daniel a remmers

8/9/2019 Daniel a Remmers

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The Prophet Daniel

by Arend Remmers

http://www.biblecentre.org

12 chapters

1. Author and Time of Writing

2. Purpose of Writing

3. Peculiarities4. !er!iew of "ontents

1. Author and Time of Writing

The boo# of the prophet $aniel % hebr. & m' (od is )udge* owes its name to the main

character. $aniel+ as man' other authors of the anti,uit' and the -ible+ writes of himselfin the third person throughout the first part of the boo#. rom chapter :20 onwards %in

the second part* he writes of himself in the first person. n chap. :1 $aniel tells us how

he wrote down the dream that was re!ealed to him. n chap. 12:4 he is as#ed to shut up

the words and seal the boo#. This can onl' relate to the entire boo# written b' him.

$aniel belonged to those ews who had been led awa' capti!e to -ab'lon at the first

siege of erusalem b' ebuchadnear in the 'ear 567 -" %compare $an. 1:182 with 2

9ings 24:1 and 2 "hron. 35:58*. -' this saiahs prophec' to #ing ;ee#iah wasfulfilled which was spo#en of around 166 'ears before $aniels time. This prophec' said

that the descendants of udahs #ing would become ser!ants of the #ing of -ab'lon

%compare $an. 1:3 with s. 3<:78*. $aniel was one of these nobles und descendants of

the ewish ro'alt' who were destined to ser!e at the -ab'lonian court after profoundtraining. ;e was probabl' not more than 17 to 26 'ears old at his imprisonment.

$aniel and his three friends ;ananiah+ =ishael and Aariah were e>emplar' in their

heathen surrounding b' their belie!ing determination. The first si> chapters of the boo#

describe their ? and especiall' $aniels ? faithfulness in the most !aried circumstances of life.

@nder ebuchadnear $aniel ser!ed as regent o!er the whole pro!ince of -ab'lon and

was chief of the go!ernors o!er all the wise of -ab'lon %$an. 2:40*. After ebuchadnears death we hear of $aniel again during the time of -elshaar onl'.

-elshaar was abonids son and reigned during his fathers absence as !ice8#ing. At

that time $aniel was an old man alread'.

After the con,uest of -ab'lon through $arius the =ede %probabl' (ubaru or (obr'as* inthe 'ear 73</730 -" $aniel was appointed as one of the three presidents set o!er 126

satraps of the #ingdom of the =edes and Persians %$an. 5:283*.



The last indication of a date is the 3rd 'ear of #ing "'rus of Persia in $an. 16:1 which

was the 'ear 735/37 -". $aniel must ha!e been around 07 to <6 'ears of age when he

wrote down his last !isions.

$aniel was a contemporar' of e#iel who went into -ab'lonian capti!it' in 7< -"

%around eight 'ears later than $aniel*. e#iel mentions $aniel three times in his boo#% . 14:14.26B 20:3*. $aniel #new also eremiahs writings whose ser!ice had begun

alread' some 'ears before the -ab'lonians started to attac# erusalem. While stud'ingthe boo# of eremiah $aniel came to the conclusion that the announced 68'ears8

capti!it' would come to a soon end %$an. <:2*.

When the Cord esus in his li!et discourse spo#e of the profanation of the templethrough the Antichrist ;e e>plicitl' mentions $aniel the prophet %=att. 24:17B compare

with $an. 11:31B 12:11*. The Cord refers to $aniel :13 in =att. 24:36 and 25:54 as well.

$aniel is not mentioned especiall' in ;eb. 11 among the heroes of faith of the T. -ut

should the words of !erse 33 Dwho stopped the mouths of lionsE not refer to $aniel whowas spared in the lions den %$an. 5*F

The boo# of $aniel has been the ob)ect of unbelie!ing criticism for ages. The first attac#s

go bac# to the heathen ew Platonist Porph'rius of T're %3rd centur' A"*. Porph'rius

designates the boo# of $aniel as the wor# of a ew of the 2nd centur' -". The moderncritics hold similar opinions. The reasons mentioned against $aniels authorship are

pretended historical inaccuracies+ linguistic details and the Dtheolog'E of $aniel. The

main reason for criticism howe!er is no doubt the fact that $aniel prophesied historicale!ents with absolute precision %as did saiah*. or $aniel has in detail described the G'ro8

g'ptian fights of the time of the =accabees among other e!ents %$an. 11:1837*. This is

simpl' impossible ? sa' the critics. The' sa' a boo# with such details must ha!e beenwritten onl' after these e!ents. -ut $aniel has also prophesied precisel' of the coming of"hrist %$an. <:27*. inall' he writes on the still future e!ents of the time of the end

before the second coming of "hrist. n all this the words of Amos the prophet are clearl'

affirmed: DGurel' the Cord ($ will do nothing+ but he re!ealed his secret unto hisser!ants the prophetsE %Amos 3:*.

