seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.
2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”
When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”
20 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
Daniel 11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Mourning three full weeks: Some think that Daniel was in mourning because so few Jews had returned with Ezra from exile. Others believe it was because Ezra faced severe opposition in rebuilding the temple.
Daniel did not go back with Ezra’s group of exiles because he was about 84 years old at this time. Daniel could serve the exiles better from his high position in government than he could with them in Jerusalem.
“I think too that Daniel’s sorrow was occasioned partly by the repetition of those words to him: ‘The vision is true, but the time appointed is long.’ ” (Spurgeon)
I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth: It would be wrong to call what Daniel did fasting. The Biblical idea of fasting is to abstain from food altogether, drinking only water. Daniel definitely practiced a form of self-denial, but it was not fasting.
I, Daniel, alone saw the vision: This shows that there was something supernatural about this vision. Daniel saw what he saw regarding the glorious man, but his companions could not see it.
This is like the latter instance of Saul on the road to Damascus, when his companions could not hear the same voice from heaven that he heard. These cases remind us that we can be close to the presence and power of God, yet miss the message through lack of spiritual perception.
They fled to hide themselves: Of course they couldn’t see the vision if they were hiding from it.
O Daniel, man greatly beloved: This was the second time Daniel was called greatly beloved (Daniel 9:23 previous to this). Each time it was in relation to Daniel’s being favored with a great and significant revelation of the future.
“It did not do Daniel any harm to know that he was greatly beloved of God; or else he would not have received that information from heaven. Some people are always afraid that, if Christian people obtain full assurance, and receive a sweet sense of divine love, they will grow proud, and be carried away with conceit. Do not you have any such fear for other people, and especially do not be afraid of it for yourselves. I know of no greater blessing that can happen to any man and woman here, than to be assured by the Spirit of God that they are greatly beloved of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)
Stand upright: When it was time for Daniel to hear and understand, he needed to stand at attention.
I have come because of your words: We can’t pass this over lightly. An angel was dispatched because of Daniel’s prayer. This is another of many reminders in the Book of Daniel that prayer matters. It isn’t merely a therapeutic exercise for the one who prays.
The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me: Since this prince was able to oppose the angelic messenger to Daniel, we know this was more than a man. This prince was some kind of angelic being, and we know he was an evil angelic being because he opposed the word of God coming to Daniel and stood against the angelic messenger.
What will happen to your people in the latter days: The vision of Daniel 11 and 12 was focused on the latter days, though it also relates to the closer time of Antiochus Epiphanes.
Because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me: The ancient Hebrew word translated sorrows has the thought of twisting or writhing pain. It is used in several places in the Old Testament for labor pains in childbirth. Daniel was so severely affected by this vision that he could barely breathe, much less could he deal with prophetic complexities.
I must return to fight with the prince of Persia: Daniel was about to receive the answer to his prayer, but the battle was not over for his heavenly messenger. First he must battle the prince of Persia, then the prince of Greece. God watched out for Israel, working behind the scenes in the spiritual realm.
“The heavenly warfare is to be directed against first Persia and then Greece, because each of these in turn will have power over God’s people.” (Baldwin)
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So, are you enjoying Daniel's story? I'm so confused. So now Daniel has been "fasting" for three weeks. The commentary has a problem with Daniel fasting for so long. I have a problem with it too. I watch a lot of "Survivor man" on TV. I'm sure Daniel drank water.
Check out the wording, though, in verse 3. He ate no "choice" food, meat or wine. So, he got nourishment, but it was meager.
I think, He was too busy praying about the tensions in the region to be bothered with food.
After about 3 weeks, Daniel had a vision. It was Michael. Daniel had been dealing with Gabriel and now Michael is Daniel's messenger with some news.
Check out verses 7-9. It says they didn't see the vision but they were filled with horror and hid.... so....
I think they saw Michael and freaked out. They left Daniel to deal with the "man" who had fire in his eyes and sounded like a multitude. They saw the "man" but they hid so they didn't see him talking with Daniel and they didn't hear him tell Daniel he was "highly esteemed".
Now some of you know I think Paul, Saul of Tarsus, just made up the idea that Jesus knocked him down and blinded him. No one saw Jesus. I use "no one saw" him as a clue. Here, "no one saw" Michael, not because they just didn't see him, but because he scared the bejesus out of them and they hid. Paul's buddies didn't see or hear anything. Either Paul's "vision" was a hoax or the Angels were getting better at staying invisible.
One of the questions I had about Paul's "no one saw" argument was that I couldn't figure out why Paul would think he could spread that story. Now I see Paul knew about Michael visiting Daniel. Paul could have used Daniel's experience to hone his lie??? So, this just fuels my concern about Paul and his story of "no one saw" to start problems in the church.
There's no explanation in this chapter. It just describes the scene at the Tigris River. The men Daniel was traveling with were all hiding and quivering. Daniel was face down in the dirt until Michael told him to "stand up". Michael was on a mission and he had to get back to the troops. He told Daniel to "stand up" and gave him the strength to do so.
In chapter 11, Michael will "explain" why he was sent to Daniel.
So now, is it possible I'm right about Paul? Do you think the men that were with Daniel went back and told their families about how Michael's eyes were shining and his voice sounded like multitudes instead of just a man? Do you think it's possible that "legend" would be available for Paul to use?
They hid in terror! Not because someone "fell" off his horse and had a vision", but because they saw a "man" who is described by Daniel as "His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude."
They hid in terror!
