Daniel 10

Daniel receives a vision of Christ, a message from the angel Gabriel, and a prophetic vision.

Key verses:

(10:14) “…understand what will happen to your people in the latter days…”

(10:21): “The writing of truth” is a Hebrew way of speaking of God’s decrees.

This vision in Daniel 10 was seen in 536 BC “in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia.”

Vision of Christ

In Daniel 10:5-7 Daniel sees a Christophany – which is a pre-Bethlehem (pre-incarnate) appearance of Christ.

  1. This vision very similar in description to the vision John had in Revelation 1:13-15 where He saw the glorified Christ.
  2. This vision is also reminiscent of the vision we see of Paul of the road to Damascus where he alone saw that vision of the risen and Kingly Christ while the men around him did not, as the men around Daniel did not (Acts 9:1-7).

In Daniel 10:10 he is spoken to by a “messenger,” which is believed to most likely be the angel Gabriel again.

Significant: notice what the angel says to Daniel in verse 12, “…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.”

  1. Recall from verses 2-4 that this was now 23 days after  Daniel’s first day.
  2. In Daniel 10:12-13 the angel tells Daniel that he was sent from the very first day Daniel started his time of mourning and fasting but he had to battle his way through the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” for twenty-one days.
    1. Here is given one of those rare moments in the Bible where it is revealed some of the events that were going on in the spiritual realm.
      1. First, notice the power of prayer and the importance of persistence (cf. Luke 18:1-7).
      1. Prior to Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness, Satan and his forces had power and reign over the pagan kingdoms since man conceded that right to him and became slaves as a result of sin since the Garden of Eden (Matt. 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-7) (Rev. 11:15 states at the 7th trumpet the kingdoms of the world would come back to Lord – clearly indicating that they were not His prior to that.  2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11; 1 John 5:19; Heb. 2:14-15).

(Rom. 6:6; 16-18; John 8:34, “…slaves of sin”; Luke 4:18, “…proclaim freedom to the captives…”; Col. 1:13, “He has delivered us from the power (dominion) of darkness…”; Eph. 4:8-10, “…When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people…”; 2 Tim. 2:25-26, “…escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”)

  1. Notice that the 21 day spiritual battle in Daniel 10:13 was of such ferocity that Michael, one of the chief princes (Archangel), was needed to come and assist Gabriel in his battle with the demonic princes of Persia.
    1. Also, notice the same description of battles in the spiritual realm in Daniel 10:20, however, this time it would be even more intense with the angel not only needing to battle the spiritual demonic being guarding over Persia, but he would also have to battle the demonic prince of Greece.

Critical “theme” verse: Gabriel said this was his message –> 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.”  It cannot be overemphasized –> this verse is the central point of emphasis of the entire vision Daniel is about to receive for the rest of the book (Chpts 10-12 –> a reiteration of Daniel 9:24-27 foretold through the foretelling of the coming history).

  • That phrase in my NKJV “in the latter days” in the literal translation in Hebrew is “end of days.”  This phrase is only mentioned 4 times in the entire Bible, here in Daniel 10:14 and:
    • This is the exact same phrase “end of days” as written in (read) Genesis 49:1.  Here, Jacob is nearing the end of his life and he calls his 12 sons (the heads of the nation Israel) so that he could tell them about what was going to happen to them (Israel) in the “end of days” –> not about the end of time, or the world, but the end of nationalistic Israel.
    • This is the exact same phrase “end of days” as written in (read) Isaiah 2:2.  This verse echoes what we see happening at Pentecost where it says in Acts 2:5 that people from all nations under heaven were present for Peter’s sermon –> 3,000 were saved…and another 5,000 a short time after.
    • This very sermon in Acts is also where the last mention of this exact same phrase “end of days” is recorded in (read) Acts 2:17.  In verse 16 Peter says “this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.”  This what –> the “end of days.”  Right there in the 1st century they were in the beginning of the “end of days,” and as Christ had promised in Matthew 23-24 –> the complete end of their temple, city, nation, world would come upon that 1st century generation.

Going back to Daniel 10:14 and putting this all into perspective and context: the angel Gabriel is saying to Daniel that he is about to show him a prophecy through till the “latter days of his people” à the “end of days” à the “time of the end” (Dan. 12:4) of His people (Israel).  

In other words, Daniel was about to receive a vision in Daniel 11-12 about what would happen from his day, 536 BC, throughout the next 606 years until the “power of the holy people has been completely shattered” (Dan. 12:7) with the utter decimation of his people by the Roman armies and the destroying of Jerusalem and their temple in AD 70 (the “end of days” à Old Covenant Israel’s days).

 

For a more in-depth study see the related full “Study Series”:

“Study Series 9 Lesson 2 The Book of Daniel Chpt 10-12”