Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

The book now leaves behind chronological accounting and deals with the prophetic. Daniel chapters seven and eight, for example, occurred during the seventeen year reign of Belshazzar. Chronologically, they would go between chapters four and five. But since the rest of Daniel is themed together, all the visions and prophecies are placed AFTER the historical narrative. The first seven chapters of Daniel are written in Chaldean – the language of Babylon. Something about Babylon is in all of them. But the rest of the book (8-12) is written in Hebrew and has nothing that directly touches on Babylon.

Chapter seven is the Vision of the Four Beasts and the Reign of the Ancient of Days. The beasts represented the four great kingdoms (previously described to Nebuchadnezzar – Daniel 2:31-45): Babylon, Media/Persia, Greece, and Rome. After these kingdoms, another would come and it would last forever (Revelation 11:15). It would be the Messianic Kingdom of Jesus, who is the Ancient of Days. First Daniel was shown the vision in a dream, and then an angel standing nearby interpreted it to him. When he woke, he didn’t tell anyone what he saw or was told.

Chapter eight is the Vision of the Ram and the Goat. In the vision, Daniel is transported to Shushan in Persia (he lived in Babylon), beside the river of Ulai. Shushan was where Nehemiah, Esther, and Mordecai lived and worked. A two-horned ram came up out of the river (Medes and Persians). And then a single-horned goat suddenly appeared (Greece under Alexander the Great). The goat defeated the ram, got huge, then the horn broke and was replaced by four little horns (This splitting into four is what happened to the kingdom when Alexander died.). Then a small horn grew up and dominated the Promised Land (Antiochus Epiphanes), standing against proper worship of God and being a negative influence. Daniel saw this, and then Gabriel (first by-name appearance in scripture) interpreted it for him. Daniel was grieved by the vision, which included the oppression of his people, and was sick for days before he could go about his business.

Chapter nine is Daniel’s prayer for himself and his people, and the answer that he got. Daniel confessed his sin and the sins of the people. He presented to God his supplication to understand these visions. He asked for forgiveness and understanding. As he was praying, Gabriel appeared to him. The moment Daniel began praying, Gabriel had been dispatched to minister to Daniel. He was there to give understanding and wisdom. His message: you are greatly loved by God, so think about the vision and understand it. The understanding was a direct timeline leading from the captivity of the Israelite nations to the return of the Israelites to the Land to the coming of Messiah Jesus, His death, and possibly (scholars are divided) the start of the tribulations of Revelation.

Summary

Key Players: God, Daniel, Gabriel.

Key Verse(s): Daniel 7:1-4, 9-12; 8:19-25; 9:20-23