Daniel 10 Vision of the Glorious Man
“The tenth through twelfth chapters more fully describe the vision in the eighth chapter by a second vision on the same subject, just as the vision in the seventh chapter explains more fully that in the second. The tenth chapter is the prologue; the eleventh, the prophecy itself; and the twelfth, the epilogue.
The tenth chapter unfolds the spiritual worlds as the background of the historical world (Job 1:7; Job 2:1, etc.; Zechariah 3:1,2; Revelation 12:7), and angels as the ministers of God‘s government of men. As in the world of nature (John 5:4; Revelation 7:1-3), so in that of history here; Michael, the champion of Israel, and with him another angel, whose aim is to realize God‘s will in the heathen world, resist the God-opposed spirit of the world. These struggles are not merely symbolical, but real (1 Samuel 16:13-15; 1 Kings 22:22; Ephesians 6:12).” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long [of great conflict]; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
“The third year of Cyrus' rule as king over Babylon was 536 B.C. Cyrus had begun ruling over Persia in 558 B.C., but Daniel's and the other biblical writers' interest in Cyrus was as ruler over Babylon, which he conquered in 539 B.C. (Daniel 5:31).” (Dr. Thomas B Constable)— Daniel was mourning "because he foresaw the many calamities that would befall the Jews for their sins, especially for destroying the Messiah, and rejecting his gospel.” (Wesley)
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris [Hebrew Hiddekel],
"In the four and twentieth day of the first month"- "Nissan- That is, the month in which was the paschal solemnity.” (Joseph Benson) This time was "most suited for considering Israel's calamity, being that in which the feast of unleavened bread reminded them of their Egyptian bondage. Daniel mourned not merely for the seven days appointed (Exodus 12:18), from the evening of the 14th to the 21st of Nisan- Passover, but thrice seven days, ‘three full weeks’ (Daniel 10:2), to mark extraordinary sorrow. ” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) It was the type of the church season of that which was being prophesied of with the 70 week prophesy.
5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
In consequence of Daniel's fasting, a certain man appears, “and explains to him, in a clearer manner, what had been more obscurely revealed in the preceding visions.” (Coke) John Wesley believes that this "certain man" was “very probably Christ, who appeared to Daniel in royal and priestly robes, and in so great brightness and majesty.” "It is abstinence, not fulness, that makes a man capable of heavenly visions of divine glory… He was clothed in linen… To show His innocence and purity, as also His righteousnesses, imputed and imparted, wherewith He clotheth His saints, [Revelation 19:8] … Whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz… Or, Of Ophir; Peru, haply, or Malaca, or Sopbala…. denoteth Christ’s strength and alacrity. [Psalms 93:1 Luke 17:8]” (Trapp) Gold represents deity and bronze reflects judgment of the nation of Israel. Sometimes Jesus is painted "as the bearer of good tidings— the Saviour who scatters blessings far and near. But sometimes, as in this vision of Daniel, the coming Lord is painted not as Benefactor but as Soldier, who has enemies to face and a fierce fight to endure.” (Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary)
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
“The very approach of the glorious figure may well have terrified them before He appeared in full view, so that they ran for cover and hid themselves and thus missed the full glory of the vision. (Running for cover suggests that they saw something). On the other hand it would not be the only time when a vision was only seen by one man while his companions were only aware of something strange and the sound of a voice…” (Peter Pett) “The like happened to Elisha's young man, who saw not the chariots and horses of fire the prophet did…” (John Gill) AND “An exactly parallel case with what occurred at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, Acts 9:7. There was a Divine influence which they all felt, but only Daniel saw the corporeal appearance.” (Adam Clarke Commentary)
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
“A hand touched me” - "which set me upon my knees… In a praying posture; but yet he continued trembling, and was not raised and restored but by certain degrees, the better to frame and fit him to a religious attention and docility.” (John Trapp) But then Heavenly Messenger ministered to Daniel with these words: "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” "The assuring words thus addressed to the prophet enabled him to stand upright, but his alarm had not as yet subsided.” (C. H. Ellicott)
12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
