Welcome back to my study/review of The Book of Daniel. If you missed the previous parts of this study, you can find them HERE.
Daniel 8:15-19
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.
____________________________________
This group of verses set up those that follow, which provide an interpretation to the vision which we have seen. In the previous set of verses, we have identified three potential time periods which might be in play, as part of this interpretation:
The persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes during the second century BC
The burning of the temple by the Romans in AD 70
A future event which has not yet come to pass
All of the above
So when is “the time of the end”? Let’s see if the commentaries help us clarify that question. From The Pulpit Commentaries, first, starting at verse 15:
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. The versions here are unimportant. Daniel desires to understand the meaning of this vision. From this we see that, at the time when this book was written, it was understood that prophets might be ignorant of the meaning of the revelations made to them. This is at variance with the assumption of even believing critics, that if a prophecy were given to a prophet, he must have understood the reference of the message. On the accuracy of this assumption, they found the rejection of any interpretation of a prophecy which sees more in it than the prophet could have seen. This latest critical date of Daniel is separated by approximately two centuries and a half from prophecy in actual existence in Malachi. The tradition of the conditions of the phenomenon would still be vital. The phrase before us probably means that Daniel applied the various Babylonian formulae to the dream, to find the interpretation , but, suspicious of them, he still continued his search. In answer to Daniel’s search, there stood before him one having “the appearance of a man (gaber)”—anangelic being in human form. The H,.brew word translated “man” is gaber, which suggests the name given to the angel, “Gabriel.“
The note here makes an interesting point. Daniel received the vision initially without an interpretation for the vision. The vision and the interpretation are provided separately. There are many other examples in the Bible of this occurring. Most famously, Pharaoh in Egypt has dreams and requires Joseph (through God) to interpret them. It does seem though that if one is given a vision it is advisable to ask God for the interpretation. Continuing on in TPC:
And I heard a man’s voice between the hanks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. The Septuagint has an addition, “And the man called out, saying, To that purpose is the vision.“This seems to be a gloss. Theodotion and the Peshita agree with the Massoretic, only that Theodotion does not indicate the difference of the word used for “man” in this verse from that in Daniel 8:15, and renders Ulai “Oubeh““Between Ulai” is a singular phrase. The versions do not attempt any solution. The preposition bayin means usually “between.” If we assume that the river Ulai is here meant, and that it divided into two branches, the thing is explicable. Only it would have been more in accordance with usage to have put “Ulai” in the plural. It may, perhaps refer to the marsh, in which case it might be between the citadel and the marsh. Daniel had seen the appearance of a man; now he hears a voice addressing the man, and naming him Gabriel,“Hero of God.” It is to be noted that this is the earliest instance of the naming of angels in Scripture. In the tenth chapter Michael is also named. These are the only angelic names in the whole of Scripture. These two names, and these alone, recur in the New Testament, the first of them in the first chapter of Luke, and the second in Revelation 12:7 and Jude. The Book of Tobit added another angelic name on the same lines, Raphael. When we pass to the Books of Enoch, we have moat elaborate hierarchies of angels, in all of which, however much they may otherwise differ, occur the two angels mentioned here and Raphael. The difference in atmosphere between the elaborate angelology of Enoch and the reticent accounts in the book before us is great. It is hardly possible to imagine so great a difference between the works of men that were all but contemporaries. The function assigned to Gabriel here is in accordance with that he fulfils in the New Testament—he is to make Daniel “understand the vision.”
Gabriel is an interesting figure among the Abrahamic faiths, and other Near Eastern faiths, inasmuch as his name comes up repeatedly. (more via wiki)
Etymology
The name Gabriel (Hebrew: גַּבְרִיאֵל, Gaḇrīʾēl) is composed of the first person singular possessive form of the Hebrew noun gever (גֶּבֶר), meaning “man”, and ʾĒl, meaning “God”. This would make the translation of the archangel’s name “man of God”.
Proclus of Constantinople, in his famous Homily 1, stated that the meaning of Gabriel’s name prefigured that Jesus, whose birth was announced by Gabriel, would be both man and God.
After the Jews’ exile to Babylon in the 6th century BCE, Jewish beliefs underwent a significant transformation. Exposure to Zoroastrianism, with its intricate angelology and the concept of a cosmic struggle between good and evil, likely influenced this evolution. The striking similarities between “holy immortal” (Amesha Spentas) Vohu Manah (or “good mind”) and Gabriel’s role as a messenger suggest a potential connection. This exposure to Zoroastrian angelology during the exile period may have played a part in shaping Gabriel’s prominent role as a divine messenger in Judaism.
