and I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz;
Daniel is in grief before his God. He lifts his eyes and sees a man clothed in linen, wearing a belt of fine gold. Who is this figure? And what do the linen and the gold say about Him?
The description is too great for an ordinary messenger, and one reading takes the figure to be the Lord Himself, appearing in human form to a servant He feels for.
Besides these angels, another appears on the scene: "a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist." Verse 6 gives us a magnificent description of Him, and Daniel alone sees Him. He does not appear to have been a mere angel. He may have shown some features of angelic glory. But I take this to be One who often appears in both New and Old Testament history — the Lord of glory Himself. He appears now as a man — as One who had the deepest sympathy with His servant on the earth.
Commentators differ. The difference turns on what the speaker says about himself later in this chapter.
Who, then, was this heavenly visitor? We see at once many likenesses to the appearance of the one "like the Son of man," whom John saw on the island of Patmos. But there are also differences, and some of the most striking features that John records are missing. So it is by no means certain that this is a divine person. Indeed, if the same speaker talks all through this chapter, it could not be. He says that "the prince of Persia" hindered his mission for twenty-one days... Some have supposed that it is a divine person in verses 5-9, and an angel from verse 10. Nothing, however, depends on the interpretation, and the question may be left undecided.
The Hebrew word behind the clothing points to linen, and linen is white. Scripture puts that whiteness to use.
The Hebrew word 'bad' (which at root means separated into parts, or to be alone) means thread, and then linen. Linen is white, so it may often stand for purity... Further, in Ezekiel 9 and Daniel 10, we find it used for an angel appearing as a man.
Uphaz is a place name, and the record about it is thin.
Some place from which gold was brought. Jer. 10:9; Dan. 10:5; supposed, according to some ancient versions, to be the same as Ophir.
The metal and the belt each carry their own sense: one tells us what God is, the other what fits a servant to act.
Gold is the emblem of the perfect righteousness, the justice, of God. The belt is the sign of activity in service. It is also the sign of that self-control and power over ourselves which would make us fit to act, and by its very character to carry out this righteousness.
Where the belt sits matters. John's vision in Revelation places it higher, and the contrast with Daniel's verse is deliberate.
A belt worn across the chest instead of round the waist (Dan. 10:5) would suggest calm rest. The belt itself stands for righteousness and faithfulness, qualities that always marked the Lord in all His ways (Isa. 11:5).
Daniel was not looking for a vision. He was in grief, and God took note of it.
God also notices this, for the man clothed in linen says to him, "Fear not, Daniel," and so on (v. 12). Daniel's position was that of affliction in the presence of his God.
Daniel had no equal in moral quality. Yet this sight left him in ruins.
As to moral qualities, perhaps no one in the Old Testament surpasses Daniel. Yet in the presence of "a man ... with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz," he has to say that his beauty was turned in him into corruption (Daniel 10:5-8). However fine a man may be, when he comes into the presence of Him who is altogether lovely, he feels his most excellent qualities to be debased and impure.
- Sorrow first. Daniel's position was affliction in the presence of his God, and God noticed it.
- A man, seen alone. Daniel alone sees Him. Kelly takes Him for the Lord of glory, in deepest sympathy with His servant. Dennett says this is by no means certain, since the prince of Persia hindered the speaker for twenty-one days.
- Linen means purity. The Hebrew word means linen, and linen is white. Scripture uses it for purity, and for an angel appearing as a man.
- Gold means righteousness. Gold is the emblem of God's perfect justice. The belt marks activity in service — the power to carry that righteousness out.
- Belt at the waist. In Revelation the belt sits across the chest and suggests calm rest. Here it is at the waist, ready for action. And the man who saw it lost all his beauty in that presence.
and his body was like a chrysolite, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as torches of fire, and his arms and his feet as the look of burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
After three weeks of mourning and fasting, Daniel looked up by the great river and saw a man blazing with light. Who is he, and why does the sight of him leave the most faithful man of his day flat on the ground?
Some writers read this shining man as the Lord Himself, not a created messenger:
Verse 6 describes him magnificently, and Daniel alone sees him. He does not appear to have been a mere angel. He may have been seen with some features of angelic glory. But I take this to be One who often appears in both New and Old Testament history — the Lord of glory Himself. He appears now as a man, as One who had the deepest sympathy with His servant on the earth.
Commentators differ. Others compare this figure with the vision John saw on Patmos and hesitate:
Who, then, was this heavenly visitor? Many resemblances to the one "like a son of man," whom John saw on Patmos, stand out at once. But there are also differences, and some of the most striking features John records are missing. So it is by no means certain that this is a divine person. Indeed, if the same speaker continues through this chapter, it could not be. He says "the prince of Persia" hindered him in his mission for twenty-one days. Nothing depends on the interpretation, though, and the question may be left undecided.
