Introduction to the study of Daniel, Part I

Daniel: An Introduction

(Pastor Terry Reese; Valley GBC, Armagh, PA; AD 2020)

A brief but important book! Twelve extraordinary and astounding chapters!

I. Type of literature…

A. History (chiefly, 1-6)

Daniel’s career covers the entire span of the Babylonian Captivity (605 BC-c. 536 BC)

B. Prophecy & apocalyptic visions (chiefly, chs. 7-12).

C. Some would prefer to outline the book in accordance with its 1) Israelite focus (1:1-

2:3 & 8:1-12:13 written in Hebrew) and 2) its Gentile World focus (2:4-7:28 written in Aramaic).

II. Authorship and date.

A. Traditional view.

Daniel himself wrote the book bearing his name. Daniel (lit., “God judges”) was a 6^th Century BC prophet whose entire prophetic career was spent living in exile in Babylon—which is the locational setting of the historical portions of the book.

o   Daniel’s authorship is internally claimed within the book itself (8:2, 9:2, 20; 12:5).

o   Much of the book is written in the first person.

o   Third person references to Daniel are not necessarily out of character for a book written by him (e.g., Moses does the same in the Five Books of Moses).

B. Liberal view.  

o   Since Porphyry (3^rd cent. AD), Daniel has been declared a pious fraud by some.

o   Modern liberals, following so-called higher critical theories, have often claimed that Daniel was written by an unknown pseudonymous Jew (i.e., a fake “Daniel”) in the 2^nd Century B.C., who wanted to encourage the Maccabean Freedom Fighters of that era.

o   Why? Unregenerate Men cannot comfortably submit to the idea of fulfilled prophecy. How to explain fulfilled prophecy, like the rise of Greece, the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, and the detailed history of the Hellenistic Periods (e.g., ch. 11), and the rise of Rome?

o   Since it is assumed that there can be no such thing as the type of God who can actually reveal the future or perform miracles, Daniel must be classed as a pseudograph.

C. Biblical response to the liberal view.

o   A God exists who really CAN predict the future (Dan. 2:27-28; Isa. 44:6-7).

o   Detailed predictions beyond the Maccabean period that have since been fulfilled abound within the book, including the rise and acts of Rome, as well as the first coming and death of Christ (9:26).

o   History testifies that the 2^nd century Maccabean Freedom Fighters were familiar with the contents of Daniel and accepted it as Scripture (1 Macc. 2:59-60)—not as a recently appearing fraud!

o   Daniel is classified by all ancient Jewish authorities (e.g., the LXX, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, etc.) as canonical Scripture. The Jews KNEW the perimeters of their most sacred canon!

o   Daniel’s amazing grasp of the history of the 6^th century BC and his use of language demonstrate that the book is not a later anachronism.

o   Daniel was already well-known and highly regarded in his own lifetime as a proverbially wise and righteous man (Ezek. 14:14, 20; 28:3).

o   The single most important response: Jesus Christ, Who is God come in the Flesh (Isa. 7:14, John 1:14), SAYS Daniel wrote the book bearing his name!

Matt. 24:15: "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…”

The Lord does not make mistakes: Daniel was written by Daniel!

o   Conclusion: Satan is behind these attacks upon the integrity of God’s Word. Liberal Higher Critical theories are based upon both shoddy scholarship and unbelief.

III. Timeline and Historical Backdrop for Daniel.