Daniel
Chapter 10
The Terrible Vision
In the third year of Cyrus’s reign, king of Persia, God delivered a message to Daniel, who was renamed Belteshazzar. This message concerned faithfulness and great suffering. Daniel heeded these words and the subsequent vision:
At that time, I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks.
I ate no rich food, drank no wine, and did not perfume myself for three weeks.
On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I stood on the bank of the Tigris River,
I lifted my eyes and saw this: a man dressed in linen with a belt of pure gold around his waist.
His body was like chrysolite, his face shone with the brilliance of lightning, his eyes blazed like torches, and the sound of his words was like the noise of a crowd.
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw this vision; the men with me did not see it, but they were filled with great fear and ran to hide.
So, I was left alone, gazing at this vision. I felt powerless. My face changed in fear, and I had no strength left.
I heard the sound of his words, and when I heard them, I fainted face down on the ground.
Then, a hand touched me and made me tremble as I got on my hands and knees.
He said to me: “Daniel, man loved by God, pay attention to the words I will say to you and stand up because I have been sent to you now.” When I heard these words, I stood up trembling.
Then he said to me: “Daniel, do not be afraid, for from that first day, when you resolved to understand and humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard, and it is precisely because of this that I have come.
The prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me for twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. I left him there with the kings of Persia,
and I have come to tell you what will happen to your people in the days to come. For this new vision, too, refers to those days.”
When he had spoken these words to me, I bowed my head and remained silent; but someone, like a man, touched my lips.
Then I opened my mouth to speak and said to him who was before me: “My lord, anguish overwhelms me at this vision, and I have no strength.
How can I speak to my lord when my strength fails me and I cannot breathe?”
The one who looked like a man touched me again, and he strengthened me.
He said to me: “Man chosen by God, do not fear. Peace be with you. Have courage and be strong.”
And as he spoke, I felt strengthened, and I said: “Speak, my lord, now that I feel strong.” Then he said to me: “Do you know why I have come to you?
I will reveal to you what is written in the book of truth. Afterward, I must return to fight against the angel of Persia; then, the angel of Greece will come. No one supports me in all this, except Michael, your angel.
Commentaries
The Visions.
In this second part of the book, the story shifts back to the time of Babylonian rule. Now, the narrator is Daniel himself, whose dreams and visions reflect a distinct apocalyptic style. Apocalypticism is a literary device often used during periods of persecution. Through symbolic and complex images, God’s intervention in history is depicted to comfort and reassure His “saints,” referring to those who remain faithful to the Lord and the Covenant amid all the suffering and challenges they face (cf. Rev 1:1-8).
Fourth: The Terrible Vision.
Fasting and meditation on the Word bear fruit. The vision of the man dressed in linen with a golden belt dazzles and weakens Daniel (Rev 1:13). Then, through mediators—angels—God reveals his plans (Gabriel) to his “beloved” and directs a heavenly battle (Michael) with repercussions for human history (Rev 12:7-9).
Resurrection and salvation (12:1-13): The archangel Michael is sent to deliver Israel from persecution. This is followed by an explicit reference to the resurrection that precedes the judgment: Just as liberation from exile has two possible outcomes, return to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:12) or death in the desert (Ezekiel 20:33-38), the “difficult times” (1) will be a crucible of purification for “many” (2:10), but those who do not accept the message of salvation will be condemned (cf. 1 Thess 4:8). The outcome of history and its timing belong to God. The faithful who suffer persecution must trust in God’s sovereignty over human history. Death is a time of rest in the hope of eternal life and joy with God (13).