It is the third year that Cyrus is king over the whole empire, including the kingdom that was first ruled by the Babylonians. We are now in the third year after the conquest of Babylon by the Persians and the Medes. Daniel is still alive. He is an old man over 90 years old. Once again, the Lord comes to Daniel with a revelation. He comes to him with the truth. The Lord himself is the Guarantor of it.
Something can be the full truth, and yet it may still be very hard on us. The truth does not always feel pleasant or comfortable to us. That is also the case here. It is a message about a great conflict, a great need. The Lord ensures that Daniel completely understands what is shown in this vision.
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.