Daniel 10.8-Daniel Describes His Reaction to the Revelatory Vision
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday February 19, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 10:8-Daniel Describes His Reaction to the Revelatory Vision
Lesson # 303
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 10:1.
Daniel 10:1 During Cyrus’s third year, king over Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel who was called by his name Belteshazzar. Specifically this message was truth and concerning a great conflict because he understood this message, yes he possessed understanding concerning this revelation. 2 During those days, I myself, Daniel caused myself to enter the state of mourning for three weeks. 3 I never ate expensive choice food or meat. Also, wine never entered into my mouth likewise I never anointed myself with oil until the end of the three weeks. 4 Then, on the twenty-fourth day of the first month while I myself was beside that great river, namely the Tigris, 5 while I lifted up my eyes, I then stared as behold there was a certain man dressed in linen. Specifically, his waist was girded with gold from Uphaz. 6 His torso like chrysolite, his face like a glittering appearance, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms as well as his legs like the appearance of polished bronze, and in addition the sound of his words like the sound of a large crowd. 7 Now, I myself, Daniel alone saw this revelatory vision while the men who were with me never saw this revelatory vision. However, a great panic fell upon them. In fact, they fled because they were hiding themselves. (My translation)
Daniel 10:8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. (NASB95)
“So I was left alone” presents the result of the previous statement that Daniel’s companions fled because they were hiding themselves from the presence of the preincarnate Christ who they could not see.
“And saw this great vision” is a temporal clause indicating that Daniel was left alone “while” he stared at or was transfixed by this great revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ.
“Saw” is the verb rā∙ʾā(h) (רָאָה) (raw-aw), which means “to stare” in the sense of steadily looking at something with studious attention and with openmouthed wonder and amazement.
It refers to Daniel looking at a revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ with studious attention and with open mouth wonder and amazement and speaks of him being transfixed by this revelatory vision.
“This great vision” is composed of the noun mǎr·ʾā(h) (מַרְאָה) (mar-aw´), “vision” which is followed by the adjective gā·ḏôl (גָּדוֹל) (gaw-dole´), “great” which is followed by the articular form of the demonstrative pronoun zō(ʾ)ṯ (זֹאת) (zothe´), “this.”
Once again, as was the case in Daniel 10:7, the noun mǎr·ʾā(h) here in Daniel 10:8 means “revelatory vision” since it is referring to a revelation given to Daniel of the preincarnate Christ which was an audio-visual experience for him.
This word is modified by the articular form of the adjective gā·ḏôl which means “great” in the sense of causing one surprise, astonishment and amazement.
Thus, this adjective denotes that this revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ was “great” in the sense that Daniel was amazed and astonished by it so much so that it affected him emotionally and physically.
“Yet no strength was left in me” is presenting the adverse affect this great revelatory vision had on Daniel and parallels the adversative clause in verse 7 “however a great panic fell upon them.”
This adversative clause expresses the fact that absolutely no strength was left in Daniel as a result of coming into contact with the preincarnate Christ.
“For my natural color turned to a deathly pallor” presents an addition to the previous statement that Daniel had absolutely no strength left in his body as a result of coming into contact with the preincarnate Christ.
It reveals that the presence of the preincarnate Christ caused Daniel’s facial expression to be transformed into a deathly pale state.
“And I retained no strength” is resumptive meaning that it reiterates Daniel’s statement earlier that absolutely no strength was left in him as a result of this revelatory vision.
It expresses the fact that Daniel retained absolutely no physical strength as a result of coming into contact with the preincarnate Christ.
Daniel 10:8 Thus, I myself was left alone while staring at this great revelatory vision. However, absolutely no strength was left in me. Also, to my dismay, my facial appearance was transformed into a deathly pale state. Indeed, I retained absolutely no strength. (My translation)
After describing the affect this revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ had on the men with him, Daniel describes its affect on himself.
Here in verse 8, he begins this description by reiterating that he was left alone while staring at this great revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ.
He was alone as a result of his companions fleeing the scene because they were hiding themselves from the presence of the preincarnate Christ who they could not see.
He describes this revelatory vision as great because of the physical affect it had on him.
He possessed absolutely no muscular strength in his body as a result of coming into contact with the preincarnate Christ.
It was also great because it was unique in the sense that it was a revelation of the Son of God.
Then, he tells the reader that to his dismay, his facial appearance was transformed into a deathly pale state.
The blood drained from his face so that he was deathly pale.
This was due to his emotional response to this revelatory vision.
No doubt he experienced great fear just as the apostle John did when he saw a vision of the resurrected Christ (cf. Revelation 1:12-20).
Daniel 10:8 concludes with Daniel reiterating that he retained absolutely no strength in his physical body as a result of coming into contact with this great revelatory vision.
Therefore, Daniel is describing the emotional and physical affects that he experienced as a result of coming into contact with this great revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ.
Matthew Henry wrote “Note, the greatest and best of men cannot bear the immediate discoveries of the divine glory; no man can see it and live; it is next to death to see a glimpse of it, as Daniel here; but glorified saints see Christ as he is and can bear the sight. But, though Daniel was thus dispirited with the vision of Christ, yet he heard the voice of his words and knew what he said. Note, We must take heed lest our reverence of God’s glory, by which we should be awakened to hear his voice both in his word and in his providence, should degenerate into such a dread of him as will disable or indispose us to hear it.”
Daniel’s response to coming into contact with the preincarnate Christ should not be considered unusual since he was still a sinner by nature and practice when he comes into the presence of the Lord.
Coming into contact with God who is holy produces fear in those who are sinners.
Of course, Daniel was a believer but nonetheless his sinful state still caused him to become fearful in the presence of the Holy One.
Daniel was totally and completely incapacitated as a result of the Son of God coming into his presence.
Daniel’s reaction to this revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ parallels the apostle John’s response to being in the presence of the resurrected, glorified Christ.
Revelation 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” (NASB95)
So Daniel’s response to this revelatory vision overwhelmed him emotionally and physically.
If you recall, he did not have this type of response when coming into contact with the elect angel Gabriel, which is an indication that this revelatory vision was a vision of the Son of God in His preincarnate state.
Daniel gives no such description of Gabriel and does not mention being overwhelmed by being in the presence of Gabriel.
However, here in Daniel 10:4-9, he describes himself as being totally and completely overwhelmed by being in the presence of this man dressed in linen.
This would indicate that this man dressed in linen is superior to Gabriel or any other elect angel of God such as Michael.
It would indicate that Daniel came into contact with a manifestation of deity.