Daniel 10:4

"And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river Hiddekel, I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and, behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches, and his arms and his feet like unto burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground."

Of all the picayune objections that Bible enemies have cited in this passage, the prize-winner must be the objection that since Babylon was on the Euphrates River, this mention of the Hiddekel (the Tigris), some fifty miles distant from Babylon, is therefore an error. What a ridiculous objection! Daniel was a man of high authority in Babylon and could very well have been at the Hiddekel on business for the king, as the fact of his being accompanied by a number of men surely appears to suggest. Such quibbles are merely the knee-jerk response of persons who have no desire to believe the Bible anyway.

Who is this magnificent person who appeared here to Daniel? Some have suggested that he was Gabriel; but the remarkable similarity between this passage and the description of the Christ in Revelation 1 points to Christ himself. As Young noted, "This is a theophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Eternal Son."[6] As Keil said, "This understanding is placed beyond doubt by a Comparison with Revelation 1:13, where John saw the glorified Christ, who is there described by a name definitely referring to Daniel 7:13."[7]

As for the reason that Daniel was on the banks of the Tigris, Thomson stated that, "His purpose in being there was probably governmental, as he had attendants with him."[8]

The fact of Daniel alone seeing the great vision corresponds with that which occurred to the apostle Paul and his companions on the Damascus road. Paul's companions heard only the voice but saw no man (Acts 9:3ff). Inherent in such facts is the truth that when Christ appeared to a person, he was seen only by those whom Christ wished to see him. It has been supposed that only Daniel was prepared in heart to receive such a vision, whereas his companions were not so prepared.