Глава 10

Daniel 10:1. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the word was revealed to Daniel, and he was called Belshazzar. It seems to others that a mistake was made in the indication of the year, and at the beginning the writer of the book put: “in the third summer,” instead of: in the first summer. And the proof of this is what blessed Daniel said shortly after the beginning of the prophecy: “And Daniel was even until the first year of Cyrus the king” (Dan. 1:21). For, they say, if Daniel lived until the first year of the reign of Kirov; then how does he see revelation in the third year? But I think that the first place does not mean a specific time, and the life of blessed Daniel is not limited to the first year of the reign of Kirov. And even there it is said not actually up to the first “( πρ ὠ τθ )”, but up to one “( ἑνὀς )”, the year of Kirov’s reign. And it seems to me that the Prophet hereby wants to show those reading the prophetic scripture that he lived to see Cyrus the king of Persia, who, having made the captive Jews free, commanded them, if anyone wanted, to return to their fatherland and erect a divine church. And the Holy Angel will make this clear to us, shortly after this, entering into a conversation with Daniel, for he says: “And it came to pass in the first summer of Kirovo that it became a power and a fortress” (Dan. 11:1), that is, as soon as Cyrus reigned, I used all measures to free the people from captivity. And at the end of the book it is said: “Cyrus the Persian received the kingdom, and Daniel lived with the king, and was more glorious than all his friends” (Dan. 14: 1.2). So “by all accounts” this number turns out to be true: “the third summer.” Therefore, “in the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the word was revealed to Daniel, and his name was called Belteshazzar.” And the word is true, and the power is great, and understanding was given to him to know. The Prophet rightly calls this word and vision; because I saw the holy Angels, heard them talking, and knew exactly the future. He says that “the word is true,” so that everyone will undoubtedly accept what will be called. Daniel 10:2. In those days I Daniel wept for three weeks of days. Daniel 10:3. The bread I desired was not consumed, and meat and wine were not in my mouth, and I was not anointed with ointment until the completion of three weeks of days. It is necessary to investigate the cause of crying; because the prophecy does not clearly mean it. Firstly, there was no reason for sadness; the king was meek and philanthropic, revered the divine, highly valued Daniel’s affection, and all the people, due to the king’s goodness, enjoyed peace: or rather, if anyone wants to carefully consider the prophecy of Jeremiah, the story of the book of Chronicles and the writing of Ezra; then he will find that Cyrus, in the first year of his reign, gave permission to all Jews who wanted to return to their fatherland and restore the Divine Church; and therefore for the Prophet everything was a reason for joy. But if anyone examines all this exactly, he will find that this very thing was the cause of Daniel’s grief. When the king allowed everyone to take advantage of freedom and return to their fatherland, many, having built houses in Babylon, and held by these bonds, without thinking about returning, preferred someone else’s to their side. Some lovers of piety and guardians of the laws of the fathers, having neglected what they had acquired in Babylon, preferred the desolation of the fatherland to the kingdom itself. For blessed Daniel this was the cause of bitter tears. For, seeing the falseness of God’s promises, the meekness and love of mankind of the king, the rebellion and unbridledness of the people, he was greatly worried in his soul, and did not stop crying and shedding tears. Another may rightly ask: why, shedding tears and complaining about others as crazy and careless about returning, did the Prophet himself not return to his fatherland? But he will find a solution to the issue by paying attention to the reason for the captivity. Just as God allowed him to become a captive not for his own sins, but thinking about the benefit of the people and sent him into captivity along with the Jews, as if as a kind of guardian and mentor: so during his return, since many loved their settlement in Babylon, the divine Prophet was again forced to live with them, so that, having lost spiritual care for them, they would not resolutely turn into wickedness. Therefore, although the reigning king at that time respected piety, showed every favor to the Prophet himself, and preferred him to all others, blessed Daniel does not draw any consolation for himself in this, but grieves and is extremely upset by the disobedience of the