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Thursday, September 30, 2021

#1223 Daniel 11 Part 1 North and South

 



“And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

2 “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. 4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.

5 “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. 6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.

7 “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. 8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.

10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.

14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. 23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. 24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. 28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.

29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.

36 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. Daniel 11 ESV

Daniel 11: 1-19 Persia, Greece, North and South

…2I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” 4So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.… Genesis 12: 2-4

Comment: Donald Barnhouse chronicles the "legacy" of "cursing" Abram and his descendant, Israel...
When the Greeks overran Palestine and desecrated the altar in the Jewish temple, they were soon conquered by Rome. When Rome killed Paul and many others, and destroyed Jerusalem under Titus, Rome soon fell. Spain was reduced to a fifth-rate nation after the Inquisition against the Jews; Poland fell after the pogroms; Hitler’s Germany went down after its orgies of anti-Semitism; Britain lost her empire when she broke her faith with Israel. - Precept Austin

I stood up to confirm and strengthen him - This is the messenger from 10 still speaking to Daniel, the one who has revealed to him the knowledge of a spiritual dimension behind all that is taking place and will take place in the future. Now Cyrus had made a decree permitting the Jews to return home and build their temple. The angel is providing heavens assistance in this, protecting Cyrus, and moving the decree along against much spiritual opposition. The devil's children are gossiping against and slandering the Israelites, but also many Jews are no longer interested in the things of God, unwilling to return home. The book of Daniel becomes the model for the time of the gentiles, and Israel becomes the center of much conflict, it's people the focus of much ire from many nations. If ever there were a case for reparations, this land and this people would be able to present quite the argument, yet God will use it to His glory and the refining of His elect.

1First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority— so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,… 1 Timothy 2: 1-3

8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:

Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.

11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence. Ezra 6: 8-12



Fourth shall be richer than all of them - What comes now is of little use to Daniel in his time, because he is close to the end of his days. It is a comfort to him too though, that God has history laid out, yet so much of what is about to be said will not make so much sense to him, and it will encompass a long span of time. It will be a help to those whom God has called to seek the truth in every age, for those who look back they will see in history the literal fulfillment of many of the prophecies here, and that will indicate to believers in our time that there will be a literal fulfillment of those things which are still to come, the latter things. First he covers Persia, the present reigning kingdom of Daniel's time. The prophecy focuses on 4 Persian kings, all of which the princes of Persia (spiritual) will try to influence and provoke against God's people. Ahasuerus is another name for Xerxes 1 and he was know for his wealth, but also an immense army and navy for the time. His is also the time when the kingdom seems to have plateaued and does okay against Greece by shear numbers, yet that is about to end.

Gaebelein comments on three more kings...then a fourth noting that "The three kings were: Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes and Darius, Known in history as Cambyses, Pseudo Smerdis and Darius Hystaspes (not Darius the Mede). The fourth one was Xerxes, who, as history tells us was immensely rich. The invasion of Greece took place in 480BC. (The Prophet Daniel: A Key to the Visions and Prophecies of the Book of Daniel) - Precept Austin

1This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush. 2In those days King Xerxes sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa. 3In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces.… Esther 1: 1-3

Wikipedia adds this note:

According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Xerxes' first attempt to bridge the Hellespont ended in failure when a storm destroyed the flax and papyrus bridge; Xerxes ordered the Hellespont (the strait itself) whipped three hundred times and had fetters thrown into the water. Xerxes' second attempt to bridge the Hellespont was successful. Xerxes concluded an alliance with Carthage, and thus deprived Greece of the support of the powerful monarchs of Syracuse and Agrigentum. Many smaller Greek states, moreover, took the side of the Persians, especially Thessaly, Thebes and Argos. Xerxes set out in the spring of 480BC from Sardis with a fleet and army which Herodotus claimed was more than two million strong with at least 10,000 elite warriors named Persian Immortals. Xerxes was victorious during the initial battles.

