In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel has an overwhelming vision of a heavenly man, a messenger, an angel who prepares him to hear new revelations concerning Israel’s future.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to TwoJourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is episode 12 in our Daniel Bible Study podcast. This episode is entitled Daniel’s Overwhelming Vision of a Man from Heaven where we’ll discuss Daniel 10:1-21. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
Well, Daniel 10 gives us an indispensable and powerful glimpse into the invisible spiritual realm that surrounds us at every moment, a realm that contains angels and demons and heavenly warfare. And we are told in the Bible that we have a responsibility to put on our spiritual armor and fight because our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against unseen rulers in the heavenly realms. And we have a vital insight into what that warfare is like and the influence that both angels and demons have on earthly events in this indispensable chapter. And we get a sense of how overwhelming it would be if we actually could see angels and demons battling around us at every moment as Daniel is laid on the ground, unable to breathe. And so, the Bible gives us just enough information for us to function properly without overwhelming us.
Wes
Well, let me go ahead and read Daniel chapter 10 as we begin:
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.
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 the full three weeks. 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 Uphaz 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. 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 deep sleep with my face to the ground.
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. 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. 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.”
When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward 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.”
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.” 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.
Andy, when did this next vision in the book of Daniel occur, and what is the revelation that the angel came to give Daniel?
Andy
Well, it’s told for us at the beginning, and all these visions that happened from Daniel 7-12 are generally identified timewise when he had the vision, and they’re linked to one of the Gentile kings that he’s ruling under. So, this one happened in the third year of Cyrus. So, we’re well into the Persian kingdom now but the warfare and the battle that the angel came to tell him about is projected ahead into the next empire when the Greeks will rule that part of the world. And so, this is projected ahead. And so, third year of Cyrus, the great king of Persia, that’s when the vision happened.
Wes
How do verses two and three relate to verse one?
Andy
Well, the vision comes on Daniel, and I think this precedes Daniel is getting himself ready. He’s setting his face to understand timing and to understand more things that the Lord wanted to show him. So, Daniel is a prophet, and indeed a visionary prophet, and God was giving him dreams and visions and understandings of the future. And so, he’s trying to understand some things and in doing that, he’s fasting and praying. He’s choosing to not eat any choice foods, any meat or wine, and to not anoint himself. And so, he’s focused entirely on fasting and prayer. And so, Daniel is a man of strong habits of piety. We’ve seen that again and again in the book of Daniel, and we see that here as well. This is spiritual preparation to receive the vision that God’s going to give him.
Wes
Andy, is there anymore that we should learn about the practice of fasting or perhaps even Daniel’s own habits from these verses?
Andy
Right. I think that the idea of fasting, which is taught in the Bible many times, the home base of fasting according to Jesus is mourning, all right. When he’s asked about why don’t you and your disciples fast? He said, how can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? And so often in the Bible, fasting is tied specifically I think to mourning over sin, brokenness over sin. But it’s not just that. Fasting is also connected with prayer, and it’s a matter of focus and attention given to something in prayer.
So, in the book of Esther, for example, Esther, before she goes into the king to beg for the lives of her people through her Uncle Mordecai, she wants him also to fast. And she and her women are going to fast, and so that gives a tremendous amount of focus in prayer. And there are other examples of fasting and prayer. So, the idea is focus of your mind. You’re not distracted by food preparation or the time it takes to eat or clean up after the meal. You’ve got a lot of more time, and the hunger pangs give you a sense of focus. All of those things tend toward the benefits of fasting in connection with prayer.
Wes
Andy, we’ve noted already that Daniel has this tendency to identify the times of his visions, but here in verse four, we also get the place of his vision. Why does Daniel give us those details?
Andy
Yeah, it makes it real. I mean, this is Daniel having his real physical life. This is when it happened. And this is the Bible. The Bible’s a historical book, but it also has great visions and prophecies. And so that’s that incredible mixing of the supernatural with the natural, with the things that transcend nature with those things that are very rubber-meets-the-road. And so, chapter 11 is going to be a lot of human battles between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies. These Greek kingdoms that are literally fighting each other tooth and nail, back and forth over the promised land, over Palestine. That’s going to be pretty nitty-gritty and rubber-meets-the-road. But here we have a vision of a supernatural being that’s coming to tell him some things. And so, the rooting of the place near the Tigris River, which is a real river, shows us this really happened, this is where Daniel really was.
“The Bible is a historical book, but it also has great visions and prophecies. And so that’s that incredible mixing of the supernatural with the natural, with the things that transcend nature with those things that are very rubber-meets-the-road.
Wes
What does Daniel see in verses five and six and what is the significance of the appearance and power of the voice?
Andy
Well, this is an angel. This is what we call angel, just means a messenger, and there’s no doubt that’s what this man is there to do, all right? But he’s spoken of as a man, so they appear in human form. They can also appear in other forms like in Ezekiel 1 and all that. The forms almost defy description. It’s very, very difficult to visualize what those cherubim look like under the expanse below the throne of pre-incarnate Christ. So here he just looks like a man. But not just any man, he looks like a radiant , brilliant, glorious man. So, I would think it’s the same as the angel that announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds outside Bethlehem. He’s not coming as a living creature. He’s not coming with four faces, one that looked like an ox and one that looks like a lion and all that.
They were freaking out anyway just because of his radiant glory, but he looked like a man. He looked ordinary. And this is common also very much. After the resurrection of Jesus, two angels came as men dressed in white. They just looked normal. They looked human. Or the two angels that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah just they entertain angels without knowing it. So, this just looks like a man, but he’s radiantly glorious and he’s described as dressed in linen, so a picture of purity, of holiness. A belt of finest gold around his waist, so there’s a sense of the honor and the glory of his attire. And he’s brilliant. He’s radiantly beautiful, his body like chrysolite. What’s your translation say?
Wes
My translation says beryl.
Andy
All right, so this is a semi-precious stone that has a kind of a greenish amber hue to it. So, he’s got that kind of yellowish light like the light of the sun. His face is like lightning, that’s brilliant, white bluish light. His eyes like flaming torch. You get this brightness and fire aspect with these angels. And then his arms and legs are radiantly glowing like they’re on fire, like they’ve been like metal that has been put in a furnace and comes out red-hot. So, it’s glowing like burnished bronze. It’s shining and bright. And his voice sounds like a multitude, like imagine a huge crowd at a game. It’s got dimensions and depth to it.
There’s a depth to sound sometimes. I used to love this when I would go hiking in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, and I used to love to go out at night out of the tent and just listen to the wind blowing in the ravines. It’s just there’s a three-dimensional sound. I heard the same thing at the Grand Canyon. And it’s just you close your eyes, and it’s like a sound that you almost can’t describe because it’s far away and it’s near all at once. Anyway, this man has a mighty voice. It’s an angel there to give Daniel a message.
Wes
How should we understand verse seven, especially the terror that came over men who didn’t even see the vision?
Andy
Yeah, I don’t know, but something came on them. And so, here’s what I want to say. What Daniel 10 does is it gives us a visual glimpse through the words into the invisible spiritual realm that surrounds us all the time. And I’ve likened it in sermons before to the effect of atmospheric pressure. You don’t see the air, but you can feel it and you’re just used to it all the time. You’re used to the feeling of almost 15 pounds per square inch on our skin. We’re used to that. We only know that it’s there, atmospheric pressure, when we’re in a plane ascending and your ears start to pop or you’re on a winding road that’s also ascending and you can feel it, again, your ears are popping so you have a sense of the variation of atmospheric pressure.
“What Daniel 10 does is it gives us a visual glimpse through the words into the invisible spiritual realm that surrounds us all the time.”
So, it is with the angelic/demonic realm. When things happen around us, sometimes we feel it. We don’t know why we suddenly feel fearful or suddenly feel anxious or nauseous or feel weak or conversely, we could feel a surge of strength or energy come upon us, and we don’t really know why. We’ll find out in heaven why. Because angels and demons are around us, and things were happening. So, I think with these men, they don’t see the vision, but they know something’s up and some kind of overwhelming terror comes on them, and they feel like they need to run for their lives.
Wes
What effect did the vision have on Daniel? And given the fact that a mere angel has this effect on men, what would it be like to stand in the presence of Almighty God?
Andy
Well, Daniel is completely wiped out. I mean, he’s on the ground. He’s standing there and then he ends up bent down, maybe, I picture him face down, I picture him. And we see this in Ezekiel, when I saw it, I fell face down. You get this language “face down”. You just look it up, and it’s numbers of times. So, when a heavenly vision comes on a human being, they’re laid out, they’re on the ground. And so, he has no strength. He’s drained physically. So, he has terror, I think he has terror, but he’s standing there, and he actually sees the vision. And he’s gazing at the vision. He says I have no strength left. And then he says my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. And then I fell into a deep sleep, and my face was on the ground. And then he describes himself, he stands up trembling, and he says I can’t talk, I can’t breathe. He says in verse 17, “How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.” So, he’s completely wiped out.
So, the question you asked is if this was his effect when he saw a holy angel that was there to serve him, because Hebrews 1 tells us, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” He’s not there to do him harm; he’s there to do him good. But if he wanted to do him harm, what could Daniel do about it? And this is a warrior. And if he wanted to kill Daniel, he’d be dead instantly. So, it’s a how much more. I want to say first, how much more if Daniel saw the demons that did mean him harm swirling around him every day. If you saw the spiritual warfare in the heavenly realms, you would be unable to function.
So, as I said, the Bible gives us just enough information so that we know what we need to know without overwhelming us. But then double or infinite how much more, if this is the effect of a holy angel, how much more seeing God himself? “No one can see me and live,” God said to Moses. God said to Paul that he dwells in unapproachable light. You can’t come near me. So, there’s a sense of overwhelming terror. And I thought about this verse when I was in Job. In Job 13, I think 15, it said, “Would not his majesty terrify you?” (Paraphrase from Job 13:11) If God showed up, if there’s a theophany, you’re on the ground. You can’t breathe, you can’t function. That’s how great, how infinitely majestic God is. So, this is an insight that is valuable for us. How much more would it be to see God?
Wes
So, Daniel is laid out by this vision. And then verse 10 says, behold a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. So, there’s this process of beginning to raise Daniel up, but he’s still trembling and fearful. In verse 11, we get this address, O Daniel, man greatly loved or highly esteemed, depending on the translation. What’s the significance of this address and how should we understand what’s happening here in verses 10 and 11?
Andy
Right. So, we talked before we went on the podcast about the difference between being greatly beloved and being highly esteemed. God greatly loves all his children, but he doesn’t equally esteem them all. Some are just more worthy of esteem. Jesus is infinitely and above all humans, worthy of esteem. He’s worthy because he’s earned it because of who he is and what he’s done. His works and his character mean that God loves him because of who he is and what he’s done. For us, God often loves us in spite of who we are and in spite of what we’ve done. Not with Jesus though. His love for his Son is not unconditional. It’s not unmerited favor. Not at all. He loves Jesus specifically because he is a perfect manifestation of and reflection of his own glory.
Well, Daniel is one of the great men of the Bible. He’s immeasurably less than Jesus. Daniel would say, as John the Baptist did, I don’t deserve to carry his shoes. However, Daniel’s still highly esteemed. And why? Because we never see him do anything wrong in the Bible. He’s a man of deep piety, of careful spiritual disciplines, a man of prayer, a man of Bible intake, a man who does his job incredibly capably, incredibly well, so much so in Daniel 6 that his enemies can’t find anything bad to say about him except about his religion. He’s an incredible person. And so, the angel is coming, and I think he’s saying, I want you to know you are highly thought of in heaven. It’s an honor that’s paid to him here. And it says in Ephesians 5, we should find out what pleases the Lord. We should make a study in the Bible of what God has said he will honor and esteem and then imitate it. But Daniel had achieved it. He was a man highly esteemed by God.
Wes
What does the angel then tell Daniel to do in verse 11 and how does this relate to the importance of careful consideration of the words of God?
Andy
Well, he’s going to say to him, I’m going to tell you something and that something is in chapter 11. And I want you to carefully consider the words I’m going to speak to you. Now, Paul says the same thing to Timothy. He says, “Consider carefully what I’m saying to you, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” (2 Timothy 2:7) So it’s a mechanical process of pondering or meditation or reflection. You’re going over what you’ve learned, and you put two and two together and try to use logic and insight. And in that way insight comes. You put it together, and insight comes. Now where are we heading? We’re heading to a history of the Greek kingdoms in Daniel 11 that fought each other. So, this is a few centuries after Daniel, but also a few centuries before Christ. So, this is after the death of Alexander the Great when his kingdom had been divided into fours.
And two of those four, the Seleucids and the Ptolemies, are fighting each other back and forth. He’s going to say, I’m going to give you this vision. It concerns the future, and it concerns your own people. And I want you to consider carefully what I’m going to tell you. By the way, I don’t remember the number, but I remember putting the NIV translation of Daniel 11, we’ll talk about this in the next podcast, in a Word document. And I searched on the helper word “will,” which is a prediction. You will this and you will that and that will that. There are 104 uses of the word will in Daniel 11. It’s unbelievable prophecy. It’s overwhelming. Some verses have four separate predictions in one verse. So, Daniel has a lot to consider.
Wes
What does verse 12 in this chapter teach us about godly prayer and what astonishing statement does the angel make to Daniel about his journey to give Daniel an answer?
Andy
Well, what Daniel is doing is he’s, and based on also Daniel 9, he’s studying God’s word, but he is also studying the visions and revelations being given directly to him. So, from the beginning he set his mind to understanding and also humbling himself. He knew he didn’t deserve anything. If you look at Daniel 2 where he is praying for an answer to the issue that Nebuchadnezzar gave him, tell me what my dream is and then secondly, tell me what it means. Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fasted and prayed and sought the Lord humbly to have an answer to the problem. So, Daniel here also is humbling himself, and he’s also setting his mind to gain understanding.
Well, from the first day that you did this until now, your word was heard, and I was dispatched, but I was unable to get through because the prince of the Persian kingdom detained me for 21 days. So that’s three weeks, so we’ll get into that. But what it tells me is as soon as you pray, God hears, and God gives his answer at the right time. But we need to talk about this heavenly warfare going on.
Wes
What does verse 13 teach us about the heavenly realms and how does that relate to our understanding of the powers of spiritual darkness in the heavenly realms spoken of in Ephesians 6?
Andy
All right, verse 13 is one of the key verses in the entire Bible on helping us understand the demonic influence over human government. Now let’s take a step back and understand what I believe or perceive to be the purpose of the entire book of Daniel. And what is the purpose? Well, one way I could argue it is God’s sovereignty over every government on the face of the earth for his own glory and for the building of his own kingdom and for the benefit of his people. Subpoints have to do with how much the human beings suffer, how much God’s people suffer under wicked governments that are beast-like in their nature. But this statement in verse 13 implies that there’s a direct demonic influence over these pagan governments. The prince of Persia, or the king of Persia, detained this heavenly warrior for 21 days. No chance this is a human being. I mean no chance. No human being could stop this heavenly warrior. Only a corresponding evil heavenly warrior could stop him.
And so, in the heavenly realms, angels and demons apparently battle it out on roughly equal terms. And sometimes the demons win. Sometimes angels need more help from other angels, so it’s too against one as happens in this chapter. Also, the designation prince of Persia implies that there are realms and focuses even geographical in which specific demons focus their attention on specific places. As it says in the book of Revelation where he says, “I know where you live, where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13). Throne’s a dominion. It’s a place, a center of power. So not all places on planet Earth are equally evil. Some places are a focus of demonic activity, especially the seats of government.
So, what do we learn from the book of Daniel? It’s about governments and God’s sovereignty. Well, it’s also about governments and demonic influence. Are demons involved or influencing human governments? Well, remember what Satan said to Jesus when he showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor. All these have been given to me and I can give him that anyone I want to. Wow. And Jesus didn’t refute it. He is called in another place the god of this age. He runs the place. He runs the governments. So, for us as Christians living in America, and we look at another presidential election come up, and we’re like, we’re concerned about conspiracies. I guarantee there’s a conspiracy going on. A demonic conspiracy to do us harm and to do evil, wicked things. Meanwhile, God is fighting against it by angelic means, and he’s ruling over the whole thing for his own glory. And so, the outcomes may seem confusing, but demons are involved.
And therefore, in Ephesians 6 it says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against what? Rulers, plural. Authorities, plural. Principalities is sometimes the translation. Spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. They have jurisdictions. Also, keep in mind the demoniac of the Gadarenes, the one that went into the 2000 pigs, and they rushed down the bank and drowned, that legion of demons didn’t want to be sent out of that geographical region. Jesus said when an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and doesn’t find it. It says, I’ll go back to the place I left. They care about locations; they care about places. And so therefore, I believe there are demonic forces of evil in Washington, DC, and in Moscow and in Paris and in London and in all the capital cities and the minor capitals too. That’s how they run the world. And angels are fighting them and opposing them as well. God ruling over the whole thing in a way that’s staggeringly complex, and we’ll see and celebrate for all eternity in the future.
Wes
What’s the angel’s mission in verse 14 and what’s the content of his message to Daniel? What does it concern?
Andy
He is dispatched from God with a message to tell Daniel what will happen to his people, the Jewish people, in the future, a time that is yet to come. So, I’m going to come to tell you what will happen to your people, that’s the Jews, for the vision concerns a time yet to come or a distant future. And that’s where we’re heading.
Wes
Now how might you describe Daniel’s reaction to the angel in verses 15 through 19? How did the angel strengthen him, and what does this teach us about the power of an angel to give physical support and strength?
Andy
All right, so he’s on the ground as we mentioned. He’s laid out, he says I can’t breathe. He can’t stand up. He describes himself in this way. I’m overwhelmed with anguish because of the vision, and I’m helpless. He has zero power. How can I, your servant, talk with you, my Lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe. So that sums it all up. All right, but then the angel touches him and gives him strength, and Daniel’s like, wow, now I can stand up on my feet. I can breathe. I feel better. Thank you. So, what does it show me? The angel, which has no body, is just a spirit being, is able to transmit actual, physical, perhaps even biochemical strength or force to Daniel, similar to if you haven’t eaten in three days and you suddenly get some good protein and some nutrition, and you’re revived. Or some water and you suddenly you feel strong again.
And so, it shows me that these angels have the power to give physical strength to us and enable us to do our job. And again, Isaiah 40, it says those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. “They will run and not grow weary; they’ll walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). So, if you look at Isaiah 40, even young men grow weary and stumble and even mighty warriors get weak and then God gives strength. So, I think that’s something to keep in mind.
Wes
What’s the significance of the fact that the angel calls Daniel a man highly esteemed a second time, and what else do we learn in verse 19?
Andy
Well, I think we’re supposed to learn from it. Daniel’s highly esteemed; it should make us want to be like that. Find out what is there about Daniel that we can imitate. But more than that, let’s realize some people are just great men and great women, and we’re going to honor them in heaven. They’re going to just have done more in their lives than us. And beyond that, I think we can just see this man who’s highly esteemed also is weak compared to the angel. Paul said, when I’m weak, then I’m strong. So, we really are flesh and blood. We’re very weak. And so, we need to ask the Lord to give us strength to do the things he has for us to do.
“We’re very weak. And so, we need to ask the Lord to give us strength to do the things he has for us to do.”
Wes
What further insight do verses 20 through 21 give into the spiritual warfare of angels in the heavenly realms, and who are the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece?
Andy
Well, he says, do you know why I’ve come to you? I’ve come to tell you what will happen to your people in the future and what’s going to go on. And as soon as I leave, I’m going to go back into the fray. So, these angels fight, fight, fight day after day. They’re mighty warrior angels. And so, prince of Persia is coming. We already identified him maybe as Satan himself or an archdemon. So, it’s the archangels that are ruler angels; there could be ruler demons like powers and all that. Persia was the mightiest empire in that part of the world at that time. So, Satan would’ve had a special interest in it. So, this could very well be Satan himself. Even more terrifying is it could be an underling below Satan- Satan more powerful than the prince of Persia.
And then the prince of Greece, whoever’s running Greece. So, what gave Alexander the Great his unbelievable energy to conquer the world? I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some demonic power behind what he did. So, at any rate, but this is centuries before Alexander. So, things are getting put in place. The Persian politics and the Grecian politics are churning on and the angels and demons are fighting it out, and everything’s getting ready for what history is going to unfold. But first I will tell you, it says what is written in the book of truth. Now, I want you to know when we go to chapter 11, and I don’t know how we’re going to get through that in one podcast because there’s so many details. But I love this one statement in Daniel 11:27, it says, “The two kings with their hearts bent on evil will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail because an end will still come at the appointed time.” And the same thing’s going to be said of the man of sin or the antichrist figure in this, until the end that was decreed for him will come upon him, etc.
So, if you go back then to chapter 10, what we’re studying now, verse 21, “First I will tell you what is written in the book of truth.” I think this is the book of God’s decrees. God has decreed what will happen. All the days ordained for each person were written in God’s book before one of them came to be. And then in Acts 17, Paul says that God has determined the time set for the kingdoms of the Earth and the exact places where the people should live. That’s all written out in God’s book before one of those days came to be. So, I think that’s what he’s about to tell us in chapter 11.
Wes
Andy, what final thoughts do you have on this passage that we’ve been discussing today?
Andy
Isn’t it awesome? Isn’t it amazing to learn these things about angels and demons? Aren’t you glad you aren’t told more than you can bear? Like Jesus said, “I have much to say to you more than you can now bear.” Every theophany, every vision of an angel or of demons, leaves human beings flat out on the ground unable to function. And so, this chapter is vital for us seeing how weak we are, how strong angels and demons are, and how infinitely stronger God is. So, it’s a great chapter for that.
Wes
Well, this has been episode 12 in our Daniel Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for episode 13, entitled “God’s Astonishing Predictions of Future Events,” where we’ll discuss Daniel chapter 11:1-45. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast, and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to TwoJourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is episode 12 in our Daniel Bible Study podcast. This episode is entitled Daniel’s Overwhelming Vision of a Man from Heaven where we’ll discuss Daniel 10:1-21. I’m Wes Treadway, and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
Well, Daniel 10 gives us an indispensable and powerful glimpse into the invisible spiritual realm that surrounds us at every moment, a realm that contains angels and demons and heavenly warfare. And we are told in the Bible that we have a responsibility to put on our spiritual armor and fight because our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against unseen rulers in the heavenly realms. And we have a vital insight into what that warfare is like and the influence that both angels and demons have on earthly events in this indispensable chapter. And we get a sense of how overwhelming it would be if we actually could see angels and demons battling around us at every moment as Daniel is laid on the ground, unable to breathe. And so, the Bible gives us just enough information for us to function properly without overwhelming us.
Wes
Well, let me go ahead and read Daniel chapter 10 as we begin:
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.
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 the full three weeks. 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 Uphaz 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. 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 deep sleep with my face to the ground.
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. 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. 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.”
When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward 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.”
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.” 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.
Andy, when did this next vision in the book of Daniel occur, and what is the revelation that the angel came to give Daniel?
Andy
Well, it’s told for us at the beginning, and all these visions that happened from Daniel 7-12 are generally identified timewise when he had the vision, and they’re linked to one of the Gentile kings that he’s ruling under. So, this one happened in the third year of Cyrus. So, we’re well into the Persian kingdom now but the warfare and the battle that the angel came to tell him about is projected ahead into the next empire when the Greeks will rule that part of the world. And so, this is projected ahead. And so, third year of Cyrus, the great king of Persia, that’s when the vision happened.
Wes
How do verses two and three relate to verse one?
Andy
Well, the vision comes on Daniel, and I think this precedes Daniel is getting himself ready. He’s setting his face to understand timing and to understand more things that the Lord wanted to show him. So, Daniel is a prophet, and indeed a visionary prophet, and God was giving him dreams and visions and understandings of the future. And so, he’s trying to understand some things and in doing that, he’s fasting and praying. He’s choosing to not eat any choice foods, any meat or wine, and to not anoint himself. And so, he’s focused entirely on fasting and prayer. And so, Daniel is a man of strong habits of piety. We’ve seen that again and again in the book of Daniel, and we see that here as well. This is spiritual preparation to receive the vision that God’s going to give him.
Wes
Andy, is there anymore that we should learn about the practice of fasting or perhaps even Daniel’s own habits from these verses?
Andy
Right. I think that the idea of fasting, which is taught in the Bible many times, the home base of fasting according to Jesus is mourning, all right. When he’s asked about why don’t you and your disciples fast? He said, how can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? And so often in the Bible, fasting is tied specifically I think to mourning over sin, brokenness over sin. But it’s not just that. Fasting is also connected with prayer, and it’s a matter of focus and attention given to something in prayer.
So, in the book of Esther, for example, Esther, before she goes into the king to beg for the lives of her people through her Uncle Mordecai, she wants him also to fast. And she and her women are going to fast, and so that gives a tremendous amount of focus in prayer. And there are other examples of fasting and prayer. So, the idea is focus of your mind. You’re not distracted by food preparation or the time it takes to eat or clean up after the meal. You’ve got a lot of more time, and the hunger pangs give you a sense of focus. All of those things tend toward the benefits of fasting in connection with prayer.
Wes
Andy, we’ve noted already that Daniel has this tendency to identify the times of his visions, but here in verse four, we also get the place of his vision. Why does Daniel give us those details?
Andy
Yeah, it makes it real. I mean, this is Daniel having his real physical life. This is when it happened. And this is the Bible. The Bible’s a historical book, but it also has great visions and prophecies. And so that’s that incredible mixing of the supernatural with the natural, with the things that transcend nature with those things that are very rubber-meets-the-road. And so, chapter 11 is going to be a lot of human battles between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies. These Greek kingdoms that are literally fighting each other tooth and nail, back and forth over the promised land, over Palestine. That’s going to be pretty nitty-gritty and rubber-meets-the-road. But here we have a vision of a supernatural being that’s coming to tell him some things. And so, the rooting of the place near the Tigris River, which is a real river, shows us this really happened, this is where Daniel really was.
“The Bible is a historical book, but it also has great visions and prophecies. And so that’s that incredible mixing of the supernatural with the natural, with the things that transcend nature with those things that are very rubber-meets-the-road.
Wes
What does Daniel see in verses five and six and what is the significance of the appearance and power of the voice?
Andy
Well, this is an angel. This is what we call angel, just means a messenger, and there’s no doubt that’s what this man is there to do, all right? But he’s spoken of as a man, so they appear in human form. They can also appear in other forms like in Ezekiel 1 and all that. The forms almost defy description. It’s very, very difficult to visualize what those cherubim look like under the expanse below the throne of pre-incarnate Christ. So here he just looks like a man. But not just any man, he looks like a radiant , brilliant, glorious man. So, I would think it’s the same as the angel that announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds outside Bethlehem. He’s not coming as a living creature. He’s not coming with four faces, one that looked like an ox and one that looks like a lion and all that.
They were freaking out anyway just because of his radiant glory, but he looked like a man. He looked ordinary. And this is common also very much. After the resurrection of Jesus, two angels came as men dressed in white. They just looked normal. They looked human. Or the two angels that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah just they entertain angels without knowing it. So, this just looks like a man, but he’s radiantly glorious and he’s described as dressed in linen, so a picture of purity, of holiness. A belt of finest gold around his waist, so there’s a sense of the honor and the glory of his attire. And he’s brilliant. He’s radiantly beautiful, his body like chrysolite. What’s your translation say?
