DANIEL 10
Read Daniel 10:1-11:1
In this chapter, and the next two chapters, we see Daniel receiving another vision from the Lord. Again, Daniel is given the ability to understand the vision which would otherwise have been beyond his comprehension concerning, as it does, ‘a time yet to come’ (v14). We will see the detail of the vision in the next chapter, but here we have the circumstances surrounding it.
Daniel tells us in v2 that he was in a time of mourning. We are not told why. It may have been at the continuing exile of God’s people and the separation from their homeland and from the temple. It may have been that he was mourning his own sinfulness. We don’t know, but what is clear, is that he took this mourning seriously. For three weeks he had not eaten the best food or drunk any wine – he simply ate and drank enough to keep his alive while he mourned. It was then that he had the visions. Cynics might say that he was in a weakened state and was hallucinating. But the Bible does not lead us to think this way; rather that Daniel had prepared himself in penitence and faith to come before God, and that God had responded.
The figure that Daniel met he described at this point as a man, but a man with a splendid appearance, and obviously not just a man, but someone special sent by God. We see here that the vision was a personal one for Daniel alone. His companions didn’t see this strange figure but did have an overwhelming sense of fear at his presence. The scene is quite reminiscent of Paul’s vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, which was for Paul alone and not his companions.
Daniel was evidently quite frightened by what was going on and trembled at the sight of this strange apparition before him (v10, 11). But almost the first words of the messenger or angel or whoever this was, was the time honoured phrase in the Bible, ‘fear not’ (v12). And then there was encouragement for Daniel. All the good stuff that he had done over the years had been seen by God; Daniel was highly esteemed (v11). Daniel was in a leadership role for the people of God in exile in Babylon and he was going to be given the honour of knowing what was going to happen in the future (v14). This overwhelmed Daniel but again was given the encouragement he needed, ‘Peace! Be strong now, be strong’ said the angel (v19).
We have seen over the last few chapters that Daniel was brave, loyal to God’s word and uncompromising in his faith. But that comes at a price. Daniel, at the beginning of our passage, was mourning; fasting and praying. He needed the encouragement of God (or his angelic agents) to find the strength and courage to continue. Leading God’s people is not an easy task and we should keep Christian leaders in our prayers.