At the Battle of Thermopylae, a small force of Greek warriors led by King Leonidas of Sparta resisted the much larger Persian forces, but were ultimately defeated. According to Herodotus, the Persians broke the Spartan phalanx after a Greek man called Ephialtes betrayed his country by telling the Persians of another pass around the mountains. After Thermopylae, Athens was captured and the Athenians and Spartans were driven back to their last line of defense at the Isthmus of Corinth and in the Saronic Gulf. The delay caused by the Spartans allowed Athens to be evacuated. - Precept Austin

Then a mighty king shall arise - This is Alexander the Great, and his men are hungry for Persian blood. 

…4I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. 5As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. 6He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power.… Daniel 8: 4-6

Toward the four winds of heaven - Alexander's rule was short lived; he died at the age of 33, but ruled more like an absolute monarch. He was a conqueror to the core, and mourned the day when he thought their were no more worlds to subdue. His kingdom was divided by four generals, so the prophecies state, not to his posterity nor according to his rule, it is now divided. History tells us that Alexander's mentally retarded half brother, his illegitimate son, and son born after his death were all murdered. The focus will be on the Northern and Southern kingdom now and their rivalry.

Northern Kingdom (Syria) Seleucus I Nicator
Southern Kingdom (Egypt) Ptolemy I Soter
Western Kingdom of Cassander
Eastern Kingdom of Lysimachus

The king of the south shall be strong - These are the Ptolemy's and they are south of Israel, but for some 200 years they are in and out of war with the Seleucid empire, headquartered in Syria which is north of Israel. So for all of this time Israel becomes a battle ground in between two warring kings, that is the setting.  

King of the South - Ptolemy I Soter (323-285BC), founder and first king of the Ptolemaic dynasty centered in Egypt. - Precept Austin

But one of his princes shall be stronger - Some say this refers to the princes of Alexander, his generals, referring here to Seleucus, but others reference it by his aid from the south, Ptolemy's, which helped him achieve more power and dominion.

Along with one of his (King of the South's) princes who will gain ascendancy over him (Ptolemy I Soter) - Although somewhat "cryptic", this passage describes Seleucus I Nicator (312-281BC), the first King of the North, the Seleucid dynasty, centered in Syria. Seleucus had been appointed satrap over Babylon (321BC) but when he became fearful of Antigonus, Seleucus fled to Egypt to serve under Ptolemy. Wikipedia records the background...

In the summer of 315BC Antigonus arrived in Babylon and was warmly welcomed by Seleucus. The relationship between the two soon turned cold, however. Seleucus punished one of Antigonus' officers without asking permission from Antigonus. Antigonus became angry and demanded that Seleucus give him the income from the province, which Seleucus refused to do. He was, however, afraid of Antigonus and fled to Egypt with 50 horsemen.

With Ptolemy's aide (Ptolemy gave Seleucus 800 infantry and 200 cavalry) Seleucus marched on (he gathered more soldiers as he marched) and conquered Babylon. - Precept Austin

Daughter of the king of the south - So this was a common alliance involving marriage. This would be the daughter of Ptolemy II of Philadelphus, his daughter Berenice marrying Antiochus II Theos.

Antiochus Theos who was the third king of Syria needed to make a treaty with Egypt. The king of Egypt was a man named Ptolemy Philadelphus. And so he decided that what he wanted to do was marry the daughter of the king of Egypt, or the king of the south. Unfortunately, he was already married. But that was no problem, he divorced his wife. He divorced his wife, and he married this daughter of the southern king. Well, his wife wasn’t real thrilled about it, so she murdered his new wife. She not only murdered his new wife, but she murdered all her attendants too, then she poisoned him to death.

It says in the middle of verse 6, “She shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm.” In other words, the power of both of them, the whole thing fell apart. “But she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begot her, and he that strengthened her in these times.” In other words, everybody involved is going to go. And that is exactly what happened.