Wes
My translation says beryl.
Andy
All right, so this is a semi-precious stone that has a kind of a greenish amber hue to it. So, he’s got that kind of yellowish light like the light of the sun. His face is like lightning, that’s brilliant, white bluish light. His eyes like flaming torch. You get this brightness and fire aspect with these angels. And then his arms and legs are radiantly glowing like they’re on fire, like they’ve been like metal that has been put in a furnace and comes out red-hot. So, it’s glowing like burnished bronze. It’s shining and bright. And his voice sounds like a multitude, like imagine a huge crowd at a game. It’s got dimensions and depth to it.
There’s a depth to sound sometimes. I used to love this when I would go hiking in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, and I used to love to go out at night out of the tent and just listen to the wind blowing in the ravines. It’s just there’s a three-dimensional sound. I heard the same thing at the Grand Canyon. And it’s just you close your eyes, and it’s like a sound that you almost can’t describe because it’s far away and it’s near all at once. Anyway, this man has a mighty voice. It’s an angel there to give Daniel a message.
Wes
How should we understand verse seven, especially the terror that came over men who didn’t even see the vision?
Andy
Yeah, I don’t know, but something came on them. And so, here’s what I want to say. What Daniel 10 does is it gives us a visual glimpse through the words into the invisible spiritual realm that surrounds us all the time. And I’ve likened it in sermons before to the effect of atmospheric pressure. You don’t see the air, but you can feel it and you’re just used to it all the time. You’re used to the feeling of almost 15 pounds per square inch on our skin. We’re used to that. We only know that it’s there, atmospheric pressure, when we’re in a plane ascending and your ears start to pop or you’re on a winding road that’s also ascending and you can feel it, again, your ears are popping so you have a sense of the variation of atmospheric pressure.
“What Daniel 10 does is it gives us a visual glimpse through the words into the invisible spiritual realm that surrounds us all the time.”
So, it is with the angelic/demonic realm. When things happen around us, sometimes we feel it. We don’t know why we suddenly feel fearful or suddenly feel anxious or nauseous or feel weak or conversely, we could feel a surge of strength or energy come upon us, and we don’t really know why. We’ll find out in heaven why. Because angels and demons are around us, and things were happening. So, I think with these men, they don’t see the vision, but they know something’s up and some kind of overwhelming terror comes on them, and they feel like they need to run for their lives.
Wes
What effect did the vision have on Daniel? And given the fact that a mere angel has this effect on men, what would it be like to stand in the presence of Almighty God?
Andy
Well, Daniel is completely wiped out. I mean, he’s on the ground. He’s standing there and then he ends up bent down, maybe, I picture him face down, I picture him. And we see this in Ezekiel, when I saw it, I fell face down. You get this language “face down”. You just look it up, and it’s numbers of times. So, when a heavenly vision comes on a human being, they’re laid out, they’re on the ground. And so, he has no strength. He’s drained physically. So, he has terror, I think he has terror, but he’s standing there, and he actually sees the vision. And he’s gazing at the vision. He says I have no strength left. And then he says my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. And then I fell into a deep sleep, and my face was on the ground. And then he describes himself, he stands up trembling, and he says I can’t talk, I can’t breathe. He says in verse 17, “How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.” So, he’s completely wiped out.
So, the question you asked is if this was his effect when he saw a holy angel that was there to serve him, because Hebrews 1 tells us, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” He’s not there to do him harm; he’s there to do him good. But if he wanted to do him harm, what could Daniel do about it? And this is a warrior. And if he wanted to kill Daniel, he’d be dead instantly. So, it’s a how much more. I want to say first, how much more if Daniel saw the demons that did mean him harm swirling around him every day. If you saw the spiritual warfare in the heavenly realms, you would be unable to function.
So, as I said, the Bible gives us just enough information so that we know what we need to know without overwhelming us. But then double or infinite how much more, if this is the effect of a holy angel, how much more seeing God himself? “No one can see me and live,” God said to Moses. God said to Paul that he dwells in unapproachable light. You can’t come near me. So, there’s a sense of overwhelming terror. And I thought about this verse when I was in Job. In Job 13, I think 15, it said, “Would not his majesty terrify you?” (Paraphrase from Job 13:11) If God showed up, if there’s a theophany, you’re on the ground. You can’t breathe, you can’t function. That’s how great, how infinitely majestic God is. So, this is an insight that is valuable for us. How much more would it be to see God?
Wes
So, Daniel is laid out by this vision. And then verse 10 says, behold a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. So, there’s this process of beginning to raise Daniel up, but he’s still trembling and fearful. In verse 11, we get this address, O Daniel, man greatly loved or highly esteemed, depending on the translation. What’s the significance of this address and how should we understand what’s happening here in verses 10 and 11?
Andy
Right. So, we talked before we went on the podcast about the difference between being greatly beloved and being highly esteemed. God greatly loves all his children, but he doesn’t equally esteem them all. Some are just more worthy of esteem. Jesus is infinitely and above all humans, worthy of esteem. He’s worthy because he’s earned it because of who he is and what he’s done. His works and his character mean that God loves him because of who he is and what he’s done. For us, God often loves us in spite of who we are and in spite of what we’ve done. Not with Jesus though. His love for his Son is not unconditional. It’s not unmerited favor. Not at all. He loves Jesus specifically because he is a perfect manifestation of and reflection of his own glory.
