An Introduction to the Book of Amos
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I. AUTHOR: Amos
A. Southerner of Tekoa (south of Jerusalem) (1:1)
B. Traveled north to Israel (Bethel) to preach as one called of God (7:15)
C. Occupation: sheep breeder, perhaps a master shepherd with others under him; not a prophet until called by the LORD (1:1; 7:14f) and a grower of sycamore figs (7:14)
D. Spoke in Bethel (center for idol worship in Israel) and then in Judah under Jeroboam II's resistance (7)
E. May have returned to Judah to write his messages
II. DATE: ca. 767-753 B.C.
A. King of Judah is Uzziah (Azariah) (790-740)
B. King of Israel is Jerobaom II (793-753)
C. Within the period of the joint reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam, possibly ca. 767-753 B.C.
D. Two years before the earth quake (1:1 cf. Zech 14:5) it was spoken; it may have been written down later.
E. King of Assyria--Adad Nirari III (810-753)
F. King of Syria--Hazael
III. HISTORICAL SETTING:
A. Judah is under the influence of Jeroboam II of Israel
B. Israel appears to be outwardly at its zenith of power. Jeroboam had a successful reign (2 Ki.14:25-28 cf. Amos 6:14)
C. Many of the evil characteristics described in Amos 1--2 might better be translated in the present tense of activities then being done.1 They describe Jeroboam II's rule as painfully disrupted as His lines were breached and the enemies pressed into the territory. Israel was fighting a defensive war against the armies of Syria and Ammon. Both were true.
D. Three periods of Israel from Jehu (841-414):
1. 839-806 -- Engaged in the East and rent by civil dissensions. Could not put pressure on Syria, suffered 30 years of humiliation during Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash2
2. 806-782 -- Assyria's king Adad-Nirari III is ruler, and ruled over surrounding states, especially Syria. Israel was protected. Therefore Israel was able to restore some of its boarders under Johoash and Jeroboam II. Syria was unable to fight on two boarders.3 Israel and Judah restored their boarders to almost that of David and Solomon (cf. 2 Ki. 14:25 for the prophecy by Jonah)
3. 782-745 -- the time when Amos spoke; Assyria was under duress from the northern kingdom of Urartu which pushed Assyria down from the north, northwest, and northeast.4 Syria was freed up to deal with Israel and entered into drawn-out battles to regain Gilead, and Bashan.5
E. The people became arrogant during the northern nation's period of prosperity resulting in injustice, greed, neglect of the poor, persecution of the poor, and formalistic religion.6
IV. AUDIENCE: Primarily northern Israel (1:1; 7:15), but there are some references to southern Judah as well (2:4-5; 3:1; 6:1).
V. PURPOSES FOR THE BOOK:
A. To describe how the Lord of the universe will not only come to judge the nations for their evil, but will also come to judge Israel for her breach of covenant
B. To expose Israel's breach of covenant through their social oppression of the people, empty religious ritual, and arrogant self-confidence
C. To proclaim a time of restoration and blessing after judgment under a revitalized Davidic dynasty
1 Cohen, pp. 155-156.
2 Ibid., p. 147.
3 Ibid., p. 157.
4 Ibid., 157-158.
5 Ibid., p. 168.
6 LaSor, et al, p. 321.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
An introduction to Joel (By Bible.org)
An Introduction to the Book of Joel
By: David Malick Send to friendPrinter-friendly version
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I. TITLE OF THE BOOK
A. In Hebrew the title comes of the prophetic author, lway , the combination of two names of God--Yahweh & Elohim. The affirmation is probably “Yahweh is God.” This is the reverse of Elijah (“God is Yahweh”)
B. In Greek the title is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew IWHL
II. AUTHOR: Joel
A. Nothing is know about Joel other than his being the son of Pethuel (who is also unknown) 1:1
B. He was from Judah
C. Perhaps references to Jerusalem indicate that he was from Jerusalem
III. CANONICAL PLACEMENT
A. In the Hebrew Canon Joel is placed among the minor prophets after Ezekiel & Hosea and before Amos
B. In the Greek canon Joel is placed after Daniel and Hosea and before Amos. Our English order matches the Greek placement of the book.
IV. DATE: Although it is not possible for one to be certain, it seems that a late preexilic date is the best choice for the time of Joel (609-586 B.C.)
A. Early Preexilic (Ninth Century, 835 B.C.):1
1. The early placement of Joel in the Hebrew Canon (second minor prophet after Hosea); but this is inconclusive to chronology--especially since the LXX places the book in a different place (e.g., after Daniel).
2. The enemies of Judah are her earlier enemies of Tyre, Sidon, Philistia, Egypt, and Edom (Joel 3:4, 19); but this is inconclusive since even a prophet like Ezekiel pronounces prophecies against these life long enemies of Judah (Ezek 25--32; cf. also Jer 46--49; Zeph 2:4-7).
3. The type of government described in the prophecy (the rule of elders [1:2; 2:16] and priests [1:9, 13; 2:17]) supports the time when Joash became king at age seven; but these arguments will also be used to support a late date for the book (when there was no king).
B. Late Preexilic (Seventh-Sixth Century, 609-586 B.C.):2
1. Joel 2 seems to picture the Babylonians vividly enough that he did not need to specifically identify them in the chapter; their presence is imposing.
2. Joel 3:2b which speaks of Judah having been “scattered,” and “divided” may have reference to the deportation of 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10-16); this also allows for Joel’s reference to the temple (1:9, 13; 2:17) which stood until 586 (cf. 2 Ki 25:9)
3. Joel 1:15 and 2:1-11 are anticipating the final destruction of Judah in 586 B.C. (2 Ki 25:1-21)
4. Joel’s “Day of the Lord” is referring to the coming destruction in 586 B.C. (cf. Jer 5:17)
5. The slave trade between the Phoenicians and Greeks fits with this historical period (cf. Ezk 27:13)
6. Chisholm argues that 2:18-19 “seems to recorded God’s mercy to Joel’s generation, implying they truly repented .... If so, such a sequence of events is difficult to harmonize with the historical record of Judah’s final days.”3
But need one conclude from 2:18-19 that Judah did repent, or that they were being exhorted to repent. If the latter is the case, and Judah did not repent, there would be no problem with the historical fall of Jerusalem which followed.
Moreover, if one understands chapter two to be still describing the same historical plague as chapter one as a “local” Day of the Lord which then jumbs into the eschaton, the mercy experienced in 2:18-19 would not have to refer to the fall of Jerusalem.
C. Postexilic (Sixth to Fourth Century, 515-350 B.C.):4
1. The references to the temple in 1:9, 13; and 2:17 must refer to the second temple since Joel 3:1-2, 17 refer to the destruction of Jerusalem; but this could refer to the late preexilic period (see above)
2. The king is not the leader of the community, but the elders are which matches a postexilic period (cf. Ezra 10:14); but this is an argument from silence. Elders were prominent before the fall of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Ki 23:1; Jer 26:17; Lam 5:12, 14)5
3. Joel seems to quote other prophets like Ezekiel (cf. Joel 2:3 with Ezek 36:35; Joel 2:10 with Ezek 32:7; Joel 2:27 with Ezek 39:28-29); but it is difficult to determine who is referring to whom. In addition Ezekiel would be a contemporary of Joel if he wrote during the late preexilic period
4. The reference to Greek slave trade in 3:6 more closely aligns with the postexilic period, but this also existed during the late preexilic period6
D. Conclusion:
1. Therefore, while the early preexilic and postexilic periods are both possible, the evidence seems to align itself more favorably with the late preexilic period than the other two possibilities
2. Thankfully, the answer to this question is one of “historicity,” and does not determine the “meaning” of the book, even though the referent is affect by historical setting.
V. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND7
A. Josiah brought about the final spiritual revival for Judah when he came to the throne in 622 B.C.
B. The Assyrian Empire Fell
1. The Assyrian power rose with Ashurnasirpal II (884-859 B.C.) and Shalmaneser II (859-824 B.C.)
2. Tiglath-pileser III (Pul in the Scriptures) began a group of conquerors who took Syria and Palestine including Shalmaneser V (727-722 B.C. who began the deportation of Samaria), Sargon II (722-705 B.C. who completed the deportation of Samaria), Sennacherib (704-581 B.C. who attacked king of Judah, Hezekiah [Josiah’s father]), and Esarhaddon (681-669 B.C. who led campaigns against Egypt)
3. Esarhaddon’s son, Ashurbanipal (669-631) ruled much of the upper Egyptian city of Thebes, but his decline and that of Assyria’s soon followed
4. Nineveh, the capital, was destroyed in 612 B.C.
5. Assyria’s army was defeated in 609 B.C. at Haran
6. What was left of Assyria’s army went to Carchemish (just west of the Euphrates River and north of Aram)
C. The Neo-Babylonian Empire Arose
1. Merodach Baladan was a Chaldean and father of Nabopolassar and grandfather of Nebuchadnezzar. Merodach Baladan sent ambassadors to Hezekiah (Isa 39; 2 Ki 20:12-19)
2. In October 626 B.C. Nabopolassar defeated the Assyrians outside of Babylon
3. In 616 B.C. Nabopolassar expanded his kingdom, and in 612 B.C. he joined with the Medes and destroyed Nineveh
D. A Realignment of Power in 609 B.C. and later
1. Judah: When Assyria fell and Babylon arose Judah, under Josiah, removed itself from Assyria’s control and existed as an autonomous state until 609 B.C. when it lost a battle with Egypt on the plain of Megiddo
2. Egypt:
a. Attempted to expand its presence into Palestine with Assyria’s troubles
b. Egypt joined with Assyria to fight the Babylonians at Haran
1) Judah tried to stop Egypt’s (Pharaoh Neco II) alliance but was defeated on the plain of Megiddo with the loss of their king, Josiah (cf. 2 Chron 35:20-24)
2) The Assyrians lost their battle with Babylon (even with the help of Egypt) and disappeared as a power in the world, and Egypt retreated to Carchemish as the dividing line between Egypt and Babylonian
3) Egypt ruled Judah:
a) Egypt (Necho) replaced Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, after three months with Jehoiakim (who was another son of Josiah) as a vassal king (2 Ki 23:34-35)
b) Egypt (Necho) plundered Judah’s treasuries
c) Egypt (Necho) took Jehoahaz into captivity in Egypt
E. In 605 B.C. other changes of power occurred:
1. Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish
2. Judah’s king, Jehoiakim, changed his loyalty to the Babylonians rather than the Egyptians and became Nebuchadnezzar’s vassal king (2 Ki. 24:1)
3. Nebuchadnezzar had to return to Babylon with the death of his father, Nebopolassar
4. Nebuchadnezzar solidified his rule by appointing vassal kings and taking hostages; Daniel was taken as a part of this deportation (Dan 1:1-6)
F. In 601 Egypt defeated the Babylonians
1. Judah’s king, Jehoiakim, switched loyalty from Babylonia to the Egyptians (2 Ki 24:1)
2. On December of 598 Babylonia made an attack on Jerusalem leading to Jehoiakim’s death and the surrender of the city by his successor, Jehoiachin, in March of 597
3. Nebuchadnezzar, replaced Jehoiachin after only three months of reign, deported him and 10,000 other leaders8 from the city, looted the city, and placed Zedekiah Judah’s vassal king (cf. 2 Ki 24:12-16)
G. Zedekiah was a weak king who repeated the errors of those before him; he was convinced by Egypt to revolt with a coalition of other states (Tyre and Ammon) against Babylon (588 B.C. against the advise of Jeremiah) and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
VI. AUDIENCE FOR THE BOOK: The southern nation of Judah
VII. PURPOSES FOR THE BOOK:
A. To warn Judah of the coming Day of the Lord when judgment will get worse for Judah and the nations of the world
B. To urge Judah to repent of their sins
C. To proclaim a future time when complete restoration will come to the nation
1 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 311-14; John A Martin, An Outline of Joel, unpublished class notes in 304 preexlic and exilic prophets, (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983), 1.
