“After this I, Daniel, was quite exhausted and lay ill for a few days; then, although I got up again and did my duty with the king, I was terribly excited about the face; because I could not explain it to myself.” (Daniel 8,27:XNUMX/crowd)
With the above statement, an inquisitive question arises: What was entrusted to Daniel in the last vision that he reacted so negatively? This article aims to provide the answer.
The beginning of this story goes back to the time when the young man Daniel and his Jewish people were taken into captivity in Babylonia - at the time of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar at that time. Although Daniel was in a very good position in the royal palace, he yearned immensely to return to Jerusalem and the glorious house of God there, the sanctuary built by the wise King Solomon, son of David.
This Daniel here was a Jew, brought up in a noble, godly family that lived honorably according to the law of Moses. He was brought up so excellently, also in the spiritual realm, that a heavenly being of a very great majesty said to him: "And he said to me, Daniel, you well-beloved man!" (Daniel 10,4:11-XNUMX)
Daniel was particularly interested in the divinely inspired writings. Accordingly, he also studied the book of the prophet Jeremiah. The following words of this book particularly touched Daniel's longing soul for home:
Jeremiah 25,7:11-29,1 (abridged): "But you would not obey me, says the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger by the work of your hands to your own destruction. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not heard my words, behold, I will send out and come... my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and will bring him over this land and over its inhabitants... and I will destroy them... This whole land shall lie waste and ruin... for seventy years" (See: Jeremiah 23:XNUMX-XNUMX)
By studying this message, Daniel began to understand that these 70 years were already coming to an end. Overwhelmed with joy, he prayed the most beautiful prayer in the Bible. In deep humility and repentance, representing all his people Israel, he confessed and repented of all evil, unfaithfulness and apostasy towards God, because of whom all calamity had descended upon them.
“In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus… in that first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood in the books the number of years that was to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. The word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah: Jerusalem shall lie desolate for seventy years.” (Daniel 9,1:5-XNUMX)
What is written further indicates that Daniel followed the course of this prophecy with great interest. Not only that, but he prayed fervently for their fulfillment. Here is the most beautiful prayer in the Bible:
“And I turned to the Lord God to pray and to make supplications in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes. But I prayed to the LORD my God, and confessed and said: Ah, Lord, you great and terrible God, who keep covenant and grace for those who love you and keep your commandments! We have sinned, wronged, been ungodly and apostate; we have turned aside from your commandments and statutes.” (Read the entire 9th chapter)
At this time of unsurpassed joy, Daniel, who had meanwhile grown old, received a new, great vision that struck him deeply and painfully in the heart like lightning. In this new meaningful vision he saw several images of the future.
Although the meaning of this vision was explained to him by the angel, he most likely still meant that those 70 years of the book of Jeremiah were extended for a very long time. His dream of returning to his homeland and to the house of God was shattered.
This great disappointment tied him to bed sick and even prevented him from eating. From all that he had heard (Daniel, chapter 8), he hardly understood anything. The only thing he thought he understood was the account of the 2300 years. But in the end it turned out that he hadn't really understood this either.
There are other examples in the Bible where disappointments are to be expected: Adam and Eve must have considered themselves very fortunate to have their home in the Garden of Eden and were beaming with joy. But then, because of a "little thing - a trifle", they had to leave this domicile without mercy!
How disappointed the patriarch Jacob must have been, who marched joyfully for several days to see his brothers and to give them a greeting from the Father. Instead, he found himself being sold into slavery by his own brothers!
How disappointed Moses must have been, who had handed the moral law of God over to the people, when later he saw his people dancing in euphoria before a golden calf!
How disappointed that old patriarch Moses must have been, who for forty years led the people of God into the promised land with much difficulty, with great hardship and exertion, many hardships, etc., but in the end was not allowed in himself!
One might ask if the Lord Jesus was also disappointed when He, out of genuine love, emptied Himself, came to earth to save people, you and me. But then, instead of reaping gratitude, had to experience a lot of bitterness from people and was finally killed by them.
How disappointed and desperate will be those who repeatedly profess to be saved by faith only to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus: “And then I will testify unto them, I never knew you; Depart from me, you outlaws! (Matthew 7,23:XNUMX)
Hope always precedes disappointment. The size of the disappointment determines the size of the hope! These are hopes that cannot be influenced. Such belong to prayer, for only the loving God can fulfill them as needed. But there are also hopes that are called enthusiasms. Ultimately, there are hopes that have to be processed with the mind, in the sense of the law of causality (cause and effect). In the case of all unfulfilled hopes, there is a firm rule – do not panic, but keep the truth in mind. “Hope dies last!”!
Such advice here is easier to pronounce than to cope with and use in everyday life. Personal life experiences, which often have to be laboriously collected, help here. In order not to forget them, it is advisable to collect them in a book. They are worth their weight in gold when needed. In an emotional crisis they can even save faith - a faith without which it is impossible to live a meaningful and joyful lifestyle with meaning in life.
Despite the bitter disappointment, this biblical Daniel did not lose his faith and hope. One could call it a reward when he got another vision about three angels:
“In those days I mourned, Daniel, three full weeks. I ate no good food, and neither meat nor wine came into my mouth; and I did not anoint myself till three full weeks were up. And on the 24th day of the first month, I was on the bank of the great river, that is Hiddekel. And I lifted up my eyes and saw: And behold, there was a man clothed in linen..." (Daniel 10,2:5-12,5) Two other persons later joined this vision: "And I, Daniel, saw: And behold, two others stood there, one here on the bank of the stream and one there on the bank of the stream. And one said to the linen-clad man who was above the waters of the river: When is the end of these extraordinary events? And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, and he lifted up his right hand and his left to heaven and swore by him who lives forever: Time, times and a half ⟨time⟩! And when the smashing of the power of the holy people shall be finished, all these shall be finished.” (Daniel 7:XNUMX-XNUMX)
These three men form a triangle on the above stream. They bring the last warning message before the return of the Lord Jesus. A closer look reveals a parallel in Revelation, chap. 10, 18 and 7. There it is about a message from three loudly shouting angels - the "three angels' message" from Revelation, Chapter 14, but in the phase of the "loud call".
“And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and ⟨that⟩ what is in it, and the earth and ⟨that⟩ that is on it, and the sea and ⟨that⟩ that which is in it: there will be no longer a grace period.” (Revelation 10,5.6:XNUMX)
"And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above over the waters of the river, and he lifted up his right hand and his left to heaven and swore by him who lives forever, Time, times and a half! And when the smashing of the power of the holy people shall be finished, all these shall be finished.” (Daniel 12,7:XNUMX)
"You (Daniel) but go until the end comes! You may rest now and one day you will rise again to your inheritance at the end of the day!” (Daniel 12,13:XNUMX)
I firmly believe that at the end of the whole manifestation that Daniel received and experienced, his bitter disappointment turned to triumphant jubilation!
picture sources
- daniel: Adobe Stock - Noah