Daniel 10 - Angels, Demons, and Prayer - The Mysteries of God's Word

A trembling prophet at the Tigris, a messenger blazing like lightning, and a delay explained not by chance but by conflict—Daniel 10 is a rare tour through the unseen realm. We walk step by step through Daniel’s three-week fast, the awe-filled angelic encounter, and the startling admission that a “prince of Persia” resisted a holy messenger until Michael arrived. It’s a story that redefines prayer, patience, and how God moves through history.

We unpack this in history—the third year of Cyrus—and why Daniel, now elderly, seeks understanding for Israel’s future even as the first wave of Jews return from exile to Judah. The angel’s description reads like thunder in human words: linen and gold, beryl and bronze, eyes like fire, a voice like a crowd. Daniel collapses under the weight of it, only to be raised by the angel saying: “You are greatly loved.” We learn of spiritual warfare: territorial powers tied to Persia and later Greece, resistance that can slow a mission but cannot stop God’s purpose, and Michael identified as Israel’s guardian. We also explore the mysterious “book of truth”—a heavenly record that anchors prophetic certainty and reminds us that history is written by God before it ever happens, it is not accidental.

Throughout, we draw practical lines to our lives: how to pray with purpose, how to understand delays without despair, how to interceed for nations when Scripture says there are unseen influences at work, and how to receive strength from God’s words when courage runs out. If you’ve ever wondered whether your prayers matter, why answers tarry, or how faith should engage the world’s upheavals, this chapter offers both clarity and comfort. Listen, reflect, and share your insights with us—subscribe, leave a review, and pass this conversation to someone who needs fresh courage today.

Chapters

• 0:27 Setting Daniel’s Final Vision
• 1:44 Return from Exile and Timeline
• 3:02 Daniel’s Three-Week Fast
• 4:40 The Angel’s Awe-Striking Appearance
• 7:51 Fear, Collapse, and Awakening
• 11:05 Loved by God, Stand and Listen
• 12:21 Delayed by Persia’s Prince
• 14:58 Spiritual Warfare and Michael
• 17:28 Strengthened to Hear the Message
• 18:48 Return to Battle and Greece’s Prince
• 20:12 The Book of Truth and Michael’s Charge
• 21:27 Closing Blessing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:14

