In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the book of Daniel and the experiences of the prophet Daniel. The speaker highlights Daniel's three-week period of mourning, during which he abstained from pleasant food and anointed himself. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, Daniel sees a vision of a man clothed in linen, with a majestic appearance and a voice like a multitude. The speaker emphasizes the role of the archangel Michael in helping this angel overcome the prince of the kingdom of Persia to deliver a message to Daniel. The sermon concludes with the angel explaining that he has come to make Daniel understand the vision, and Daniel expresses his weakness and sorrow in response.

Please meet with Daniel Daniel chapter 10 and I make bold to say to Mike that this is one of the greatest chapters not only in the book of Daniel but I think it's one of the great chapters of the Bible because you might rightly say to me all the chapters in this Bible are great and that is very true but then you know sometimes when one has to give a week's Bible readings here and there sometimes I take a Bible reading Bible week of readings on great chapters of the Bible and I call them great because there are chapters that bring doctrines to us and revelations and give us an insight into things that we don't find in other chapters think of Genesis 1 and we get the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of the creator think of Hebrews chapter 1 and there you get the great story of the sweet fellowship between the father and the son in times past through the prophets the father spake unto the fathers about his son and there are great chapters just like that right on through and this is a great chapter this evening because it gives us an insight into what goes on in the heavenlies when man and woman get really down to pray that's why I think it's one of the great chapters I think that this is an inspiring chapter because you're going to see an old man of 86 years of age and I'll sort of prove his age for you an old man of 86 years of age getting down to pray something through not just saying prayers not just bowing his knee at the bedside for a moment or two an old man of 86 years of age getting the grip of God's throne and determining in his own heart to pray this matter right through and staying there for 21 days no food, no washing, no anointing praying it through and I venture to say that not one of us know anything about it I trust we shall learn what it really means to get alone with God it's much easier to sing choruses than do this, I assure you and it's much easier to come to the Bible class than do this blessed are those choruses and Bible classes this is a man getting alone with his God and determining in his soul to see it through in prayer this is the mighty thing we're getting an insight into what this means in the heavens this scares the devil, you know he's got to get his purses going now if there's such a man around and so it's an inspiring chapter when you come to look at it from that angle it's a very interesting chapter because you see all heaven moving to meet and answer this man's thirst all heaven, I tell you all heaven moving most interesting and then I think it's a great chapter not only because it gives us an insight into this and inspires us to pray and it's interesting to watch all heaven moving but we get an instruction here about principalities and powers and the rules of the darkness of this world I don't know whether we've ever stopped to consider this phrase the rules of the darkness of this world who are these rulers that determine to keep the world in darkness well there's instruction here for us it's an interesting chapter it's an inspiring one it's an instructive one it's an indispensable one the modernists would love to tear it out and they have tried they say it doesn't come, but if not we shall see I tell you if they could tear this chapter out we haven't this instruction anywhere else in the book that I know that's why I say it's one of the great ones and it's not only inspiring and interesting and instructive and indispensable it's an intricate chapter there are difficulties I admit that we've got to face them honestly why some of the greatest expositors in the world are all at sixes and sevens with each other as regards this chapter so one must think how to wear the shoes from off his feet when we come here we're on very holy ground it's ground that the devil doesn't want us to be on and all the forces of hell will be against this bible reading this evening and then we take fresh courage because we're living in the age of grace and the holy ghost the comforter has come and Jesus promised us when he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth so depending on the holy ghost we're coming to this great chapter this evening I've called it twenty one days of prayer you see verse two in those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks and it's the same word that we had last week in the chapter it's the word week weeks it's the word sevens but it was sevens of years last week from the context and it's quite easy to see that it's sevens of days this week it's three sevens of days it's twenty one days three full weeks see what verse three says I eat no pleasant bread neither tin flesh nor wine in my mouth neither did I anoint myself at all till three full weeks were fulfilled twenty one days of prayer my what a blessing to see you this evening and when you realise that the same Daniel is somewhere above eighty six years of age let's get the first verse in now in the third year of Silas king of Persia now that's very interesting isn't it those of you who know this book and I think by now you should know it do you know how the chapters go well chapter one and two and three and four all has to do with Nebuchadnezzar the great king of Babylon that's an easy way of knowing Daniel one, two, three, four all belong to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and then you want to watch this because it's chapter five and then it misses six and seven it's chapter five and eight that belong to Belshazzar you see the chapters are not in chronological order but one, two, three, four belong to