people and their forgetfulness of the holy city. That is why he spends three weeks of days without food. For he says: “I did not eat up the bread I desired, and I did not eat meat and wine into my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with ointment until the three weeks of days were completed.” All these days, he says, I did not take any care of the body, did not anoint it outside, did not give it food inside. It is beautiful and very decent not to meat, but to bread, I added this adjective: coveted; because bread is an essential food for everyone; Only the well-to-do eat meat, and only the poor eat bread, except for the well-to-do. Therefore he called bread desirable, as a common food, more beloved than any other food. Dan.10:4. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, in the third summer, “I was near the great river, even the Tigris.” The month should also be noticed and days of fasting in reproof of the iniquity of the Jews. The law prescribed, on the fourteenth day of the first month, to celebrate the Passover in the evening (Ex. 12:6); Blessed Daniel remained until the twenty-fourth day without eating food. If the Jews say that he did not eat the desired bread because he ate unleavened bread; then, firstly, they will expose their stupidity, because both leavened and unleavened bread can be called bread; and then the next words of the Prophet completely block their shameless lips; for he says: “Meat and wine have not entered my mouth.” If you didn’t eat meat, then how did you celebrate Passover? For the Passover is nothing other than a one-year-old, spotless male lamb, slain and baked at evening. Therefore, without eating meat, how could you celebrate Passover? Consequently, Daniel did not celebrate Passover, obeying the law, which clearly commands that three holidays be celebrated in the place that the Lord God chooses. Therefore, the Jews act clearly contrary to the law, daring to celebrate these holidays in a foreign land. But we will return to our subject. On “the twenty-fourth day of the first month,” in the third summer, says Daniel, “I ran near the great river, which is the Tigris.” From this we learn again that there is no error in time; because the Prophet said here that he saw the vision in the third summer, and not in the first. Daniel 10:5. And my eyes lifted up, and I saw, and behold, a man was clothed in Vaddim, “and his loins were girded with gold of ophaz.” Daniel 10:6. His body is like Tarshish. The word vaddim translated into Hellenic means: fine linen. Therefore, the Prophet says that those who appeared were wearing fine linen clothing, and the belt was made of opaz gold, that is, from the lightest and purest gold. “His body was like Tarshish:” that is, it was likened to gold, separated from all impurities, delivered from Tarshish; for the purest gold was brought from there to Solomon. His face is like the vision of lightning. Face it, says the Prophet, emitted luminous rays. And his eyes are like fiery lights, and his muscles and legs are like the appearance of shining copper, and the voice of his words is like the voice of the people. He had eyes, says the Prophet, that cast fire, muscles like fine copper, and whoever heard him talking seemed to hear the voice of a very numerous people. Dan.10:7. And I saw only one appearance, Daniel, but the men who were with me did not see the appearance, but a great horror attacked them, and they ran away in fear. But perhaps someone else will say: why did they flee without seeing the phenomenon? Probably this very thing produced greater fear in them; for, seeing no one, but hearing a loud voice, they had reason to be afraid to flee. And here the Prophet calls “horror” - not only fear, but also blindness. For this was similar to what happened to blessed Paul on the road near Damascus; because he also saw the light shining over him there, and those who were with him saw nothing, but heard only a voice. Therefore, here too, those around the divine Prophet, having heard only the voice, give themselves up to flight, and he remains alone. For he says: Daniel 10:8. I remained alone, and I saw this great phenomenon, and the strength did not remain in me, and my glory turned to disintegration: and I did not hold the strength. Such fear attacked me from this vision that the unions of the members weakened, the color of my bodily appearance changed, and there was no strength in me. Dan.10:9. And hearing the voice of his words, says the Prophet, and sometimes I heard that my face was crushed, and my face was on the ground. As soon as I heard this loud voice, says the Prophet, I fell on my face; and unable to look at the terrible vision, I put my face to the ground. Dan.10:10. And behold the hand that toucheth me, and raise me upon my knees, and