Daniel 10

is the God who saves people and rescues them from danger and death, and who performs signs and wonders (Dan. 6:27; see 3:28–29; 4:3; Deut. 6:22; Neh. 9:10; Ps. 74:9; 105:26–36; 135:9; Jer. 32:20–21).

God’s servant prospered (v. 28). Since Darius the Mede is a “shadowy figure” in ancient history, we aren’t sure how long he ruled Babylon and exactly when Cyrus took over the throne personally. It’s been suggested that since Darius was sixty-two years old when he took Babylon (5:31), he may have died within a few years and then Cyrus ascended the throne. Regardless of what transpired, Daniel was respected by Darius and Cyrus and continued to be a witness for the Lord. He lived to see Cyrus issue the edict that permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild their temple (2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4) and may have been used of God to help bring about this fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Dan. 9:1–2; Jer. 25:11–12). Certainly his prayers for his people played an important role in the positive attitude Cyrus had toward the Jewish people.

Along with the account of the deliverance of the three men from the fiery furnace (Dan. 3), the report of Daniel’s deliverance from the lions’ den must have brought great encouragement to the Jews in exile. They knew about Jeremiah’s prophecy and wondered if their God would really deliver them. But if He could deliver three men from a furnace and Daniel from the lions, surely He could deliver the exiles from Babylon and take them back to their own land.

But Daniel has a message for God’s people today who are being attacked by the enemy and suffering because of their righteous stand for the Lord. Whether we face the fiery furnace (1 Peter 1:6–8; 4:12–19) or the roaring lion (5:8–10), we are in the Lord’s care and He will work out His divine purposes for His glory. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (v. 7 nkjv).

The third year of Cyrus would be 536 BC, which is the latest date given in the book of Daniel. This statement doesn’t contradict 1:21, which tells us how long Daniel continued in the king’s court. As we have seen, Daniel lived long enough to see Jeremiah’s prophecy fulfilled and the first group of Jewish exiles return to their land and start to rebuild the temple. If he was fifteen when he was taken to Babylon, then he would be eighty-four or eighty-five at this time.

The fact that 10: speaks of Daniel in the third person suggests that the statement that opens this chapter may be an official “identification title” for the last three chapters of his book. In verse 2 and throughout the chapter, Daniel speaks in the first person. Also, the use of his Babylonian name, “Belteshazzar,” indicates that this opening statement is probably an official “label” for the document. The vision God showed him was true, and Daniel understood the message of the vision and realized that it would be fulfilled many years later. The phrase “the time appointed was long” can also be translated “and of great conflict” (, “and it concerned a great war”). Daniel would learn that his people would experience great suffering in the years ahead, but that the Lord would watch over them and ultimately establish the promised kingdom.

For three weeks, Daniel had fasted and prayed and used no ointments as he sought the face of the Lord. Why? One reason was probably his concern for the nearly fifty thousand Jews who a year before had left Babylon and traveled to their native land to rebuild the temple. Since Daniel had access to official reports, he no doubt heard that the remnant had arrived safely in Jerusalem and that all of the tabernacle treasures were intact. He also would have heard that the men had laid the foundation of the temple but that the work had been opposed and finally stopped (Ezra 4). He knew that his people were suffering hardship in the ruined city of Jerusalem, and he wondered if God would fail to fulfill the promises He made to Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10–14).

Daniel may not have understood that the prophecy of the seventy years had a dual application, first to the people and then to the temple. The first Jews were deported to Babylon in 605, and the first captives returned to their land in 536, a period of seventy years. The temple was destroyed in 586 by the Babylonian army, and the second temple was completed and dedicated in 515, another period of seventy years. Daniel was burdened that the house of God be rebuilt as quickly as possible, but he didn’t realize that God was fulfilling His plans without a mistake. The work was stopped in 536, it resumed 520 and it was completed in 515. That sixteen-year delay kept everything right on schedule. This is a good reminder to us as we serve the Lord today, that our times are in His hands (Ps. 31:15) and He is never late in accomplishing His will.

But there may have been a second reason why Daniel was fasting and praying: he wanted to understand more about the visions and prophecies he had already received, and he longed for the Lord to reveal additional truth to him about the future of Israel. Daniel was an aged man, and before he went to his grave, he wanted to leave behind a prophetic message that would encourage and strengthen his people. Doubtless the prophecy of Daniel was a treasured book to the people of Israel in the centuries that followed. They knew they would experience great trials and persecutions, and yet they also knew that the Lord would be faithful and that they would one day enter into the promised kingdom.

When one day we gather in heaven, we will discover that what happened to God’s people on earth depended a great deal on the prayers of burdened people like Daniel. “For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?” (Jer. 15: nkjv). Nehemiah asked about the plight of Jerusalem and ended up being an answer to his own prayers (Neh. 1—2)! Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem and its people and wished that he could have wept more (Jer. 9:1–2; 8:21; 10:19; 23:9). Jesus also wept over the city (Matt. 23:37–39), and the apostle Paul was willing to be condemned himself that his people might be saved (Rom. 9:1–3; 10:1). “Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your law” (Ps. 119:136 ).

