Daniel
The "Cliff Notes" Version

Introduction

In the full study of Daniel, great amounts of time have been spent on various competing viewpoints and on exploration of translation issues. While that sort of detail is required to develop a full understanding of the prophecies, many people do not wish to become engaged in that degree of minutia. For that reason, we present a "Cliff Notes" version of the study. If at any point the reader wishes to see the full detail, hyperlinks are included to the pertinent parts of the full study.

In this overview, we will only cover the high points. All of the debate will be left behind, so if the reader wishes to explore any contentious points, he must read the full study. However, the reader may rest well assured that nothing presented here is without solid support. Without further ado, let's look at God's marvelous picture of victory as presented to Daniel in the sixth century BC.

First Principles

In this review, we will be looking at the message which God placed into the prophecies He gave to Daniel. We will be doing exegesis, that is, discovering the content of the Word. In the full study, we included evidence from every part of the Word, not just what Daniel wrote, since the scriptures make up a unified whole. This brief overview cannot include that degree of detail. We have taken care to avoid putting anything into the Word which was not included in it originally. That is eisegesis, and is to be condemned.

Many of Daniel's prophecies include time spans which must be understood as symbolic. These have to be translated into real time using the year-for-a-day principle. This will allow us to identify the prophetic signposts which show us the course of the great controversy between God and Satan.

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

In chapter two, the story is told of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. King Nebuchadnezzar was unable to remember the dream, and his astrologers were unable to help him. The king ordered that they all be executed. Daniel saved them when God showed him the dream and its interpretation. Daniel was able to use his to bring the power of God to Nebuchadnezzar's attention.

The dream was of a large statue. Its head was made of gold, and represented Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom: Babylon. The breast and arms were of silver. They represented a "lesser kingdom" which was to succeed Babylon: MedoPersia. The belly and thighs were made of bronze, representing Greece.

The rest of the statue was given a bit more attention. The legs were made of iron. This represented Rome, the last major kingdom in world history. As our gaze is directed to the feet and toes, we see that they are a mixture of "iron and miry clay". This showed that the Roman empire would break up into pieces and would never be put back together.

The final part of the dream showed a stone "which was cut out without hands" striking the statue. It broke the statue up into dust and it was blown away so that no part of it could be found. The stone grew into a mountain which filled the whole earth. The stone was the kingdom of God, which would sweep away every trace of earthly glory. It would last forever.

This vision is the outline. All of the rest of Daniel's visions would fit into this same framework. Each one would bring further parts of the future history of the great controversy into sharper focus.

The Four Beasts

In chapter seven, Daniel sees four beasts coming up out of the sea. An angel tells him that they represent four kingdoms, and they turn out to be the same four kingdoms introduced in the statue. Babylon is represented by a winged lion. The wings show speed, and the lion ferocity, symbolizing the conquests by Babylon. The lion morphs into a man, showing how the kingdom became complacent, setting the stage for MedoPersia.

MedoPersia is represented by a bear that was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth. This showed the more plodding conquests of MedoPersia and the three major areas of conquest: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt. The fact that it was raised up on one side showed that the two parts of the confederation, Media and Persia, were unequal partners. Persia rapidly became dominant, and the Medes largely disappeared.

The MedoPersian bear was followed by the four-winged leopard of Greece. Greece conquered the known world with a speed that amazes even modern students. This leopard had four heads as well, symbolizing the fact that after Alexander the Great's death, Greece split up into four major parts.

Now the vision shifted to a "terrible beast" with iron teeth that "broke and crushed". Rome conquered with a brutality which was unmatched in history. But Rome fell apart. On the head of the Roman beast were ten horns, a symbolic number illustrating that there were many kingdoms resulting from the fall of Rome. Among them grew up a "little horn" which was different in appearance from all of the other horns. The horn had a "mouth like a man" and spoke "great boasts". This is the entrance of the Papacy (the Roman Catholic Church).

Ordinary kingdoms have temporal territory, subjects, and armies. The Papacy has spiritual territory, subjects, and armies. It speaks out great blasphemies, claiming the right even to change divine law. The Roman Catholic Church grew slowly over centuries. In 508 it finally became a temporal authority when King Clovis of France began a direct allegiance with it.