The word behind "beryl" is tarshish. It shows up in some striking places:
There is no certainty as to what stone the word tarshish means. The Greek translation renders it by different words. Ezekiel 1:16 and 10:9 compare the wheels to its colour, but do not say what that colour was. Some suppose it was the golden topaz; others that it was the chrysolite. It was the first stone in the fourth row of the high priest's breastpiece. It also appears in the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem.
The eyes and the gleaming limbs work as a pair. Writers explaining the same imagery elsewhere show how:
His eyes as "a flame of fire" refer to His moral intolerance of evil. He will search out sin and discover it, however hidden. Who or what can escape those eyes like a flame of fire? "His feet like burnished bronze." What His eyes discover, His feet shall tread upon. The feet of burnished bronze stand for unbending judgement, justice that never gives way.
The men beside Daniel were there, but the vision was not for them. Scripture shows the same thing happening elsewhere:
Horses and chariots filled the mountain. But the prophet's servant had to have his eye opened before he could see them. Daniel saw a glorious stranger and heard his voice like the voice of a multitude. But the men who stood with him saw nothing — only a terror fell on them.
Daniel's record is hard to fault. That is what makes his collapse worth watching:
In moral qualities there is perhaps no one in the Old Testament to excel Daniel. Yet in the presence of "a certain man… girded with fine gold of Uphaz," he has to say, "my radiant appearance was fearfully changed." However fine a man may be, he feels his most excellent qualities to be debased and impure when he comes before the One who is altogether lovely.
The vision does not end with Daniel face down in the dust. What happens next has a purpose:
Left alone with the angel, Daniel is overcome with fear. He falls to the ground and finds relief in deep sleep. In this position the hand of the angel touches him and sets him on his knees and the palms of his hands. The angel then speaks. He assures Daniel that he is greatly beloved, and makes him stand upright, though trembling. So Daniel stands free in the presence of this heavenly being, to hear what God has to say.
- Seen — a shining man by the river. Commentators differ on whether this is the Lord Himself or a messenger, and one writer says nothing depends on settling it.
- Searched — eyes like flaming torches find evil however well hidden; limbs like burnished bronze tread down what the eyes find.
- Selective — the glory was real, but only Daniel saw it; his companions felt terror and ran.
- Stripped — the finest man of his day lost his strength and his radiance in that presence. Next to perfection, even excellence feels impure.
- Steadied — a hand set him on his knees, a word called him beloved, and the angel raised him upright for one purpose: to hear what God had to say.
And I Daniel alone saw the vision; and the men that were with me saw not the vision, but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.
Daniel had been mourning and fasting when a man clothed in linen appeared to him. The men beside him saw nothing, yet terror drove them into hiding — so who was this visitor, and why did Daniel alone see him?
Commentators differ over who this visitor was. One reading finds the description in verse 6 too glorious for a mere angel, and sees in His coming the sympathy of the Lord for His servant.
Verse 6 gives us such a magnificent description of him, and Daniel alone sees him. He does not appear to have been a mere angel. He may have appeared with some features of angelic glory. But I take it that this is One who often appears in both New and Old Testament history — the Lord of glory Himself. He appears now as a man — as One who had the deepest sympathy with His servant on the earth. All the others had fled to hide themselves; Daniel stayed. Even so, no strength was left in him.
Others compare that description with what John saw on the island of Patmos, and stay more cautious.
Who, then, was this heavenly visitor? There are many likenesses to the one "like the Son of man" whom John saw on Patmos. But there are also differences, and some of the most striking features John records are missing. It is by no means certain, therefore, that this is a divine person. Indeed, if it is the same speaker all through this chapter, it could not be. He says that "the prince of Persia" held him up in his mission for twenty-one days. Some have supposed that it is a divine person in verses 5-9, and an angel from verse 10. This seems a little forced, though verses 5-9 do have traits suggesting more than an angel. Nothing, however, depends on the interpretation, so the question may be left undecided.
The verse does not tell us who these men were. One writer offers a likely answer.
This seems to point to the conclusion that Daniel was on a journey at this time, and that the men were his personal attendants.
The men saw no vision, yet something reached them. One writer sets this beside the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, where his companions also caught only part of what happened.
There is also a resemblance between this scene and what took place at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Then his companions saw the light. They heard the sound, but they did not hear the words spoken. Here the men with him saw nothing, but they were filled with trembling and fled to hide themselves. Fallen man cannot stand in the presence of God. Even a saint — whether Daniel in the Old Testament or John in the New — falls down "in a deep sleep" or "as one dead". We know God as our Father, but we must never forget His supreme majesty as God.
One writer traces the same split forward to the day the Lord comes back for His people.