Nebuchadnezzar and then five and eight belong to Belshazzar and then six and seven and nine belong to Darius and then ten we find Cyrus the king of Persia so that you can see at a glance that Daniel lived right through the reign of Nebuchadnezzar right through the reign of Belshazzar right through the reign of Darius right into this very time in this chapter and here's a very interesting fact if you go back to the book of Ezra let's go back to Ezra just for a moment first and second Samuel, first and second Kings first and second Chronicles and then comes the book of Ezra now take your time and find a place and you young ones who are here and you don't know your Bibles any well if you open the first part of your book just behind the back there you'll find directions to the page and I have all the sympathy in the world with you because when I was first saved and went to church if the picture preached out of anywhere only Matthew, Mark, Luke, John I couldn't find it I hadn't a chance I used to just open it anywhere and pretend but that's no good you're getting on no well like that have you got Ezra? well second Chronicles is before Ezra and the last chapter is chapter 36 do you see verse 22? verse 22 now in the first year of Cyrus see where we were reading tonight? it's the third year of Cyrus now way back there in second Chronicles just before Ezra verse 22 now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing saying thus saith Cyrus king of Persia all the kingdom of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah who is there among you of all his people the Lord his God be with him let him go up now this is the first year you see just to fulfill what Jeremiah had said Jeremiah had said that God would take his people as captives into Babylon and keep them for 70 years now the 70 years are gone it's all the fact I want out of it and if we come to the conclusion that Daniel was brought as a captive to Babylon at the age of 16 some of the scholars believe he was 14 some believe he was 15 some believe he was 16 it's very difficult to be exact Old Testament computerism isn't altogether correct but he was somewhere about 14 or 15 or 16 we'll say 16 and if he came to Babylon as a young prince captive at the age of 16 70 years have gone now these kings have all run the course Jeremiah's prophecy is about to be fulfilled he's 86 years of age let's get that settled now some people ask me if the king of Persia let the captives go back two years before this because it's the first year that the king let them go back why did Daniel not go back? it's a very good question because in the third year he's still in Babylon and I believe maybe the answer's found in the book of Ezra you know when these captives had the liberty and the opportunity to go back not very many of them responded at all a great multitude had made their home in Babylon and I believe that Daniel stayed to pray them out of it but we'll find out as we go on with the story this evening I'm only proving his age so we'll not ponder that anymore we'll go back to Daniel 10 so you can see this old man 86 years of age bowing down before his God holding on to the throne for 21 days I want you to look at those days of devotion that Daniel had I want you to notice this phrase in verse 3 I ate no pleasant bread neither clean flesh nor wine in my mouth neither did I anoint myself at all I want you to see this old man got down before God and denied himself I want you to get that because I can tell some of you young ones if you're going to learn to pray at all you'll have to deny yourself and I'll tell you this is not easy you know if you're going to really pray if you're going to really get alone with God you'll have to learn what it meant when Christ said and thou when thou dreast enter into thy closet and shut thy door because you've got to get alone you've got to deny yourself you know when you're really praying something through something that's burdening you something that you must get right before God then you'll have to deny yourself food maybe we wouldn't be prepared for that maybe the snails that come from the kitchen wouldn't allow you to do it have to shut the door on food at times and you have to shut the door on friends at times sometimes I just tell my wife it doesn't make a matter who comes you just tell them that I'm with God maybe they think I'm dodging you can think whatever you like if you go ahead with the thinking what you think doesn't worry me you've got to shut the door on food you've got to shut the door on friends you've got to shut the door on fun you give up your fun too you've got to shut the door on fools because usually when I get down to pray there's always some fool at the door I think the devil sends them round well I just send them away I'll tell you this is the great matter of this praying business you know there are bottles that have been engaged here that have never been put on the page of history and never will you see this is 21 days of denying yourself have a look at verse 11 there just for a moment the angel who came to Daniel when he had prayed for 21 days and he'll not hurry this the angel said he said unto me O Daniel a man greatly beloved I can tell you whether the folks talked about him or not heaven loved him sometimes when the critics are turned away at the door they could say all sorts of things about you I'll tell you heaven doesn't say a word yes he said unto me O Daniel a man greatly beloved understand the words that I speak unto thee and stand upright for unto thee am I now sent and when he had spoken this word unto me I stood trembling and he said unto me fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand this is what it was all about you know he got down before God and I want you to watch the rephrase set thine heart because in this great matter of prayer it is the heart that matters it is not your language nor how quick you can get through it nor how fast nor how loud nor how dramatic no not at all it's the heart that counts you know that the psalmist knew this he said if we regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear us and if you're going through the whole day thinking about sex or naked women you must stop praying for the Lord will not hear