Daniel the prophet was visited by Gabriel the archangel, who informed him that he had come from Persia (Iran), where the prince of that kingdom had resisted him for 21 days during a partial fast by Daniel. Gabriel added that Michael [the archangel] “one of the chief princes” had come to help him, “because I had been alone [in my fight] with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:13).
Gabriel had left Michael to continue the fight so he could inform Daniel what the future held for the future. Then he said: “And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed, the prince of Greece will come.”
Before revealing future events, Gabriel said: “No one upholds me against these [warring kingdoms], except Michael your prince” and that “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm him [as king] and strengthen him [as the ruling monarch of what today is known as Kurdistan].”
Alexander the Great, the “male goat” of the prophecy, would clash head on with a “ram” — the Persian Emperor, Darius III. The young and impatient Alexander sought to rule the East at the time the LORD had determined, but Darius was strongly resisting Alexander’s army (Daniel 9).
Gabriel is a powerful person! He is the archangel who appeared to the priest Zacharias, more than 500 years later, informing him that he and his wife would have a son in their old age. When Zacharias (who ought to have known better) questioned how such a thing could be, Gabriel was indignant!
“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God!” (Luke 1:19) Zacharias probably wished he had kept his mouth closed, but Gabriel did that for him! He pronounced that the priest would be unable to speak again until his newborn baby (the future John the Baptist) was circumcised, eight days after his birth! The Lesson: never speak words of unbelief to an ageless archangel!
What has all this to do with what’s taking place in the Middle East?
It assures us that angels are still at work behind the scenes; that Michael the archangel, who fights for Israel, is more than ready for the “100,000 missiles” that threaten the nation of Israel. We’ll wait to see Israel’s usual response to such threats, though not as fearful onlookers to a modern day Goliath versus David rematch, knowing well how that one ended.
The Apostle Paul, writing to Titus, informs him that those who follow Christ ought to submit themselves to principalities and powers — legitimate civil authorities. But he encouraged the church at Ephesus to “wrestle” against those of the evil, spiritual kind. We submit to the things we should resist and resist the things to which we should submit (James 4:7). This is not the way to win battles!
We think of Gabriel’s words to Daniel as spiritual intelligence but it wasn’t really. Historians inform us what took place, but Gabriel’s mission lifted the curtain and showed the prophet the exact details of how the future battle between them would be won — not by arrow, lance and sword, but by two archangels standing together to weaken the army of Darius until the time was right for the straining army of the Alexander to overcome it.
When that time did come, the Medo-Persian Empire fell, the Greek Empire rose, and a new era began.
Ephesians 6:12 informs us that Christians “wrestle not against flesh and blood” (humans) but against sovereignties and authorities that deny and defy the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said: “All authority is given to me, in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18)
The Church’s role is to enforce our Lord’s authority. Daniel did not “wrestle” against the spiritual struggle taking place overhead between the principalities of Greece and Persia until Gabriel appeared and briefed him on the situation and who was in charge behind the scene; and it was not the two earthly opponents!
So dare to be a Daniel, by fasting and praying until Jesus, through the Holy Spirit reveals to you what is taking place above you. It might well shock you as it did Zacharias and leave you as god-smacked as it did him! Meantime, know that through your prayers, God is working in the heavens overhead to change things on earth below!