24. Daniel

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24. DANIEL

I. OUTLINE

1. Six stories of Daniel. 1:1-6:28.

A. Introduction. 1:1-21:

B. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. 2:1-49.

C. The Three and Fiery Furnace. 3:1-30.

D. Nebuchadnezzar's Madness. 4:1-37.

E. The Feast. 5:1-31.

F. The Lions' Den. 6:1-28.

2. The Three Visions. 7:1-12:13.

A. Four Beasts. 7:1-28.

B. Ram and He-Goat. 8:1-27.

C. The 70 Weeks. 9:1-27.

D. Last Days. 10:1-12:13.

II. AUTHORSHIP

1. Book was written during the Maccabean wars.

2. It was written during the reign of Antiochus IV (Epiphanes).

3. The writer knew about Jeremiah.

4. Daniel is mentioned as a prophet in Matt. 24:15.

5. The book was not written during the captivity.

6. It was not written by Daniel, though he was probably a real person.

7. The book is the work of one author.

8. Copies of Daniel were found among the Dead Sea scrolls.

9. It was written about 165 B.C.

III. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1. Greek culture is spreading and a Greek Bible is produced.

2. In 175 B.C. Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) becomes ruler of the Seleucid empire.

3. Antiochus determines to stamp out the Jewish religion. He plunders the temple, kills Jews, and razes the walls of Jerusalem.

4. In 168 B.C. he sets up an altar in the temple (Jupiter), profanes the Sabbath, and forbids circumcision.

5. All this brings on the Maccabean revolt. The temple was cleansed and rededicated.

6. The book of Daniel was written to help the Jews withstand the persecutions of Antiochus.

7. Antiochus died in his campaign against the Parthians in 163 B.C.

IV. COMPOSITION OF THE BOOK

1. Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream-the golden idol, and the fiery furnace.

2. Then comes the feast of Belshazzar and the lions' den.

3. Then the vision of the four beasts and the little horn.

4. Interpretation of the little horn:

A. Protestants, in general, have referred it to Antiochus Epiphanes.

B. Seventh Day Adventists and other sects refer it to the Papacy.

C. Others have referred it to Hitler, Stalin, etc.

5. Other visions have to do with empire history, Alexander the Great, and Roman history.

6. Daniel becomes "head of the wise men" of Babylon.

V. TEACHINGS OF DANIEL

1. Daniel is the first of the apocalyptic books-the doctrine of the end of the age.

2. The kingdom is literal-the Messiah sits on David's throne. It is an "everlasting kingdom."

3. Daniel presents an advanced theology regarding angels, survival, the resurrection, and many other features.

4. He presents the concept of "the Son of Man," along with Enoch, and may have had some part in Jesus' deciding to adopt such a title.

5. The theology is that God foreknows all things and determines everything.

6. In theology Daniel is midway between the doctrines of the olden prophets and the times of Jesus.

7. Daniel gives angels a new and enlarged personal dignity.

8. The book of Daniel is the prime textbook of all the Adventist denominations.

VI. SELECTED TEXTS

1. A dietetic test. "'Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance...be observed by you, and according to what you see deal with your servants.' At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's rich food." 1:12,13,15.

2. Wise men and the king's dream. "Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed." 2:12.

"Daniel answered the king, 'No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery which the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.'" 2:27,28.

3. Daniel honored. "Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts." 2:48.

4. Three worthies in the fiery furnace. "He answered, 'But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.'" 3:25.

5. Rule of the Most Highs. "'To the end that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.'" 4:17.

6. Handwriting on the wall. "The fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace." 5:5.

"'This is the interpretation of the matter...God has numbered the days of your kingdom...You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting... your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.'" 5:26-28.

7. Daniel in the lions' den. "And Daniel was...cast into the den of lions... Then Daniel said to the king...'My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me.'" 6:16,21,22,

8. Vision of the four beasts. "'And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another...I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked...As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat.'" 7:3,8,9.

9. Alexander the Great. "Behold, a he-goat came from the west...without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes." 8:5.

10. The 2,300 days. "'For two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.'" 8:14.

11. The abomination of desolation. "And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate." 11:31.

12. Mention of Michael. "'At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people.'" 12:1.

13. A special resurrection. "'And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.'" 12:2.