you he just shuts his ears to that sort of thing God bless the Lord the heart that can't see it and it's the same for husbands and wives if you're barging and buckling it out and eating the face of one another at home Peter said your prayers will be hindered because your thought life can hinder your prayer life and your home life can hinder your prayer life you know if you're going to pray at all you have to set your heart that's the thing that we're trying to get across you see it's the desires of the heart and it's the heart that's right with God you know he set his heart to understand I want you to watch that as you understand what it says from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand what was Daniel praying about at all look at verse 14 the angel said now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days that's what he was asking you know there was just a little remnant that went back with Ephraim but there's a multitude in this land of idols and Daniel's burdened about God's people and he's getting down before God and he's gripping the throne and he's honestly wanting to know what's going to befall this people in the latter days and you know the devil doesn't like you to be anxious about the people of God and their goods he doesn't like you at all and so you can see that Daniel denied himself and you can see these days of desiring before God and I want you to watch this phrase in verse 12 it says for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten myself before thy God you know this was between this man and God he got along with God it was God's throne it was God's face it was God's ear it was God that Daniel got before this was a real business you know if you're anxious about prayer and how to pray one of the great books of the Bible for you is the book of Daniel for Daniel will teach you in one of the chapters when to pray three times a day never fails even when he faced the lion's den he just went on as he did the four times three times a day it's the best medicine you'll ever get they write it on the medicine bottle now three times a day but I can tell you this is better medicine and if we could just dedicate our lives that somewhere each day maybe in the morning maybe at noon maybe at night but three times a day somewhere I shall get along with God do you know is Daniel would teach you when to pray and I'll tell you that this chapter tonight will teach you how to pray and if you go through the rest of the chapters you'll find for what you should pray but I haven't the time to go into the what you'll find them do you remember he prayed for the secret and he found it in the night he's praying for understanding of the nation just now and I believe it's nearly falling on some of the shoulders of the saints at this time to really get to grips with God about our problems because I don't think they're getting anywhere I think it's muddled right left and center maybe the man of God will have to settle it I wonder are there men in this province being shut in with God I don't know I can tell you that there are great things in this chapter these devotional days of Daniel you can see him denying himself you can see his desiring for God you can see him depending solely upon the Lord and I want you to watch now exactly what happens it says verse 2 in those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks I eat no pleasant bread neither confessional wine in my mouth neither did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled and in the four and twentieth day of the first month as I was by the side of the great river which is Hedickel then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold a fetid man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with fine gold of Eupheus his body also was like the barrel and his face of the appearance of lightning and his eyes as lamps of fire and his arms and his feet like in colours of polished brass and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude this is a wonderful vision that Daniel is having and this is where one of the difficulties of the chapter comes in because so many of the great and valued expositors say that this is the Lord Jesus and to be frank I don't accept that I'll tell you for why in a moment you know I know why they do this I know quite well let's go away back to the book of Revelation and we're at Revelation chapter one Revelation one and John here is on the isle of Patmos and you remember that he was in the spirit on the Lord's day verse ten I was in the spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice out of a trumpet saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last verse twelve I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one light on to the son of man there's no doubt who the Alpha and the Omega is none at all he's the son of man I asked two rosselites at the door once who's John looking at here this person says that he's Alpha and Omega and this verse says he's the son of man says that's right he was the son of man I say that's good for you now because if you go back up the chapter to verse eight you'll find something else have a look at verse eight now I am Alpha and Omega is that the same person? the beginning and the ending saith the Lord Jehovah is the word which is, which was, which is to come the almighty keep the first two words and the last two I am the almighty now the boys were in the fix at the door because they've got to say he's gone and the wee one said to the big one said you were wrong when you said I said you lie hurt of it you don't know what you're talking about so he says friends Jesus Christ is God manifest in flesh there's no problems about that he's Alpha and Omega he's the beginning and the ending he's Jehovah he's the almighty but John's looking at the son of man he just sees him like he was on earth he was always called the son of man but look at how he's called verse thirteen son of man called with a garment down to the foot and get about the breast with a golden girdle you know he's in the robes of the high priest now because the son of man is our great high priest that's how John saw look at his head and his hair it's white as snow like wool he's the ancient of days his eyes were as the