VII. GOD’S VICTORY OVER SATAN
IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD ON EARTH
Verses 25 through 28 reveal God’s victory over Satan in the worship of God on earth, even in a Gentile kingdom, through the overcomers in the captivity of His defeated elect.
A. Darius the King Writing
to All the Peoples, Nations, and Languages concerning the God of Daniel
Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the whole earth, making a decree that in all the dominion of his kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. "For He is the living God / And enduring forever; / And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, / And His dominion will be unto the end. / He delivers and rescues, / And He does signs and wonders / In heaven and on earth; / It is He who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions" (vv. 26-27).
B. Daniel Prospering in the Reign of Darius
and in the Reign of Cyrus the Persian
Chapter six concludes by saying that Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian (v. 28).
Daniel’s victory over the subtlety that prohibited the faithfulness of the overcomers in the worship of God was the last step of the victory over Satan’s devices. Without these overcomers, God would have been fully defeated by Satan, having nothing on earth for Himself.
During the time of Nimrod and Babel, God’s interest was also frustrated, but He had a way to gain Abraham to be His worshipper (Acts 7:2; Gen. 12:1-3, 8). After Abraham arrived in Canaan, he built an altar, and this was pleasing to God. God could boast to Satan and say, "Look, Satan, I still have at least one worshipper. The time is coming when the descendants of this worshipper will become a priestly nation to worship Me and serve Me." Eventually, as an issue of Abraham, the temple for the worship of God was built in Jerusalem.
When Satan sent Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the holy city with the temple in order to take away God’s worship and service, it seemed that God was defeated and that His interest, worship, and service on earth were destroyed. Yet under God’s sovereignty, four of the young men selected by Nebuchadnezzar to stand in the king’s palace became overcomers to keep God’s worship and service. God had four young overcomers living in the palace day by day, yet they were absolutely one with God. This was a shame to Satan and a boast to God. God could tell Satan, "Satan, do you think that My worship and service on earth are finished? Look at My overcomers. I have four overcomers worshipping Me and serving Me in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar." Today, as long as there are some overcomers on this earth, regardless of the number, God will have reason to boast. When God sees today’s overcomers standing on the ground of the church, He will be happy and pleased.
(Life-Study of Daniel, Chapter 8, by Witness Lee)
