The Book of Daniel, Daniel’s Vision of Christ, Daniel 10:1-14 - Lesson 38

Chapter 10 of Daniel is one of those rare places in scripture where things are revealed to us of that which takes place beyond our vision.

We are so attached to this life and to all that which we can see, and touch and feel, hear and taste, that we forget that that which is beyond our vision, is that which preceded our vision.

I speak of the trinity of God that always is, I also speak of the earlier creation of God, the creation of God that preceded our beginning, that of the creation of the angels of God.

God has not revealed an abundance of information about heaven or about angels, but He has given us glimpses in scripture that open up to us heavenly views.

We know how Elijah was taken by a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Luke records that Lazarus, the beggar, was carried away by angels to Abraham’s bosom.

What a comfort to know that at death’s door angels await the last heartbeat of God’s child and are sent there to guide him or her into the presence of the Lord, for absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Heaven’s forces are also revealed to us in the account where the veil covering our eyes from God’s realm, was lifted while Israel was at war with Syria.

Elisha’s servant, when looking at the vast array of the enemy expressed fear for all he saw was that which was physical.

Elisha prayed and his servant’s eyes were allowed to see the vast array of God’s army.

We can find this in 2 Kings 6:16-17,  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

There is a whole world out there that we can only access by faith.

And that faith is in the word of God, for God gives us glimpses of that world, in his word.

At the time of our Lord’s birth God allowed the shepherds to see the unseen by opening up the heavens to reveal the angelic hosts.

Again heavens’ doors were opened at the Mount of Transfiguration where three of his disciples were given a preview of the glories of Christ and His kingdom.

And here in chapter ten of the book of Daniel, Daniel is given a glimpse of some things which take place in God’s greater sphere.

Chapters 10 through 12, 12 being the last chapter of Daniel, record Daniel’s final vision and the prophesies associated with that vision.

The vision is recorded in chapter 10, and chapter 11 provides details of prophesy, while chapter 12 provides an overall view of the prophecies of the book of Daniel with the final verses of the book devoted to comforting words given to Daniel in his final days.

Let us read the first three verses of this chapter:

Daniel 10:1-3,  In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.  In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.  I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Remember that in Daniel 1:21, we were told that Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus.

This thing, this vision, of chapter 10 was revealed to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus, so we can conclude that he was in his retirement years, most likely in his eighties.

We are told in Ezra the great event that took place in the first year of the reign of Cyrus.

In Ezra 1:1-3, Ezra recorded,  Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,  Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.  Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

How much Daniel was involved in this proclamation we can only surmise, but his retirement took place in the same year that the proclamation went forth to build the temple.

So the date of this vision is around 537 B. C.

Here in chapter 10 it is two years after the proclamation so there has already been a Jewish exodus from the land of their captivity.

We are told that during the three weeks that preceded Daniel’s vision of Chapter 10 Daniel was in a period of mourning which included a self imposed denial of bread, flesh and wine nor was any anointing oil applied during this period.

We are not told of what concern on Daniel’s part caused this period of mourning.

It could have been over Israel’s sin or perhaps over the difficulties that the Jews who had returned to Israel had encountered.

It could simply have been over the many Jews who decided to stay in their land of captivity and not return to the pleasant land.

It could have to do with Daniel not accompanying the exiles in their return to the promised land.

I also believe that news of the enemies of the Jews hindering the rebuilding of the city and the temple was a concern of Daniel.

It could have been mourning over his lack of understanding of what was to come about, concerning his people, Israel.

But whatever the cause of Daniel’s mourning it resulted in a vision of a glorious personage and a visit by God’s messenger.

But this vision, contrary to the vision of chapter 8, resulted in an understanding of the thing, and an understanding that the period of the vision was long.

Daniel 10:4-6,  And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; ⁵Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: ⁶His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

The place of the vision is by the side of the river, Hiddekel

We know this river by the name Tigris.

In his vision of chapter 8 we were told that he was transported to this river but in this vision he is already there and we learn from verse 7 that he is there along with several others.

