DANIEL: Chapter 10

Blessed be the name of our Lord JESUS CHRIST.
Welcome to the continuation of the book of Daniel. Today, we focus on Chapter 10. When we examine this book in depth, we see that much of Daniel’s prophecy concerns the four empires that would rule until the end of time:

1. Babylon
2. Medo-Persia
3. Greece
4. Rome

However, if we look closely at Chapter 2, Daniel received a vision regarding these empires through King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue. In that vision, he was not given detailed explanations about these kingdoms; he saw only the sequence—gold (Babylon), silver (Medo-Persia), bronze (Greece), and iron (Rome)—without knowing the full specifics of their later rulers, except for Babylon.

Even so, Daniel was not satisfied and continued to seek God for deeper understanding. That’s why in Chapter 7, he is shown visions about the same events but in greater detail. There, he sees four beasts rising from the sea, which correspond to the same four empires.

• The first beast resembles a lion (Babylon)
• The second resembles a bear with three ribs in its mouth (Medo-Persia)
• The fourth resembles a leopard with four heads (Greece)

Daniel is given explanations about the heads: they represent four kings who would rise in Greece, along with a final beast that is distinct from the others. Unlike previous visions, Daniel is now told the names of two empires explicitly: Medo-Persia (the second kingdom) and Greece (the third kingdom).

The vision progresses in Chapter 8, showing events within these empires, symbolized by a ram with two horns (Medo-Persia) and a male goat (Greece) with a single prominent horn that is later broken and replaced by four others. This represents Alexander the Great’s conquests and the four Hellenistic kingdoms that followed. One of these “little horns” in history is Antiochus Epiphanes I (Greece), as the historical record confirms.

Notice that in Chapter 7, Daniel also saw a “little horn” rising in the fourth empire (Rome), but here in Chapter 8, he is shown the little horn in the third empire (Greece). The point is that the visions are sequential and progressively detailed. Chapters 10–12 continue this pattern, giving Daniel deeper understanding, piece by piece, until the visions become clear.

Chapter 10: Daniel’s Vision

In this chapter, Daniel approaches God humbly, seeking understanding of the visions he has received. The Bible says that after the revelation, “he understood the visions”, implying that initially, he could not comprehend them fully.

Scripture (Daniel 10:1–21, ESV):                  “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.”

1. Daniel mourned for three full weeks.
2. He ate no delicacies, meat, or wine, and did not anoint himself at all, until the three weeks were complete.
   4–6. On the 24th day of the first month, by the great river Hiddekel, he lifted his eyes and saw a man clothed in linen, with a belt of pure gold. His body was like beryl, face like lightning, eyes like flaming torches, arms and feet like burnished bronze, and his voice like a multitude.
   7–9. Daniel saw this alone; those with him did not see the vision. A great trembling fell upon them. Daniel was left exhausted, his strength gone, and he fell facedown.
   10–12. Then a hand touched him and strengthened him. The angel said: “Daniel, greatly beloved, stand upright; for now I am sent to you. Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.”
   13–14. The angel also explains: the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” opposed him for 21 days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help. The angel came to give Daniel insight about what would happen to his people in the latter days.
   15–21. Daniel is too overwhelmed to speak initially, but the angel strengthens him again and explains: after dealing with the Persian prince, the angel must also contend with the prince of Greece, showing that spiritual conflict is ongoing.

Theological Insight: Spiritual Warfare

This chapter highlights that Daniel’s struggle was not just physical but spiritual. The “princes” of Persia and Greece represent spiritual powers, not earthly kings, influencing the kingdoms (Daniel 10:13). As Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) reminds us:

*”For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against

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