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 10:9-14
9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”
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This passage is one of the most-cited in the entire Bible, with respect to developing an understanding of “The Unseen Realm,” not that it clears matters up entirely. From this we can develop a sense of angels, their purpose, their limits, and their opponents. This passage also hints at the existence of supernatural geography, too.
Let’s dive in with the note from Ellicott’s Bible Commentary on verse 9:
(9) His words.—He refers to the unrecorded words of Daniel 10:6. (Comp. Daniel 8:17-18.)
For the sake of jogging our memory, here is Daniel 10:6
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
I do wonder what “the sound of a multitude” is like, though it seems perhaps that I’d know that sound only when I heard it. I suspect there is at least some element of “loud” involved. The sound as described in verse 6 is followed by Daniel falling into a deep sleep. We might view that as Daniel passing out. Continuing to the note in verse 10, this time from The Pulpit Commentaries:
And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. The LXX. agrees with this, but does not bring out any more than this the pregnant sense of the Hebrew. This is given in the margin of the Revised, “Set me tottering on my knees,” etc. Strangely enough, the LXX. renders, “soles of my feet “—an impossible attitude; that this is the true reading of the LXX. is confirmed by Paulus Telleusis. Theodotion omits “the palms of the hands.” The Peshitta renders as the LXX. The Vulgate renders כַּפוֹת by articulos, “joints.” An hand touched me. The hand of him that appeared to him—though Daniel does not say. It is needless to multiply angelic agencies. A discussion has been raised on the question whether this is Gabriel who appeared to Daniel in the eighth chapter, or Michael, or the angel of the presence. It is not a matter of importance, but Michael is excluded by verse 13, and also, to our thinking, “the angel of the presence,” if by that title the Second Person of the Trinity is indicated. Which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. Although the touch communicated to Daniel some strength, yet he was unable to raise himself so as to look up—his face was still to the ground, his attitude was still one of abasement, and he was trembling.
The note here indicates Daniel’s physical posture for the receiving of the vision. The specifics, as between the source documents, is interpretable at some minor variance, but there is unity in the general sense. Daniel was frightening and he held himself in a very humble and abased posture. This is common throughout the Bible when angels are encountered. (There’s a reason that they so often first encourage the human recipients of their messages not to be afraid.) Continuing in TPC:
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I dew sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. The versions do not afford cause for remark. O Daniel, a man greatly beloved. This is the same term as that applied to Daniel (Daniel 9:23), “man of desires” (which see). Understand the words that I speak unto thee; “have understanding in the words,” or better, “matters, which I am speaking or telling to thee.” As the language used was one intelligible to Daniel, it was needless to command him to understand the words, but the “matters” communicated by the words might require a special effort of attention to comprehend. Debareem means “matters” as well as “words.” And stand upright; “‘stand upon thy standing.” Gesenius would render this word when it occurs before (Daniel 8:18), “place;” but both here and there the contrast is in the attitude. From being absolutely prone, as in the eighth chapter, or on hands and knees as here, he is to be upright, and, taking his previous attitude into account, this is not merely to stand where he is, and neither approach nor depart. The LXX. renders, τόπου; Theodotion, στάσει; the Vulgate has gradu. For unto thee am I now sent. This assigns a reason for the command to stand upon his feet. In the Assyrian marbles, however lowly the obeisance made to the monarch by any one admitted to his presence, he stands when he receives the monarch’s commands. Standing implies attention. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. He obeyed the command, but still trembling took hold of him in the angelic presence.
Just a note from me. It’s perhaps a point worth reflecting on that so much time is spent in the text on Daniel’s posture. He is rightfully humble before the messenger of the Lord – both fearful and trembling. How much time do believers in the present spend in a state of fear and trembling?
I am reminded of the writing of the Apostle Paul:
Philippians 2: 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
I think the 21st century Church spends a lot of time encouraging Believers to be confident in their hope, but I have not encountered a lot of admonitions toward fearfulness and trembling. I don’t think that those things have to be mutually exclusive of each other. Continuing to verse 12, still in TPC:
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Both the LXX. and Theodotion insert Kepler before Θεοῦ. This is the more remarkable as Κύριος stands for “Jehovah” usually in the Greek versions—a title rarely occurring in Daniel in, and only in, the prayer of the preceding chapter. This addition does not occur in the Peshitta or Vulgate. He said unto me, Fear not, Daniel. Still the signs of terror were manifest in Daniel, and the angel spoke encouragingly to him. For from the first day, etc. When Daniel had begun his petition to God and his effort to understand God’s purpose concerning his people, then God had commissioned Gabriel. The whole process of humiliation, fasting, and prayer was allowed to go on to its completion before Gabriel came, in order to deepen in Daniel the desire for the hoped-for revelation, and thus enhance the joy of it when it came, and, perchance, also to justify to higher intelligences the giving of this special communication (comp. Daniel 9:20) as to the answer being ready even while the petition was being put up. And I am come for thy words. Professor Fuller sees in this an additional tenderness. Zöckler sees in it that in the Divine counsel Gabriel was commissioned, but was hindered for reasons assigned in the next verse.
