Глава 10

1. Vision of Daniel in the third year of the reign of Cyrus. 2–3. The state of the prophet before the vision. 4–10. The time of the vision, its setting and the condition of the prophet and his companions. 11–21. Contents of revelation. Daniel 10:1. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, there was a revelation to Daniel, who was called by the name of Belshazzar; and this revelation was true and of great power. He understood this revelation and understood this vision. In its character the revelation was perfect truth; it was a message of what would certainly come true, come true. In subject matter it is a revelation of the great tribulation ("power"). Daniel 10:2. In these days I, Daniel, was in mourning for three weeks of days. Daniel 10:3. I didn’t eat tasty bread; meat and wine did not enter my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with ointments until the completion of three weeks of days. The reason for this openly was the deep sadness of the prophet, expressed in fasting. He abstained from meat, wine and delicious bread, which were considered holiday food by the Jews (Gen. 27:25; Is. 22:13), and did not anoint himself with fragrant oil, which was a sign of joy (Eccl. 9:8; Is. 61:3; Am. 6:6). This is how the prophet spent three weeks of the first month (Dan. 10:4), i.e. Nisan, and therefore the days of the Easter celebration. The reasons for such sadness, as one might guess, were as follows. Judging by (Dan.10:12), the prophet Daniel, even in the third year of Cyrus’s reign, did not abandon thoughts and concerns about his people, those thoughts that began in the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede (Dan.9:1 etc.). Unpleasant and comforting, since the current state of the Jews was sad and did not bode well for anything good in the future, they plunged the prophet into grief. And indeed, although two whole years passed after the Jews returned to their homeland, those who returned did not find happiness here. Having restored the altar (1Ezra 3:1-2), they began to build the church. But already at its foundation, the joyful cries of the people mixed with the cries of the old people who saw the former church in its glory (1 Ezra 3:12-13), and a little later the joy should have completely disappeared. The intrigues of the Samaritans began, trying with all their might to arm the Persian government against the Jews and stop the construction of the church (1 Ezra 4:1-5). They achieved their goal, thanks to which two years after their liberation the Jews could not celebrate the Passover holiday properly. It is not surprising, therefore, if the prophet Daniel shared the grief of his compatriots during these days. Daniel 10:5. and I lifted up my eyes, and saw: behold, a man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with gold from Uphaz. Daniel 10:6. His body is like topaz, his face is like the appearance of lightning; His eyes are like burning lamps, his hands and feet are like shiny brass in appearance, and the voice of his speech is like the voice of many people. The appearance of the man who appeared to Daniel resembles the appearance of the Son of Man (Rev. 1:13–15), which is why some consider him a Divine face. But as can be seen from Daniel 10:11, the one who appeared is one of the ministering spirits, and his entire speech (Dan.10:11–12) recalls, or rather reproduces, the words of the Archangel Gabriel (Dan.9:21–22), which is why the husband of the present vision can be identified with this latter. Dan.10:7. And only I, Daniel, saw this vision, and the people who were with me did not see this vision; but great fear attacked them and they ran away to hide. The prophet's companions did not see the vision itself, but they probably heard the extraordinary voice of the one who appeared (Dan.10:6) and, sensing the proximity of the heavenly messenger, they fled in horror. Daniel 10:8. And I was left alone and looked at this great vision, but there was no strength left in me, and the appearance of my face changed enormously, there was no vigor in me. Dan.10:9. And I heard the voice of his words; and as soon as I heard the voice of his words, I fell on my face in a daze and lay with my face to the ground. Dan.10:10. But behold, a hand touched me and made me on my knees and in the palm of my hands. The prophet himself felt internally as if completely defeated. He was brought out of his state of stupor by the touch of the hand of the one who appeared; but even after that he was only able to barely rise to his knees, keep himself in a semi-standing position, leaning on the ground with his hands and knees. Daniel 10:12. But he said to me: “Do not be afraid, Daniel; from the first day that you set your heart to gain understanding and humble you before your God, your words were heard, and I would come according to your words. Daniel 10:13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood against me twenty-one days; but behold, Michael, one of the first princes, came to help me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Even in the first year of Darius the Mede, an Angel offered up before God the fervent prayer of the prophet Daniel for the liberation of the Jews from captivity (Dan.9:4-19); now, in the 3rd year of Cyrus, the same Angel brought before the throne of God the fervent prayer of the prophet for what was crushing him - for the improvement of the disastrous condition of the immigrants. Michael, the “prince of the Jews,” petitioned for the same thing. And this united intercession was heard by God from the very first day. But the fulfillment of the requests of the Angel and Prince Michael is opposed by the “prince of the kingdom of Persia,” acting in favor of his people. “The Prince of the Kingdom of Persia,” the guardian of Medo-Persian interests, opposes God’s fulfillment of Daniel’s prayer because the fulfillment of the promise of the salvation of the Jews and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth is closely connected with the diminishment and destruction of the power of hostile peoples (Zech. 1:11–12). From this side, the opposition of the spirit of the guardian of the Medo-Persian kingdom is similar to Satan’s slander against the high priest Jesus (Zech. 3:1–3). The advantage in the spiritual struggle between representatives of the heavenly army did not lean in either direction; and the prayer of the prophet could not be granted; even now the Angel departs to fight with the prince of Persia (Dan.10:20). The Angel’s speech, explaining the reason for the opposition that the Jews encountered from the Persian government during the construction of the church, gives the Prophet Daniel consolation, since it reveals that he, Archangel Michael, is also fighting for the good of the Jews. Daniel 10:14. And now I have come to tell you what will happen to your people in the last times, since the vision refers to distant days.” Unable, however, to fulfill Daniel’s prayer: the struggle with the prince of the kingdom of Persia is not over and will continue in the future (Dan. 10:20), the Angel promises to reveal to the prophet the fate of his people in distant times. As far as one can guess from Daniel 10:20, they mean the period of Greco-Macedonian rule (“the prince of Greece will come”). The revelation of Chapter 11 is dedicated to the presentation of the history of this latter in his relations with God’s chosen people. You might be interested in: