I am so sorry for the delay! 

V. 1 – We are back to a definitive timeline. Chapter ten through twelve all go together. Daniel understood this vision. He wasn’t troubled because he didn’t understand it rather because he did. This was a new vision – not a repeat of an old one. At least part of the prophecy relates to events that would happen within the next four-hundred years. Chapter twelve in particular refers to the end times.

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V. 2-3 - The vision sent him into mourning – perhaps because he was beginning to understand that Israel wouldn’t magically return to peace after they went home. They had just been set free from a seventy year captivity, but there were many dark oppressive days ahead. It is unclear if he might have mourned longer, but he was interrupted by a heavenly visitor. It is important to tie V. 1-3 and V. 12 together. Daniel wasn’t simply thrown into a state of depression because of the vision, but rather it was also an attitude of mourning and repentance as he sought God’s face and favor.

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V. 4 – Tigris river, literally means swift. It was farther north than the Euphrates river (which flowed through Babylon). The Tigris was farther west than Susa (a major Persian city) – it was almost in Assyrian/Sumerian territory. It is unclear why Daniel was there or if he was simply there in spirit.

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V. 5-6 – Some scholars have said this figure is Jesus Christ. If this is true – we need to be incredibly careful here. There are two possibilities, First, if this is a vision of Jesus, then we must draw a sharp division between him and the individual who begins talking to Daniel in v. 10. The other possibility is that this is an angel. Angels are described as mighty warriors, light almost always accompanies them, and flashes of lightening are definitely associated with them. People faint at the sight of these mighty creatures. However, there certainly seems to be strong correlations between this vision and the vision of Jesus Christ that we encounter in Revelation chapter one.

The issue is that the voice speaking in v. 9, and “he” in v. 11 do not seem to be different. We know the creature who begins speaking to Daniel in v. 10 is not all-powerful. He is mighty, but he actually needs help from the Archangel Michael to accomplish his assigned task.

It is not completely clear if there is a different person in the vision vs. the one who converses with Daniel, but we must make absolutely no mistake over the fact that Jesus would never need assistance from one of his own created beings to control demonic oppression. I do not have a completely definitive answer to who the man is in the vision is, but we can say with certainty that Jesus is the Almighty God who needs no help in exerting control over his creation.

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V. 7 – A little bit like Paul, Daniel is the only one who actually saw the vision. The other men were so terrified that they actually ran away.

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V. 8 – This is another reason I hesitate to label this as a vison of Jesus – Daniel never worships. Yes, he was terrified. He falls down and has no strength, but he does not adore the one he has seen.

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V. 9-10 – Anytime the full glory of a heavenly creature is visible it is overwhelming (i.e., angels and shepherds, Jacob’s ladder, angels at the tomb). God made warriors – not baby cupids. If this is Jesus – then obviously his glory would be overpowering.

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V. 11 – Greatly Beloved – Daniel was in rarified air. There are not many people in Scripture that receive such commendation from God. David was called a man after God’s own heart. Noah was declared a righteous man. Job’s character was praised by God and Moses was called a friend of God. There are a few others, but not many earn such high praise. However, it never made Daniel arrogant. Rather, it drove him to is knees in an understanding of his own insufficiency and need. Prayer was Daniel’s response to everything. Daniel had the ear of kings, but his desire was to know God’s heart and hear from him.

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That was arguably this commonality in the great heroes of the faith. They desired to know God. They repented when they sinned, and they worshipped him regardless of their circumstances.

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V. 12 – Daniel disciplined/chastened/set his own heart. He didn’t wait for God to judge. Rather, as God revealed truth, Daniel responded and corrected his thinking and behavior. Prov. 4:23 says, “Guard your heart” and Prov. 23:19 says, “Direct your heart.” Daniel’s heart was so sensitive to the things of God that anything which grieved God’s heart grieved his. He constantly re-aligned his will to God’s vision/truth.

The angel acknowledges that he was sent because of Daniel’s words. What a statement! God literally dispatched multiple angels in response to Daniel’s prayers. I am so far from espousing a name it, claim it doctrine, but I do think we limit our prayers because we have a microscopic view of God’s plan. Daniel prayed boldly and with confidence. We need to be careful that we’re not so bound by our traditions that we forget we serve a mighty God who still longs to do the extraordinary when his people are obedient.

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V. 13 – Apparently, this angel was delayed by demonic forces. This chapter provides some of the most fascinating glimpses into the realm of spiritual warfare of any in Scripture. We learn that there are certain angels/demons assigned to nations to influence world leaders. This verse is the biggest reason that this person now talking to Daniel is most definitely not Christ and raises questions regarding the vision actually being a Christophany. Asserting that they are the same is blasphemous because it calls into question Christ's power. Principalities and powers, as discussed in Ephesians 2:2, are real. This is not addressed in Scripture so that we can be terrified – rather so that we can be wise and prepared.