Shalom Grace and peace to you in the name of our Heavenly Father and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, may the Spirit of our Lord be with you today. Today we are in Daniel chapter ten. And in this chapter of Daniel, we are perhaps given the greatest insight into the angelic world in all of Scripture, with details of an encounter that Daniel had with an angel that leave our minds amazed. Beginning at verse one. In the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel, whose name was Beltashazzar, and the word was true, and it was a great conflict, and he understood the word, and he had understanding of the vision. Verse one opens up giving us the time frame of this encounter. It is the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia. And this marks two years since the first decree of Cyrus, which allowed Israel to return to Judea. It's five thirty four BC. Daniel would be about eighty-seven years old right now. Daniel also identifies himself in this verse as Belteshazzar, which was the name that King Nebuchadnezzar had given him over seventy years ago. And as Daniel does this, he ties all of his life together with bookends. As this vision and encounter from this angel will be the last vision Daniel records as he closes the book of Daniel. This vision includes chapters 10, 11, and 12. And we're told that Daniel received a word. Once again, Daniel receives a direct revelation from God through a vision, and this vision shows great conflict. It shows a conflict over Israel. And through the vision, Daniel understands the peace that Israel has now received, being sent back to Judea, being removed from the captivity of the Babylonians, will not last for long. And through what the angel will be explaining to Daniel in these three chapters, Daniel will be able to understand this vision. Picking up in verse two, in those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all for three weeks. In verse two we learn that Daniel is fasting. He's been fasting for three weeks. It tells us Daniel was mourning for three weeks. During these three weeks, Daniel is trying to understand God's plans for Israel. As we know, throughout Daniel's life he had received multiple visions and revelations from God about Israel and the end times. And Daniel at this point in his life is seeking God's face to understand what is God's plan for Israel. And at this time he had been fasting and mourning, seeking God's face for three weeks. Now Daniel had a long history of maintaining a disciplined diet. Daniel kept with the Jewish law and he would not be defiled. We learned that way back in Daniel chapter one. However, there were also times, such as this three weeks, where Daniel would fast as he sought the Lord. And this type of fasting, not eating delicacies, drinking only water, has popularly become known as the Daniel fast. Picking up in verse four, on the twenty fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, that is the Tigris, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Euphaz around his waist. 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. Here in verses four and five, we learn that on the twenty fourth day of the first month Daniel was at the Tigris River. Now the first month of the Jewish calendar is Nisan, which is early spring, and the twenty fourth day is ten days after the beginning of Passover. It's also three days after the end of that week of Passover. So Passover had just finished three days ago. Some people wrongly believe that Daniel's fast was simply part of an extraordinary sorrow that he had for Passover that year. However, careful study shows us that this fast was very specific to Daniel setting his heart to understand the things that God had already revealed to him. We see that in verse 12 of this chapter. And while Daniel's fast did include the week of Passover, it began before it, and it continued after it until the angel arrives. The description of the angel in verse five and six is perhaps the most detailed description of an angel in all of Scripture. What we see in these verses and the following verses are an incredible description detailing the interaction between one of God's holy angels and one of God's most faithful prophets, Daniel. The angel first appears here to Daniel in what might be described as his spiritual state. Perhaps we might say the angel is in raw form. While the angel is clothed in linen and has a belt of fine gold, his body, it says, was like berrel, and pure barrel is translucent, like glass. So the body of this angel is translucent, it's see through to some degree. His arms and legs gleamed like polished bronze, and his face was electrified like lightning, his eyes blazed like burning fire. And when he spoke, his voice boomed, sounding as if it were a throng of many people. It's interesting that the details of this angel are similar to how Jesus is described in Revelation chapter one verses thirteen and fourteen. And this similarity has led some people to think that this was the pre incarnate Jesus Christ. However, as we carefully study this, we know that this angel could not be the preincarnate Christ, because as we learn later, this angel needed help from the archangel Michael in a spiritual battle over Persia. We learn that in verse thirteen. The Son of God would not have needed any help against demonic forces. Picking up in verse seven 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. 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. Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Verses seven, eight, and nine describe first impressions. These are the first impressions from Daniel and his companions when this angel arrives. We learn that Daniel was with a group of men when this angel arrived, and Daniel saw this angel, but the other men did not. Yet the other men felt a very strong, fearful presence. And even though they couldn't see the angel or the vision, they were so afraid for their lives that they fled as if their lives were in danger, and they ran away and left Daniel alone. Daniel himself, after seeing the details of this angel and being in his presence, was completely drained of all of his strength. It says Daniel fell on his face because he had no strength. And the moment the angel spoke, Daniel lost consciousness, falling into a deep sleep. Picking up in verse ten, and behold a hand touched me, and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 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. In verses ten and eleven the angel touches Daniel as he lays unconscious and wakes him up. Then the angel helps him get to his knees. The angel tells Daniel how much he's loved by God, and tells Daniel to stand upright and listen to this message that God has given him. This description of Daniel's encounter with this angel is very similar to his past two experiences with the angel Gabriel. One which was eighteen years ago in Daniel chapter eight, verses seventeen and eighteen, and the other was just two years ago in Daniel chapter nine, verse twenty three. The description that we read here in chapter ten goes into more detail and leads us to conclude that this messenger from God is very likely again the angel Gabriel. Picking up in verse twelve, then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and humbled yourself before God, your words have been heard. And I've come because of your words. 