2 Homer Heater, Jr., Notes on the Book of Joel, unpublished class notes in seminar in the preexilic Old Testament prophets [Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1990], 163; Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 438-39; Arvid S. Kapelrud, Joel Studies, 19ff, 154-58.
3 Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Joel, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament, 1410. See also Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Interpreting the Minor Prophets, 53-54.
4 Leslie C. Allen, Joel, Obadiah, Johan, and Micah, 19-25; Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Joel, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament, 1410; Interpreting the Minor Prophets, 51; Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 365-55; R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, 876-79.
5 See Arvid S. Kapelrud, Joel Studies, 19ff, 187-89.
6 Arvid S. Kapelrud, Joel Studies, 154-58.
7 This was adapted from Charles H. Dyer, Jeremiah, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament, 1125-27, and Homer Heater, Jr., Notes on the Book of Jeremiah, unpublished class notes in seminar in the preexilic Old Testament prophets (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1990), 101-105.
8 Perhaps Ezekiel was one of those deported during this second deportation. He would have begun his prophetic ministry five years later.
By: David Malick Send to friendPrinter-friendly version
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I. TITLE OF THE BOOK
A. In Hebrew the title comes of the prophetic author, lway , the combination of two names of God--Yahweh & Elohim. The affirmation is probably “Yahweh is God.” This is the reverse of Elijah (“God is Yahweh”)
B. In Greek the title is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew IWHL
II. AUTHOR: Joel
A. Nothing is know about Joel other than his being the son of Pethuel (who is also unknown) 1:1
B. He was from Judah
C. Perhaps references to Jerusalem indicate that he was from Jerusalem
III. CANONICAL PLACEMENT
A. In the Hebrew Canon Joel is placed among the minor prophets after Ezekiel & Hosea and before Amos
B. In the Greek canon Joel is placed after Daniel and Hosea and before Amos. Our English order matches the Greek placement of the book.
IV. DATE: Although it is not possible for one to be certain, it seems that a late preexilic date is the best choice for the time of Joel (609-586 B.C.)
A. Early Preexilic (Ninth Century, 835 B.C.):1
1. The early placement of Joel in the Hebrew Canon (second minor prophet after Hosea); but this is inconclusive to chronology--especially since the LXX places the book in a different place (e.g., after Daniel).
2. The enemies of Judah are her earlier enemies of Tyre, Sidon, Philistia, Egypt, and Edom (Joel 3:4, 19); but this is inconclusive since even a prophet like Ezekiel pronounces prophecies against these life long enemies of Judah (Ezek 25--32; cf. also Jer 46--49; Zeph 2:4-7).
3. The type of government described in the prophecy (the rule of elders [1:2; 2:16] and priests [1:9, 13; 2:17]) supports the time when Joash became king at age seven; but these arguments will also be used to support a late date for the book (when there was no king).
B. Late Preexilic (Seventh-Sixth Century, 609-586 B.C.):2
1. Joel 2 seems to picture the Babylonians vividly enough that he did not need to specifically identify them in the chapter; their presence is imposing.
2. Joel 3:2b which speaks of Judah having been “scattered,” and “divided” may have reference to the deportation of 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10-16); this also allows for Joel’s reference to the temple (1:9, 13; 2:17) which stood until 586 (cf. 2 Ki 25:9)
3. Joel 1:15 and 2:1-11 are anticipating the final destruction of Judah in 586 B.C. (2 Ki 25:1-21)
4. Joel’s “Day of the Lord” is referring to the coming destruction in 586 B.C. (cf. Jer 5:17)
5. The slave trade between the Phoenicians and Greeks fits with this historical period (cf. Ezk 27:13)
6. Chisholm argues that 2:18-19 “seems to recorded God’s mercy to Joel’s generation, implying they truly repented .... If so, such a sequence of events is difficult to harmonize with the historical record of Judah’s final days.”3
But need one conclude from 2:18-19 that Judah did repent, or that they were being exhorted to repent. If the latter is the case, and Judah did not repent, there would be no problem with the historical fall of Jerusalem which followed.
Moreover, if one understands chapter two to be still describing the same historical plague as chapter one as a “local” Day of the Lord which then jumbs into the eschaton, the mercy experienced in 2:18-19 would not have to refer to the fall of Jerusalem.
C. Postexilic (Sixth to Fourth Century, 515-350 B.C.):4
1. The references to the temple in 1:9, 13; and 2:17 must refer to the second temple since Joel 3:1-2, 17 refer to the destruction of Jerusalem; but this could refer to the late preexilic period (see above)
2. The king is not the leader of the community, but the elders are which matches a postexilic period (cf. Ezra 10:14); but this is an argument from silence. Elders were prominent before the fall of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Ki 23:1; Jer 26:17; Lam 5:12, 14)5
3. Joel seems to quote other prophets like Ezekiel (cf. Joel 2:3 with Ezek 36:35; Joel 2:10 with Ezek 32:7; Joel 2:27 with Ezek 39:28-29); but it is difficult to determine who is referring to whom. In addition Ezekiel would be a contemporary of Joel if he wrote during the late preexilic period
4. The reference to Greek slave trade in 3:6 more closely aligns with the postexilic period, but this also existed during the late preexilic period6
D. Conclusion:
1. Therefore, while the early preexilic and postexilic periods are both possible, the evidence seems to align itself more favorably with the late preexilic period than the other two possibilities
2. Thankfully, the answer to this question is one of “historicity,” and does not determine the “meaning” of the book, even though the referent is affect by historical setting.
V. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND7
A. Josiah brought about the final spiritual revival for Judah when he came to the throne in 622 B.C.
B. The Assyrian Empire Fell
1. The Assyrian power rose with Ashurnasirpal II (884-859 B.C.) and Shalmaneser II (859-824 B.C.)
2. Tiglath-pileser III (Pul in the Scriptures) began a group of conquerors who took Syria and Palestine including Shalmaneser V (727-722 B.C. who began the deportation of Samaria), Sargon II (722-705 B.C. who completed the deportation of Samaria), Sennacherib (704-581 B.C. who attacked king of Judah, Hezekiah [Josiah’s father]), and Esarhaddon (681-669 B.C. who led campaigns against Egypt)
3. Esarhaddon’s son, Ashurbanipal (669-631) ruled much of the upper Egyptian city of Thebes, but his decline and that of Assyria’s soon followed
4. Nineveh, the capital, was destroyed in 612 B.C.
5. Assyria’s army was defeated in 609 B.C. at Haran
6. What was left of Assyria’s army went to Carchemish (just west of the Euphrates River and north of Aram)
C. The Neo-Babylonian Empire Arose
1. Merodach Baladan was a Chaldean and father of Nabopolassar and grandfather of Nebuchadnezzar. Merodach Baladan sent ambassadors to Hezekiah (Isa 39; 2 Ki 20:12-19)
2. In October 626 B.C. Nabopolassar defeated the Assyrians outside of Babylon
3. In 616 B.C. Nabopolassar expanded his kingdom, and in 612 B.C. he joined with the Medes and destroyed Nineveh
D. A Realignment of Power in 609 B.C. and later
1. Judah: When Assyria fell and Babylon arose Judah, under Josiah, removed itself from Assyria’s control and existed as an autonomous state until 609 B.C. when it lost a battle with Egypt on the plain of Megiddo
2. Egypt:
a. Attempted to expand its presence into Palestine with Assyria’s troubles
b. Egypt joined with Assyria to fight the Babylonians at Haran
1) Judah tried to stop Egypt’s (Pharaoh Neco II) alliance but was defeated on the plain of Megiddo with the loss of their king, Josiah (cf. 2 Chron 35:20-24)
2) The Assyrians lost their battle with Babylon (even with the help of Egypt) and disappeared as a power in the world, and Egypt retreated to Carchemish as the dividing line between Egypt and Babylonian
3) Egypt ruled Judah:
a) Egypt (Necho) replaced Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, after three months with Jehoiakim (who was another son of Josiah) as a vassal king (2 Ki 23:34-35)
b) Egypt (Necho) plundered Judah’s treasuries
c) Egypt (Necho) took Jehoahaz into captivity in Egypt
E. In 605 B.C. other changes of power occurred:
1. Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish
2. Judah’s king, Jehoiakim, changed his loyalty to the Babylonians rather than the Egyptians and became Nebuchadnezzar’s vassal king (2 Ki. 24:1)
3. Nebuchadnezzar had to return to Babylon with the death of his father, Nebopolassar
4. Nebuchadnezzar solidified his rule by appointing vassal kings and taking hostages; Daniel was taken as a part of this deportation (Dan 1:1-6)
F. In 601 Egypt defeated the Babylonians
1. Judah’s king, Jehoiakim, switched loyalty from Babylonia to the Egyptians (2 Ki 24:1)
2. On December of 598 Babylonia made an attack on Jerusalem leading to Jehoiakim’s death and the surrender of the city by his successor, Jehoiachin, in March of 597
3. Nebuchadnezzar, replaced Jehoiachin after only three months of reign, deported him and 10,000 other leaders8 from the city, looted the city, and placed Zedekiah Judah’s vassal king (cf. 2 Ki 24:12-16)
G. Zedekiah was a weak king who repeated the errors of those before him; he was convinced by Egypt to revolt with a coalition of other states (Tyre and Ammon) against Babylon (588 B.C. against the advise of Jeremiah) and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
VI. AUDIENCE FOR THE BOOK: The southern nation of Judah
VII. PURPOSES FOR THE BOOK:
A. To warn Judah of the coming Day of the Lord when judgment will get worse for Judah and the nations of the world
B. To urge Judah to repent of their sins
C. To proclaim a future time when complete restoration will come to the nation
1 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 311-14; John A Martin, An Outline of Joel, unpublished class notes in 304 preexlic and exilic prophets, (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1983), 1.
2 Homer Heater, Jr., Notes on the Book of Joel, unpublished class notes in seminar in the preexilic Old Testament prophets [Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1990], 163; Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 438-39; Arvid S. Kapelrud, Joel Studies, 19ff, 154-58.
3 Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Joel, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament, 1410. See also Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Interpreting the Minor Prophets, 53-54.
4 Leslie C. Allen, Joel, Obadiah, Johan, and Micah, 19-25; Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Joel, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament, 1410; Interpreting the Minor Prophets, 51; Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 365-55; R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, 876-79.
