Daniel 10:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Here begins in this 10th chapter of Daniel and running right through to the end of the book, the most detailed and far-reaching prophetic vision in the entire Bible. There is no other vision as extensive as this, with so much fine print, as it were, or small detail as this. The 10th chapter really prepares the ground. It is a chapter with a great deal of rich devotional counsel, as we trace the response of Daniel to the voice of God and his own devotions. But it is an introduction to the main revelation of detail which comes in chapter 11. Chapter 12, the last chapter of the book, is a kind of conclusion. It continues to add to detailed revelation, but it is an application very largely and a conclusion for the people of God throughout time. So the great flood of detail comes in the 11^th chapter and the 10^th chapter prepares the ground. ‘In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia …’ It is not entirely easy to establish when this is, because Darius was king of the Chaldeans on behalf of Cyrus when Babylon fell, and he reigned for up to two years. It may therefore be that the first year of Cyrus should be placed at the time after the death of Darius, even though he was always the emperor over Darius. So the third year Cyrus could be the fifth year after the fall of Babylon, and that's very likely when we read what follows here. His true Hebrew name is used and he has discarded his Babylonian name, but it is referenced for the sake of clarity after being in use for such a long time. ‘The time appointed was long’ – the vision concerned the distant future. There has been the edict of Cyrus, and many Israelites (but a minority) have returned to Judah and particularly to Jerusalem. And yet things are not happening there at any pace. There is no sign of progress. There is fierce opposition from the Samaritans around Jerusalem. The building work is not proceeding, and there is no sign yet of a temple. This is probably the cause of the mourning of Daniel, which we read about here in verse 2. ‘In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.’ Now it doesn't say why, but by the time you get to the end of this chapter, his concern about the state of Jerusalem is central. We can safely assume that Daniel is feeling deeply about the slow progress, and things don't seem to be turning out. There is suffering and opposition and harassment from the Samaritans down there in Jerusalem, and so, with his great concern for the people of God, the purposes of God, the cause of God, he commits himself to pray and to fast. ‘I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth’, no delicacies, no pleasant food for three whole weeks until that time was fulfilled. Daniel is not among the 42,000 who have returned to Jerusalem, but is still there through the guidance of God. In the wisdom of God the rebuilding work needed more energetic leaders – by this time Daniel has been in Babylon seventy years and he must be in his middle to late eighties – but Daniel continued to have a ministry of prayer. So there is Daniel’s intercession. Now Daniel’s approach was blessed and answered, and God dealt with him. But it starts with this tremendous concern; he is a very feelingful man.