Daniel 10.9-Daniel Fell into a Deep Sleep With His Face to the Ground When He Heard the Words of the Man in the Revelatory Vision
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday February 20, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 10:9-Daniel Fell into a Deep Sleep With His Face to the Ground When He Heard the Words of the Man in the Revelatory Vision
Lesson # 304
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. 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)
Daniel 10:9 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. (NASB95)
“But I heard the sound of his words” is a concessive clause rather than an adversative clause indicating that Daniel retained absolutely no strength, “however despite this” or “nevertheless” or “although” he could hear the Lord’s words.
The conjunction wa can be interpreted as having an adversative sense meaning that it is introducing a statement which stands in direct contrast to Daniel’s previous statement that he retained absolutely no strength in his body while in the presence of the preincarnate Christ.
Therefore, this conjunction is marking a contrast between Daniel possessing no physical strength while in the presence of the man in the revelatory vision who is the preincarnate Christ and hearing the voice of the Son of God.
Many English translations render the word “then” since they interpret it as functioning as a marker of a sequence of closely related events (cf. ESV, NIV, TNIV, NLT, NRSV, HCSB).
This means that it is introducing a statement that marks the next event that took place after Daniel describes his emotional and physical reaction to this revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ.
Therefore, the conjunction wa would indicate Daniel hearing the words of the preincarnate Christ after finding himself with absolutely no strength in the Lord’s presence.
There is also another interpretation that fits the context, namely interpreting the conjunction wa as having a concessive force meaning that Daniel could hear the words of Christ “despite the fact” he possessed absolutely no physical strength in the Lord’s presence.
In other words, “although” Daniel had absolutely no strength in the Lord’s presence, he could still hear the Lord speaking.
This interpretation best fits the context since Daniel’s emphasis is not that of contrasting the state of having no strength with that of being able to hear the words of Christ.
His emphasis is not to tell the reader the order of events when in the presence of Christ.
Rather his emphasis is to show the reader that despite the fact that he was drained of all physical strength when he saw this revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ, he still was able to hear the Lord’s words.
Therefore, we will interpret the conjunction wa here in Daniel 10:9 as concessive indicating that Daniel retained absolutely no strength, “however despite this” or “nevertheless” or “although” he could hear the Lord’s words.
“And as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face” is emphatic meaning it advances upon and intensifies upon the previous statement that despite the fact that Daniel had absolutely no strength in the presence of the preincarnate Christ, he could hear the words of the Lord.
Daniel 10:9 However, despite this, I could hear the sound of his words. In fact, as soon as I myself heard the sound of his words, I myself was then caused to enter the state of being in a deep sleep on my face, yes my face to the ground. (My translation)
Daniel continues to describe his account of coming into contact with the preincarnate Christ by informing the reader that despite the fact that he had absolutely no physical strength while staring at this great revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ, he could still hear the words of Christ.
He then advances upon this statement by telling the reader that as soon as he heard the words of the preincarnate Christ, he was then caused to enter the state of being in a deep trance-like sleep with his face to the ground.
So verse 9 like verse 8 presents the physical affect caused by being in the presence of the preincarnate Christ.
His 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 (cf. Revelation 1:12-20).
Now, if you recall in Daniel 8:18, being in the presence of Gabriel also caused Daniel to enter into a deep sleep.
This does not indicate here in Daniel 10 that Daniel came into contact with the elect angel Gabriel.
Rather the evidence from the Scriptures would indicate that he had come into contact with preincarnate Christ in Daniel 10:5-9.
This is indicated by several factors.
If one compares the account in Daniel 10:4-11 with the account of the apostle John’s vision of the resurrected, glorified Christ in Revelation 1:13-16, it appears that Daniel saw a vision of the preincarnate Christ.
John’s description of the glorified resurrected Christ is similar to Daniel’s description of the supernatural being he saw.
If we compare Revelation 1:13-16 with Daniel 10:4-7 there are many similarities.
John describes Christ as having a robe reaching to the feet and a golden sash girded across His chest.
Daniel does not mention these things in the revelation he received from God.
However, he does mention that the waist of the man who appeared to him was girded with gold.
John says that Christ’s head and hair was white like snow.
