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THE BOOK OF DANIEL
God’s Apocalyptic Kingdom
INTRODUCTION
1.The Historical Background
1.Daniel was carried away in the stage of the deportation of Judah.
--The date: 606 BC (The span of Daniel's life: about BC to about BC)
--The event: Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had defeated Assyria at Carchemish in 609 BC (612 Ninevah falls), was establishing suzerainty/vassal relationship with various nations; he had come to Jerusalem, while there heard that his father had died, left to establish himself on the throne; when he did, left Jehoiakim on the throne as vassal to himself, took several young men of the royal family as hostages and trainees for the king’s court.
2.Daniel was in Babylon on the night that the city fell to the Medo/Persians, and the Babylonian empire came to an end.
Scripture: Daniel 5
3.Daniel lived in Babylon and prophesied in that place throughout the history of the Neo-Babylonian empire, and then briefly in the Medo/Persian empire which followed.
Scripture:Daniel 1:21; 6:1-3
2. The Structure Outline of Daniel
A.Two major sections:
1 - 6 Historical // Narrative
7 - 12 Prophetic // Visions
B.Much of the Book was written in Aramaic
C. Dan 2-7 is structured as a chiasm
2vision – four kingdoms and their end
3 faithfulness and miraculous rescue
4 judgment predicted an experienced
5judgment predicted an experienced
6 faithfulness and miraculous rescue
7vision – four kingdoms and their end
The point: God’s kingdom will be established while the earthly kingdoms will be brought down.
3. Theological Themes
1. The Sovereignty of God
– 1:2, 9, 17; 2:38; 3:17-18; 4:17, 34-35
2.Pride of Human Rulers
– God’s sovereignty is seen against the backdrop of human rulers who think that they are the ones who are sovereign.
– Ex: Nebuchadnezzar in 4:28ff
3. The Kingdom of God
– God’s kingdom exists on two levels
1. A general timeless rule over all creation (cf. 4:3)
2. A specific Messianic kingdom (2:44-45)
– Again, God’s kingdom is set against the backdrop of the world kingdoms
OVERVIEW
A. Chapter 2 vision
B. Chapter 3: the courage of the 3 boys
C. Chapter 4: Neb’s humiliation
E. “Son of Man” vision (7:9-14)
- Most popular title for Christ (Mat 16:27; 24:30; 26:64; Mk 8:38; 13:26; and many others)
- Humble title or exalted title?
- Humble Title?
- Human people are often called “son of man” (Ezek 2:1; Dan 8:17; cf. Ps 8:4)
- Exalted Title?
- But non-human, angelic figures are often compared to being “like men” (Dan 8:15; 9:21 [Gabriel]; 10:5 [angel]
- Moreover, on at least two occasions, a divine manifestation is referred to as one “like (or in the appearance of) a man” (Ezek 1:26; 8:2-3).
- Context of Daniel 7
F. Vision of Antiochus Epiphanes (8:9-14)
Summary: This is the campaign of Antiochus against Judaism. In 168 BC he arrived in Jerusalem, having been repulsed in a military campaign to Egypt. Enraged with the Jews who had so constantly resisted his Hellenizing policy, he virtually outlawed Judaism. The most dramatic display of that wicked decree came when he slew a pig on the altar in the temple in Jerusalem. Ultimately, all of this sparked the Maccabeanrevolution which finally drove the Greek/Syrian/Seleucid overlords from Israel and ushered in a time of remarkable semi-independence, a time which lasted until the conquest of the land by Rome about 60 BC. But the emphasis here in Daniel 8 is upon the period of time during which Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the “little horn” of this chapter, desecrated the altar and caused ritual worship to cease in Jerusalem.
G. 7 weeks prophecy (9:24-27)
Two different approaches:
View 1: Literal-Chronological
- Problems?
View 2: Symbolic-Theological
“The number 490 is not an arithmetical calculation to be pressed to yield chronological information. It is a figure that puts together two symbolic figures, the seventy years (a lifetime) of Jer 25:11/29:10 and the sevenfold chastisement of Lev 26:28.” (Goldingay, Daniel, 266)
- Again, the context of Dan 8-11 is 2nd century B.C., not later.
- Hebrew numbers often carry symbolic value, especially certain numbers like “7,” and especially again when such numbers are multiplied by the same number (7 x 7, or 7 x 70).
H. The detailed prophecy of chapter 11
- Overview of Events Predicted
- The message given Daniel is recorded in 11:1-12:13. It begins with a remarkably detailed prophecy of events related to Persia (11:2), then Alexander the Great (11:3,4), the Ptolemies (Greek family ruling in Egypt, south of Israel) and (Greek family ruling in Syria, north of Israel) Seleucids until Antiochus Epiphanes (11:5-20), and then concerning Antiochus himself (11:21-35). All of these prophecies, in exact detail, have been fulfilled since they were spoken to Daniel about 530 years before Christ!
- The predictive prophecies concerning Antiochus Epiphanes (11:21-35) are remarkably detailed and accurate. Aniochus IV (nicknamed “Epiphanes”), who reigned over Syria as the Seleucid (i.e., descendant of Seleucus, one of the four generals among whom Alexander’s empire was divided) king from 175 to 164, came to the throne by intrigue (11:21), made several expeditions into Egypt (11:24-27), then turned his hatred on Isabel (11:28). The reference to the “ships of Chittim” (11:30) is a prediction of the time when Roman ships would come from the west, past Chittim (i.e., Cyprus) to defeat Antiochus in Egypt. It was at this time that Antiochus, venting his anger against the Jews, declared the Mosaic ceremonies illegal and erected in the Holy Place a statue of Zeus (11:31). Many Jews resisted at this time and were martyred (11:32-35).
- There is a sudden and remarkable transition between 11:35 and 11:36. The prophet has been describing the awful reign of the “little horn” of Daniel 8, Antiochus Epiphanes. At this point, he begins to describe the reign of the end-time “little horn” (i.e., Daniel 7), the Antichrist. The two-fold reference to the “little horn” in Daniel 7 and 8 seems to be designed to prepare us for this sudden but instructive transition here.
- Notice what is said of the career of the Antichrist in 11:36-45. He will set himself in opposition to all that is God’s, and will build a mighty military force to resist God and His people. The maneuvers and battles of 11:40-45 are somewhat difficult to piece together entirely, but the picture is one of great victory in battle which turns very suddenly to defeat as he comes to his end with no one to help him.
I. Reference to resurrection in 12:1-2