Dr. Esa Autero
1.1 Introduction to Daniel
 What are the most commonly known stories in Dan?
 In what setting are they often read/told?
 Most commonly focused issues in Daniel among
evangelicals?
 Has your view of Daniel changed after reading the
textbook and Daniel? If yes, how?
1.2 Historical and Critical Issues
 Authorship, composition, date
 Traditional view
 Unified work written by Daniel in the 6th century BC
 Questioned by critical scholarship b/c (cf. Porphyry AD 233-304)
 Challenge of historicity
 Challenge of unity
 Challenge of prophecy (and genre)
 Historical challenge
 Darius the Mede unknown in extra-biblical sources
 Satrapy system not until Darius Hystaspes (20 satraps over Persia)
 7-year insanity of Nebuchanezzar unknown
 Chronological problem(s)
 3rd yr. of Jehoiakim’s reign (609-598BC) & siege of Jerusalem by
Nebuchanezzar (Dan 1:1) vs. 4th yr. of Jehoiakim = 1st yr. of
Nebuchanezzar (Jer 25:1)
 Unity of Daniel challenge
 Chs. 1-6 have a positive view of gentile leaders whereas chs. 712 have a negative view
 Hebrew (1:1-2:4a & 8:1-12:13) and Aramaic sections (2:4b-7:28)
 Three additional stories in LXX
 1) Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Men 2) Susanna 3)
Bel and the Dragon
 Challenge of prophecy (and genre)
 Stories in chs. 1-6 are court tales, legends, edifying stories
 Apocalyptic genre and ANE & Jewish parallels
 ANE Akkadian apocalypses
 Pseudonymity (e.g. 1-2 Enoch; 4 Ezra) and vaticinium ex eventu
 Accurate “prophecy” up to Antiochus IV (11:31-39; 168BC) but
Antiochus’ death inaccurate (11:40-45 [†164/3BC])
 Daniel written b/w 168-164BC [b/f Antiochus IV’s death in 163/4]
 How should one respond to these arguments?
 How important are the questions of historicity and accuracy?
 Some evangelical scholars spent lifetime researching
 Some challenges historical – others worldview & faith issues
 Some arguments from evangelical scholars
 Historical issues & attempts at solutions
 Darius the Mede (5:30; 9:1) – king after Belshazzar
 “Darius” as throne name – cf. e.g. Tiglath-Pileser = Pul (1Chr 5:26)
 Gubaru the governor (not general) of Babylon (from Akkadian texts)
 Cyrus the Great – “Darius”, adopted name to rule over Babylon (cf. 1Chr
5:26); kings could use two names for ruling over two different nations
 Cyrus ruled over a 14-month period through a vassal who was “king of
Babylon” = Darius the Mede; Darius identified as Gubaru of Nabonidus
Chronicles (‘general’ not ‘governor’ [see above])
 All of these are possible suggestions not “hard evidence”
 Additional historical perspectives
 Belshazzar (5:1-2; 7:1; 8:1) “king of Babylon”
 Thought inaccurate 100 yrs. ago
 Nabodinus’ early “retirement” & son’s reign (Bel-šar-ușur)
 7-year insanity of Nebuchanezzar
 No records of Nebuchadnezzar’s activities b/w 581-573BC except
the siege of Tyre
 Chronological discrepancy (Dan 1:1 and Jer 25:1)
 Two systems of dating – ascension year and non-ascension year
Chronology in Daniel and Jeremiah
Ascension year Acc. yr.
1st yr.
2nd yr. 3rd. yr.
Dan 1:1
Non-ascension 1st. yr.
year
2nd yr.
3rd yr. 4th yr.
