In ons vorige lesing het ons na hoofstuk 10 begin kyk. Wat het ons sover ontdek? Daar is ‘n stryd tussen die magte van kwaad en goed wat deur al die eeue gewoed het.
Ek en jy is deel van hierdie stryd. Mag die Here gee dat ons altyd aan Sy kant van die geveg sal bly.
Vers 11 En hy het vir my gesê: Daniël, geliefde man, gee ag op die woorde wat ek met jou spreek, en gaan staan op jou staanplek, want ek is nou na jou gestuur. En terwyl hy hierdie woord met my spreek, het ek bewende gaan staan.
Vers 12 Toe sê hy vir my: Wees nie bevrees nie, Daniël; want van die eerste dag af dat jy jou hart daarop gerig het om ag te gee en jou voor die aangesig van jou God te verootmoedig, is jou woorde gehoor, en om jou woorde ontwil het ek gekom.
“What great honor is shown to Daniel by the Majesty of heaven! He comforts His trembling servant and assures him that his prayer has been heard in heaven. In answer to that fervent petition the angel Gabriel was sent to affect the heart of the Persian king.
“The monarch had resisted the impressions of the Spirit of God during the three weeks while Daniel was fasting and praying, but heaven’s Prince, the Archangel, Michael, was sent to turn the heart of the stubborn king to take some decided action to answer the prayer of Daniel. {SL 51.2}
Vers 13 Maar die vors van die koninkryk van die Perse het een-en-twintig dae lank teenoor my gestaan, en kyk, Mígael, een van die vernaamste vorste, het gekom om my te help; en ék het daar oorgebly by die konings van Persië.
Wat beteken die uitdrukking “Teenoor my gestaan”? Die NV praat van “teruggehou”. KJV Withstood. GN Opposed. NEB. Resisted.‘n Mens kan duidelik aflei dat hier ‘n stryd aan die gang is.
“The prophet provides a glimpse of the mighty struggle going on between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The question may be asked, Why did the Lord allow the powers of evil to struggle for control of Cyrus’ mind for 21 days, while Daniel continued in mourning and supplication?
This question must be answered with the truth in mind that these events have to be understood in the light of the “broader and deeper purpose” of the plan of redemption, which “was to vindicate the character of God before the universe. …
Before all the universe it [the death of Christ] would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan” (PP 68, 69; cf. DA 625). “Yet Satan was not then destroyed [at the death of Christ]. The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy. The principles at stake were to be more fully revealed” (DA 761). See on chapter 4:17.
In order to refute Satan’s claim that God is a tyrant, the heavenly Father has seen fit to withhold His hand and allow the adversary an opportunity to demonstrate his methods and seek to win men to his cause. God does not force men’s wills.
He allows Satan a degree of freedom, while through His Spirit and His angels He pleads with men to resist evil and follow the right. Thus God demonstrates to the onlooking universe that He is a God of love, and not the tyrant Satan has accused Him of being.
It was for this reason that Daniel’s prayer was not immediately answered. The answer waited until the king of Persia made his choice for good and against evil, by his own free will.
Here is revealed the true philosophy of history. God has set the ultimate goal, which most surely will be reached. By His Spirit He works on the hearts of men to cooperate with Him in attaining that goal. But the question as to which way any individual chooses to go is entirely his own decision to make.
Thus the events of history are the product both of supernatural agencies and of human free choice. But the final outcome is God’s. In this chapter, as perhaps nowhere else in Scripture, the veil that separates heaven from earth is drawn aside, and the struggle between the powers of light and darkness is revealed.
Vers 13 Maar die vors van die koninkryk van die Perse het een-en-twintig dae lank teenoor my gestaan, en kyk, Mígael, een van die vernaamste vorste, het gekom om my te help; en ék het daar oorgebly by die konings van Persië.
Kan die Bybel vir ons sê wie Migael is?
Heb. Mika’el, literally, “who [is] like God?” He is here described as “one of the chief princes [Heb. śarim].” Later He is described as Israel’s particular protector (ch. 12:1). His identity is not definitely stated here, but a comparison with other scriptures identifies Him as Christ. Jude 9 terms Him “the archangel.”
According to 1 Thess. 4:16, the “voice of the archangel” is associated with the resurrection of the saints at the coming of Jesus. Christ declared that the dead will come forth from their graves when they hear the voice of the Son of man (John 5:28). It thus seems clear that Michael is none other than the Lord Jesus Himself (see EW 164; cf. DA 421)
The name Michael as the name of a heavenly being appears in the Bible only in apocalyptic passages (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7), in instances where Christ is in direct conflict with Satan.
The name in Hebrew, signifying “who is like God?” is at once a question and a challenge. In view of the fact that Satan’s rebellion is essentially an attempt to install himself on the throne of God and “be like the most High” (Isa. 14:14), the name Michael is a most fitting one for Him who has undertaken to vindicate the character of God and disprove Satan’s claims.
Vers 13 Maar die vors van die koninkryk van die Perse het een-en-twintig dae lank teenoor my gestaan, en kyk, Mígael, een van die vernaamste vorste, het gekom om my te help; en ék het daar oorgebly by die konings van Persië
Wat word met “oorgebly” bedoel.
Migael het vir Gabriël kom ondersteun en toe daar by die konings van Persië vertoef.
With the entrance into the contest of Michael, the Son of God, the powers of heaven gained the victory, and the evil one was forced to retreat.
As used by the angel in the present passage, it could mean that with the coming of Michael, the evil angel was forced to leave, and God’s angel “was left remaining there beside the kings of Persia.” “The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check” (PK 572).
