Diving into Daniel: Gabriel Appears to Answer Questions
Daniel 8:13-19 - A great angel is asked to explain the vision to Daniel.
“When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.” Now while he was talking with me, I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright. He said, “Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.”
Daniel 8:15-19 NASB1995
Daniel’s vision is over and he seeks to understand it. He is still near the banks of Ulai river/canal and he sees a being who looks like a man. Then he hears the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai who calls for Gabriel to give Daniel an understanding of the vision. Gabriel comes near Daniel, who becomes frightened and falls on his face. But Gabriel says to him, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end”. Daniel sinks into a deep sleep while Gabriel is talking to him and falls to the ground, but Gabriel touched him and made him stand upright. Gabriel once again addressed the final period of the “Indignation”.
The AI image came from its own robotic attempts to interpret this passage. It assigned the wings to Gabriel, because it probably has references to this being the typical appearance of an angel, hence it must have wings (that is not necessarily the case). But it is still a compelling image.
So who is the voice that instructs Gabriel to address Daniel? Most scholars (and me) believe it is God! Daniel is also obviously frightened by Gabriel. This was a common occurrence in the Bible when mortal humans are faced with powerful supernatural beings and situations. Here is what Gotquestions.org says about Gabriel:
The angel Gabriel is a messenger who was entrusted to deliver several important messages on God’s behalf. Gabriel appears to at least three people in the Bible: first to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 8:16); next to the priest Zechariah to foretell and announce the miraculous birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19); and finally to the virgin Mary to tell her that she would conceive and bear a son (Luke 1:26–38). Gabriel’s name means “God is great,” and, as the angel of the annunciation, he is the one who revealed that the Savior was to be called “Jesus” (Luke 1:31).
The first time we see Gabriel, he appears to Daniel after the prophet had a vision. Gabriel’s role is to explain the vision to Daniel (Daniel 8:16). Gabriel’s appearance was that of a man (Daniel 8:15; 9:21). When Gabriel visited Daniel a second time, he came to him “in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice” (Daniel 9:21). Gabriel’s “flight” might suggest wings, but wings are not mentioned. It is also clear that Gabriel’s appearance was rather terrifying, as Daniel fell on his face at the sight of him (Daniel 8:17) and was sick for days after his experience with the angel and the vision (Daniel 8:27).
…
In all three appearances, Gabriel was met with fear, and he had to begin his conversations with words of comfort and cheer for Daniel, Zechariah, and Mary. It is possible that Gabriel was also the angel that appeared to Joseph in Matthew 1:20, but this is not certain, since that angel is unnamed in Scripture. What we do know is that Gabriel is one of God’s good and holy angels. He has a favored position as an angel who “stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1:19), and he was selected to deliver important messages of God’s particular love and favor to individuals chosen to be part of God’s plan.
So the vision that Daniel had is apparently in reference to something that is in the time of the end or in the future that lays ahead of us. But it is also in the not-so-distant future from his time and includes the Medo-Persian Empire and the Greek Empire, along with the vile anti-Semitic actions of Antiochus Epiphanes from one of the Greek Empire spin-off regions. So how can both be true? Here is commentary from Enduring Word:
Between the banks of the Ulai: Daniel was still in the midst of his vision when he saw himself on the shores of this Persian river. He heard someone instruct Gabriel to explain the vision to Daniel.
The vision refers to the time of the end: Gabriel assured Daniel that this vision had to do with end times, with the latter time of the indignation.
This is a problem for some, because we see that the prophecy of Daniel 8:1-14 was fulfilled in the days of the Medo-Persian and Greek Empires, especially in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. The terms time of the end and latter time of the indignation commonly refer to what we think of as the end times, not events fulfilled more than a 100 years before the birth of Jesus.
The answer is that though this prophecy was fulfilled in Antiochus Epiphanes, it also has a later fulfillment in the Antichrist, referring to the time of the end. Antiochus Epiphanes is sometimes called the “Antichrist of the Old Testament.” He prefigures the Antichrist of the end times.
Just as Antiochus Epiphanes rose to power with force and intrigue, so will the Antichrist. As he persecuted the Jews, so will the Antichrist. As he stopped sacrifice and desecrated the temple, so will the Antichrist. As he seemed to be a complete success, so will the Antichrist. “From what Antiochus did to Jews in his day, therefore, one may know the general pattern of what the Antichrist will do to them in the future.” (Leon Wood)
“Greece with all its refinement, culture and art, produced the Old Testament Anti-Christ while the so called Christian nations produce the New Testament Anti-Christ.” (W.G. Heslop)
What shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end: Some see this Antiochus and Antichrist connection, and some do not. Martin Luther wrote, “This chapter in Daniel refers both to Antiochus and Antichrist.” John Calvin wrote, “Hence Luther, indulging his thoughts too freely, refers this passage to the masks of Antichrist.”
I get some amusement out of the competing views of Luther and Calvin. I think Luther might be closer to the truth in this case.
One final collection of commentaries, from Precept Austin, on indignation and the time of the end (note that the language is now in Hebrew, instead of Aramaic):
Indignation (02195) (za'am) literally means frothing at the mouth and speaks of fury and in the Scriptures is often a dramatic picture of God's great displeasure with sin (Isa 26:20; Isa 30:27; Hab 3:12).
Za'am - 22 verses - Ps 38:3; 69:24; 78:49; 102:10; Isa 10:5, 25; 13:5; 26:20; 30:27; Jer 10:10; 15:17; 50:25; Lam 2:6; Ezek 21:31; 22:24, 31; Da 8:19; 11:36; Hos 7:16; Nah 1:6; Hab 3:12; Zeph 3:8. NAS = indignation(21), insolence(1).
Indignation is defined as (extreme) anger (mingled with contempt, disgust, abhorrence) aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean. The 1828 Webster's defines indignation as " The anger of a superior; extreme anger; particularly, the wrath of God against sinful men for their ingratitude and rebellion. The effects of anger; the dreadful effects of God’s wrath; terrible judgments."
Final period of the indignation - If one postulates that Daniel 8 is historically fulfilled in Antiochus Epiphanes and has no future "foreshadowing" of the Antichrist, this time phrase would not make good sense considering the Biblical prediction of the future history of Israel, for the time of Antiochus was not in fact the literal final period of the indignation. The final period of indignation will only be fulfilled during the time of Jacob's distress (Jer 30:7), the time of the Great Tribulation.
In support of this phrase foreshadowing a future event, note that the identical phrase, the indignation, is used only one other time in Daniel 11 where it clearly describes a time period which is most compatible with the actions of the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation…
Well, that helps a little. I can’t imagine facing a powerful and good being of the Heavenly realms in this life or in a dream or vision. It would be profoundly life-changing!
My next devotional examines Daniel 8:20-27 - Gabriel explains the vision and Daniel feels ill.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - We go about our mundane lives, reading scripture and praying to You. But the power and plan from You from the beginning to the end of all things is so mysterious and beyond comprehension. We all need help to understand! Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 5/03/2025 to ask the question, “What does the Bible say about the angel Gabriel?”
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Precept Austin was accessed on 05/03/2025 to review commentary for Daniel 8:13-19.