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Daniel 10:1
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was
revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was
true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and
had understanding of the vision.
This prophecy was given in the
third year after the capture of the city of Babylon. As it says in verse
one, "the third year of Cyrus ...". It is three years after
Belshazzar's feast, three years after the downfall of Babylon. Therefore
it was around 536/5 BC. "The message is true ...", - what
will follow in chapter 10, 11 and 12 is an accurate, detailed year by year
outline of future, historical events. " ... but the appointed time
was long;" - it will take a long time to see the fulfilment.
Chapter 11, right through
chapter 12 is one long, continuous prophecy. It goes from Daniel's day to
our present time. Daniel has brought all this about because he is doing
another one of his fasts, just as in chapter 9 when the angel came to him and
gave him the seventy weeks prophecy.
Daniel 10:2
In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
"I, Daniel, was in
mourning three full weeks." - He was praying and fasting in sackcloth and
ashes.
Daniel 10:3
I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth,
nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
Twenty-one days! For a
man almost 90! WHY has he entered into this fast? I believe
for these reasons. 1. For spiritual knowledge, revelation and
enlightenment. 2. He possibly had reports back of the difficulties
that were encountered by the first captives who had returned to Jerusalem.
He would have said, "Right Lord, I'm going to pray and fast until you show
me what's going to happen." God didn't just show him what was going
to happen there and then, or even over the next two or three hundred years, God
showed him the whole panorama of the Middle East, Mediterranean and
European history right up to the present time. In verse 5 he begins to
see the vision.
Daniel 10:4,5,6
Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by
the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked,
and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of
Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning,
his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in
colour, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
Whom did Daniel see? It
was a 'Theophany' - a pre-Bethlehem appearance of Jesus. Read Rev.
1:13-16; 2:18. and compare Scripture with Scripture, also Rev. 19:6,7,11-16,
you'll see Jesus described the same way.
Revelation 1:13-16
and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of
Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a
golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and
His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a
furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand
seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance
was like the sun shining in its strength.
Revelation 2:18
"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These
things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like
fine brass:
Revelation 19:6,7
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as
the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying,
"Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! "Let us be glad
and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His
wife has made herself ready."
Revelation 19:11-16
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who
sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and
makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many
crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was
clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of
God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,
followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword,
that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a
rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
What did Jesus not have when
Daniel saw Him that He had in the book of Revelation? Answer - No sharp
two edged sword coming out of His mouth! The two testaments Old and New
are represented here by the two edged sword.
Ezekiel 1:26-28
And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a
throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was
a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the
appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the colour of amber with
the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His
waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all
around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was
the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I
heard a voice of One speaking.
Ezekiel, Daniel and John were
each thrown forward on their face.
Daniel 10:7
And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with
me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled
to hide themselves.
Daniel was the only one who
witnessed this vision. The other men didn't see what Daniel saw but they
were conscious of a heightened spiritual atmosphere. So what did they do?
They hid themselves. It is possible for one person to see or hear
something from God and yet no-one else might see it. When Jesus predicted
His death on the Cross He said, "Father, glorify Your name". A
voice came from heaven responding to Jesus statement saying, "I have both
glorified it and will glorify it again." Jesus heard the voice but
the crowd around only heard what sounded like thunder. (John 12:27-32)
Daniel 10:8,9
Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and
no strength remained in me; for my vigour was turned to frailty in me, and I
retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I
heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to
the ground.
Daniel is left alone and his
strength is taken from him. In something like a trance, virtually
unconscious upon the ground. That's what happened to John and Ezekiel.
It also happened to Daniel in chapter eight.
Daniel 10:10
Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees
and on the palms of my hands.
He was raised up. Just
like what happened to John on the isle of Patmos.
Daniel 10:11
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.
"O Daniel, greatly
beloved" is the section of the text that I would like to have a look at
here. In the margin reference you'll find the words - "O man of
desires". Daniel was greatly beloved because the Lord saw that he had
a consuming desire. His consuming desire was to know the mind and the will
of the Lord. Anything that you want from God, whether it be a deeper
relationship, more evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, etc. must begin with a
deep desire. "How do I now I have a deep desire?", you might
ask. You know you have a deep desire by your corresponding actions.
