Daniel 10 is a prologue to the apocalyptic history beginning in 11:2. Like Daniel 9, the chapter begins with Daniel’s concern about the end of captivity. From Daniel’s perspective, the seventy years appear to be over. All the Jewish exiles should be able to return to Jerusalem, but only a few are taking advantage of Cyrus’s decree. Daniel, therefore, turns to the Lord in prayer for his people, asking God when the final vindication of Israel will finally begin. Who is the angel in Daniel 10?
This vision is dated to the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia, likely 537 B.C. This third year could refer to Cyrus as king over the Persian Empire or only to when he conquered the Babylonians. If the latter is the case, then this final vision of Daniel is in his seventieth year of service. The year 537 B.C. is after the first of the Jews began to return to Jerusalem, perhaps the reason for Daniel’s fasting and prayer. Daniel may have sought the Lord on behalf of those who were working in Jerusalem.
Daniel says he was fasting and mourning (10:2-3). This could be a “bread and water” fast since the text says he ate no choice food or wine, nor did he use lotions. Oils and lotions were a luxury and a sign of joy and happiness (Ps 45:7). They would have been inappropriate during a fast.
What was the purpose of his fasting? Some suggest Daniel was upset the work in Jerusalem was going slowly. Others suggest he was still perplexed over the previous vision and was seeking the Lord for a clarification of the visions in Daniel 8 and 9. This fast begins before Passover and continues ten days beyond. During this period, the Jews typically reflect on the Exodus; perhaps Daniel is looking forward to a new Exodus from Babylon back to Jerusalem.
However, fasting is associated with visions in the apocalyptic literature. Reflecting of the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah and Baruch fast for seven days (2 Baruch 9:2). In 4 Ezra the prophet fasts before visions in response to the command of the angel Uriel (4 Ezra 5:20). In the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra 1:5, Michael the archangel commands Ezra to “lay aside bread for seventy weeks,” and he claims to fast “twice sixty weeks.” After a 120-week fast, Ezra has a series of visionary experiences. In the New Testament, Peter has a vision after a short fast (Acts 10:10). Daniel’s fast may be significant because one of the many things Antiochus does is forbid the Jewish fast day (1 Macc 1:39).
In his vision, Daniel sees a “man” dressed in linen, a common outfit for an angel in Scripture (Ezek 9:2 and 10). White linen is considered ritually pure, a priestly garment (Lev. 16:4). This would be a bleached or brilliantly white garment. This form of a man wears a sash of gold, a common symbol of wealth in the Ancient Near East. His body is like chrysolite and his face is like lightning, literally, has the appearance of lightning. His eyes are like flaming torches, again, bright light, glowing, radiant, emphasis on the burning (Ezek 1:4). The man’s arms and legs are like polished bronze (Ezek 1:7). His voice was like the sound of a multitude. A huge, noisy crowd, overwhelming, incomprehensible.
There are similar angelic beings in apocalyptic literature. For example, in the Apocalypse of Abraham 11:1-3:
And I stood up and saw him who had taken my right hand and set me on my feet. The appearance of his body was like sapphire, and the aspect of his face was like chrysolite, and the hair of his head like snow. And a kidaris [royal tiara worn by Persian kings] was on his head, its look that of a rainbow, and the clothing of his garments (was) purple; and a golden staff (was) in his right hand.
Similar features appear in the description of angelic beings in 3 Enoch 35:2. [For more on angels in 3 Enoch, see this post.]
Every angel is as the Great Sea in height, and the appearance of their faces is like lightning; their eyes are like torches of fire; their arms and feet look like burnished bronze, and the roar of their voices when they speak is as the sound of a multitude.
In the Apocalypse of Zephaniah, the prophet encounters an angel he believes is the Lord himself. The angel identifies himself as Eremiel, an angel in charge of the abyss and Hades where “all of the souls are imprisoned from the end of the Flood.”
I saw a great angel standing before me with his face shining like the rays of the sun in its glory since his face is like that which is perfected in its glory. And he was girded as if a golden girdle were upon his breast. His feet were like bronze which is melted in a fire
Who is this angelic being in Daniel 10? Because of the glory associated with the appearance of the man, it is assumed at the very least, Daniel saw an angel of some kind similar to these later apocalyptic texts. A common suggestion is that this is the same angel Daniel met in chapter 9, Gabriel. But some have suggested this is a theophany similar to Ezekiel seeing God’s glory in his inaugural vision. There are many parallels between these two visions. There is also a remarkable similarity between this passage and the description of Christ in Revelation 1. Many Christian commentators, especially the early church, identified this being as the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.