Judaism
Hebrew Bible
In the Hebrew Bible, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain his visions (Daniel 8:15–26, 9:21–27). Later, in Daniel’s final vision, an angel, not named but likely Gabriel again, appears to him and speaks of receiving help from prince Michael in battle against the prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13, 21) and also Michael’s role in times to come (Daniel 12:1). These are the first instances of a named angel in the Bible. Gabriel’s main function in Daniel is that of revealer, responsible for interpreting Daniel’s visions, a role he continues to have in later traditions.
Rabbinic Judaism
Gabriel, (Hebrew: גַּבְרִיאֵל, romanized: Gaḇrīʾēl) is interpreted by Talmudicrabbis to be the “man in linen” mentioned in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Ezekiel. Talmudic Judaism understands the angel in the Book of Ezekiel, who was sent to destroy Jerusalem, to be Gabriel. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Gabriel takes the form of a man, and stands at the left hand of God. Shimon ben Lakish (Syria Palaestina, 3rd century) concluded that the angelic names of Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel came out of the Babylonian exile (Gen. Rab. 48:9). Alongside the archangel Michael, Gabriel is described as the guardian angel of Israel, defending this people against the angels of the other nations.
Mystical Judaism
In Kabbalah, Gabriel is identified with the sefira of Yesod. Gabriel also has a prominent role as one of God’s archangels in the Kabbalah literature. There, Gabriel is portrayed as working in concert with Michael as part of God’s court. Gabriel is not to be prayed to because only God can answer prayers and sends Gabriel as his agent.
According to Jewish mythology, in the Garden of Eden there is a tree of life or the “tree of souls” that blossoms and produces new souls, which fall into the Guf, the treasury of souls. Gabriel reaches into the treasury and takes out the first soul that comes into his hand.
Gabriel’s first appearance in the New Testament concerns the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist. John’s father Zachariah, a priest of the course of Abia, (Luke 1:5–7) was childless because his wife Elisabeth was barren. An angel appears to Zacharias while he is ministering in the Temple to announce the birth of his son. When Zachariah questions the angel, the angel gives his name as Gabriel:
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
— Luke 1:10–20
After completing his required week of ministry, Zacharias returns to his home and his wife Elizabeth conceives. After she has completed five months of her pregnancy (Luke 1:21–25), Gabriel appears again, now to Mary, to announce the birth of Jesus:
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
— Luke 1:26–38
Gabriel only appears by name in those two passages in Luke. In the first passage the angel identified himself as Gabriel, but in the second it is Luke who identified him as Gabriel. The only other named angels in the New Testament are Michael the Archangel (in Jude 1:9) and Abaddon (in Revelation 9:11). Believers are expressly warned not to worship angels in two New Testament passages: Colossians 2:18–19 and Revelation 19:10.
Intertestamental literature
Gabriel is not called an archangel in the canonical Bible. However, the intertestamental period (roughly 200 BC – 50 AD) produced a wealth of literature, much of it having an apocalyptic orientation. The names and ranks of angels and devils were greatly expanded in this literature, and each had particular duties and status before God. This was the period when Gabriel was first referred to as an archangel.
In 1 Enoch 9:1–3, Gabriel, along with Michael, Uriel, and Suriel, “saw much blood being shed upon the earth” (9:1) and heard the souls of men cry, “Bring our cause before the Most High” (9:3). In 1 Enoch 10:1, the reply came from “the Most High, the Holy and Great One” who sent forth agents, including Gabriel—
And the Lord said to Gabriel: “Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates, and against the children of fornication: and destroy [the children of fornication and] the children of the Watchers from amongst men [and cause them to go forth]: send them one against the other that they may destroy each other in battle: for length of days shall they not have.”
Gabriel is the fifth of the five angels who keep watch: “Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim”. (1 Enoch 20:7) When Enoch asked who the four figures were that he had seen:
And he said to me: ‘This first is Michael, the merciful and long-suffering: and the second, who is set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men, is Raphael: and the third, who is set over all the powers, is Gabriel: and the fourth, who is set over the repentance unto hope of those who inherit eternal life, is named Phanuel.’ And these are the four angels of the Lord of Spirits and the four voices I heard in those days.
The Christian movement of Gnosticism paid special attention to angels as beings belonging to a pantheon of spiritual forces involved in the creation of the world. According to one ancient Gnostic manuscript, the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, Gabriel is a divine being and inhabitant of the Pleroma who existed prior to the Demiurge.
Medieval Christian traditions
Archangel Gabriel at the façade of the Cathedral of Reims, late 13th century
In a famous early work, the “four homilies on the Missus Est, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153 AD) interpreted Gabriel’s name as “the strength of God”, and his symbolic function in the gospel story as announcement of the strength or virtue of Christ, both as the strength of God incarnate and as the strength given by God to the timorous people who would bring into the world a fearful and troublesome event. “Therefore it was an opportune choice that designated Gabriel for the work he had to accomplish, or rather, because he was to accomplish it therefore he was called Gabriel.”
