Daniel 10.10-A Hand Touches Daniel and Sets Him Trembling on His Hands and Knees
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday February 25, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 10:10: A Hand Touches Daniel and Sets Him Trembling On His Hands and Knees
Lesson # 305
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. 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 10:10 Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. (NASB95)
This verse presents the next event that took place after the events recorded in verses 8-9.
The interjection hin·nē(h) means “behold” and is used to introduce with emphasis a description of what happened to Daniel after he fell into a deep sleep with his face to the ground.
It draws the attention of the reader in order to mark that what happened to Daniel after he fell into a deep sleep with his face to the ground was impressive and astounding to him.
The noun yāḏ is in the singular and means “hand” and refers to the hand of an unidentified individual.
Daniel 10:11-12:13 would appear to indicate that this individual was an elect angel of God.
There is no identification that this angel was Gabriel.
The fact that the angel needed aid from the arch-angel Michael to overcome a non-elect or fallen angel of Satan would indicate he possessed a lower rank than Gabriel and Michael.
“And set me trembling on my hands and knees” presents the next event which took place immediately after the hand of this unidentified elect angel touched Daniel.
“Set me trembling” is the verb nûaʿ (נוּעַ) (noo´-ah), which means “to set trembling” since it pertains to someone causing another person to be in a particular position while the person’s body is shaking involuntarily as a result of great fear or anxiety since this elect angel tells Daniel to not be afraid in verse 12.
Daniel 10:10 Then, behold, a hand touched me. Next, it set me trembling on my knees and the palms of my hands. (My translation)
After falling into a deep sleep with his face to the ground as a result of receiving a revelatory vision of the preincarnate Christ, Daniel tells the reader that a hand touched him.
Then, it set him trembling on his knees and the palms of his hands.
Who does this hand belong to?
The hand belongs to the man speaking to Daniel in the rest of the chapter which makes clear this is an angel.
This is indicated by the fact that Daniel 10:11 connects the hand to the individual speaking to Daniel in the rest of the chapter.
In verse 11, the text say that “he” spoke to Daniel, which would indicate that this is telling us the hand belongs to the one speaking to Daniel.
The individual appears to be an unidentified elect angel of God which is indicated by the conversation between Daniel and this angel recorded in Daniel 10:11-12:13.
In these verses, there is no mention of the angel Gabriel who appeared to Daniel in chapters 7, 8 and 9.
In fact, in Daniel 8:16, God orders Gabriel by name to interpret the vision He gave Daniel during the third year of Belshazzar’s reign.
Then, in Daniel 9:21, Daniel identifies Gabriel as the one whom he saw in the vision recorded in chapter eight which he received during the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.
Therefore, if Gabriel is the one touching Daniel here in Daniel 10:10, we would expect him to identify him by name as he does in Daniel 8:16 and 9:21.
However, he does not and there is nothing in Daniel 10:11-12:13 which would suggest Gabriel is speaking to Daniel in this passage and thus would be the one touching Daniel in Daniel 10:10.
The hand that touches Daniel does not belong to the man in the revelatory vision recorded in Daniel 10:4-9 whose presence caused Daniel to fall into a deep sleep with his face to the ground.
This again is indicated by the fact that the hand belongs to the man speaking to Daniel in the rest of the chapter which makes clear this is an angel.
This is indicated by the fact that Daniel 10:11 connects the hand to the individual speaking to Daniel in the rest of the chapter.
In verse 11, the text say that “he” spoke to Daniel, which would indicate that this is telling us the hand belongs to the one speaking to Daniel.
Therefore, in Daniel 10:10, the unidentified individual who touches Daniel and rouses him from his deep sleep and sets him on his hands and knees is an elect-angel but not Gabriel.
Angels are acutely aware of and involved in human affairs and the involvement of angelic beings in human affairs is part and parcel of their role in promoting (or, in the case of the fallen angels, opposing) God's plan for human history.
On a more personal level, however, angels are also apparently extremely interested in observing human behavior in general and in the playing out of God's plan in particular (1Tim.3:16; 5:21; 1Pet.1:10-12).
The observation of human behavior is particularly true in the case of the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus Christ.
They were present at His birth (Lk.2:13-14), temptation (Matt.4:11), resurrection (Lk.24:4), ascension (Acts 1:10-11), and return (2 Thes.1:7), evidence which underscores angelic interest in the most crucial phase of God's plan, namely the life and work of the Messiah.
By observation, angels are learning (to their joy in the case of the elect angels, to their sorrow in the case of the fallen angels) about the wisdom, the power, the grace and the mercy of God (cf. Lk.15:10; 1Cor.4:9; 11:10).
Angels are created spirit beings (Ps. 148:2, 5) and were created in eternity past, before the creation of the cosmos (Job 38:4, 7).
The Lord Jesus Christ created the angels in eternity past (Col. 1:16) and they are innumerable (He. 12:22).
They are in eternity (present) a higher category of beings than humans are (Heb. 2:6-7) and in eternity (future), redeemed humans will be a higher category of beings than the angels (Ps. 8:4-5).
The doctrine of positional sanctification states that the church age believer is positionally higher than the angels by virtue of their union with Christ through the Baptism of the Spirit, which takes place at the moment of salvation.
Man cannot see angels for they are invisible but can be seen by man when God does one of two things: (1) He lifts the veil of the spiritual dimension (2 Kings 6:17). (2) He allows them to change their form to human (Hebrews 13:2).
Angels do not die and their number does not increase or decrease (Luke 20:36) and there are different ranks of angels (Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16).
As God’s servants who are dispatched from the throne room of heaven to execute God’s purposes, we may observe that the ministry of the elect-angels falls into several categories.
In Relation to God the elect-angels perform the following services: (1) Attendants around the throne of God, and are waiting to serve Him and do His bidding (Ps. 103:20; Isa. 6:1f; Job 1:6; 2:1; Rev. 5:11; 8:1f). (2) Worshippers in praise of Him (Isa. 6:3; Ps. 148:1-2; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:12). (3) Observers who rejoice over what the Lord does (Job 38:6-7; Luke 2:12-13; 15:10), Soldiers in battle with Satan (Rev. 12:7). (4) Instruments used by God to execute judgments (Rev. 7:1; 8:2).
In Relation to the Nations, the elect-angels and non-elect angels perform the following services: (1) Michael, the archangel, is the guardian of the nation of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9). (2) The non-elect angels rule over the Gentile nations (Dan. 4:17; Eph. 6:11-16) and seek to influence their human leaders (Dan. 10:21; 11:1). (3) In the Tribulation the elect-angels will be the agents God uses to pour out His judgments (see Rev. 8-9 and 16).
In Relation to the Church: Hebrews 1:14 describes ministry of the elect-angels “servant-spirits who are divinely commissioned and repeatedly dispatched for service on behalf of those who are destined to inherit salvation.”
In this, however, Scripture points to a number of specific ministries: (1) The elect-angels bring answers to prayer (Acts 12:5-10). (2) They help in bringing people to the Savior (Acts 8:26; 10:3). (3) They may encourage in times of danger (Acts 27:23-24). (4) They care for God’s people at the time of death (Luke 16:22).