Now this brought to the throne in the north, because now the Seleucid king Antiochus Theos is dead. So this brought to the throne a man named Callinicus. Look at verse 7: “But out of a branch of her roots” – that is, out of the roots of the murdered wife Berenice. There was a man named Ptolemy Euergetes, and it says – I think it’s in verse 8. No, it’s in verse 7 – that “one shall stand in his estate.” I don’t know if you’re following me too good, but stay with me. Out of the branch of the roots of the murdered wife comes a brother from the south, and he comes with an army; and he comes against Callinicus and he defeats him. And verse 8 says – this is what I want you to note: “He carried away captives into Egypt, took their gods, their princes, their precious vessels, silver, gold, and so forth and so on.”

Now history tells us all about this. It tells us he took 40,000 talents of silver, 2,500 idol statues, and it goes on and on. And even Callinicus died, because he fell off his horse. And there’s an interesting note there. I’m just trying to think where it is. Yeah, at the end of verse 8, it says: “The king of the south shall continue more years than the king of the north.” And that is exactly what happened. Callinicus fell off his horse, died, and the one in the south continued four more years. Now the reason I just point this out is because you need to know how accurate the Word of God is. But the point behind it all is that in the middle of this sits Israel, and all these wars are going on raging across their land. - J Mac Sermon on Daniel 11

Then the latter shall come -

Then the latter - This is a reference to the King of the North, Seleucus II Callinicus, who invaded Egypt and came against the King of the South in 240BC but was forced to retreat and return to his own land, soundly beaten. As predicted in the following passages (Da 11:10ff) however, the sons of Seleucus II Callinicus proved more successful in the great conflict against Egypt. - Precept Austin

Verse 11 Moved with rage - We are going through so many kings and battles between the north and the south.

Will be enraged and go forth and fight against the king of the north - In an attempt to recapture his lost territory to the north, Ptolemy IV Philopator attacked Antiochus III the Great on the southern borders of Israel, at Battle of Raphia which was "also known as the Battle of Gaza, was a battle fought on 22 June 217 BC near modern Rafah (see map) between the forces of Ptolemy IV Philopator, king of Egypt and Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom during the Syrian Wars. It consists one of the largest battles of the Hellenistic kingdoms of the Diadochi and was waged to determine the sovereignty of Coele Syria." (Reference)

The historian Polybius, records an interesting "anecdotal" fact regarding this battle "Ptolemy's elephants were of the African Forest Elephants; those of Antiochus were mainly of the large Syrian Elephants, brought from India. According to Polybius, the African elephants could not bear the smell, sound and view of their Indian counterparts and would easily give way and rout. (Reference) - Precept Austin

The king of the north will again arise - The king of the south does well at first and grows proud, but then the north eventually grows stronger, assembles a greater force, and dominate the Ptolemaic dynasty back to Egypt, so that the beautiful land, Israel, now fell under control of the northern kingdom. 

Verse 14 says, The violent among your own people - Daniel's people, the Jews living back in the beautiful land, many of these will join forces with the Northern kingdom.

Who were Daniel’s people? The Jews. Who were the robbers? Well, the Hebrew term here means “sons of breaking,” “children of breaking.” And what that means is people who don’t keep their promise, covenant breakers. They are the rebels. It could be translated “men of violence who break the law.” Frankly, what they are is strong-willed, apostate Jews who are revolutionaries. They are like mercenary soldiers, and they join the cause of the king of the north, and they aid him in his attack.

Really, most historians feel they wanted Judean independence, these mercenaries, these apostate Jewish revolutionaries. They thought that by war, if they could get in with Antiochus the Great, knock off Egypt, maybe Antiochus would give them freedom for their assistance. That’s really what they wanted. But at the end of verse 14, it says they shall fail. They didn’t get their goal. He didn’t give them what they had hoped to get. - J Mac

Stay for a time in the beautiful land - 

Miller writes that "With the defeat of the Egyptians at Sidon, Antiochus (“the invader”) acquired complete control over Phoenicia and Palestine. Although Palestine had come under Antiochus’s control for a brief time previously (ca. 219–217BC), now the “Beautiful Land” (Palestine; cf. Da 8:9; Ezek 20:6) would become a permanent possession of the Syrian Empire. This fact is extremely important because it sets the stage for the reign of terror to follow under the Syrian Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes. (Miller, S. R. - Daniel - New American Commentary, 18)

With destruction in his hand (NIV "will have the power to destroy it") - This phrase indicates that while he clearly had the capability to destroy any who opposed him, when Antiochus III entered Jerusalem in 198BC, the Jews welcomed him as a "deliverer and benefactor" (Gleason Archer) and as a result he was well disposed towards the Jews. He did however punish Jews who were pro-Egyptian.

