Daniel 10:15 “Questions”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁵And in his speaking with me according to the words the these, I set my face earthward and I was made speechless.

I have been looking forward to studying these next few verses for a very long time. From v.15 to 19, we have recorded Daniel’s response to being in the presence of the pre-incarnate Jesus and these various angels. Frankly, I don’t know what I’m going to learn, but surely the Lord recorded this “for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come” (I Cor. 10:11). Hopefully, as I slow down to really ponder these verses, there are more of what I call the Lord’s atom bombs – truths that will help me see Him more clearly and help me to live a more holy life – truths that “set me free,” as Jesus promised (John 8:32)!

Before I dig in, though, I want to try to record something that has also bothered me for a very long time. I’m recording it in part so, after studying, I can go back and see if, in fact, I’ve learned some things that answered these questions in my mind. On the other hand, I’m recording it in hopes that someone might stumble across this and say, “Yes. I know exactly what you mean. That bothers me too!” Then hopefully we can learn some of the Lord’s lessons together.

Here's my attempt to put my struggle into words: In these verses, we see a truly godly man physically and mentally crushed by his vision of the spirit world. Back earlier here in Daniel chapter 10, such terror filled his friends that they ran away in a fright. Daniel himself lost all strength and his “comeliness became corruption,” and he ended up on the ground himself. There the angel encouraged him and he stood up trembling, and yet here in v.15, he’s back with his face to the ground, and he’s even going to tell the angel in v.17, “I can hardly breathe!”  No Bible student can see this without thinking of Isaiah crying out, Woe is me! I am undone! I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell amongst a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the Lord!” (6:5).

Add to this, from Isaiah 6, how the Seraphim cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory!” We could remember others all through the Bible profoundly moved by visions of the Lord and the spirit world.

What bothers me is that knowing Jesus doesn’t affect me that way. I’ve certainly enjoyed many times when the Lord has revealed Himself to me in very personal and impactful ways, however, it’s never driven me to the ground. Add to that, I don’t believe anyone today even knows what holiness is. Here are these angelic beings in the presence of God, crying out, “Holy, holy, holy!” Even these sinless, perfect creatures who live in the very presence of God, are so overwhelmed by this thing called holiness, they are moved to cry out in worship...and we don’t even know what it is!

Most people think holiness is God’s sinless perfection -- in a sense, His righteousness. However, I see several objections to that understanding. First of all, if that is true, why don’t the Seraphim cry out, “Righteous, righteous, righteous?” Add to that, if holiness is sinless perfection, why would it so move angelic beings who are themselves sinless and perfect? No. It is something much more than that.

Also, the word itself in Hebrew means something like “set apart.” People say it refers to the fact that God is “wholly other” – totally different than anything in all His creation. That is all true, but I’d still ask why the Seraphim are so moved by it, as to be crying out in worship?

So here we are, supposedly worshiping God’s holiness, singing about it, and longing to be “holy” ourselves, when the truth is, we don’t even know what it means! That to me is serious, especially when we read, “And without holiness, no one shall see God!” (Heb. 12:14). The Lord said at least three times to Israel, “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” then repeated it for us in 1 Peter 1:16: “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Apparently the Israelites and the early Christians knew what it meant. How do we apply that to our lives today, when we can’t even tell each other what it means?

We must be fallen much, much, much further from grace than we even begin to realize, when we don’t understand one of the most basic qualities the Lord possesses or what exactly that really means for us. No wonder we’re never driven to the ground in worship!

All of this was captured in a song performed by a contemporary Christian group who call themselves Addison Road. Their song went in part,

I guess I thought I had figured You out…

Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be.

The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees.

What do I know of You..?

What do I know?

What do I know of holy?

“What do I know of holy?”

I have to answer, apparently not much! That song, for me, seems to capture exactly what I can’t seem to figure out.

Back to our text here, I realize that, if I actually saw a vision of Jesus in His glory and of angels and Seraphim shouting “Holy, holy, holy!”, I’d probably be in a terror too. In a sense I’m being too hard on myself, expecting to respond in faith to what I can’t see with my eyes. However, we walk by faith and not by sight. I don’t want to excuse myself simply because I don’t see something with my eyes. Faith should lift us above physical sight.

It is possible all of this is just a kindness of the Lord – to hide from us what we are not ready to see. However, if these are things He does want us to see (by faith), then may He open our eyes. I wish I could cry out, “Holy, holy, holy!” and really know intimately what it means. I wish there was some sense of being overwhelmed by His presence. It bothers me that I see these things in the Bible, but fear I know little of them in reality.

Well, there it is. All questions. No answers.

This is exactly why I study the Bible. I want to be set free. Maybe as I study on in Daniel, He will answer some of these questions. It is literally a thrill when He does!

In the meantime, it is wonderful to know what (little) I do know of Him, to know His grace and kindness, to know Jesus went to the Cross for me and you, to know He cares and that even our questions are part of whatever it is He’s doing in our lives. “My heart is secure, I will have no fear; in the end I will look in triumph on my foes!” (Ps. 112:8).

Study on. “Lead on, O King eternal!”