Jer 25:1,
9; 46:2
 Unity of Daniel and attempts at solution
 Changed circumstances & differences b/w 1-6 and 7-12
 Also later editing could play a part
 Text indicates Daniel only as recipient of visions and object of stories
 Thematic unity of the book; connections b/w sections (2&7; 3&6)
 Additional stories in LXX
 Lack thematic unity of Daniel and likely legendary additions
 To add and heighten miraculous to the stories
 Prophecy and apocalyptic genre – solutions
 Chs. 1-6 appear as historical narrative
 Miracles, worldview, and “fantastic stories” – worldview issue
 Daniel and other apocalypses
 Not all apocalypses are pseudonymous (e.g. Revelation)
 Daniel – if pseudonymous, why not use a more prominent figure
of the past (Noah, Abraham, Moses, Job etc.)?
 Definition of apocalypse – “prophetic-apocalyptic” continuum
 Vaticinium ex eventum, Antiochus’ death, and date of Daniel
 “abomination of desolation” Zeus’ altar in Temple in 167BC (11:31)
 Dan moves beyond Antiochus to Rome & distant future (7:23-5)
 Prophecy and “telescopic” view of the future
 Trans-historical nature of apocalyptic visions
 In support of earlier date
 Appears as a historical narrative (cf. Ezek 14:14, 20; 28:3)
 Not necessarily written by Daniel in whole
 Both Hb. and Aramaic style closer to 4th and 5th century than 2nd
 LXX (c. 250BC-150) and Qumran contain manuscripts of Daniel
 4QFlor (cf. Matt 24:15; Ant. x.11.4 249)
 If Daniel written c. 164BC – how accepted into OT canon so quickly?
 Brief evaluation and remaining questions
 How close is Daniel to other apocalypses?
 Late date (c. 165BC), pseudonymity, and vaticinium ex eventum
“prophecy” accepted by some evangelical scholars
 To what extent the message of Daniel is dependent on this?
 Some historical difficulties remain
 Date of Daniel
 6th century BC to c. 165/4BC – mid 4th century possible too even if
Daniel is considered the “fountain head” of the book
1.3 Background, purpose, structure
 Historical background
Some important events and dates
Nabopolassar enthroned king of Babylon
626BC
Fall of Nineveh (Capital of Assyria)
612BC
Fall of Carchemish
605BC
Nebuchadnezzar enthroned king of
Babylon
605BC
First group of exiles to Babylon (Judah)
605BC
Second group of exiles
598/7BC
Fall of Jerusalem
587/6BC
End of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign
562BC
Fall of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia
539BC
Assyria
falls
B
A
B
Y
L
O
N
Persia
 Purpose of Daniel
 Demonstrate God’s sovereignty over the nations
 Situation of oppression
 Delay of establishing God’s kingdom (cf. 9:1-2)
 Kingdom not established after 70-year Exile
 Return from exile does not equal full restoration
 Endurance & faithfulness in the interim period
 Structure of Daniel
 Chs. 1-6 – from Nebuchadnezzar to the reign of Darius
 Daniel and friends in Babylon in king’s court (1-6)
 Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams and interpretations (2; 4)
 The world empires (cf. 7) and Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation (4)
 Belshazzar’s feast and writing on the wall (5)

 Stories of deliverance (3; 6) – fire and lions
Chs. 7-12 – 1st year of Belshazzar to 3rd yr of
Cyrus
 Apocalyptic visions




Four beasts and its interpretation – triumph of the kingdom (7)
Ram and a Goat and its interpretation (8)
Daniel’s prayer and the 70 weeks (9)
Visions of heavenly powers, time of the End, resurrection (10-12)
 Delay of the kingdom & God’s ultimate triumph
1.4 Themes in Daniel
 God’s sovereignty and power of nations
 God’s control of gentile kings and nations (2:20-23; 4:17, 34-37)
