Daniel Part Two Deep Dive
A PROPHETIC HISTORY | NATHAN WHITE
It only takes the reader a brief look at the Book of Daniel to realise how integrated it is in the history of the world. The book opens up with the words, ‘In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it’. It is a great reminder to contemporary believers of the importance of history. Too often, particularly in the west, we place a lot of emphasis on the importance of the individual; on individual revelation, on individual discipleship, and on individual spirituality. But the essence of the Gospel is that it is a story that is utterly embedded within history. It is a story of the Christ, who, being fully God and fully Man, intersects the history of humanity in order to bring us out of it. But the story didn’t start there, just as we know it also doesn’t finish there. It began with the people of the Israel and now continues with us as part of the extended family of God.
Daniel, with its strong historical nature, is a reminder of this. Not only is it thoroughly historical, it is also thoroughly prophetic. We see this throughout the book in the recounts of Daniel's prophetic dreams. Unlike the other prophetic books of the Old Testament that are quite obscure and typically speak of the Christ to come, these prophetic dreams of Daniel occur in the very near future, only a few hundred years after Daniel was writing. The historical nature of the book, starting in Chapter 1:1, helps position the writing of the book in Babylon between the years of 605 and 537 BC, and the dreams of Daniel contain events that occur up to the 2nd Century BC.
There has been much debate as to whether these dreams were in fact prophetic or just historical accounts, which challenges the unity of the book and potentially nullifies its prophetic nature. Biblical scholar Joyce Baldwin argues against this point of view, saying, “when all the relevant factors are taken into account, including the arguments for the unity of the book, a late sixth-or early fifth-century date of writing for the whole suits the evidence.” This is quite a major argument between scholars which affects the whole nature of the book. Please note that to explore the idea to completion would take much more than just Deep Dive, so please continue on in further study if you are intrigued to do so. Regardless of this, the purpose is still the same. The author is wanting to show that history was under God’s direction and was ultimately achieving His purpose.
This historical prophetic aspect to the book still carries weight for us today. Baldwin continues, “the church needs to be counting on the certainties proclaimed in Daniel, namely that God is constantly overruling and judging in the affairs of men, putting down the mighty from their seat, overthrowing unjust regimes and effectively bringing in his kingdom, which is to embrace all nations”. In other words, God is not only aware of history but He participates and plays a role.
Nathan White is a graduate of C3 College. Don’t be fooled by Nathan’s witty ways, he is incredibly smart and a natural writer and academic. Nathan has been involved in Youth ministry in his home church of C3 Church Ryde.
further reading
Daniel by Joyce G. Baldwin, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries
recommended
An Introduction to the Old Testament
Daniel part One
Daniel part Two