Daniel Chapter 10

I. Daniel Chapter 10. The Mighty Angel With The Little Scroll.

II. Study Text.

A. Outline.

10.1 Daniel’s fasting and humiliation. 10:4. Daniel sees a vision. 10:10. Being troubled, Daniel is comforted and strengthened by an angel.

B. Details.

10:1. “the third year of Cyrus.” 536 B.C.

10:2. “three entire weeks.” I.e., weeks of days.

10:4. Obviously Daniel was not among those who returned to build the Temple in Jerusalem in connection with Cyrus’s decree (9:25). His “age” (mid- 80s) and governmental duties prevented him.

10:12. Daniel’s prayer was heard on the first day of the three-week period, but the answer was delayed because of angelic warfare.

10:13. “the prince of the kingdom of Persia.” “Michael.” one of the chief princes.” “I had been left there with the kings of Persia.”  (See Detailed Review.)

10:14. “the latter days.” Future days culminating in the events surrounding the second coming of Christ (cf. 2:28; Gen 49:3).

C. Detailed Review.

10.1.1 The third year of Cyrus’ rule as king over Babylon was 536 B.C. Cyrus had begun ruling over Persia in 558 B.C., but Daniel’s and the other biblical writers’ interest in Cyrus was as ruler over Babylon, which he conquered in 539 B.C. (Dan 5:31). Cyrus had issued his decree allowing the Jews to return to their land and to rebuild their temple in 538 B.C. Some of them had departed that same year under Zerubbabel’s leadership. They had reinstituted the sacrifices by 537 B.C. (Ezra 3:6), and by 536 B.C. they had begun to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:8). Daniel would have been in his 80s in 536 B.C., and his age may account for his not returning to the Promised Land. Daniel remained in government service until the first year of Cyrus (538 B.C., Dan 1:21), but he remained in Babylon for several additional years, perhaps in “retirement.”

10.1.2. The message that came to Daniel was a revelation from God that included a vision. The emphasis on “message” in this verse may indicate that, in contrast to the preceding visions, this one came primarily as a spoken message, perhaps again from an angel. Daniel claimed that the message was true and that it involved a revelation of great conflict to come. The KJV translation, “the time appointed was long,” has less linguistic support, but the message did involve prophecy yet far distant in the future. Daniel apparently understood this vision better than he had some of the earlier ones (e.g., Dan 8:27). This verse as a whole prepares the reader for the revelation itself, which has major significance. The revelation in the vision given to Daniel on this occasion shattered any hope the prophet might have had that Israel would enjoy her new freedom and peace for long.

10:2-3. The vision in chapter 9 came after Daniel had been praying and fasting (Dan 9:3). The vision that follows also came to him after he had been mourning, fasting, and undoubtedly praying, for three weeks (cf. Dan 1:11-13). Obviously these were literal weeks of days. Evidently, the previous revelations from God, and the welfare of the Jews, who had returned to Israel but were encountering opposition, were the reasons for Daniel’s grave concern (cf. Ezra 4:1-5, 24). Even though many Israelites were returning to Israel, God had already revealed that they would experience trouble there.

10:4. Daniel had gone to the Tigris (Hiddekel, KJV) River, perhaps to pray for the exiles who had returned, and he had probably gone there with other godly Jews. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread fell on the fourteenth through the twenty-first days of the first month. The Jews did not observe these festivals in captivity as they had formerly in their own land. Three days after these important memorial days, God gave Daniel a vision that he alone saw (cf. Dan 12:5).

10:5-10:6.1 The man whom Daniel saw in this vision was probably the Son of God. The Jewish interpreters and some modern Christian scholars preferred the view that he was an angel. The similarities between this man, and the one that Ezekiel and the Apostle John saw, argue for his being divine (cf. Ezek 1:26-28; Rev 1:13-16). However, what this man proceeded to say (esp. Dan 10:13) has led some to prefer the view that he was an angel.