However, if this being is the same one who speaks in 10:10-14, then it has been hindered by the “prince of Persia” and needs Michael’s assistance. This being was sent by God with the answer to Daniel’s prayer, making it unlikely to be God himself. One solution is that the vision in 10:1-9 differs from the angelic being who speaks in 10:10.
Whatever the case, Daniel’s final vision begins with a powerful angelic being. He is overwhelmed by this vision and falls into a deep sleep before the angel reveals “what is inscribed in the book of truth.”
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Those are all the same angel whose name has largely been withheld. He is the single, solitary angel sent before Israel who bears the ineffable name (Exodus 23) – He is the servant of Isaiah who Jehovah says led Israel out of Egypt to earn himself an everlasting name…an everlasting name like Michael and Gabriel and all the seven archangels. He is in fact the central character of revelation – the angel who throws the golden censer as the seven – yes THE seven archangels – prepare to sound their trumpets. He is the messenger of Revelation to whom Jesus refers as “mine angel” and who John worships twice – at the END of Revelation as John is witnessing the crowning exaltation of the Angel upon whose thigh the Lord writes his name – King of Kings and Lord of Lords – which is the promise given in Revelation 3:12 for those who overcome the sixth level of progression. He is the Rod of Jesse and the Parakletos – compare Isaiah 11 to John 16.
Those are all the same angel whose name has largely been withheld. He is the single, solitary angel sent before Israel who bears the ineffable name (Exodus 23) – He is the servant of Isaiah who Jehovah says led Israel out of Egypt to earn himself an everlasting name…an everlasting name like Michael and Gabriel and all the seven archangels. He is in fact the central character of revelation – the angel who throws the golden censer as the seven – yes THE seven archangels – prepare to sound their trumpets. He is the messenger of Revelation to whom Jesus refers as “mine angel” and who John worships twice – at the END of Revelation as John is witnessing the crowning exaltation of the Angel upon whose thigh the Lord writes his name – King of Kings and Lord of Lords – which is the promise given in Revelation 3:12 for those who overcome the sixth level of progression. He is the Rod of Jesse and the Parakletos – compare Isaiah 11 to John 16.
Daniel’s vision of a great Angelic being.
The order of this blog post went from why would Daniel be fasting to who is this angelic being that has been seen in multiple other visions from other people in the past.
When it comes to why Daniel would be fasting, I think it’s as easy as that he is a jew and that is a common practice jews do all the time. Not only that but the purpose of fasting is depriving yourself of what you need, like food or water, and when you want to consume you then fill yourself with God. This helps you keep your focus centered on your dependence on God and not on anything else.
What is interesting is that even Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in Matthew four. Jesus was then tempted by Satan, but then Jesus dropped a great one-liner ‘Man shall not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4).” by Jesus doing things, he is practicing his dependence on God.
In this case with Daniel, he was most likely fasting to hear from God just like PLong said in the blog post. It was then after the fasting that Daniel had the vision on the angelic being that many other people have seen before him. The question is who is this angelic being. Some say that it could be Gabriel, but I say, why not Jesus. This could be one of those situations in which Jesus the Son of God appears in the old testament. Just like earlier in Daniel when Jesus shows up in the fiery furnace. I think that it is so cool that there are accounts in which there is a great possibility that Jesus the son appears before he was a man that walked with us.
Throughout Daniel chapter 10, it is mostly talking about fasting. One of the main questions about fasting is, what is the purpose of fasting? I believe that fasting is one way the Jews try and become closer to God. They do this by putting God first and trusting that God will give them strength throughout that time and not receive it from the food. Some individuals will idolize food. For example, some people will eat when they are depressed or are dealing with something that had happened to them in the past and believing food will comfort them instead of looking to God for strength to help them through this difficult time. At the beginning of this blog post it is said that Daniel started this fasting to “sought the lord” and I do believe that is why people fast. The next question in this blog post was, who is this angelic being in Daniel? I believe that is was Jesus. Some people would say that it could have been someone else such as Gabriel, but I believe otherwise. This angelic being came to Daniel and gave him strength during his fasting, at which then he was stronger and asked for the Lord to speak with him since he has given him strength.
