And while this last book of the bible is indeed one of the primary places to find these prophecies, many do not realize that the book of daniel is an old testament complement to this intriguing new testament book. Biblical prophecy often includes more than one fulfillment of a particular statement, and this is certainly the case with daniel s prophecy. Book of daniel definition of book of daniel by the free dictionary. In addition, the captivating prophecy, imagery, and symbolism make the book of daniel one of the most read of hebrew scripture, our old testament of the bible. Daniel is one of the most controversial books of the bible, yet its message is clear and unmistakable. Named after its writer, daniels book is a product of his time in babylon as a. But you, daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Gods covenant people live in both exile and expectation, awaiting. A 1991 reader survey for the library of congress that asked readers to name a book that made a difference in your life found mans search for meaning among the ten most influential books in america.
Book of daniel is written in exile in babylon during the 6th century b. In hebrew baby names the meaning of the name daniel is. The hero of the book of daniel in the ketuvim section of the bible is one of the. Youngs literal translation and thou, o daniel, hide the things, and seal the book till the time of the end, many do go to and fro, and knowledge is multiplied. The book will model human fidelity to god, but that will be overshadowed by the focus on gods sovereignty over all, including stupid and tyrannical kings. Daniel, book of daniel, book of the prophet danielnoun an old testament book that tells of the apocalyptic visions and the experiences of daniel in the court of nebuchadnezzar. The book of daniel also gives us a window into what it means to be a citizen of this eternal kingdom.
But thou, o daniel, shut up the words to wit, by sealing them up, or by closing the book, and writing no more in it. Albert barnes adds that the phrase the abomination of desolation is a hebrew expression, meaning an abominable or hateful destroyer notes on matthew 24. So now the meaning of the book of daniel is becoming clearer to us. The first half of the book chapters 16 contains stories in the third person about the experiences of daniel and his. Definition of book of daniel with photos and pictures, translations, sample usage, and additional links for more information. Book of daniel overview insight for living ministries. The book of daniel named after daniel is part of the hebrew bible. Satraps are also mentioned in the books of ezra and esther.
Old testament the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people. The story of daniel motivates faithfulness despite exile in babylon. Chapters 10, 11 and 12 in the book of daniel make up daniel s final vision, describing a series of conflicts between the unnamed king of the north and king of the south leading to the time of the end, when israel will be vindicated and the dead raised to shame or glory. The book of daniel, a book of the old testament found in the ketuvim writings, the third section of the jewish canon, but placed among the prophets in the. The purpose of the book of daniel in the book of daniel the scriptures foretell how the lord will deal with the people of daniel the jews and the gentile nations. The book of daniel synonyms, the book of daniel pronunciation, the book of daniel translation, english dictionary definition of the book of daniel. It is of hebrew origin, and the meaning of daniel is god is my judge. Daniel who through the book received revelations from god. At the time daniel wrote this prophecy, jerusalem had been destroyed and its citizens killed or deported to babylon. Book of daniel noun the noun book of daniel has 1 sense. Book of daniel an old testament book that tells of the apocalyptic visions and the experiences of daniel in the court of nebuchadnezzar book of the prophet daniel, daniel old testament the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people.
The book of daniel is one of the most significant prophetic books in the bible. Daniels friends shadrach, meshach and abednego served as advisers to king nebuchadnezzar of babylon. Book of daniel definition of book of daniel by the free. Daniel s superior way of life earns him great respect in the babylonian government. The book of daniel, a book of the old testament found in the ketuvim writings, the third section of the jewish canon, but placed among the prophets in the christian canon. Jul 27, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of daniel, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. The passage looks forward and onward to a higher and more important event than any that occurred in the times of antiochus. A king of ancient babylon was terrified when a mans hand suddenly appeared, writing a warning message on his palace wall.
As such, daniel is similar to the book of revelation in the new testament. The book of daniel speaks of things that can be interpreted in many ways, and many scholars, who do not have any concept of an inner meaning, interpret them literally. The book of daniel begins with king nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of babylon, ransacking jerusalem. While bible scholars debate issues like when it was written and whether it is historically accurate, the book of daniel consistently calls gods people of. Through a series of dreams and visions and their interpretations daniel is shown an outline of future kingdoms of the world. His visions offer hope that god will bring all nations under his rule. The genre of the book of daniel is narrative history, prophetic oracle, and it includes apocalyptic material. This is a bible study about the the meaning of the 2300 days kjv mentioned in daniel 8. A study of the book of daniel gene taylor1preface the study of any of the old testament prophets is a worthwhile endeavor. The book of daniel presents a collection of popular stories about daniel, a loyal jew, and the record of visions granted to him, with the babylonian exile of the 6th century bce as their background.
