The visions keep coming.
The chapter starts in the third year of Cyrus. This is 536 BC, according to Ryrie. Darius was 538 BC, so they must have been co-regents. Which makes sense because it was the Medo-Persian Empire. Darius was a Mede, the nation who had the most power at the time. But the Persians were on the rise and Cyrus was their standout leader, like Alexander the Great spreading the Greek culture.
It's framed that a message was revealed to Daniel, which seems like an odd way to say it. I wonder if someone got the message and Daniel recognized it for his own when he interpreted it. We don't have an explanation for the wording. He is called Belteshazzar again, the name Nebuchadnezzar gave him, even though he has been referred to as Daniel since then. Again, no explanation is provided.
Verse 1 goes on to describe the message as true, full of conflict, and fully understood by Daniel, no angelic interpretation required this time, apparently.
That's all just in verse 1.
Daniel confesses that he had been in mourning for three weeks (since the last vision left him in despair). He had been fasting from meat, wine, seasoned food, and ointments in that period of mourning.
He was on the bank of the Tigris and he looks up to see a man in linen with a gold belt (probably Jesus):
His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. Daniel 10:6
Quite the vision of a man if it's not Jesus.
Here's Daniel's experience:
- Daniel was the only one that could see the vision, even though there were men around him. But a dread fell on him that chased off the other men. (Reminds me of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.)
- Now alone, Daniel was left weak and pale. The man started to speak, causing Daniel to fall into a deep sleep face down in the ground.
- A hand touches him, bringing him to his hands and knees.
- The new voice explains that he's been sent to Daniel and commands Daniel to stand. (He also calls Daniel a man of high esteem.)
Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.” Daniel 10:12–14
Okay, there's a lot to unpack here.
- First, we get our repeated command not to be afraid.
- Next he refers back to Daniel's pray from Chapter 9. The second Daniel prayed this speaker came to Daniel. (So we can infer that this was Gabriel again.) Somehow, Gabriel was prevented from completing his duty for 21 days, the three weeks Daniel was suffering.
- Some how the prince and king of Persia is involved, probably demons. This is so important to consider. Spiritual battles are happening all around us. We don't get to know how it all works, but we do know that prayer, worship, and obedience are the instructions we've been given for the fight.
- This prophesy is for the latter days in the future. Again assuming a near-fulfillment and an end times fulfillment.
After this, Daniel is back with his face to the ground and speechless. The one resembling a man touched his lips (Isaiah 6?), now Daniel could speak and he cried out, calling Him lord, and explaining he'd been in anguish because of the vision and he had run out of strength. (Probably from being overcome by such an experience; but also from fasting for real nourishment for 3 weeks in grief. A good reminder that we can run ourselves into the ground and not have energy for what the lord has before us.)
For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.” Daniel 10:17
We have Daniel on a pedestal, but look at the cost of being a highly used prophet of the Lord...
Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. 19 He said, “O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Daniel 10: 18–19
Our rest comes from the Lord. Our strength comes from the Lord. Our healing comes from the Lord. Maker of heaven and earth.
Hallelujah.
Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince. Daniel 10:20–21
This final exchange makes me think that Daniel has been speaking with Gabriel, not Jesus.
The spiritual battled raged on.
- Persia was the empire of the time, and Cyrus was it's king. Cyrus was a pretty good guy to Israel. So maybe that's what the battle was about—assuring that Cyrus set Israel free to return to Jerusalem and rebuild.
- The prince of Greece is coming. The goat is flying towards Persia, ready for the next clash of the titan empires.
- Micheal fights for Israel.
There are more things in heaven and earth than we can imagine in our philosophies. The bard was correct. But I'm grateful for the glimpses that give us slivers of insight for our journeys.
Amen.