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.
And behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and the palms of my hands.
Daniel has just seen a vision that drained his strength and left him face-down on the ground. A hand reaches him there, and three questions follow: whose hand it is, what the touch gives him, and what it says about receiving God's mind.
The touch belongs to a chain of events. Daniel falls, sleeps, feels the hand, rises by stages, and only then can listen.
Daniel is left alone in the presence of the angel. He is overcome with fear and falls on the ground, finding relief in deep sleep. In this position the hand of the angel touches him and he is set on his knees and the palms of his hands. The angel then speaks, assuring Daniel that he is greatly beloved. Daniel is raised to stand upright, though trembling. So he is set free, in the presence of this heavenly being, to hear communications from God.
Another writer links Daniel's collapse to a later one.
Evidently the vision, as in the case of Saul of Tarsus at a later date, had struck him to the ground.
Daniel's long record with God gave him nothing to stand on here.
Love rested on him. He knew God's ways well, and God had shown him favour in earlier visions. Yet Daniel is made fully conscious of his own utter weakness. All his strength crumbled into dust before the Lord of glory. And this has a lesson for us of no little importance. However great the value of 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 just what we have learnt already… He depends on God alone for power to stand up and enter into what the Lord was about to make known to him.
Commentators differ over who the glorious figure earlier in the chapter is. So they differ over whose hand touches Daniel. One reads him as more than an angel:
The one described so magnificently in verse 6, whom Daniel alone sees, 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.
Another reads the same figure as an angel in his own glory, not in ordinary human dress:
He does not see the angel wearing some plain dress put on to appear to man. He sees him in his own angelic glory, showing his majesty, holiness and power as a divine messenger.
The touch did more than change his posture. One writer counts three things that came before a single word of the message.
Daniel received three things before the angel went on with his message. First, "a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands." This gave him divine strength. Second, he receives the assurance that he was "a man greatly beloved," an object of the divine affections. Along with this, and in the power of it, he is commanded to understand the words spoken to him and to stand upright… Last, he is set at liberty.
Those quoted words follow an older translation of this verse.
The order matters. Daniel is steadied first and taught second. The same order holds for anyone reading prophecy.
People cannot profit from prophecy until they are firmly established in peace, and until their hearts know the real source of strength. Here we find Daniel set on his feet, his mouth opened, his fears hushed, before the Lord can open out the future to him… Anxiety of spirit and the lack of settled peace hold people back more than they think. They explain much of the little progress people make in understanding many parts of God's word.
- Collapse first. Daniel is overcome, falls to the ground, and finds relief in deep sleep. The vision struck him down, as it later struck down Saul of Tarsus.
- Touch next. The hand reaches him where he lies. His own strength has crumbled; the strength that raises him is divine, and it comes with the touch.
- Strength, then love. First divine strength, then the assurance that he was greatly beloved, then the command to understand and stand upright.
- Past learning fails. All Daniel's earlier favour and knowledge crumbled here. The past alone does not teach anyone God's new lesson. God Himself is necessary.
- Peace before prophecy. Set on his feet, mouth opened, fears hushed — only then could the Lord open the future to him. Unsettled hearts still make little progress in God's word.