As we come to study this book we are again dealing with the captivity of
the Jews in Babylon.
OUTLINE OF DANIEL
I. HISTORICAL
1:1-21 DANIEL PLACED IN THE COURT OF BABYLON AND RAISED TO POWER.
He would have been educated in languages, history, geography, sciences
and, also, “the language of the Chaldeans” — a dead language known
only to the wise men.
> Note Daniel’s refusal to eat the food in the court of Babylon. His
> reasons would be:
- The food would be unclean according to the covenant laws of
- The animals would not be killed according to Levitical Law (Lev.
- The food had been first offered to idols and to eat of it would
2:1 – 4:9 NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM INTERPRETED.
Compare this dream with chapter 7:1-14. In these two visions Daniel sees
the unfolding purposes of God over the following centuries. The nations
will rise and fall, but God’s purpose shall be achieved.
Realize the hope these words give. The covenant people are in captivity.
All of God’s promises to them seem to have been forgotten through the
disobedience of the people. But Daniel announces that God’s purpose
will come to pass in spite of them. In order to make the heathen world
aware of His purposes, God gives a dream to a heathen king and has a
covenant Hebrew interpret it.
The visions of chapter 2 and chapter 7 fit together. Chapter 2 is a
panorama of world history as seen from a human point of view — as
precious metals. Chapter 7 shows us the same nations from God’s
viewpoint — as vicious beasts.
- The following comparison should be helpful:
- The head of Gold = the winged lion = Babylon
- The breast of silver = the bear = Medo-Persia
- Belly and thighs of brass = winged leopard = Greece
- The legs of iron and feet of clay = the monster = Rome
Each empire was swallowed up by its predecessor. Each conqueror absorbed
something of the conquered; and so by the time Rome ruled the world, it
had within it the elements of all the empires gone before.
In the days of the fourth empire there appears a kingdom that is quite
apart from all the other kingdoms. It comes from the outside. it is
“cut without hands” — i.e. the work of God, untouched by human
hands.
The kingdom is unconquerable and eternal, set over against the temporal
kingdoms of the world that were conquered and absorbed.
The Person of the stone is crowned in 7:13,14. These verses can only be
understood in the light of Genesis 49:10, and II Samuel 7. This One is
the long awaited covenant King.
3:1-30 THREE HEBREWS DELIVERED FROM THE FURNACE
4:1-37 NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM RELATING TO HIS INSANITY
5:1-30 FEAST OF BELSHAZZAR AND OVERTHROW OF BABYLON
5:31 – 6:28 DANIEL THROWN TO THE LIONS
II. PROPHETIC
7:1-28 THE FOUR BEASTS (SEE ABOVE DIAGRAM.)
8:1-27 THE RAM AND THE GOAT
These symbolic visions describe the following history of Persia and
Greece, a vital time in preparing the world for the birth of Jesus.
9:1-23 DANIEL’S PRAYER
Compare Jeremiah 25:11,12; 29-10.
This is one of the great prayers of Scripture. it is akin to the prayer
of the high priest made over the sin offering on the Day of Atonement.
Daniel is begging forgiveness now that the appointed time of judgment is
over.
The answer to his prayer was the prophecy of 9:24-27. Although they
would return and Jerusalem would be rebuilt at the end of the
seventy-year captivity, there was a further period described as seventy
units of seven (NASV margin) before the Messianic longing of Daniel’s
prayer would be answered. At the end of the seventy units of seven, all
contained in verse 24 would be fulfilled. It should be noted that this
is substantially what Jeremiah stated in the new covenant passage.
9:24-27 THE SEVENTY UNITS
There has been much discussion over the meaning of this cryptic
prophecy. The key to understanding it is to see the vents that are to
take place when the end has been reached.
These events are listed:
- To finish or restrain the transgression. The idea in the Hebrew is
- To make an end of sin. The word here indicates a taking away of sin,
- To make atonement for iniquity. The phrase can be better rendered
- To bring in everlasting righteousness. God would give His
- To seal up the vision and prophecy. All the prophecies would be
- Anointing the most holy. Christ is the most holy, and the anointing
- All of this was to be accomplished at the end of the seventy units
THE UNITS OF SEVEN:
It is generally agreed that a unit stands for a year (Ezekiel 4:5), so
making the end of the decree four hundred ninety years away from when
Daniel prayed.
The decree is divided into:
- Seven units of seven (forty-nine years)
- Sixty-two units of seven (four hundred thirty years)
- One unit of seven (seven years)
The decree was to begin with the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
(the decree of Cyprus) (Daniel 1:21; Ezra 1:1-4). The prophets confirm
this (Isaiah 44:28, 45:13).
Sixty-nine units of seven would pass until Messiah is revealed. In those
sixty-nine units, apart from Jerusalem being rebuilt in troublesome
times, nothing took place.
We place the revealing of the Messiah as the anointed One at His baptism
by John. Note carefully Luke 3:1, the detail concerning world rulers. A
new era is about to begin.
9:26 After His revelation the Messiah was to be cut off, an expression
indicating violent death and used to describe the death penalty. As a
result of His being cut off, the city and sanctuary would be destroyed.
(This was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70).
9:27 Informs us that the cutting off of the Messiah was in the middle of
the last unit of seven. If take a unit to be a year, it is saying that
He would be cut off three and one half years from when He was revealed,
which corresponds to the ministry of Jesus.
The expression “make a firm covenant” would be better translated
“confirm a firm covenant. The covenant that had waited since Abraham,
and lately described in detail by Jeremiah, would finally be confirmed,
ratified and fulfilled.
His being cut off would cause all sacrifice to cease. In the death of
Jesus, all Old Testament sacrifices found their fulfillment and had not
more usefulness. We are given no details regarding the last half of the
seven. It may be speculated that approximately three and one half years
after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Stephen was stoned and Saul
became a Christian. This was the beginning of the Gospel going to the
peoples of all nations.
The end of verse 27 is difficult to understand. When Christ made
sacrifice to cease, all that took place in the Temple became an
abomination for it was an act of defiance, refusing Him as the only
sacrifice. Because of that, desolation comes over the Temple, finalizing
its destruction in A.D. 70.
10:1 – 11:1 VISIT OF THE DIVINE MESSENGER
11:2 – 12:3 VARIOUS PROPHECIES.
12:4-13 CONCLUSION OF VISIONS.