Friday, March 13
“For three weeks Gabriel wrestled with the powers of darkness, seeking to counteract the influences at work on the mind of Cyrus. … All that heaven could do in behalf of the people of God was done. The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses.” Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 572
“What great honor is shown to Daniel by the Majesty of heaven! He comforts His trembling servant and assures him that his prayer has been heard in heaven. In answer to that fervent petition the angel Gabriel was sent to affect the heart of the Persian king. The monarch had resisted the impressions of the Spirit of God during the three weeks while Daniel was fasting and praying, but heaven’s Prince, the Archangel, Michael, was sent to turn the heart of the stubborn king to take some decided action to answer the prayer of Daniel.” Ellen G. White, The Sanctified Life, p. 51
Discussion Questions:
1. Though we are not the first people in Christian history to see this truth, as Seventh-day Adventists we are strong proponents of the “great controversy” motif, or the idea that the entire universe is part of an epic struggle between Christ and Satan. And we believe that every human being is, indeed, involved in this controversy. Others, even secular people, have talked about the reality of some kind of battle in which we are all immersed. What has been your own experience in the great controversy? How have you seen it manifested in your own life? What have you learned that could help others struggling, as well?
2. Read Ephesians 6:10-18. Notice the overt military imagery that Paul uses. What “battle instructions” are given here for us in the great controversy?
3. In Daniel 10:11, for a second time (see Daniel 9:23) Daniel is called hamudot, or “beloved”. What does this tell us about the close link, even an emotional link, between heaven and earth? Think about how radically different this reality is when compared to the common atheistic view of much of the modern world. What hope does this Bible view, as seen in this reference to Daniel, offer us?