upon the palm of my hands put me. In this state, I felt, says the Prophet, as if someone’s hand was touching me and lifting me up; and I, leaning on my knees and hands (because fear had led me to relax), tried to get up. Daniel 10:11. And he said to me: Daniel, to the man of desires, understand in all these words what I say to you, and stand your ground, as if I have now been sent to you. Listen carefully, says the one who has appeared, to what I say, and putting aside fear, listen with understanding to what will be said. I have been sent to reveal this to you; because it turned out that you were above bodily lusts, you became a lover of the divine, and out of strong love for the people you wanted to know what would happen to them. The one who appeared calls the Prophet not Belshazzar, but Daniel, for that was a Chaldean name, and this is a Hebrew name; and the latter is given by the pious, and the former is given by the wicked. The name Daniel translated into Hellenic means: the judgment of God; and therefore the Prophet lives up to his name, and in fact preaches that God, through unwavering and righteous judgment, has vouchsafed him with prophetic grace, and through him has made clear what will happen in the future, after many generations. And when she spoke a word to me, I stood up in trepidation. A word was enough to restore me, but I did not put aside fear completely. Daniel 10:12. And he said to me: Do not be afraid of Daniel, for from the first day he gave you your heart, so that you understand, and labor before the Lord your God, your words were heard, and I came in your words. From this we understand how much benefit voluntary self-exhaustion brings us. For blessed Daniel, having exhausted himself with voluntary fasting and sought the Lord, soon bowed to His mercy and received what he desired. This is revealed to him and to those who appeared: “from the first day,” he says, “into he gave your heart,” “having understood and labored before the Lord your God, your words were heard. And my appearance to you serves as strong proof of this. “I came,” he continues, “in your words,” that is, for the sake of your words and the prayer you brought. Dan.10:13. And the prince of the kingdom of Persia, says the one who appeared, “he stood opposite me for twenty and one day.” On the very first day of your prayer, he says, your request was accepted, and I was sent to you; but all these days the prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming to you. And behold, Michael is one of the elders who first came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia. Blessed Moses shows us this more clearly; for he says: “When the Highest divided the tongues, as if the sons of Adam were scattered, set the boundaries of the tongues according to the number of the Angels of God” (Deut. 32:8). And the Lord in the Holy Gospel says to the Apostles: “Be careful that you do not despise one of these little ones: for their angels in heaven always see the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10). There are many other similar places in divine scripture. And from this we know that each of the Angels is entrusted with the care of each of us, to protect, preserve and deliver us from the wiles of the evil demon. The archangels are entrusted with the supervision of the nations, as blessed Moses taught us. Blessed Daniel also speaks in agreement with this: for he also speaks about the princes of the kingdom of Persia, and also, after a few words, about the Greek prince, and calls Michael the elder of the Israelites. Therefore, having understood this from the words of Daniel and from other places, we must examine why the prince of the kingdom of Persia, apparently, opposes the defender of the people of God. Everyone knows to some extent that the angelic nature is not disturbed by passions and is filled with holiness; from everywhere you can also find out that the Angels, without the slightest hesitation, follow divine gestures. Therefore, how can the prince of the kingdom of Persia, apparently, oppose the care of the Israelites? But if someone wants to carefully delve into it, he will find the meaning of what was said. For the prince of Persia and the prince of Hellenes, who were entrusted with the guardianship of the Persians and Greeks and the care of them, as being lovingly disposed towards the nations for whom they had care, seeing the iniquity of the Israelites, were necessarily upset, noticing that the Israelites were taking great advantage of them, because they did not know the secret hidden in God who created everything. After the incarnation of our Savior, as Blessed Paul said, “the manifold wisdom of God became the beginning and power of the heavenly churches” (Eph. 3:10). Therefore, not knowing this secret, and seeing