1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was made to Daniel known as Belteshazzar, a true revelation of a great conflict. He grasped the meaning of the revelation; what it meant was disclosed to him in a vision.
2 At that time, I, Daniel, was doing a three-week penance;
3 I ate no agreeable food, touched no meat or wine, and did not anoint myself, until these three weeks were over.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I stood on the bank of that great river, the Tigris,
5 I raised my eyes to look about me, and this is what I saw: A man dressed in linen, with a belt of pure gold round his waist:
6 his body was like beryl, his face looked like lightning, his eyes were like fiery torches, his arms and his face had the gleam of burnished bronze, the sound of his voice was like the roar of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, alone saw the apparition; the men who were with me did not see the vision, but so great a trembling overtook them that they fled to hide.
8 I was left alone, gazing on this great vision; I was powerless, my appearance was changed and contorted; my strength deserted me.
9 I heard a voice speaking, and at the sound of the voice I fell fainting, face downwards on the ground.
Daniel – Chapter 10 – Podcast / Discussion
Get an informal deep dive into the Book of Daniel Ch 10 to help you truly understand what is going on in this chapter from the Old Testament of The Bible.
10 I felt a hand touching me, setting my knees and my hands trembling.
11 He said, ‘Daniel, you are a man specially chosen; understand the words that I am about to say; stand up; I have been sent to you now.’ He said this, and I stood up trembling.
12 He then said, ‘Daniel, do not be afraid: from that first day when, the better to understand, you resolved to mortify yourself before God, your words have been heard; and your words are the reason why I have come.
13 The Prince of the kingdom of Persia has been resisting me for twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the Chief Princes, came to my assistance. I have left him confronting the kings of Persia
14 and have come to tell you what will happen to your people in the final days. For here is a new vision about those days.’
15 When he had said these things to me, I prostrated myself on the ground, without saying a word;
16 then someone looking like a man touched my lips. I opened my mouth to speak, and I said to the person standing in front of me, ‘My lord, anguish overcomes me at this vision, and my strength deserts me.
17 How can your servant speak to my lord now that I have no strength left and my breath fails me?’
18 Once again, the person like a man touched me; he gave me strength.
19 ‘Do not be afraid,’ he said, ‘you are a man specially chosen; peace be with you; play the man, be strong!’ And as he spoke to me I felt strong again and said, ‘Let my lord speak, you have given me strength.’
20 He then said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you?
21 It is to tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. I must go back to fight the Prince of Persia; when I have overcome him, the Prince of Javan will come next.In all this, there is no one to lend me support except Michael your Prince,
A Brief Overview of Daniel Chapter 10 – A Heavenly Encounter and Unseen Battles
Here’s my overview of Daniel Chapter 10. I hope my take on this chapter helps you to properly understand exactly what is going on in this chapter.
Daniel, now in the third year of King Cyrus of Persia’s reign, receives a powerful revelation. He’s been fasting for three weeks, avoiding tasty food, meat, and wine, and not even using any skincare products (talk about dedication!). On the 24th day of the first month, while standing by the Tigris River, Daniel has an incredible experience.
He sees a man dressed in linen with a gold belt, who looks absolutely out of this world. This figure has a body like a gemstone, a face like lightning, eyes like fire, and limbs that shine like polished bronze. When he speaks, it sounds like a whole crowd talking at once. Daniel is the only one who sees this amazing sight – his companions feel the presence of something powerful and run away scared!
Poor Daniel is left alone, feeling weak and shocked by what he’s seeing. He falls face-down in a faint when he hears the figure’s voice. Then, he feels a hand touch him, helping him to his knees and hands, though he’s still shaking. The heavenly visitor tells Daniel not to be afraid, explaining that he’s been sent in response to Daniel’s prayers and fasting.
Here’s where it gets really interesting. The visitor reveals that he’s been held up for 21 days (the exact length of Daniel’s fast) by the “Prince of Persia” – some kind of spiritual force opposing God’s plan. Michael, one of the chief angelic princes, came to help out in this unseen battle. The visitor has come to explain what will happen to Daniel’s people (the Israelites) in the future.
Daniel is so overwhelmed that he can’t even speak. The visitor touches Daniel’s lips, giving him the ability to talk again. Daniel expresses how weak and breathless he feels, but the visitor encourages him, telling him he’s specially chosen and needs to be strong.
As the chapter ends, the heavenly messenger explains that he needs to return to the fight against the Prince of Persia, and after that, he’ll have to deal with the Prince of Greece (more spiritual battles ahead!). He mentions that only Michael, the protector of Israel, is helping him in these conflicts. Before he goes, though, he’s going to reveal to Daniel what’s written in the “Book of Truth” – setting us up for some major prophecies in the next chapter.
This chapter gives us a unique peek behind the spiritual curtain, showing that while Daniel was praying and fasting on Earth, major spiritual battles were happening in the unseen realm. It’s a chapter full of mystery, encouragement, and the promise of important revelations to come.
Written by Robert Patterson, M.A.
Robert holds a Master's degree in Religious Studies with a focus on Catholic Church History. He has spent over two decades researching the lives of the Popes and the history of the Papacy. PopeHistory.com has been a trusted resource for papal information since 2001.