Vers 14 Ek het dan gekom om jou inligting te gee oor wat jou volk aan die einde van die dae te beurt sal val, want die gesig sien nog op die verre toekoms.
Watter reaksie het hierdie woorde op Daniël gehad?
Vers 15 En terwyl hy hierdie woorde met my spreek, het ek my aangesig na die grond gedraai en stom geword.
Die profeet kyk tot op ons dag. Nog verder. Hy sien wat heel aan die einde van die planeet se geskiedenis gaan gebeur.
Vers 16 En kyk, een wat soos ’n mens gelyk het, het my lippe aangeraak. Toe het ek my mond oopgemaak en gespreek en aan hom wat teenoor my staan, gesê: My heer, deur die gesig het krampe my oorval en het ek geen krag oorgehou nie.
Gabriël het sy glorie verskuil en in die gedaante van ‘n mens verskyn. Waarom? Dink jy ‘n profeet het ‘n maklike taak?
By his divine power he strengthened this man of integrity and of faith, to hear the message sent to him from God. {SL 51.3}
Vers 17 En hoe kan so ’n geringe kneg van my heer met so ’n heer van my spreek? Wat my aangaan, bestaan daar nou geen krag in my nie, en geen asem het in my oorgebly nie.
Hoe weet ek wanneer die profeet eg of vals is? Daar is geen krag in hom nie en hy haal nie asem nie. Watter gesindheid sal ‘n ware profeet openbaar?
“When the Spirit of Christ stirs the heart with its marvelous awakening power, there is a sense of deficiency in the soul, that leads to contrition of mind, and humiliation of self, rather than to proud boasting of what has been acquired.
When Daniel beheld the glory and majesty surrounding the heavenly messenger that was sent unto him, he exclaimed, as he described the wonderful scene, “Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me.
The soul that is thus touched will never wrap itself about with self-righteousness, or a pretentious garb of holiness; but will hate its selfishness, abhor its self-love, and will seek, through Christ’s righteousness, for that purity of heart which is in harmony with the law of God and the character of Christ.
Daar is so baie mense wat daarop aanspraak maak dat hulle profete is. Hoe weet ons of hulle eg is?
“He will then reflect the character of Christ, the hope of glory. It will be the greatest mystery to him that Jesus should have made so great a sacrifice to redeem him.” RC 63.4
Daniël 10:18,19 Toe het die een wat soos ’n mens gelyk het, my weer aangeraak en my versterk en gesê: Wees nie bevrees nie, geliefde man, vrede vir jou, wees sterk, ja, sterk! En terwyl hy met my spreek, het ek moed geskep en gesê: My heer kan maar spreek, want u het my versterk.
Is hierdie woorde ook vir jou en my?
Vers 20 Toe sê hy: Weet jy waarom ek na jou gekom het? Ek moet dan nou teruggaan om te veg met die vors van die Perse; en as ek heengegaan het, kyk, dan kom die vors van Griekeland.
Gabriël verwys na verdere konflik tussen hom en die “vors van Persië” Ezra 4 vertel vir ons dat die stryd nog lank na Daniël se visioen aangehou het.
“The forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses, who reigned about seven and a half years” PK 572
Wie is die vors van Griekeland wat sou kom? Wat leer Daniël 2 en 7 en 8 vir ons aangaande die Grieke?
“The angel had told Daniel that he was returning to continue the struggle with the powers of darkness that contended for control of the mind of the king of Persia.
Then he looked further toward the future and indicated that when he finally would withdraw from the struggle, a revolution would ensue in world affairs. As long as God’s angel held at bay the evil forces seeking to dominate the Persian government, that empire stood.
But when divine influence was withdrawn and the control of the leaders of the nation was left entirely to the powers of darkness, ruin for their empire quickly followed. Led by Alexander, the armies of Greece swept over the world and quickly extinguished the Persian Empire.
The truth stated by the angel in this verse throws light on the revelation that follows. The ensuing prophecy, a record of war upon war, assumes greater meaning when understood in the light of what the angel has here observed. While men struggle with one another for earthly power, behind the scenes, and hidden from human eyes, an even greater struggle is going on, of which the ebb and flow of earthly affairs is a reflection
As God’s people are shown to be preserved throughout their troubled history—recorded prophetically by Daniel—so it is sure that in that greater struggle, the legions of light will have the victory over the powers of darkness.
Vers 21 Nogtans sal ek jou te kenne gee wat geskrywe is in die boek van die waarheid; en daar is nie een wat hom saam met my dapper gedra teen hulle nie, behalwe julle vors Mígael.
As Daniel’s prayer is going forth, the angel Gabriel comes sweeping down from the heavenly courts to tell him that his petitions are heard and answered. This mighty angel has been commissioned to give him skill and understanding–to open before him the mysteries of future ages. Thus, while earnestly seeking to know and understand the truth, Daniel was brought into communion with Heaven’s delegated messenger.
In answer to his petition, Daniel received not only the light and truth which he and his people most needed, but a view of the great events of the future, even to the advent of the world’s Redeemer.
Those who claim to be sanctified, while they have no desire to search the scriptures or to wrestle with God in prayer for a clearer understanding of Bible truth, know not what true sanctification is.
Heaven was opened before him. But the high honors granted him were the result of humiliation and earnest seeking. All who believe with the heart the word of God will hunger and thirst for a knowledge of His will. God is the author of truth. He enlightens the darkened understanding and gives to the human mind power to grasp and comprehend the truths which He has revealed.
Mag ek en jy opnuut die krag van gebed besef en meer en meer tyd in hierdie heilige oomblikke deurbring