Where did you find that image of the angelic being? I would like to use it for a Sunday morning presentation. Thanks!
Use google image search
A lot of Daniel 10 talks about fasting and what the purpose of fasting is. The purpose of fasting is so that Jews can feel as if they are closer to God. The reason that they do this is they put God first and say that they do not need nourishment from the food, God will provide them with everything and anything that they need. When talking about the Angel, I think that the comparison you make between the angelic being in Daniel 10 and an angelic being in other apocalyptic books is interesting and thought-provoking. In the post Phillip Long, uses many different interpretations of who the angel could be. He mentions Gabriel, this is who I believe the angel was in Daniel 10. Gabriel is the only one that makes sense in my mind. Towards the end of the post, there is mention of the “prince of Persia” being an option for the angelic being. This brings a lot of questions to my mind; Daniel 10 is a confusing part in Daniel. But I think that there are some good arguments of who the angelic being might be based on this blog post.
During the events of Daniel 10, Daniel was fasting and mourning for three weeks. Daniel 10:2-3 says “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.” During his fast, Daniel had a vision of a man. In the vision, the man was wearing a belt of gold and “His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude” (Daniel 10:6). It is unknown who the man in his vision was.
One could argue that Daniel just imagined the whole thing. Perhaps it was his mourning and lack of food that created the vision. Or maybe the vision really did appear, however, it was only limited to Daniel as stated in verse 7. Daniel is known for having visions or interpreting visions. However, this is the first vision where Daniel was unsure what to make of it. There is a theory that the man in the vision is the pre-incarnate Jesus. Personally, I do not support this theory because if it was intended to be Jesus then the passage would most likely state that. My thought is that it could be an angel, perhaps Gabriel or a different angel. There is also a chance that the man in Daniel 10 could represent someone else.
During Daniel’s fast, he receives a vision of a man dressed in pure white linens, which as Dr. Long notes, is a symbol of a priestly man. Interestingly enough, there are similar accounts of this strange being in the Apocalypse of Abraham, Zephaniah, and 3 Enoch. Due to his seemingly majestic nature, just as Daniel did, it is fair to assume that this being is at least some sort of angelic figure. Some believe that this figure is Gabriel, while others think it is possibly Daniel seeing God’s glory, similar to the experience of Ezekiel. I somewhat doubt that this person could’ve been Christ, although there are similarities between the description of Jesus in Rev. 1 and Ezekiel’s vision.
As both Dr. Long and Longman (2020) describe, before the vision, Daniel was already somewhat bewildered because of his fasting and the fear of the upcoming vision he was to receive. Interestingly, Longman (p. 119) seems to side with the common notion that the figure that appeared before Daniel was God Himself, just as Ezekiel had seen. Upon seeing this vision, he fell down in wonder and fear. Many other times in the Bible have people fallen on their face in the presence of God. No wonder God/the angel would always have to say to them, “do not be afraid!” In conclusion, whoever Daniel saw in his vision, he was definitely some sort of messenger from God, if not God Himself.
As I read Dr. Long’s blog post, as we can see, Daniel’s final vision during his seventieth year of service is revealed in the book of Daniel 10. Since Daniel was seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting for the sake of those who worked there, it was clear that his fasting was motivated by the possibility that the Jewish people would soon return to Jerusalem. As Christians, we frequently fast and pray to God for whatever it is that we need—material, emotional, physical, spiritual, or otherwise—so that God will be exalted when we humble ourselves before Him and ask Him to intervene on our behalf. We can see this in Daniel 10:11–12, which says, “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. 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” (ESV). This indicates that Daniel needs to understand what God is trying to tell him and do not be afraid of anything because God is going to show him the right path. We must understand that, as Dr. Long states, Daniel fasted in order for God to clarify a vision that baffled him and enable him to comprehend what God was trying to tell him via it in Daniel 8 and 9. Longman (2020) tell us that God is in control, and he will have the final victory” (p. 84). Many people in Daniel were fasting for various purposes. The majority of them move quickly due to their vision and at various times. Each explanation of angels is unique and has its own significance. Daniel’s last vision opens with a powerful angelic figure.