The exact date of the vision was given, the 24^th of the first month which is the Jewish month, Nissan which corresponds with parts of our March and April.

The vision takes place alongside the river when Daniel lifts up his eyes and sees a personage who looks like a human but has qualities which are far above any man that he has seen on earth.

This man is clothed in linen, and his waist is enclosed with a belt of fine gold.

He was electric in appearance, with a body like the precious gem, beryl, his face full of light as bright as lightening, and his eyes shown as flaming torches, with arms and feet colored like polished brass.

His voice boomed as if it issued from many mouths.

Note in verse seven that this is the vision of Daniel, this viewing of this glorious percenage was the most important part of what takes place in chapters 10-12.

We do not know for sure whether this man was an angel or a visitation of the pre-incarnate Christ, known as a thespian, which is defined as a visible manifestation of a deity to a human being.

But certainly the description given by Daniel fits the description of deity given in the first chapters of Ezekiel and Revelation.

Ezekiel 1:26-28,  And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.  And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.  As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Revelation 1:12-18,  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Daniel was called the greatly beloved of God.

Here he was in his final years and he now was privy to a vision of God manifest in the vision of this glorious personage.

From earlier dreams and vision he had seen him as the stone made without hands, he had seen him as the One like a Son of man who is given dominion, glory and a kingdom.

He knew him as the prince of princes, and in chapter nine he knew him as the one who will be cut off but not for himself.

But now in the third year of Cyrus, in Daniel’s last days, is he privileged to see the one in whom the book of Daniel is centered?

It seems that such a glorious personage could only be the Son of God showing himself as he will appear in victory at His second coming.

Daniel 10:7-9,  And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.  Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.  Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

Like the Apostle Paul would later experience on the road to Damascus only Daniel was privy to the vision.

For knowledge of it was denied to those who accompanied him by the river Tigris.

They were in fear for they observed Daniel’s response to the vision.

Daniel always displayed a comeliness of face but here he tells us that it was turned into corruption.

He turned pale and fell to the ground without strength with his face toward the ground.

He fell into a deep sleep which to others may have appeared as if he were dead.

Daniel 10:10-14,  And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.  And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.  Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.  Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

Daniel, an old man at this time, is unconscious in a horizontal position on the ground but is awoke by the touch of a hand.

He is given strength enough to push himself up to the position of a four legged animal for he sets himself upon his knees and the palm of his hands.

The glorious being, clothed in linen, that he saw in the vision is not the being that touches him for this is an angelic being.

This is a being who had been prevented from coming to Daniel’s aid for twenty-one days.

He relates that Daniel is highly regarded on earth and in heaven.

He tells Daniel that he has come to give him the ability to understand the words which will be spoken to him.

As is the usual case in the presence of angelic beings Daniel is told to not be afraid for his prayer for understanding was heard and this angel was sent to visit him in answer to that prayer.

The angel basically apologizes for the twenty one day delay in coming and then explains his reason for the delay.

There was no delay on God’s part for this angel was dispatched to answer Daniel’s prayer from the first day that Daniel set his heart to understand.

This was the first day that Daniel chastened himself before God, in other words the first day of his mourning, three weeks prior to the vision of the Son of God and the angelic visit.

This angel was sent by God to bring understanding to Daniel but was hindered by a character named the prince of the kingdom of Persia.

This prince withstood this angel, he hindered this angel for 21 days from coming to the aid of Daniel.

Here is where we enter some unknown territory, some unknown vision into high places, for we are witness to a battle that is being carried on in places that we are not given to see.

Paul tells us of this battle in his epistle to the Ephesians when we are told to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand against the wiles of the devil, who we should remember is a fallen angel.

Ephesians 6:10,  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This helping angel was engaged in conflict for the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed this angel.

Michael, whom Jude calls an Archangel, is called here one of the chief princes.

He was called upon to help the angel that touched Daniel which gave him liberty to complete the mission he was sent to do.

So angels are called princes and the prince of the kingdom of Persia is an opposing angel that is apparently in charge of Persia.

God opens the door a crack for us to see the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, the spiritual wickedness in high places.