Verse 17 He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom - Corrupting Israel worked well with marriages to Tyre's Jezebel, but Cleopatra turns out to be more in love with her Egyptian husband, and not under the northern spell. It says, "it shall not stand, or be to his advantage"; his daughter failed him in clinging to her husband.

Daughter of women - This refers to Antiochus' daughter, Cleopatra, because at that time she was still a child and therefore under the care of her mother and a nurse. Ryrie adds that she was a "daughter of women" "since she was still so young as to be under the control of her mother"

To ruin it - This is a difficult phrase to interpret. Walvoord writes that "The expression corrupting her (Da 11:17KJV) may mean “to ruin the land,” that is, Antiochus the Great purposed by this betrothal of his young daughter to the seven-year old Ptolemy to ruin his former opponent and present ally. As Young states, “In this stratagem, however, Antiochus fails, because Cleopatra constantly sides with her husband over against her father.” (Daniel 11 - World History From Darius To The Time Of The End) - Precept Austin

But he shall stumble and fall - He did well at first on the coastlands until he encountered the Romans, then he went back to his own country, tried to rob the temple of Jupiter in Elymais, but was killed by those who guard the sanctuary. 

But a commander will put a stop to his scorn against him - The Roman commander, Lucius Cornelius Scipio (Asiaticus), was sent against Antiochus III forcing him to withdraw and take refuge in Antioch in Asia Minor, which resulted in his disgrace.

Miller explains these events...

In 191BC the Romans, fighting with their Greek allies, routed the Syrians at Thermopylae and forced them to withdraw from Greece and flee to Asia Minor. Then 30,000 Roman troops pursued Antiochus into Asia and defeated his much larger army of 70,000 at the Battle of Magnesia near Smyrna (Turkey) in 190BC. In 188BC the Romans forced Antiochus to sign the Treaty of Apamea. Polybius reported that the Syrian king was ordered to surrender territory, much of his military force, twenty hostages (one of whom was Antiochus IV), and pay a heavy indemnity to Rome. (Miller, S. R. - Daniel - New American Commentary, 18)

Walvoord comments that...

Antiochus the Great begins to suffer reverses, however, as indicated in verse 18, where “prince for his own behalf refers to the Roman consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus, who, as Young expresses it, “brought about the defeat of Antiochus.” The reference to “the reproach offered by him,” refers to Antiochus’ scornful treatment of the Roman ambassadors at a meeting in Lysimachia (Thrace), when he said contemptuously, “Asia did not concern them, the Romans, and he was not subject to their orders.” (A commentary on the Holy Scriptures) (Daniel 11 - World History From Darius To The Time Of The End)











Wednesday, September 29, 2021

#1222 Daniel 10 PTSD

 



In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.

2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.

10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord's servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”

18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. Daniel 10 ESV

Daniel 10 

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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” - Ezra 1: 1-4


In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia - So about 3 years has gone by since the decree of Cyrus to rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Now this is even before the time of Nehemiah. 

Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar - So we know this is not another Daniel, but the same Hebrew that at some 14 years of age withstood the pressure to be a Babylonian, not by matter of location, but in His thinking, he was a good citizen, the finest, but resisted being paganized. He was true to the God of Israel. Belteshazzar was the name given to him in Babylon, in order to Hellenize him as the Greeks would call it. He has seen the down fall of Babylon as predicted by Jeremiah, and he must wonder that the 70 years is about up, but from where did it start, the first or the last deportation? This is the start of, the introduction to the last of Daniel's visions, and it will encompass the final 3 chapters of the book.