I have heard this section taught, with the idea that Daniel’s choice to continue praying and fasting, aided Gabriel’s eventual arrival to deliver the message. Or that if Daniel had given up sooner, he might not have be permitted to receive the message. But I like the interpretation of the note above best. God allowed Daniel to finish his prayer and fasting before delivering the answer to his prayer for Daniel’s sake and benefit, not because God needed Daniel’s effort to help Him or Gabriel out.
Verse 13 is fascinating for a number of reasons. We’ll look first at Ellicott for guidance and his note:
(13) The prince of the kingdom.—Perhaps no single verse in the whole of the Scriptures speaks more clearly than this upon the invisible powers which rule and influence nations. If we were without a revelation, we should have thought it congruent that God Himself should direct all events in the world without using any intervening means. But revelation points out that as spiritual beings carry out God’s purpose in the natural world (Exodus 12:23; 2 Samuel 24:16) and in the moral world (Luke 15:10), so also they do in the political world. From this chapter we not only learn that Israel had a spiritual champion (Daniel 10:21) to protect her in her national life, and to watch over her interests, but also that the powers opposed to Israel had their princes, or saviours, which were antagonists of those which watched over Israel. The “princes” of the heathen powers are devils, according to 1 Corinthians 10:20. The doctrine of the ministry of angels is taught in Psalms 34:7; Psalms 91:11; Psalms 96:5 (LXX.); Isaiah 24:21; Isaiah 46:2; Jeremiah 46:25; Jeremiah 49:3. Further passages in the New Testament bearing upon the question are 1 Corinthians 8:5; Colossians 1:16.
Withstood me.—The phrase is identical with “stood over against him” (Joshua 5:13). The verse implies that the spiritual powers attached to Persia were influencing Cyrus in a manner that was prejudicial to the interests of God’s people. It must be borne in mind that the vision occurred at the time of the Samaritan intrigues with the Persian Court in opposition to Zerubbabel.
Michael.—Mentioned only in the Book of Daniel and Jude 1:9, Revelation 12:7. The title “chief princes,” rightly explained in the margin, shows that the charge of Israel had been entrusted by God to the highest of the heavenly powers; but the name “first prince” points out that, great though he is, he is inconsiderable when compared with God.
I remained there.—Literally, I prevailed there, as Genesis 49:4. The person is explaining to Daniel how it had happened that he had received no visible answer to a prayer that had been offered with success three weeks previously. There had been a conflict between the powers of light and darkness, in which the former had gained the victory, which had been decisive. By the kings of Persia are meant all the successors of Cyrus. It may be remarked that from this time onward the Persian kings were, upon the whole, favourable to the interests of Israel.
This covers a lot, and I’ll address that in a moment, but we’ll look at Ellicott’s other note from verse 14 to conclude our section:
(14) The latter days.—Comp. Daniel 2:28; Daniel 8:17. The time is here more narrowly defined as “those days,” that is, the period when the vision of Daniel 11:0 shall receive its complete fulfilment. The “vision” is identical with “the thing” (Daniel 10:1), or “the vision” (Daniel 10:16). It must be carefully borne in mind that there is no reference to preceding visions, except so far as the revelation contained in Daniel 11:0 develops certain details of other visions.
The purpose of this – with all of its miraculous supernatural insights – is to deliver unto Daniel an interpretation regarding his vision concerning the 4th Beast and the the End Times. (Though the end of that is a point we will discuss in greater detail later.)
I mentioned above that these verses open a discussion on the Biblical idea of “cosmic geography” or spiritual geography. It appears that supernatural beings – not all of them good – have (had) to some degree a geographic governance of the earth.
Dr. Michael S. Heiser (RIP) has written and spoken extensively on this topic. You can look into this by searching for “the Deuteronomy 32 worldview” online. But it might be interesting to some people to learn that Daniel did not come up with this cosmic geography idea and that he was not the first or only place in the Old Testament to refer to it (though Daniel arguably did so most overtly.) I highly encourage giving this video a listen if this all sounds like brand new information. It will really open up your reading of the Old and New Testaments. I also recommend Heiser’s books, particularly “The Unseen Realm.”
We’ll get to the end of chapter 10 in the next set of verses and take a look at the chapter as a whole after we do.
