Daniel 10:1 - Meaning and Application

This vision is dated in the third year of Cyrus, that is, the third year of his rule after he conquered Babylon. It was also the third year since Daniel became acquainted with him and came under his authority. The prophecy is declared to be true, and every word from God is true. Daniel solemnly testifies that he really had this vision and heard these words.

The time appointed was long, reaching all the way to the end of Antiochus’s reign, about 300 years later. That was a long time, especially when you think of it as still far off. In a deeper sense, the prophecy also points forward to spiritual and eternal things, and in type even to the end of the world and the resurrection of the dead. Daniel could rightly say, then, that the time appointed was long.

Even so, the vision was made clear to him, almost as if it were history rather than prophecy. He understood the matter, and it was delivered so plainly that he could say he had understanding of the vision. It did not merely stir his imagination, it gave light to his mind.

Before the vision came, Daniel had humbled himself deeply. He was not fasting because he expected a vision, and when he prayed that great prayer in chapter 9, he does not seem to have expected this answer. He was moved by devotion and by loving concern for God’s suffering people. He mourned for three full weeks, grieving over his own sins, the sins of his people, and their sorrows.

Some think his grief came from seeing that many Jews were lazy and unconcerned. Though they had permission to return to their own land, they stayed in exile and did not value the privileges offered to them. Others think he mourned because enemies kept blocking the rebuilding of the temple, hiring officials to oppose the Jews and frustrate their work (Ezra 4:4-5). Good people cannot help grieving when God’s work moves slowly and meets strong resistance, while his friends are weak and his enemies are active.

During those three weeks, Daniel ate no pleasant bread. He did not stop eating altogether, but he ate little and kept his food plain and unappealing. He also avoided meat, wine, and anointing himself with oil for that whole time (Daniel 10:3). He was now very old, and he might have claimed that his body needed nourishing food. He was also a great man, and could have said that, since he was used to rich dishes, he could not do without them. Yet when self-denial would help his devotion, he chose to deny himself. That puts many young people to shame, because they will not even make such small sacrifices.

The glorious person Daniel saw in the vision was, most agree, the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word. Daniel was by the Tigris River, called Hiddekel here (Daniel 10:4), probably walking there for devotion and reflection, as Isaac once walked in the field to meditate. Because he was a man of rank, his servants were with him at some distance.

There Daniel looked up and saw one man, Christ Jesus. It must be he, because he appears in the same form as he later appeared to John on Patmos (Revelation 1:13-15). His clothing was priestly, because he is the high priest who represents us before God. He was clothed in linen, like the high priest on the Day of Atonement, and around his waist was a belt of pure gold, the finest gold from Uphaz. Everything about Christ is best of its kind. The belt around his waist showed his readiness and energy in the work of redemption, as his Father’s servant.

His form was lovely, his body like beryl, a precious stone with a sky-blue color. His face was awe-inspiring and frightening, like lightning, bright enough to dazzle and warn at the same time. His eyes were like flaming lamps, and his arms and feet shone like polished bronze (Daniel 10:6). His voice was loud, strong, and piercing, like the sound of a great crowd. The voice of God can overpower the voice of the people. This is how glorious Christ appeared, and it should lead us to think highly of him and give him first place in everything. It should also make us admire his humility, because he covered all that splendor when he took the form of a servant and emptied himself.

This appearance had a powerful effect on Daniel and the men with him, filling them with terror. His attendants did not see the vision. It was not given to them, because such a revelation was meant especially for Daniel. God does reveal himself to all in some measure, and no one is kept from that light except by refusing it. But this vision belonged to Daniel in a special way, as one who was especially favored. Paul’s companions saw the light, but they did not see the man (Acts 9:7; Acts 22:9). It is the honor of those loved by God that what is hidden from others is made known to them. Christ reveals himself to them, but not to the world (John 14:22).

Even though Daniel’s attendants did not see the vision, they were seized with an unexplained trembling. Perhaps they heard the voice, or perhaps they felt some strange shaking in the air. A great quaking came upon them, and they fled to hide themselves, likely among the willows by the river. Many people have a spirit of fear, even though they never receive the spirit of adoption. To them, Christ is only a terror. Their fear also helps confirm that Daniel’s vision was real. It was not the product of his imagination, because it had a real and powerful effect on the people around him.

He saw the vision himself, and he saw it alone, but he could not endure what he saw. It did more than dazzle his eyes, it overwhelmed his spirit, so that he had no strength left in him (Daniel 10:8). Like Moses, he said, “I am terrified and trembling.” His mind was so occupied, either in staring at the glory of the vision or in bracing his heart against its fear, that his body was left almost lifeless. He had no strength, and he was only a step away from a dead body. He looked as pale as death, his color was gone, his beauty was turned to decay, and he had no strength left.

This shows that even the greatest and best people cannot bear direct glimpses of divine glory. No one can see it and live. Even a small glimpse of it is almost like death, as it was for Daniel here. But glorified saints will see Christ as he is, and they will be able to bear the sight.

Yet even though Daniel was emptied of strength by the vision of Christ, he still heard the voice of his words and understood what he said. We should be careful that our reverence for God’s glory, which should wake us up to hear his voice in Scripture and in his providence, does not turn into such fear that we become unable or unwilling to hear him. It seems that when Christ’s vision terrified Daniel, the voice of his words soon calmed him and settled him. It silenced his fear and brought him into a holy rest and peace of mind. “When I heard the voice of his words,” he says, “I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.” When he saw the vision, he threw himself down in the lowest posture of humble worship, and then fell asleep, not because he did not care about what he heard and saw, but because he was deeply moved by it.

However terrible Christ may seem to those who are convicted of sin and filled with fear because of it, there is enough in his word to quiet their hearts and make them at peace, if they will only listen and trust it.