Daniel: Setting the Heart to Receive Divine Revelation
I. OVERVIEW OF THE CONTEXT OF THIS VISION:
A. Daniel 1-6 – the life of Daniel; episodes from his life.
B. Daniel 7-12 the visions of Daniel (four visitations of the Lord).
C. Daniel 10-12 gives much divine information related to the spiritual dynamics of fasting and how it unlocks the realm
of revelation.
1. No book in the bible gives more direct visionary experience than Daniel except the book of Revelation. Zechariah
and Isaiah supplement Daniel and Revelation.
2. The book of Daniel was given for the purpose of preparing the bride. The bride is prepared by having fine linen,
which are the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:8). We are prepared by Daniel’s vision in two ways. First, we
are prepared with a detailed description of the depth of evil that will cover the earth.
3. Most people on earth today are completely unaware of the depth of evil that is mounting up with increased intensity
and the consequences that it brings. Therefore it is common to live life “business as usual”.
D. Secondly, we are prepared by knowing how glorious the church will be. This stirs our faith.
1. An important principle in the Word of God is that God release His glory related to the active participation of His
believing people. Therefore it is necessary for the church to believe in what God is planning to do across the earth and
then to actively engage and participate in it.
2. For example, extended times of prayer and fasting help us consciously cooperate with the Holy Spirit in this hour
of history.
E. Bob Sorge wrote a book, Glory: When Heaven Invades Earth. It is a bible study on the subject of glory. It is a
stirring and enlightening book on these subjects.
F. We believe deeply that we are in the hour of history in which the glory of God will increase greatly. The end time
church is a prayer and fasting people.
II. THE FOUR VISIONS RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL
A. Daniel 7 is vision one (Daniel was in his mid 70s).
B. Daniel 8 is vision two (two years after Daniel 7).
C. Daniel 9 is vision three – thirteen years after Daniel 8).
D. Daniel 10-12 is vision four (two years after Daniel 9).
III. DANIEL 10-12
A. The Holy Spirit urged Daniel to write the four divine visitations relating to the last hour of natural history. Each
visitation gives substantial revelation about the generation of the Lord’s return. The common theme of each vision in the
book of Daniel is the end of the age.
B. In other words, each vision reveals the activity of the Holy Spirit at the end of the age. They reveal some of the
strategy of God, meaning, what He releases in the kingdom of God and what He allows in the kingdom of darkness and
the room He gives the kingdom of darkness to operate in.
C. Daniel 10-12, the fourth and the final vision of Daniel is stunning! This three-chapter visitation of the Lord is the
most detailed prophecy in the Old Testament.
D. Daniel 10 describes the preparation of Daniel to receive the revelation of Daniel 11-12
E. In Daniel 10 a heavenly being visits Daniel during a 21 day fast. This heavenly visitation prepared him for the
actual message that is recorded in Daniel 11-12.
F. At the time of this visitation, Daniel was in his early 90’s, drawing near to the end of his natural life. He was the
number two man in the secular government. He was the chief leader among the three leaders under King Darius. He
had tremendous governmental responsibilities. When this heavenly being visited him, it shocked the attendants of
Daniel. They were so overwhelmed that they fled in dread and terror.
G. Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den (Daniel 6) happened during this same period of Daniel’s life.
H. The events of Daniel 10 are related to the experience in the lion’s den. In other words, the warfare in Daniel 10 was
manifest in the lion’s den in Daniel 6.
I. Daniel 10:1, “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia”. At this time, Persia had just conquered Nebuchadnezzar’s
empire of Babylon. The world empire is now under the government of Persia. Persia has much more territory than the
former Babylonian empire. This visitation of the Lord in Daniel’s life came only three years after the Persian’s took over.
The Persian empire is the empire that Queen Esther ruled in years later. Cyrus is the king of this world empire. Darius is
the regional king under king Cyrus. Darius is king of the newly conquered territory called Babylon. Cyrus is the primary
king over the entire kingdom. Darius is only over the area of Babylon, which began a significant region of the larger
empire. Daniel is working closely with Darius in Babylon.
J. The message that was revealed to Daniel is recorded in Daniel 11-12. It is the most detailed prophetic message
in the Old Testament about the end of the age, the antichrist and the culmination of evil across the whole earth.
K. Daniel 8:23 refers to this time as a time when transgression in the earth is fully ripe. In other words, when it comes
to fullness. There is a time on planet earth when transgression comes to fullness.
IV. DANIEL 10: OVERVIEW
A. He introduces the vision in Daniel 10:1.
B. In Daniel 10:2-3, the elderly prophet begins an intense time of seeking the Lord in a 21 day fast. He is not just an
elderly man, he is a man with much secular responsibility. He is a busy man with many burdens of responsibility.
