Who is the author of the book of Daniel? Daniel 12:4, 5, 9
NOTE: Only a person who was intimately
acquainted with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon could have written the details
of history revealed in the book of Daniel. It was common for ancient
writers to write about themselves in the third person. Moses did the
same when he wrote of himself in the Pentateuch.
Did Jesus recognize Daniel as the author of
this book? Matthew 24:15
NOTE: Jesus told His followers to understand
the prophesies of Daniel. He made three points in this statement: we
are to study the prophecies, they can be understood and Daniel was
responsible for the words found in the book of Daniel.
When was the book of Daniel written? Daniel 1:1
In the
NOTE: Jehoiakim's third year was from
September/October 606 to S/O 605 B.C. and Nebuchadnezzar's campaign,
during which Daniel was captured, was in 605 B.C. Daniel was taken to
Babylon and lived on there into the Medo-Persian reign, which began in
538 B.C. Hence, the book of Daniel must have been written sometime
during those years.
THE SETTING Who had conquered Jerusalem and taken Daniel
captive to Babylon? Daniel 1:1
NOTE: Because of their disobedience to God the
nations of Israel and Judah had been taken captive. Eventually the city
of Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and most of the Jews were
carried away to Babylon. The book of Daniel begins with Jerusalem being
desolated by the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar and God's people being
removed to a strange land. Our study will reveal that God can bring
good out of every bad situation in which His people find themselves.
To what event does the book of Daniel point?
Daniel 12:4, 9, 13
The
NOTE: Even though the book of Daniel was
written while God's people were captive in Babylon because of their
sins, the focal point of the book is not the Jewish captivity but the
time of the end. As we study Daniel we must ever keep in mind that
everything is pointing to the end of the world. You will discover that
this gives the book of Daniel tremendous meaning for us today.
What are the two types of literary writing
styles in the book of Daniel?
NOTE: There are two types of literature in the
book of Daniel:
The Historical, which contains stories about
Daniel's day. The Prophetic, which contains prophecies
pointing to the end time.
What the book of Daniel says about history
provides a key that unlocks the meaning of history, while its prophetic
section opens a window through which we see how the God of heaven is
guiding the affairs of this world towards that great climatic event,
the second coming of Christ.
Many people in their haste to quickly unravel
the prophecies of Daniel have skipped the historical chapters and
missed a lot of the meaning in the book. The stories of Daniel are not
given simply as stories; rather they illustrate what the prophecies
predict. (The stories reveal that what happened to Daniel and his
friends in ancient Babylon are symbolic of the experiences of the
people of God in the end time.)
Always remember that the focal point of the
book of Daniel is the time of the end -- the ending era of the conflict
between good and evil. In this study we will study the entire book
chapter by chapter, including both the historical and prophetic
sections. We will study the historical sections to discover the message
there for the time of the end, and then we will discover how the
prophetic sections have predicted those very conditions in the last
days. In addition we will be studying the great key prophecies of the
book of Revelation.
Is the study of prophecy important? 2 Peter 1:19
:
Because, "we have the word of the
NOTE: The Bible says prophecy is certain; we
should pay attention it. Instead of studying Bible Prophecy to provide
hope today, many people are turning to the occult, to spirit mediums,
New Age channelers, spiritual guides and witches in an endeavor to
understand today's chaotic world. The Bible asserts that real answers
can be found only in prophecy. Prophecy is a light that illuminates our
pathway, and the study of prophecy causes Jesus (the 'morning star') to
find a place in our hearts.
SYMBOLS OF
PROPHECY Much of the books of both Daniel and Revelation
is written in symbolic language. In order to correctly interpret the
prophecies, one must understand the Biblical meaning of the symbols.
Once the symbols are understood, the prophecies make sense.
Give the Biblical meaning of the following
symbols:
Beasts..... Daniel 7:23 Water..... Revelation 17:15
NOTE: This does not mean that every time these
words appear in the Bible they have a prophetic meaning, but rather
only in the prophecies such as those found in Daniel and Revelation.
HOW TO
INTERPRET DANIEL
There are four major prophecies in the book of
Daniel:
Daniel 2; Daniel 7; Daniel 8; Daniel 11-12.
Each of these prophecies covers the broad sweep
of history from Daniel's day to the end time. The focal point of each
prophecy is the time of the end.
The principle that Daniel uses is what is
called 'outline' prophecy, in which world history is outlined from
Daniel's day to the end of time, and each subsequent prophecy
elaborates on the time of the end. In employing this method Daniel made
certain that he rooted the prophecies in history, so that as we see
them unfold we can constantly see where we are living in the stream of
history. This Daniel study attempts to utilize this principle of
interpretation which is so clearly enunciated in the book of Daniel
itself. In other words, we will discover that each of these major
prophecies begins in Daniel's day, continues through history, and then
focuses on the time of the end. Amazingly, we will discover that we
today (in the 1990's) are living the Daniel's predicted time of the
end.
You should be aware that other interpretations
are suggested for the book of Daniel. Some have dated the book of
Daniel to the 2nd century B.C. and have interpreted the events in the
book as occurring mainly in the Grecian Empire. They don't believe that
there is such a thing as prophecy. All the prophecies of Daniel were
not really prophecies, but really history couched in prophetic
trappings. Jewish 'editors' are accused of lying for God to make God
appear Omnipotent. Lying for a God who said 'thou shalt not lie.' Yeah,
right.
Others hold that Daniel did write prophecies,
but they find their fulfillment in Greece. For them, the book of Daniel
has little meaning for today.
Some have gone to the opposite extreme and
suggest that everything in the book of Daniel will yet take place in
the future. Since this view of the prophecies is not rooted in history,
no one can be sure when they will take place.
The method of interpretation espoused by this
study, however, is consistent with the Biblical evidence. It sees the
prophecies as beginning in Daniel's day, but culminating in the time of
the end. Thus the prophecies span the ages, rooted in history but
focused on the future. This has been the most consistent interpretation
of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation by Jewish and Christian
scholars from earliest times.
Lesson 2 will explore the exciting theme of the
book of Daniel. Once the theme of the book is clear, we will begin our
chapter study. We will unravel these fantastic prophecies and see how
the various stories relate to the time of the end.
It is imperative to remember that the focal
point of the book of Daniel is the time of the end -- the climax of the
conflict between good and evil. You will discover through your study
that we today are indeed living the time of the end foretold in the
book of Daniel. What reassuring news for people who face the future
with apprehension! And even more important, both Daniel and Revelation
focus on Jesus and reveal fantastic new amazing facts regarding Him and
His plans for the future.
So; What do you say we get to studying the
prophecies of Daniel and learn more about Jesus?