When our blessed Lord was on earth, a voice came to Him from heaven. Some of the bystanders thought it thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him" (John 12:28-29). So also at the conversion of Saul, his companions heard a voice — that is, the sound of a voice (Acts 9:7). But they "did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me" (Acts 22:9); they did not catch its meaning. Compare Daniel 10:7. So it will be when the Lord Himself descends from heaven. All His own will hear and understand what the shout means; but if others hear it, it will only seem like the roll of distant thunder.
Standing alone was not new for Daniel. The pattern runs from the first chapter of his book to the last, and it ends in a promise.
How beautiful it is to see Daniel alone in the first chapter, and Daniel alone in the last chapter of his book. All the glory of this world passes before us, but the man who stands for God alone at the beginning is the man who will be alone at the end. "But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days." The world is triumphing now, in this brief day of man. But those who are separate to God now will stand alone in that day of blessing.
- Alone in seeing. Only Daniel saw the vision. His companions — most likely his personal attendants on a journey — saw nothing.
- Alone in staying. The others fled and hid, because fallen man cannot stand in the presence of God. Daniel stayed.
- Alone with whom. Commentators differ. Some hold this is the Lord of glory Himself, appearing as a man. Others point to the missing features and to the speaker's own words, and leave the question open.
- Alone in hearing. Saul's companions caught the sound but not the message. So it will be when the Lord descends: only His own will know what His shout means.
- Alone at the end. The man who stands for God alone at the start of the book still stands alone at its close. He will stand in his allotted place in the day of blessing.
And I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; and my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Daniel's companions ran and hid, and he was left alone with a vision that took all his strength. Why does one of the most faithful men in Scripture collapse like this, and what is the change he describes?
The quotes below use an older wording: "my comeliness was turned in me into corruption." The ESV has "My radiant appearance was fearfully changed."
One writer sets this scene beside two others in Scripture. The men with Daniel react like Paul's companions; Daniel himself reacts like John.
Daniel's companions, like those of Paul, were afraid. The quaking that fell on them was so great that they fled to hide themselves. Daniel himself, like John, fell down as dead before the heavenly messenger... Scripture gives many instances of this. It would seem impossible for man in his natural state to talk with heavenly beings when they are surrounded by the majesty and excellence that belong to their existence.
The collapse was not physical illness. One writer reads it as the work of conscience — the glory told Daniel something about himself.
The prophet tells us that when the glory appeared to him, his "comeliness was turned into corruption." This was conscience, not disease. The glory, or the divine presence, let Daniel know that he was a sinner; and the sense of that was intolerable.
One writer identifies the person Daniel saw. He then draws a lesson from what that sight did to an old and faithful man.
The one whom Daniel alone sees does not appear to have been a mere angel. He may have shown some features of angelic glory, but I take Him to be One who often appears in both New and Old Testament history — the Lord of glory Himself. He appears now as a man, as One who had the deepest sympathy with His servant on the earth. All the others had fled to hide themselves; Daniel stayed. Even so, there remained no strength in him — his comeliness was turned into corruption. Even a beloved man and faithful saint of God must prove that all his past wisdom was of no use. He was now a very aged man, and he had been faithful to the Lord as few have been... However much value there may be in what a saint has learnt, the past alone does not enable us to understand the new lesson of God. God Himself is necessary for this — not merely what we have learnt already.
Daniel's reaction was not unique. One writer lines up the same confession from name after name in Scripture.
This spirit of self-judgment is worked in all who really have to do with God. Examples of it fill Scripture. When Abraham found himself in the presence of God, he said, I "am but dust and ashes" (Gen. 18:27). Isaiah said, "I am undone" (Isa. 6:5); and Daniel, "my comeliness was turned in me into corruption" (Dan. 10:8). So Peter, "I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8), and Paul, "sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1:15). And all these were saints who stood out in their day. They would not have stood out if they had not had such an experience. Have we had it?
The collapse had a purpose. One writer calls it the preparation a man needs before he can enter into God's thoughts.
Daniel said, when he saw "the great vision," "And my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength" (Dan. 10:8). This is a necessary preparation for receiving prophetic information, so that a man can enter into the thoughts of God. That is why the angel comforted Daniel: "Fear not, man greatly beloved; peace be to you, be strong, yes, be strong" (Dan. 10:19).
Commentators differ on who Daniel saw. This writer speaks of an angel, and follows what that angel does next.
Daniel, left alone in the presence of the angel, is overcome with fear, and falls to the ground, finding relief in deep sleep. In this position the hand of the angel touches him and sets him on his knees and the palms of his hands. The angel then speaks. He assures Daniel that he is greatly beloved, and makes him stand upright, though trembling. So Daniel is free, in the presence of this heavenly being, to hear what God has to say.