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We find out in v. 21 that Michael is uniquely associated with Israel. According to Jude 9, he is an Archangel. He leaders the armies of heaven according to Revelation 12. Michael – chief of princes – literally means the first of the princes. While the original angelic hierarchy is unclear, it appears that Michael is now the chief angel after Lucifer’s disobedience.

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Satan was a Cherub, according to Ezekiel 28:12-15. He led worship in heaven. Cherubim were uniquely associated with God’s glory – the four beasts/wheeled creatures that escorted the presence of God from the Temple. They are present around the throne in heaven. It is possible that Ezekiel 28 is pointing out that he was anointed in a position of power over the Cherubim – not over all of the angels. Archangel literally means, “chief” angel so it is difficult to see Satan being more powerful than Michael.

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It is possible that their roles were simply different. Chief worship leader vs. chief warrior. Michael remained faithful in the midst of Lucifer's rebellion. In the end, he is the one who will chase Satan out of heaven – where it all started. Faithfulness to the one who made him will end in triumph.

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V. 14 – This verse clarifies that this upcoming vision is for the future – though not exclusively for end times.

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V. 15 – Daniel is dumbfounded. He has been told that he is beloved. An angel had been sent right away. His prayers had been answered. Literal demonic warfare was going on for the future of his people. The chief angel was watching over Israel.

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V. 16-18 – Likely a different angel. Daniel takes the trouble to describe a specific form/appearance. Daniel uses the term “Adonai.” This was a term of authority/respect. Yes, it could be a name of God, but it was also used by Aaron, Jacob, David, Sarah, and others in relation to other human beings. Daniel’s question is almost a little comical. He wants to know how he is supposed to talk to him when he is overwhelmed. He says there is, “No breath is left in me.” Have you ever been there? I’ve found myself in that situation several times – the circumstances are too much. I have nothing left in myself that will allow me to continue. I love that he wasn’t reprimanded – instead he was strengthened.

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He was honest about his lack of strength. He knew he had reached his breaking point and was insufficient for the task ahead. He asked the one who was connected to the source of strength. He asked the one who was (presumably) able to solve the issue. That is the key – not how big our problems are, but what we do with them. Do we try to solve the issue on our own? Do we assume that God must just require us to keep pushing through? No, we admit that we have no breath – no strength. We admit that we are insufficient and we seek the renewal and strength that he alone can provide.

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V. 19 – Again, there is this assurance that he was loved. Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). An understanding that he was loved would enable him to deal with the fear and uncertainty. Love, no fear, and peace – the attributes everyone longs for. He is told to be strong and courageous. This has the idea of being well, good, healthy, and of good spirits. Be brave. Go forward in a strength that is not your own. Daniel is reassured – and is ready to move forward. He is ready for the next thing. The breath he has is not his own, but it is sufficient for the task at hand.

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V. 20 – The angel is getting ready to go back into battle. Spiritual warfare never ends. Once Persia declined, Greece would rise. We would be foolish to think spiritual warfare is intermittent. It is a daily battle for our hearts and minds.

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V. 21 – The angel is there to explain truth to Daniel. Michael is the angel that will fight for Israel. Now, ultimately, God will be the one to deliver Israel in the end, but Michael has been assigned as their special protector. I cannot imagine anyone who has been busier over the course of history.

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Think for a moment about all of the times people have sought to destroy the nation of Israel. The Holocaust, the way nations abandoned them in 1948, the six-day war in 1967, current events, Haman, Athaliah…the list seems unending We can see the physical evidence of what is happening during those times. We can see the rockets, court records, and boxes of wedding rings that were removed at the concentration camps. However, can you imagine the spiritual warfare that we cannot see? How earnestly Satan wishes to destroy God’s chosen people so that they cannot call him back in the end. In 2 Kings 6:17-20 Elisha prayed for his servant to see a rare glimpse of what this would look like.

The awesome thing in all of this is that God never felt like he needed to get off his throne and intervene. Satan’s threats and power are nothing to Him. A created being is more than capable of defeating another created and fallen being. God is seated in heaven. He rules overall. It can take time for prayers to be answered. If nothing else, the book of Daniel should be a vivid reminder to be steadfast in prayer. We have a real enemy, but he is nothing in comparison to our God.

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Chapter eleven will venture into what I would argue is the most detailed prophecy in all of Scripture. The level of detail that God includes is mindblowing, but it should encourage us to trust God even when things are uncertain. We are loved. We have his breath and strength. He has been faithful...and he will remain so until the end.