10:5-10:6.2. Expensive linen dress is what the priests in Israel wore, and it distinguished them as God’s special servants. Likewise, the sash around this angel’s waist, evidently embroidered with or made completely of the best gold, would have identified Him as a special person. The meaning of “Uphaz” is uncertain. It may be the same as “Ophir,” since the translators of the Syriac version of Jeremiah substituted “Ophir” for “Uphaz” in Jer 10:9. The location of Ophir is also uncertain. It may have been in southwestern or southeastern Arabia, on the northeast African coast, or in India.  The personal descriptions of this man resemble what John saw on the island of Patmos, namely, :the Son of God” (Rev 1:13-16; cf. Ezek 1:13-14). All these features picture a person of great glory and splendor. “The impression given to Daniel was that the entire body of the man in the vision was like a gigantic transparent jewel reflecting the glory of the rest of the vision.” 

10:7-9. Daniel’s companions, sensing that something awesome was happening (cf. Acts 9:7; 22:9), hid themselves while Daniel viewed what God showed him (Dan 10:7). His personal reaction to this vision was also similar to the Apostle John’s (Dan 10:8; cf. Dan 8:27; Rev 1:17). The words of the person that Daniel saw, along with his glorious appearance, caused the prophet to faint (Dan 10:9).

10:10-10:11.1 The “man” who touched Daniel and who proceeded to speak to him may have been the same one the prophet saw in the vision (Dan 10:5-6). The person in Dan 10:5-6 was God, but the person in Dan 10:10-21 was an angel. The angel described Daniel as a man of high esteem (cf. Dan 9:23, 10:19). We know that Daniel enjoyed a good reputation among his contemporaries, but this title probably reflects God’s estimate of him. The Hebrew words (’ish hemudot) literally mean “man of preciousness.” Daniel was precious to God, not only because he was one of God’s chosen people, but also because God had been precious to him.

10:10-11.2. Daniel’s privileged status as one especially precious to God resulted from his complete absorption in the will and glory of the Lord to whom he had yielded his heart. It was only appropriate for Daniel to “stand” in order to receive a message from this impressive messenger from God.

10:12. Still, it was an unnerving experience for Daniel to stand in the presence of such a glorious person. The angel realized how Daniel felt and encouraged him not to fear. The angel informed the prophet that God had heard his first prayer for understanding, and that which follows came in answer to that petition (cf. Dan 9:23). Humbling himself before God involved taking the role of a learner before Him. This verse constitutes a great encouragement to those whose prayers are not answered immediately. The cause of the delay may be something totally unknown to us; yet, although the answer may be delayed, the prayer is always heard immediately.

10:13.1. Someone had delayed the arrival of God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer. He was the “prince of Persia,” evidently a fallen angel who, under Satan’s authority, had a special responsibility for Persia (cf. Dan 10:20; Eph 2:2). Clearly, “prince” here refers to an angel, since Michael was also called a “prince” (Dan 10:13, 21). “The prince of Persia” must have been an evil angel since he opposed God’s purpose. Angelic hostility in the unseen world had resulted in the 21-day delay of this good angel’s arrival with God’s message (cf. Dan 10:2).

10:13.2.The powers of evil apparently have the capacity to bring about hindrances and delays, even of the delivery of the answers to believers whose requests God is minded to answer. “While God can, of course, override the united resistance of all the forces of hell, if he chooses to do so, he accords to demons certain limited powers of obstruction and rebellion somewhat like those he allows humans. In both cases the exercise of free will in opposition to the Lord of heaven is permitted by him when he sees fit. But as Job (1:12 and 2:6) indicates, the malignity of Satan is never allowed to go beyond the due limit set by God, who will not allow the believer to be tested beyond his limit (1 Cor 10:13).

