The Pulpit Commentary — Daniel — Section 329

of Divine revelations. (Ver. 11.) No need of cringing. We ourselves are morle in the image of God, and have affinity with the Divine. 2. He does so grarlunlly. Daniel was first flat on his face; then on all fours; then half-raised and trembling. and finally stood upright on his feet. In this, see how man ie gradually Jed 11 ; to nil the light which God has t~ give. In heaven the unveiling may be grarlnal (vers. 9, 10, 11). 3. Sympathetically. "Behold, a hand touched me" (vers. 10 i6-19). 4. .Assures man that his devout aspirations are rerognized beyond the ak/ Daniel's was the attitude of a devout truth-seeker, He "had set his heart to under- stand," and "to chasten himself before hie God." We should have more uniformity of Scripture interpretation, were the interpreter always of this spirit. 6. And of the sure answer to his prayers. (Ver. 12.) As soon as prayer was offered, it was heard and secret agencies were evoked for its answer; but there were many obstacles to b; overcome. The later part of the chapter shows this. So may it ever be, before our prayers can be answered, long lines and combinations of secondary cause8 may have to be set in operation, and formidable hostilities subdued. Patience in waitina for ns well as faith in expecting, the answer, are both necessary in the matter of prayer.....:.R. Vere. 13, 20--ch. xi. 1.-War in the realm supernatural. "And now will I return to fight with the Prince of Persia" (ver. 20). In these verses we have opened out the fact that there is war in the realm supematura,l. To understand them, it is absolutely necessary to revise the English version. We read thus: "And the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me twenty and one days, and behold Michael one of the chief princes came to help me, and I gained the superiority there by the side of the kings of Persia. . . . And he said, Dost thou know why I came unto thee I And now I will return to war with the Prince of Persia, and while I [thus] go forth [to war], behold the Prince of Javan will come. But yet I will show to thee that which is written in the book of truth. And not one is there showing himself strong with me age.inst these [the princes of Persia and Javan] except Michael your prince; I also in the first year of Darius the Mede stood in order to strengthen and for a fortress to him" (i.e. Michael). This reading of ours is necessary to make clear the meaning of our homiletical culture. Lest any should be surprised at the fulness of the revelation in Daniel a.a to angels and the angel-world, we may observe that there a.re two epochs in Hebrew history, when angels are specially prominent. 1. The time of the judges. Destitute of direct revelation or prophetic guidance. 2. The period of the Captivity. One of special trial, incident to cont11ct with heathenism. I. THE ANTAGONIST&. 1. On the side of God. (1) The Angel-God. The Logos. The "certain man" of ver. 6. The Lord Jesus. The speaker throughout (vers.13, 20--ch. xi. 1). (2) Michael. His name means," Who is like unto God?" a.ad implies that, however high is the scale of being, there is a.a infinite distance between him and God (see eh. xii. 1; Jude 7; Rev. xii. 7). The following propositions seem clear about him: He is not the Logos; for he is here distinguished from him. "One of the chief princes," one of the principal in the hierarchy of heaven. "Yonr prince," the angelic representative and guardian of the Jewish nation. "The great prince who standeth for the children of thy people." An archangel. 2. On the side of the world. The" princes" here named a.re the supernatural power standing behind the daimonire, who stood behind the national gods, a.nd were represented by them. They are spirits of evil, inspiring the worldly anti-Divine action of the great empires of earth. (1) The "Prince of Persia." (2) The Prince of Javan ; i.e. Greece. II. THE WA.B. The war was on behalf of Israel, and may be described as being prosecuted through three supernatural campaigns. We consider them separately. 1. The first campaign. (Ch. xi. 1.) (1) The antagonist. Not mentioned here by name, but, following the analogy of the rest of the description, is certainly the celestial "Prince" of Babylonia. (2) The casus belli. The occasion of conflict. This, doubt- less was the necessity of placing on the Babylonian throne one who would be fa.vour- abl~ to the return of Israel from the Captivity. (3) Specialities. (a) Michael carried on the war. (b) The Christ supported him. This order is reversed in the next campaicrn, (4) The victory. Lies with tho Divine iu every case. 2. The second campaign. (Ver. 13.) (1) The antagonist. "The Prince of Persia." (2) The casus belli. '!'ho obstruction rai~ed against the restoration of the temple, a.t the instiga.tiou  302 THE BOOK OF DANIEL. [OR, X, 1-21,