Hierarchical Précis
Major Prophets
Daniel
[Chapters 1, 2, 7-12]
Daniel’s name means “God is my judge”.
Like
Ezekiel
before
him,
Daniel
was
a
captive
in
Babylon.
Little
is
known
of
Daniel's
background
other
than
he
was
of
royal
birth
and
above
average
physically
and
mentally,
which
is
the
reason
he
and
his
friends
were
brought
before
the
King
Nebuchadnezzar
and
trained
in
the
Chaldean
language
and
sciences.
Like
Joseph,
he
was
promoted
to
the
highest
position
in
the
realm,
all
the
time
maintaining his spiritual life despite the heathen, and often hostile, environment.
Daniel’s
prophecies
were
written
during
the
Exile,
beginning
in
605
B.C.
when
Babylon
conquered
Jerusalem,
probably
being
completed around 530 B.C., shortly after the capture of Babylon by Cyrus in 539.
Although
classed
as
a
major
prophet
in
the
Bible,
a
good
proportion
of
this
book
contains
historic
narrative,
giving
us
the
only
account
in
the
Bible
covering
the
time
in
exile
as
well
as,
albeit
by
prophecy,
some
of
the
inter-testament
period.
These
were
covered
in
the Old Testament history section. Here we will just focus on Daniel’s prophecies.
Daniel’s training in Babylon
[Dan 1]
Daniel
was
amongst
those
taken
captive
when
Nebuchadnezzar
besieged
Jerusalem.
Along
with
three
of
his
companions,
Daniel
was
trained
for
service
to
the
king.
They
grew
in
wisdom
and
understanding
to
such
an
extent
that
the
king
judged
them
to
be
ten
times
better in all matters of wisdom and understanding than all the magicians and astrologers in his realm.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
[Dan 2]
Some
three
years
after
Daniel
and
his
companions
had
been
taken
into
captivity,
and
their
training
had
been
completed,
Nebuchadnezzar
has
a
dream
that
troubles
him,
yet
he
appears
to
forget
its
content.
He
calls
on
his
wise
men
to
tell
him
what
the
dream
was
and
then
to
interpret
it,
threatening
death
if
they
do
not,
but
great
rewards
if
they
do.
They
naturally
say
the
demand
is
unreasonable,
which
angers
the
king
and
he
orders
their
execution.
As
they
are
numbered
amongst
the
wise,
this
puts
Daniel
and
his
companions
in
danger,
so
Daniel
approaches
the
king
to
ask
to
be
given
time
to
divulge
and
interpret
the
dream.
Following
prayer,
Daniel
is
shown
the
dream
in
the
night
and
is
able
to
relate
it
to
the
king
the
next
day.
It
was
a
dream
of
an
image
with
a
head
of
fine
gold,
breast
and
arms
of
silver,
belly
and
thighs
of
brass,
legs
of
iron
and
feet
of
part
iron
and
part
clay.
Then
a
great
stone
smashed
the
image
and
filled
the
whole
earth.
Daniel
gives
its
interpretation,
which
concerns
successive
kingdoms,
or
empires,
represented
in
order
from
the
head
to
the
feet.
The
first,
the
head
of
fine
gold,
is
Nebuchadnezzar’s.
This
is
followed
by
four
others,
the
fourth
of
which,
represented
by
the
feet,
will
be
a
divided
kingdom,
although
strong
in
part
(the
iron).
The
stone
that
destroys
the
image
is
God’s
everlasting
kingdom.
Daniel
rightly
gives
credit
to
God
for
the
interpretation.
Nebuchadnezzar
rewards
him
with
gifts
and
promotes
him
to
rule
over
the
whole
province
of
Babylon,
and
chief
of
the
governors
over
all
the
wise
men
of
Babylon.
At
Daniel’s
request, his three companions are made his deputies.
‘Four beasts’ and ‘the ram and he-goat.’
[Dan 7-8]
Belshazzar
has
succeeded
Nebuchadnezzar
as
king
of
Babylon.
It
is
during
the
first
year
of
Belshazzar’s
reign
that
Daniel
has
a
vision
of
four
beasts.
The
first
is
like
a
lion
with
eagle’s
wings,
the
second
like
a
bear,
the
third
like
a
leopard
with
four
wings
and
four
heads,
and
the
fourth,
so
terrible
that
Daniel
is
unable
to
give
a
name
to
it,
has
iron
teeth
and
ten
horns.
An
account
is
given
of
the
vision,
which
represents
four
empires
succeeding
one
another,
followed
by
the
annihilation
of
the
dominion
of
the
fourth
beast,
which
is
then
replaced
by
the
kingdom
of
God.
Daniel
is
greatly
troubled
by
his
vision
and
its
interpretation,
which
he
keeps
to
himself
until
his
book
is written.
Two
years
later
Daniel
has
another
vision,
this
time
concerning
a
ram
and
a
goat.
First,
the
ram
appears
with
two
horns
having
much
power,
but
is
struck
down
by
the
goat,
which
initially
has
one
horn,
but
the
one
horn
is
then
replaced
by
four.
These
four
are
then
replaced
by
a
single
horn
that
has
great
power
and
prevails
against
many
countries
and
stands
up
against
the
prince
of
host
(a
reference
to
God),
with
the
sanctuary
eventually
being
defiled
and
remaining
in
this
condition
for
2,300
days.
The
angel
Gabriel
is
sent
to Daniel to give him an understanding of this vision and awakes him from a sleep to interpret it.
The
ram
with
its
two
horns
signifies
the
kings
of
Media
and
Persia,
the
goat
the
king
of
Greece,
and
the
great
horn
Alexander
the
Great.
