Daniel 8:17

17 Gabriel approached me, and I was terrified when he came. I fell with my face to the ground. Gabriel said to me, "Know this, human one: the vision is for the end time."

Daniel 8:17 Meaning and Commentary

Daniel 8:17

So he came near where I stood
The angel immediately obeyed the divine Person in human form, and came near the prophet, in order to instruct him, and carry on a familiar conversation with him: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face;
not being able to bear the glory that attended him; and especially when he considered him as the messenger of a divine Person sent to instruct him, and being conscious of his own frailty and weakness: but he said unto me, understand, O son of man:
give attention in order to understand the vision, which the angel, by a divine command, was about to give him the full meaning of; and which he could not so well attend unto in his present circumstance and posture; and therefore suggests he should shake off his fear, and stand on his feet, and listen to what he was about to say: he calls him "son of man", a title only given to him and Ezekiel; and so may be considered as a mark of honour and respect, as being one greatly beloved and honoured by the Lord; or to express his tender regard to him, and accommodating himself to him, considering he was a frail mortal man; or to put him in mind that he should so consider himself, though now among angels, and favoured with revelations of secrets, that so he might not be exalted with them above measure: for at the time of the end shall be the vision;
or rather, "for a time is the end of the vision" F12; there is a set, fixed, and determined time, when the vision shall end, and have its full accomplishment; namely, when the 2300 days are expired.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Nwzxh Uq tel) "ad tempus, finis visionis", Munster, Montanus, Calvin.

Daniel 8:17 In-Context

15 Now I, Daniel, needed help understanding the vision I saw. Suddenly standing in front of me was someone who looked like a man.
16 I then heard a human voice coming out of the center of the Ulai canal. It called out: "Gabriel, help this person understand what he has seen."
17 Gabriel approached me, and I was terrified when he came. I fell with my face to the ground. Gabriel said to me, "Know this, human one: the vision is for the end time."
18 As soon as he said this to me, I fell into a trance. My face was still on the ground. Then Gabriel touched me and set me up on my feet.
19 He said, "Now, I am going to tell you what will happen during the time of doom that is coming, because at the appointed time there will be an end.
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