Daniel does not mention this about the man he saw.
John describes Christ’s eyes were like a flame of fire.
Daniel says that the eyes of the man he saw were like flaming torches.
John says that the legs and feet of Christ were like burnished bronze.
Daniel describes the legs of the man he saw as like polished bronze.
John says that Christ’s voice was like the sound of many waters whereas Daniel describes the voice of the man who appeared to him as sounding like a large crowd or multitude.
John does not describe the torso of Christ in his revelation whereas Daniel says that the torso of the man he saw was like chrysolite.
John does not describe the face of Christ whereas Daniel describes the face of the man received revelation of as being glittering in appearance.
John says that he fell at the feet of Christ like a dead man which is similar to Daniel’s response to the appearance of the man he saw since he says that all his strength left him and he fell into a deep sleep when he heard the sound of this man’s words.
Therefore, we can see that when John describes the eyes, legs and voice of Christ they correspond to Daniel’s description of the eyes, legs and voice of the man he saw in his revelation.
Further indicating that Daniel saw the preincarnate Christ is the response of Daniel’s friends to this vision, which is similar to the response of those who saw the vision Paul saw of the resurrected Christ at his conversion recorded in Acts 9:1-7.
Another indication that Daniel saw the preincarnate Christ is that the man he saw could very well be “the Son of Man” in Daniel 7:13.
There are those who argue that it is unlikely that Daniel saw the preincarnate Christ since they see that this individual was hindered by a prince (fallen angel) of Persia (10:13) and that he needed the help from the arch-angel Michael.
But this has problems, since Daniel could have received this vision of Christ, then fell asleep and then was awakened by an elect angel.
After the vision recorded in Daniel 10:4-8, Daniel tells the reader in verse 9 that he fell into a deep sleep.
Then in verse 10, an elect angel touches him.
That this is an angel speaking to Daniel throughout the rest of the chapter is clearly indicated.
Therefore, the man who appeared to Daniel in 10:4-7 is not the same individual who woke him up and spoke to him in 10:10-12:4.
So Daniel could have very well received a vision of the preincarnate Christ, then fell into a deep sleep but then was awakened by an elect angel.
Furthermore, in Daniel 12:6, Daniel says that an unidentified elect angel spoke to the very same man dressed in linen who appeared in Daniel 10:4-7.
This man dressed in linen was above the waters of the river.
This unidentified elect angel asked this man dressed in linen a question, namely how long it would be until the end of these wondrous events recorded in chapters 10-12.
Daniel 12:7 records the man dressed in linen answering the question of this unidentified elect angel.
The man dressed in linen possesses a knowledge that transcended that of the other angels such as this unidentified elect angel and he even takes a divine oath.
This man dressed in linen has an exalted position above the waters suggesting he is superior to this unidentified elect angel.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in Daniel 12 we have a conversation between two elect angels, namely this unidentified elect angel and an unidentified angel but is unlikely for the reasons given above.
Furthermore, in Daniel 10:4-7, Daniel was not describing Gabriel because he had already appeared to Daniel in chapters eight and nine and he did not describe this angel in the same way as he does here in chapter ten.
This implies that what Daniel is describing here in Daniel 10:4-9 is not a vision of Gabriel or any other elect angel but someone who is to be distinguished and is distinguished from the angels and is superior to them.
Interestingly, the gold belt around the waist of this unidentified man in Daniel 10:5 suggests that this person was a king or a judge since in the ancient world a gold belt was worn by wealthy and royal classes of people.
Here in Daniel 10:9, the fact that Daniel’s face is to the ground is an appropriate posture for the sinner saved by grace when in the presence of their Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Daniel’s response parallels Ezekiel’s response when in the presence of God (cf. Ezekiel 1:28; Matthew 17:1-6).
His response to coming into contact with the Son of God is be expected since he was still a sinner by nature and practice and God is holy.
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.
Undoubtedly, the Lord was honoring Daniel’s lifetime of faithfulness to Him by revealing Himself to Daniel in such a manner.
This Christophany or Theophany was a reward to Daniel for a lifetime of faithfulness.
This is indicated by Gabriel telling Daniel that he was held in high esteem by God and the elect angels in Daniel 10:11 and 19.