2. Purpose of Writing

n the ;ebrew -ible the boo# of $aniel does not belong to the prophets but to the

DwritingsE %hebr. ketubim*+ which is the third and last part of the T. There the boo# is

placed between sther and ra.

A large part of the boo# is written in Aramaic %chapters 2:4 ? :20*. Aramaic was the

official language of the -ab'lonians and Persians. The reason for these facts is probabl'

that $aniel in contrast to the other prophets li!ing during and after the e>ile prophesiedhardl' an'thing in relation to srael or udah but his prophecies are mainl' about the

heathen nations.



The great theme of the boo# of $aniel are the four world empires which rule and will rule

the worlds histor' from after erusalems destruction up to "hrists appearing before the

millennium. This period is called the Dtimes of the (entilesE in the T %Cu#e 21:24*.eho!ah could no longer publicl' accept ;is earthl' people srael or udah respecti!el'.

;e punished it through the capti!it' in -ab'lon and the destruction of erusalem and the

temple. ;e had left ;is habitation the temple %. 16:4.10B 11:23*. The most high (od+ possessor of hea!ens and earth %(en. 14:1<*+ had as it were retired to the hea!ens. n the

boo# of $aniel (od is called Dthe (od of hea!enE four times %chap. 2:10.1<.3.44*+

D9ing of hea!enE once %chap. 4:3* and once DCord of hea!enE %chap. 7:23*. $uring thistime of ;is indirect go!ernment (od puts the authorit' o!er the earth into the hands of

heathen nations until ;is -lessed ne+ the Cord esus+ shall ta#e o!er the go!ernment as

glorified Gon of =an.

$aniel gi!es a prophetic o!er!iew on the times of the (entiles that is the four worldempires: -ab'lon+ =edo8Persia+ (reece and Home. After the complete failure of these

empires go!ernment finall' the people of srael will be restored to (od and "hrist will

reign o!er all as #ing.

The fact that $aniel is describing the times in which we are still li!ing ma#es the boo#especiall' interesting for the "hristian.

The boo# ma' be di!ided into two great parts. The first part %chap. 1 ? 5* after the

introduction of a faithful remnant %$an. 1* describes !arious historical e!ents out of

$aniels life. To start with+ chapter 2 tells us of ebuchadnears dream and $anielsinterpretation of it. This dream contains ebuchadnears human !iew of the four world

empires. This is an imposing !iew indeedI The following chapters 4 ? 5 not onl' show

$aniel and his friends e>emplar' faithfulness but also indicate !arious characteristics of

the heathen world empires+ which will find their culmination in the time of the end."hapter 3 shows the idol worship+ chapter 4 the human arrogance+ chapter 7 the

blasphem' and chapter 5 the deification of man.

The second part starts in chapter with a second re!elation on the four world empires butout of (ods sight: The empires are li#e four wild beasts. "hapter 0 tells us of the second

and third empire+ chapter < of the end of the -ab'lonian capti!it' and of the =essiah and

chapters 16 to 11 of the #ings of the north %G'ria* and the south %g'pt*. "hapter 12forms the end in which we find the faithful remnant again.

There is a close relationship between the boo# of $aniel and the re!elations concerning

the future in the ew Testament. =att. 24 ? 27+ 2 Thes. 1 ? 2 and He!elation are

additions respecti!el' e>tensions of the re!elations $aniel recei!ed. nl' b' consideringthem all together will we recei!e the right comprehension o!er the future e!ents.

3. Peculiarities



The Prophecy of the 7 Wee!s

$aniel <:2482 gi!es e>act indications on the point of time of the =essiahs appearing.

After D6 wee#sE that is periods of each se!en 'ears %& 'ear wee#s+ compare with Ce!.27:0* there shall be made an end of sins and e!erlasting righteousness shall be brought in

and a most hol' place shall be anointed. The 6 'ear wee#s fall into three periods: se!enwee#s %& 4< 'ears*+ 52 wee#s %& 434 'ears* and one wee# %& 'ears*+ 4<6 'ears in total.