 Sovereign control of history – visions of the kingdom (2; 7; 9)
 “Lord let…Jehoiakim…fall…” (1:2; 1:8)
 Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, insanity, worship (2:37-38, 46-47; 4:28-37)
 Raising and deposing of Belshazzar (5:13-31)
 Darius the Mede acknowledges God’s power (6:26-27)
 Visions of the nations’ rise and fall (2:24-45; 7:1-8:27; 7:11-12)
 God’s eternal reign and kingdom vs. temporal human reigns
 Comparison of the evil beasts and human-like God (7:1-28)
 Heavenly conflict & God’s triumph in human history (10:1-12:13)
 God’s protection and deliverance
 God’s protection of His people (1;3; 6)
 Supernatural protection of righteous (1:5-17;3:16-30; 6:16-28, 22)
 Revelation of the dreams to Daniel (2:10-12, 27-45; )
 Daniel’s superior wisdom (1:18-20; 4:9; 5:12, 14; 6:3)
 Pride of the human rulers
 Nebuchadnezzar’s pride – golden statue (3:1-23; 5:18-21)
 Belshazzar’s pride (5:18-23)
 Darius’ pride – worship as a god (6:6-9)
 Ultimate triumph of the godly due to God’s kingdom
 God’s kingdom victorious (2:44-45; 7:9-18)
 Wickedness increases – “wise” suffer, fall, die (8:9-14; 11:33-35, 41;
2:17-18)
 Ultimate victory and the resurrection (12:1-4)
 Symbolism and prophetic visions
 The kingdoms and the kingdom – Dan 2 & 7
 Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue of four parts (Dan 2)
 Four successive kingdoms starting w/ Babylonia
 God’s kingdom smashes the fourth (2:44-45)
 Four beasts out of the sea (Dan 7)
 Four beasts & the coming of the Son of Man to the Ancient of D.
 Further query about the fourth beast – “different” from others
 Ten horns, , “another horn…three earlier plucked up” (7:7-9)
 Making sense of the strange visions(?)
 Most common suggestions
Statue (Dan 2) & Beasts out of the sea (Dan 7)
Head of gold/
1st beast
Babylonian
empire
Babylonian
empire
Babylonian
empire
Breast of silver/ Medo-Persian
2nd beast
empire
Median
kingdom
Medo-Persian
empire
Belly of brass
3rd beast
Greek empire
Persian empire
Alexander the
Great
Legs of iron
4th beast
Roman empire
Greek empire
Alexander’s
successors
 message: God’s kingdom triumphs over earthly kingdoms
 Ram, He-goat, and horns (8:1-27) [8:1, 550/547BC]
 Ram w/ two horns = Medo-Persian empire [Persia = longer]
 He-goat from the west = Macedonian army [horn = Alex.Grt.]
 Four small horns = Alexander’s four generals
 “little horn” = Antiochus Epiphanes IV (215-163BC) – profaned
the Temple 12/27 168BC (1Macc 1:54; 2Macc 6:2; Ant. xii.5.4.248-256)
 But what about “king of bold countenance” (8:23-26)?
 Vision “many days from now” (8:26) - “time of the end” (8:17)
 “End time” or “end of persecution” during Antiochus’ time?
 Was Antiochus IV “not destroyed by human hands”?
 Antiochus IV died of grief and remorse in Babylon (1 Macc 6:8-16)
 More generalized note of destruction by God
 Daniel’s seventy weeks (9:20-28)
 70 weeks decreed for people and city - …put end to sin, atone
for iniquity, everlasting righteousness…anoint holy… (9:24)
 7 wks: from the time the word went out word to restore
Jerusalem…[until an anointed prince – Hb. punct.] (9:24)
 For 62wks…Jerusalem…to be built…in troubled time (9:24)
 After 62wks anointed one cut off…troops destroy city and
sanctuary…his/its end with a flood…war (9:26)
 1wk & 1/2wk: strong covenant with many for 1 week – sacrifice
ceases for ½ week, abomination of desolation…end to the
desolator (9:27)
 How should these numbers and references be understood?
 Christ’s first and second coming/end times
 Time of the exile and the history up to Antiochus IV
 “Standard” prophetic evangelical understanding of “70 sevens”
 70 weeks – 70x7 years = 490 yrs.