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, 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. Verses twelve through fourteen give us incredible insight into the timing of those three weeks that Daniel was fasting. It tells us that Gabriel took three weeks to get to Daniel. Looking back at verse two, we learned that Daniel had been fasting for three weeks. And here we learn that the angel had been sent from God the first day that Daniel had set his heart to understand, and he had humbled himself, or he had begun his fast. And the angel tells Daniel that God heard his words, and Gabriel came because of Daniel's words. What a powerful example this is to us, of how the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective, and they prevail much. Daniel's also told that an evil demonic angel opposed Gabriel from arriving in a timely manner, and this gives us insight into the real warfare that is happening in the heavens. Warfare between God's holy angels and Satan's evil fallen angels. We are told that this fallen angel was given authority. They had power by Satan to oppress and destroy the work of God over the Persian people. That's modern day Iran. And this gives us some insight into Satan's organized heavenly network. It's designed to influence nations and people against God and God's people. Then we learn also in verse 12 that Michael, one of the chief princes, came to aid the angel Gabriel, so that he might break free from the battle and come to Daniel. Now the archangel Michael is portrayed in Scripture as the chief warrior angel. We might think of him as the secretary of defense in the heavens, or a five star general in war. Here Michael is described as one of the chief princes, implying that there are more chief angels than just Michael. However, Michael is the only archangel named as such in Scripture, and that title for Michael is found in Jude nine. Finally, Gabriel tells Daniel that the vision he's being given is for his people in the latter days of the earth, for the days yet to come. When I researched that phrase the latter days of the earth, it means the end time period, or the final days of the earth. Picking up in verse fifteen When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face towards the ground and was mute, 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. How can my Lord's servant talk with my Lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me. In verses fifteen through seventeen, we continue to see how Daniel is affected by the presence of Gabriel. Remember, Gabriel's voice sounded like a multitude of people. It was overwhelming to Daniel's human ears, and in his flesh Daniel was deeply afraid. He couldn't even look at Gabriel or even find the strength to speak. And then we're told Behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. What an incredible statement. This statement implies that perhaps the angel Gabriel changed his form to that of a man and touched Daniel on the lips. And after Gabriel had changed his appearance and touched Daniel, Daniel was able to speak. Daniel then tells Gabriel that it's because of the vision that he's receiving that he has no strength. He asks Gabriel, How am I supposed to talk with you when I have no strength in my body or breath for my voice? Picking up in verse eighteen, again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me, 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. In verses eighteen and nineteen, it would seem that Gabriel has maintained this form of a man, and once again is touching Daniel. And as Gabriel touches Daniel this time, he's encouraging him, reminding him how he is loved by God. The Daniel has nothing to fear, but instead he should let the shalom peace of God be with him. Furthermore, Gabriel encourages Daniel with the same words that the Lord once spoke to Joshua in Joshua one nine. He says, Be strong and of good courage. Daniel would know these words, so that Daniel could be assured that God was with him. And as Gabriel encourages Daniel with these words of peace, Daniel is strengthened in his spirit. And after this encouragement and strengthening from Gabriel, Daniel tells him, Please give me the message, for I am now strong enough to listen. twenty 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. 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. In verses twenty and twenty one, Gabriel describes how this holy battle in the heavens against Satan's forces in Persia will continue even after he has delivered this message to Daniel. And then the angel Gabriel describes how another evil agent of Satan will come to oppress and destroy the work of God and his people. And this next demonic prince will be assigned to the nation of Greece. And all of this continues to give insight to Daniel and to us today on how demonic authorities are assigned to nations, and how this prince of Greece will be the next satanic force to have great influence in the heavens once the Greek Empire conquers the world. And when Gabriel says, I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth, we are given quite a revelation. This is the only place in Scripture that we learn about this book of truth. And I think about the book of truth as the Bible for angels. Before Scripture was ever given to men, before the prophets and before the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the words that we have today in the Scripture, God inscribed this book of truth in the heavens. The things we can know for certain about this book of truth, which Gabriel speaks of, is that it reveals prophecy about the end days. It has specific details about nations, rulers and kings, tens of years, hundreds of years, even thousands of years before they exist. Finally, we see that the Archangel Michael is once again named as the one that fights for the nation of Israel. And Gabriel also describes Michael as your prince, implying that the Archangel Michael is assigned by God as the guardian of Israel. Thank you for joining me today for this angelic discovery. God bless you this week.