flame of fire he can see through you he's the judge of all the earth and it goes on down and it ends the same of the vision and Daniel his countenance was of the sunshine of inner strength then just because that Christ is revealed like this in Revelation 1 many of the great scholars come to the conclusion that this vision given to Daniel that this is the Lord Jesus coming to him now I'm afraid I can't accept that I know that the vision is very nearly the same I know that there are many things Jesus said here his body also was like the burl his face as the appearance of lightning his eyes as lamps of fire his arms and his feet like in colour to polish draught and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude I know that but I'm going to show you in a moment that this one who came to Daniel this one was the one that God had sent with the answer when Daniel began to pray and this one was kept back from doing the job for 21 days and I want to know from the scholars who kept my Lord back for 21 days because I just don't know anybody who would be able don't start to talk to me like that I don't accept that no this is an angelic being and remember when man was made in the image of God some of the great angels like the archangel like some of the great messengers of the form they have a likeness to the glory of the Lord and one day we shall bear the glory in full now I shall prove that this is an angelic being that was sent from God to answer Daniel's question here's something I think we must gather up as we go along you can see the majesty of this person without any trouble I say the majesty of the messenger his body was like the bell there was a glory about it if you go to verse 11 you can see the authority of the messenger and he said unto me O Daniel a man greatly beloved understand the words that I speak unto thee and stand upright for unto thee am I now sent this was a sent messenger he had come from the glory because Daniel got down to pray and you not only see the authority of the messenger but in a moment or two you are going to see the hostility against the messenger you see he goes on talking to Daniel in verse 12 fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and had chastened thyself before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the prince of the kingdom of pleasure withstood me one and twenty days that's the point he was kept back he was sent alright he came from the glory he's an angelic being oh but somebody was bigger than him somebody kept him back for 21 days don't come round telling me there's somebody bigger than the Lord because I don't accept that I would think if the scholars would read a bit they would get it that's the value of Bible readings now let's get the hold of something else to see this angelic being comes he's sent from heaven he was sent on the very first day that Daniel began to pray he's been kept back for 21 days and now he suddenly appears it says in verse 7 and I Daniel alone saw the vision for the men that were with me saw not the vision but a great quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves you know I think this is very important just to note this it would be possible for an angelic being to visit this meeting and some one of us see this being and the rest would not see it aren't you to get that but it would not be possible for this angelic being to come to this meeting without you feeling his presence even if you couldn't see the person his presence would make itself felt because the men that were with Daniel saw not the vision only Daniel saw the vision but a great quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves they were conscious that there was some other presence there wouldn't be able to explain it sometimes when we preach at meetings you can feel God drawing very near to the meeting sometimes I have felt a hush in the meeting that I can't create and I think we get conscious that God is very near I just thought I would point that out as we went on with this basic therefore I was left alone and it's a great thing to be left alone when God wants to talk to you I think for you young preachers would you let me talk to you for a moment unless you young fellows get alone with God the congregation is going to pass you on it's something you sip about all day and every day and here and there and younger and you think you're so clever you can walk in and hold the people when you can't and you'll lose out and you'll be no good and you can't warm up the old sermons you know you'll have to be alone with God and when you're alone whether it's an old sermon or not I'll tell you this you'll come out fresh because unless you go in you needn't come out to the folks but Daniel was alone that's it for this great vision and there remained no strength in me do you see what this revelation did to him my eye can catch the boys on every time they come to me and say they have revelation because you know you couldn't get a heart big enough for them oh I can see them you know and the character came down to me one night and he said Mr. Monk now you should see him demonstrating this he must have thought I was a fool you know but I was watching him carefully oh I have the greatest vision I've ever heard God came into the room filled the room with light and he told me that Mr. Monk was the greatest man in this world God help him for being such a liar you know he was all charmed about it he was working himself up he was exalting himself he was all fresh from beginning to end I'll tell you where you'll find him tonight up in the pub he's in the pub now I find him coming along drunk there sometimes I just pass him by but one night I was in there and saw him and really just stopped him and said you the boy that had the vision you were never saved I tell you if you got near to the Lord it would not have stopped you there'd be no boasting about it you'd keep in your hole my dear friends if you get near to God you never talk about yourself at all you're just a wee fellow miserable wee fellow that's all St. Daniel he was a great man he says therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision and there remained no strength in me for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength yet heard I the