Knowing a little about The Book of Daniel
The purpose of being a prophet was confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 24: 1.5. Daniel Means "God is my Judge." The firm consecration that he had towards Jehovah and his loyalty to the people of God fully confirms this truth in his life.
The author of the book is the prophet Daniel, the date on which it was written: At the end of the sixth century a. C. The main theme of the book: Kings, kingdoms, visions, dreams.
About the author Daniel was a young man when he was deported, he was in his adolescence in the middle of 605 a. C. This young man was confined to Babylon, where he was living more than sixty years. Apparently he belonged to a family of the upper class of Jerusalem. The deportation of the descendants of the nobility to Babylon was prophesied by Isaiah to Hezekiah (Is 39.7). At first Daniel was serving as an instructor at the court of Nebuchadnezzar, then he would become the adviser to foreign monarchs.
It is important to note that although the siege and subsequent transfer of the captives to Babylon lasted several years, at that time the strong, skilled, that is, courageous, and educated people were taken from Jerusalem from the first moments of the war ( 2 R24.14) the date that is generally accepted in the case of Daniel's captivity is 605 a. C. His prophecy covers his whole life completely.
Along with thousands of captives of Judah who were driven to Babylon between 605 a.C. and 582 a.C., the treasures of the palace and the temple of Solomon were transported. The Babylonians had subdued all the provinces controlled by Assyria and consolidated their empire within an area that covered much of the Middle East.
To govern such a diverse empire in such a vast territory required the concurrence of an efficient administrative bureaucracy. Slaves who were educated and possessed the required skills, would become the right hand of the government. All this because of their vision, knowledge and good looks, in that type four young people were chosen for the training program (1.4). Daniel's character was remarkable, Ananias, Mishael and Azariah secured positions in the king's palace; and it was then Daniel who excelled over all the wise men of that vast empire.
The purpose of the book of Daniel is to show that the God of Israel, the only powerful God, has in his hands the destiny of all nations.
Daniel has three main sections: The presentation of Daniel (Chapter 1); the episodes that prove the character of Daniel and the development of his gifts of prophetic interpretation (Chapter 2-7); and his series of visions on future events and kingdoms (Chapter 8-12). In this final section, Daniel appears as a key prophetic book to understand much of the bible. Many conceptions about the prophecies dedicated to the last times depend on how this book is interpreted. The comments of Jesus in his discourse on the Mount of Olives (Mt 24,25) And the revelations given to the apostle Paul coincide and harmonize with those of Daniel (See Ro 11; 2 Ts 2) In the same way, Daniel helps understand the book of Revelation.
Although the interpretations of Daniel, as the apocalypse ace, exhibit a great diversity, the dispensationalist interpretation has reached great popularity among many. It is an interpretative method that finds keys in the book of Daniel to decipher the mysteries of topics like the antichrist, the great tribulation, the second coming of Christ, the time of the Gentiles, resurrections and future judgments.
• In agreement with many interpreters, Daniel 9 contains a key prophecy. It is known as: "The seventy weeks of Daniel's years". Understanding what this means is crucial to the school of interpretation of the events of recent times. Unfortunately, although comprehensively, the interpretation of this section varies even among dedicated Christians.
• These notes should reflect the dispensationalist interpretation, often accepted. However, additional observations in some notes and at the end of this section, will be based on the classic or conservative concept, which will be indicated by the phrase: (Classical interpretation). Both points of view must be studied, and in this way draw out the substance that it contains regarding the advice that this interpretation of prophetic texts should not be taken for confrontations between Christians, although there are some differences.
• When Daniel asked God for the time when the Babylonian captivity was to last, God showed him the original prophecy of Jeremiah, which states that it would last seventy years, and that it would be followed by a period of "Seventy times seven" or 490 years (Jer 29). This great revelation even covers the history of Jerusalem and the Jews from the time when Artaxerxes decreed that they should rebuild the city of Jerusalem (Neh. 2.1-10), to the mountain of the great tribulation (Mt 24, 15-31).
• This period has been called "the time of the Gentiles", because their political authority would be the fundamental factor until the final destruction of all the enemies of Israel at the end of the great tribulation. Then all this would be completed with the battle of Armageddon and the second coming of the Messiah, who would destroy at that time all the armies that have negotiated to attack Jerusalem. See the support in Revelation 16.12-16.
