of Belshazzar, right
through the reign of Darius, right into this
very time in this chapter.
And here's a very interesting fact if you
go back to the book of Ezra, let's
go back to Ezra just for a moment.
1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings,
1st and 2nd Chronicles, and then comes the
book of Ezra.
Now take your time and find the place,
and you young ones who are here and
you don't know your Bibles any well, if
you open the first part of your book
just behind the back there, you'll find directions
to the page.
And I have all the sympathy in the
world with you.
Because when I was first saved and went
to church, if the picture preached out of
anywhere, only Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, I couldn't
find it.
I hadn't a chance.
I used to just open it anywhere and
pretend, but that's no good, you're getting on
nowhere like that.
Have you got Ezra?
Well, 2nd Chronicles is before Ezra, and the
last chapter is chapter 36.
Do you see verse 22?
Verse 22.
Now in the first year of Cyrus.
See where we were reading tonight?
It's the third year of Cyrus.
Now way back there in 2nd Chronicles, just
before Ezra, verse 22.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king
of Persia, that the word of the Lord
spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be
accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of
Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it
also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king
of Persia, All the kingdom of the earth
hath the Lord God of heaven given me,
and he hath charged me to build him
a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Who is there among you of all his
people?
The Lord his God be with him, let
him go up.
Now this is the first year.
You see, just to fulfill what Jeremiah had
said, Jeremiah had said that God would take
his people as captives into Babylon and keep
them for 70 years.
Now the 70 years are gone.
It's all the fact I want out of
it.
And if we come to the conclusion that
Daniel was brought as a captive to Babylon
at the age of 16.
Some of the scholars believe he was 14,
some believe he was 15, some believe he
was 16.
It's very difficult to be exact.
Old Testament computerism isn't altogether correct.
But he was somewhere about 14 or 15
or 16, we'll say 16.
And as he came to Babylon as a
young prince captive at the age of 16,
70 years have gone now.
These kings have all run the course.
Jeremiah's prophecy is about to be fulfilled.
He's 86 years of age.
Let's get that settled now.
Some people ask me, if the king of
Persia let the captives go back two years
before this, because it's the first year that
the king let them go back.
Why did Daniel not go back?
It's a very good question.
Because in the third year he's still in
Babylon.
And I believe maybe the answer's found in
the book of Ezra.
You know when these captives had the liberty
and the opportunity to go back, not very
many of them responded at all.
A great multitude had made their home in
Babylon.
And I believe that Daniel stayed to pray
them out of it.
But we'll find out as we go on
with the story this evening.
I'm only proving his age, so we'll not
ponder that anymore.
We'll go back to Daniel 10.
So you can see this old man, 86
years of age, bowing down before his God,
holding on to the throne for 21 days.
I want you to look at those days
of devotion that Daniel had.
I want you to notice this phrase in
verse 3, I ate no pleasant bread, neither
came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither
did I anoint myself at all.
I want you to see this old man
got down before God and denied himself.
I want you to get that.
Because I can tell some of you young
ones if you're going to learn to pray
at all, you'll have to deny yourself.
I'll tell you this is not easy.
You know if you're going to really pray,
if you're going to really get alone with
God, you'll have to learn what it meant
when Christ said, and thou when thou dreast
enter into thy closet and shut thy door.
Because you've got to get alone, you've got
to deny yourself.
You know when you're really praying something through,
something that's burdening you, something that you must
get right before God.
Then you'll have to deny yourself food.
Maybe we wouldn't be prepared for that.
Maybe the snails that come from the kitchen
wouldn't allow you to do it.
You have to shut the door on food
at times, and you have to shut the
door on friends at times.
Sometimes I just tell my wife, it doesn't
make a matter who comes, you just tell
them that I'm with God.
Maybe they think I'm dodging them.
You can think whatever you like, if you
go ahead with the thinking.
What you think doesn't worry me.
You've got to shut the door on food.
You've got to shut the door on friends.
You've got to shut the door on fun.
Now you give up your fun too, you've
got to shut the door on fools.
Because usually when I get down to pray
there's always some fool at the door.
I think the devil sends them round.
Well I just send them away.
I'll tell you this is the great matter
of this praying business you know.
There are bottles that have been engaged here
that have never been put on the page
of history and never will.