Well, Daniel is one of the great men of the Bible. He’s immeasurably less than Jesus. Daniel would say, as John the Baptist did, I don’t deserve to carry his shoes. However, Daniel’s still highly esteemed. And why? Because we never see him do anything wrong in the Bible. He’s a man of deep piety, of careful spiritual disciplines, a man of prayer, a man of Bible intake, a man who does his job incredibly capably, incredibly well, so much so in Daniel 6 that his enemies can’t find anything bad to say about him except about his religion. He’s an incredible person. And so, the angel is coming, and I think he’s saying, I want you to know you are highly thought of in heaven. It’s an honor that’s paid to him here. And it says in Ephesians 5, we should find out what pleases the Lord. We should make a study in the Bible of what God has said he will honor and esteem and then imitate it. But Daniel had achieved it. He was a man highly esteemed by God.
Wes
What does the angel then tell Daniel to do in verse 11 and how does this relate to the importance of careful consideration of the words of God?
Andy
Well, he’s going to say to him, I’m going to tell you something and that something is in chapter 11. And I want you to carefully consider the words I’m going to speak to you. Now, Paul says the same thing to Timothy. He says, “Consider carefully what I’m saying to you, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” (2 Timothy 2:7) So it’s a mechanical process of pondering or meditation or reflection. You’re going over what you’ve learned, and you put two and two together and try to use logic and insight. And in that way insight comes. You put it together, and insight comes. Now where are we heading? We’re heading to a history of the Greek kingdoms in Daniel 11 that fought each other. So, this is a few centuries after Daniel, but also a few centuries before Christ. So, this is after the death of Alexander the Great when his kingdom had been divided into fours.
And two of those four, the Seleucids and the Ptolemies, are fighting each other back and forth. He’s going to say, I’m going to give you this vision. It concerns the future, and it concerns your own people. And I want you to consider carefully what I’m going to tell you. By the way, I don’t remember the number, but I remember putting the NIV translation of Daniel 11, we’ll talk about this in the next podcast, in a Word document. And I searched on the helper word “will,” which is a prediction. You will this and you will that and that will that. There are 104 uses of the word will in Daniel 11. It’s unbelievable prophecy. It’s overwhelming. Some verses have four separate predictions in one verse. So, Daniel has a lot to consider.
Wes
What does verse 12 in this chapter teach us about godly prayer and what astonishing statement does the angel make to Daniel about his journey to give Daniel an answer?
Andy
Well, what Daniel is doing is he’s, and based on also Daniel 9, he’s studying God’s word, but he is also studying the visions and revelations being given directly to him. So, from the beginning he set his mind to understanding and also humbling himself. He knew he didn’t deserve anything. If you look at Daniel 2 where he is praying for an answer to the issue that Nebuchadnezzar gave him, tell me what my dream is and then secondly, tell me what it means. Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fasted and prayed and sought the Lord humbly to have an answer to the problem. So, Daniel here also is humbling himself, and he’s also setting his mind to gain understanding.
Well, from the first day that you did this until now, your word was heard, and I was dispatched, but I was unable to get through because the prince of the Persian kingdom detained me for 21 days. So that’s three weeks, so we’ll get into that. But what it tells me is as soon as you pray, God hears, and God gives his answer at the right time. But we need to talk about this heavenly warfare going on.
Wes
What does verse 13 teach us about the heavenly realms and how does that relate to our understanding of the powers of spiritual darkness in the heavenly realms spoken of in Ephesians 6?
Andy
All right, verse 13 is one of the key verses in the entire Bible on helping us understand the demonic influence over human government. Now let’s take a step back and understand what I believe or perceive to be the purpose of the entire book of Daniel. And what is the purpose? Well, one way I could argue it is God’s sovereignty over every government on the face of the earth for his own glory and for the building of his own kingdom and for the benefit of his people. Subpoints have to do with how much the human beings suffer, how much God’s people suffer under wicked governments that are beast-like in their nature. But this statement in verse 13 implies that there’s a direct demonic influence over these pagan governments. The prince of Persia, or the king of Persia, detained this heavenly warrior for 21 days. No chance this is a human being. I mean no chance. No human being could stop this heavenly warrior. Only a corresponding evil heavenly warrior could stop him.
And so, in the heavenly realms, angels and demons apparently battle it out on roughly equal terms. And sometimes the demons win. Sometimes angels need more help from other angels, so it’s too against one as happens in this chapter. Also, the designation prince of Persia implies that there are realms and focuses even geographical in which specific demons focus their attention on specific places. As it says in the book of Revelation where he says, “I know where you live, where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13). Throne’s a dominion. It’s a place, a center of power. So not all places on planet Earth are equally evil. Some places are a focus of demonic activity, especially the seats of government.
So, what do we learn from the book of Daniel? It’s about governments and God’s sovereignty. Well, it’s also about governments and demonic influence. Are demons involved or influencing human governments? Well, remember what Satan said to Jesus when he showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor. All these have been given to me and I can give him that anyone I want to. Wow. And Jesus didn’t refute it. He is called in another place the god of this age. He runs the place. He runs the governments. So, for us as Christians living in America, and we look at another presidential election come up, and we’re like, we’re concerned about conspiracies. I guarantee there’s a conspiracy going on. A demonic conspiracy to do us harm and to do evil, wicked things. Meanwhile, God is fighting against it by angelic means, and he’s ruling over the whole thing for his own glory. And so, the outcomes may seem confusing, but demons are involved.
