Excerpt from Treason:

Daniel Intercedes

Understanding the prophetic times, Daniel prepared himself to approach God in prayer and ask for the restoration of his people and Jerusalem. It is important to note that Daniel pursued the fulfillment of prophecy through prayer; he did not sit idly by.

As a show of seriousness and humility, he refrained from eating and then bowed before his God and King to confess the sins of his people and plead for mercy.

In Daniel’s lengthy petition, he recounted the great history of the Exodus and the sad decline of his people into ever-increasing idolatry; and then he appealed to God’s love and mercy.

As God listened to Daniel, He heard a son who implored Him to truly and deeply forgive and restore His people. Back then, most humans paid homage to distant and capricious gods, and it was rare for anyone to believe in a god of tender mercy—yet Daniel believed this was the very essence of his King.

Daniel reminded God that He had made a covenant of love with Israel. Yes, it was true that she had openly committed adultery with foreign idols right under His nose and in His house; she was now covered in shame and living as a slave. Indeed, the situation was dire, but not without hope!

God had promised a restoration, and now the nations were watching to see if He was willing or able to keep His word. In fact, God’s next move would become part of the historical record for all eternity. Would the words of the prophets come to pass or not? Could God be trusted to stay faithful to Israel no matter her sins?

Daniel knew the answer. He had spent his entire life walking with a God of love and compassion, and this knowledge gave him the faith and courage to ask for nothing less than a shift in world politics so that Israel could go home!

God Hears Daniel

As soon as Daniel began to pray, he had God’s full attention, and the angels stood by watching and listening. The deep love of Father God toward Daniel was well-known in heaven—as confirmed by the angel Gabriel. Daniel had been pulling aside to talk with God three times a day for over sixty years. Because of this, his heart was wide open toward God, and the love between them was filled with rich history. Not only that, Daniel was genuinely awed by the majesty of God his King, and he approached Him with careful reverence in order to communicate allegiance and deep joy at the privilege of serving Him.

At the sound of his prayers, a tangible swell of emotions rose from God’s heart and filled heaven. It was clear to the angels that Daniel was asking for things that God wanted to give him and that he had touched a deep reservoir of desire in His heart. Yes, there was sorrow over the hard-heartedness of His people, but also joy because of children like Daniel who loved and appreciated Him.

Gabriel Is Sent

Responding with deep love, God sent Gabriel to visit Daniel and give him understanding concerning the times and seasons of Israel and, by extension, the world.

It was an honor for Gabriel to be chosen by God as the special messenger to Daniel and then to be identified by name in his writings. There are only two holy angels called out by name in the cannon of Scripture: Michael the archangel over Israel and Gabriel her special messenger. Both of these are mentioned in the book of Daniel.

Filled with deep affection, Gabriel rushed to Daniel who was still praying and abruptly appeared to him. Daniel immediately recognized Gabriel from his previous visit. On this occasion, his demeanor was noticeably focused and intense.

Spilling over with emotion, Gabriel took a moment to express the affection of God and told Daniel he was deeply loved and highly esteemed. Imagine for a moment the power of that greeting! Daniel lived among idol worshippers and demonic kings. Never in the history of the world did a demon god send messages of love and tenderness to his worshippers! In contrast, our Creator is filled with love and passion for us! His tenderness and kindness toward us are unprecedented, and He talks about it all the time in Scripture. Love is His unique and weighty signature.

Today, Daniel resides in heaven as a member of the heavenly family of saints. The glory he lives in is matchless and beyond our imagination. Even so, I am sure that he counts this greeting from the heart of God as one of his most cherished memories.