Your words were heard; and I have come because of your words— “not Christ, but Gabriel.” (John Wesley) “How little do we realize what is going on in the unseen world in relation to human affairs! Here the curtain is for a moment lifted, and we catch a glimpse of the movements within. Daniel prays. The Creator of the universe hears. The command is issued to Gabriel to go to his relief… Such was the effect of prayer. God has erected no barriers between Himself and His people since Daniel's time. It is still their privilege to offer up prayer as fervent and effectual as his, and, like Jacob, to have power with God, and to prevail.“ (Uriah Smith)
BUT: Gabriel was busy contending with the prince of the kingdom [kings- plural in Hebrew] of Persia, which “denotes, that by the subjugation of the demon of the Persian kingdom, his influence not merely over Cyrus, but over all the following kings of Persia, was brought to an end, so that the whole of the Persian kings became accessible to the influence of the spirit proceeding from God and in advancing the welfare of Israel.” (Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsh)
“Who was Michael, who here came to Gabriel's assistance? The term signifies, ‘He who is like God,’ and the Scriptures clearly show that Christ is the one who bears this name. Jude (verse 9) declares that Michael is the Archangel. This word signifies ‘head, or chief, angel,’ and in our text Gabriel calls Him ‘one [or, as the margin reads, ‘the first’] of the chief princes.’ There can be but one archangel, and hence it is manifestly improper to use the word in the plural as some do. The Scriptures never so use it. In 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, Paul states that when the Lord appears the second time to raise the dead, the voice of the archangel is heard. Whose voice is heard when the dead are raised?--The voice of the Son of God. (John 5: 28.) Taken together, these scriptures prove that the dead are called from their graves by the voice of the Son of God, that the voice which is then heard is the voice of the Archangel, proving that the Archangel is the Son of God, and that the Archangel is called Michael, from which it follows that Michael is the Son of God. In the last verse of Daniel 10, He is called ‘your Prince,’ and in the first of Daniel 12, ‘the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people’ expressions which can appropriately be applied to Christ, but to no other being.” (Daniel and Revelation, Uriah Smith)
Gabriel now came to confirm the earlier message— to inform the beloved of what will happen to Israel in the latter days
15 When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.” 18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
“one like the similitude of the sons of men,”…. “This likewise seems to have been Gabriel. I have retained no strength - Tho' he appeared to him, and spake to him as a man, yet Daniel could not bear his presence, without some dread.” (John Wesley) Touched my lips— “with his hand, as the Prophet Isaiah's were, by a seraph, with a live coal from the altar, Isaiah 6:7, thereby restoring him to his speech, and giving him freedom and boldness to make use of it; and removing from him his impurity, and a sense of it, which occasioned his silence: then I opened my mouth, and spake freely, and yet with all becoming modesty.” (John Gill) So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” “That is, I am now prepared to receive what you have to communicate.” (Albert Barnes)
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.
The battle of all of the kingdoms of this earth are actually spirital ones. ”Apparently the person who is speaking refers back to what he had said (Daniel 10:12-14); and from the question ‘Knowest thou?’ &c., we are to infer that Daniel was perfectly aware of the reasons which caused him to come, viz., ‘to make thee understand what shall befal thy people in the latter days.’ But before he proceeds to make this revelation, he prepares Daniel’s mind for a portion of what is about to be revealed, by mentioning the spiritual powers which ruled over Greece. ‘I shall return to fight,’ referring to the Providence which watched over Israel during the Persian sovereignty; ‘but while I am gone forth’ (the word being used in a military sense, as in Joshua 14:11) ‘the prince of Javan will come,’ this word being also used in a hostile sense. The prophet is in this manner prepared for troublous times, which shall occur under the Macedonian supremacy.” (C. H. Ellicott)
“But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince…” (21) orchestrating all of these victories. “Christ the Prince of the kings of the earth, He was the Prince, Protector, and Guardian of the people of the Jews; He is the Angel that went before them in the wilderness, and guarded them in it, and guided them into the land of Canaan; He is the Angel of God's presence, that bore, carried, and saved them all the days of old, and was their King and their God, their Defender and Deliverer, still; He took their part, and was on their side; yea, He was on the side of, and took part with, them that were for them, the holy angels; and there was none but Him that exerted His power, and strengthened Gabriel to act for them in ‘these things’ relating to their peace and prosperity: or, ‘against these’ , as it may be rendered; against the princes of Persia and Greece, the evil spirits that worked in these kingdoms” (Gill)