A New Countenance

Daniel was offered the king's (Nebuchadnezzar's) meat (Daniel 1) to restore him that he might stand before the king to be taught wisdom and the Chaldean language. The restoration was after utter defeat, being carried away to a foreign land, and half-starving to death. The Hebrews had been defeated in battle, and lost all God's treasures. Daniel refused the kings' meat because God supplied. 

Daniel 1:8  But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

Daniel requested only "pulse" - some type of vegetable, perhaps grain, to eat and water to drink, after refusing the king's meat. He ate only those things for ten days. After the days had ended, there was a change: 

Dan 1:15  And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. 16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Daniel (and his friends: Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego) ate of God's "bread" and drank of his water (perhaps symbolic of living water) for ten calendar days, and their countenances were restored. "Countenance" is in general, their appearance. However, a deeper meaning is that all aspects of their existence changed. They appeared more healthy and robust, and also God "gave them knowledge and skill in learning and wisdom". With the change in countenance, they were able to understand the unseen through visions and dreams. Just as John the Beloved, Daniel, we find later, saw into the future!
It seems that John spoke of a similar tribulation in which the Hebrew people experienced, being comparable to the Babylonian one. Let's take a look at what John said about the Church at Smyrna:

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Think of the ten days in which Daniel fasted. Hunger usually weakens. In the case of Daniel, it strengthened him, not only physically but spiritually. He became more healthy and acquired more wisdom, and apparently an ability to know God's thoughts!

Just as Jesus hungered for forty days, and still withstood the temptations of Satan, Daniel fasted ten days, and withstood the temptation of the king's meat, and along with that, resisted comfort and pleasure. Rather than the kings' meat, Daniel ate the bread of life. Sacrifice gave him strength to overcome temptation. 

Afterwards, when Daniel saw visions, it was after he fasted:

Dan 10:1 ...a word was revealed to Daniel... And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.^[a] And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. 

Then Daniel saw God in the vision. It was Jesus he saw! Daniel's countenance aligned with God's because he saw the vision of Jesus just as John did in Revelation 1. Think of Daniel's ten days of fasting, and the turmoil as he fought the desire to eat the bountiful food of the king, but consumed only the food of the real King! Basically, Daniel chose the king's prison to freedom. Nebuchadnezzer was symbolic of Satan -  both destroy God's people. Daniel's tribulation (temptation) for ten days was his fasting when he could have had meat. 

Daniel challenged the king by his disobedience. The king could have killed him immediately. Daniel was faithful to God in the face of death. His "crown of life" was a new countenance. The weakened and distraught Daniel was rejuvenated, and made even more healthy and wise than before! Daniel's experience in tribulation was symbolic of the Church of Smyrna, and subsequently ours!

The crown of life was an Olympic-type of wreath for those who ran the race. It represents the prize of winning - perseverance until the race is finished! The prize, of course, is life! We find the type of life in Rev 2:11 - "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." The prize is eternal life!

Daniel's ten days were ten calender days. However, God's time is not our time:

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Ten calendar days for the Church at Smyrna is a very short time, even to face tribulation. Is it ten-thousand years? Ten Church ages? No one knows the secret to that. Sacred scripture does relate that mankind's existence shall be for "twelve days", or twelve-thousand years. Is that relevant? We just don't know!

Another possibility is the solar cycle of twelve months to which sacred literature often refers. In that case, Smyrna's tribulation might be for ten calendar months.

How does the "ten days" relate to the Church age? The earth's precessional rotation lasts for 2,160 years with twelve signs. Perhaps "ten days" of the "twelve signs" is 1,800 years. Regardless, most theologians apply the "ten days" as at the end of time. After that time elapses we see, that as with Daniel, the Smyrna-type Church will take on a new countenance. That Church will be glorified with the "crown of life". 

Perhaps, the ten days is related to the "Great Awakening" of the western world in the 1730's and 1740's, not exactly 1,800 years but of the same range. I like to think that because the "awakening" was the Church taking on a new countenance. Rather than religious heritage and tradition, the Church at that time returned to a personal God, just as in the beginning!

We can speculate all we want, and the later seems reasonable, but still we just don't know!

I would say, however, that the Church at Smyrna, after a period of testing, was born-again. That should be obvious that that parallels with a change in our own "countenance" - the new person, when we're born-again. The prize for us will also be "the crown of life". We can't go wrong if we compare ourselves to the Church at Smyrna.