5 See Arvid S. Kapelrud, Joel Studies, 19ff, 187-89.
6 Arvid S. Kapelrud, Joel Studies, 154-58.
7 This was adapted from Charles H. Dyer, Jeremiah, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty: Old Testament, 1125-27, and Homer Heater, Jr., Notes on the Book of Jeremiah, unpublished class notes in seminar in the preexilic Old Testament prophets (Dallas Theological Seminary, Fall 1990), 101-105.
8 Perhaps Ezekiel was one of those deported during this second deportation. He would have begun his prophetic ministry five years later.
Day 64:Daniel 9-Hosea 13:6 Back to Adulterous Israel
This is Day 64 of The Bible in 90 Days study.
Today, we look at the last few chapters of Daniel and almost the entire book of Hosea. As we go through the minor prophets, we may go through more than one book a day until we reach the New Testament.
In Chapter 9, Daniel begins by praying to God and fasting. Daniel tells God that Israel has sinned and is not seeking to return home because of their righteousness, rather by God’s righteousness. The last half of the chapter focuses on the seventy “sevens”. This period began in 444 BC, the 20th year of Artaxerxes reign in Persia. The 69 weeks ended with the crucifixion of Christ. All the scholars agree on a gap between the 69 weeks and the last set of seven years. In this seven years, Antichrist will rise and reign in those seven years.
Chapter 10 begins as Daniel has a revelation of a great war. Daniel mourned and fasted for three weeks. On day 24, Daniel received the understanding that went with the revelation. He talked to an angel and then Michael. Michael came to explain the vision. It was of a war that is to come. I assumed this is the battle in Revelation. However, the explanation goes into more detail beginning in Chapter 11.
Chapter 11 tells us of conflicts between kings of the North and South. In Verse 3, the mighty king is assumed to be Alexander the Great. In Verse 4, the breaking of his empire is as follows: Cassander ruled Macedonia, Lysimachus ruled Thrace and Anatolia, Seleucus ruled Syria and Ptolemy ruled Egypt. The Believer’s Bible Commentary points out that Verses 5-33 discuss battles of territory between Egypt and Syria. Verses 34 through the end of the chapter are believed to be referring to Antichrist in the end times.
Chapter 12 also refers to future events. Michael will protect the Jewish nation against the dragon in Revelation. There is also shared that the dead will rise. The dead in Christ shall rise to eternal life, those not in Christ for eternal shame and contempt. Starting in Verse 4, you get the feeling that the angel begins to speak to Daniel like the kid who is where he shouldn’t be or that he shouldn’t be concerned for what’s about to happen. He sealed the words up, just as John did for Revelation.
Verses 11-12 go into an actual number of days that will be after Antichrist breaks the covenant during the Tribulation period. The 1,290 days will be his reign before the war to end times will begin, then it sounds as if there will be a 45 day war in which Christ will win and begin his Millennial Reign.
That wraps up Daniel and we begin in Hosea. Hosea goes backward in time about 200 years. This is before Israel goes into captivity to Assyria.
The first three chapters of Hosea talk about his marriage to Gomer (Shazam!, No not that one) and their three children. You might ask what this has to do with Israel? God uses his marriage to explain Israel’s prostitution, much like Gomer’s. You see that they have three kids. The first is Jezreel and he is named for the punishment that the house of Jehu is about to get. The second child is Lo-Ruhamah, meaning not loved in the Hebrew. The third child is Lo-Ammi, meaning not my people in the Hebrew. To think that the Israelites were becoming not loved and not God’s people before the captivity, this is what is being shown here.
We end Chapter 1 though showing that Israel will not be wiped out, but spared and will be reunited with Judah as one nation later on. Chapter 2 then tells us of Gomer beginning to prostitute herself after marrying Hosea, much like Israel did the same with other gods. Verses 6-13, God explains his judgment on Gomer and Israel and their restoration in Verses 14-23. Chapter 3 is God instructing Hosea to go forgive and show love again to Gomer, just as God is with the people.
Chapter 4 begins to show the unfaithfulness of Israel toward God. In Verse 1, when Hosea says that there was “no acknowledgement of God,” he is illustrating to us how far the people really had fallen. The Levites, nor the people in general were passing the traditions of God down. They were passing the information of the idols and other such stuff rather than God’s Word.
Verse 6 takes the thought even further. People were rejecting learning about God to almost think they would be able to plead ignorance. This can’t be done when the information is readily available for the taking. Starting in verse 7, God explains that the people will suffer for this lack of knowledge and the sins they knew they were committing. In Verse 15, God is instructing Israel not to pass these traditions over to the people of Judah. They were already a part of Israelite culture.
Chapter 5 discusses more judgment against both Israel and Judah. Verse 6 begs an important question. In Matthew, we are told that if we are truly seeking God that we will find Him and repent of our sins to walk to in his ways. The problem here in these verses was that the nations were seeking God for “fire insurance” like many people do today. They want God, but either don’t want to stop what their sinning is, want to come to God on their terms or just want to be unfaithful to what they are doing with God.
Chapter 6 is an exhortation for repentance from the nations to God. In Verse 2, Hosea may sound like he is hoping for a short wrath of God, but this may be alluding to Christ in the third day. Verse 6 is the crux of the chapter. God wants to extend us mercy, not for us to sacrifice. He wants to be acknowledged by his people rather than have offerings. He wants us, not our stuff.
The close of Chapter 6 and all of Chapter 7 talks about how the wicked are being charged. God is trying to get Israel to understand that every time he is trying to heal Israel, they can’t help themselves but go out and sin some more, placing more distance (spiritually speaking) between them and God.
In Chapter 8, the reference of Israel reaping a whirlwind is that they are about to be scattered for the captivity. Chapter 9 foretells that the Israelites will run back to Egypt because of the consequences of their sins. There will be famine and punishment in store for the Israelites. God tells them that the idol worship to Baal began their downfall. The prophets of the time were trying to teach them correctly and the people still did not listen. So God is rejecting these people to close out Chapter 9. Chapter 10 continues telling the people how they are falling. However, God is still trying to get Israel to see the light as he tells them to sow righteousness in Verse 12 and to seek Him.
In Chapter 11, God still showers his love on Israel, even though they are still being rebellious. God does not want to spread them out. Chapter 12 is more of Hosea telling the Israelites to repent. In Verses 12-13, Hosea reminds the people how they ended up in Egypt because of Jacob and how they were brought out by Moses.
The last chapter we will look at is only the first six verses of Chapter 13. These verses end with a disappointed God telling the people that they became proud and forgot Him.
Day 65 reading: Hosea 13:7-Joel-Amos 9:10
Today, we look at the last few chapters of Daniel and almost the entire book of Hosea. As we go through the minor prophets, we may go through more than one book a day until we reach the New Testament.
In Chapter 9, Daniel begins by praying to God and fasting. Daniel tells God that Israel has sinned and is not seeking to return home because of their righteousness, rather by God’s righteousness. The last half of the chapter focuses on the seventy “sevens”. This period began in 444 BC, the 20th year of Artaxerxes reign in Persia. The 69 weeks ended with the crucifixion of Christ. All the scholars agree on a gap between the 69 weeks and the last set of seven years. In this seven years, Antichrist will rise and reign in those seven years.
Chapter 10 begins as Daniel has a revelation of a great war. Daniel mourned and fasted for three weeks. On day 24, Daniel received the understanding that went with the revelation. He talked to an angel and then Michael. Michael came to explain the vision. It was of a war that is to come. I assumed this is the battle in Revelation. However, the explanation goes into more detail beginning in Chapter 11.
Chapter 11 tells us of conflicts between kings of the North and South. In Verse 3, the mighty king is assumed to be Alexander the Great. In Verse 4, the breaking of his empire is as follows: Cassander ruled Macedonia, Lysimachus ruled Thrace and Anatolia, Seleucus ruled Syria and Ptolemy ruled Egypt. The Believer’s Bible Commentary points out that Verses 5-33 discuss battles of territory between Egypt and Syria. Verses 34 through the end of the chapter are believed to be referring to Antichrist in the end times.
Chapter 12 also refers to future events. Michael will protect the Jewish nation against the dragon in Revelation. There is also shared that the dead will rise. The dead in Christ shall rise to eternal life, those not in Christ for eternal shame and contempt. Starting in Verse 4, you get the feeling that the angel begins to speak to Daniel like the kid who is where he shouldn’t be or that he shouldn’t be concerned for what’s about to happen. He sealed the words up, just as John did for Revelation.
Verses 11-12 go into an actual number of days that will be after Antichrist breaks the covenant during the Tribulation period. The 1,290 days will be his reign before the war to end times will begin, then it sounds as if there will be a 45 day war in which Christ will win and begin his Millennial Reign.
That wraps up Daniel and we begin in Hosea. Hosea goes backward in time about 200 years. This is before Israel goes into captivity to Assyria.
The first three chapters of Hosea talk about his marriage to Gomer (Shazam!, No not that one) and their three children. You might ask what this has to do with Israel? God uses his marriage to explain Israel’s prostitution, much like Gomer’s. You see that they have three kids. The first is Jezreel and he is named for the punishment that the house of Jehu is about to get. The second child is Lo-Ruhamah, meaning not loved in the Hebrew. The third child is Lo-Ammi, meaning not my people in the Hebrew. To think that the Israelites were becoming not loved and not God’s people before the captivity, this is what is being shown here.
We end Chapter 1 though showing that Israel will not be wiped out, but spared and will be reunited with Judah as one nation later on. Chapter 2 then tells us of Gomer beginning to prostitute herself after marrying Hosea, much like Israel did the same with other gods. Verses 6-13, God explains his judgment on Gomer and Israel and their restoration in Verses 14-23. Chapter 3 is God instructing Hosea to go forgive and show love again to Gomer, just as God is with the people.
Chapter 4 begins to show the unfaithfulness of Israel toward God. In Verse 1, when Hosea says that there was “no acknowledgement of God,” he is illustrating to us how far the people really had fallen. The Levites, nor the people in general were passing the traditions of God down. They were passing the information of the idols and other such stuff rather than God’s Word.
Verse 6 takes the thought even further. People were rejecting learning about God to almost think they would be able to plead ignorance. This can’t be done when the information is readily available for the taking. Starting in verse 7, God explains that the people will suffer for this lack of knowledge and the sins they knew they were committing. In Verse 15, God is instructing Israel not to pass these traditions over to the people of Judah. They were already a part of Israelite culture.
Chapter 5 discusses more judgment against both Israel and Judah. Verse 6 begs an important question. In Matthew, we are told that if we are truly seeking God that we will find Him and repent of our sins to walk to in his ways. The problem here in these verses was that the nations were seeking God for “fire insurance” like many people do today. They want God, but either don’t want to stop what their sinning is, want to come to God on their terms or just want to be unfaithful to what they are doing with God.
Chapter 6 is an exhortation for repentance from the nations to God. In Verse 2, Hosea may sound like he is hoping for a short wrath of God, but this may be alluding to Christ in the third day. Verse 6 is the crux of the chapter. God wants to extend us mercy, not for us to sacrifice. He wants to be acknowledged by his people rather than have offerings. He wants us, not our stuff.