The
four
horns
are
four
kingdoms
that
rise
up
out
of
the
Grecian
empire
on
the
death
of
Alexander,
and
the
little
horn
is
Antiochus
Epiphanes,
a
fierce
king
who
is
described
by
his
craft,
cunning,
power
and
might,
and
by
the
destruction
he
will
inflict.
He
is
a type of the antichrist who will eventually be crushed by God.
Daniel
is
assured
the
2,300
days
are
true
and
he
is
instructed
not
to
repeat
the
vision
to
any
person
other
than
his
own
people,
because
of
the
length
of
time
before
its
manifestation.
The
vision
and
its
interpretation
so
affect
Daniel
that
he
is
ill
for
a
few
days.
When he recovers and relates the vision to some of his own people, none can understand it.
Daniel’s vision of the seventy weeks
[Dan 9]
Many
years
later
Babylon
is
invaded
by
Darius
the
Mede.
During
the
first
year
of
Darius’
reign,
Daniel
reads
Jeremiah
(25:12
and
29:10)
and
realises
the
seventy
years
of
Israel’s
exile
are
nearly
complete
and
prays
concerning
it.
During
his
lengthy
prayer,
the
angel
Gabriel
comes
and
gives
Daniel
a
prophecy
involving
seventy
weeks,
which
are
seventy
weeks
of
360-day
years
representing
Israel’s
destiny. Verse 24 gives the scope of the prophecy, seventy weeks.
Verse
25
gives
the
first
sixty-nine
weeks
and
is
the
period
between
Artaxerxes’
decree
to
rebuild
Jerusalem
in
445
B.C.
[Neh
2:5–8]
and Jesus’ triumphal entry in Jerusalem in 32 A.D.
[Matt 21:1–9]
.
Verse
26
speaks
of
a
period
of
unknown
length
between
the
sixty-ninth
and
seventieth
weeks
during
which
the
Messiah
is
executed,
Jerusalem is destroyed and the Diaspora follows. (Today’s times are in this gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week.)
Verse
27
speaks
of
the
seventieth
week
during
which
there
will
be
a
covenant
enforced,
but
it
will
be
interrupted
halfway
through
when
sacrifices
and
oblations
will
cease
and
an
abomination
will
desolate
the
Holy
Place
[Matt
24:15]
.
Then
the
great
tribulation
will
begin
[Matt 24:21],
which precedes the Messiah’s second coming at the end of the seventieth week.
The ‘silent’ years
[Dan 10-11:35]
Daniel
has
a
vision
of
a
man
told
to
us
in
chapter
10.
It
is
the
third
year
of
Cyrus,
king
of
Persia,
and
Daniel
has
been
fasting
for
three
weeks.
The
man
has
come
to
give
Daniel
a
revelation
recorded
in
the
next
chapter,
but
first
tells
of
the
spiritual
battle
between
those
protecting God’s people and those determined to destroy them.
The
revelation
foretells
history
during
the
inter-testament
period
and
tells
of
the
struggle
for
power
between
the
kings
north
and
south
of
Judea,
with
Judea
stuck
in
the
middle.
(A
full
account
is
given
in
the
section
‘The
“Silent”
Years’).
The
purpose
of
this
prophecy
is
the
climax
in
11:31
when
armed
forces
will
rise
up
to
desecrate
the
temple
fortress
and
will
abolish
the
daily
sacrifice.
They
will
then
set up the abomination that causes desolation.
The ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is a pivotal event in eschatology, the end times, and is referred to by Jesus
[Matt 24:15]
.
The end times
[Dan 11:36-12:13]
The
previous
verses
in
chapter
11
deal
with
prophecy
that
is
already
history.
From
verse
36,
although
still
referring
to
Antiochus
Epiphanes,
the
prophecy
leaps
forwards
to
the
‘end
times’
and
the
coming
antichrist.
He
will
exalt
himself
above
all,
including
God,
and
will
prosper
until
the
indignation
(the
great
tribulation).
He
will
have
no
regard
for
anything,
whether
it
be
of
God
or
not.
A
new
god
will
be honoured with those supporting him receiving their reward, including land.
At
the
time
of
the
end,
the
antichrist
will
come
under
attack
from
the
‘king
of
the
south’
and
then
the
‘king
of
the
north’.
The
king
of
the
north
continues
south
through
Israel
defeating
all
in
his
path
with
only
Edom,
Moab
and
Ammon
(modern-day
Jordan)
not
being
taken. However, when he heads back northwards into Israel, he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
There
is
now
a
time
of
great
trouble,
such
as
has
never
been
seen
before,
from
which
only
the
people
whose
name
is
found
written
in the ‘book of life’ will be saved.
There
will
be
a
resurrection
of
many,
some
to
everlasting
life
and
some
to
shame
and
everlasting
contempt.
Those
who
are
wise
will
turn many to righteousness.
Daniel
is
instructed
to
close
and
seal
his
book
until
knowledge
has
been
increased.
He
questions
how
long
it
will
be
to
the
end
of
these
things.
He
is
told
it
will
be
three
and
a
half
years,
but
Daniel
doesn’t
understand
all
that
is
being
said
to
him.
He
now
asks,
what
shall
be
the
end
of
these
things?
Daniel
is
told,
from
the
time
that
the
daily
sacrifice
shall
be
taken
away
and
the
abomination
that
maketh
desolation
is
set
up,
there
shall
be
a
thousand
two
hundred
and
ninety
days.
He
is
then
told,
Blessed
is
he
that
waiteth,
and
cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
The book finishes with the words, But go thy way until the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
Note: The reader is unlikely to get a full understanding of the ‘end times’ from this précis, or from the full text of Daniel alone.
It will require a study to achieve this, either from a Bible study group or personal study using commentaries.