Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
Daniel had lost all strength and breath under the vision, and one like a man in appearance came again and touched him to put supernatural strength back into him so he could endure the sight and hear the message from God. He came in humanlike form veiling the brightness of divine glory because it was too great for Daniel to endure unveiled. He came because Daniel had fasted and afflicted his soul and prayed in tears with confession and humiliation, and the strengthening is given to the one God honors as greatly beloved who has humbled himself with fear and trembling. The touch shows the work of ministering angels bringing communication from God in answer to the prayers of those who work unselfishly for His cause, revealing a wonderful connection between heaven and this world amid the conflict between good and evil. What was thus revealed belongs to the sealed record of future ages to remain until the time of the end, afterward complemented when Daniel is unsealed in the revelation made to John, and this accommodation reveals the wisdom of God in sending Christ as a man so that divinity took humanity that humanity might endure His presence.
Vision Touch and Strength
Under the vision all strength and breath left Daniel, his face was set toward the ground, he became dumb, and his sorrows were turned upon him. He had first been raised onto his knees before the further touch came. Then one like the appearance of a man came again and touched him and strengthened him. This is shown as the physical experience of a prophet in vision, in which strength is lost and then restored.
The one who came was a heavenly messenger in humanlike form, indeed one of the very highest angels coming in the likeness of a man. He veiled the brightness of divine glory because that glory in its full brightness was too great for Daniel to endure. Daniel could not endure the sight of the angel in glory, so the angel revealed himself as a man in accommodation to human weakness. Daniel remained humble before this divine communication.
The touch put supernatural strength back into him by divine power. It enabled him to bear the sight and to hear the message from God. It restored him so he could listen and answer, and ask his Lord to speak. In that strengthened state he was to be told he was greatly beloved and to receive skill and understanding.
Prayer, Humility, and Ministry
The touch that strengthened Daniel came in answer to earnest prayer, for he had fasted and afflicted his soul and prayed in tears with confession and humiliation, and the coming of one in the appearance of a man to touch and strengthen him proved his prayer was heard and not in vain. The strengthening was given to one who had humbled and chastened himself before God, who with fear and trembling had confessed his own sin and the sin of his people, and whom God honored as greatly beloved. Daniel remained humble before the divine communication even as the heavenly messenger in humanlike form touched him and put strength into him. When the angel came to tell him he was greatly beloved and to give him skill and understanding, Daniel could not at first endure the sight of the angel in glory.
True greatness is humility and contrition that confesses sin and receives forgiveness, while exalted position amounts to nothing without righteousness and truth. The touch belongs to the work of ministering angels who come in vision to give communication from God. It is heaven's appointed work of answering the prayers of those who work unselfishly for the interests and advancement of God's cause. It is an example of heavenly beings ministering to people amid the conflict between good and evil and in answer to prayer. It reveals a wonderful connection between the universe of heaven and this world.
Each angel has his own particular post of duty which he is not permitted to leave for any other place, because if he should leave the powers of darkness would gain an advantage.
Prophecy for the Last Days
This strengthening touch belongs to Daniel's record of revelations about future ages, which were not fully understood by him and were to remain sealed until the time of the end. What was revealed to Daniel was afterward complemented by the revelation made to John on the isle of Patmos, so the two books are to be carefully perused together because Daniel is unsealed in the revelation to John to carry forward to the last scenes of this earth's history and to the time of the end when the sealed testimony is proclaimed. It is part of light received direct from God especially for these last days, and the vision seen by the Hiddekel, one of the great rivers of Shinar, is now in process of fulfillment with all its foretold events soon to come to pass.
When Daniel could not endure the sight of the angel in glory, the angel told him to be strengthened and had to reveal himself as a man, proving that humanity cannot endure unveiled heavenly glory in its full brightness. After Daniel could not endure that glory, the angel touched him again and strengthened him so he could receive the message and be given skill and understanding as one greatly beloved. This accommodation reveals the wisdom of God in sending Christ as a man and not as an angel or in power, so that divinity took humanity that humanity might touch humanity and endure His presence.