 7 weeks (49yrs. b/w fall of Jerusalem and Cyrus’ decree) – “restore
Jerusalem….until anointed prince” (9:25a)
 From exile to decree by Cyrus to rebuild the Temple in 538-537BC (Ezra
1:1-4; 6:3-5) or 458 Artaxerxes to Nehemiah (Ezra 7:11-26) or to
Nehemiah 445-444 (Neh 2:5-8, 17-18)
[ TIME GAP…] Hb. punctuation (cf. NRSV, NAB, NIV)
 “Time of an anointed prince” 1st coming of the Messiah (9:25b)
 62 weeks [434yrs.] – anointed one cut off, city destroyed, war (9:26)
 Crucifixion of Messiah and destruction of Jerusalem AD 70
 INDEFINITE TIME GAP…
 1 week & 1/2 week – covenant, offerings cease, abomination, end
 Rise of antichrist characterized by week long covenant (7yrs); breaking
of the covenant, abomination of desolation after ½ week (3.5yrs);
destruction of the antichrist and the end
 More historically oriented understanding
 70 weeks: 490yrs. OR symbolical for “period of history”
 From exile to restoration (Jubilee & Sabbath yr; cf. 1En; Jub)
 7 weeks – “restore Jerusalem….until anointed prince” (9:25a)
 From exile (586BC) to decree by Cyrus (538BC) or Artaxerxes
 “Time of an anointed prince” Zerubbabel or Joshua (Ezra 2:2; 3:2;
Hag 1:1-14; Zech 6:9-14)
 62 weeks – anointed one cut off, city destroyed, war (9:26)
 62wks = round number of the time down to Antiochus IV
 Anointed one = Onias III (†171BC; 2Macc32-34); prince = AntiochusIV
 1 week & 1/2 week – covenant, offerings cease, abomination, end
 Antiochus’ covenant w/ apostate Jews (1Macc 1:11-15)
 Desecration of the Temple 167BC and his end 164BC
 Antiochus IV - a prototype for eschatological desecration &
persecution
 Some interpretative principles
 Apocalyptic genre and imagery
 When to look for specifics and when broader principles/message
 Check for alternative interpretations – caution on dogmatism
 Primarily a sustaining word for first audience or future prophecy?
 Telescopic vision – near at hand and distant future merged
 e.g. “kingdom not made w/ hands” did not replace Antiochus IV’s
rule as a historical reality
 Vision sealed and secret until the end of times (12:9)
2.1 Introduction to Hosea
 What kind of person was Hosea?
 What did God ask Hosea to do?
 Sermons from Hosea?
2.2 Historical and Critical Issues
 Author, composition, date
 Hosea the son of Beeri (1:1) – author or main figure?
 The dates of the kings and Hosea’s ministry
Kings of Judah and Israel (Hos 1:1)
Judah’s kings
Uzziah
785733[42]
Jotham
758743[32]
Ahaz
743-727
Hezekiah 727698[87]
Israel’s kings
Hosea
Jeroboam II 789-746[53] P
R
Zachariah, 6 months, 1 O
P
Shallum
month
H
Menahem
747-37[42]
E
C
Pekahiah & 737-735
Y
Pekah
735-732
750-746
Hoshea
732-724
 Hosea prophesied against the northern kingdom
 Why most kings in 1:1 are from Judah?