There is a day coming when the sight that flattened Daniel will be bearable.
When Daniel saw the heavenly vision, his strength left him, and his comeliness was turned into corruption. When John saw Christ in glory, he too fell lifeless, until revived by the gracious word and touch of his Redeemer. But when they are awakened in His likeness, they will find themselves given strength to bear the very sight of God. All others who share their hope will find the same.
- Alone. The others fled and hid. Daniel alone saw the vision, and he faced it without them.
- Exposed. The change in him was conscience, not sickness — the divine presence let him know he was a sinner.
- Levelled. Age, faithfulness and years of learning God's ways left him no more able to stand. Past learning does not equip a man for a new lesson from God.
- Shared. Abraham, Isaiah, Peter and Paul each said the same thing about themselves. The writer asks whether we have said it too.
- Restored. Emptied first, then touched, told he is greatly beloved, and set upright — that is how God prepares a man to hear Him.
And I heard the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, I fell into a deep stupor on my face, and my face to the ground.
Daniel has been mourning and fasting when a glorious figure appears and speaks. The sound of the voice leaves the aged prophet face down on the ground. Why does a man God loves collapse like this? And what has to happen before God can speak to him?
The sight had already drained his strength (v. 8). Then the voice finished the work. One writer sets Daniel's collapse beside Paul's and John's.
Daniel himself, like John, fell down as dead before the heavenly messenger... From many examples in Scripture, it seems impossible for man in his natural state to talk with heavenly beings. Such beings are clothed in the majesty and excellence that belong to their existence. So a man must be like Paul, who did not know whether he was in the body or out of it, or like John, who was "in the Spirit," carried outside his ordinary way of being. Only then can he receive heavenly secrets.
Daniel was not reacting to guilt over one particular failure. Isaiah and Ezekiel had met the same glory, and all three learned the same thing.
Is this not all very striking? Each of these servants of God — Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel — declared his own unfitness, and felt it, in the presence of the glory of God. Let me draw special attention to one point. With each of them it was never a question of what they had done, but of what they were. The glory of God told them this about themselves.
Commentators differ on who this figure was. Some read the description in verse 6 as too great for a created being.
Verse 6 gives us such a magnificent description of him, and Daniel alone sees him. He does not appear to have been a mere angel. He may have shown some features of angelic glory. But I consider this is One who often appears in both New and Old Testament history — the Lord of glory Himself. He appears now as a man — as One who had the deepest sympathy with His servant on the earth.
Others see an angel shown without disguise, sent to a man whose heart was already ready.
Daniel's soul is in the right condition to receive communications from God. So he has a wonderful vision of a glorious angelic being, through whom God will communicate His mind. He sees the angel in his own angelic glory, not in some plain dress put on to appear to man. That glory shows his majesty, holiness and power as a divine messenger.
Daniel was old, faithful, and had already received visions.
Even a beloved man and faithful saint of God must prove that all his past wisdom was useless... What a saint has learned has real value. But the past alone does not enable us to understand the new lesson of God. God Himself is necessary for this — not merely what we have learned already... He must lean on God alone for power to stand up and take in what the Lord was about to make known to him.
The deep sleep is not where the chapter leaves him. Three things come first, in order, before the message.
Three things were given to Daniel before the angel went on with his communication. First, a hand touched him and set him on his knees and on the palms of his hands, giving him divine strength. Second, he receives the assurance that he was "a man greatly beloved," an object of the divine affections. With that assurance, and in its power, the angel tells him to understand the words spoken to him and to stand upright... Then, last, he is set free.
Daniel was strengthened when a hand touched him. One writer draws from that the one thing which keeps anyone standing before such glory.
Nothing will strengthen us to stand with assurance in the presence of the glory except the knowledge of the humiliation of Christ... His humiliation is the only ground of fellowship with that excellent glory — but it is a sure and most blessed ground. It assures us of this: everything the glory would otherwise have found in us to judge and consume has already been judged and put away in Him who bore all our shame... So the prophet's beauty turned into corruption, and he kept no strength in the presence of the same majesty. But when the hand of one who looked like a man touched him, he knew in himself that he was strengthened.
- Voice. The sound of the words, not just the sight, put Daniel down. In his natural state a man cannot talk with heaven in its full majesty.
- Exposed. The glory showed him not what he had done, but what he was. Isaiah and Ezekiel learned the same lesson.
- Emptied. Age, faithfulness and earlier visions gave him nothing to stand on. The past alone cannot take in God's new lesson; only God Himself can teach it.
- Touched. Strength came by a hand, assurance by the words "greatly beloved," and only then liberty to hear the message.
- Standing. Knowing the humiliation of Christ is what steadies anyone before the glory. In Him, all that the glory would judge has already been put away.