Daniel

Nature of the BookNature of the Book• Prophecy

– Proclaims the need for faithfulness to God, but without the normal denunciation of sin, injustice, and unrighteousness.

• Apocalyptic– Visions, symbolic numbers, interpreting

angels, mystical imagery, and eschatological focus.

– The focus is on the end—where God wins.– The process of getting there is tied up in

image and symbol, making it difficult to interpret.

Nature of the BookNature of the Book• Two parts

– Stories—Daniel 1-6– Visions—Daniel 7-12

• Two languages– Aramaic—2:4b-7:28

Date of the BookDate of the Book• 605-522 BC

– Nebuchadnezzar's capture (3rd year of Jehoiakim) to 1st year of Darius.

– Confusion between Darius and Cyrus (5:31)• That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was

slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two (Dan. 5:31).

Date of the BookDate of the BookNabopolassar c.630 605 25

Nebuchadrezzar II(Nebuchadnezzar)

605 561 44

Awil-Marduk (Evil-Merodach) 561 560 1

Nergal-shar-usur (Neriglissar) 559 555 4

Nabonidus 555 539 16

Belshazzar 550 539 11

Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great) 559 529 30

Cambyses II 529 522 7

Darius I 522 486 36

Xerxes I 486 465 21

Date of the BookDate of the Book• Many of the visions fit the context of 2nd

century BC (Dan. 9, 11, 12).

Message of the BookMessage of the Book• Faithfulness to God

– God vindicated Daniel and his friends because of their faithfulness. But, ...• What if He had not?

Message of the BookMessage of the Book• The Kingdom of God

– God is at work in the world.– God's kingdom will prevail in the end.

• Beast in Dan. 2• "Weeks of Years" in Dan. 9