And therefore, in Ephesians 6 it says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against what? Rulers, plural. Authorities, plural. Principalities is sometimes the translation. Spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. They have jurisdictions. Also, keep in mind the demoniac of the Gadarenes, the one that went into the 2000 pigs, and they rushed down the bank and drowned, that legion of demons didn’t want to be sent out of that geographical region. Jesus said when an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and doesn’t find it. It says, I’ll go back to the place I left. They care about locations; they care about places. And so therefore, I believe there are demonic forces of evil in Washington, DC, and in Moscow and in Paris and in London and in all the capital cities and the minor capitals too. That’s how they run the world. And angels are fighting them and opposing them as well. God ruling over the whole thing in a way that’s staggeringly complex, and we’ll see and celebrate for all eternity in the future.
Wes
What’s the angel’s mission in verse 14 and what’s the content of his message to Daniel? What does it concern?
Andy
He is dispatched from God with a message to tell Daniel what will happen to his people, the Jewish people, in the future, a time that is yet to come. So, I’m going to come to tell you what will happen to your people, that’s the Jews, for the vision concerns a time yet to come or a distant future. And that’s where we’re heading.
Wes
Now how might you describe Daniel’s reaction to the angel in verses 15 through 19? How did the angel strengthen him, and what does this teach us about the power of an angel to give physical support and strength?
Andy
All right, so he’s on the ground as we mentioned. He’s laid out, he says I can’t breathe. He can’t stand up. He describes himself in this way. I’m overwhelmed with anguish because of the vision, and I’m helpless. He has zero power. How can I, your servant, talk with you, my Lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe. So that sums it all up. All right, but then the angel touches him and gives him strength, and Daniel’s like, wow, now I can stand up on my feet. I can breathe. I feel better. Thank you. So, what does it show me? The angel, which has no body, is just a spirit being, is able to transmit actual, physical, perhaps even biochemical strength or force to Daniel, similar to if you haven’t eaten in three days and you suddenly get some good protein and some nutrition, and you’re revived. Or some water and you suddenly you feel strong again.
And so, it shows me that these angels have the power to give physical strength to us and enable us to do our job. And again, Isaiah 40, it says those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. “They will run and not grow weary; they’ll walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). So, if you look at Isaiah 40, even young men grow weary and stumble and even mighty warriors get weak and then God gives strength. So, I think that’s something to keep in mind.
Wes
What’s the significance of the fact that the angel calls Daniel a man highly esteemed a second time, and what else do we learn in verse 19?
Andy
Well, I think we’re supposed to learn from it. Daniel’s highly esteemed; it should make us want to be like that. Find out what is there about Daniel that we can imitate. But more than that, let’s realize some people are just great men and great women, and we’re going to honor them in heaven. They’re going to just have done more in their lives than us. And beyond that, I think we can just see this man who’s highly esteemed also is weak compared to the angel. Paul said, when I’m weak, then I’m strong. So, we really are flesh and blood. We’re very weak. And so, we need to ask the Lord to give us strength to do the things he has for us to do.
“We’re very weak. And so, we need to ask the Lord to give us strength to do the things he has for us to do.”
Wes
What further insight do verses 20 through 21 give into the spiritual warfare of angels in the heavenly realms, and who are the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece?
Andy
Well, he says, do you know why I’ve come to you? I’ve come to tell you what will happen to your people in the future and what’s going to go on. And as soon as I leave, I’m going to go back into the fray. So, these angels fight, fight, fight day after day. They’re mighty warrior angels. And so, prince of Persia is coming. We already identified him maybe as Satan himself or an archdemon. So, it’s the archangels that are ruler angels; there could be ruler demons like powers and all that. Persia was the mightiest empire in that part of the world at that time. So, Satan would’ve had a special interest in it. So, this could very well be Satan himself. Even more terrifying is it could be an underling below Satan- Satan more powerful than the prince of Persia.
And then the prince of Greece, whoever’s running Greece. So, what gave Alexander the Great his unbelievable energy to conquer the world? I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some demonic power behind what he did. So, at any rate, but this is centuries before Alexander. So, things are getting put in place. The Persian politics and the Grecian politics are churning on and the angels and demons are fighting it out, and everything’s getting ready for what history is going to unfold. But first I will tell you, it says what is written in the book of truth. Now, I want you to know when we go to chapter 11, and I don’t know how we’re going to get through that in one podcast because there’s so many details. But I love this one statement in Daniel 11:27, it says, “The two kings with their hearts bent on evil will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail because an end will still come at the appointed time.” And the same thing’s going to be said of the man of sin or the antichrist figure in this, until the end that was decreed for him will come upon him, etc.
So, if you go back then to chapter 10, what we’re studying now, verse 21, “First I will tell you what is written in the book of truth.” I think this is the book of God’s decrees. God has decreed what will happen. All the days ordained for each person were written in God’s book before one of them came to be. And then in Acts 17, Paul says that God has determined the time set for the kingdoms of the Earth and the exact places where the people should live. That’s all written out in God’s book before one of those days came to be. So, I think that’s what he’s about to tell us in chapter 11.
Wes
Andy, what final thoughts do you have on this passage that we’ve been discussing today?
Andy
Isn’t it awesome? Isn’t it amazing to learn these things about angels and demons? Aren’t you glad you aren’t told more than you can bear? Like Jesus said, “I have much to say to you more than you can now bear.” Every theophany, every vision of an angel or of demons, leaves human beings flat out on the ground unable to function. And so, this chapter is vital for us seeing how weak we are, how strong angels and demons are, and how infinitely stronger God is. So, it’s a great chapter for that.
Wes
Well, this has been episode 12 in our Daniel Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for episode 13, entitled “God’s Astonishing Predictions of Future Events,” where we’ll discuss Daniel chapter 11:1-45. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast, and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