Feast day
The feast day of Saint Gabriel the Archangel was exclusively celebrated on 18 March according to many sources dating between 1588 and 1921; unusually, a source published in 1856 has the feast celebrated on 7 April for unknown reasons (a parenthetical note states that the day is normally celebrated on 18 March). Writer Elizabeth Drayson mentions the feast being celebrated on 18 March 1588 in her 2013 book “The Lead Books of Granada”.
One of the oldest out-of-print sources placing the feast on 18 March, first published in 1608, is Flos sanctorum: historia general de la vida y hechos de Jesu-Christo … y de los santos de que reza y haze fiesta la Iglesia Catholica … by the Spanish writer Alonso de Villegas; a newer edition of this book was published in 1794. Another source published in Ireland in 1886 the Irish Ecclesiastical Record also mentions 18 March.
The feast of Saint Gabriel was included by Pope Benedict XV in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on 24 March. In 1969, the day was officially transferred to 29 September for celebration in conjunction with the feast of the archangels Ss. Michael and Raphael. The Church of England has also adopted the 29 September date, known as Michaelmas.
26 March is the “Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel” and celebrates his role in the Annunciation (eavetaking of the Annunciation)
13 July is also known as the “Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel” and celebrates all the appearances and miracles attributed to Gabriel throughout history. The feast was first established on Mount Athos when, in the 9th century, during the reign of EmperorBasil II and Empress Constantina Porphyrogenitus and while Nicholas Chrysoverges was Patriarch of Constantinople, the Archangel appeared in a cell near Karyes, where he wrote with his finger on a stone tablet the hymn to the Theotokos, “It is truly meet …“.
The Ethiopian Church celebrates his feast on 18 December (in the Ethiopian calendar), with a sizeable number of its believers making a pilgrimage to a church dedicated to “Saint Gabriel” in Kulubi and Wonkshet on that day.
In the Lutheran Churches, Gabriel is celebrated on the Feast of the Archangels on 29 September.
Additionally, Gabriel is the patron saint of messengers, those who work for broadcasting and telecommunications such as radio and television, postal workers, clerics, diplomats, and stamp collectors.
Gabriel’s horn
A familiar image of Gabriel has him blowing a trumpet blast to announce the resurrection of the dead at the end of time. However, though the Bible mentions a trumpet blast preceding the resurrection of the dead, it never specifies Gabriel as the trumpeter. Different passages state different things: the angels of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:31); the voice of the Son of God (John 5:25–29); God’s trumpet (I Thessalonians 4:16); seven angels sounding a series of blasts (Revelation 8–11); or simply “a trumpet will sound” (I Corinthians 15:52). Likewise the early Christian Church Fathers do not mention Gabriel as a trumpeter; and in Jewish and Muslim traditions, Gabriel is again not identified as a trumpeter. The earliest known identification of Gabriel as a trumpeter comes from the Hymn of the Armenian Saint Nerses Shnorhali, “for Protection in the Night”:
The sound of Gabriel’s trumpet on the last night, make us worthy to hear, and to stand on your right hand among the sheep with lanterns of inextinguishable light; to be like the five wise virgins, so that with the bridegroom in the bride chamber we, his spiritual brides may enter into glory.
In 1455, in Armenian art, there is an illustration in an Armenian manuscript showing Gabriel sounding his trumpet as the dead climb out of their graves.
Evangelical Christian traditions
The image of Gabriel’s trumpet blast to announce the end of time was taken up in Evangelical Christianity, where it became widespread, notably in Negro spirituals.
Betwixt these rockie pillars Gabriel sat Chief of the Angelic guards (IV.545f) … He ended, and the Son gave signal high To the bright minister that watch’d, he blew His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps When God descended, and perhaps once more To sound at general doom. (XI.72ff).
It is unclear how the Armenian conception inspired Milton and the spirituals, though they presumably have a common source.
Latter-day Saints
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints theology, Gabriel is believed to have lived a mortal life as the prophet Noah. The two are regarded as the same individual; Noah being his mortal name and Gabriel being his heavenly name.
A 16th-century Siyer-i Nebi image of the archangel Jibril (Gabriel) visiting Muhammad
Gabriel (Arabic: جِبْرِيل, romanized: Jibrīl; also Arabic: جبرائيل, romanized: Jibrāʾīl or Jabrāʾīl, derived from the Hebrew: גַּבְרִיאֵל, romanized: Gaḇrīʾēl) in many places in Qur’an, is revered as one of the primary archangels and as the Angel of Revelation in Islam. He is primarily mentioned in the verses 2:97, 2:98 and 66:4 of the Quran. However, the Quranic text doesn’t refer to him as an angel. In the Quran, the archangel Gabriel appears named in 2:97 and 66:4, as well as in 2:98, where he is mentioned along with the archangel Michael.