You see this is 21 days of denying
yourself.
Have a look at verse 11 there just
for a moment.
The angel who came to Daniel when he
had prayed for 21 days, and we'll not
hurry this, the angel said, he said unto
me, O Daniel a man gratefully beloved.
I can tell you whether the folks talked
about them or not, heaven loved them.
Sometimes when the critics are turned away at
the door they could say all sorts of
things about you.
I'll tell you heaven doesn't say a word.
Yes, he said unto me, O Daniel a
man gratefully beloved.
Understand the words that I speak unto thee
and stand upright, for unto thee am I
now sent.
And when he had spoken this word unto
me I stood trembling.
And he said unto me, fear not Daniel,
for from the first day that thou did
set thine heart to understand.
This is what it was all about you
know.
He got down before God, and I want
you to watch the rephrase, set thine heart,
because in this great matter of prayer it
is the heart that matters.
It is not your language, nor how quick
you can get through it, nor how fast,
nor how loud, nor how dramatic.
Oh not at all, it's the heart that
counts.
You know that the psalmist knew this.
He said if we regard iniquity in our
hearts the Lord will not hear us.
And if you're going through the whole day
thinking about sex or naked woman, you must
stop praying, for the Lord will not hear
you.
He just shuts his ears to that sort
of thing.
You're blocking the Lord you know, the heart
that can't hear.
And it's the same for husbands and wives.
If you're barging and buckling it out, and
eating the face of one another at home.
Peter said your prayers will be hindered, because
your thought life can hinder your prayer life,
and your home life can hinder your prayer
life.
You know if you're going to pray at
all, you'll have to set your heart.
That's the thing that we're trying to get
across.
You see it's the desires of the heart,
and it's the heart that's right with God.
You know he sets his heart to understand.
I want you to watch that.
As you understand what?
It says from the first day that thou
did set thine heart to understand.
What was Daniel praying about at all?
Look in verse 14.
The angel said, now I am come to
make thee understand what shall befall thy people
in the latter days.
That's what he was up to.
You know there was just a little remnant
went back with Ephraim.
But there's a multitude in this land of
idols, and Daniel's burdened about God's people.
And he's getting down before God, and he's
gripping his throne, and he's honestly wanting to
know what's going to befall this people in
the last days.
And you know the devil doesn't like you
to be anxious about the people of God
and their goods.
He doesn't like you at all.
And so you can see that Daniel denied
himself, and you can see these days of
desiring before God.
And I want you to watch this phrase
in verse 12.
It says, for from the first day that
thou did set thine heart to understand and
to chasten myself before thy God.
You know this was between this man and
God.
He got along with God.
It was God's throne.
It was God's faith.
It was God's ear.
It was God that Daniel got before.
This was a real business.
You know if you're anxious about prayer and
how to pray, one of the great books
of the Bible for you is the book
of Daniel.
Because Daniel will teach you in one of
the chapters, when to pray.
Three times a day.
Never failed.
Even when he faced the lion's den.
He just went on as he did the
four times.
Three times a day.
It's the best medicine you'll ever get.
They write it on the medicine bottle three
times a day, but I can tell you
this is better medicine.
And if we could just dedicate our lives
that somewhere each day, maybe in the morning,
maybe at noon, maybe at night, but three
times a day somewhere, I shall get along
with God.
Do you know?
Daniel would teach you when to pray.
And I'll tell you that this chapter tonight
will teach you how to pray.
You'll have to be alone with God.
And when you're alone, whether it's an old
sermon or not, I'll tell you this, you'll
come out fresh.
Because unless you go in, you needn't come
out to the folks.
Now Daniel was alone.
That's it.
For this great vision.
And there remained no strength in me.
Do you see what this revelation did to
him?
Now I can catch the boys on every
time they come to me and say they
have revelation.
Because you know you couldn't get a heart
big enough for them.
Oh, I can see them, you know.
And the character came down to me one
night and he said, Mr. Monk, why you
should see him demonstrating this.
He must have thought I was a fool,
you know, but I was watching him carefully.
Oh, I have the greatest vision I've ever
had.
God came into the room, filled the room
with light.
And he told me that Mr. Monk was
the greatest man in this world.
God help them for being such a liar.
You know, he was all charmed about it.
He was working himself up.
He was exalting himself.