The close of Chapter 6 and all of Chapter 7 talks about how the wicked are being charged. God is trying to get Israel to understand that every time he is trying to heal Israel, they can’t help themselves but go out and sin some more, placing more distance (spiritually speaking) between them and God.
In Chapter 8, the reference of Israel reaping a whirlwind is that they are about to be scattered for the captivity. Chapter 9 foretells that the Israelites will run back to Egypt because of the consequences of their sins. There will be famine and punishment in store for the Israelites. God tells them that the idol worship to Baal began their downfall. The prophets of the time were trying to teach them correctly and the people still did not listen. So God is rejecting these people to close out Chapter 9. Chapter 10 continues telling the people how they are falling. However, God is still trying to get Israel to see the light as he tells them to sow righteousness in Verse 12 and to seek Him.
In Chapter 11, God still showers his love on Israel, even though they are still being rebellious. God does not want to spread them out. Chapter 12 is more of Hosea telling the Israelites to repent. In Verses 12-13, Hosea reminds the people how they ended up in Egypt because of Jacob and how they were brought out by Moses.
The last chapter we will look at is only the first six verses of Chapter 13. These verses end with a disappointed God telling the people that they became proud and forgot Him.
Day 65 reading: Hosea 13:7-Joel-Amos 9:10
Monday, September 21, 2009
An introduction to Hosea (By Bible.org)
An Introduction to the Book of Hosea
By: David Malick Send to friendPrinter-friendly version
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I. AUTHOR: Hosea
A. His name, u^v@oh, means “salvation” and should be spelled “Hoshea” but has come down in English as Hosea. This does distinguish him from the last king of Israel (Hoshea c. 732-722)
B. He is the son of Beeri
C. Unlike Amos, Hosea preached to his own people in Israel
D. He may have been among the priests in his station in view of his knowledge concerning religious affairs, but this is not certain
E. He had three children who played a vital part in his message to the nation of Israel :
1. Jezreel ( laurzy ) “God sows” (1:4)
2. Lo-ruhamah ( hmjr al ) “No compassion” (1:6f)
3. Lo-ammi ( ymu al ) “Not my people” (1:8ff)
[In 2:4 there is the suggestion that the second and third child may not have been Hosea’s, but from an adulterous relationship]
F. Chapters one and three provide little biographical information since they primarily teach about Israel
II. DATE :790-686 B.C.
A. The first verse of chapter one provides a historical setting:
1. During the following kings of Judah:
a. Uzziah 790-739
b. Jotham 750-731
c. Ahaz 735-715
d. Hezekiah 729-686
2. During the reign of Jeroboam II the son of Joash (793-753) in Israel
3. It seems that Hosea lived beyond the captivity of Israel in 722 since Hezekiah’s reign is mentioned
B. The Kings of Assyria which span this time are:
1. Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727)
2. Shalmaneser V (727-722)
3. Sargon II (722-705)
4. Sennacherib (705-681)
III. HISTORICAL SETTING:
A. Even though the latter part of Jeroboam’s reign brought about prosperity (see discussion in Amos outline) it ended with chaos as four kings reigned in one year (753 B.C.: Jeroboam, Zechariah, Shallum and Menahem)
B. Tiglath-Pileser forced Menahem into submission
C. Tiglath-Pileser defeated Pekah and placed Hoshea on the throne
D. Hoshea rebelled and was defeated by Shalmaneser V in his taking of Samaria and the deportation of the people in 722 B.C.
E. Hosea may have begun his ministry during the end of Jeroboam II’s reign and on through that of Zechariah, Shallum, Menanhem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea:
1. In 1:4 the assumption is that Hosea began his ministry while Jeroboam was alive (cf. 1:1 with 1:4)
2. The list of the kings of Judah implies that his ministry continued through (past) the times of the kings of Israel (1:1)
3. If the time of Amos was one of inner crumbling for Israel, the time of Hosea was characterized by a steady decline as the stability of the kingly line fell and Assyria increased her grip and ultimate defeat of the nation
IV. AUDIENCE: Primarily to the people of the northern kingdom, Israel, but also to the southern kingdom of Judah (southern Kings in 1:1)
V. PURPOSES FOR THE BOOK:
A. To call Israel and Judah to repentance in Yahweh, the God of loyal love
B. To reveal the faithlessness of the nation toward their covenant with Yahweh
C. To indict the nation of its lack of knowledge, loyal love, and faithfulness
By: David Malick Send to friendPrinter-friendly version
Word Document Download Word Doc
I. AUTHOR: Hosea
A. His name, u^v@oh, means “salvation” and should be spelled “Hoshea” but has come down in English as Hosea. This does distinguish him from the last king of Israel (Hoshea c. 732-722)
B. He is the son of Beeri
C. Unlike Amos, Hosea preached to his own people in Israel
D. He may have been among the priests in his station in view of his knowledge concerning religious affairs, but this is not certain
E. He had three children who played a vital part in his message to the nation of Israel :
1. Jezreel ( laurzy ) “God sows” (1:4)
2. Lo-ruhamah ( hmjr al ) “No compassion” (1:6f)
3. Lo-ammi ( ymu al ) “Not my people” (1:8ff)
[In 2:4 there is the suggestion that the second and third child may not have been Hosea’s, but from an adulterous relationship]
F. Chapters one and three provide little biographical information since they primarily teach about Israel
II. DATE :790-686 B.C.
A. The first verse of chapter one provides a historical setting:
1. During the following kings of Judah:
a. Uzziah 790-739
b. Jotham 750-731
c. Ahaz 735-715
d. Hezekiah 729-686
2. During the reign of Jeroboam II the son of Joash (793-753) in Israel
3. It seems that Hosea lived beyond the captivity of Israel in 722 since Hezekiah’s reign is mentioned
B. The Kings of Assyria which span this time are:
1. Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727)
2. Shalmaneser V (727-722)
3. Sargon II (722-705)
4. Sennacherib (705-681)
III. HISTORICAL SETTING:
A. Even though the latter part of Jeroboam’s reign brought about prosperity (see discussion in Amos outline) it ended with chaos as four kings reigned in one year (753 B.C.: Jeroboam, Zechariah, Shallum and Menahem)
B. Tiglath-Pileser forced Menahem into submission
C. Tiglath-Pileser defeated Pekah and placed Hoshea on the throne
D. Hoshea rebelled and was defeated by Shalmaneser V in his taking of Samaria and the deportation of the people in 722 B.C.
E. Hosea may have begun his ministry during the end of Jeroboam II’s reign and on through that of Zechariah, Shallum, Menanhem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea:
1. In 1:4 the assumption is that Hosea began his ministry while Jeroboam was alive (cf. 1:1 with 1:4)
2. The list of the kings of Judah implies that his ministry continued through (past) the times of the kings of Israel (1:1)
3. If the time of Amos was one of inner crumbling for Israel, the time of Hosea was characterized by a steady decline as the stability of the kingly line fell and Assyria increased her grip and ultimate defeat of the nation
IV. AUDIENCE: Primarily to the people of the northern kingdom, Israel, but also to the southern kingdom of Judah (southern Kings in 1:1)
V. PURPOSES FOR THE BOOK:
A. To call Israel and Judah to repentance in Yahweh, the God of loyal love
B. To reveal the faithlessness of the nation toward their covenant with Yahweh
C. To indict the nation of its lack of knowledge, loyal love, and faithfulness
Day 63:Ezekiel 47:13-Daniel 8:27 Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego and Daniel in the Lions' Den
This is Day 63 of The Bible in 90 Days study.
Today, we close the book on Ezekiel and read almost all of Daniel.
We begin with the last half of Chapter 47 of Ezekiel. Verses 13-23 begin a distribution of the land at the Millennial Reign. Chapter 48 tells us how the 12 tribes of Israel will share in the land. Verse 11 of Chapter 48 stands out as God allows us to understand that there will be a set group of consecrated priests who did not fail God, called the Zadokites. Historically, the Zadokites were also known as the Sadducees of the first two centuries AD, but have since seemingly disappeared. A few different pages say that this group will reemerge during the Millennial Reign to be the priests of that time.
The last five verses of Chapter 48 tell us information of the gates to the city of Jerusalem. We are also told at the end of Verse 35 that the city will be renamed The Lord Is There or in the Hebrew, Jehovah-Shammah. If you’d like more information on this name, there is an article on it done at free grace.net. Here is the link: http://www.freegrace.net/dfbooks/dfnamesGodbk/NAMES8.htm
That closes up the book of Ezekiel and brings us into the book of Daniel. The name Daniel means “God is my judge” in the Hebrew. This book is also referred to as the “Apocalypse of the Old Testament” because of a lot of the foretelling of the end times. Two guys who could spend days talking about this book are Jack Van Impe and Hal Lindsey. I used to watch both of these guys when I worked at the television back in the 90’s and you definitely need to record them because they move fast and you’ll need time to reference your Bible. Jack Van Impe’s website is http://www.jvim.com/ and Hal Lindsey’s page is here http://www.hallindsey.com/.
In Chapter 1, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego receive their calling to Nebuchadnezzar’s team of young boys that were to be taught the language and literature of the Babylonian ways. Daniel resolved not to eat the king’s meat or drink wine. One of the officials told Daniel that he could not do this, but Daniel requested 10 days for he and his friends to eat nothing but vegetables to be tested to see that they would still look healthy. They passed the test and these men proved wiser than any of the other students that were under the classroom teaching. Verse 20 tells us that these four were 10 times better than any of the other magicians and enchanters.
Chapter 2 begins with the king having a dream and wanting a person not only to interpret the dream, but to tell him the dream to begin with. The regular magicians and enchanters told the king that this was impossible so he decided that all these wise men should be killed. Before the act could be carried out, Daniel asked for time to see if God would deliver the dream and interpretation to him. God delivered. Daniel and his friends praised God and then he went to the king to tell him the dream and its interpretation.
Daniel shared the dream in Verses 29-35 and the interpretation in Verses 36-45. The four kingdoms that Daniel speaks of here are the Babylonian, Medeo-Persian, Greek and Macedonian, and then the Roman Empire. Note that Jesus came during the fourth empire to set his kingdom in motion. After finishing, Daniel was given honor by being promoted to administrator and he remained with the royal court. His friends were also promoted.
Chapter 3 shares the famous story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego facing the fiery furnace after not bowing to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. The king even saw four men in the furnace. Many believe that the fourth person was Jesus. Once they came out of the furnace, the king decreed that nothing be said against the God that the three men served.
Chapter 4 begins with a dream that the king had about a tree in Verses 9-18 that he explains to Daniel. Daniel then interprets the dream in Verses 20-27. Daniel also advises the king to renounce his sins in that final verse. However, he does not and about a year later, the dream is fulfilled. While some scholars think that this is a period of seven years that the king goes through this, there are some that interpret the word year as seasons, which would mean that this could’ve taken place over a little less than two years rather than the seven years. In any case, the king did acknowledge God and his kingdom was restored. The king was no humbler, as we can see in Verse 36 as he claims that the kingdom he led was even greater than before.