There were levels of belief
then just as there are today. You might even call it levels of desire.
Daniel was an overcomer. He wasn't content to be on the edge or the
periphery of God's people. He wanted to be right there, in the centre.
Not to inflate his own ego or puff himself up in pride but so that he would know
God's will and His ways and walk in His ways. Just as Paul said "We
should be daily seeking to take on the mind, the image or the likeness of
Christ." We are to become more like Him day by day. That's what
our desire should be, not that we'll be given special dreams, visions or
revelation so that we can exalt ourselves, but so that those things which are
given to us might draw us closer to God. We will then know His will and
His ways. Then we will be pliable in His hands and able to be used as
instruments.
In spite of all the spiritual
experiences that Daniel had through-out the years he was still quite terrified
by all this.
Daniel 10:12
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.
It's just as well Daniel didn't
give up easily. He started to pray and fast, to look for an answer.
He didn't get it the first day or the first night. Not even at the end of
a week had Daniel got an answer. What would we have done? Most of us
would have given up by then. We would have said, "The Lord hasn't
heard us, we won't go on with this any longer." Daniel
persisted - 3 weeks went past without an answer. Did Daniel stop praying?
NO! If you don't remember all the prophetic things we go through, remember
this - don't stop praying just because the answer doesn't come immediately, as
and when you want it. There are things you might pray about, for
months or even years to see the out-working of them. Some things you might
pray for tonight and the answer could be there when you wake up tomorrow morning
but God doesn't always work the same way. What He's showing us here is the
need for persistence in prayer. When the messenger came to Daniel he
said the answer was already on its way. His words were heard the very
first day he started praying. This is what delayed the answer. There
had been spiritual warfare here.
Daniel 10:13,14
"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."
The messenger of God has been
hindered by a demon which is described here as "the prince of the kingdom
of Persia." So, the delay was caused by the evil spirit power
which governed the affairs of the Medo-Persian empire and controlled the heart
of the king. Government is not just the parliament which we see.
The scripture says that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood but against
principalities and powers against the rulers of spiritual wickedness in high
places." The Greek says, "We wrestle against the 'cosmos krata'
or `the system rulers'.
We must never fail to recognize
that there is a spiritual battle going on for the hearts and minds of our
people. You either have rulers who have Godly influence and are guided and
led by the Word of God or you have rulers who are under the influence of evil
spiritual powers. There are people in positions of power today
(Parliament, U.N. etc.) who have sold out to Satan. They are controlled
like puppets by demons. That's why they stand against the people, plans
and progress of God. When we pray for our nation and the people in
government we must pray against those spiritual powers which operate to hinder
the move of God. There is such a thing as reclaiming territory.
Daniel 10:14
"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."
'...your people...' - the
angels says, 'this vision concerns your people.' This refers to the people
of Judah primarily but it also concerns all Israel because Daniel was not
just a Judahite, he was an Israelite.
'...latter day...' - What the
angel was about to tell him (in chapters. 11 & 12) was a long term prophecy
running for hundreds of years, right up to the present day which we live.
Daniel 10:15
When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward
the ground and became speechless.
Daniel is stunned into silence,
so overwhelmed by what he had seen and heard.
Daniel 10:16
And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men
touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood
before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me,
and I have retained no strength.
It's not necessarily fun to
have these spiritual experiences. People think that its an exhilarating
and uplifting, but it can be a great load.
Daniel 10:17-21
"For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my
lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in
me." Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and
strengthened me. And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace
be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was
strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened
me." 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.
Daniel is now about to be shown
the revelation that we read in in chapter 11. The importance of this
chapter I believe is that we need prayer warriors, an army of intercessors.
As long as Moses had his arms up in prayer the Israelites were winning.
Moody, Spurgeon and others all had prayer warriors during their meetings,
people who prayed continually, while they preached, breaking the spiritual
powers that bound the people.
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