An interesting historical fact is that the Jewish and Christian canons differ concerning the Book of Daniel. The Church included this book among the prophetic books, while the Synagogue does not regard it as such, assigning it to the third part of the Jewish canon, the Writings. Indeed, it belongs not so much to the genre of prophecy as to...
An interesting historical fact is that the Jewish and Christian canons differ concerning the Book of Daniel. The Church included this book among the prophetic books, while the Synagogue does not regard it as such, assigning it to the third part of the Jewish canon, the Writings. Indeed, it belongs not so much to the genre of prophecy as to that of apocalyptic texts. According to the generally accepted opinion of biblical scholars, it was written around the middle of the second century BC, during the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabean wars that followed in response. Accordingly, virtually all the events described in Daniel's visions belong not to the future but to the past, presenting not a prospect but a retrospect. The sole exception is the messianic prophecy in which the Messiah appears as the Son of Man, brought before the Ancient of Days seated on the throne; when Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man, He has precisely this image from the Book of Daniel in mind.
What, then, does this mean? The image of the Ancient of Days seated on the throne is entirely traditional, with roots going back to the pre-exilic period and to those visions of the Throne of glory of which Isaiah of Jerusalem's Temple vision was a remarkable example. Even then, visionaries perceived the One seated on the throne in the context of the revelation of the Kingdom given to the later prophets of the pre-exilic period. It was revealed to them not as a religious and political reality, as the early prophets had seen the Kingdom, but as a spiritual reality descending into the world from the throne of God. The Messiah was to become the centre of this Kingdom, its righteous Ruler and God's perfect Servant.
It is easy to see that the messianic vision of the Book of Daniel continues this tradition. Unlike the angels surrounding the Throne, the Messiah belongs to the human race, which is why He is called the Son of Man. He approaches, or rather is led by the angels, the spirits who serve at the Throne, to God seated on the throne and receives from Him authority over the world, bringing into it the Kingdom of which the pre-exilic prophets had already spoken. Then the former history, the history of earthly kingdoms that exist by the laws and rely on the power of the untransformed world, comes to an end, and the history of a new Kingdom begins, living by the breath and power of God and governed by the Messiah whom He sent into the world.
7 We come now to the prophetical part of Daniel, in which are many things hard to be understood. In this chapter we have, The vision of the four beasts, Dan 7:1-8.
The vision of God's throne of government and judgment, Dan 7:9-14.
The interpretation of those visions, Dan 7:15-28.
7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar - This prophecy is written in Chaldee, to be a monument to him, of the reverence his father and grandfather shewed towards God, who had done such mighty works for them.Then he wrote - These visions were recorded for the benefit of the church, to rectify their mistake: for they thought all things would succeed prosperously after they returned out of their captivity.
7:2 The four winds - Probably by the four winds of the great sea is signified commotions of contrary nations, striving together by wars, and producing these four beasts successively.
7:3 Four great beasts - That is, four great monarchies, great, in comparison of particular kingdoms; beasts for their tyrannical oppressions.
7:4 The first - This was the Chaldean, or Assyrian; whose seat was first at Babylon, afterwards at Nineveh, and then at Babylon again. Eagle's wings - They were swift, over - running many countries, and brought their monarchy to a prodigious height in a short time.The wings were plucked - Which was first done in stopping the career of their victories, and afterwards in casting them out of their kingdom.A man's heart - They lost their lion - like courage, and became faint and cowardly like other men.
7:5 Another beast - The Mede's and Persians, a fierce, ravenous creature. On one side - The north side; for the Mede first arose and sent to Cyrus the Persian to come and assist him against the Assyrian. Three ribs - Several of the Babylonian subjects revolted, and all these made the three ribs.
7:6 Like a leopard - This leopard was the Grecian monarchy; a leopard is less than a lion, so was this monarchy at first, but yet durst fight with a lion; so did Alexander encounter Darius with an inferior force. A leopard also for his swiftness; therefore described with four wings on his back. Four heads - He was succeeded by four of his chief commanders, who divided that empire into four parts.
7:7 A fourth beast - The Roman empire.
7:8 Another little horn - Probably either the Turk or the Romish antichrist.
7:9 The thrones - The kingdoms of this world were destroyed by God the king, and judge of all, called the Ancient of days, because of his eternal deity.
7:11 Destroyed - This cannot but be meant of the ruin and judgment of antichrist.
7:13 A son of man - That is, the Messiah, he came with the clouds of heaven, gloriously, swiftly and terribly. And came - This relates to his ascension, at which time, he received his royal investiture, for the protection of his church, and curbing of their enemies.