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Thus Say The Prophets
Prophet Daniel

10:1 In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, an oracle was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar. That oracle was true, but it was a great task to understand the prophecy; understanding came to him through the vision. 10:2 At that time, I, Daniel, kept three full weeks of mourning.

Cyrus the Great was the ruler of Persia. He ruled concurrently and after Darius the Mede. As discussed, other minor players were involved in Babylonian and Medo-Persian politics; however, Daniel focuses on politicians based on their impact on his people. Also, Daniel describes the events he witnessed, but his chronology sometimes shifts as if he is either recalling details or offering context, as authors are wont to do.

From a more literal reading here, we would understand that Daniel's mourning had to do with what HaShem had revealed to him and probably his seeking to understand it with prayer and fasting. Under Talmudic authority, however, Rambam is more specific and explains:

When he [Daniel] saw that Cyrus had curtailed the construction of the Temple, for he had ordered to commence it, and he rescinded [his order] because of the message of the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin: Rehum the adviser and Shimshai the scribe, as is written in the Book of Ezra (4:5).

Ezra 4:4-25 describes several instances in which our enemies interfered with rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash and of the city of Jerusalem that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed by slandering the Judeans to the Persian emperor, Cyrus. Rehum was a governor, and Shimshai, the official court secretary, wrote an infamous letter telling King Artaxerxes about the situation in Jerusalem in a negative light. Even as modern politicians are bending their knees to the terrorist opponents of Israel and fake news, so did Cyrus.

10:3 I ate no tasty food, nor did any meat or wine enter my mouth. I did not anoint myself until the three weeks were over. 10:4 It was on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, when I was on the bank of the great river—the Tigris— 10:5 that I looked and saw a man dressed in linen, his loins girt in fine gold. 10:6 His body was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and legs had the color of burnished bronze, and the sound of his speech was like the noise of a multitude.

This figure was not that of a handsome jewel-decorated human. Daniel beheld a heavenly phenomenon. He beheld a sweeping presence spread across the heavens as he gazed upward toward the Merkaba. As Rashi seeks to explain:

Our revered Sages, as recorded in Tractate Hullin (9lb), described it thus: "His body was two thousand parasangs large, a size comparable to the sea named Tarshish, which is the sea of Africa (i.e., the Mediterranean)."

A parasang, or farsakh (from Arabic), is a Persian unit of measurement based on walking distance, with the length varying according to terrain and speed of travel. To put it in perspective, it's roughly equivalent to a European league. So, the celestial apparition that Daniel witnessed in the sky above him appeared to be a staggering 7000 miles in length.

Remember, the biblical presentation depicts the earth as a disk rather than a globe, with the Merkabah Throne of HaShem resting on the apex of a celestial dome covering the world like a transparent cloche or lid over a platter. This celestial figure, perhaps resembling the Milky Way system, was manifested from the Merkaba to inform Daniel.

10:7 I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see the vision, yet they were seized with a great terror and fled into hiding.

As we discussed, the Talmudic Chazal identifies these men as Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; however, that seems highly unlikely. With this identification, they sought to downgrade Daniel's status from Navi (Prophet) to that of a mere author or storyteller. As we have seen, however, Daniel was obviously one of the Nava'aim despite their concerns over his prophetic content and their interpretations. It is far more consistent with the text to interpret that these were Daniel's regular companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 10:8 So I was left alone to see this great vision. I was drained of strength, my vigor was destroyed, and I could not summon up strength.

The Hebrew text describes a struggle with doubt: 'I was drained of strength; my vigor was surrendered to a destroyer (לְמַשְׁחִית: l'mash'heet). Witnessing the celestial sight, Daniel realized his smallness before such vastness. The 'Destroyer' used this humbling experience to drain him of personal strength, leading to self-doubt for a time. During this period, Daniel could not even pray to HaShem for guidance. The presence of this celestial sight seemed too great for Daniel's mind to comprehend. Recall when Manoah asked the angel of Adonai, "What is your name? We will honor you when what you have said comes to pass." The angel of Adonai replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is too amazing for you to understand." What are we by contrast to the heavenly hosts? Before them, we are humbled, our insignificance starkly evident.

10:9 I heard him speaking; and when I heard him speaking, overcome by a deep sleep, I lay prostrate on the ground. 10:10 Then a hand touched me, and shook me onto my hands and knees. This 'Destroyer' of Daniel's limited paradigms was a אִישׁ חֲמֻדוֹת, a "pure man." As we discussed, angels are sometimes referred to as men (ish), but they are of very different natures than us. This celestial being manifested male human attributes of power Daniel could conceive even as its nature blew his mind. This vision, which seems to have been literally manifested in the sky, laid Daniel out as if unconscious. He was overwhelmed by such an incredible experience. But then the celestial being, so to speak, shook him to wakefulness as one might awaken a dreamer from a nightmare. The glory of this being is reminiscent of the angel sent to Manonoah, who had told him that his true nature was too great to be conceived. These beings exist entirely outside of our mental limitations and conceptions. Although HaShem sometimes manifests them in ways we can conceive, their true natures surpass the paradigms in which most people dwell. Here, HaShem gives Daniel a slight taste of their reality, but he can not handle it. As stated, the Bard speaks the truth when he tells Horatio that there is more to heaven and earth than is imagined in human conceptions. These beings are entirely 'other' than we. 10:11 He said to me, "O Daniel, precious man, mark what I say to you and stand up, for I have been sent to you." After he said this to me, I stood up, trembling. 10:12 He then said to me, "Have no fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to get understanding, practicing abstinence before your God, your prayer was heard, and I have come because of your prayer.

