Our last reading for this week: Daniel 10:14-21

v14 ‘Your people’ = Israel. The angel came to give Daniel understanding as to what was going to happen with the Jewish people in the last days.

· ‘In the latter days’ or ‘Days yet to come’ speak of the last days.

v15 Daniel firstly hadn’t been able to stand. This verse reveals to us that he is so overwhelmed by what he has heard that he again falls to the ground but now also cannot even speak (These end days are going to be the worst time, ever, for the Jewish people – as will be revealed).

v16: The ‘sorrows’ (more accurately translated ‘pains’ – see biblehub.com) that Daniel is speaking of here is the same word used for birth pains (Jer 30:5-7, Matt 24:8). The reason why this word is used here is to tell us that there’s a purpose for this suffering. A woman who goes into labour suffers greatly – but the result (a child) brings great joy. The fulfilment of this prophecy is going to be with great pain, but it is going to give birth to the Kingdom of G-d! That is the only reason why G-d allows this suffering to take place.

v17 Daniel is overwhelmed, physically and spiritually, to the point of death (“nor is any breath left in me”- like Yeshua in Gethsemane as His end came closer – Matt 26:38). The only solution to this is to pray.

v18 Daniel again strengthened by an angel (see Luke 22:42-46, Are Daniel and Yeshua giving us a picture of how intense living at the very end will be?)

v19 Men and women of prayer, who take the revelation of G-d’s prophetic truth seriously, will be ministered to and strengthened so that they can walk in faithfulness. As we listen to and obey G-d’s Word we will be given power and strength to endure.

v20 Persia (Iran) and Greece (Europe), the two main end time kingdoms (as seen in chapter 8), are both emphasized again. They are important prophetic indicators of end time events.

v21 The Bible is the Book of Truth; it does not lie. All the end time events are written in it and will become clearer and clearer the closer we get to that final day. We have no excuse – and need to be ready, prepare ourselves, for these end time events.

· No one upholds me – Daniel alone was the one praying and being strengthened. Unlike Daniel, very few people take the message of prophecy seriously for the last days.

· The name “Michael” (the archangel) reminds us of the uniqueness of G-d (1 Thess 4:16)

Note: At Messiah’s first coming Israel was utterly unprepared. Israel did not recognize Him, nor did they respond to Him correctly. They did not understand the significance of the days/times that they were living in. Do we know the significance of the times that we are living in? At this crucial time in history are we worldly or Kingdom minded? (Matt 6:33)