Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Daniel 10

The story of Daniel has everything to do with the past, present, and the eternal future of the Jews. God’s agenda for the Jews is revealed to Daniel up through the end of the seven year tribulation and touching into the millennium.

Vision of the Glorious Man

Daniel 10:¹ In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia (533 BC) a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long (Or: and of great conflict); and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.

Daniel 10:² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks (21 days).

• Why was Daniel mourning? Because of the captivity of the Jews and the desolation of Jerusalem.

Daniel 10:³ I ate no pleasant (desirable) food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Daniel 10:⁴ Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris (Heb. Hiddekel),

• Daniel began fasting the third day of Nisan.

Daniel 10:⁵ I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!

Daniel 10:⁶ 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 color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

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 10:⁸ Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor (Lit. splendor) was turned to frailty (Lit. ruin) in me, and I retained no strength.

Daniel 10:⁹ 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.

Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece

Daniel 10:¹⁰ Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.

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.

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.

Daniel 10:¹³ 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.

• The same 21 days that Daniel fasted in verse 2.

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.”

• Nebuchadnezzar’s statue covered all the Gentile and Jewish kingdoms yet to come beginning with Babylon. But Daniel’s visions are focused only on his people, the Jews.

• At this point in time the Babylonian kingdom has already passed and Daniel is now serving the Medes and Persians validating his first vision of the lion and the bear, but has not yet addressed the leopard with four heads and four wings or the forth beast all from his first vision during Belshazzars first year of ruling Babylon.

Daniel 10:¹⁵ When he had spoken such words to me, I turned (Lit. set) my face toward the ground and became speechless.

Daniel 10:¹⁶ And suddenly, one having the likeness of the son(s) (Or a hand) of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord (‘āḏôn), because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed (Or turned upon) me, and I have retained no strength.

Daniel 10:¹⁷ 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.”

Daniel 10:¹⁸ Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.

 Daniel 10:¹⁹ And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”

• Nehemiah 8:10 “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Daniel 10:²⁰ Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince (princes) of Persia (Cyrus II to Cambyses II to Darius I to Xerxes I to Artaxerxes I who was the husband of Esther, to Darius II, to Artaxerxes II, to Artaxerxes III, to Darius III the king who was conquered by Alexander the Great. ); and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come (Alexander the Great).

• This spiritual battle is fought over many generations, from 533 to 330 BC, a total of 203 years.

Daniel 10:²¹ But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.)

• Michael is the Arch Angel of the Jews. Gabriel appears to be the Arch Angel of the Jews and Gentiles, perhaps having a higher position than Michael.

See: Charts of the kingdoms below that have to do with the time of Daniel’s life and his visions:

Below Chart 1: The birth of Daniel took place during the reign of Josiah King of Judah. He was taken captive during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign according to Jewish reckoning. The same year Jeremiah prophesied “this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” While Daniel served in the Babylonian court he relied on word coming from Jerusalem concerning the state of affairs in Judah.

TIMELINE OF THE LAST FOUR KINGS OF JUDAH: From Jehoahaz to Jehoiakim to Jehoachin to Zedekiah:

Timeline during the last four kings:

Chart 2: Babylon Below: From the death of Nabopolasser II and the kingship of his son Nebuchadnezzar (when Daniel was taken captive) to Belshazzar (when Daniel read the writing on the wall and Babylon was taken by the conquest of Cyrus the same night),

Chart 3: Medes and Persians: From Cyrus to Darius (when Daniel was put in the Lion’s den). According to Daniel’s visions the battle of the Goat and the Ram happens during the reign of Darius III Codomannus when Alexander the Great attacks Darius’ army, kills Darius III then marries the Bactrian (Afghanistan) princess Roxane before marrying Darius’ daughter, the princess Stateira II.

4: Greece and Alexander the Great

From the time of Darius I and on, attacks were made on the Macedonians and surrounding nations.

• Around 513 BC Darius I’s highly regarded commander, Megabyzus, was responsible for conquering the Balkans. The Persian troops conquered Thrace, the coastal Greek cities, and the Paeonians.
  While Daniel served Darius I, the seed of the upcoming Alexander the Great has already been at work.
• 492 BC Persian authority in the Balkans not only included the re-subjugation of Thrace, but also the inclusion of Macedon as part of the Persian Empire.
• (The Persian army) Having arrived at the eastern border of Macedon, Alexander I of Macedon was forced to acknowledge Persian suzerainty over his kingdom. Macedonia was incorporated into the administrative system of Persia. As Herodotus mentions in his Histories; “and with their army they added the Macedonians to the already existing slaves [of the Persians]; for all the peoples on their side of Macedonia had already been subjected to them”

The history of conflict between Macedon and Persia explains the rage at which the Goat (Alexander the Great) ran with rage at the Ram (Persia) and trampled it underfoot.