The ongoing struggle for the earth's redemption may be thought of in diverse ways. The biblical model is usually that of spiritual warfare. During this time of spiritual conflict (i.e., the Olam Hazeh), humans are directed by God to pursue virtually any course they choose, whether righteousness or evil. Our innate human ignorance must be protected during this struggle, lest we be swayed from our exploration. This mighty being of unimaginable power was not permitted to interfere in our affairs. Note how Rashi clarifies the words of this entity:

"I have come on this mission because of your words." Our Rabbis, however, explained in Tractate Yoma (77a): "I came 'within the curtain' because of you because I was banned from its midst."

Only after a human sought HaShem's help was the entity permitted to intercede. Such an image of the actual nature of reality! It is as though Hashem has hidden the earth behind a curtain for the duration of the Olam Hazeh. Non-terrestrial entities are not permitted to interfere with our collective exploration unless invited, and even then, only to the degree the 'heavenly Court' permits.

As the next verse clarifies, using terms we can comprehend, such a spiritual struggle is underway. This competition is between the 'Children of Light' and the Children of Dark,' as in the famous Essene writing. It is between the Derech or "Way" of HaShem and that of the Nephilim. Celestial entities on neither side are allowed to interfere in our affairs other than as determined appropriate by HaShem based upon our choices. When we individually and collectively choose the negative over the positive, HaShem allows negativity to increase. When we choose the positive, He permits goodness to increase. For example, despite the great evils going on in Sodom, a minion of the pious would have led God to spare the city. Without that minion, however, HaShem utterly destroyed it. Nowadays, a large percentage of people have abandoned emunah and bitichon ('faith' and 'trust') in HaShem. Are ten percent still maintaining sufficient godiness to hold back our collective destruction? As Rebbe Nachman clarifies:

On the threshold of Mashiach, God runs the world with the utmost delicacy, like filigree work - Siach Sarfey Kodesh 1-99

Through the spreading of peace, the whole world can be drawn to serve God with one accord. Peace is not just the absence of conflict, but a state of calm and spiritual connection. When people are at peace with one another, they talk to each other about the true purpose of the world and its vanities. They discuss the realities of life and how, when a person dies, all that remains is whatever is prepared for the world of eternity after death because neither silver nor gold accompanies a person after death. When people come to understand this, they abandon their illusions and idols of silver, aspiring only to God and His Torah. Their only aim will be to serve God and seek out His truth. But when there is no peace in the world, and worse still, when there is strife, people are not open with one another and don't discuss the true purpose of life. Even when someone does discuss it, their words do not penetrate the hearts of others because they have no interest in discovering the truth but only in winning arguments. Their discussions are aggressive and full of hatred and envy. Such a person wants to win an argument; hence, they close their ears to the truth. Most people are so far from God today because divisiveness and strife are so widespread due to their many sins - Siach Sarfey Kodesh 1-99.

When, after a life devoted to worldliness, a person feels an arousal toward God, the attribute of Judgment rises to accuse him and does not permit him to follow God's ways. It does this by confronting him with an obstacle. But God loves kindness and hides Himself within the very obstacle itself. One who lacks good sense sees the obstacle and retreats at once. But one who possesses good sense examines the obstacle and discovers God within it - Likutey Moharan I, 115.

God allows none to interfere in this process! 10:13 However, the prince of the Persian kingdom opposed me for twenty-one days; now Michael, a prince of the first rank, has come to my aid, after I was detained there with the kings of Persia.

Scripture reveals that HaShem's Will allows humans to determine our fates. As should now be abundantly clear to everyone, some people choose to be deceived rather than take responsibility for themselves! As the saying goes, 'A person is smart, but circumstances drive a mob.' From the earliest times, HaShem has permitted the Nephilim to rebel and deceive the earth, thus demonstrating our need for Hashem and the importance of the individual.

This truth is the origin of Zoroastrianism's Angra Mainyu, the Indian Asuras, the Norse Loki, the Christian Satan and his demons, and so on. As discussed in our teachings at Beit Emunah and AllFaith.com, the Genesis account records how the celestial 'sons of god' impregnated certain 'daughters of men' to produce a hybrid race of entities called the Nephilim and how they seduced Nimrod and Semiraimis of Babel (i.e. at the Tower of Babel) and ruled over the four subsequent global kingdoms discussed by Daniel in his book; this is the context of Daniel's celestial war description here. HaShem used the four Nephilim-controlled empires, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, to prove that humans, both Jews and Gentiles, need Divine Guidance to be successful. Having been granted free will, 'we have all gone astray,' as stated in Isaiah 53:6 and elsewhere.

