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Daniel - Study 3

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Daniel 7-12

Study 3 of 3

 

Unlike Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Daniel was not a preaching prophet; his ministry was prophetic interpretation and writing. Earlier Daniel provided Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar with interpretations of their dreams (chs 2 and 5); later he wrote down his own visions and their interpretation for the generations to come (chs 7-12). These final visions clarified for the exiles the degree of God’s sovereignty over their situation, and assured them that divine justice would prevail—not only in their case, but over all of history. 

 

The text arranges Daniel’s visions chronologically, although some occurred during the events recorded in chs 1-6 (chs 7-8 before ch 5; perhaps ch 9 preceded the events of ch 6):

  1. Daniel’s vision during the first year of Belshazzar (ch 7). From the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in ch 2, Daniel understood that four other nations would arise before God set up His kingdom among men, and ch 7 may repeat this theme. It may be that the four beasts represented in succession the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. The vision of ch 7 provided the prophet with insight concerning the dominion of the fourth beast, this one who was “frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth” (v. 7). This kingdom would morph into an empire ruled by 10 kings. Especially concerning to Daniel was the “little horn” who usurped three of the ten horns of the kingdom. This smaller horn spoke arrogantly, but was nil in comparison with the vision of the Ancient of Days—whose kingdom, despite enduring great persecution, would never be destroyed (vv. 8-28)
  2. Daniel’s vision during the third year of Belshazzar (ch 8). The angel Gabriel explained that the vision of the ram and the goat referred to the time of the end; perhaps in view were the days when the kingdoms of Media and Persia (the two-horned ram) were overthrown by the kingdom of Greece (the goat), under the leadership of Alexander the Great. Daniel understood that four nations would rise from the destruction of the goat, and when those nations had reached their demise, one skilled leader would arise to the throne; “He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does…He will cause deceit to prosper through his cunning and by his influence, and in his own mind he will make himself great” (vv. 24, 25), Daniel wrote. It may be the case that the little horn of ch 8 refers to one of the more prominent kings of the Greek era, King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria—who persecuted the Jews severely—and yet also prefigures the final antichrist introduced in ch 7
  3. Daniel’s prayer, and vision, during the first year of Darius (ch 9). Daniel understood from the prophecy of Jeremiah that the years of exile were about to come to an end (vv. 1-2; cf. Jer 25.11-12; 29.10). He thus turned his attention “to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (v. 3). Daniel rightly assessed what the people had done, and what their God had done—according to the prophecy of Moses (cf. Dt 28.15-68). Yet Daniel also understood God to be gracious and full of covenant mercy—according to the word of Jeremiah—and prayed accordingly: “Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, may Your anger and wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain…For we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion” (vv. 16, 18b). While he was praying, the angel Gabriel visited Daniel with the answer to his prayer. He gave the prophet a vision of what would come: the seventy years of exile would parallel seventy weeks (of years) in the future; he announced the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the rise of a messianic figure—who would be “cut off” (v. 26)—and a period of great tribulation and the rise of the antichrist (cf. 7.8ff), when the abomination of desolation would be set up in the temple (cf. 2 Thess 2.4; Rev 13.8, 14-17)
  4. Daniel’s vision in the third year of Cyrus (chs 10-12). Daniel was again in a humble posture over the situation of the exiles (10.1-3), when he saw a vision of a heavenly man before him. This messenger had endured a great conflict with “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” (10.13), and had only recently been freed by the angel Michael. Once Daniel was strengthened, he received the weighty visions, matters that had been presented earlier, but now in greater detail: Three more kings would rule the Persian empire before it was conquered by Greece—and it would soon be uprooted and taken over by others (11.2-4); the king of the South (Egypt) would dominate for a time (11.5-13); the king of the North (Syria) would dominate after him (11.14-19); a king who sends out a tax collector would arise for a brief time (11.20); and a crafty leader would take over and initially defeat the king of the South, desecrating the temple fortress and exalting himself against all gods (11.21-45). Daniel gave a detailed account of this leader—most likely King Antiochus IV Epiphanes who severely persecuted the Jews (cf. 8.9-12, 23-25)—and how some would endure his reign: “With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. Those who are wise among the people will give understanding to many, yet they will die by sword and flame, and be captured and plundered for a time” (11.32-33). It may be that the final description of this ruler points forward even to the days of the antichrist (vv. 36-45; cf. 7.8ff). Indeed, the end of his reign would be more terrible than even Daniel could imagine, but the heavenly messenger promised him that “all your people who are found written in the book will escape” (12.1). While Daniel fervently inquired as to the temporal details of the vision, he understood them only from a distance, and was told: “Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret and sealed until the time of the end” (12.9)
 