I think Daniel 10 is very interesting in the fact of how much this book covers. I think one of the most popular fasts that I hear about is the Daniel fast. I have argued with a lot of people about the significance of fasts. I think that a lot of people do fasts without doing them Biblically. I know fasts can be incredibly powerful because I have done them a few times before. I know for a fact that the times I did them I was the closest to God as I have ever been. Most of the times I did it was due to wanting a particular prayer answered or I was making a very big decision in my life. I know that I did a ton of research before I did the fasts so that I would do it correctly so I could glorify God to the fullest. It would not surprise me at all if Daniel and many other prophets fasted or were in the middle of a fast when they got visions. The Bible does mention it a few times but most of the time it just talks about the vision itself. When it comes to the angel who revealed to Daniel the vision it is very hard to say. In my opinion, I think it was the Angel Gabriel. It makes sense that is Gabriel because we can see throughout the Bible that the Angels used to come to prophets or people are the same angels throughout. I doubt that it would change for Daniel throughout his life. I think what is also important to point out is that when the angel appears to Daniel it says that he went to sleep on his face. “8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 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.” I could be wrong in reading this, but when I read this I immediately think of passing out. I think it was very possible that what Daniel saw blew him away so much that he couldn’t handle it therefore he passed out. I have passed out before along with watching other people pass out. Most of the time it happens when your body can’t comprehend what’s going on and it hits the panic button and shuts down. I think it’s very possible that this is what happened to Daniel.
I never put Daniel’s fasting in chapter 10 to any thought. The perplexing thing to me is that all of the possible options Long presents are plausible. It makes sense that Daniel could be fasting due to the visons he received in chapters 8 and 9. It also makes sense that he would fast due to the slow work in Jerusalem. I think one truth about this fast is that Daniel was troubled and confused about something. Was it due to the lack of work by the Jews who made it back to the holy city, or was it due to the perplexing dreams and visions that he had received? Because of the nature of the rest of this chapter, I would like to be inclined to think it was due to visions. Either way, this fast is a great example of biblical fasting. I believe wholly in fasting for spiritual reasons. Along with prayer, Daniel is a model example of fasting.
As long mentioned, fasting is associated with apocalyptic literature. The similarities to Ezra are really informational. I do not believe that it is a coincidence that Ezra fasts for seventy weeks. I believe these significant numberings have a story to tell. Nonetheless, the question, as Long notes, is the identity of the angel in this chapter. Daniel 10:10 mentions that a hand touched Daniel and made him tremble. Perhaps this could be similar to Jacob wrestling the angel. This passage in Genesis also describes this being as a man (Gen. 32:25). I would have to research that further even though I would like to believe this gives more credibility to the being in Daniel being an angel. There really is not an argument that this is God himself. The being speaks of God in the third person (v.12) and is sent by God. I would argue that this being is an angelic being that God sent with the purpose of giving Daniel a message potentially to comfort him similar to Jacob in Genesis. What is more interesting is the whole prince idea. The man says that he is returning to fight the prince of Persia with the support of Michael. Because he mentions Michael, it could be an argument that this being is Gabriel, who visits Daniel already. Either way, I would like to learn more about what this passage means when it talks about these beings.
It can be rather easy when reading passages like this to want to interpret unnamed angelic beings as the preincarnate Christ, and initially I have been guilty of the same as we read through the book, wanting to see Christ where he is not mentioned. It is most important that we interpret the book of Daniel within its historical context. It seems unlikely that any spiritual being could “hold up” Christ if that were the case that it were him, so I am now further inclined to say that it was a different Angel (10:13). One interesting thing that I did make note of in the reading was that the angel was held up for 3 weeks, and Daniel also had fasted for the same amount of time (10:2). Perhaps the two are related in some regard, Daniel may have had God preparing for this vision and fasting would bring more clarity to the messenger. Longman III makes the assumption that the angelic being is Gabriel, who we would have met previously based on him saying that he is “highly esteemed” (120). I think one of the things I have taken away from this passage is how real the unseen realm truly is! If an angel can be delayed, sent directly from God, then how much more do they seek to influence the world around us who live in the seen realm.
