Scripture Reading: Dan. 7:1-27; 10:10—11:1; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15
Ⅰ
According to the record in Daniel 7, Daniel saw a vision of God and His universal dominion and of the coming of the Son of Man to receive a kingdom:
A
"I watched / Until thrones were set, / And the Ancient of Days sat down. / His clothing was like white snow, / And the hair of His head was like pure wool; / His throne was flames of fire, / Its wheels, burning fire. / A stream of fire issued forth / And came out from before Him. / Thousands of thousands ministered to Him, / And ten thousands often thousands stood before Him. / The court of judgment sat, / And the books were opened"—vv. 9-10:
１
This is a vision of God and His universal dominion, with the fire signifying that God is absolutely righteous and altogether holy—Heb. 12:29.
２
A special court, with God's throne as the center, has been set up in the universe to judge the four human empires—Dan. 7:2-10, 26.
３
While the struggles are taking place between the human governments, God is behind the scene, managing the world situation—Rev. 4:1-3, 10-11.
B
"There with the clouds of heaven / One like a Son of Man was coming; / And He came to the Ancient of Days, / And they brought Him near before Him. / And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, / That all the peoples, nations, and languages might serve Him. / His dominion is an eternal dominion, which will not pass away; / And His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed"—Dan. 7:13-14:
１
Concerning His judgment, God has given all power and authority to Jesus Christ as the Son of Man (John 5:22, 27); hence, Daniel 7:13 and 14 describe the coming of Christ as the Son of Man.
２
The coming here is Christ's ascension after He accomplished the work of redemption—Acts 1:9; cf. Rev. 5:6-7:
ａ
According to Daniel's vision, Christ accomplished redemption and immediately came to God in ascension to receive the kingdom.
ｂ
This is according to God's view, in which there is no time element—Dan. 7:13-14.
ｃ
Daniel did not see the mystery of the church, which was hidden from the ages and from the generations but has been revealed to the New Testament apostles and prophets—Eph. 3:3-11.
３
In His ascension Christ as the Son of Man is before the throne of God to receive dominion and a kingdom—Dan. 7:13-14:
ａ
After Christ as the Son of Man receives the kingdom from God, He will come back to rule over the entire world—Luke 19:12, 15.
ｂ
Christ's coming will terminate the entire human government on earth, and it will bring in the eternal kingdom of God—Dan. 2:34-35, 44; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15.
Ⅱ
Because a war is taking place in the spiritual world behind the physical world, there is the necessity of spiritual warfare, of fighting, to bring in the kingdom of God—Dan. 10:10— 11:1; Eph. 6:10-18; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15:
A
"Your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days; but now Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me"—Dan. 10:12b-13a:
１
For us to know God's economy, we need to see the spiritual things behind the physical things, the spiritual world behind the physical world—vv. 20-21.
２
It is crucial for us to see that behind the physical scene a spiritual struggle, a struggle not seen with human eyes, is taking place—vv. 12-13, 20-21:
ａ
Behind the physical scene, a spiritual struggle, an invisible spiritual war, is taking place—Eph. 6:10-20.
ｂ
The spiritual scene in Daniel 10 includes both good and evil spirits that are engaged in an invisible spiritual war—vv. 12-13, 20-21.
ｃ
While Daniel was praying for twenty-one days, a spiritual struggle was taking place in the air between two spirits, one belonging to Satan and the other belonging to God—9:3; 10:2-3, 12:
⑴
The angelic messenger had been fighting against the prince of the kingdom of Persia, probably an evil spirit, a rebellious angel, who followed Satan in his rebellion against God—v. 20a; Rev. 12:4a.
⑵
Michael, a prince fighting for Israel, fought together with the angelic messenger against the evil spirits—Dan. 10:13, 21.
ｄ
Isaiah 14:12-14 unveils Satan's kingdom of darkness and his oneness with the rulers of the nations.
ｅ
The vision in Revelation 12 unveils the true situation in the universe—the warfare between God and His enemy.
ｆ
In our spiritual fighting, we deal not with things that appear on the surface but with the power of darkness behind these things—Eph. 2:6; 6:12.
B
The church must engage in spiritual warfare, fighting to bring in the kingdom of God— Matt. 12:28; Eph. 6:10-18; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15:
１
"Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth"—Matt. 6:10:
ａ
The coming of the kingdom is not automatic; if there is no prayer, the kingdom cannot come.
ｂ
Genuine prayer is a joint labor with God to bring His kingdom to the earth and to carry out His will on earth; hence, prayer is a spiritual battle—2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:12.
２
"Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ"—Rev. 12:10:
ａ
Along with our praying for the coming of the kingdom of God, we need to fight for it—Matt. 6:10; Eph. 6:10-18:
⑴
In order for the kingdom of the heavens to be established, there is the need of spiritual fighting—Matt. 12:22-29.
⑵
The responsibility of the church is to continue the warfare that Christ fought on earth; the church must continue the victorious work that Christ has carried out against Satan—Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8b; Col. 2:15; Psa. 149:5-9.
ｂ
The overcoming believers fight against Satan to usher in God's kingdom—Rev. 12:10-11.
３
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever"—11:15:
ａ
Spiritual warfare is the warfare between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan—Matt. 12:26, 28.
ｂ
The purpose of spiritual warfare is to bring in the kingdom of God—Rev. 12:10.
ｃ
The kingdom of God is the exercise of the divine will and the overthrowing of the power of Satan by the power of God—Matt. 6:10.
ｄ
Wherever the devil has been cast out and wherever the work of the enemy has been displaced by God's power, the kingdom of God is there—12:28; Rev. 12:7-10.
４
"The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him"—Dan. 7:27, cf. v. 18.