Daniel 8:17-18
So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.” And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The angel’s reassuring words, "Understand, O son of man," are given after Daniel is overcome with fear and falls on his face. This highlights that the divine message isn't just for the powerful, but for humble, even trembling, humanity, offering understanding and comfort right in the midst of overwhelming awe.
Daniel has just received a complex vision involving a ram and a goat, and an angelic messenger, identified later as Gabriel, is now approaching him. Overwhelmed by the divine presence, Daniel falls to the ground in fear. Gabriel then speaks, reassuring Daniel and emphasizing that the vision's ultimate meaning relates to the "time of the end," hinting at events far beyond Daniel's immediate experience but which will culminate in God's ultimate purposes.
Have you ever been so awestruck by God's presence that you felt completely undone? Daniel's reaction is intense, but deeply human.
Daniel's immediate response to the angel's approach is fear and falling on his face. This isn't just being startled; it's a profound physical manifestation of awe and humility in the face of something heavenly.
Awe and Humility
The angel tells Daniel the vision is 'for the time of the end.' What does that really mean, and why is it important?
The phrase 'time of the end' is crucial in Daniel. It doesn't always mean the absolute final moments of history, but often refers to the culmination of God's plan within a specific prophetic horizon.
Beyond Our Horizon
Understand the original words
ben ’ādām · Hebrew Noun phrase
A title often used in the prophetic books to emphasize the prophet’s humanity, frailty, or creaturely status in contrast to the majesty and holiness of the divine messenger or God.
‘ēt qēts · Hebrew Noun phrase
A technical eschatological phrase denoting the period leading up to or encompassing the final culmination of God’s redemptive historical plan.
The angel's message to Daniel that the vision pertains to 'the time of the end' directly addresses the turbulent era of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a period of intense persecution and the desecration of the Temple. This historical context gives weight to Daniel's fear and the angel's reassurance that this vision points to a future culmination, either of that age or of history itself.
c. 167 BC— this verse
Antiochus IV Epiphanes' Desecration
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, ruler of the Seleucid Empire, desecrates the Second Temple in Jerusalem. He erects an altar to Zeus and sacrifices pigs, a profound offense to Jewish faith.
c. 167-164 BC
Maccabean Revolt Begins
The Maccabean Revolt breaks out in response to Antiochus's oppression. Led by Judas Maccabeus, the Jewish rebels fight for religious freedom and self-governance.
c. 164 BC
Temple Rededication (Hanukkah)
Judas Maccabeus and his forces recapture Jerusalem and rededicate the Temple. This event is still commemorated today as the festival of Hanukkah.
c. 150-100 BC
Traditional Date of Daniel's Composition
Scholarly consensus places the likely composition of the Book of Daniel in the mid-to-late 2nd century BC, during or shortly after the Maccabean period.
Like Daniel, John falls in fear when encountering a heavenly being, highlighting the overwhelming presence of God's messengers and the human response of awe and terror.
Ezekiel 2:1-3The angel addresses Daniel as 'son of man,' a title also given to Ezekiel, emphasizing the prophet's humanity and his role as a messenger for God's word during a critical time.
Daniel 10:8-9This passage describes a similar experience where Daniel, upon seeing a heavenly vision, is left weak and prostrate, illustrating the profound physical and emotional impact of divine revelation.
Luke 1:19The angel identifies himself as Gabriel, who also appeared to Zechariah in the temple, showing Gabriel's consistent role as a messenger of significant divine announcements across different eras.
Hebrews 1:14This verse speaks of angels as ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation, providing a theological framework for Gabriel's appearance and his role in revealing God's plan to Daniel.
ellicottDaniel 8:17: "So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision."
(17) The time of the end— i.e., either at the final period of earthly history, or at the time which lies at the limit of the prophetic horizon. St. Jerome observes that what happened in the times of Antiochus was typical of what shall be fulfilled hereafter in Antichrist.
jfbDaniel 8:17: "So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision."
- the time of the end—so Da 8:19; Da 11:35, 36, 40. The event being to take place at "the time of the end" makes it likely that the Antichrist ultimately referred to (besides the immediate reference to Antiochus) in this chapter, and the one in Da 7:8, are one and the same. The objection that the one…
The angel’s reassuring words, "Understand, O son of man," are given after Daniel is overcome with fear and falls on his face. This highlights that the divine message isn't just for the powerful, but for humble, even trembling, humanity, offering understanding and comfort right in the midst of overwhelming awe.
Daniel has just received a complex vision involving a ram and a goat, and an angelic messenger, identified later as Gabriel, is now approaching him. Overwhelmed by the divine presence, Daniel falls to the ground in fear. Gabriel then speaks, reassuring Daniel and emphasizing that the vision's ultimate meaning relates to the "time of the end," hinting at events far beyond Daniel's immediate experience but which will culminate in God's ultimate purposes.
Daniel has just received a complex vision involving a ram and a goat, and an angelic messenger, identified later as Gabriel, is now approaching him. Overwhelmed by the divine presence, Daniel falls to the ground in fear. Gabriel then speaks, reassuring Daniel and emphasizing that the vision's ultimate meaning relates to the "time of the end," hinting at events far beyond Daniel's immediate experience but which will culminate in God's ultimate purposes.
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"So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.” And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with m…" — The angel’s reassuring words, "Understand, O son of man," are given after Daniel is overcome with fear and falls on his face. This highlights that the divine message isn't just for the powerful, bu…