voice of his words and when I heard the voice of his words then was I in a deep sleep on my face and my face toward the ground now I want you to get the other part because it's the other part that's important that's really important and behold a hand touched me and I want you to watch the word touched as we go through the chapter I'll gather them together afterwards and set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands and he said unto me O Daniel a man greatly beloved understand the words that I speak unto thee and stand upright and that's a pretty good indication that this was an angel pretty good indication because it would be quite right to bow before the Lord and you know when the Lord walked on the water and got into the boat it says that all the disciples worshipped him in the boat they worshipped him and when the old Scottish divine was preaching once a night he said there wasn't a blessed Unitarian in the boat because the Unitarians can't worship the Lord because they don't believe he's God but if you believe he's God you can worship but this is just an angel and he says now you just stand upright and I think it goes on to prove it more than that unto thee am I now sent and when he had spoken this word unto me I stood trembling my this book's a great book how perfectly it is written then said he unto me fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God thy words were heard you know he got right through once did he get the hold of this my he really got through to the full thy words were heard and I'll tell you this if you can be absolutely sure that God hears you if you know that he hears you this new testament says then you have the petition that you desired of him oh Daniel got right through but Daniel didn't know that he had got right through and it said this thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the prince of the kingdom of God who withstood me one and twenty days now let's think about this prince for a moment or two you know the chapter began in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia and what's the difference between the king of Persia and the prince of Persia now there is no doubt at all that this was a great angelic being that was sent from heaven to answer Daniel's prayer there is no doubt in your mind some of the scholars believe it was the Lord Jesus I know it was a great angelic being now when it talks about the prince of the kingdom of Persia do you think it's talking about an ordinary human because I would give you more marks than that you would know right well on the seat where you sit that no human could keep an angel back for 21 days so we are not talking about a human now we are entering into something else that is really wonderful you see let's go to Ephesians for the moment 12th letter to the Ephesians and we are now at the 6th chapter 12th letter to the Ephesians chapter 6 I'm commencing to read at verse 10 and Paul said finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil for we believers wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rules of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in my places I want you to see the enemy here outlined before you principalities, do you know what that means? we wrestle against principalities against powers here is a great phrase against the rules of the darkness of this world against wicked spirits it is translated once against wicked spirits in heavenly places you see over the kingdom of Persia was the king called Cyrus at that time but then over him although he didn't know it there was a prince one of these principalities one of these powers one of these rulers of the darkness of Persia and there is a man in the nation now and he is going to get white ah well we will have to stop him to the devil from getting white so he sent this mighty principality he is called the prince of Persia he is not a human being he is one of these rulers of the darkness you know friends over this province of ours we have had many prime ministers but let's get this in tonight that over all the prime ministers that we have ever had or are ever likely to have the devil has designated one of his great princes and he is the prince of Ulster that is what he would be called as we could understand and let me tell you he has done a brave job for the devil he has done a brave job I am sure the devil is thinking of decorating them just now you know there was an old man who dreamed a dream once and he thought he could see the whole army of the devil and the devil is walking up and down the ranks looking at all these principalities and these powers of his and all these rulers of the darkness and he is saying to them there is a little province down yonder and they are getting more light and more light and more light and what are you fellows doing about it and one of them stepped forward and said Sir I have got the folk attracted to the football and the devil says that's not at all to stop that and another one said this and another one said that and they all stood and the devil said I will tell you what is wrong with you you don't know there is an old woman way down in the wee cottage down yonder and she is on her knees from morning to night and she is praying the blessing of God down upon the place you will have to take her and I will tell you this you just examine it just in your own logic tonight it doesn't matter how big it touches it doesn't matter how many folks we have it doesn't matter about the financial end it doesn't matter about the blessings in the soul have a look at the poor living you take every church represented here and I will tell you the smallest meeting in your church is the pyramid because the devil keeps folks from going to the pyramid there is a big man who sits over there who prays sometimes Lord thank you for the folks at the prayer meeting tonight because the devil never brought one of them the devil doesn't take you to prayer meetings the devil keeps you from going maybe he has kept some of you for years you see these principalities need to be understood and you know this great prince of Persia this prince that belonged to the devil's army this prince was so powerful that he stopped this angelic being from coming from heaven with the