Before we answer your question about the “Prince of Persia,” we learn that “In the third year of Cyrus KING OF PERSIA a message was revealed to Daniel” and that “he understood the message and had understanding of the vision” (verse 1). Yet Daniel was “mourning THREE FULL WEEKS” and he “ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into his mouth… till THREE WHOLE WEEKS were fulfilled (verses 2-3). King Cyrus had allowed some Jewish captives to return to Jerusalem, but they were being persecuted, and this may have been the cause of Daniel’s mourning and fasting.  In verses 4-6 God gave Daniel a vision of a glorious man clothed in linen whose body was like beryl, his face like lightning, his eyes like fire, his arms and feel like bronze, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. This left Daniel drained of strength, and he dropped to his knees with his face to the ground (verses 7-9).

Now let’s read verses 10-14, “Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.’ While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF PERSIA WITHSTOOD ME TWENTY-ONE DAYS; and behold, Michael, one of the CHIEF PRINCES, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the KINGS OF PERSIA. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

There is no doubt in my mind that the “man in his vision” was an angel, and that the “Prince of Persia who resisted him for 21 days” was also an angel. The angel who came to Daniel was “sent by God” and I believe he was none other than Gabriel, the “messenger angel” who had come to Daniel in previous visions (see Daniel 8:15-16 & 9::20-23). The “Prince of Persia” was able to detain him for 21 days, so he is no doubt a “fallen angel” who had followed Lucifer (who became the Devil and Satan…see Revelation 20:2 with Matthew 25:41) in his rebellion against God. In this passage God is allowing us to see what we cannot see with our physical eyes; the “spiritual warfare that is going on in the heavens above us.” This warfare is also connected with the earth, for this fallen angel must have been assigned to the nation of Persia by Satan and thus he was “the prince of Persia.” We started out by reading of Cyrus, the “king of Persia” on earth who was helping God’s people, yet this wicked angel was seeking to influence the nation for evil with a desire to harm the people of God.

I would now draw your attention to the latter half of verse 13, “Behold, Michael, ONE OF THE CHIEF PRINCES, came to help me.” Michael too is called a PRINCE. Why? We have the answer in verses 20-21, “Then he said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? And now I MUST RETURN TO FIGHT WITH THE PRINCE OF PERSIA; and when I have gone forth, indeed the PRINCE OF GREECE will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except MICHAEL YOUR PRINCE.) Michael is the “prince of Israel!” We see this again in Daniel 12:1, “At that time Michael shall stand up, the GREAT PRINCE who stands watch over the sons of your people.” Gabriel was telling Daniel that the “wars in heaven,” which are hidden from our eyes, would continue with another fallen angel joining the battle against him, yet Michael, the “great prince,” would help him. These battles will one day end, for Michael and his angels will defeat them once and for all. We see this in Revelation 12:7-10, “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I head a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Praise be to God for the glorious victory that is coming! Good will triumph over evil! Christ defeated Satan at the cross (see John 12:31-33) and in time he, along with his angels, will be cast into hell (Revelation 20:10 with Matthew 25:41).  (DO)  (742.1)