It was all fresh from beginning to end.
I'll tell you where you'll find him tonight.
Up in the pub.
He's in the pub now.
I find him coming along drunk there sometimes.
I just pass him by.
But one night I was in that sort
of religious talk to him and said, hey,
you the boy that had the vision.
You will never see him.
I tell you, if you got near to
the Lord, it would knock a statue of
you.
There'd be no question about it.
You'd creep into a hole.
My dear friends, if you get near to
God, you never talk about yourself at all.
You're just a wee fellow, miserable wee fellow.
That's all.
St. Daniel, he was a great man.
He says, therefore I was left alone and
saw this great vision, and there remained no
strength in me, for my comeliness was turned
in me into corruption, and I retained no
strength.
Yet heard I the voice of his words,
and when I heard the voice of his
words, then was I in a deep sleep
on my face and my face toward the
ground.
Now I want you to get the other
part, because it's the other part that's really
important.
And behold, a hand touched me, and I
want you to watch the word touched as
we go through the chapter.
I'll gather them together afterwards.
And set me upon my knees and upon
the palms of my hands, and he said
unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved,
understand the words that I speak unto thee,
and stand upright.
And that's a pretty good indication that this
was an angel.
Pretty good indication.
Because it would be quite right to bow
before the Lord.
And you know, when the Lord walked on
the water and got into the boat, it
says that all the disciples worshipped him.
In the boat, they worshipped him.
And when the old Scottish divine was preaching
once and that, he said there wasn't a
blessed Unitarian in the boat.
Because the Unitarians can't worship the Lord, because
they don't believe he's God.
But if you believe he's God, you can
worship.
But this is just an angel, and he
says, now you just stand upright.
And I think it goes on to prove
it more than that.
Unto thee am I now sent, and when
he had spoken this word unto me, I
stood trembling.
My, this book's a great book, how perfectly
it is written.
Then said he unto me, fear not, Daniel,
for from the first day that thou didst
set thine heart to understand, and to treat
them thyself before thy God, thy words were
heard.
You know, he got right through.
Once did he get the hold of this.
My, he really got through to the full.
Thy words were heard.
And I'll tell you this, if you can
be absolutely sure that God hears you, if
you know that he hears you, this New
Testament says, then you have the petition that
you desire to fill.
Oh, Daniel got right through.
But Daniel didn't know that he had got
right through.
And it said this, thy words were heard,
and I am come for thy words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia
withstood me one and twenty days.
Now, let's think about this prince for a
moment or two.
You know, the chapter began in the third
year of Cyrus, king of Persia.
What's the difference between the king of Persia
and the prince of Persia?
Now, there is no doubt at all that
this was a great angelic being that was
sent from heaven to answer Daniel's prayer.
There's no doubt in your mind.
Some of the scholars believe it was the
Lord Jesus.
I know it was a great angelic being.
Now, when it talks about the prince of
the kingdom of Persia, do you think it's
talking about an ordinary human?
Because I would give you more marks than
that.
You would know right well on the seat
where you sit that no human could keep
an angel back for 21 days.
So, we're not talking about a human now.
We're entering into something else that's really wonderful.
You see, let's go to Ephesians for a
moment.
Twelve letters to the Ephesians.
And we're now at the sixth chapter.
Twelve letters to the Ephesians, chapter six.
I'm commencing to read at verse 10.
And Paul said, finally my brethren be strong
in the Lord and in the power of
his might.
Put on the whole armor of God that
you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
For we believers wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rules of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
I want you to see the enemy here
outlined before you.
Principalities, do you know what that means?
We wrestle against principalities, against powers.
Here's a great phrase, against the rules of
the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits,
it is translated once, against wicked spirits in
heavenly places.
You see, over the kingdom of Persia was
the king called Cyrus at that time.
But then over him, although he didn't know
it, there was a prince, one of these
principalities, one of these powers, one of these
rulers of the darkness of Persia.
And there's a man in the nation now,
and he's going to get white.
Ah well, we'll have to stop him, says
the devil, from getting white.
So he sent this mighty principality, he's called
the prince of Persia.
He's not a human being, he's one of
these rulers of the darkness.
You know friends, over this province of ours,
we've had many prime ministers.