Chapter 5 takes place after the death of Nebuchadnezzar while his son Belshazzar was on the throne. Belshazzar had taken out the goblets from the Temple and had wine in them for himself and his family including concubines. They were quite shocked as a hand appeared by itself and wrote on a wall. None of Belshazzar’s magicians or enchanters could interpret the handwriting. Not until his mother came in and told Belshazzar of Daniel in Verse 10 did anyone succeed in reading the wall. Daniel comes in and interprets the handwriting for the king. He told him that his days were numbered. Sure enough, he was killed that night and the Medes-Persian empire began.
In Chapter 6, we see King Darius be duped by some of his officials in an attempt to trip up Daniel on a technicality. They convinced Darius to sign an edict that stated that no other person or god but himself could be prayed to. This is how they tripped up Daniel because they knew that he would still continue to pray to the One True God. So they ran and told Darius of Daniel’s treacherous act and Darius was distressed as he attempted to find a way out for Daniel. The offense sent Daniel into the lions’ den. Darius was smart and told Daniel that may Daniel’s God save him from this. Of course, God did save him and once he was free, Darius then went to the men who accused Daniel and threw them in the den. They were immediately crushed and eaten.
Chapter 6 ends with a decree from Darius that the God Daniel served would be shown reverence from all the people under Darius.
Chapter 7 is Daniel’s dream of the four beasts. These beasts are believed to be the same four kingdoms that are mentioned in Chapter 2. Note that verses 24-25 show a last leader that comes from three horns and begins to speak against the Most High. Many scholars believe this leader to be the Antichrist from a revived Roman Empire.
The last chapter we’ll look at today is Chapter 8. Daniel has a dream about a ram and a goat over the first 14 verses and the angel Gabriel interprets for Daniel in verses 17-26. The ram is believed to represent Medeo-Persia with the two horns and Persia when it becomes one horn. The goat was believed to represent the kingdom of Alexander the Great of Macedonia.
Day 64 reading: Daniel 9:1-Hosea 13:6
Today, we close the book on Ezekiel and read almost all of Daniel.
We begin with the last half of Chapter 47 of Ezekiel. Verses 13-23 begin a distribution of the land at the Millennial Reign. Chapter 48 tells us how the 12 tribes of Israel will share in the land. Verse 11 of Chapter 48 stands out as God allows us to understand that there will be a set group of consecrated priests who did not fail God, called the Zadokites. Historically, the Zadokites were also known as the Sadducees of the first two centuries AD, but have since seemingly disappeared. A few different pages say that this group will reemerge during the Millennial Reign to be the priests of that time.
The last five verses of Chapter 48 tell us information of the gates to the city of Jerusalem. We are also told at the end of Verse 35 that the city will be renamed The Lord Is There or in the Hebrew, Jehovah-Shammah. If you’d like more information on this name, there is an article on it done at free grace.net. Here is the link: http://www.freegrace.net/dfbooks/dfnamesGodbk/NAMES8.htm
That closes up the book of Ezekiel and brings us into the book of Daniel. The name Daniel means “God is my judge” in the Hebrew. This book is also referred to as the “Apocalypse of the Old Testament” because of a lot of the foretelling of the end times. Two guys who could spend days talking about this book are Jack Van Impe and Hal Lindsey. I used to watch both of these guys when I worked at the television back in the 90’s and you definitely need to record them because they move fast and you’ll need time to reference your Bible. Jack Van Impe’s website is http://www.jvim.com/ and Hal Lindsey’s page is here http://www.hallindsey.com/.
In Chapter 1, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego receive their calling to Nebuchadnezzar’s team of young boys that were to be taught the language and literature of the Babylonian ways. Daniel resolved not to eat the king’s meat or drink wine. One of the officials told Daniel that he could not do this, but Daniel requested 10 days for he and his friends to eat nothing but vegetables to be tested to see that they would still look healthy. They passed the test and these men proved wiser than any of the other students that were under the classroom teaching. Verse 20 tells us that these four were 10 times better than any of the other magicians and enchanters.
Chapter 2 begins with the king having a dream and wanting a person not only to interpret the dream, but to tell him the dream to begin with. The regular magicians and enchanters told the king that this was impossible so he decided that all these wise men should be killed. Before the act could be carried out, Daniel asked for time to see if God would deliver the dream and interpretation to him. God delivered. Daniel and his friends praised God and then he went to the king to tell him the dream and its interpretation.
Daniel shared the dream in Verses 29-35 and the interpretation in Verses 36-45. The four kingdoms that Daniel speaks of here are the Babylonian, Medeo-Persian, Greek and Macedonian, and then the Roman Empire. Note that Jesus came during the fourth empire to set his kingdom in motion. After finishing, Daniel was given honor by being promoted to administrator and he remained with the royal court. His friends were also promoted.
Chapter 3 shares the famous story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego facing the fiery furnace after not bowing to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. The king even saw four men in the furnace. Many believe that the fourth person was Jesus. Once they came out of the furnace, the king decreed that nothing be said against the God that the three men served.
Chapter 4 begins with a dream that the king had about a tree in Verses 9-18 that he explains to Daniel. Daniel then interprets the dream in Verses 20-27. Daniel also advises the king to renounce his sins in that final verse. However, he does not and about a year later, the dream is fulfilled. While some scholars think that this is a period of seven years that the king goes through this, there are some that interpret the word year as seasons, which would mean that this could’ve taken place over a little less than two years rather than the seven years. In any case, the king did acknowledge God and his kingdom was restored. The king was no humbler, as we can see in Verse 36 as he claims that the kingdom he led was even greater than before.
Chapter 5 takes place after the death of Nebuchadnezzar while his son Belshazzar was on the throne. Belshazzar had taken out the goblets from the Temple and had wine in them for himself and his family including concubines. They were quite shocked as a hand appeared by itself and wrote on a wall. None of Belshazzar’s magicians or enchanters could interpret the handwriting. Not until his mother came in and told Belshazzar of Daniel in Verse 10 did anyone succeed in reading the wall. Daniel comes in and interprets the handwriting for the king. He told him that his days were numbered. Sure enough, he was killed that night and the Medes-Persian empire began.
In Chapter 6, we see King Darius be duped by some of his officials in an attempt to trip up Daniel on a technicality. They convinced Darius to sign an edict that stated that no other person or god but himself could be prayed to. This is how they tripped up Daniel because they knew that he would still continue to pray to the One True God. So they ran and told Darius of Daniel’s treacherous act and Darius was distressed as he attempted to find a way out for Daniel. The offense sent Daniel into the lions’ den. Darius was smart and told Daniel that may Daniel’s God save him from this. Of course, God did save him and once he was free, Darius then went to the men who accused Daniel and threw them in the den. They were immediately crushed and eaten.
Chapter 6 ends with a decree from Darius that the God Daniel served would be shown reverence from all the people under Darius.
Chapter 7 is Daniel’s dream of the four beasts. These beasts are believed to be the same four kingdoms that are mentioned in Chapter 2. Note that verses 24-25 show a last leader that comes from three horns and begins to speak against the Most High. Many scholars believe this leader to be the Antichrist from a revived Roman Empire.
The last chapter we’ll look at today is Chapter 8. Daniel has a dream about a ram and a goat over the first 14 verses and the angel Gabriel interprets for Daniel in verses 17-26. The ram is believed to represent Medeo-Persia with the two horns and Persia when it becomes one horn. The goat was believed to represent the kingdom of Alexander the Great of Macedonia.
Day 64 reading: Daniel 9:1-Hosea 13:6
Sunday, September 20, 2009
An introduction to the Book of Daniel (By Bible.org)
An Introduction to the Book of Daniel
By: David Malick Send to friendPrinter-friendly version
Word Document Download Word Doc
I. TITLE OF THE BOOK: In both the Hebrew and Greek canons the book is titled after its main character, Daniel.
A. Hebrew: laynd meaning ‘God is Judge.’
B. Greek: DANIHL
II. CANONICAL PLACEMENT OF THE BOOK
A. Hebrew:
1. The Hebrew Scriptures were probably originally canonized into a two-fold division: the Law and the Prophets1
2. By around the second century B.C.2 a three-fold division of the Hebrew Scriptures arose: The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings3
a. The three-fold division included the same books as the two-fold division
b. There are several possible reasons for a three-fold division:4
1) A distinction was made between books which were written by men who held the prophetic office, and men who only had the prophetic gift
2) Some at a later date may have felt that those books which were not written by “prophets” were not fully canonical
3) A more practical purpose was served by the topical and festal5 significance rather than by the two-fold categories
3. In the Hebrew canon Daniel is not included among the prophets
4. In the Hebrew canon Daniel is included among the writings with the “historical” books. This emphasis may well have been appropriate for the following reasons:
a. Daniel is not in the role of a prophet who is speaking to the nation to repent of their ethical misdeeds
b. Although Daniel certainly wrote down prophetic visions, they are a message to the nation to enable them to walk through their history with the confidence that God is working among them even though they are being dominated by the Gentiles. If historical literature is emphasizing a revelation (record) of the sovereign work of God in history, then Daniel certainly applies because the prophetic visions are also a record (in advance) of the sovereign work of God in history as the Gentiles overrun Israel (who is in sin), but as Israel is also going to be ultimately delivered. As in other historical literature, this book would enable Israel to walk more faithfully with God when they saw His inclusive plan for them.
c. Perhaps the Masoretes did not consider Daniel to be a prophet since he was not appointed or ordained as a prophet in the text in the usual way; rather he was a servant of the government
d. Much of Daniel’s writing does not bear the character of prophecy, but rather of history
B. Greek & English:
1. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (The Septuagint or LXX c. 280-150 B.C.) divided the Old Testament according to subject matter which is the basis of the modern four-fold classification of the: five books of Law, twelve books of History, five books of Poetry, and seventeen books of Prophecy6
2. Daniel was a part of the major prophets
3. Our English editions follow this division
4. This is also a logical placement of Daniel becuase of the many prophetic visions in the book
III. DATE OF THE BOOK7
A. Late--Second Century (soon after 168 B.C.; usually 165 B.C.)8
1. Those who hold to a late date see this work as “historical fiction” designed to “encourage the resistance movement against the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes”9
2. Some argue that Daniel must have been late because it was placed among the “writings” of the Hebrew Scriptures, but many of the books in the “writings” are very old like Job, Davidic psalms, and Solomonic writings. Therefore, a placement in the “writings” does not determine a late date10
3. The date of 168 matches the evidence spoken of in Daniel 11:31-39; therefore, it is assumed that the book must have been written soon after that time
4. Most who hold to a late date for Daneil emphasize it as being apocalyptic literature:
a. While most all would agree that there are apocolyptic elementes to Daniel, this does not require that it also be modled after all aspects of apocalyptic literature
b. Some aspects of apocalyptic literature which Daniel is accused of are:
1) It is pseudepigraphic--a false author is attached to the book to give it credibility
2) The prophecies are vaticinia ex eventu or “prophecies-after-the-event”
5. The sensational events (3; 5; 6) are necessarily writing conventions like those which were employed by noncanonical literature of the intertestamental period
