Daniel 10:1-9

CHAPTER TEN

IV. ANGELIC ASSISTANCEDaniel 10:1-21

a. ANGELIC APPEARANCE

TEXT: Daniel 10:1-9

1

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, even a great warfare: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

2

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks.

3

I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

4

And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel,

5

I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz:

6

his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches, and his arms and his feet like unto burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.

8

So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

9

Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground,

QUERIES

a.

Why was Daniel so upset by this vision?

b.

Who was the man Daniel saw?

c.

What does Daniel mean, my comeliness was turned in me into corruption?

PARAPHRASE

In the third year of the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia, Daniel (who had been named Belteshazzar by the Babylonians) had another vision. It was a vision but what was revealed would certainly come to pass in exact detail. This vision of future history concerned great suffering which was to come upon the people of God. Daniel's understanding of this future history came to him by means of the vision given to him. In those days I, Daniel, continued in mourning for three full weeks. I ate none of the more pleasant foods; meat and wine did not cross my lips; I abstained completely from tending to the ease and comfort of my body and refrained from anointing myself until three full weeks were finished. And on the twenty-fourth day of Nisan (the first Jewish month), when I was standing beside the great Tigris River, I looked up and suddenly there before me stood a being in human form robed in pure white linen, with a wide belt of purest gold around his waist and his skin glowed like the Tarshish stone; from his face came blinding flashes like lightning, and his eyes glowed like flaming torches at night; his arms and feet glistened like polished brass, and his voice was like the roaring of a multitude of human voices or like the sea pounding the shore. But I, Daniel, alone saw this great vision; the men with men saw nothing; but they sensed that an unusual manifestation of some sort was taking place and they were suddenly filled with unreasoning terror and ran to hide, and I was left alone. When I saw this fearful vision my strength left me; and whatever appearance of health and strength I had left me. Then this being spoke to me, and I fell to the ground unconscious, face downward.

COMMENT

Daniel 10:1-3 IN THE THIRD YEAR OF CYRUS KING OF PERSIA. Leupold makes an interesting observation: The last three Chapter s of the book of Daniel contain the Last Revelation of Things to Come. Chapter ten is introductory; the body of this last revelation is found chiefly in chapter eleven; chapter twelve is a conclusion. There is hardly anything in the Bible that is just like these Chapter s, especially like chapter eleven. The word, the vision, and minute prediction are combined in a manner that is found nowhere else in the Scripture. Everything in chapter ten is preparatory to chapter eleven.

The Last Revelation of Things to Come is the last revelation of things to come upon the O.T. covenant people. Daniel recounts, in chapter eleven, in detail, the final centuries of Israel's history as it relates to the Ptolemies and the Seleucids. Chapter ten is an introduction to that prediction of history to come.

In the third year of Cyrus. indicates that Daniel did not return to Palestine with the first increment of returnees under Zerubbabel, but remained in Babylon. He was now an old man, and God had yet another revelation to give him on behalf of the covenant people. When God revealed such exciting things and such terrible things concerning the future, the prophet was inspired to mark such a momentous revelation in terms of definite time and circumstances. Here the day and the month of the year are marked when the prophet was given this terrifying vision. In order to understand the full significance of this entire revelation concerning the Ptolemies and Seleucids and other enemies (Samaritans) of God's people in the ending era of the O.T. covenant, one must understand that already obstacles (in the third year of Cyrus) had been placed in the way of the first returnees to Palestine. The Samaritans had tried to persuade Cyrus that the Jews he allowed to return to Palestine were plotting treason against his rule. God tells Daniel that much more tribulation and persecution is to come upon the Jews in their restoration before the Messiah comes. The Jews, with carnal mindedness, took Daniel's prophecies in stride, endured the tribulations, but were hoping in a Messiah who would come to avenge all that took place during the abominations of the Seleucids. But Daniel never predicted a carnally-oriented Messiahhe predicted One who would accomplish spiritual victories (Daniel 9:24, etc.) and who Himself would be cut-off in the midst of the 70th week. Daniel intended to raise their hopes in God's highest purpose in their livesbut they could not raise their vision above the worldly, so they applied the hopeful tone of Daniel's prophecies to the carnal.