C. In Daniel 10:5-6, the heavenly visitor comes. Some believe this is Jesus because of the similarities to Revelation
1:13-16. It seems like it may be the Lord except for one detail. In verse 13 this angel does not have enough spiritual
authority to overpower the powers of the principality of Persia and therefore calls on Michael the archangel to help him out.
D. Daniel 10:7, the men around Daniel are terrified.
E. Daniel 10:8-10, Daniel loses all his strength.
F. Daniel 10:11, the heavenly being says to Daniel, “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I
am going to speak to you.” Note the very significant phrase, “greatly beloved, understand the words”.
1. The foundational knowledge that we are “greatly beloved” is significantly related to our capacity to understand
prophetic visions. The bridal paradigm is essential to being equipped in this hour to receive more divine understanding.
The same truth is recorded in Daniel 9:23, when the angel Gabriel appears and says, “O greatly beloved, therefore you
understand the vision”. The message is communicated to Daniel three times. The message is that he is “greatly beloved
by God”, (Daniel 9:12; 10:11,19). The term “Greatly beloved” is a declaration that “God is lovesick” for His people.
2. There is a dynamic connection between understanding the vision and our capacity to receive the revelation that
we are the beloved of God.
3. The very phrase “My beloved Son” was the truth that the Father spoke over Jesus at two important times in Jesus’
earthly life. First, was just before the wilderness temptation (Matthew 3:17) and second, just before His death (Matthew
17:5). These were two of the major crisis of Jesus’ ministry. In other words, these were two times when the spiritual
warfare was at its very peak. Just before Jesus went to the wilderness to be tempted and then again just before He went
to the cross. The Father bends over the balcony of heaven and says, “My Beloved, I love You!” This truth helped to
strengthen Jesus at these two times. This very reality is what strengthened Daniel. The revelation that he was God’s
beloved was critical to the crisis that he was in the lions den experience of Daniel 6.
4. We cannot underestimate the value of the revelation of the “beloved of God”.
5. The New Testament calls the believers in Christ Jesus the “beloved of God”. In Ephesians 1:6, God sees us in the
Beloved, which is Jesus. Therefore we become the beloved before God because of Jesus. We stand before God as the
object of God’s burning desire and affection.
6. This truth helped sustain Daniel in the lions den. God spoke this to Daniel in Daniel 9:23, which was possibly two
years before the lions den experience.
7. Daniel stands up renewed in the spirit (Daniel 10:11). Imagine a heavenly visitation calling you the beloved of God.
Would that do something to you? This truth settles many fears and distractions in us so that we can listen clearly to His
heart. The vast amount of inward traffic and noise in our minds is settled so we can receive more from God. It quiets the
religious negotiating and bargaining along with the fear of being rejected by God. We are so aware of our failure and we
become so preoccupied with ourselves. We are easily preoccupied with worry and fear. There is nothing that calms the
inward emotional storm and prepares us to receive God’s revelation like the declaration that we are the “beloved”. Every
believer is called the “beloved” in the New Testament.
G. In Daniel 10:12, the angel acknowledges that Daniel had set his heart to understand God’s heart. The angel says
to Daniel, “On the day that you set your heart to understand…” This setting of the heart to receive revelation was a
critical part of Daniel’s lifestyle.
H. One key dimension in prayer and fasting is “setting our heart” to receive revelation. Fasting sets our heart to
receive more revelation. Fasting is an essential dimension of the end time church. We do not earn the revelation we
receive. However, we can set our heart to be enlarged in our capacity to receive.
1. In Isaiah 62:6, God “sets” watchmen on the wall. However, the “set” watchmen are not content with just being “set”
on the wall of intercession. We go to the next step and “set” our heart to receive more revelation of God’s heart. In other
words, we position ourselves to experience more of God’s glory. This answers the chronic problem in the church called
spiritual boredom.
2. The angel said, “Before you set yourself to understand and to humble yourself before God…”
3. Humbling ourselves is more than admitting our faults but it is admitting that one’s intellect is not sufficiently equipped
to receive more revelation without the Holy Spirit’s help. To humble oneself in this context means more than confessing
our errors. It is saying, “God, there is divine information that I cannot receive without the escort of the Holy Spirit. I do not
have what it takes to get a hold of a greater depth of revelation.”
4. It is one thing to say it and it is another thing to so believe it that we rearrange our life to make fasting a priority in
our life. It is an act of humility. It says, “My brilliant intellect is not sufficient to awaken my heart.” I believe that much of
the confusion in eschatology today is partly rooted in scholars who live without a serious commitment to fasting yet who
have an inappropriate boldness about their ability to receive much revelation of God’s heart concerning the end times.
