Just as military planners send secret messages in code to keep the enemy from intercepting and understanding them, so God has cloaked prophecy in symbolic language. but the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:7, 13). The message of Daniel 5 is the contrast it offers between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar: Nebuchadnezzar is humbled by God, learns his lesson (he acknowledges the ultimate kingship of the God of Israel), and is restored to his throne; See Gooding D. W. ‘The Literary Structure of the Book of Daniel and its Implications’. Daniel’s prayer and thanksgiving»20 on the first of these occasions should be seen a paradigmatic of them all: God knows and controls all human events and can reveal them if he so wishes. One young man, Daniel, affirmed that he did. ‘Daniel: The Basic Issues’, Themelios, 2, 2, (1977), pp49-52. Without this predictive element it becomes a call to trust that God is control without any basis to believe that he is. Bauckham R. J. Dumbrell W. J. Collins J. J. Walton J. H. ‘The Four Kingdoms of Daniel’, Wong G. C. I. And he solves all mysteries, I know, because you’ve solved this mystery.” 48-49 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position in the kingdom, lavished him with gifts, and made him governor over the entire province of Babylon and the chief in charge of all the Babylonian wise men. The issues of dating above reveal that many presume Daniel to be a compilation of at least two authors writing on different themes.»17 However while there are differences in emphasis between the two halves of the book there is also great overlap. In a world of clashing ideologies and godless worldviews, it is easy to lose hope that truth will prevail. Assertions of His sovereignty 1. His people were in exile in Babylon. A few of these are discussed here and their effect on the message of the book will be mentioned below. While debate rages over the nature of the timing given, what is clear on a pastoral level is that great assurance is given by the knowledge that God’s timetable will not be altered.»37 Likewise the introduction to the vision of chapter 10-12 is not to cause concern over angelic battles but to explain to Daniel (and later readers) that there are reasons for a lack of response – it is not that God isn’t listening or doesn’t care.»38, The control of history outlined above leads into the final victory of God’s kingdom. ‘Daniel: The Basic Issues’, Themelios, 2, 2, (1977), p51. This paper will argue that the message of Daniel is to answer these questions, and to show that the answer to the former is dependent on the answer to the latter. The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1998), p114. did he still care? This is when the whole lions’ den episode takes place. Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food … Childs B. S. Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, (Fortress Press, 1979), p614-615. DANIEL. In addition, Daniel was gifted in understanding all sorts of visions and dreams. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson, The Message (MSG), The Message Bible--soft leather-look, sky blue, The Message: Solo - An Uncommon Devotional, The Message // REMIX 2.0, Soft Imitation Leather, Storm Black, The Message Bible, Black/Slate Leather-Look. Graham Beynon is minister of Avenue Community Church - a recent church plant in Leicester. It is accepted that there is a change of emphasis here, but this is simply to say that faithfulness will mean different things at different moments: political powers may become less human and more set against God’s people, but now matter how threatening they appear God’s people can remain loyal knowing that victory lies ahead.»45 They must live life in the light of their convictions about the end just as the heroes of chapters 1-6 did.»46, These sections steel God’s people for times of great hardship. The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1998), p98-99. Make your decision on the basis of what you see.”. ‘The Rise of Apocalyptic’. Was God realy in control? This difference is seen as so clear cut by some that it is evidence of multiple authorship, e.g. Goldingay J. E. ‘Daniel’, WBC, (Dallas, Word, 1989), p315. 1 1-2 It was the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city. A variety of issues affect the interpretation of Daniel. He didn’t use symbols to prevent us from understanding His messages. Daniel 8. Both the fall of Jerusalem and the return both took place within the time frame of the book. court plots, is debated and does not greatly affect interpretation. Explaining the background to Daniel, he sifts through interpretive issues and then offers a faithful exposition of the book's message. Whether the narrative is of a more specific genre e.g. Daniel's Vision by the Tigris … 12 “Do not be afraid, Daniel,” he said, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 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