What Daniel saw was so unique he had to emphasize that the thing was true. The great warfare would be better translated the great suffering. The time of this suffering would be great or longin fact it would last nearly 200 years; from the time of Alexander the Great and the division of his empire, to the revolt of the Maccabeans.
The fact that Daniel was able to understand this vision caused him great turmoil of spirit. He mourned three whole weeks. Daniel put his body under subjection to conform to his spiritual penitence and sorrow. This harmony of the outward man with the inner man is most conducive to sincere communication with God. Daniel denied himself all forms of food and drink as well as the customary anointing at this particular time of the year (Passover).

Daniel 10:4-6. BEHOLD, A MAN CLOTHED IN LINEN. On the 24th day of Nisan (the first month of the Jewish cal-endar) Daniel received this vision as he was beside the river Iigris (Hiddekel; cf. Genesis 2:14). The Passover feast begins on the 14th day of Nisan, followed by 7 days of unleavened bread, A very appropriate time for Daniel to mourn the coming tribulation of his people.

The being who appeared to Daniel with the revelation of God was dressed in linen (symbolizing purity); girded with pure gold (symbolizing high station); his body was like a rare gem from Tarshish (berly) (symbolizing association with royalty); his face flashed with startling brilliance like lightning (symbolizing truth); his eyes flamed like torches burning in the night, (symbolizing judgment); his arms and feet glistened like polished brass (symbolizing power); his voice thundered like a roar of the mighty sea (symbolizing power also). This being appeared in the human form of man. Some have taken him to be a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus because this man's appearance and the Lord's appearance in Revelation 1:13-15 are so similar. We believe, however, that this man was one of God's mighty angelsone on a par with other mighty angels like Michael. See our discussion of pre-incarnate appearances of the Lord Jesus on Daniel 3:24-25. See also the Special Study on Angels at the end of this chapter.

Daniel 10:7-9. AND THERE REMAINED NO STRENGTH IN ME. Why his companions could not see the vision we are at a loss to explain. Perhaps it was because of their limited spiritual attainmentsmore likely it was simply because the Divine being restricted by his own choice and ability his appearance to Daniel only, for Divine reasons. They participated in the event enough to realize the manifestation was supernatural and enough to cause them to quake with fear and flee to hide from omnipotence. A parallel to this is Paul and his companions on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3 ff).

Daniel was severely affected by what he saw. Any sinner would be so affected, were he to come into contact with a holy being who had come from the presence of the Holiest of Holies. Many saints, both in the O.T. and N.T., expected sudden death when such a manifestation came to them. Such an appearance is not to be taken lightly. The directness of this revelation literally drained every bit of physical strength from Daniel. -The prophet had to be resuscitated frequently to survive this experience. Whatever appearance of health and strength Daniel had disappeared. All the color left his face and when he heard the voice booming forth he fell flat on his face on the ground.

It would be well for those who treat visions from the Lord and visits from angels lightly, claiming many such visions indiscriminately, to note how severely even a saint like Daniel was affected. Some who have claimed such visions speak of them as if they were almost natural, everyday occurrences with no particular effects such as Daniel had. And it may be for this very purpose God moved Daniel to record what seems insignificant details to his own personthe absolute frailty of man in -the presence of the holiness and the greatness of God. Isaiah knew it (Isaiah 6:1-13); Jeremiah knew it (Jeremiah 1:4-19); time would fail to speak of those who knew such prostrate uncleanness when faced with the absolute holiness of GodMoses, Jacob, Paul, John, Peter, etc.

QUIZ

1.

Why mention the third year of Cyrus?

2.

What is the warfare Daniel saw in his vision?

3.

What was the time of year Daniel mourned and saw his vision?

4.

Why would the man Daniel saw not be the Lord Jesus?

5.

What portion of N.T. scripture parallels this vision of the heavenly being?

6.

How and why did the vision affect Daniel as it did?

7.

Why do you suppose the Lord moved Daniel to record his reaction to the vision?