Introduction
to the book of Daniel
The book of Daniel is one of the most amazing apocalyptic books of the Bible. Within its pages, nations, events and even individual people were foretold, often decades or hundreds of years before they actually occurred or stepped out upon the scene of human history. Daniel is the central apocalyptic book of the Old Testament and Revelation is the lone apocalyptic book of the New Testament. These two books of scripture predict many of the same events as well as personalities that are yet to come. Hence, they are companion books for the study of the end times (eschatology). The word, "apocalyptic," simply means "uncovered" or "unveiling" ... a pulling back of the curtain, so to speak, to reveal things that were before completely unknown. The term, "apocalyptic", when applied to a book of the Bible, involves the following ideas:
1. Revelation or "uncovering" that comes about primarily by means of visions (the book of Zachariah also falls into this category, containing several visions)
2. Revelation or "uncovering" by means of the use of symbols (it is sometimes difficult to determine which is symbol and which is real)
3. Revelation or prediction of the future of God's people on the stage of world history (Daniel predicts many specific things that will happen to the Jewish people ... some of which have now already been fulfilled exactly as Daniel prophesied and others that are still yet to be fulfilled)
4. Writing in a prose style rather than a poetic style.
Daniel was carried away from Jerusalem as a captive by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, in the first deportation of the Jews around the year 606 BC. There were two more deportations after that by Nebuchadnezzar as a result of the lack of cooperation by the Jews that Nebuchadnezzar had left behind. He was so angry the third time he had to go back that he literally plowed the ground there before he left.
Jesus called Daniel a "prophet" in Matthew 24:15, and so he was. His writings are filled with prophecy. However, in life, Daniel never held the official office or title of Prophet as, for example, did Isaiah or Amos. The distinction is that Daniel was not actually a spokesman for God to God's people, the nation of Israel. Rather, he was a spokesman for God to the Gentiles and all his adult life he was a statesman in a Gentile court. Hence, the book of Daniel is not placed among the "prophet" books by the Jews but among the "historical" books. He served and lived during the time of two great world empires ... Babylon and Persia (or "Medo-Persia) ... and under several kings ending with the reign of Cyrus around 536 B.C. He was apparently quite well know by the time of Ezekiel. Ezekiel mentions him in his prophecy in Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and 28:3.
Daniel wrote his book in two languages, Hebrew and Aramaic. And, these languages provide a neat separation for outlining the book. He goes from Hebrew to Aramaic and then back to Hebrew again.
1. 1-2:4a is in Hebrew ... A simple historical account of Nebuchadnezzar's expedition and Daniel and his friends experiences at the Court in Babylon (logically, this would be written in Daniel's native tongue of Hebrew)
2. 2:4b-7:28 is in Aramaic ... The prophecies of the Gentile nations to come ... their character, relations, successions and destinies (as these prophecies do not relate directly to the Jewish people, the language changes to Aramaic).
3. 8:1-12:13 is in Hebrew ... The prophecies of God's future world program for his Jewish people (naturally, the language here reverts back to Hebrew again).
Early records confirm that the book was written by Daniel. As far as can be determined, every Jew and early Christian attributed the book to have been written by Daniel. Even Josephus, the secular Roman historian of the first century, does so. The authorship and date of the book was first challenged around A.D. 300 by the anti-Christian philosopher, Porphyry. Porphyry realized that the book of Daniel accurately foretold the historical events that occurred between 600 B.C. and A.D. 70, specially the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, the "Madman." So, of necessity, he had to conclude that Daniel didn't write it, nor was it written in 600 B.C. After all, no one can foretell the future! Porphyry then concluded that it was actually written after the fact in order to comfort the suffering Jews and prop up their religion. This is a stubborn view that is still held by many liberals today who deny the historicity and miracles of the Bible. However, one of the great defenders of the authorship of Daniel was none other than the great Jerome, the translator of the Latin Vulgate.
I will not go into detail about the arguments put forward by these critics who wish to relegate this beautiful and historic prophecy to just another one of the Jewish apocryphal writings. If the reader would like to do further study in this area, I would highly recommend the book, In and Around the Book of Daniel by Charles Boutflower. He takes these critics "head on" and does a masterful job of laying out the case for the historicity and authorship of Daniel. Dr. Herbert Lockyer says of his book, "...there is no other that can compare with Boutflower's masterly work for a right understanding of the historical background of Daniel's prophecy."
One last word, in this regard ... modern archeology has put to rest many of the critic's objections to the book, uncovering records showing the uncanny historical accuracy of Daniel such as the East India House Inscription at the British Museum, for example. This stone block with finely carved cuneiform was found in the ruins of Babylon before 1801, when it was presented to the representative of the East India Company in Baghdad, hence its modern name. It records Nebuchadnezzar's wish to glorify Marduk through his many building works in the capital and the nearby city of Borsippa.
Finally, just let me say that the stamp of approval by our Lord Jesus Christ is proof enough for me of Daniel's authenticity. Someone has said, If I cannot believe Christ, it doesn't make much difference what I believe about Daniel!