Introduction Journey through Daniel

Introduction to Daniel THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF DANIEL The book of Daniel is set in the context of the Babylonian and Persian Empires where Daniel lived as an exile from the nation of Judah. He had been taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II in 605 BC and resided there until at least 537 BC, after the Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great overtook the Babylonians. THE HISTORICAL SITUATION OF THE READERS OF DANIEL While the setting described in Daniel is quite clear, the date of the composition of this book is hotly debated. There are two main perspectives concerning when Daniel was written. The first and traditional perspective understands the book to have been written in the 6th century BC by Daniel himself while he was living in exile. The second and more recent perspective understands the book to have been written (or at least finished) sometime around 164 BC while the people of Judea were living under the tyrannical rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This debate is complex and considers all sorts of factors like language, vocabulary, literary style, and history. A good study Bible or commentary is a useful resource for those who want to learn more on how to navigate the contours of the arguments (see Selected Resources at the end of this introduction or the bibliography at the end of the book). What all sides agree on is that Daniel’s original readers were people who suffered under oppressive regimes, whether it was 6th century BC captives in Babylon or 2nd century BC Judeans who were persecuted by a foreign king. Appreciating this context of suffering is critical for recovering the relevance of Daniel today. MODERN RELEVANCE OF DANIEL It can be easy for us as Christians living in 21st century America to identify with Daniel. There are many ways in which we should aim to be like this inspiring person. His loyalty to God in all circumstances, his persistence in prayer, his integrity, and his wisdom are all virtues we would do well to emulate. But we must not fail to see that the socio-political situation many of us are in more closely parallels that of Nebuchadnezzar than that of Daniel and his friends. With all of our power, privileges, security, and abundance, we can easily misappropriate the message of Daniel and make it into a promise for us, when it may in fact contain a prophetic critique. The message of Daniel is a promise of hope for those who are hurting at the hands of leaders who misuse their power; God sees their pain and will vindicate them in the end. But it’s also a challenge for those with influence over others – a challenge to look at the world through God’s eyes so that they can truly discern if they are leading like image-bearers or behaving like beasts. GENRES The book of Daniel contains two primary genres. The first six chapters of the book are written in the familiar narrative style. Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 are narratives of court contest. In these stories, Daniel and his friends find themselves competing with Babylonian scholars for positions of authority in the empire. The success of the Judahites through God’s favor demonstrates the supremacy of God over the deities of Babylon. Chapters 3 and 6, each following a pair of stories where Judahites have been promoted, contain what are called narratives of court conflict. In these stories, Daniel and his friends find themselves accused by their jealous Babylonian and Persian contemporaries. These stories also magnify God’s power through miraculous acts of rescue. The final six chapters of the book are written in a more esoteric and cryptic genre called apocalypse. This type of literature can be very confusing, even for the most trained readers of Scripture. Many would prefer to skip this part of the book, but to ignore these chapters would be to ignore some of the most important passages in all of Scripture for understanding who Jesus is and what He did. There’s so much to be gained by entering into the apocalyptic world, and with an understanding of a few key ways of approaching these texts, they can become even more accessible. First, the word “apocalypse” does not mean “the end of the world” despite what English dictionaries or Hollywood directors lead you to believe. It’s all too common for people to read this part of Daniel and assume that it contains predictions about what is unfolding in the geo-political world today. We should not make this assumption per se. It certainly challenges our geo-political world to get in line with the ways of God’s kingdom. But the word “apocalypse” simply means “to unveil.” An apocalypse is essentially an unveiling of an alternative perspective of reality so that we might come to see the world the way God sees it. Second, apocalyptic literature uses a lot of images. We should not interpret these images too literalistically. We should think of them as symbols that conveyed something significant to the original readers of Daniel in the same way that a flag or mascot might convey something significant to us today. Again, this is why it’s important to enter into the world of the Bible and understand the Bible the way it was meant to be understood. Finally, apocalyptic literature may seem especially violent and destructive to us, but we have to remember that apocalypses like what we read in Daniel were generally written for people experiencing oppression in the midst of militaristic empires. When there seems to be no end in sight to the pain that oppressive structures bring upon innocent people, visions about empires crashing give reason for hope. They are a reminder that God is in control, that He sees the pain of His people, and that justice will prevail in the end. STRUCTURE The book of Daniel has been organized through an interesting matrix of genres and languages and can be divided into two halves according to genre. Chapters 1-6 are written in narrative, and chapters 7-12 are written in apocalyptic. However, the book of Daniel can also be divided according to the language in which it was written. Chapters 1 and 8-12 are written in Hebrew, and chapters 2-7 are written in Aramaic. Curiously, these genre and language divisions do not match as one might expect. Additionally, the Aramaic section of Daniel has its own special structure. It’s been written as a chiasm, where stories in the first half of the section mirror stories in the second half of the section as follows: Daniel 2 – A dream about four kingdoms and the kingdom of God Daniel 3 – A story about faithfulness in the face of a fiery furnace Daniel 4 – A story about the humbling of a proud Babylonian king Daniel 5 – A story about the humbling of a proud Babylonian king Daniel 6 – A story about faithfulness in the face of a lion’s den Daniel 7 – A vision about four kingdoms and the kingdom of God This chiastic structure shows that the Aramaic section of the book is a well-contained unit and that the apocalyptic vision in chapter 7 cannot be easily separated from the mix. Chapter 7 may be related by genre to what follows it, but it is related by language and chiasm to what precedes it. The effect of this matrix structure then is to highlight the central significance of chapter 7 for the book and to bind the various parts of the book together. That is to say the book of Daniel is incomplete if any section, especially chapter 7, is ignored. THEMES IN DANIEL Power of God From beginning to end, the book of Daniel emphasizes that when circumstances seem otherwise terrible – when emperors capture people, when conspirators scheme against people, when tyrants persecute people – even then, power belongs to God. He may share His power with others, but if they abuse it, He can also take it away. Allegiance to God Empires and emperors may test their subjects to see where their people’s allegiance lies. And when they do, how will God’s people live? Will they remain loyal to God even if it means losing their lives? The stories, visions, and dreams of Daniel emphasize that God deserves our allegiance no matter the cost. After all, the kingdoms of this world are fragile and fleeting, but the kingdom of God remains forever. Perspective from God Reality is multifaceted and prone to subjective interpretation, especially for those with calloused hearts. It’s clear that wisdom is needed to navigate the complexities of life, but the wisdom of man is not enough. The apocalyptic dreams and visions in Daniel reveal an alternative, God-inspired perspective on reality. God wants people to see that the empires we live in and work for may not be as just or indestructible as we think they are. Hope because of God At its core, the book of Daniel is a message of hope. It’s a message of hope for change, hope for justice, and hope that the oppressive structures of man won’t always hold down those who are hurting. But this hope isn’t a vain wish or prayer. It’s a promise that is secured by the power of God. Because God is just and in control, we can have confidence that He will vindicate His suffering people in the end. SELECTED RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY The Willow Journey Podcast – search for Willow Journey anywhere you get podcasts Daniel and the Twelve Prophets for Everyone by John Goldingay Hearing the Message of Daniel: Sustaining Faith in Today’s World by Christopher J. H. Wright How to Read Daniel by Tremper Longman III The Story of God Bible Commentary: Daniel by Wendy L. Widder Volume 4 of the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, edited by John H. Walton