God’s great providence for Israel, those who were obliged to take care of other nations were upset, especially when they noticed that the Israelites, after the law and the prophets, after the teaching taught to them and the care shown for them, behaved worse than the peoples they shepherded, and were infected with a large number of vices. This is what the angel who appeared to blessed Daniel said: “And the prince of the kingdom of Persia” “stood against me twenty and one day:” that is, all these days I continued to convince him that the Israelites were rightly awarded providence for them; Mikhail also defended them with me, “alone from the first elders. And he,” he says, “we left there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia.” Daniel 10:14. And I came to tell you that your people will be killed in the last days, like a vision for days. And when I went to you, says the one who appeared, to warn you that it would not be for a long time with your people, Michael remained to talk with the prince of the kingdom of Persia; and not just spoke to the prince of Persia, but to the prince of the kingdom of Persia, that is, to the one who was entrusted with power over the king of Persia himself. Daniel 10:15. And when he spoke to me according to this word, he laid my face on the ground, and was touched. For, having heard that the first of the Angels were upset by the care provided for the people, again filled with sadness, he stood with his face downcast and not daring to raise his eyes. Daniel 10:16. And behold, the likeness of the son of man touched my mouth, and spoke, and spoke to him who stood before me: Lord, in Thy vision my womb was turned within me, and behold, I have no power. Daniel 10:17. And how can Thy servant, O Lord, speak before this Lord? I am exhausted, and from now on there will be no strength in me, and the breath will not remain in me. Seeing, says the Prophet, that again I was all in a painful struggle, as if with a human hand touching my lips, he put into me the power to speak, and I said to him: just looking at you made me deprived of all strength, filled my soul with confusion, and robbed my mind of the former orderliness of thoughts; because fear brought me into great exhaustion, and I could not catch my breath, as usual. Therefore, how can I be able to understand what you are saying, or give a decent answer? But let no one think that the one who appeared to Daniel is the Master Himself; because Daniel calls him Lord. For he who himself appeared, at the end of the vision, stretched out his hands to heaven, as it is said, “swearing by the living” Lord (Dan. 12:7), graciously recognizing his slavery. Therefore the Prophet calls him Lord, not as God, but giving due honor; because when talking with the most respectable people, we have the custom of using this greeting. So blessed Abraham, seeing the Angels in the form of men, and speaking with them as with men, said: I ask You, “Lord, if I have found grace before You, do not diminish Your servant” (Gen. 18:3). And blessed Rebekah said to the household of blessed Abraham: “Drink, sir, and I will give you some for your camel” (Gen. 21:18.19). So here the word: “Lord” does not mean the God of all. We will learn this more clearly at the end; meanwhile, we will continue in order. says the Prophet, “and touch me like the sight of a man, and strengthen me.” (19). “And I say: do not be afraid, my husband desires, peace be with you: take courage and be strong.” That is, don’t worry at all; I did not appear for your destruction, but to make known to you what you wanted to know. Therefore, put aside fear, “take courage and be strong; and the word was followed by action. says the Prophet, “I strengthened myself and decided, may my Lord say that you have strengthened me.” Dan.10:20. And he said: Do you know why I came to you? and now I will return, having become brothers with the prince of Persia: I went out, but the prince of the Hellenes is coming. Daniel 10:21. But let me tell you what is written in the scriptures of truth, and there is not a single one who helps me about these things: but Michael is your prince. What does the one who appeared to Daniel say, or is he talking about, about one, or about two, about a Persian or Greek prince? For anything good to happen to your people, this, of course, due to their great iniquity, is not pleasing to all the powers of heaven, except Michael alone, who is entrusted with the care of you. And the one who appeared used the word: “brothers” in the meaning: to rant and convince, wanting to show both the just indignation of one towards the people, and the goodwill of the other towards the people, and it is likely that the one talking with Daniel is Saint Gabriel; because he interpreted other revelations to the Prophet.