6. Often there is a hermeneutical presupposition against predictive writing11
7. Often there is a non-miraculous presupposition against narratives like in Daniel (3; 5; 6).
B. Early--Sixth Century:12
1. Manuscript Evidence: Manuscripts discovered at Qumran (e.g., a Florilegium found in cave 4Q), which date from the Maccabean period make it very unlikely that the book was written during the time of the Maccabees (e.g., 168 B.C.) since it would have taken some time for it to have been accepted and included in the canon13
2. Linguistic Evidence:
a. Aramaic: Daniel’s Aramaic demonstrates grammatical evidences for an early date more closely associated with the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. than with the second century B.C.14
b. Persian:
1) Persian loan words in Daniel do not necessarily argue against an early date for the book since Daniel, who lived under the Persians, could have placed the material in its final form at the latter part of his life15
2) Four of the nineteen Persian words are not translated well by the Greek renderings of about 100 B.C. implying that their meaning was lost or drastically changed meaning that it is very unlikely that Daniel was written in 165 B.C.16
3) The Persian words which are cited in Daniel are specifically old Persian words dating from around 300 B.C. This argues against a 165 date17
c. Greek: Three Greek loan words in Daniel need not argue for a late date since there may well have been Greek writing prior to Plato (370 B.C.) where these words could have been used, and since they are the names of musical instruments which often are circulated beyond national boundaries, and since Greek words are found in the Aramaic documents of Elephantine dated to the fifth-century B.C.18
3. Apocalyptic Evidence: The themes of the prominance of angels, the last judgment, the resurrection of the dead, and the establishment of the final kingdom are not themes that are limited to later apocryphal literature, but have their roots in earlier biblical literature and even Zechariah19
4. Literary Evidence: The reason the development of history seems to stop with Antiochus IV Epiphanes is not necessarily because that was when the writer lived; it is probably for literary/theological reasons, he best foreshadows the Antichrist to come20
5. Predictive Evidence: The fourth empire in Daniel 2 is not that of the Greeks as those who hold to a late date affirm; this is substantiated by the vision in chapter 7 were the second empire is not Media and the third empire is not Perisa, but is Greece which divides into four (the Persian empire never divided into four parts). This is also substantiated in Daniel 9 with the vision of the ram and the he-goat (with one horn and then four horns--divided Greece).21
IV. AUTHOR OF THE BOOK
A. Late: Someone living during the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (these go with the arguments above)
B. Early: Daniel the self-proclaimed author of the book living during the sixth century B.C.
1. External Evidence:
a. Jesus identifies Daniel as the prophet who spoke of the “abomination of desolation” (cf. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) in the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24:15-16 (cf. also Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20)
b. The Jewish Talmud attributes the writing of “Daniel” to the Great Synagogue22 but it is questionable whether such a synagogue ever really existed.
c. The writer shows an accurate knowledge of sixth-century events:
1) The city of Shushan is described as being in the province of Elam back in the time of the Chaldeans (8:2)23
2) In chapter 9 the writer goes beyond the Maccabean period by predicting the crucifixion of Christ and the following destruction of the city of Jerusalem24
2. Internal Evidence: The author refers to himself as Daniel throughout the book (cf. 7:1; the rest of the references are in terms of pronouns either third person or first person singular)
V. PURPOSES OF THE BOOK
A. “To establish hope in future restoration by reflecting in vision God’s dealing with Israel’s national sin through the times of the Gentiles”25
B. To instruct and admonish the people of God in the crisis of faith26
C. To challenge “the faithful to be awake and ready for the unexpected intervention of God in wrapping up all of human history”27
1 The two-fold division is argued upon (1) the way in which Moses' Law is referred to as a unit throughout the Scriptures, (2) the way in which the historical books are linked together as a unit, (3) the reference in Daniel to the Law and the books [9:2], and (4) the recognition of the Former prophetic books by the Latter (See Geisler and Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp. 148-161).
2 Prologue to Ecclesiasticus (c. 132 B.C.), Jesus in Luke 24:44 (A.D. 30) Josephus, Against Apion, I.8 (A.D. 37-100).
3 The Writings include: (1) Poetical Books--Psalms, Proverbs, Job, (2) Five Rolls (Megilloth)--Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, Ecclesiastes, (3) Historical Books--Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles
Sometimes Ruth was attached to Judges, and Lamentations was attached to Jeremiah thereby making the Hebrew canon comprised of 22 books rather than the more usual 24 books (see Geisler and Nix, General, pp. 18-19).
4 Critical scholars assume that the three-fold division reflects dates of canonization in accordance with their dates of compositions--Law (400 B.C.), Prophets (c. 200 B.C.), Writings (c. A.D. 100). However, this thesis is untenable in light of early reports of a three-fold division (c. 132 B.C.; see above). See Geisler and Nix, General, p. 151.
This critical approach is suggested by La Sor et al as an explanation for the placement of Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Esther, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes when they write, Essentially, the purpose of the Writings as a whole was to collect those sacred books whose purpose, character, or date excluded them form the collections of law and prophecy (Old, p. 508-509).
5 Song of Solomon (eighth day of Passover), Ruth (second day of Weeks, or Pentecost), Lamentations (ninth day of Ab, in mourning for the destruction of Solomon's temple), Ecclesiastes (third day of Tabernacles), Esther (Purim).
6
Law
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Poetry
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Prophets/Major
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Prophets/Minor
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
For a more extensive overview see Geisler and Nix, General, pp. 17-25.
7 Concerning the importance of this study Waltke writes, This is is of greatest importance for at least three reasons. First, the sovereignty of the revealed God in this book is at stake. If Daniel's God was able to predict the future, then there is reason to believe that the course of history is completely under Yahweh's sovereignty. On the other hand, if the predictions are fraudulent, then one must remain agnostic about Daniel's God. Second, the divine inspiration of the Bible hangs in the balance. If the book contains true predictions, then there is firm reason to believe that this book ultimately owes its origin to One who can predict the future. On the contrary, if it is a spurious, fraudulent, although well-intentioned piece of literature, then the reliability of other books in the canon of Scripture may legitimately be questioned. Third, one's understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ depends on the answer to the date of the book. Jesus Christ regarded the Book of Daniel as a prophetic preview of future history and indeed of the divine program for a future that still lies ahead (Matt. 24:15-16; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20). If he is wrong in His interpretation of the book, then He must be less than the omniscient, inerrant God incarnate. On the other hand, if His appraisal is right, then His claim to deity cannot be questioned in this regard (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 320).
8 For a concise overview of this position and the imaginative working with the evidence to support their presuppositions see Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 611ff. Archer provides an excellent discussion of the supports for a late date with good answers throughout (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3387ff).
9 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 388; Brevard S. Childs writes, The visions called the community of faith to obedience and challenged it to hold on because the end of time which Daniel foresaw would shortly come. Because it was written in the form of vaticinium ex eventu, the effect of this message would be electrifying. Daniel had prophesied about the rise and fall of the earlier three kingdoms and these events had occurred. Now his vision of the last days was being fulfilled before their very eyes. The 'little horn' had appeared; the persecution had reached its height; the end was imminent. Therefore 'blessed is he who waits' (Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 615-16).
10 In addition Archer writes, the statement in Josephus (Contra Apionem 1:8) ... indicates strongly that in the first century A.D., Daniel was included among the prophets in the second division of the Old Testament canon; hence it could not have been assigned to the Kethubim until a later period (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 388).
11 This was first advanced by a Neoplatonic philosopher named Porphyry who lived in the third century after Christ and wrote his fifteen volume set, Against the Christians. See R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament: With a Comprehensive Review of Old Testament Studies and a Special Supplement on the Apocrypha, 1110. Waltke writes, But the question naturally arises, If the evidence for a sixth-century date of composition is so certain, why do scholars reject it in favor of an unsupportable Maccabean hypothesis? The reason is that most scholars embrace a liberal, naturalistic, and rationalistic philiosphy. Naturalism and rationalism are ultimately based on faith rather than on evidence; therefore, this faith will not allow them to accept the supernatural predictions (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 [1976]: 329).
12 Archer writes, Despite the numerous objections whihc have been advanced by scholars who regard this as a prophecy written after the event, there is no good reason for denying to the sixth-century Daniel the composition of the entire work. This represents a collection of his memoirs made at the end of a long and eventful career which included government service from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar in the 590s [605?] to the reign of Cyrus the Great in the 530s. The appearance of Persian technical terms indicates a final recension of these memoirs at a time when Persian teminology had already infiltrated into the vocabulary of Aramaic. The most likely date of the final ediition of the book, therefore, would be about 530 B.C. (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 387).
13 Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 321-322. Concerning the supposed error of the writer in 11:40-45 to predict the death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (cf. I and II Maccabees) Waltke writes, if this be so, it seems incredible that the alleged contemporaries would have held his work in such high regard referring to him as 'Daniel the prophet,' a title bestowed on him in a florilegium found in 4Q (Ibid.).
14 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 398-401. Daniel's Aramaic is closer to Eastern Aramaic (rather than Western Aramaic) much like that which is found in the Elephantine papyri (fifth-century B.C.) and Ezra (450 B.C.) than it is with the Genesis Apocryphon found in Qumran Cave One from the first century B.C. (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 322-23; Franz Rosenthal, Die Aramaistisch Forschung (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1939), 66ff; Kenneth A. Kitchen, et. al., The Aramaic of Daniel, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, 31-79.
15 Kenneth A. Kitchen, et. al., The Aramaic of Daniel, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, 41-42; Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 323.
16 Kenneth A. Kitchen, et. al., The Aramaic of Daniel, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, 43.
17 Ibid., 43-44.
18 For a fuller discussion see Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 395-97 where he also shows how the Greek (or lack thereof) is a strong support for an early date for Daniel. Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 324..
19 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 402-403.
20 See Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 404; Matthew 24; Mark 13.
21 For a further discussion see Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 403-407; Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 326-329. Waltke writes, If then the second and third kingdoms refer to Medo-Persia and Greece respectively, the fourth kingdom must be Rome. In this case, even those who contend for a Maccabean date of authorship must admit true prediction in the Book of Daniel for the Roman Empire did not appear in Israel's history until 63 B.C. (Ibid., 328).
22 B.Bat 15a.
23 Archer writes, But from the Greek and Roman historians we learn that in the Persian period Shushan, or Susa, was assigned to a new province which was named after it, Susiana, and the formerly more extensive province of Elam was restricted to the territory west of the Eulaeus River [cf. Strabo, 15:3, 12; 16:1, 17; Pliny, Natural History, 6. 27] (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 408).
24 Waltke writes, Daniel, in addition to predicting that Rome will succeed Greece, also predicts the very date that Israel's Messiah will be crucified. In Daniel 9:24 the writer predicts that 69 'weeks' (= 483 years) after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem Messiah will be 'cut off.' Artaxerxes issued this decree in the month Nisan of his twentieth year of 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:2).
Hoehner demonstrates that Jesus Christ was crucified on the Passover in the year A.D. 33. The time interval between the first of Nisan (444 B.C.) and the Passover (A.D. 33) is 173,880 days (476 x 365 = 173,740 days; March 4 [1 Nisan] to March 29 [the date of the Passover in A.D. 33] = 24 days; add 116 days for leapyears). Now a prophetic year (also a lunar year) is 360 days (cf. Rev 11) and 483 years multiplied by that figure also equal 173,880.
Here then is confirmatory proof that the book contains genuine predictions (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 329).