But let's get this in tonight, that over
all the prime ministers that we've ever had,
or are ever likely to have, the devil
has designated one of his great princes, and
he's the prince of Ulster.
That's what he would be called, if we
could understand.
And let me tell you, he's done a
brave job for the devil.
He's done a brave job.
I'm sure the devil's thinking of decorating him
just now.
You know, there was an old man who
dreamed a dream once, and he thought he
could see the whole army of the devil.
And the devil is walking up and down
the ranks, looking at all these principalities, and
these powers of his, and all these rulers
of the darkness.
And he's saying to them, there's a little
province down yonder, and they're getting more lights,
and more lights, and more lights, and what
are you fellows doing about it?
And one of them stepped forward and said,
said sir, I've got the folk attracted to
the football.
Now the devil says, that's no good, you
ought to stop that.
And another one said this, and another one
said that, and they all stood.
And the devil said, I'll tell you what's
wrong with you, you don't know.
There's an old woman away down in a
wee cottage down yonder, and she's on her
knees from morning to night, and she's praying
the blessing of God down upon the place.
You'll have to take her home.
And I'll tell you this, you just examine
it just in your own logic tonight.
It doesn't matter how big it touches, it
doesn't matter how many folks we have, it
doesn't matter about the financial end, it doesn't
matter about the blessings in the soul, have
a look at the promises.
You take every church representative here, and I'll
tell you the smallest meeting in your church
is the prayer meeting.
Because the devil keeps folks from going to
the prayer meeting.
There's a big man who sits over there
who prays sometimes.
Lord, thank you for the folk at the
prayer meeting tonight, because the devil never brought
one of them.
The devil doesn't take you to prayer meetings.
The devil keeps you from going.
Maybe he has kept some of you for
years.
You see, these principalities need to be understood.
And you know this great prince of Persia,
this prince that belonged to the devil's army,
this prince was so powerful that he stopped
this angelic being from coming from heaven with
the answer for 21 days.
You don't tell me it was Christ that
was stopped.
Not a bit of it.
He would just brush him aside.
But he was so powerful that he stopped
this angel.
Now, let's get this bit and let's go
back to Daniel.
He's talking to Daniel, he says, thy words
were heard in verse 12 at the end,
and I am come for thy words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia,
this wicked spirit, withstood me, withstood this shining
angel for one and twenty days, 21 days,
three, four weeks.
I'll tell you this, Daniel never gave in.
Not a bit of it.
All the time he's on his face, this
old man.
The battle's raged and in the heavens, he's
got the hold of the throne by faith,
and he's not letting go.
He's carrying it through.
And I'll tell you, all heaven came to
his aid, because a man on his knees,
or a woman on her knees, meanin' business
with God, is a powerful character.
Some of us only fool around with prayer,
not talking to you at all.
You're only blabbering.
We're talking about people who pray.
We're not talking about praying about business.
We're talking about people who know how to
get about the business.
Some of us have never been at it
yet.
Oh, it's a great chapter, isn't it?
It's a lot of things in it.
Now watch this very carefully, verse 13.
The angel says, but the prince of the
kingdom of Persia, this mighty being who was
over the darkness of Persia, withstood me, this
great angel, one and twenty days.
But lo, Michael, one of the chief princes.
Oh, see now, see a human being, fair
enough on your life is not.
That's why I know the exposition I'm giving
is true.
You see, Michael is the archangel.
Now here's what this angel is saying.
The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood
me one and twenty days.
But lo, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me.
You know, it took the archangel to come
down and help this other angel pass this
wicked spirit so that he got there to
tell the answer to Daniel.
You know, when a man gets on his
knees, all heaven gets about the business.
I'll tell you, all hell gets about it
too.
That's where battles rage.
Young man, young woman, go home and learn
to pray.
It's the greatest thing in the world.
I had a wee mother, you know, she
was only about, about four feet thick, she
was, maybe not.
And I say this to you, she never
owned a jacket in her life.
She wore a shawl.
She was my mother and I love her.
She always wore a shawl.
Old shawl, it was too.
I'll tell you this, she knew more about
prayer than anybody else I've ever known.
Oh, she hadn't two coppers.
I'd see her in heaven and I must
have the feeling that she'll be well near
the front.
Maybe her son will not be near the
distance at all.
But there were 17 of us, you know,
and we were all in rags.
I never had shoes on my feet when
I went to school.
Boy, I'd be amused that these great professors
on the TV these nights, they amuse me.
They're the greatest lot of doofs on God's
earth.
I heard one of them talking the other
night about the school children, the tick and
the motoxin.
He says, you know, they'll grow up and
they'll be all weaklings in no time at
all.
There's nothing about it.
When I went to school, I went on
the bus every day, summer and winter.
And there were screenings, do you know what
screenings are?
Restones, that's what the yard wasn't tarmac or
anything like that.
Screenings.
You used to learn to run on the
screenings in your bus.
You could do it wonderfully once you got
to go.
And you know, you had a piece with,
you know what a piece is?
And I say piece in the English footless,
and then to this, they don't know what
we're talking about.
But then you see they're way backward anyway.
That will help them when they hear this
again.
You know, we had two pieces of bread
wrapped up in a bit of a telegraph
and margarine, margarine in between.
Sure you never saw butter in your life.
My dear friend, I stood for all my
school life, frozen in the wintertime on my
bed seat, eating two slices of loaf and
more.
I'd like that old professor to come and
have a look at me.
They should hate them boys.
They don't know what they're talking about.
They never saw kids growing up.
They're mad.
The way they go on.
Friends, let's get the hold of this.
We had 16 boys and one girl in
our family.
And we were poor.
We were in poverty.
But my old mother got down on her
two knees on the bed tyres every night.
I can see her you know.
And put her old white hands up.
And you should hear her pray.
Boy you wouldn't move and you wouldn't dare
move either.
She prayed for us.
And there's the whole bunch of us saying
it.
We all say it.
Mother, are you praying at all?
Are all these fools around?
Why we need to get back to praying
don't we?
My of this whole bunch could be enlisted
to make, to really pray.
I'll tell you we could move this closet.
You see when this old man of 86
got down on his knees and held on.
And this angel was kept back by this
other wicked spirit.
Michael the archangel came along and fought the
battle and got them through.
It's a tremendous thing to see Michael named
here.
If you've any doubts about him at all.
Just turn over the page quickly.
And in chapter 11 next week I'll show
you something.
When we get to verse 36 if we
get that far next week.
It says the king.
And it's talking about the antichrist.
It's this king of Teotihuacan shall do according
to his will.
He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above
every God.
And shall speak marvelous things against the God
of God.
There's the mouth again.
And shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished.
And that that is determined shall be done.
Neither shall he regard the God of his
fathers.
Nor the desire of woman.
Nor regard any God.
For he shall magnify himself above all.
Now coming into chapter 12.
Here's how it begins.
And at that time.
At the time when the antichrist is there.
Shall Michael stand up.
The great prince which standeth for the children
of thy people.
You see this is the wonderful thing.
This archangel.
This Michael.
This one who came to fight the battle
for this other angel.
This Michael.
This archangel.
He has a job to do for Israel.
He's the great prince which standeth for the
children of thy people.
Daniel's people of course.
God's talking to Daniel.
He says at that time shall Michael stand
up.
The great prince which standeth for the children
of thy people.
You know it's wonderful when the Lord Jesus
shall come.
And he's going to come one of these
nights.
And he'll come like this.
The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
his soul.
Armed with the voice of the archangel.
What's he got to do with it anyway?
They're only written for the Lord.
That's very true.
But you see this fellow has been employed
by God to look after all the children
of God in Israel.
The real Israel of God.
And many of them have been buried.
And when the Lord comes and calls for
the church he shall descend from heaven with
a shout.
The same moment Michael will bop in.
Armed with the voice of the archangel.
Because we're taking the Old Testament saints home
with us too.
Not only the man you know.
Remember there.
You know when God wanted to raise the
body of Moses.
Because he was going to put him on
the mount of transfiguration with the Lord Jesus.
You see nobody knew where Moses was buried.
God buried him.
There's only one at Moses funeral.
God.
Of course he sent the archangel.
He knew.
He knew where he was.
Because the devil comes along and says you
can't.
You can't take this body out of the
grave.
The redemption price is not paid yet you
can't take the body out.
And there was a dispute between the devil
and the archangel.
Because the archangel didn't bring any reeling accusation
against him or anything.
Saying God can do what he likes when
he likes with whatever he likes.