answer for 21 years you don't tell me it was Christ that was stopped not a bit of it, he would just brush them aside but he was so powerful that he stopped this angel now let's get this better let's go back to Daniel he is talking to Daniel he says thy words were heard in verse 12 at the end and I am come for thy words but the prince of the kingdom of Persia this wicked spirit withstood me, withstood this shining angel for 1 and 20 days 21 days, 3-4 weeks I'll tell you this, Daniel never gave in not a bit of it, all the time he is on his face this old man the battle's raged in the heavens he's got the hold of the throne by faith and he's not letting go he's saying the truth and I'll tell you all heaven came to his aid cause a man on his knees or a woman on her knees meaning business with God is a powerful character some of us only fool around with prayer not talking to you at all you're only blabbering we're talking about people who pray we're not talking about praying about business we're talking about people who know how to get about the business some of us have never been at it yet oh it's a great chapter isn't it with a lot of things in it now watch this very carefully verse 13 the angel says but the prince of the kingdom of Persia this mighty being who was over the darkness of Persia withstood me, this great angel one and twenty days but no, Michael one of the chief princes oh see now, see a human being turn off on you life is not that's why I know the exposition I'm giving is true you see Michael is the archangel now here's what this angel is saying the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days but no, Michael one of the chief princes came to help me you know it took the archangel to come down and help this other angel pass this wicked spirit so that he got there to tell the answer to Daniel you know when a man gets on his knees all heaven gets about the business I'll tell you all hell gets about it too that's where battles rage young man, young woman go home and learn to pray it's the greatest thing in the world I had a wee mother you know she was only about about four feet thick she was, maybe more and I say this to you she never owned a jacket in her life she wore a shawl she was my mother and I love her she always wore a shawl the only shawl that was free I'll tell you this she knew more about prayer than anybody else I've ever known oh she hadn't two coppers I fear in heaven and I have a feeling that she'll be well near the front maybe her son will not be near the distance at all but there were seventeen of us you know and we were all in rags I never had shoes on my feet when I went to school boy I'd be amused that these great professors on the TV these nights they amuse me they're the greatest lot of doofs on God's earth I heard one of them talking the other night about the school children the tick and the motocross he says you know they'll grow up and they'll be all weaklings in no time at all heh, he didn't know a thing about it when I went to school I went on the bus every day summer and winter and there were screenings, do you know what screenings are? that's what the yard was in Tarmac or anything like that screenings and you used to learn to run on the screenings in your bus you could do it wonderfully once you got to go and you know you had a piece with you you know what a piece is when I say piece in the English book listen then to this they don't know what we're talking about but then you see they're way backward anyway that'll help them when they hear this again you know we had two pieces of bed I'd wrapped open a bit of a telegraph and margarine margarine in between sure you never saw butter in your life my dear friend I stood for all my school life frozen in the winter time on my chair seat eating two slices of loaf and a man I'd make that little professor to come and have a look at me I'd be talking to them they should help them boys they don't know what they're talking about they never saw kids growing up they're mad the way they go on friends at rich get the hold of this we had sixteen boys and one girl in our family and we were poor, we were in poverty but my old mother got down on our two knees on the bed tyres every night I can see her you know and put her old white hands up and used to hear her pray boy you wouldn't move and you wouldn't dare move either she prayed for us and there's the whole bunch of us say it we all say it mother are you praying at all are all these fool around why we need to get back to praying don't we my of this whole bunch could be enlisted to make to really pray I'll tell you we could move this province you see when this old man of eighty six got down on his knees and held on and this angel was kept back by this other wicked spirit that Michael the archangel came along and fought the battle and got them through it's a tremendous thing to see Michael named here if you have any doubts about him at all just turn over the page quickly and in chapter eleven next week I'll show you something when we get to verse thirty six as we get that far next week it says the king and it's talking about the antichrist it's this king of sears carton shall do according to his will he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvelous things against the god of gods there's the mouth again and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished and that which is determined shall be done neither shall he regard the god of his fathers nor the desire of woman nor regard any god for he shall magnify himself above all now coming into chapter twelve here's how it begins and at that time at the time when the antichrist is there shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people you see this is the wonderful thing this archangel, this Michael this one who came to fight the battle for this other angel this Michael, this archangel he has a job to do for Israel he's the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people Daniel's people of course the lord's talking to Daniel, he says at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people you know it's wonderful when the lord Jesus will come and he's going to come one of these nights and he'll come like this the lord himself will descend from