It was a great conflict - We know from reading Ezra and Nehemiah that the Jews that did go were not received well by those who were already in the land, and we are about to get a glimpse into something outside of our normal world, where a spiritual war has been raging as well.  

Whitcomb commenting on great conflict observes that...
Daniel had already learned of eschatological conflicts in store for his people (Da 7:21, 25; 8:24, 25; 9:27) and of persecutions at the hand of the little horn of the third kingdom even before the time of the end (Da 8:10, 11, 12, 13, 14). But now he was to learn of great angelic conflicts in­volving Israel and the nations and of seemingly endless struggles between kings of the north and south, also involving Israel. (Whitcomb, J. Daniel Everyman's Bible Commentary) - Precept Austin

Was mourning for 3 weeks - So Daniel has prayed for decree to return, Cyrus has already given that decree, yet a couple years later and Daniel is in mourning. He is fasting, and it is not like a sort of currency as some ridiculous preachers teach today, but his whole heart is bent towards God on this matter, and in his earnest it has taken priority even over his food. Those things just aren't as important. Of course people will try to pattern this, but you can't fake a sincere heart before God.

You say, “Didn’t any go back?” A few. Ezra tells us just 42,000 went back. You say, “Well, that sounds like a lot.” Not really. They had flourished in Babylon. There were myriads more than that. That was only a drop in the bucket; just 42,000 went back.

There had been many born in captivity, they didn’t go back. The few that did go back were led by a man named Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel was in the line of David. He had kingly seed. And he couldn’t establish again the monarchy, he just couldn’t pull it off. He was accompanied by a man named Joshua – not the Joshua of old, but Joshua the high priest who was to be their spiritual leader. And when they got back, it took them seven months just to clear the rubble off the temple ground to say nothing of the city. And as they started to try to rebuild the temple, they were opposed, and they were harassed, and they were mocked, and they were scorned, and they were hated; and finally the work came to a halt altogether. - J Mac

I think MacArthur nails this, that Daniel is depressed over the turnout, shocked that they have so few that want to return, but it is God's right to weed us out like this, to remove the tares. They had an effective statesman in Daniel, had proven their God over both the Babylonian and Persian gods, for which of their gods delivers from the fire and the mouth of lions? Babylon and Persia were impressive though, and the Jews had developed a taste for the luxuries of these places. It would also be a great temptation for the Levites, for they had no property in the land, God was there portion, yet this seemed more tangible to them here, owning houses and businesses, accumulating wealth. They had been effectively turned into pagans. 

The first month - This would be Abib, later known as Nisan, and it would be equivalent to March/April on our calendar. 

Likely the season of the year had been a factor in Daniel’s decision to fast and pray. Passover was the time of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, and this may have turned Daniel’s thoughts toward the present deliverance and “exodus” of the Israelites from Babylon. (Miller, S. R. - Daniel - New American Commentary, 18)  - Precept Austin

That is, the Tigris - It needs clarification because there are two great rivers in the region, the Tigris and the Euphrates. It is likely that he is there in a motivational fashion, trying to persuade and recruit more people to return to Israel.

A man clothed in linen - Linen was common to the priestly office, and we see it with angelic visitors as well.

2And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, each with a weapon of slaughter in his hand. With them was another man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side.… Ezekiel 9: 2-3

With a belt of fine gold - Gold is a representation of sovereignty, it is associated with royalty. You will see others of God's heavenly court dressed with gold sashes, yet the description of the man here is so similar to that of Revelation 1: 12-18 that many have come to see this as a Christophany in Daniel. The One, like a son of man, in Revelation, identifies Himself as the First and the Last, who was dead, and rose again. This is Christ most obviously in Revelation, but I think here too. 

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 1: 12-18

And who is the one who appears to John in Revelation 1? It’s “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” Who’s that? Christ. You have almost an identical description here. John saw Christ in post-resurrection glory. Daniel saw Christ in preincarnation glory. Jesus Christ was not created when He was born, He existed eternally. And so we see its exact parallels in these descriptions.

