Daniel 10:1-21

The Men who were Loyal to God

Daniel

Robert Bryce

Chapter 10

Chapter s 10, 11 and 12 tell us about Daniel’s last dream.

v1 In the third year that king Cyrus ruled Persia, God gave a message to Daniel. (Daniel’s other name was Belteshazzar.) The message was true, and it was about a great war. Daniel understood the message in a *vision. v2 He wrote down this message:

At that time I, Daniel, was sad for three weeks. v3 I did not eat any good food. I had no meat or wine. I did not look after my skin or my hair until the three weeks finished.

Verses 1-3 Cyrus was the king after Darius. In the first year of his rule, he allowed the *Jews to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). Not many of the people went.

Daniel had his last dream about two years later. He was an old man and he had probably retired (Daniel 1:21).

It was the first month of the year (Daniel 10:4). During this month the *Jews remembered the time when God brought them out of Egypt. For 7 days, they did not eat proper bread. Daniel did not eat good food for three weeks, because he was very sad. Perhaps he was sad because not many of the people had gone back to Jerusalem. Daniel had prayed that the king would allow the people to go back to Jerusalem. Not many of the people had gone. Those who had gone to Jerusalem had a hard life. The other people in the country did not want them to build Jerusalem again.

v4 On the 24th day of the first month I was standing by the great river Tigris. v5 I looked and I saw a man. He was wearing good white clothes. He wore a pure gold belt. v6 His body was bright like a precious stone. His face was like lightning. His eyes seemed like flames of fire. His arms and legs seemed like *bronze that someone had polished. When he spoke, his voice was like the noise of many people’s voices.

Verses 4-6 In his dream, Daniel was standing by the river. He saw a very unusual man. The man wore white clothes and a gold belt. His body shone. It was very bright. The Bible describes Jesus like this (Revelation 1:13-17). The man seemed like an *angel. Some students think that he was probably Jesus himself. But this is not likely because of verse 13. Jesus would have beaten the enemy more easily!

v7 Only I, Daniel, saw this sight. The people who were with me did not see anything. But they were very afraid, so they ran away. And they hid themselves. v8 Then I was alone as I looked at this great sight. My face became very pale and my strength left me. v9 When I heard his voice, I fell down. I lay with my face on the ground and I started to sleep deeply.

Verses 7-9 There were people with Daniel. They did not see the man, but they were afraid. Perhaps they could hear his strange voice. The other people ran away. Daniel was very afraid too, but he did not run away. He was so afraid that he fell down. Then he started to sleep.

v10 Then a hand touched me and it helped me to get up. I was on my hands and knees, but I was trembling. v11 He spoke to me. ‘Daniel, God loves you very much’, he said. ‘Listen carefully to what I say to you. Stand up, because God has sent me to you.’ When he said this, I stood up. But I was still trembling. v12 Then he said, ‘Daniel, do not be afraid. You became humble and you wanted to understand. As soon as you did this, God heard your words. So I have come to bring the answer to your prayers. v13 The prince of the *kingdom of Persia stood in my way for 21 days. But then Michael, who is one of the chief princes, came to help me. Until then, I had to stay there with the kings of Persia. v14 Now I am here to explain this dream about the future. The dream tells what will happen to your people then.’

Verses 10-14 Someone touched Daniel and helped him to get up. It was probably Jesus, but it might have been an *angel. Daniel was still very afraid.

The man had a message for Daniel. He told Daniel the good news that God loved him very much. Then he said that God had sent him to speak to Daniel.

Daniel stood up but he was still very afraid. The man told Daniel that God was pleased. God was pleased because Daniel was humble. God had heard his prayers and he had sent an answer. The man came to Daniel, but someone stopped him for three weeks. It was the prince of the *kingdom of Persia. This was not a human prince. This was one of the devil’s servants. He made the king of Persia do bad things. Then Michael came to help. He was the *angel who looked after the *Jews (Daniel 12:1).

After three weeks, the man came to Daniel. God sent him to tell Daniel about the future.

v15 While he was saying these words to me, I looked down at the ground. I could not speak. v16 Then someone who seemed like a man touched my lips. I opened my mouth and I was able to speak again. So I spoke to the person who stood in front of me. ‘My *lord, the dream has given me great pain and my strength has left me. v17 My *lord, I am your servant. I am not important enough to talk with you. My strength has left me and I can hardly breathe.’

Verses 15-17 Daniel was still very afraid. He also felt very humble and he could not speak. Then either Jesus or an *angel touched his mouth. So he was able to speak. He told the man in front of him that he was weak. He thought that he was not very important. So he was scared to speak to the man.

v18 Someone who seemed like a man touched me again. He gave me strength. v19 ‘Do not be afraid, man’, he said to me, ‘because God loves you very much. I want you to be calm inside yourself. I want you to be strong, very strong.’ When he said this, I felt stronger. So I spoke again. ‘My *lord, speak to me, because you have given me strength’, I said.

v20-21 Then he spoke to me again. ‘I will tell you why I have come to you. I will explain to you what the words in the True Book mean. Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia. When I have defeated him, the prince from Greece will come. Only Michael, your people’s prince, supports me against them.’

Verses 18-21 The man touched him again. Then Daniel felt stronger. The man said things to make Daniel feel better. He told Daniel again that God loved him very much. Then he promised to explain the things that Daniel had read. He said that he had to fight against the prince of Persia again. He would defeat the prince of Persia. But then another of the devil’s servants, the prince of Greece, would come. We know that the *kingdom of Greece followed the *kingdom of Persia. Michael would support him in the fight. Michael is the *angel who looks after the *Jews, (Daniel 12:1).

vision ~ a dream that comes to a person who is awake; a mental picture that comes form God.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe. It is also a name for people from Judah and Israel.
bronze ~ a bright, hard metal, which is a usually a mixture of yellow metal and tin; it is less precious than gold or silver.
angel ~ God’s servant in heaven, who brings messages from God.
kingdom ~ the place or territory or land where a king rules.
Lord ~ Lord is a special kind of name, and a title, for God. The Jewish people often use this title for God. It shows that he is over all. Or it may mean that he is always God.
lord ~ when this title does not mean God, it just means someone very important.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe. It is also a name for people from Judah and Israel.