Three horns were "plucked up by the roots" in the presence of the Papacy. That is, the Papacy did not personally overthrow those kingdoms, but they were overthrown while it looked on. The three victims were the Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Heruli. Immediately after the last one was kicked out of Rome by Belisarius, 1,260 years of Papal supremacy began with the implementation of the Edict of Justinian in March of 538. The Papacy "waged war and overpowered" the saints until Napoleon's General Berthier took the Pope captive in February of 1798. Over 100 million "heretics" were killed in the Inquisition. Everything happened exactly as predicted.

The final events of history were then shown when Jesus came to the Father and received the kingdom. The little horn and its blasphemous boasts will be thrown into the fire and destroyed. The kingdom is then given to the saints who will reign with Jesus forever.

The Ram, Goat and Little Horn

In Chapter 8, Daniel is given a slightly different view of the future. This time Gabriel will fill him in on a number of details, but Daniel will be unable to absorb them. His next vision will allow him to complete the picture.

But now, Daniel is given a vision using images of the sanctuary and sacrifice. The first creature is a ram, which butts in several directions and has his way. This is MedoPersia. (Babylon is omitted, since it would be overthrown about a year after the vision.) Once again, we get the image of conquest. Also, the ram is pictured with one long and one short horn, with the longer one coming up last. The Medes were the first kings in the confederation, but shortly were supplanted by the Persians, who were much more notable. Of interest is the fact that Gabriel tells Daniel that the ram is MedoPersia.

The Persian ram is then "shattered" and "trampled" by a goat from the west. The Greek goat (again explicitly identified) moves without touching the ground, again referring to Alexander the Great's prowess in moving armies. Then Gabriel draws attention to the fact that the goat has a single "notable" horn, which is its first king, Alexander. Alexander the Great is to die "as soon as he was mighty", which describes his death at age 32 very well. Out of the roots of the horn come up four horns, the four kingdoms into which Alexander's kingdom splintered. Those kingdoms ruled, "but not with his power".

All of the scenery so far has temple overtones. The ram and goat were sacrificial animals. The altar of sacrifice had four horns. So when the next scene comes, we see a cruel distortion of the holy services of the temple.

The next player is a little horn which arises from the four winds of the heavens. There is no little horn anywhere in the temple services. So this character is an interloper. It's arrival is noted to be at about the time the transgression of the Jews has reached its peak. So we can readily expect that it will pervert the divine ordinances. And, indeed, this is what we see.

The little horn is Rome. It is first pictured in its pagan activities, then in its Papal blasphemies. It is the Papacy which is again of prime interest. It will "throw down the foundation of the sanctuary", Christ's intercessory ministry, by substituting a false intercession in the form of the confessional. This is enhanced by the naming of saints and the declaration that they intercede for us. Finally, the declaration that we must pray to Mary in order to obtain God's grace completely removed Christ from the reach of the common man. Daniel understands the vision, but when he is told that the evil perversion of the temple services will end in 2,300 "evenings/mornings", he "was sick for days", and needed someone to explain it. He could take solace in the fact that the little horn would be "broken without human hand", implying that God would impose a final measure of judgment.

We now know that the 2,300 "evenings/mornings" are 2,300 years, and the time began in the fall of 457BC. Daniel could not understand this, because he had not yet received the information we will see in chapter nine. Because the key to the evil of the little horn was the false ministry of the confessional, the restoration of the true ministry of Jesus our intercessor fulfills the 2,300 years. But that truth was never actually lost, it was simply hidden. So the fulfillment was the bringing back of our understanding of Jesus' sanctuary ministry. This happened in 1844 with the Millerite Adventist message.

The Seventy Weeks

Now we see the revelations beginning to focus on specific portions of the grand outline that has been visited three times. Gabriel had been preparing to fill in details for Daniel in chapter eight. But, because Daniel was unable to handle the information, the specifics relating to the outline in chapter eight had to wait.