God laid a burden on Daniel’s heart, and because Daniel fasted and prayed, we are studying his prophecies today. May the Lord help us to leave something behind in the journey of life so that those who come after us will be encouraged and helped!

Three days after the end of his fast, Daniel saw an awesome vision as he stood by the Tigris River. Why Daniel was there isn’t explained in the text, but it was the place where God met with him and revealed Israel’s future in the greatest prophecy God ever gave to His servant.

It was during the first month of the Hebrew year that the Jews celebrated Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits (Lev. 23:1–14). Daniel couldn’t celebrate these special events in Babylon, but certainly his heart was meditating on them. Passover spoke of Israel’s release from Egyptian bondage, and now the Jews were being permitted to leave Babylon for their own land. During the week before Passover, the Jews had to remove every bit of leaven from their houses, a picture of sin being put out of their lives (Matt. 16:6–12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1; 1 Cor. 5:6–8; Gal. 5:9). Though he lived for eight decades in a pagan land, Daniel had kept his heart and life pure before God. He was praying that the Jewish remnant living in Jerusalem would be a holy people to the Lord so that He could bless them in their work.

Suddenly, without announcement, Daniel saw an awesome sight: a man wearing a linen garment and a golden girdle, with a body like chrysolite (topaz) and a face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet gleaming like polished brass, and his voice sounding like a great multitude. We aren’t told what the man said when he spoke, but the combination of his appearance and his speech was overwhelming. The men with Daniel didn’t see the vision, but they felt the terror of a powerful presence and hid themselves. Daniel was left alone, without strength, listening to the man’s words but not able to respond. All he could do was stand there and stare at this great vision, and then he fell to the earth in a deep sleep.

Who was this man? Was he an angel sent to assure Daniel that God’s heavenly armies would care for the Jewish people and see to it God’s will was accomplished? Was it Gabriel, who had already visited Daniel? Or was it a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Students of the Scriptures have ably defended each of these three views, and so it’s unlikely we can be dogmatic. If we decide that this glorious man is the same being who touched Daniel and spoke to him (Dan. 10:10–15), then we will have to opt for Gabriel or another angel, because it’s not likely that Jesus would need help from Michael to defeat an evil angel (v. 13). However, it appears that the being who touched Daniel and spoke to him is different from the glorious man that appeared in the vision (see and ), and most students think it was Gabriel.

The description of the glorious man resembles the description of the glorified Christ given in Revelation 1:12–16—and John’s response was the same as Daniel’s! Daniel had already seen the Son of Man at the throne of God in heaven (Dan. 7:9–14), but this man was on the earth and very near to Daniel. I believe that this was a vision of the glorious Son of God and that the angel who spoke to Daniel was Gabriel. But why would the Son of God appear to Daniel at this time?

Frequently in the biblical account of salvation history, you find the Lord Jesus Christ appearing to His servants at special times, either to deliver a special message or to prepare them for a special ministry. He usually appeared in a fashion compatible with their circumstances or their calling. To Abraham, the pilgrim, Jesus came as a traveler (Gen. 18), but to Jacob the schemer, He came as a wrestler (Gen. 32). Before Joshua attacked Jericho, Jesus came as Captain of the Lord’s armies (Josh. 5:13–15), and to Isaiah, He revealed Himself as the King on the throne (Isa. 6; John 12:37–41). But to the two Jewish exiles—Daniel in Babylon and the apostle John on Patmos—Jesus appeared as the glorified King-Priest. After seeing the Son of God, both men were given visions of future events that involved the people of God, events that would be difficult to accept and understand.

At the beginning of Daniel’s prophetic ministry, he interpreted the meaning of the awesome image that King Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream (Dan. 2), and now at the end of his ministry, Daniel saw an even greater sight—the glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords! When we know that Jesus is standing with us and fighting for us, we can accept any circumstance and accomplish any task He gives us.

Apart from the prophetic significance, there is a sense in which Daniel’s experience by the Tigris River conveys a lesson to all Christian leaders. There is a price to pay if we’re to see what God wants us to see and hear what He is saying to us. Daniel didn’t have this great vision early in his ministry but at the end of a long and faithful life. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Spiritual leaders often see what others can’t see and hear what they fail to hear. They must stand when others flee, and they must receive God’s message even if it makes them feel weak and helpless. By seeing the greatness and glory of God, Daniel was prepared to accept and record the prophetic message the angels brought.

The angel had come to give Daniel a special revelation concerning the Jewish people and what would happen to them in the latter days (Dan. 10:14). As we study this complex prophecy, we must focus on Israel and not on the church, even though all Scripture is profitable for all believers at all times. Parts of this prophecy have already been fulfilled, but much of it remains to be fulfilled in “the end times,” that is, during the seventieth week of the “prophetic calendar” given in verses 24–27.