25 Elliott E. Johnson, Principle of Recognition, 55.
26 Although Childs does not hold to a sixth century date for Daniel and comes about this statement in a 'round-a-bout manner, his analysis of its design is true (Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 622). Later he writes, the biblical writers pointed to the end of the world in order to call forth a faithful testimony from the people of God. They sought to evoke a commitment 'even unto death' (Ibid.).
27 Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 622. Continuing he writes, The stories of Daniel and his friends picture men who bear eloquent testimony in both word and deed to an unswerving hope in God's rule. As a consequence, they were made free to hang loosely on the world because they knew their hope rested elsewhere (Ibid.).
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I. TITLE OF THE BOOK: In both the Hebrew and Greek canons the book is titled after its main character, Daniel.
A. Hebrew: laynd meaning ‘God is Judge.’
B. Greek: DANIHL
II. CANONICAL PLACEMENT OF THE BOOK
A. Hebrew:
1. The Hebrew Scriptures were probably originally canonized into a two-fold division: the Law and the Prophets1
2. By around the second century B.C.2 a three-fold division of the Hebrew Scriptures arose: The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings3
a. The three-fold division included the same books as the two-fold division
b. There are several possible reasons for a three-fold division:4
1) A distinction was made between books which were written by men who held the prophetic office, and men who only had the prophetic gift
2) Some at a later date may have felt that those books which were not written by “prophets” were not fully canonical
3) A more practical purpose was served by the topical and festal5 significance rather than by the two-fold categories
3. In the Hebrew canon Daniel is not included among the prophets
4. In the Hebrew canon Daniel is included among the writings with the “historical” books. This emphasis may well have been appropriate for the following reasons:
a. Daniel is not in the role of a prophet who is speaking to the nation to repent of their ethical misdeeds
b. Although Daniel certainly wrote down prophetic visions, they are a message to the nation to enable them to walk through their history with the confidence that God is working among them even though they are being dominated by the Gentiles. If historical literature is emphasizing a revelation (record) of the sovereign work of God in history, then Daniel certainly applies because the prophetic visions are also a record (in advance) of the sovereign work of God in history as the Gentiles overrun Israel (who is in sin), but as Israel is also going to be ultimately delivered. As in other historical literature, this book would enable Israel to walk more faithfully with God when they saw His inclusive plan for them.
c. Perhaps the Masoretes did not consider Daniel to be a prophet since he was not appointed or ordained as a prophet in the text in the usual way; rather he was a servant of the government
d. Much of Daniel’s writing does not bear the character of prophecy, but rather of history
B. Greek & English:
1. The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (The Septuagint or LXX c. 280-150 B.C.) divided the Old Testament according to subject matter which is the basis of the modern four-fold classification of the: five books of Law, twelve books of History, five books of Poetry, and seventeen books of Prophecy6
2. Daniel was a part of the major prophets
3. Our English editions follow this division
4. This is also a logical placement of Daniel becuase of the many prophetic visions in the book
III. DATE OF THE BOOK7
A. Late--Second Century (soon after 168 B.C.; usually 165 B.C.)8
1. Those who hold to a late date see this work as “historical fiction” designed to “encourage the resistance movement against the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes”9
2. Some argue that Daniel must have been late because it was placed among the “writings” of the Hebrew Scriptures, but many of the books in the “writings” are very old like Job, Davidic psalms, and Solomonic writings. Therefore, a placement in the “writings” does not determine a late date10
3. The date of 168 matches the evidence spoken of in Daniel 11:31-39; therefore, it is assumed that the book must have been written soon after that time
4. Most who hold to a late date for Daneil emphasize it as being apocalyptic literature:
a. While most all would agree that there are apocolyptic elementes to Daniel, this does not require that it also be modled after all aspects of apocalyptic literature
b. Some aspects of apocalyptic literature which Daniel is accused of are:
1) It is pseudepigraphic--a false author is attached to the book to give it credibility
2) The prophecies are vaticinia ex eventu or “prophecies-after-the-event”
5. The sensational events (3; 5; 6) are necessarily writing conventions like those which were employed by noncanonical literature of the intertestamental period
6. Often there is a hermeneutical presupposition against predictive writing11
7. Often there is a non-miraculous presupposition against narratives like in Daniel (3; 5; 6).
B. Early--Sixth Century:12
1. Manuscript Evidence: Manuscripts discovered at Qumran (e.g., a Florilegium found in cave 4Q), which date from the Maccabean period make it very unlikely that the book was written during the time of the Maccabees (e.g., 168 B.C.) since it would have taken some time for it to have been accepted and included in the canon13
2. Linguistic Evidence:
a. Aramaic: Daniel’s Aramaic demonstrates grammatical evidences for an early date more closely associated with the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. than with the second century B.C.14
b. Persian:
1) Persian loan words in Daniel do not necessarily argue against an early date for the book since Daniel, who lived under the Persians, could have placed the material in its final form at the latter part of his life15
2) Four of the nineteen Persian words are not translated well by the Greek renderings of about 100 B.C. implying that their meaning was lost or drastically changed meaning that it is very unlikely that Daniel was written in 165 B.C.16
3) The Persian words which are cited in Daniel are specifically old Persian words dating from around 300 B.C. This argues against a 165 date17
c. Greek: Three Greek loan words in Daniel need not argue for a late date since there may well have been Greek writing prior to Plato (370 B.C.) where these words could have been used, and since they are the names of musical instruments which often are circulated beyond national boundaries, and since Greek words are found in the Aramaic documents of Elephantine dated to the fifth-century B.C.18
3. Apocalyptic Evidence: The themes of the prominance of angels, the last judgment, the resurrection of the dead, and the establishment of the final kingdom are not themes that are limited to later apocryphal literature, but have their roots in earlier biblical literature and even Zechariah19
4. Literary Evidence: The reason the development of history seems to stop with Antiochus IV Epiphanes is not necessarily because that was when the writer lived; it is probably for literary/theological reasons, he best foreshadows the Antichrist to come20
5. Predictive Evidence: The fourth empire in Daniel 2 is not that of the Greeks as those who hold to a late date affirm; this is substantiated by the vision in chapter 7 were the second empire is not Media and the third empire is not Perisa, but is Greece which divides into four (the Persian empire never divided into four parts). This is also substantiated in Daniel 9 with the vision of the ram and the he-goat (with one horn and then four horns--divided Greece).21
IV. AUTHOR OF THE BOOK
A. Late: Someone living during the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (these go with the arguments above)
B. Early: Daniel the self-proclaimed author of the book living during the sixth century B.C.
1. External Evidence:
a. Jesus identifies Daniel as the prophet who spoke of the “abomination of desolation” (cf. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) in the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24:15-16 (cf. also Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20)
b. The Jewish Talmud attributes the writing of “Daniel” to the Great Synagogue22 but it is questionable whether such a synagogue ever really existed.
c. The writer shows an accurate knowledge of sixth-century events:
1) The city of Shushan is described as being in the province of Elam back in the time of the Chaldeans (8:2)23
2) In chapter 9 the writer goes beyond the Maccabean period by predicting the crucifixion of Christ and the following destruction of the city of Jerusalem24
2. Internal Evidence: The author refers to himself as Daniel throughout the book (cf. 7:1; the rest of the references are in terms of pronouns either third person or first person singular)
V. PURPOSES OF THE BOOK
A. “To establish hope in future restoration by reflecting in vision God’s dealing with Israel’s national sin through the times of the Gentiles”25
B. To instruct and admonish the people of God in the crisis of faith26
C. To challenge “the faithful to be awake and ready for the unexpected intervention of God in wrapping up all of human history”27
1 The two-fold division is argued upon (1) the way in which Moses' Law is referred to as a unit throughout the Scriptures, (2) the way in which the historical books are linked together as a unit, (3) the reference in Daniel to the Law and the books [9:2], and (4) the recognition of the Former prophetic books by the Latter (See Geisler and Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp. 148-161).
2 Prologue to Ecclesiasticus (c. 132 B.C.), Jesus in Luke 24:44 (A.D. 30) Josephus, Against Apion, I.8 (A.D. 37-100).
3 The Writings include: (1) Poetical Books--Psalms, Proverbs, Job, (2) Five Rolls (Megilloth)--Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, Ecclesiastes, (3) Historical Books--Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles
Sometimes Ruth was attached to Judges, and Lamentations was attached to Jeremiah thereby making the Hebrew canon comprised of 22 books rather than the more usual 24 books (see Geisler and Nix, General, pp. 18-19).
4 Critical scholars assume that the three-fold division reflects dates of canonization in accordance with their dates of compositions--Law (400 B.C.), Prophets (c. 200 B.C.), Writings (c. A.D. 100). However, this thesis is untenable in light of early reports of a three-fold division (c. 132 B.C.; see above). See Geisler and Nix, General, p. 151.
This critical approach is suggested by La Sor et al as an explanation for the placement of Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Esther, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes when they write, Essentially, the purpose of the Writings as a whole was to collect those sacred books whose purpose, character, or date excluded them form the collections of law and prophecy (Old, p. 508-509).
5 Song of Solomon (eighth day of Passover), Ruth (second day of Weeks, or Pentecost), Lamentations (ninth day of Ab, in mourning for the destruction of Solomon's temple), Ecclesiastes (third day of Tabernacles), Esther (Purim).
6
Law
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Poetry
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Prophets/Major
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Prophets/Minor
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
For a more extensive overview see Geisler and Nix, General, pp. 17-25.
7 Concerning the importance of this study Waltke writes, This is is of greatest importance for at least three reasons. First, the sovereignty of the revealed God in this book is at stake. If Daniel's God was able to predict the future, then there is reason to believe that the course of history is completely under Yahweh's sovereignty. On the other hand, if the predictions are fraudulent, then one must remain agnostic about Daniel's God. Second, the divine inspiration of the Bible hangs in the balance. If the book contains true predictions, then there is firm reason to believe that this book ultimately owes its origin to One who can predict the future. On the contrary, if it is a spurious, fraudulent, although well-intentioned piece of literature, then the reliability of other books in the canon of Scripture may legitimately be questioned. Third, one's understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ depends on the answer to the date of the book. Jesus Christ regarded the Book of Daniel as a prophetic preview of future history and indeed of the divine program for a future that still lies ahead (Matt. 24:15-16; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20). If he is wrong in His interpretation of the book, then He must be less than the omniscient, inerrant God incarnate. On the other hand, if His appraisal is right, then His claim to deity cannot be questioned in this regard (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 320).
8 For a concise overview of this position and the imaginative working with the evidence to support their presuppositions see Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 611ff. Archer provides an excellent discussion of the supports for a late date with good answers throughout (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3387ff).
9 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 388; Brevard S. Childs writes, The visions called the community of faith to obedience and challenged it to hold on because the end of time which Daniel foresaw would shortly come. Because it was written in the form of vaticinium ex eventu, the effect of this message would be electrifying. Daniel had prophesied about the rise and fall of the earlier three kingdoms and these events had occurred. Now his vision of the last days was being fulfilled before their very eyes. The 'little horn' had appeared; the persecution had reached its height; the end was imminent. Therefore 'blessed is he who waits' (Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 615-16).
10 In addition Archer writes, the statement in Josephus (Contra Apionem 1:8) ... indicates strongly that in the first century A.D., Daniel was included among the prophets in the second division of the Old Testament canon; hence it could not have been assigned to the Kethubim until a later period (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 388).