Daniel’s visions detailed the coming great empires of the world: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman. Within these, great leaders would arise—like Alexander the Great who, spread Greek influence throughout the world of his day, Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, who ruled in Syria during the latter portion of the Greek period, pointedly opposing the Jews. The overlap of themes and imagery found in Daniel and the book of the Revelation point up the significance of the book of Daniel for the storyline of Scripture; it may be that Daniel’s prophecy echoed loudly in the mind of the apostle John during his vision of the future. The latter heard a heavenly figure say that the end “would be for a time, times, and half a time” (12.7), and the former heard an angelic figure swear, “There will no longer be an interval of time, but in the days of the sound of the seventh angel, when he will blow his trumpet, then God’s hidden plan will be completed, as He announced to His servants the prophets” (10.6b-7). Near the conclusion of Daniels’s visions, the angelic figure said to the prophet: “Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly, none of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand” (Dan 12.10), and near the end of his apocalyptic, John wrote “Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy go on being made filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; and let the holy go on being made holy” (Rev 22.11). Besides these general points of correspondence, together the prophet and the apostle depict:

  1. The final world empire would oppose God’s faithful ones, and give rise to the antichrist. In Dan 7 the prophet recorded his vision of the Four Beasts, each a metaphor for a coming, successive world empire. As stated above, it would be best to understand the final beast, frightening, dreadful, and incredibly strong, having 10 horns (v. 7) as a reference to ancient Rome. From this beast, Daniel saw another horn arise, and it became the focus of his attention. The apostle John witnessed a beast coming out of the sea with 10 horns, representing 10 kings (Rev 17.12), likewise full of might and strength even to the degree that some said, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?” (Rev 13.4). These 10 kings give their authority to the beast (Rev 17.13), who is a representation of Satan, the dragon (cf. 12.3). In Dan 7.20-27 and 11.29ff the character of the antagonist king(s) who would oppose God’s people is marked by blasphemous speech, one who would, “exalt and magnify himself above every god,” and, “say outrageous things against the God of gods” (11.36b). This too accords John’s vision of the antichrist, of whom he witnessed that: “A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies…He began to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven” (Rev 13.5-6; cf. 2 Thess 2.9-10)
  2. The days of tribulation on earth, the manifestation of a great spiritual battle in heaven. At the conclusion of Daniel’s prayer during the third year of King Cyrus, an angelic figure appeared to the prophet saying, “From the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard…But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia” (10.12b-13).   Likewise in 12.1 the prophet recorded: “At that time Michael the great prince who stands watch over your people will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time.” John saw in his vision that “war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world” (Rev 12.7-9a)
  3. A war against the faithful—the time of great tribulation—and the spiritual preservation of the elect. In 7.21-22 Daniel recorded of his vision, “As I was watching, this horn made war with the holy ones and was prevailing over them until the Ancient of Days arrived and a judgment was given in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, for the time had come, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.” Daniel understood that while the four beasts had authority, the ultimate power was the Ancient of Days, who gave the One like a son of man the authority to rule, and have dominion over an everlasting kingdom (7.13-14). Near the conclusion of his visions Daniel wrote concerning the future: “At that time Michael the great prince who stands watch over your people will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape” (12.1). These prophetic themes form the schema of the Revelation. In his visions John saw that: the beast would make war with the witnesses of the church (11.7), and Israel (12.13); the beast “was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered” (13.7-8); the beast and his 10 kings would, “wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords, and King of kings. Those with him are called and elect and faithful” (17.14); and “the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against His army. But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with him the false prophet…Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” (19.19-20a, c).
  4. The final judgment. Immediately following the vision of the Four Beasts, Daniel wrote, “As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat…His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire…The court was convened, and the books were opened” (7.9a, c, 10b). While the little horn would be permitted to blaspheme and deceive for a time, Daniel prophesied that eventually, “The court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away, to be completely destroyed forever. The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him” (7.26-27). Daniel noted that “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt” (12.2). This judicial motif dominates the Revelation, where John described the risen Lord as One resembling Daniel’s Ancient of Days (1.14), a heavenly judgment throne surrounded by thousands of angels (4.2; 5.11; 11.18), books opened to dispense the eternal verdict for the living and the dead (20.11-15), and the dominion of the Lord and His saints—as the 24 elders extolled: “The nations were angry, but Your wrath has come. The time has come for the dead to be judged, and to give the reward to Your servants the prophets, to the saints, and to those who fear Your name, both small and great, and the times has come to destroy those who destroy the earth” (11.18)
 
 

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