How Daniel Received Angelic Visitation
How and Why the Prophet Received Visits from Heavenly Messengers
Aug 4, 2009
Daniel served as a spiritual adviser to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and later under Darius the Mede in the sixth century BCE. He received troubling visions of the future that required interpretation and understanding.
When he realized from reading the writings of the prophet Jeremiah that the desolation of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity of Israel would last 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12), he “turned to the Lord God, to seek an answer by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3 NRSV)
Daniel Fasted and Prayed, Repenting and Asking for Forgiveness
Daniel knew that Israel had gone into captivity because of wrong-doing and rebelling against the Lord. Although the disaster that had befallen them was merely the promised punishment of a righteous God, he realized they had not asked for forgiveness or sought the favor of the Lord. He understood two things needed to happen (9:13):
- They must turn from their sins, and;
- They must give attention to God’s truth through the Scriptures and His prophets.
Daniel included himself in confession and repentance for unfaithfulness. He then prayed, “O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill.” (9:16 NIV) He entreated God for favor.
The Angel Gabriel Arrives
While he was still confessing their sins and calling upon God for forgiveness and mercy, the angel Gabriel appeared in “swift flight.” (9:21) Gabriel said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.’” (9:22b-23 NIV)
Note that as soon as Daniel began to pray, God sent an answer. God dispatched an angelic messenger to provide insight and understanding. Gabriel explained to Daniel a vision that the prophet had received earlier (in chapter 8), and the meaning of the “seventy sevens,” which held implications not only for Israel’s present predicament, but the end of the world. (9:24-27)
Another Angel Appears
According to the NIV Study Bible, in the third year after the Persian King Cyrus’ conquest of Babylonia (around 539 BCE), Daniel received another revelation about a great war. In response to this vision, he mourned for three weeks and went on a partial fast. (10:1-3)
As Daniel stood on the Tigris river bank with his companions, he saw before him a “man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, 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.” (10:5-6 NIV) The text does not disclose the name of this angelic visitor.
The Bible reveals that Daniel saw this messenger in a vision. The men with him did not see it, but fled the scene in terror and hid (10:7). Daniel himself was overwhelmed and slid to the ground as if in a deep sleep. The angel touched him and Daniel managed to stand.
Then the messenger said something to him similar to what Gabriel had told him. He said, “‘Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and the humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.’” (10:12 NIV) The angel explained that the vision was about what would happen to Israel in the future.
Similarities Between the Passages
Before each visitation, Daniel seriously sought God for understanding about something God had revealed to him. In each case, Daniel mourned and fasted, repenting for his sins and the sins of his people. And he prayed each time. In both visitations the angel remarked that Daniel was “highly esteemed.” (9:23 and 10:10) Daniel’s attitude and spiritual practice apparently gained God’s respect and quick response.
In both occurrences, God sent an answer the moment Daniel started to pray. (9:23 and 10:12) God’s promptness is presented by Isaiah this way: “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” (NLT)
Daniel's Example for Believers Today
Although people may not receive angelic visitations as did the prophet of old, the Bible promises that God answers prayer. When seekers call on him fervently, God hears their words and immediately sends an answer. Like Daniel, they must persevere in faith until they receive understanding. James assures readers, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16 NLT)
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