11 This was first advanced by a Neoplatonic philosopher named Porphyry who lived in the third century after Christ and wrote his fifteen volume set, Against the Christians. See R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament: With a Comprehensive Review of Old Testament Studies and a Special Supplement on the Apocrypha, 1110. Waltke writes, But the question naturally arises, If the evidence for a sixth-century date of composition is so certain, why do scholars reject it in favor of an unsupportable Maccabean hypothesis? The reason is that most scholars embrace a liberal, naturalistic, and rationalistic philiosphy. Naturalism and rationalism are ultimately based on faith rather than on evidence; therefore, this faith will not allow them to accept the supernatural predictions (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 [1976]: 329).
12 Archer writes, Despite the numerous objections whihc have been advanced by scholars who regard this as a prophecy written after the event, there is no good reason for denying to the sixth-century Daniel the composition of the entire work. This represents a collection of his memoirs made at the end of a long and eventful career which included government service from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar in the 590s [605?] to the reign of Cyrus the Great in the 530s. The appearance of Persian technical terms indicates a final recension of these memoirs at a time when Persian teminology had already infiltrated into the vocabulary of Aramaic. The most likely date of the final ediition of the book, therefore, would be about 530 B.C. (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 387).
13 Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 321-322. Concerning the supposed error of the writer in 11:40-45 to predict the death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (cf. I and II Maccabees) Waltke writes, if this be so, it seems incredible that the alleged contemporaries would have held his work in such high regard referring to him as 'Daniel the prophet,' a title bestowed on him in a florilegium found in 4Q (Ibid.).
14 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 398-401. Daniel's Aramaic is closer to Eastern Aramaic (rather than Western Aramaic) much like that which is found in the Elephantine papyri (fifth-century B.C.) and Ezra (450 B.C.) than it is with the Genesis Apocryphon found in Qumran Cave One from the first century B.C. (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 322-23; Franz Rosenthal, Die Aramaistisch Forschung (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1939), 66ff; Kenneth A. Kitchen, et. al., The Aramaic of Daniel, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, 31-79.
15 Kenneth A. Kitchen, et. al., The Aramaic of Daniel, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, 41-42; Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 323.
16 Kenneth A. Kitchen, et. al., The Aramaic of Daniel, in Notes on Some Problems in the Book of Daniel, 43.
17 Ibid., 43-44.
18 For a fuller discussion see Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 395-97 where he also shows how the Greek (or lack thereof) is a strong support for an early date for Daniel. Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 324..
19 Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 402-403.
20 See Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 404; Matthew 24; Mark 13.
21 For a further discussion see Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 403-407; Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 326-329. Waltke writes, If then the second and third kingdoms refer to Medo-Persia and Greece respectively, the fourth kingdom must be Rome. In this case, even those who contend for a Maccabean date of authorship must admit true prediction in the Book of Daniel for the Roman Empire did not appear in Israel's history until 63 B.C. (Ibid., 328).
22 B.Bat 15a.
23 Archer writes, But from the Greek and Roman historians we learn that in the Persian period Shushan, or Susa, was assigned to a new province which was named after it, Susiana, and the formerly more extensive province of Elam was restricted to the territory west of the Eulaeus River [cf. Strabo, 15:3, 12; 16:1, 17; Pliny, Natural History, 6. 27] (Gleason L. Archer, Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 408).
24 Waltke writes, Daniel, in addition to predicting that Rome will succeed Greece, also predicts the very date that Israel's Messiah will be crucified. In Daniel 9:24 the writer predicts that 69 'weeks' (= 483 years) after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem Messiah will be 'cut off.' Artaxerxes issued this decree in the month Nisan of his twentieth year of 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:2).
Hoehner demonstrates that Jesus Christ was crucified on the Passover in the year A.D. 33. The time interval between the first of Nisan (444 B.C.) and the Passover (A.D. 33) is 173,880 days (476 x 365 = 173,740 days; March 4 [1 Nisan] to March 29 [the date of the Passover in A.D. 33] = 24 days; add 116 days for leapyears). Now a prophetic year (also a lunar year) is 360 days (cf. Rev 11) and 483 years multiplied by that figure also equal 173,880.
Here then is confirmatory proof that the book contains genuine predictions (Bruce K. Waltke, The Date of the Book of Daniel. Bibliotheca Sacra 133 (1976): 329).
25 Elliott E. Johnson, Principle of Recognition, 55.
26 Although Childs does not hold to a sixth century date for Daniel and comes about this statement in a 'round-a-bout manner, his analysis of its design is true (Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 622). Later he writes, the biblical writers pointed to the end of the world in order to call forth a faithful testimony from the people of God. They sought to evoke a commitment 'even unto death' (Ibid.).
27 Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 622. Continuing he writes, The stories of Daniel and his friends picture men who bear eloquent testimony in both word and deed to an unswerving hope in God's rule. As a consequence, they were made free to hang loosely on the world because they knew their hope rested elsewhere (Ibid.).
Day 62: Ezekiel 36-47:12 The Millennial Temple
This is Day 62 of The Bible in 90 Days study.
Today, we are just about to wrap up the book of Ezekiel by the time this lesson is over. Tomorrow, we’ll have one and a half chapters of the book left and enter Daniel.
We begin with Chapter 36 today. The Lord promises restoration to the land of Israel after God points out that the nations surrounding mocked and taunted Israel in its demise. There is an important finding from Verses 22-32 as God points out that he is restoring Israel not because of their righteousness, but because of His name.
Chapter 37 is famous for the first 14 verses and the description of The Valley of Dry Bones. The main thought from this section was that the Israelites were nearly wiped out in the exile. Even if they had been, God could have restored Israel right there and made them a nation again from the dead people. Many theories are discussed in different texts including the theory of this being the foretelling of Israel’s rebirth as a nation in the 1940’s and/or the resurrection of the dead at the time of Christ’s return.
Verses 15 to the end of the chapter tells Ezekiel to take the two sticks to show the unification of Israel. They would no longer be separate. Before this, you’ve seen Israel and Judah. However, it is forever from this point to be Israel only.
Moving to Chapter 38, this chapter discusses a battle of Israel against Gog and Magog from the north. It is believed that this is to be the Great Battle in the Valley of Jehoshaphat that is talked about in the book of Revelation Chapter 20. I can remember the visual of the battle in one of the Left Behind books and I admit that I saw it as a turning point of faith for the people in the book of fiction. Once God intervened in this battle, the saints were confident in God and never doubted again in His victory.
Chapter 39 discusses the idea that once the battle mentioned in the previous chapter is over that it will take seven months to bury the dead. The last part of the chapter even tells that the birds and animals will have to help by picking at the bones and drinking their blood.
Starting in Chapter 40, Ezekiel is given instructions on how the Temple is to be rebuilt. At first glance, you might think that this is the Temple that was rebuilt by Nehemiah. However, the Temple that is described to Ezekiel does not fit the plans of the temple built by Nehemiah. There is no mention in the Bible that the Temple built by Nehemiah is the same and many scholars are divided on whether this temple will be built during Christ’s Thousand Year Reign or the permanent one that will be in place after that.
A question that is asked comes from verses 38 and 42 is why is there still going to be sacrifices if this is indeed either of the temples described above. I think it’s a good question. After reading Biblequery.com and a few other sources, what I see is a common thread of agreement that it will be a ceremonial thing like that of the Lord’s Supper. While I’m not 100% certain, neither are scholars, since they are pretty much all disagreed as to which temple this is.
The difference maker as to telling us that this is not the temple built during the time of Nehemiah is Chapter 43. God’s Glory did not come down to be part of this temple. Another question debunked here is in Chapter 44, Verse 3, as the question of whether the prince is infact Jesus Christ. It is not. Why? Because the prince is offering sacrifices for himself and we know that Jesus will not have to do this. Chapter 45, starting in Verse 9 tells us the regulations for these princes.
The last chapter we look at today is the first half of Chapter 47. These 12 verses tell us of the river that will flow out from this temple of the future. While it doesn’t say that it is the Jordan, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be either.
Day 63 reading: Ezekiel 47:13-Daniel 8:27
Today, we are just about to wrap up the book of Ezekiel by the time this lesson is over. Tomorrow, we’ll have one and a half chapters of the book left and enter Daniel.
We begin with Chapter 36 today. The Lord promises restoration to the land of Israel after God points out that the nations surrounding mocked and taunted Israel in its demise. There is an important finding from Verses 22-32 as God points out that he is restoring Israel not because of their righteousness, but because of His name.
Chapter 37 is famous for the first 14 verses and the description of The Valley of Dry Bones. The main thought from this section was that the Israelites were nearly wiped out in the exile. Even if they had been, God could have restored Israel right there and made them a nation again from the dead people. Many theories are discussed in different texts including the theory of this being the foretelling of Israel’s rebirth as a nation in the 1940’s and/or the resurrection of the dead at the time of Christ’s return.
Verses 15 to the end of the chapter tells Ezekiel to take the two sticks to show the unification of Israel. They would no longer be separate. Before this, you’ve seen Israel and Judah. However, it is forever from this point to be Israel only.
Moving to Chapter 38, this chapter discusses a battle of Israel against Gog and Magog from the north. It is believed that this is to be the Great Battle in the Valley of Jehoshaphat that is talked about in the book of Revelation Chapter 20. I can remember the visual of the battle in one of the Left Behind books and I admit that I saw it as a turning point of faith for the people in the book of fiction. Once God intervened in this battle, the saints were confident in God and never doubted again in His victory.
Chapter 39 discusses the idea that once the battle mentioned in the previous chapter is over that it will take seven months to bury the dead. The last part of the chapter even tells that the birds and animals will have to help by picking at the bones and drinking their blood.
Starting in Chapter 40, Ezekiel is given instructions on how the Temple is to be rebuilt. At first glance, you might think that this is the Temple that was rebuilt by Nehemiah. However, the Temple that is described to Ezekiel does not fit the plans of the temple built by Nehemiah. There is no mention in the Bible that the Temple built by Nehemiah is the same and many scholars are divided on whether this temple will be built during Christ’s Thousand Year Reign or the permanent one that will be in place after that.
A question that is asked comes from verses 38 and 42 is why is there still going to be sacrifices if this is indeed either of the temples described above. I think it’s a good question. After reading Biblequery.com and a few other sources, what I see is a common thread of agreement that it will be a ceremonial thing like that of the Lord’s Supper. While I’m not 100% certain, neither are scholars, since they are pretty much all disagreed as to which temple this is.
The difference maker as to telling us that this is not the temple built during the time of Nehemiah is Chapter 43. God’s Glory did not come down to be part of this temple. Another question debunked here is in Chapter 44, Verse 3, as the question of whether the prince is infact Jesus Christ. It is not. Why? Because the prince is offering sacrifices for himself and we know that Jesus will not have to do this. Chapter 45, starting in Verse 9 tells us the regulations for these princes.
The last chapter we look at today is the first half of Chapter 47. These 12 verses tell us of the river that will flow out from this temple of the future. While it doesn’t say that it is the Jordan, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be either.
Day 63 reading: Ezekiel 47:13-Daniel 8:27
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