Daniel 10:13, commentary and pictures

The heavenly messenger Gabriel was held back for three full weeks as he sought to turn the Persian king to favor the returned exiles, opposed by the human prince of Persia under the control of the highest evil powers resisting God's purpose. Michael, the chief Prince who came to free him, is Christ Himself, Heaven's Prince and Archangel. Strengthened by that help, Gabriel remained beside the kings of Persia to hold evil influences in check and secure right counsel, restraining the enemy through the reigns of Cyrus and his son Cambyses. Daniel's prayer of fasting and humility was heard from the first day, yet heavenly agencies still had to contend with satanic hindrance before the answer could reach him in its appointed time. The same unseen foes still retard every forward movement of God's work, so His people must put on the whole armor of God, pray earnestly, remain consecrated and united, and advance by faith in divine guidance rather than human wisdom.

Struggle Over Persian Kings

The one who was withstood for twenty-one days, or three weeks, is Gabriel, sent to bring Daniel a message from God in answer to his earnest prayer with fasting and humility. He had come to counter the evil influences being exerted on King Cyrus, with heaven's agencies working on behalf of the returned exiles. His mission was delayed three weeks by heavenly conflict, that the king's heart might be turned so Daniel's prayer could be answered.

The prince of Persia is the Persian king himself, controlled by the highest of all evil angels and satanic powers. Those powers worked on the mind of the king to resist God's purpose, withstanding Gabriel for twenty-one days by representations and arguments against the Jews, like Pharaoh refusing to obey the word of the Lord. They hindered the heavenly messenger from convincing the king of the work he was to do, and Satan with his host thus withstood the messengers of heaven sent to answer Daniel's prayer.

When Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help Gabriel, Gabriel afterward remained there with the kings of Persia. There he held the evil powers in check and set right counsel against evil counsel. By this working of heaven the enemy's influence was held in check during the reigns of Cyrus and his son Cambyses.

The verse therefore reveals a real struggle between good and evil over earthly rulers and the fate of God's people. Good and evil angels take an active part and interest in God's earthly kingdom and its affairs, working at the same time upon the minds of kings and rulers and in the planning of His work. It is God's purpose to carry forward His work in correct lines in ways that advance His glory, while Satan ever tries to counterwork that purpose and block the way so that truth shall be bound about by human devising.

Michael and Prophetic Vision

Michael, one of the chief princes who came to help Gabriel after twenty-one days of opposition, is Christ, the Son of God and the Archangel. He is Heaven's Prince, revealed to the prophets also as the Angel of Jehovah and the Captain of the Lord's host. In every age it was Christ who revealed God to humanity, and His Spirit who inspired the prophets. The hindrance had come because the prince of Persia, a power of darkness working upon the mind of the Persian king, withstood Gabriel for three weeks as he sought to counter evil influences upon Cyrus on behalf of the returned exiles and to turn the king's heart so that Daniel's earnest prayer could be answered. The struggle concerned the influence being exerted on Cyrus against God's people, showing that good and evil angels take an active interest in earthly kingdoms and their affairs, with heaven's agencies holding the enemy's influence in check during the reigns of Cyrus and his son Cambyses.

The verse belongs to the visions recorded in Daniel 7-12, given by the Hiddekel, which reveal mysteries of the ages to come and great future events. They were not fully understood by Daniel and were to remain sealed until the time of the end. Their light was given especially for the last days, making known God's mind and will to Daniel especially among the captives in Babylon as light for future ages for the very time now living. The events foretold in those visions are now being fulfilled and will soon come to pass.

When the glory of the heavenly messenger appeared, Daniel fell helpless and could not endure the sight, so the angel touched him to strengthen him that he might hear the message. The angel told him he was greatly beloved and came to give him skill and understanding, revealing himself as a man so that Daniel could bear it. God thus disclosed great future things in a way Daniel could bear, illustrating that people cannot endure divine glory in its full brightness. This shows the wisdom and knowledge of God in laying the plan that Christ should come as a man and not as an angel, for humanity could not have endured Him in any other way. Divinity took humanity upon Him that humanity might touch humanity, and Christ came as a man, the Prince of Life, to dispute the power of the prince of darkness.

Prayer Answered Through Opposition

Daniel prayed earnestly with fasting, humility, and a set heart to understand and chasten himself before God, and his prayer was not in vain but was heard from the first day, with an angel sent in response to his words. That earnest prayer moved a mighty angel to come to his relief, yet satanic forces worked on the mind of the king of Persia to hinder the answer. The resistance continued for twenty-one days until Michael, the Archangel, came to help Gabriel.

The twenty-one-day delay shows that heavenly agencies must contend with hindrances before God's purpose is fulfilled in its appointed time. The king of Persia, influenced and controlled by the highest of evil angels, resisted God's purpose through arguments and representations against the Jews, like Pharaoh refusing to obey the word of the Lord. Michael came to Gabriel's aid, after which Gabriel remained with Persia's kings, restraining evil powers and giving right counsel against evil counsel. Thus the battle can go hardest even after prayer is heard, because powerful spiritual foes set themselves to oppose the Lord's work and to hinder and retard what God purposed to be done.

Help that God intends to send can be obstructed, as the heavenly prince sent to instruct Daniel was hindered by princes controlled by opposing influences. Satanic agencies hindered the answer to Daniel's prayer and caused delay, and difficulties and delays can likewise arise when people do not respond to God's word. Yet such hindrances do not prevent the Lord's will from being carried out.

The opposition that held the heavenly messenger for twenty-one days from convincing the king of Persia of the work he was to do was a real conflict of invisible, supernatural powers. Satan and his host withstood the messengers of heaven and hindered them from coming to Daniel to answer his prayer. Those same mighty foes still oppose God and must still be contended with, opposing and retarding every forward movement in the Lord's work and seeking to discourage workers through hindrances, criticism, misrepresentation, unbelief, and prejudice. God's people must therefore contend and come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty in the battles fought daily, putting on the whole armor of God and praying most earnestly. His workers must keep advancing by faith, working in God and doing their best while putting trust in God rather than in men or experts, with the Lord keeping accidents and circumstances in His own hand.

Success in this conflict comes only as God's servants humble themselves before God and constantly consecrate themselves to Him, humiliating self and realizing the peril of the times. Those who have light and knowledge are in the greatest danger unless they do so, for Satan continually seeks to block the way so that truth shall be bound about by human devising, and no human eloquence in strongly set forth human opinions can change the working of satanic agencies. Advancement requires faith in divine guidance and tact, renouncing dependence on worldly wisdom, outward display, and one's own efforts. Interests must be bound firmly together rather than drawn apart and divided, for division makes workers weak rather than strong and leaves detrimental impressions that take double work to remove.