Daniel with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The book of daniel, also called the prophecy of daniel, a book of the old testament found in the ketuvim writings, the third section of the jewish canon, but placed among the prophets in the christian canon. It is generally accepted that the book of daniel originated as a collection of folktales among the jewish community in babylon and mesopotamia in the persian and early hellenistic periods 5th to 3rd centuries bce, expanded in the maccabean era mid2nd century by the visions in chapters 712. The major factor influencing the popularity of the personal name and hence the frequency of the surname was undoubtedly the dramatic story in the book of daniel, recounting the prophets steadfast adherence to his religious faith in spite of pressure and persecution from the mesopotamian kings in whose court he served.
The hero of the book of daniel in the ketuvim section of the bible is one of the jews exiled in babylonia, a soothsayer at the babylonian court under nebuchadnezzar who died in 562 b. The book of daniel is followed by the prophet hosea, the first of the prophets in the book of the twelve. The second main part of the book in the hebrew bible viixii is taken up with four visions which daniel describes in the first person. The book of daniel is often read for its contribution to our understanding of endtimes events, but sometimes christians have been so obsessed with this that we have missed its main message. The angel gabriel specifically told daniel to seal up these prophecies until the time of the end. It served as a book of encouragement to the babylonian exiles, whose hearts were no doubt lightened by daniels predictions of the ultimate triumph of israel over her enemies. An old testament book that tells of the apocalyptic visions and the experiences of daniel in the court of nebuchadnezzar. Information about book of daniel in the dictionary, synonyms and antonyms. It uses a unicode greek font and a and is printable. Daniel chapter 10 is an interesting unique chapter in the bible. One of the four great prophets, although he is not once spoken of in the old testament as a prophet.
Daniel the inner meaning of the book of daniel what does this story mean and how does it apply to my life. The prophetic book of daniel was written for our time. The book of daniel is no exception for it provides a wealth of information to those who would diligently consider it and its teachings. It is one of conflict and warfare but not exactly the type you are likely to see on the 6 oclock news. Book of daniel synonyms, book of daniel pronunciation, book of daniel translation, english dictionary definition of book of daniel.
While the book of daniel claims to be written roughly around 530 bc, critics of the ot claim that it was written in 167 bc, during the maccabean era. Cultivate purity of mind and body and you will open the way to the higher planes of thought, as did daniel. Daniel and his godfearing friends were forced to live in babylon, far from home and far from the land their lord had promised them. Daniel a nobleman like ezekiel, had been taken as a young man captive to babylon by nebuchadnezzar. Book of daniel an old testament book that tells of the apocalyptic visions and the experiences of daniel in the court of nebuchadnezzar book of. The message of the book of daniel is that, just as the god of israel. Whatever the trial was, though, it was always the result of sin. This series explains in simple terms the relationship between these two books of the bible. Book of daniel chapter 10 bible study commentary lifting. He was descended from one of the noble families of judah daniel 1.
Later in the book, daniel prophesied of terrible trials still to come in the promised land daniel 11. In more mundane language, it is an account of the activities and visions of daniel, a noble jew exiled at babylon, its message being that just as the god of israel saved daniel and his friends from their enemies, so. Daniel was gods mouthpiece to the gentile and jewish world, declaring gods current and. Early in the book of daniel the subject of the promised kingdom of god is introduced. The book, however, was written in a later time of national crisiswhen the jews were suffering severe persecution under antiochus iv epiphanes. It belongs to the ketuvim writings in the tanakh, but is grouped with the prophets in the greek versions and the christian canons the book is made up of six court tales and four apocalyptic visions set in the time of the babylonian captivity. Book of daniel bible study commentary chapter 10 daniel chapter 10. Daniel 12 brings us to the crowning revelation of the book of daniel, the doctrine on which the christian hope rests. Daniel 5 declares those prophecies are fulfilled in a spectacular manner. The book of daniel is followed by the prophet hosea, the first of the prophets in. Daniel bridges the entire 70 years of the babylonian captivity from 605 to 536 b. The book of the prophet daniel is the major apocalyptic book of the old testament and contains the prophecy of the son of man, a messianic figure fulfilled in jesus christ. Several verses indicate that the writer is daniel 8.
The angel had no more to say, and the volume might be sealed up. Nine of the 12 chapters relate revelation through dreams and visions. The babylonian kingdom takes the gold, whereas the medes, persians, and greeks need to content themselves with silver, bronze, and iron respectively. The biblical prophet and writer of book of daniel was a teenager when taken to babylon after the destruction of jerusalem. The result is a forcing of the word to fit into preconceived notions, and this in turn, unfortunately leads into misunderstanding. Porphyrius designates the book of daniel as the work of a jew of the 2nd century bc. The prophet daniel lived in the sixth century before the birth of jesus. Its supposed to be better than the empires that follow it, anyway.
Understanding the book of daniel free bible booklets. On a theological level, the book of daniel is clear god established babylon as an empire and has replaced babylon with persia. They claim that this book was written for the purpose of encouraging jews who were revolting against the tyranny of antiochus epiphanes iv, who was a. The book of daniel has been the object of unbelieving criticism for ages. These officials were among the eight classes of officials that king nebuchadnezzar 605562 bc appointed in babylon. Proper usage and audio pronunciation plus ipa phonetic transcription of the word book of daniel. The book of daniel records the actions, prophecies, and visions of the prophet daniel. A noble jewish youth of jerusalem, he is taken into captivity by nebuchadnezzar of babylon and serves the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the persian conqueror cyrus, all the while remaining true. The book of daniel has sometimes been classified with the prophetic books of the old testament, a mistake owing largely to a failure to distinguish between the predominant characteristics of prophetic and apocalyptic writings. The widely held view that the book of daniel is largely fictional rests mainly on the modern philosophical assumption that longrange predictive prophecy is impossible. Daniel, theology of definition and meaning bible dictionary. Daniel, theology of daniel is one of the most controversial books of. Jan 02, 2020 daniel served in the royal court of nebuchadnezzar and several rulers who followed nebuchadnezzar.
He ends up taking back the cream of the crop, the most elite and noble israelites, to serve at his court in babylon. Daniel belongs to the latter group, a type of writing that in many respects sharply contrasts prophetic literature. Almost everyone looks at the book of daniel with a. For later reader living under the greek or roman empires, this message provides hope for a coming kingdom of god to replace the kingdoms of man. Its prophecies of worldruling empires are closely related to revelation. In todays excerpt from the most recent edition in the story of god bible commentary series, author wendy l. Jun 01, 2006 at the time of frankls death in 1997, mans search for meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twentyfour languages. Information and translations of book of daniel in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Interesting facts about daniel barnes bible charts meaning.
Daniel, as many other authors of the antiquity and the bible, writes of himself in the third person throughout the first part of the book. When the book of daniel is examined for content and literary character, it falls naturally into two roughly equal parts which may be designated daniel a. The scripture says that god gave daniel knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. His life and prophecies are recorded in the book of daniel. While bible scholars debate issues like when it was written and whether it is historically accurate, the book of daniel consistently calls gods people of every generation to faithfulness.
Its prophecies speak with increased meaning to this generation. Daniel was gods mouthpiece to the gentile and jewish world, declaring gods current and future plans. Worldchanging inventions like penicillin, the atomic bomb, heart transplants, travel to the moon, and the internet have seemingly arrived almost together. Does the book of daniel have any significance for us today. Chapter 10 of the book of daniel forms an introduction to a prophetic vision, a vision which is further detailed in chapter 11 and finally concluded in daniel chapter 12. Daniels parents chose a hebrew name for their son meaning god is my judge, testifying of their faith in the one, true god. The book of daniel doesnt make it look that badwe mean, aside from all the getting thrown into furnaces and lions dens.
The first attacks go back to the heathen new platonist porphyrius of tyre 3rd century ac. The prophet daniel is one of four major prophets in hebrew scripture, along with isaiah, jeremiah, and ezekiel. Daniel 5 new international version niv the writing on the wall. Daniel 5 the writing on the wall king bible gateway. Daniel and his friends will suffer in these moments of royal presumption. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse combining a prophecy of history with an eschatology a portrayal of end times cosmic in scope and political in focus.
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