He's sovereign.
And he raised the body of Moses.
Ah but the archangel had to be there
because this is a Jewish body.
You see when we come away back to
the book of Revelation.
Let's get back there for a moment.
It's chapter 12.
Revelation 12.
And watch this carefully now.
Verse 7.
And there was war in heaven.
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.
And you know who the dragon is.
Verse 9 will tell you.
The great dragon was cast out.
That old serpent called the devil and Satan.
Ah well this great prince is there.
Michael and his archangels fought.
It's a good thing to underline the word
war there.
There was war in heaven.
Because you know once I said somewhere I
think it was in Canada in one of
the universities.
I said if any people near or far
should come against this little province to take
it over.
And there was a war here.
I should go to war.
I would have no hesitation.
None whatsoever.
You say you'd take a Gondius.
I would.
It is war.
I'm not talking about the terrorists you know.
That's the state's job.
The state should punish evil doers.
But they're stealing.
There's a difference between terrorism and war.
The state offered to do this job.
It's trying to pamper them up.
It's not doing the job.
But there's no shame in war.
That's different.
When Hitler made war our men went to
fight.
And it's a good job they did.
There's a program on now if Britain had
failed.
You wouldn't be in this place.
That's one thing sure.
An old fella came to me when I
preached like this at one of the universities.
He said I'm a conscientious objector.
I will not go to war.
Will you not I said.
Well I'll tell you this.
Michael the Archangel went to war.
And he was holier than you.
And I'm concluding if Michael can go to
war.
That's my answer.
But it'll have to be war.
Yes.
Michael went to war.
Let's get back to Daniel.
Let's get this concluded this evening.
It's wonderful.
Verse 14.
The angel is speaking and saying now I
am come to make thee understand what shall
befall my people in the latter days.
For yet the vision is for many days.
It was a long time to the fulfillment.
And Daniel says when he had spoken such
words unto me I set my face toward
the ground and I became dumb.
And behold one like the similitude of the
sons of men touched my lips.
There's that touch again.
Then I opened my mouth and speak and
said unto him that stood before me.
Oh my Lord by the vision my sorrows
are turned upon me and I have retained
no strength.
When he understood what would befall Israel in
the last days it nearly killed him.
For how can the servant of this my
Lord talk with this my Lord.
For ask for me speak where there remain
no strength in me.
Neither is there breath left in me.
Then with him again untouched me one like
the appearance of a man and he strengthened
me and said oh my ungratefully beloved fear
not.
Peace be unto thee be strong yea be
strong.
And when he had spoken unto me I
was strengthened and said let my Lord speak
for thou hast strengthened me.
With a text for a Sunday morning thou
hast strengthened me.
How?
By his sympathetic touch.
By his encouraging message.
That's how the people of God are strengthened.
That's what I pray for every week that
God will come in from a morning meeting
and touch those angels.
And by his message he's encouraged them.
Because God has strengthened you.
That's what we need you now.
We need the flock to be fed not
flocked.
First when he then said he knowest thou
wherefore I come unto thee.
And now I will return to fight with
the prince of Persia.
And when I am gone forth Lord the
prince of Greece shall come.
You see the Persians were going to be
overthrown in a very short time by Alexander
the Great and Greece would take the worldwide
kingdom.
Ah but there would be a prince of
Greece here too.
The devil will see he gets somebody to
rule the darkness of every problem.
Friends can we go back to start at
this matter of prayer like we have never
done before.
May God help us.
Start to sing three short verses.
Three hundred and eleven please.
What various hindrances we meet in coming to
the mercy seat.
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer
but wishes to be often there.
Three hundred and eleven please.
Lord we thank thee for thy holy word.
We thank thee for this inspired infallible eternal
word of thine.
Lord there are truths buried here that we
need to dig out for the people.
And we pray Lord as they're passed on
that folks will grasp and that the word
will sanctify and that we shall be changed.
Bring us Lord into the center of this
matter of prevailing prayer.
Teach us again the de facto servant prayer.
You've been listening to the From the Pulpit
in Classic Sermons series.
This week you heard Willie Milan with his
message Daniel 21 Days of Prayer.
Tune in next week to hear Leonard Ravenhill
talk about Hebrews chapter 1 on From the
Pulpit in Classic Sermons.