hotcoffee
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Daniel 10:1 10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war.[a] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.
2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 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.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 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.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 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.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 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.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
a.Daniel 10:1 Or true and burdensome
Once again... I had a long dialogue about these 7 verses up on the screen, complete with links and hit the wrong button. I really hate it when that happens. I guess it was just too longwinded for anyone to have read anyway. So I'll summarize .... Here's a link to the commentary I quoted the most.
First there should be a historical setting of the scene. This takes place about 2 years after Cyrus decreed that the Israelites should return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. It was also the time of year around Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.
Daniel is in his mid 80's by now. We don't know exactly why Daniel didn't make the journey to Jerusalem. Maybe it was his age or maybe he decided he could be of more value in Babylon where the funding would originate. At any rate, the scene opens with Daniel on the riverbank. He's not alone.
The verses say that Daniel was deeply distressed. He's not really fasting for the 21 days. Fasting, in the Jewish tradition, would have meant he didn't eat anything and only drank water. Also, had he been fasting, he would have dressed in sack cloth and sat in ashes, as he did before the 3rd vision. Daniel tells us here that food doesn't taste good and he's not drinking wine. We also see that Daniel isn't taking care of himself. Historically, in Babylon, people didn't take baths, they anointed themselves with oil. Daniel says he wasn't even doing that. So we see that he was deeply distressed.
This distress is probably Daniel's way of mourning that so few showed any faith in God. According to Ezra 2 , there was a really small group that returned to Jerusalem.
Ezra 2:64 The whole company numbered 42,360, 65 besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers. 66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
Then Daniel's vision began. He saw a man. This man was glowing. The commentaries hint that this was not Jesus, rather just an unnamed angel. The commentaries hint that we'll see proof later in this chapter. But Daniel says the man spoke to him.
Daniel wasn't alone on the riverbank when this vision started. In verse 7 Daniel says that when the man spoke, everyone took off. The commentary refers us to John 12:29 to explain what the others might have experienced that sent them running.
John 12:Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
And in Acts 9 when Jesus talked to Saul [Paul] we see a similar event.
Acts 9:7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone
And with that we leave Daniel in a deep sleep.