• The "Seventy times seven" is divided into three phases: Seven weeks, seventy-two weeks, and one week. Each week represents seven years. The decree of Artajerjes was issued in 446-445 a. C. (Neh 2.1). The first two sections of weeks total 69 weeks or 483 years. This period ended in AD 32, when the life of the Messiah (9.26) was taken away, or when Jesus was crucified on Calvary.
• The abomination of desolation, prophesied by Daniel, and which would form an important part in the seventieth week, was clearly dated by Jesus Christ as part of the tribulation or the end of time (Mt 24.15). We can see that almost two thousand years have passed and the seventieth week has not arrived yet. We are still living in the parenthesis of time called "the time of the Gentiles", which precedes the "prophetic week" with which the story culminates.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, the notes to the book of Daniel are based on dispensationalist hermeneutical principles. In contrast to this method, many evangelicals give an interpretation to Daniel through these principles of classical hermeneutics. Classical interpreters start by recognizing that prophecies could have a degree or several levels of realization. See this note in: Daniel 9.26,27.
Even the classical method does not always require that a prophecy be fulfilled in a literal sense, especially when it is applied in a non-literal sense in the new testament. See the quotation in James to Amos 9. 11, 12, in Acts 15.16, 17.
The phrase "Classical Interpretation," in several places in the notes that follow, indicates the alternative views offered by this method in terms of the dispensationalist vision adopted by Dr. Phillips.
Christ appeared first as the "Fourth Man" along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, "in the midst of the fire" (3.25). The three had remained faithful to God, who now joins them there and frees them in such a way that "they did not even smell of fire" (3.27). Another reference to Christ that can be highlighted is that it is found in Daniel's night vision (7.13). There he describes "one as a son of man" who came "with the clouds of heaven," an allusion to the second coming of Christ.
A final vision of Jesus Christ is found in 10, 5,6 where the description of Jesus is almost identical to that of Revelation 1.13-16.
The holy spirit never announces its presence in Daniel, but his intervention is evident. The ability of Daniel and the other Hebrews to interpret dreams came from the power of the holy spirit. The prophetic predictions, applicable to both immediate and future circumstances, reveal the penetrating supernatural vision with which the holy spirit endowed Daniel greatly.
(Daniel 7: 1-12: 13)
Daniel, who is already over 70 years old, receives his first vision in a dream in 553. In it he observes four enormous beasts that symbolize a series of powers that have followed each other from that time until today. In another vision, he sees in heaven "someone like a son of man" who is given "governance of indefinite duration" (Daniel 7:13, 14). And two years later he has a vision related to Medo-Persia, Greece and who will become "a king of fierce countenance" (Daniel 8:23).
We reached the year 539. Babylon has already fallen, and Darius the Mede rules over the kingdom of the Chaldeans. Daniel is praying to Jehovah about the return of the Jews to his homeland, and before he finishes his prayer, Jehovah sends him to the angel Gabriel to help him "have insight with understanding" about the coming of the Messiah (Daniel 9: 20-25).
We are now somewhere between 536 and 535. A small group of Jews has already returned to Jerusalem, but they find enemies who oppose the rebuilding of the temple. This situation worries Daniel, who begins to pray fervently. Jehovah listens to him and sends him to an angel of high rank to strengthen and encourage him. The angel also gives him a prophecy about the struggle for supremacy between the king of the north and the king of the south. This conflict is prolonged since the reign of Alexander the Great was divided among his four generals until the "time [when] Michael will stand up," the Great Prince (Daniel 12: 1).
What interesting information and knowledge, a very deep and extensive subject, but it enriches a lot, since it allows us to see and understand the events and problems that are currently occurring in the world.
Six days ago he published a publication about Daniel and his three friends, a biblical story, but thanks to a recommendation of: @sc-v, where he suggests the need to talk about the story of: The Book of Daniel, with the goal to expand and clarify situations that are key to understanding other parts of the Bible. I would like to thank @sc-v for his recommendations and guidance on this subject, as they allowed me to understand many things and show them to you, my dear friends of Steemit, besides the suggestions are learnings.
The determination of Daniel and his companions to remain loyal to Jehovah speaks very well of the work done by their parents in educating them. When Christian parents put spiritual activities first in their lives and teach their children to do the same, it is very likely that they will resist the temptations or pressures that arise at school or elsewhere. Daniel's book It reflects a very powerful teaching about trust and obedience to God.
Hi @msmm1964, I'm @checky ! While checking the mentions made in this post I noticed that @darlenys doesn't exist on Steem. Did you mean to write @darlenys01 ?
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!help.Thank you very much @checky, for your support on the identification to whom I referred, I will adjust it.
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