Daniel 10:9
Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
The verse belongs to what Daniel saw by the River Hiddekel while captive in Babylon, when ministering angels came to him in vision to give him a communication from God to make known His mind and will. The light in that vision was for future ages, for the very time now living, showing what would transpire in the latter days. Before this moment Daniel had fasted and afflicted his soul and prayed most earnestly in tears with confession, mourning and humiliation, and he did not do so for nothing, for his prayer was heard.
He had fasted from pleasant bread, flesh and wine for three full weeks and had confessed his own sin and the sin of his people as working out his salvation with fear and trembling. When Daniel heard the voice of the words of the heavenly, glorious Being clothed in linen, he fell into a deep sleep on his face with his face toward the ground, overcome by the vision and the glory. His comeliness was turned into corruption, and he was left helpless and without strength. His response reflects humility before the angel's presence, not a claim of sinlessness.
The scene takes place amid an active conflict between good and evil angels over earthly affairs, in which Daniel's prayer moves Gabriel to come to his aid, satanic forces resist the answer, and Michael comes to help. Daniel could not endure the angel's appearance and glory or look upon him, and needed strengthening. The angel touched him so he could hear and revealed himself in human form to help him.
The vision is light received direct from God especially for the last days, and the vision given by the Hiddekel is now in process of fulfillment and all the events foretold in it will soon come to pass. Daniel's collapse reflects humiliation before God; though a man greatly beloved of God, he did not refuse to confess sin. This proves that the man who has humbled himself and whom God has honored understands true greatness, for exalted position amounts to nothing in God's sight while righteousness and truth give honor, and God calls men to walk before Him in humility and with contrition of heart confess their sins and receive forgiveness. The verse illustrates that people could not bear Christ appearing in full divine glory, which is why He came in humanity as a man so humanity could approach and endure the revelation of divinity.