The starting point for counting these 4<6 'ears is the commandment to restore and builderusalem. This happened in the 'ear 447 -" in Arta>er>es 26 th 'ear % eh. 2*J. To

begin with follow the se!en wee#s+ that is 4< 'ears+ in which erusalem was rebuilt under

great threat from within and from without. This is partl' described in the boo# of ehemiah. Then follow the 52 wee#s or 434 'ears leading up to the =essiah. -ut after

the 5< wee#s+ that is 403 'ears+ the =essiah would be cut off and ha!e nothing.

JAccording to earlier opinion Arta>er>es edict was made in 477 -". f one deducts 403

'ears one gets the 'ear 20 A".

This can onl' relate to the death and ascension of the Cord esus. f one calculates these403 'ears as prophetical 'ears of 356 da's each %12 > 36 da's* one gets 13.006 da's

which including the leap8'ears result in 45 calendar 'ears and lead to the 'ear 31/32 A".

The last 'ear wee# still awaits its fulfilment. The' are the last se!en 'ears before the

millennium will be set up. -etween the end of the 5< th and the beginning of the 6 th'ear wee# lies the actual time of grace+ during which the Dcalendar of sraelE is not !alid

so to spea#. The last 'ear wee# of $aniel will begin after the rapture of the saints.

According to $an. <:2 this wee# will be di!ided into two parts. The second half of these

3 K 'ears is mentioned more than once in the He!elation either as Da time+ times and halfa timeE %He!. 12:14+ compare with $an. :27* or as 42 months %He!. 11:2B 13:7* or also as

1256 da's %He!. 11:3B 12:5*. f one assumes that it is alwa's the same period of 3 K 'earsone discerns that these Dprophetic 'earsE are 12 > 36 da's.

The Four World Empires

According to $aniel 2 and the (od of hea!en considers the worlds histor' from

another !iewpoint than man. or ;im ;is people srael are the most important people on

earth %$eut. 32:08<* and the land of Palestine is the na!el or the middle of the earth%rendered land in nglish* % . 30:12*. $uring the time of the re)ection of srael as a

nation (od sees the worlds histor' as se,uel of four great world empires: -ab'lon+Persia+ (reece and Home. n $aniel 2 these empires appear to ebuchadnear in form of an imposing human image composed of four parts. A stone %which signifies the Cord

esus* without human hands finall' destro' this image. n $aniel (od gi!es the prophet

another sightB here the world empires are portra'ed as four rapacious wild beasts without#nowledge that finall' recei!e their )udgment.



Daniel 2 Daniel 7 Explanation

1 ;ead of ine (old %$an.

2:3830*

Cion with agles

Wings

-ab'lon

2 -reast and Arms of Gil!er -ear Persia %$an. 7:20B 5:1*

3 -ell' and Thighs of -rass Ceopard (reece %$an. 0:26821*

4 Cegs of ron+ eet part ofron and Part of "la'

-east with 16 ;orns Homan mpire %compare He!.13:1B 1:3..12*

The fourth empire % Home* ruled at the time the Cord esus was li!ing on earth %compare

Cu#e 2:1*. t perished during the =iddle Age but will rise again according to He!. 1:0bin the last da's %Dthe beast that was+ and is not+ and 'et isE* and then be destro'ed b'

"hrist with the other countries before the millennium will be set up %$an. 2:44847B :11814B He!. 13B 1<:1<821*.

". #$er$ie% of &ontents

$aniel 1+ ntroduction: $aniels $ecision and (ods Answer

$aniel 2 ? 5: "haracter of the World mpires

"hapter 2 The our World

mpires: ebuchadnears;uman Point of Liew

"hapter 3 The (olden mage:

dolatr'

"hapter 4 ebuchadnears

Arrogance+ all andHestoration

"hapter 7 -elshaars-lasphem' and

Punishment

"hapter 5 $aniel in the Cions

$en

$aniel ? 11: Prophetical ;istor' of World mpires



"hapter The World mpires:

$aniels $i!ine

Point of Liew

"hapter 0 Persia and (reece

"hapter < $aniels ;umiliation

and the Time of the

6 Mear Wee#s

"hapter16 ?11

The 9ings of the orth and of the

Gouth

$aniel 12:

"hapter12 End: The Faithful

Remnant

Arend Hemmers

daniel a remmers

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