By the way, it is not unusual to have Christ appear in this form in the Old Testament or in a similar form. There is a phrase used in the Old Testament fifty different times. It is the phrase “the angel of the Lord.” Have you read that phrase? Most commonly, the angel of the Lord refers to Jehovah God in the second person coming into time and space, a preincarnate appearance of the uncreated Christ. And you can read it all through Genesis, particularly the sixteenth chapter. You can see in Exodus chapter 3, you can see in Joshua chapter 5, you can see in Judges chapter 6 and Judges chapter 13, you can see it in Zechariah chapter 1, in Zechariah chapter 3 and many, many other places the appearance of this angel of the Lord who is best understood most often as Jehovah, the second person of the Trinity appearing in time and space. - J Mac

Here is a reference to those carrying out God's decree, His work, wearing similar clothes, they that work for the King, who bear His seal:

…6And out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean and bright linen and girded with golden sashes around their chests. 7Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.… Revelation 15: 6-8

They fled to hide themselves - Daniel was with a group of other men, and even though they did not see this, yet heavens glory had entered time and space in such a way as to make them run and hide in fear. 

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9: 3-9 

…15Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”… Revelation 6: 15-17

…9But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” 10“I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11“Who told you that you were naked?” asked the LORD God. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”… Genesis 3: 9-11

My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength - He is going into trauma, and this is a common effect of encountering holiness. The residual glory of God reflected off the face of Moses was enough to frighten the Israelites, and when they heard the voice of God speaking from the veiled glory of the Shekinah cloud upon the mountain, they asked that God speak to Moses instead, they desired a mediator, God's voice was terrifying. John, in Revelation 1 above, says he fell dead at His feet. He was pale as a ghost, drained to collapse. Both the presence and the visions are crippling, In the prostrate position it says he fell into a deep sleep, he lost consciousness of the tangible realm.


…5My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. 6Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42: 5-6

Now I believe this is the last that he ever saw the glorious, uncreated Christ. And He disappeared. And then God brought some angels who began to minister to Daniel. By the way, it’s not strange, is it? God often travels with a few angels. Read Genesis 18. That’s the way He came to Abram. - J Mac

And behold a hand touched me - I believe this transitions from Christ to His messenger, this angel who has been relieved by Michael the archangel to leave his fight against the prince of Persia and deliver a message to this man. Remember this is the intro to the prophecy that will finish out the book of Daniel, and in the last chapter, starting at verse 5, we can see 3 separate entities, one standing on the bank Daniel was on, one on the other and the man in linen who was above the waters. 

…5Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long until the fulfillment of these wonders?” 7And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, all these things will be completed.”… Daniel 12: 5-7

Man greatly loved - Are you a believer, born again, a child of God, called out of this world, one to whom has been granted repentance unto life? If you have come to trust not in your own works, but in Christ alone, then are you not greatly loved? Christ died for me, and that is awe, a joyful bliss.

That you set your heart on understanding this - He was in sorrow over the way things had turned out, that not so many Jews wanted to return to the promised land, it was not what he had pictured in his mind, but he went to the right place, humility and prayer, wrestling like Jacob for an answer.

…12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,… Luke 1: 12-14

29This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall humble yourselves and not do any work—whether the native or the foreigner who resides among you— 30because on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, that you may humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute.… Leviticus 16: 29-31

Humility, fasting and prayer go together (2Chr 7:13, 14, Ps 35:13). To humble one's self before God is to acknowledge one's proper relationship of the creature to the Creator and to admit our desperate dependence upon Him for everything necessary for life and godliness. Proud people "by definition" don't humble themselves before God. Perhaps one reason I don't pray as much as I should is because of my unwillingness to humble myself, to admit my dependence on God to give me "daily bread", etc. - Precept Austin

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days - Here we are with another look, the reality of a spiritual war that goes on behind the scenes. Satan is the true master mind behind all who lie, the father of lies, and yet also the accuser of the brethren. Many people will read these things about angels, and then go and develop all sorts of fictions, gross speculations, but let us be happy to know what God has given us about them, and study His revelation. The people in Jerusalem see the opposition of neighbors, but now they should know all the more to pray, for it has a demonic backing.

