Lesson 30: The Battle for Daniel’s Final Prophecy

 Daniel 10:1-12  
1 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.


Daniel receives a vision. This and the last two chapters of this book are all about a single vision. Many people today believe that visions are good or exciting things to have, but this was not true of Daniel’s experience. His companions, even though they did not see the vision, were aware of something incredible happening and it terrified them.

To understand this chapter, we must realize that we are not yet seeing the vision or prophecy here. We are seeing Daniel’s response to it. The vision, which he knew was sent from God, and therefore was true, bothered him so greatly he spent three weeks in mourning, fasting, and prayer.

Sometimes we wonder why our prayers do not receive an immediate answer, and we have a possible answer in these verses. The messenger God sent to give Daniel the information and explanation he requested was stopped from coming to Daniel – but we will see this in detail in our next lesson. The thing we must remember is that we must not stop praying just because we do not get the answer immediately.

*Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”