Standing in the Presence of Holiness: Daniel 10:10-14
God overcomes. He wins. Forces oppose Him; strong forces put up a good fight. In the end, though, God will have the last word.
As Daniel becomes overwhelmed in his attempt to understand God’s plan, a hand touches him. The touch reassures Daniel and tells Daniel this event is meant for him. The angel wants Daniel to focus and understand. The presence of the angel and his reassurance allows Daniel to get up from being face down on the ground to rest upon his hands and knees. Eventually, Daniel stood, although he continued to tremble.
This is an interesting perspective on the presence of the Lord. Frequently, Christians await in eager anticipation the time when we will dwell in the Lord’s presence. I cannot wait until eternity begins and I can dwell in God’s presence forever. It will be a great moment.
However, this passage reminds us the ministry of the Lord is fearsomely great. If Daniel finds it difficult to stand in the presence of the Lord or His servants, who among us can do any better? I’m not making the claim that the presence of God is anything less than amazing. Daniel is on the ground and trembling because the experience is beyond his ability to comprehend. The thought of God sending part of the heavenly host to his side is so mind-blowing to Daniel he struggles to keep up.
The message the angelic presence relays intensifies the scope of the incident. The angel tells Daniel he’s been delayed by the prince of Persia. Most scholars believe this is a reference to some evil spirit or demonic presence that resisted the angel and tried to prevent him from coming to Daniel’s side. Certainly, this idea is biblical. We are told that Satan himself fell from heaven and took a third of the angels with him. There are forces and principalities on a spiritual plane who seek to oppose God.
In fact, one reading of the angel’s words might indicate the angel was sent at the beginning of Daniel’s prayer, which was three weeks prior to the angel arriving. Not only are there powers in the world seeking to supernaturally resist God’s agents, but they have the capacity to put up resistance lasting for weeks.
The supernatural world is beyond our comprehension. There are more powers at work than anyone can truly grasp. The power displayed by these forces is incomprehensible. This is why Daniel falls to his face and has trouble standing. The scope of the world we cannot see is mind-boggling.
In those moments when I actively struggle to understand God and the supernatural world, I remember one simple fact. The struggle is so real and filled with so much power that God had to send His own Son to die for our sake. God can win. God will win. God’s victory was costly, but it is an assured victory. God will overcome.
