"Who was the man that appeared to Daniel?" asked Brian.

"I believe this was a christophany!" Darryl answered.

"A pre-Bethlehem appearance of Yeshua (Jesus)," Brian smiled, recalling their discussion.

Darryl smiled. He was pleased with how well Brian and Jamie were doing in the study. "I would like to read a description of Yeshua (Jesus) from Revelation 1:13-16. 'There with the lampstands was someone who seemed to be the Son of Man. He was wearing a robe that reached down to his feet, and a gold cloth was wrapped around his chest. His head and his hair were white as wool or snow, and his eyes looked like flames of fire. His feet were glowing like bronze being heated in a furnace, and his voice sounded like the roar of a waterfall. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edge sword was coming from his mouth. His face was shining as bright as the sun at noon.'

"As you can see the two descriptions are almost identical. After John saw Yeshua (Jesus), he had the same response as Daniel. 'When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead person.'"

"It must be completely overwhelming to be in the presence of G-d," Elizabeth commented.

"I was thinking the same thing!" Jamie agreed.

"Is there anything symbolic about his appearance?" Brian asked.

"Yes, there is. He is clothed in linen, like the high priests, representing His office as our high priest. His face is described as being like lightning. Lightning is often used in the Bible in reference to the Messiah. His burning eyes symbolize His omniscience."

Brian interrupted, "Excuse me, what does omniscience mean?"

"It means he is all knowing," Darryl explained. "His arms and feet being like polished bronze, indicates the strength with which he can vanquish His enemies. He is pictured as having a voice of a multitude. This points to the judgment He will carry out when He appears. Daniel fainted when he saw the Messiah and when he came to, an angel was standing before him."2

"Was it Gabriel, Dad?"

"That's a good guess, Jamie, but the Bible doesn't tell us his name."

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The angel gently nudged Daniel and told him to stand up. "Daniel, don't be afraid! G-d has listened to your prayers since the first day you humbly asked for understanding, and He as sent me here. But the prince of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to rescue me from the kings of Persia. Now I have come here to give you another vision about what will happen to your people in the future."3

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"I'm confused! How was the Prince of Persia stopping him from visiting Daniel?" Brian asked bewildered.

"Jamie explained earlier how Satan has organized his fallen angels in much the same way a general would organize his army. From reading these verses, we see Satan placed a demon over the affairs of Persia. The angel G-d sent to Daniel had been engaged in spiritual warfare with this demon for three weeks. Let me read from Ephesians 6:11-17: 'Put on the full armor of G-d so that you can stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of G-d, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of G-d.'"

"So the angel needed help from a stronger angel, Michael, in order to get away and deliver his message," Elizabeth added.

Brian stared hard at the sky and said, "Wow! I had no idea that sort of thing went on."

"Brian," Jamie giggled. "They're invisible most of the time. You're not going to see anything."

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Daniel was overcome with the vision. He bowed to the ground. Again a hand touched him and opened his mouth.

Daniel was finally able to speak, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."4

Again he was touched and strengthened. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong."5

Finally Daniel was strong enough to receive the message the angel had come with and he said "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength."6

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Darryl explained, "The angel told Daniel that after he finished his mission he had to go back and duke it out with this demon known as the Prince of Persia."

"So what's the message, Dad?"

"That's what Daniel recorded in the next chapter."