Tafsir (Exegetical Quranic literature) narrates that Muhammad saw the archangel Gabriel in his full angelic splendor only twice, the first time being when he received his first revelation. As the Hebrew Bible portrays Gabriel as a celestial messenger sent to Daniel, and in the New Testament to Mary, mother of Jesus, and Zechariah, Islamic tradition holds that Gabriel was sent to numerous pre-Islamic Biblical prophets with revelation and divine injunctions, including Adam, whom Muslims believe was consoled by Gabriel sometime after the Fall, too. He is known by many names in Islam, such as “keeper of holiness”. In Hadith traditions, Jibril is said to have six hundred wings.
We’ll wrap up the aside on angels (they come back up again in Daniel) with this short video explaining why the Roman Catholics believe there are 7 Archangels – of which Gabriel is said to be one:
(16) Between the . . . Ulai.—The city, as it would appear, stood between the two branches of the river. The two branches were the Eulæus and the Choaspes.
(17) The time of the end—i.e., either at the final period of earthly history, or at the time which lies at the limit of the prophetic horizon. St. Jerome observes that what happened in the times of Antiochus was typical of what shall be fulfilled hereafter in Antichrist.
Verse 17 is pretty key to ascertaining the *when* of this vision, and the comment in Ellicott explains clearly why that debate is unsettled. One could interpret “the time of the end” to mean either the end of humanity, and the Day of the Lord… or you could interpret it to mean the end point of the vision. One might point you toward the 2nd century BC, and Antiochus IV Epiphanes, but the other would point you toward a future event.
As I pointed out in the last section though, when we read the Bible through the prism of Type and Typology, we might see “both” as a valid answer as to “when.” One could be true AND a foreshadowing of a future event still to come. We’ll continue on though to see if this becomes further clarified. We’ll look again now at TPC and verse 18:
Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright. The LXX. joins the opening words of the next verse to this. I was in a deep sleep suggests the case of the three apostles, Peter, James, and John, on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luk 9:1-62 :82). The numbing effect of the presence of the supernatural produces a state analogous to sleep, yet “the eyes are open” (Numbers 24:4) the senses are ready to convey impressions to the mind. The angel, however, touched Daniel, and set him upright.
I had really never considered that experiencing the supernatural in this way might induce sleep, or a sleep-like state, but the explanation above makes sense.
The last verse before we get the interpretation provides another clue regarding when this vision did/will take place. We’ll look first at Ellicott:
(19) End ofthe indignation—i.e., the revelation of God’s wrath at the end of the time of the prophecy.
At the time appointed—i.e., the vision refers to the appointed time in the end.
This note does not clear things up as to whether it is one time, another not yet transpired, or both. TPC’s note here adds a little more information:
And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The Septuagint here inserts a clause after “indignation.” It reads, “on the children of thy people.” It may have been inserted from Daniel 12:1, only it is used in such a different sense that that does not seem very likely. It may have been in the original text, and dropped out not unlikely by homoioteleuton. The missing clause would be עַל בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, the last word of which is like two. On the other hand, its omission from Theodotion and the Peshitta is not so easily intelligible. Theodotion is in close agreement with the Massoretic text. The Peshitta is more brief, practically omitting the last clause. We have here the reference to the end, as in verse 17 it is not the end of the world that is in the mind of the writer, but the “end of the indignation.” The Jews, while maintaining their gallant struggle against Epiphanes, have need of being assured that the battle will have an end, and one determined before by God, The angel has to make Daniel know the end of the indignation. It may be said that the present time, when Israel has neither country nor city, is one of indignation; but the immediate reference is to the persecution against the Jews inaugurated by Epiphanes.
indignation = זַעַםzaʻam, zah’-am; from H2194; strictly froth at the mouth, i.e. (figuratively) fury (especially of God’s displeasure with sin):—angry, indignation, rage.
We are again in a situation wherein “indignation” could be an on-going event, but not the end of time itself. And we might also be referring to *the* end. It might be both, too.
Jewish and Christian interpretation of Daniel are made more difficult (or made more clear depending on your perspective) by the fact that Jesus weighs in on Daniel 9 – which some believe also points to the same situation that Daniel 8 does.
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
Jesus spoke well after Antiochus IV Epiphanes, but seems to point toward some similar (but worse) event in the future. If so, then he could refer to the burning of the 2nd temple by the Romans in 70 AD… or something at the end of time itself.
We’ll continue on to see if the interpretation from Gabriel sheds more light. And then we’ll continue on in Daniel to see if future chapters do.
.jpg)
_The_Annunciation,_Gabriel_kneeling_on_one_knee.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