…11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.… Ephesians 6: 11-13

…4Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build. 5They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

1Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?” 3Now Joshua was dressed in filthy garments as he stood before the angel.… Zechariah 3: 1-3

Michael, one of the chief princes - Michael is here introduced to us by name, and is referred to by rank amongst the other angels, so note, when we go to chapter 12 we see the man in linen (preincarnate Christ), who was hovering above the waters, an angel on the side of the bank with Daniel and another on the opposite bank. Michael is a created being, Christ is the eternally begotten of God, yet many cults are recognized by their denial of Christ as God, but also of Him as taking on humanity, becoming a man. The Jehovah Witnesses actually think Michael, the arch angel, a created being, is Christ. This is a complete heresy, for we are to worship Jesus Christ, but not angels.

Michael one of the chief princes - This is the first mention by name of the angel Michael, who is later described as "your prince" (Da 10:21) indicating he is Israel's prince, a premise which is substantiated by Da 12:1 where we observe that Michael will arise when Israel is in a time of great distress (which in context is the Great Tribulation). In Jude 1:9 Michael is called an archangel one of the first or highest angels, a leader of the angels. Finally in the last Biblical use, Rev 12:7-note, Michael is found in heaven waging war with (and defeating) the dragon and his angels.

Miller draws the conclusion that "the implications of these statements are clear. Israel has a mighty angelic supporter in the heavenly realm. Therefore, regardless of Israel’s political, military, and economic weaknesses, its existence is assured because no earthly power can resist their great prince." (Miller, S. R. - Daniel - New American Commentary, 18)

Chief princes - "Chief" indicates an angelic hierarchy as described by Paul in Ephesians who explains to the saints why they must be strong in the Lord (Eph 6:10) and put on the full armor of God to be enabled to stand against this invisible evil army of demonic forces... - Precept Austin

18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind. 19He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.… Colossians 2: 18-19

…9“All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.” 10“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” 11Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.… Matthew 4: 9-11

…8And I am John, who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. 9But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” 10Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.… Revelation 22: 8-10

The latter days - The end of Daniel takes us through another sweep of history, starting with great detail about the kingdom that he is now in, Persia, through the northern and southern kings that came out of the 4 generals of Greece, all the way to the final antichrist. It is a startling vision and would be very confusing seeing all this take place before it happens, and especially that which occurs in a time very different from his own. Much of his prophecies have been fulfilled already, but we still look forward to the end, the Great Tribulation and finally the setting up of Christ's kingdom.

30When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. 31For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath.… Deuteronomy 4: 30-31

1This is the message that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.… Isaiah 2: 1-3

…4For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol. 5Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days. Hosea 3: 4-5

1But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,… 2 Timothy 3: 1-3

Touched my lips - This reminds me of Isaiah 6 where Isaiah, in the presence of God's holiness becomes aware that he is a man of unclean lips from a people of unclean lips, and so the angel purifies his lips with a burning ember, and he is sanctified to speak.

Touching my lips - Daniel's need = speechless. God's provision = touching his lips. A similar picture is found with a number of God's prophets enabling them to speak (cf Is 6:7, Je 1:9 Eze 3:27 33:22, cf Lk 1:64 21:15)

Strengthened me - Now once he could speak, he still needed help, and so strength was given to him.

…3Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees! 4Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.” 5Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.…  Isaiah 35: 3-5

…42“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. 44And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.… Luke 22: 42-44

Michael, your prince - Just as the unbelieving Persians had a prince, a demon of high rank, so Israel has Michael the arch angel, and too, this messenger Gabriel.

…8Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings. 9But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.… Jude 1: 8-10

6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 7 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. For you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.… Revelation 3: 6-8

6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days. 7Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels.… Revelation 12: 6-8