As i read the blog post I find it interesting the arguments that are around fasting, in most religions fasting can be seeing as a way to deepen your relationship with God and hear His voice clearer, but in the case of Daniel I believe that their could be a argument that his fast caused him to see an real vision or hallucinations of what he thought was to be an angel of the Lord an example like from Longman provides a perfect argument to why Daniel could of been seeing things ” As for Daniel he was left alone, he found himself bereft of strength and clasping into a deep sleep(Longman pg 119). As far the angel I think this is a debate that can go multiple ways, as some scholars believe the angel to be Gabriel, the angel can very well be also a sign of comfort or many other things. with that being said I think Gabriel makes the most sense especially with him being the only angel to ever be mention in the bible that delivered messages to humans (luke 1:19)
Central to this post is the description of the angelic being encountered by Daniel. Drawing parallels with similar descriptions in other apocalyptic texts, this post makes clear the awe-inspiring and supernatural nature of the being, reflecting the grandeur and glory associated with divine messengers. The debate over the identity of this being, whether Gabriel, a theophany, or even a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, is examined with nuance, acknowledging the diverse interpretations within theological discourse. Moreover, this post navigates the intricate details of the vision, including the hindrance faced by the angelic being from the “prince of Persia” and the subsequent intervention of Michael. Overall, the blog post provides readers with a deeper appreciation of Daniel 10, encouraging reflection on its theological themes and implications for understanding God’s sovereign plan and purpose in human history. Through its meticulous analysis and interpretation, the blog invites readers to engage critically with the text, discerning its relevance for contemporary faith and spirituality.
Angelology is absolutely bonkers. There are so many things we don’t know, so many things we can’t see, that it feels like navigating a hedge maze blindfolded. All we know for certain is what is found in scripture, and what is found in scripture is often vague and confusing. To me, that means that we aren’t meant to understand it fully; if we were supposed to, we would. The Angel of Daniel 10, I believe, is just such a case. His main role in the chapter is to encourage and strengthen Daniel when he is distressed from the visions. We are given a description of the being, and he tells Daniel that he is in some sort of conflict with “the Prince of Persia,” and that when he goes back to fight, the Prince of Greece will take his place. He was assisted in this conflict by Michael, and it seems that Michael is the Prince of the Hebrews, just like the Princes of Greece and Persia. This is really weird stuff. Of what nation is this angel the Prince? Is he a Prince at all? Is he perhaps the Prince of Babylon? I can’t believe I haven’t really paid attention to this chapter before…
Though I personally tend to lean towards certain Old Testament passages interpreting a theophany, this one does not seem to prove that interpretation. I would say that I agree with what the author of the article says, that the angelic and radiant being described in Daniel 10 isn’t in fact, an appearance of God. What I’ve observed through other theophany or Christophany passages, is that there usually is a warning of some sort, letting the individual who is witnessing the event know that what they are observing is extremely sacred. For example, in Exodus 3:5; when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, He warned Moses to not come any closer and to remove His sandals because he was standing on “holy ground” (ESV). Then in Joshua 5:15, the commander of the Lord’s army also orders Joshua to do the same action because he too was standing before someone holy, on “holy ground”. I think an excellent point is made in the article, when affirming that the being who appeared to Daniel wasn’t God, due to the fact that later in the passage the superior being states, “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me”. I personally think that’s enough evidence to safely affirm that this wasn’t God who appeared to Daniel; God isn’t hindered by anyone nor does He require help from His creatures, Micheal specifically in this context. Though, Christ did limit Himself when He became a human and allowed Himself to be subjected to human laws and to the point of death, that doesn’t confirm that He does that in all areas of the Bible.
In Daniel Chapter 10, we see Daniel fasting to get closer to God. Fasting was a common practice among Jews, and it can help people focus solely on God’s strength rather than worldly comforts. Just like Jesus fasted for 40 days before being tempted by Satan, Daniel fasted to connect with God. During his fast, he has a vision of a powerful angelic being, which some think is Gabriel, but we do not know for certain. Some think it could have been Jesus Himself, making a cameo before His time on Earth. I like to think it was Jesus appearing before Daniel because personally, it helps to bring the bible full circle when explaining to non-believers. After all, without these encounters such as this chapter, the fiery furnace, and the being who wrestled with Jacob there are not many actual appearances and more references leaving more room for those who doubt the Christian faith if Jesus was the Messiah. This encounter shows that when we seek God with all our hearts, He provides the strength we need. Throughout this chapter, fasting is shown as a way to prioritize God and His strength over everything else. So, Daniel’s fast was all about seeking God, and the angelic being he saw likely helped him stay strong in his faith.