10:13.3. While God can, of course, override the united resistance of all the forces of hell, if he chooses to do so, he accords to demons certain limited powers of obstruction and rebellion, somewhat like those he allows humans. In both cases the exercise of free will in opposition to the Lord of heaven is permitted by him when he sees fit. But as Job (1:12 and 2:6) indicates, the malignity of Satan is never allowed to go beyond the due limit set by God, who will not allow the believer to be tested beyond his limit (1 Cor 1:10-13). It seems unlikely that the prince of Persia could have resisted the Son of God this way, if He were the person addressing Daniel. Moreover, God’s messenger had received help from Michael, one of the chief princes (angels), so it seems unlikely that he was God Himself. Some angels have more authority and power than others do (Eph 1:21).

10:13.4. Evidently the good angel who spoke to Daniel had performed some duty in Persia that involved the kings or rulers of that land. However, having received a commission from God to visit Daniel, he was not able to break away to deliver it because of the influence of the bad angel who exercised strong influence over Persia. Michael visited the good angel and helped him break away from this wicked angel’s power so that he could visit Daniel.

10:14. The good angel had come to explain to Daniel what would happen to the Jews in the latter days yet future. Daniel had already received some revelation about what lay ahead for the Jews (Dan 8:23-26, 9:24-27). It was evidently this revelation that puzzled him and led to his requesting clarification in prayer (Dan 10:2). What follows in Dan 11:2 to Dan 12:24 is more information on this subject. As in Dan 8:23-27 and 9:24-27 , Dan 11:2 to Dan 12:4 contains information about Israel’s fate relative to Antiochus Epiphanes, in the near future, and information about Israel’s fate relative to Antichrist, in the distant future.

10:15. Apparently the angel’s explanation about the angelic conflict was something about which Daniel had known nothing. His only reaction to this information, on top of the vision that he had just seen, was to bow his head and silently accept this revelation.

10:16-17. The one who resembled a human being was probably an angel who touched his lips and thereby enabled him to speak (cf. Dan 7:16; Jer 1:9). The prophet proceeded to explain to the angel that the vision had caused him anxiety and had robbed him of his strength (cf. Isa 6:5). He said he felt so inferior to the angel that he considered himself unworthy to talk to him. Furthermore, he felt without sufficient strength and breath to do so.

10:18. This is the third instance in this chapter of Daniel receiving strength from an angel who touched him (Dan 10:10, 16; cf. Heb 1:14). Compare Luke’s record of an angel strengthening Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:39-44). This human-appearing angel was probably the same one who touched Daniel’s lips (Dan 10:16), but he is perhaps different from the angel who had helped him to his feet (Dan 10:10).

10:19. The angel repeated the complimentary description “man of high esteem” (cf. Dan 9:23, 10:11), which reassured Daniel. He also encouraged him not to fear, to feel at peace, to take courage, and to be courageous (Dan 10:19; cf. Josh 1:9). These words strengthened the aged prophet (cf. 2 Cor 12:7-10), and he asked the angel to give him the rest of the revelation.

10:20. The angel asked if Daniel knew why he had come to him. He apparently did this to focus the prophet’s attention on the vision to follow, since Daniel was quite weak. The angel informed Daniel that he had to return to resume fighting against the demon who was influencing Persia (Dan 10:13), and then battle the one that would be influencing Greece. The prince of Greece may be a reference to Alexander the Great. Persia and Greece, of course, are two of the kingdoms that have been the focus of prophecy in this book (chs. 2; 7; 8; 9; Dan 11:2-35). From this we can learn that, behind the many details of prophecy relating to the history of this period, there is the unseen struggle between angelic, forces that the will of God may be accomplished.

10:21. The “writing of truth” seems to refer to all that God has recorded as truth. This includes Scripture, but it also includes all that is true that God has not revealed. The angel would make part of what God had established as “truth” known to Daniel. The angel intended this revelation to encourage Daniel, in view of his having to leave the prophet to return to spiritual warfare. Likewise, the fact that Michael stood with this angel in his warfare, would have encouraged Daniel even though Michael was apparently his only other angelic comrade in battle. “Your prince” links Michael with Daniel, and identifies Michael as the good angel whom God had commissioned to help him and his Jewish brethren (Dan 12:1; cf. Rev 20:2).