5. The angel communicates that from the first day of the 21 day fast (Daniel 10:11-12), that Daniel’s words were
heard. The angel declares, “I have come to you because of your words”.
a. The Lord says, “Because”, - note the word “because”. There is a dynamic “cause-effect”. Many believers today,
do not like “cause-effect” because it convicts their lethargic life styles. Lethargic believers like to emphasize the
sovereignty of God in a non-biblical way.
b. Lethargic Christians call “cause-effect” dynamics in the grace of God, “legalism” because they are intimidated by
the passionate pursuit of other believers. When a group of believers are seeking the fullness of God’s glory, other groups
sometimes become intimidated. They write it off as legalism. The pursuit of the fullness of God’s glory intimidates even
God fearing people who do not want to pursue God with greater intensity.
I. Daniel 10:13, a demonic principality over the nation of Persia withstood this particular heavenly being. Michael the
archangel came to help.
J. Daniel 10:14, the angel declares his purpose; to make Daniel understand. All through the books of Zechariah,
Daniel and Revelation, angels are the mediators of divine revelation.
V. THE ANGEL HELPED DANIEL UNDERSTAND TRUTHS RELATED TO THE END OF THE AGE
A. In Daniel 11-12 actual revelation is recorded. There is one primary message of Daniel 11-12. It is the global crisis
at the end of the age. There are secondary messages contained in these chapters but we must not lose sight of the
primary reason the angel revealed this to Daniel. The one primary message is to be prepared for the global crisis at the
end of the age.
B. Daniel lived in the 500’s BC. Today 1,500 years later, the church should not be so easily content with only knowing
what Daniel understood about our generation. He saw something about our lives in this hour of history. It should not be
enough for us that Daniel saw God’s heart for our generation. We need to pray and fast like Daniel and receive whatever
God wants to add to what He has already revealed about this hour of history.
C. There is one main theme, which is the crisis at the end of the age. There are two key people in Daniel 11. There is
one major theme and two key people. Daniel 11:21-35 describes a man named Antiochus Epiphanies, a king in Syria who
was a type of the antichrist at the end of the age. His character and his actions mirror the antichrist with remarkable
precision. Our insight into the antichrist at the end of natural history will be greatly enhanced by understanding Daniel 11
and Antiochus Epiphanies. He reigned for nearly 12 years from 175 BC to 164 BC. This is a well known period of Jewish
history involving Judas Maccabeus and his five sons who rose up to withstand this man. Antiochus was this evil man who
sought to destroy the nation of Israel.
D. His life and actions are described in Daniel 11:21-35. The antichrist’s actions are described in Daniel 11:29-45.
There is one portion of scripture that includes an overlap that describes both men to some degree. The overlap section is
Daniel 11:29-35.
E. Daniel 11:32-35 unquestionably applied to Antiochus Epiphanies in 175 BC. However, its primary purpose is to
help believers at the end of the age understand the activity of the antichrist.
F. It has a double fulfillment. It had one in Antiochus Epiphanies’ generation and it has one mostly in this hour of
history.
G. The end time church is also described in this passage.
1. Know God – we will possess the knowledge of God. Matthew 25 calls it oil in the lamp. In other words, we will
encounter God in spiritual intimacy.
2. Be strong – we will be strong in spirit. We will stand victorious against evil. We will be strong before the threats
of persecution and before the temptations of darkness. I want to be strong before the temptations of the evil one. I want to
be strong before the persecutions of the evil one.
3. Do exploits – we will do great exploits by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In other words, we will experience the
power of God to do signs and wonders. I want to operate in the anointing called ‘great exploits’.
H. This verse, Daniel 11:32, is an important verse for our lives:
Daniel 11:33, “Those people who understand shall instruct many”.
1. There is a category of people called “those who understand”. These people of understanding are forerunners.
They will focus their lives on gaining spiritual understanding.
2. Great understanding is coming. Are you going to be one of the people who understand?
3. They will instruct the multitude of the nations. This is a multitude of believers across the earth.
4. The very multitude that is receiving the understanding by these forerunner ministries are going to fall. IN other words,
they will be martyred.
I. The angel describes four ways that the multitude of believers will fall:
1. By the sword – includes military related deaths
2. By the flame – includes bombs, missiles
3. By captivity
4. By plunder
J. Daniel 11:34, “Now when they fall… they shall be aided with a little help”. This verse has a double application with
a partial fulfillment in the days of Antiochus Epiphanies generation.
K. Daniel 11:35 some of the leaders who have understanding will also be martyred. In other words, some of the
forerunners will be cut off.
L. Why is God lettering this happen? God is going to purify the believers in the earth.
1. Daniel 11:35 to refine, purify and make white the church until the time of the end.
2. Daniel 12:10 the angel again speaks of the multitude of believers who will be purified
3. He uses the same three words from Daniel 11:35, purified, made white and refined.
M. In the midst of this purification the wicked will continue to act wickedly. Many will continue to say no to the gospel.
N. Note that none of the wicked will have understanding, but the wise will understand.
O. We are in a time in human history where God is preparing people who want understanding (Daniel 11:33).