In chapter nine, Gabriel informs Daniel that "seventy weeks", or 490 years of probationary time have been cut off from the 2,300 years for "your people and your holy city". In this time they are to bring themselves into a proper relationship with God. They were to repent and to atone for their sins.

The seventy weeks would begin with a decree "to restore and to build up" Jerusalem. This decree was given in the fall of 457BC by Artaxerxes I. It allowed the people of Jerusalem to return and to re-establish (restore) their autonomy under the laws of God. This was completed with all of the local governance and taxing powers required for true autonomy.

69 weeks were to pass until "Messiah, the Prince". Exactly 483 years (7 times 69) years later, in the fall of 27AD, Jesus was made manifest at His baptism. For the remaining seven years, Jesus strengthened God's covenant with Israel. He preached to the Jews. His disciples were to focus on the Jews. Then, halfway through the week, exactly as predicted, Jesus was "cut off, but not for Himself". This judicial execution on the cross for our sins matches every specification laid out in verses 26 and 27. It occurred in the spring of 31AD, exactly 3 1/2 years, or one half week along.

For the final 3 1/2 years, the Apostles preached to the Jews, attempting to get them to repent and come to God. But the Jews continued in their rebellion, and when the seventy weeks ended in 34AD, the Jews failed in their probation. The gospel went to the Gentiles, and the church became "Israel". The final act of the week was the stoning of Stephen. The "transgression was full".

The only item left was the destruction of Jerusalem, which would occur "after" this. In 70AD, armies of Titus destroyed the city in an "overflowing" force of arms, with massive loss of life.

Howard Cosell Announces Prophecy

In chapter 11, Daniel is given a detailed, virtually blow by blow description of geopolitical events that would happen in and around Palestine. There is far too much to outline. But we can note a few of the high points.

First, the specific number and character of the notable Persian kings is described. Then, Greece conquers, and breaks up into four areas, two of which border on Palestine. A long running rivalry between the Seleucids (the King of the North) and the Ptolemies (the King of the South) led to a great number of forces sweeping through Palestine. A bit later we see the Romans appear. Specific references are made which allow us to identify Augustus (the decree that all the world should be taxes), Julius (veni, vedi, vici), Tiberius (who was Caesar when Jesus was crucified), and others. Specific reference is made to Christ's death.

Later, the scene shifts to the crusades. Eventually, we revisit the Papacy and all its evil deeds. Finally, we are given a view of the final battle which will sweep through Palestine. At that time we move into chapter 12 and Michael stands up. All the saints are protected from harm. The Messiah returns and the first resurrection takes place. All the saints who have died are raised, as well as those who participated in the crucifixion. Those evil persons will see the error of their ways before their final punishment.

Daniel has a final conversation with Gabriel, and a few questions are answered. The actual time of the geopolitical Papacy will be 1290 years, since it starts to be a territorial power with its alliance with King Clovis of France in 508. A blessing is pronounced after 1335 days. We know this to be the understanding of prophecy which came in 1843 with the Millerite Adventists. But Daniel will not participate in this. He is to "rest", and his reward will come at the end of time.

Comments

It is not possible to argue any points in an essay this short. All I can do is point out the skeleton of Daniel's prophecies. The reader will have to read a full study to put flesh on these bones. But I can make a couple of general comments.

The Historical-Critical School of interpretation denies the inspired nature of Daniel's revelation. That alone should disqualify their interpretations from consideration. The considerable precision of the prophecies buttresses this conclusion.

The Preterist School of interpretation believes that all prophecy was fulfilled about 70AD, and that the second coming is past. The much longer sweep of Daniel's prophecies negate this conclusion.

The Dispensationalist/Futurist School of interpretation doesn't understand Daniel 9. They screw up the starting point of the 70 weeks and end the 69 weeks, not at Jesus baptism, but at his crucifixion. (They have to do funny math to even make that work!) Because they haven't got anything that matches the seventieth week after the crucifixion, they shove it into the far future and come up with fanciful explanations of reconstituted Roman Empires, peace treaties with the Jews, 3 1/2 years of tribulation, and so on.

God gave us remarkably precise prophetic signposts. All we have to do is to study carefully and the power of God will be seen in His control of history.

Praise the Lord!