Daniel had lost all strength and breath under the vision, and one like a man in appearance came again and touched him to put supernatural strength back into him so he could endure the sight and hear the message from God. He came in humanlike form veiling the brightness of divine glory because it was too great for Daniel to endure unveiled. He came because Daniel had fasted and afflicted his soul and prayed in tears with confession and humiliation, and the strengthening is given to the one God honors as greatly beloved who has humbled himself with fear and trembling. The touch shows the work of ministering angels bringing communication from God in answer to the prayers of those who work unselfishly for His cause, revealing a wonderful connection between heaven and this world amid the conflict between good and evil. What was thus revealed belongs to the sealed record of future ages to remain until the time of the end, afterward complemented when Daniel is unsealed in the revelation made to John, and this accommodation reveals the wisdom of God in sending Christ as a man so that divinity took humanity that humanity might endure His presence.
Vision Touch and Strength
Under the vision all strength and breath left Daniel, his face was set toward the ground, he became dumb, and his sorrows were turned upon him. He had first been raised onto his knees before the further touch came. Then one like the appearance of a man came again and touched him and strengthened him. This is shown as the physical experience of a prophet in vision, in which strength is lost and then restored.
The one who came was a heavenly messenger in humanlike form, indeed one of the very highest angels coming in the likeness of a man. He veiled the brightness of divine glory because that glory in its full brightness was too great for Daniel to endure. Daniel could not endure the sight of the angel in glory, so the angel revealed himself as a man in accommodation to human weakness. Daniel remained humble before this divine communication.
The touch put supernatural strength back into him by divine power. It enabled him to bear the sight and to hear the message from God. It restored him so he could listen and answer, and ask his Lord to speak. In that strengthened state he was to be told he was greatly beloved and to receive skill and understanding.
Prayer, Humility, and Ministry
The touch that strengthened Daniel came in answer to earnest prayer, for he had fasted and afflicted his soul and prayed in tears with confession and humiliation, and the coming of one in the appearance of a man to touch and strengthen him proved his prayer was heard and not in vain. The strengthening was given to one who had humbled and chastened himself before God, who with fear and trembling had confessed his own sin and the sin of his people, and whom God honored as greatly beloved. Daniel remained humble before the divine communication even as the heavenly messenger in humanlike form touched him and put strength into him. When the angel came to tell him he was greatly beloved and to give him skill and understanding, Daniel could not at first endure the sight of the angel in glory.
True greatness is humility and contrition that confesses sin and receives forgiveness, while exalted position amounts to nothing without righteousness and truth. The touch belongs to the work of ministering angels who come in vision to give communication from God. It is heaven's appointed work of answering the prayers of those who work unselfishly for the interests and advancement of God's cause. It is an example of heavenly beings ministering to people amid the conflict between good and evil and in answer to prayer. It reveals a wonderful connection between the universe of heaven and this world.
Each angel has his own particular post of duty which he is not permitted to leave for any other place, because if he should leave the powers of darkness would gain an advantage.
Prophecy for the Last Days
This strengthening touch belongs to Daniel's record of revelations about future ages, which were not fully understood by him and were to remain sealed until the time of the end. What was revealed to Daniel was afterward complemented by the revelation made to John on the isle of Patmos, so the two books are to be carefully perused together because Daniel is unsealed in the revelation to John to carry forward to the last scenes of this earth's history and to the time of the end when the sealed testimony is proclaimed. It is part of light received direct from God especially for these last days, and the vision seen by the Hiddekel, one of the great rivers of Shinar, is now in process of fulfillment with all its foretold events soon to come to pass.
When Daniel could not endure the sight of the angel in glory, the angel told him to be strengthened and had to reveal himself as a man, proving that humanity cannot endure unveiled heavenly glory in its full brightness. After Daniel could not endure that glory, the angel touched him again and strengthened him so he could receive the message and be given skill and understanding as one greatly beloved. This accommodation reveals the wisdom of God in sending Christ as a man and not as an angel or in power, so that divinity took humanity that humanity might touch humanity and endure His presence.