heaven with his house armed with the voice of the archangel what's he got to do with it anyway they're only written for the lord that's very true but you see this fellow has been employed by God to look after all the children of God in Israel, the real Israel of God and many of them have been buried and when the lord comes and calls for the church he shall descend from heaven with a shout at the same moment Michael will bump in and the voice of the archangel because we're taking the old testament saints home with us too not only the men you know they'll be there you know when God wanted to raise the body of Moses because he was going to put him on the mount of transfiguration with the lord Jesus you see nobody knew where Moses was buried God buried him, there's only one that Moses, you know God of course he sent the archangel, he knew he knew where he was but the devil comes along and says you can't you can't take this body out of the grave the redemption price is not paid yet you can't take the body out and there was a dispute between the devil and the archangel of course the archangel didn't bring any reeling accusation against him or anything saying God can do what he likes when he likes with whatever he likes he's sovereign and he raised the body of Moses ah but the archangel had to be there because this is a Jewish body you see when we come away back to the book of Revelation let's get back there for a moment, it's chapter 12 Revelation 12 and watch this carefully now, verse 7 and there was war in heaven Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and you know who the dragon is, verse 9 will tell you the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and hidden ah well this great princess there Michael and his archangels fought it's a good thing to underline the word war there there was war in heaven because you know once I said somewhere I think it was in Canada in one of the universities I said if any people near or far should come against this little province to take it over and there was a war here I should go to war I would have no hesitation none whatsoever you say you'd take a gun yes I would, it is war I'm not talking about the terrorists you know that's the state's job the state should punish evil doers but they're stealing there's a difference between terrorism and war the state ought to be doing it's job it tries to pamper them up it's not doing the job but it's a team war that's different when Hitler made war our men went to fight and it's a good job they did there's a full ground war on now if Britain had failed you wouldn't be in this place that's one thing sure an old fellow came to me when I preached like this at one of the universities he said I'm a conscientious objector I will not go to war will you not I said well I'll tell you this Michael the archangel went to war and he was holier than you and I'm concluding if Michael can go to war that's my answer that it'll have to be war yes Michael went to war let's get back to Daniel let's get this concluded this evening it's wonderful verse 14 the angel is speaking and saying now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall my people in the latter days for yet the vision is for many days it was a long time to the fulfillment and Daniel says when he had spoken such words unto me I set my face toward the ground and I became dumb and behold one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips as that touch again then I opened my mouth and speak and said unto him that stood before me oh my lord by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and I have retained no strength when he understood what would befall Israel in the last days it nearly killed him for how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord for ask for me speak where there remain no strength in me neither is there breath left in me then yet him again untouched me one like the appearance of a man and he strengthened me and said oh man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong and when he had spoken unto me I was strengthened and said let my lord speak for thou hast strengthened me with a text for a Sunday morning thou hast strengthened me by his sympathetic touch by his encouraging message that's how the people of God are strengthened that's what I pray for every week that God will come in from a morning meeting and touch those heads and by his message he will encourage them because that has strengthened you that's what we need you now we need the flock to be fed not flogged then said he knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee and now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia and when I am gone forth Lord the prince of Greece shall come you see the Persians were going to be overflown in a very short time by Alexander the Great and Greece would take the world wide kingdom ah but there would be a prince of Greece here too the devil will see he gets somebody to rule the darkness of every problem friends can we go back to start at this matter of prayer like we have never done before may God help us they are the same three short verses three hundred and eleven please what various hindrances we meet in coming to the mercy seat yet who that knows the worth of prayer but wishes to be often there three hundred and eleven please what various hindrances we meet in coming to the mercy seat yet who that knows the worth of prayer but wishes to be often there may God help us they are the same three hundred and eleven please what various hindrances we meet in coming to the mercy seat yet who that knows the worth of prayer may God help us in coming to the mercy seat may God help us in coming to the mercy seat Lord we thank thee for thy holy word we thank thee for this inspired infallible eternal word of thine Lord there are truths buried here that we need to dig out for the people and we pray Lord as they are passed on that folks will grasp and that the word will sanctify and that we shall be changed bring us Lord into the centre of this matter of prevailing prayer teach us again that the factual servant prayer of a righteous man availeth much that we give our gifts to thee this evening receive them for we love thee part us now in thy season and with thy tender touch