We get the impression that the glorious man clothed in linen vanished from the scene and one of the angels, perhaps Gabriel, touched Daniel. The old prophet was on his face on the ground, but the ministry of the angel enabled him to lift himself to his hands and knees. Then the angel spoke to him, and this gave him the strength to stand upright. This reminds us that the angels ministered to our Lord after His temptation (Matt. 4:11; Mark 1:13) and in the garden when He prayed (Luke 22:41–43). This is the third time Daniel was touched by an angel (Dan. 8:18; 9:21; and see 10:16, 18–19).

This is the second time Daniel was addressed as “dearly beloved” (9:23; and see 10:19). We recall that our Lord Jesus Christ was spoken of this way by the Father (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; 12:6; Luke 3:22; 20:13; and cf. Isa. 42:1–4 with Matt. 12:15–21). Because we His children are “in Christ,” we are “accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6), and the Father loves us as He loves His Son (John 17:23, 26). It isn’t enough for us to know that God loves us; we must so live in fellowship with Him that we “keep [ourselves] in the love of God” (Jude 21; John 14:19–24).

Daniel’s conversation with the angel reveals to us the important fact that there is an “invisible war” going on in the heavenlies between the forces of evil and the forces of God. For three weeks, Daniel had been praying for wisdom to understand the visions he had already seen, but the answer to that prayer was delayed. Why would the Lord not immediately answer the petitions of His beloved prophet? Because “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”—an evil angel—had attacked the angel bearing the answer, probably Gabriel. This evil angel was assigned to see to it that the king of Persia did what Satan wanted him to do. Michael, the archangel assigned to minister to Israel (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 12:7; Jude 9), assisted Gabriel and together they won the battle.

Well-meaning people may scoff at the idea of demonic forces and good and evil angels, and they may caricature Satan, but the fact remains that this is biblical theology. When Lucifer rebelled against God and was judged, some of the angels fell with him and became the demonic evil angels that oppose Christ and obey Satan (Isa. 14:12–15; Rev. 12:7–12; Matt. 25:41). According to Ephesians 6:10–18, Satan has a well-organized army of evil spirits that obey his every command. Through His sacrificial work on the cross, Christ defeated Satan and his army (1:20–23; Col. 2:15; John 12:31; Rev. 12:11), and we can claim that victory by faith. The believer’s responsibility is to put on the whole armor of God by faith and use the Word of God and believing prayer to oppose and defeat the wicked one.

It appears that there are specific evil angels assigned to various nations; some students of angelology call them “territorial spirits.” That’s why Paul told the Ephesian believers that the Christian’s battle was not against flesh and blood but against demonic forces in the heavenlies that oppose the holy angels who always do God’s will. The problems that the Jewish remnant were having in Jerusalem at that time weren’t being caused by the local officials but by Satan’s evil powers using those officials. Christians are never to worship angels (Col. 2:18–19; Rev. 19:10; 22:8–9) or pray to angels, for our worship and prayer belong to God alone. But when we pray, God directs the armies of heaven to fight on our behalf, even though we may know nothing about the battles that are being waged in this invisible war. (See 2 Kings 6:17.)

The prophet Daniel realized the great significance of God’s plans for Israel, and once again he fainted and was unable to speak. Here he had been involved in a cosmic spiritual conflict and didn’t even know it, and the Lord was using some of His highest angels to answer his prayers! This certainly lifts prayer out of the level of a humdrum religious exercise and shows it to be one of our strongest and most important spiritual weapons. The neglect of prayer is the reason why many churches and individual believers are so weak and defeated. The late Peter Deyneka, missionary to the Slavic peoples, often reminded us, “Much prayer, much power; no prayer, no power!” Jesus taught His disciples that the demonic forces could not be defeated except by prayer and fasting, the very activities that Daniel had been involved in for three weeks (Matt. 17:14–21).

Our Lord Jesus took seriously the reality of Satan and his demonic forces, and so should we. This doesn’t mean we should blame every headache and interruption on the demons, but it does mean we should respect Satan’s power (like a roaring lion, 1 Peter 5:8) and his subtlety (like a serpent, 2 Cor. 11:3). One of Satan’s chief traps is to get people to think he doesn’t exist or, if he does exist, he’s not worth worrying about.

Once again, the angel restored Daniel’s strength so he could hear the prophetic message from the messenger and record for our learning. Twice the angels told him, “Fear not” (Dan. 10:12, 19). The angel also said, “Peace! Be strong now; be strong” (v. 19 niv). Daniel needed strength to be able to hear the long message the angel brought to him.

Finally, the angel made it clear that the battle wasn’t yet over. As soon as he finished instructing Daniel, Gabriel would return to assist Michael in battling the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece, two satanic evil angels who were opposing the plans of the Lord for these nations. The ruler of Persia had shown great kindness and mercy to the Jews in allowing them to return home, and Satan was against this decision. God also had plans for Greece (11:2–4) and Satan wanted to interfere there. One reason why God commands His people to pray for those in authority is so that God’s will, not Satan’s plans, might be fulfilled in their lives (1 Tim. 2:1–3). The destiny of more than one nation has been changed because God’s people have fervently prayed.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4–5 nkjv).