 Number of references to Judah (1:7; 2:2; 4:15; 5:5-14; 6:4-11; 8:14…)
 Hosea prophesied to both? Prophetic vision for both
 Prophecies to both by Amos (2:4-8) and Isaiah (5:7; 48:1)
 Judah and Israel are envisioned together
 Later editing or “Judean redaction”? (cf. 12:2)
 Prophecies from Israel later applied to Judah b/c similar situation
 Book of Hosea – dated to c. 722BC
 Or later (exilic) if it had a Judean “updating”
2.3 Background, purpose, structure
 Historical background
 Hosea, son of Beeri
 “deliverance”, “help”, “salvation” (cf. Joshua, Isaiah, Jesus)
 8th century pre-exilic prophet
 Contemporary of Isaiah, Micah, and Amos
 Married Gomer “take…wife of whoredom” (1:2; 3:1)
 Symbolize the apostasy of Israel & YHWH’s love toward Israel
 Children’s names & judgment – Jezreel*, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi
 Historical situation
 Jeroboam II’s military expansion (2Kgs14:25-28)
 Economic prosperity
 Idolatry, moral decay, and apostasy (4:2, 18; 6:8-9; 10:15; 11:2)
 Political instability and assassinations
 Syro-Ephraimite conflict & war (735-734BC; cf. 5:8-6:6)
 Attempts at foolish diplomacy (7:11)
 Menahem a vassal of Assyria to avoid invasion 740BC (2Kgs 15:19)
 Pekah’s raid into Judah in 735BC (2Kgs 16:5-9)
 Ahaz of Judea sought help from Assyria
 King Hoshea sough help from Egypt (2Kgs17:1-6)
 Purpose of Hosea
 “Immediate doom, eventual hope”
 Call to repentance of the apostate nation
 Dramatization of YHWH’s faithfulness to Israel (14:4)
 YHWH’s dilemma of punishing beloved children (11:8)
 Recounting of past deliverance and covenant (11:1-4; 12:2-6, 9)
 Structure – basic division 1-3 & 4-14
 Hosea’s marriage w/ Gomer (1:2-3:5)
 Reflection of God’s relationship w/ Israel
 First prophetic cycle (4:1-11:11)
 Oracles of judgment (4:1-10:15)
 God’s love overwhelms His anger (11:1-11)
 Second prophetic cycle (11:12-14:8)
 Israel’s sins and God’s anger (11:12-13:16)
 Israel’s repentance and blessing (14:1-8)
 Wisdom colophon (14:9)
2.4 Themes in Hosea
 The covenant – judgment and salvation
 Mosaic covenant – blessings and curses presupposed
 “hunger and fertility” curse (Deut 28:17-18) & Hos 4:10-11
 Judgment b/c breaking the covenant (6:7; 8:1)
 “lack of knowledge” (4:1, 6) – “spirit of whoredom” (5:4)
 Idolatry (4:1-13; 5:11; 8:6; 13:2) & “return to wilderness” (2:14)
 Lying, deceit, sexual sins (4:2, 14, 18; 6:7-11)
 Socio-economic injustice and oppression (12:6-8; 9:9; 7:1; 6:6; 5:10)
 Second exodus and restoration (2:14-15; 11:8-9)
 Salvation as healing/restoration of the nation and the land (6:1-3;
11:3; 14:4)
 Reflecting on salvation, judgment & the creation care
 God’s judgment and desolation of the earth (4:2-3)
 Salvation and the healing of the earth (2:18-19, 21-22)
 Creation imagery related to salvation/judgment (2:6, 12; 8:7; 10:8;
14:4-7)
 Baal and the fertility cult
 Manipulation of divine forces to bring about harvest
 Identification of natural forces (rain, thunder etc.) w/
divinity
 YHWH – Creator and Savior/provider
 The connection b/w covenant faithfulness & the creation
 Does this have any implications how we treat the creation?
http://www.creationcare.org/index.php evang. environt. network
 Hosea’s marriage
 Analogy b/w human marriage and divine-human
covenant
 Israel’s infidelity to the covenant and Gomer’s infidelity
 Exclusive nature of marriage and covenant
 Was Hosea’s marriage literal or symbolical? (1:2 & 3:1)
 Hypothetical, allegorical or prophetic vision
 One literal marriage: was Gomer a prostitute all
along/became one?
 Two literal marriages: marriage to Gomer (1:2) and another
marriage of an unknown woman (3:2)
 An option – one marriage to prostituting Gomer
 1:2 and 3:1 two separate events
 After the initial marriage Hosea had to purchase her from
slave market to redeem her from debt and prostitution
 How could God ask such an unethical thing?
 Only priests were forbidden marry a prostitute (Lev 21:7, 14)
 To enact YHWH’s covenant love and Israel’s unfaithfulness