We all went astray like sheep,
Each of us going our own way;
And GOD visited upon [the Suffering Servant, the Jews in context]
The guilt of all of us.

The Nephilim lords overseeing Persia, the second Globalist attempt, went before HaShem to plead their case that they had not been granted enough time or resources to genocide the Jews or lead them into their rebellion. Why? Because Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian both believed in HaShem! Rashi further clarifies this understanding:

[These Nephilim lords and masters overseeing Persia] have been standing against me—battling with me in the heavens—by requesting an extension for the kingdom for Persia to enable them to subjugate you (Israel). Behold for twenty-one days, he stood against me.

I was detained there with the entities of Persia, meaning I remained there to silence the princes of Persia in heaven.

Note that the Nephilim had to ask permission! There is a limit to Globalist power! While they are permitted to cajole and deceive, they cannot force us! As long as a minion of humans stands against them and for God, the Globalists always fail in the long run! We recently witnessed the truth of this when, due to a minority of Americans earnestly praying for President Trump, HaShem performed a public miracle and rescued him from the Globalist would-be assassin's bullet. Likewise, Medo-Persia had enough righteous people that the Globalist structure could not completely dominate there. Hence, the Nephilim gave their kingdom to the Greeks. There is no power in existence stronger than prayer!

Prayer is the supplication of one's request to the King of kings, but it is also a declaration that one accepts His authority over all things. Not only do we pray to God, but so do our enemies because prayer is more than the pious bowed heads of the righteous; it also encompasses all firmly held intentions. Since HaShem alone rules, all intentions depend upon His blessings and allowances. For this reason, instead of saying, "I'll pray for you," which some consider too religious, they say, "I will send out good thoughts or vibes for you." Just as angels are sometimes preexisting entities and sometimes created by human intention, as seen with Ya'akov's Stairway to Heaven (Genesis 28:12), so are our prayers and theirs constantly at odds, which is what spiritual warfare is all about. Not until the emunah (faith) and bitichon (trust) of the Persians overwhelmed the Nephilim intentions before the Heavenly Tribunal did this powerful heaven-spanning entity cease his prayers before HaShem's Throne on Israel's behalf.

10:14 So I have come to make you understand what is to befall your people in the days to come, for there is yet a vision for those days."

Verse 14 is a break between his prophecy's earlier and later sections. The earlier section explained that Daniel lived during the first two of four Nephilim Global Empires (i.e., Babylon and Medo-Persia). He foretold the future (from his vantage point) of two other Globalist empires, Greece and the Roman Empire, and describes how Rome would divide east and west and eventually disintegrate into "ten toes," figurative of the European countries, and that God would forbid these to reunite until the End of days despite short-lived attempts.

In the latter section, Daniel reveals what will befall the Jews as they approach the conjunction of the Olam Hazeh and Olam Haba, the end of the current age and the beginning of the Messianic age. Daniel adds you might say, a parenthesis in his telling to describe the wars of the "Ptolemies" and "Seleucidae," two of the "Four Kingdoms" Daniel told us Alexander the Great's Empire would divide into upon his death. He also hints about the wars of the "King of the North" and the "King of the South," spoken of in more detail by Prophet Ezekiel and others, and the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, circa 164 BCE, which led to Rome's ascension as the fourth and final Global Empire. In chapter nine, Daniel will reveal the timing of the coming of Mashiach by overviewing the period from the time of the Maccabees 166 (BCE) down to the "TIME OF THE END," and the reign of the "Willful King" who will be as cruel as Haman.

10:15 While he was saying these things to me, I looked down and kept silent.

10:16 Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision, I have been seized with pangs and cannot summon strength.

10:17 How can this servant of my lord speak with my lord, seeing that my strength has failed and no spirit is left in me?"

10:18 He who looked like a man touched me again, and strengthened me.

10:19 He said, "Have no fear, precious man, all will be well with you; be strong, be strong!" As he spoke with me, I was strengthened, and said, "Speak on, my lord, for you have strengthened me!"

10:20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Now I must go back to fight the prince of Persia. When I go off, the prince of Greece will come in.

The messenger of HaShem confirms Daniel's understanding that once Persia falls, Greece will arise, and the Nephilim will continue their efforts to destroy the Jews and dominate humanity. In part because of Zoroastrianism and partly because the leaders and people of Medo-Persia had witnessed the Unseen Hand of HaShem, the Nephilim had been defeated for a time. But after them, there appeared another enemy that renewed, although more subtly, the cult of Nimrod and Semirais, the belief in human divinity. Through Hellenism, the Nephilim would seek to dissuade the Jews of their emunah in HaShem alone and return them to Babel consciousness. This spiritual poison continues within the Covenant People to this day.

10:21 No one is helping me against them except your prince, Michael. However, I will tell you what is recorded in the Book of Truth.

* © This series is by John of AllFaith, © April 12, 1997 (last updated June 30,2024)



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