Thank you for the question on the appearance of Christ in the Old and New Testament, “If much of what is written in the Book of Revelations is synonymous with the book of Daniel, why did the resurrected Christ appear to John and not the pre-incarnate Christ to Daniel?”
The Book of Revelation is a further revelation based on the Daniel on the events prior to the return of the King and the Millennial Kingdom of God.
The Scriptures do not state the reason why the Second Person of the Godhead appeared to John and not to Daniel.
If I may venture a conjecture. The reason why the Second Person of the Godhead appeared to John is because John had already seen the incarnated Second Person of the Godhead. John walked with Jesus, saw in part the transfiguration of Jesus on top of a mountain. He heard Jesus speak of the glory he had with the Father from the beginning or eternity. In addition, John may have been thinking that the return of Jesus as Israel’s Messiah was soon. He learns that there is still much more to come for the Gospel of salvation has not been preached to the whole world (Acts 1:8).
As to the conjectured reason why the Second Person of the Godhead didn’t appear to Daniel is to avoid misleading him that the kingdom of God is imminent. Since the first three kingdom had appeared, there was one more kingdom to come before the kingdom of God would appeared. As the angels revealed further revelation to Daniel, Daniel sees in a vision of a person like a son of man who was given authority, power, and glory over an enduring kingdom that will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13–14 says this, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (NIV).
It was not necessary for the Second Person of the Godhead to appear to Daniel in his pre-incarnated form for he saw him in a vision that excelled the appearances in the Old Testament. He was able to see the exalted Second Person of the Godhead in all his glory and dominion in ruling over all other kingdoms. Would one prefer to see the pre-incarnated Christ in human form or would one prefer to see the pre-incarnated in his glorified form?
SUMMARY: Both John and Daniel had the privilege to see the Second Person of the Godhead in a glorified form which is better than any pre-incarnated or incarnated Second Person of the Godhead.
For more perspectives: