Daniel’s Vision of Christ

The mourning of Daniel (v1-3)

The 3rd year of Cyrus was 536 BC. In the 1st year of Cyrus (538BC), he gave a decree to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1).

The reason why Daniel mourned for three weeks was probably he learned that the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem has stopped due to protect from the gentiles who lived in the city (Ezra 4).

The prophesy of 70 years (Jer 25) can be explained in two ways:

1) 605 BC 1st exile – 536 BC 1st return

or

2) 586 BC destruction of temple in Jerusalem – 515 BC the completion of new temple.

The temple rebuilding project was stopped between 536 BC – 520 BC. The resumed in 520 BC and completed in 515 BC. The delay of 16 years actually fulfilled the prophesy of 70 years!

Another reason of the mourning could be Daniel wanted to understand the prophesy of seventy shabuwa concerning God’s people and God’s city told by Gabriel two year earlier (chapter 9).

Vision of a Man (v7-9)

v4-6: The man that Daniel saw on probably Christ, because the description was very similar to John description of Christ in Rev 1:12-16.

Battles of Angels (v10-20)

v10-14: There is another man who touched and spoke to Daniel. This man is not Christ because he needed help from chief angel Michael (v13), it is unlikely that Christ needed help from an arch angel. This man that touch and spoke to Daniel was probably angel Gabriel.

What is described here is a heavenly battle between good and evil angels.

The price of the Persian kingdom is an evil angel. The evil angel was assigned by Satan to carry out Satan’s plan on the Persian kingdom.

The evil angel has great power and Gabriel needed the help from arch angel Michael (v13), because Gabriel was “detained” with the king of Persia (v13).

Michael was assigned by God to ministry to Israel (Dan 12:1; Rev 12:7; Jude 9).

The king of Persian shows great kindness to the Jews, he allowed them to return home to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, and Satan wanted to interrupt God’s plan.

Gabriel was in hurry to flight against the “price of Persian” and the “prince of Greece” (v20), both were evil angels under the authority of Satan.

As this point, it is good to read Ephesians 6 to understand how the Lord wants us to be equipped to fight spiritual battles.