Context No. 4041 of 4322 · Daniel (Greek)

Daniel (Greek) 8:14-18: in context

14He said to me, “To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be cleansed.” 15When I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. Then behold, there stood before me something like the appearance of a man. 16I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end.” 18Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.

Daniel receives a vision so overwhelming that when the angel Gabriel comes to explain it, Daniel is frightened and falls on his face; and as Gabriel speaks, Daniel sinks into a deep, faint-like sleep, his face to the ground. He is undone by the weight of what he has seen and by the presence of the heavenly messenger.

But then a gentle detail: the angel touched me and set me on my feet. God's messenger does not leave Daniel prostrate and overwhelmed; he reaches out, touches him, and lifts him upright to hear and understand. There is comfort in this small gesture. When we are overwhelmed, by the greatness of God, by things too high for us, by realities that leave us undone, God does not despise our weakness. Like the angel with Daniel, he stoops to touch us and raise us up, giving us the strength to stand and to receive what he wants us to know. There is a right humility in falling on our faces before the greatness of God, but he does not mean for us to stay crushed; he lifts us up to stand before him and understand.

When I am overwhelmed by the greatness of God or by things too high for me, do I trust that he does not despise my weakness but stoops to touch me and set me on my feet, giving me strength to stand and receive what he would teach me?

Sources

Daniel 8:17: "When he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face; but he said to me, Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end."
Daniel 8:18: "I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright."
Daniel 10:10: "Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands."