Daniel's final vision: Difference between revisions

Chapters 10, 11, and 12 in the [[Book of Daniel]] make up '''Daniel's final vision''', describing a series of conflicts between the unnamed "King of the North" and "King of the South" leading to the "[[EndJewish timeeschatology|time of the end]]", when Israel will be vindicated and the dead raised, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Although set during the [[6th century BC|6th century BCE]], some think the Book of Daniel was written in reaction to the persecution of the Jews by the Greek king [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]] in 167–164 BCEBC.{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=2}} Its authors were the ''maskilim'', the "wise", of whom Daniel is one: "Those among the people who are wise shall make many understand ...",{{sfn|Davies|2006|p=406}} and its fundamental theme is God's control over history.{{sfn|Levine|2010|p=1234}} The climax comes with the prophecy of the [[resurrection of the dead]].{{sfn|Collins|1984|p=103}} [[Daniel 7|Chapter 7]] spoke of the kingdom of the saints or "holy ones" of the Most High",<ref>{{bibleverse||Daniel|7:18|NKJV}}</ref> but Daniel 10–12 does not say that history will end with the coming of the Jewish kingdom; rather, the "wise" will be brought back to life to lead Israel in the new [[kingdom of God]].{{sfn|Collins|1984|p=103}}

In contemporary Christian [[millennialism]], Daniel 11:36–45 is interpreted as a prophecy of the career and destruction of the [[Antichrist]], and Daniel 12 as concerning the salvation of Israel (the [[Israel|modern State of Israel]]) and the coming kingdom of [[Christ (title)|Christ]].{{sfn|LaHaye|Hindson|2006|pp=259–263}}

It is generally accepted by modern scholars that the Daniel who appears as the hero of the Book of Daniel never existed, but that the authors reveal their true identity at the end of Daniel 12: they are the ''maskil'', the "wise", of whom Daniel is one: "Those among the people who are wise shall make many understand ...".{{sfn|Collins|1999|p=219}}{{sfn|Davies|2006|p=406}} The actual background to the book was the persecution of the Jews by the Greek king [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]] in 167–164 BCEBC, and there is a broad consensus that the book was completed shortly after that crisis ended.{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=2}}

Within the three chapters of Daniel 10–12, Daniel 10 serves as prologue, chapter 11 as the report of the angelic vision, and chapter 12 as the epilogue.{{sfn|Seow|2003|p=153}} [[Philip R. Davies|P. R. Davies]] suggests that the text is "poor Hebrew, and may represent a rather poor translation from an [[Aramaic]] original".<ref>Davies, P. R., ''Daniel'' in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), [https://b-ok.org/dl/946961/8f5f43 The Oxford Bible Commentary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122193211/http://b-ok.org/dl/946961/8f5f43 |date=2017-11-22 }}, p. 568</ref> The unit begins with a third-person introduction (10:1), and then switches to Daniel speaking in his own voice as one of the two primary characters, his angelic partner being the second–thissecond—this is probably the [[angel Gabriel]], although he is never identified.{{sfn|Hill|2008|p=176}} Then follows Daniel 11, the "Book of Truth": much of the history it recounts is accurate down to the two successive Syrian invasions of Egypt in 170 and 168 BCEBC, but there was no third war between Egypt and Syria, and Antiochus did not die in Palestine.{{sfn|Seow|2003|p=166}} The failure of prophecy helps pinpoint the date of composition: the author knows of the desecration of the Temple in December 167, but not of its re-dedication or of the death of Antiochus, both in late 164;{{sfn|Seow|2003|p=166}} the countdown of days remaining to the end-time in Daniel 12:11–12 differs from that in [[Daniel 8]], and it was most likely added after the original prediction failed to come to pass.{{sfn|Levine|2010|p=1257 fn.}}

The fundamental theme of the Book of Daniel is God's control over history.{{sfn|Levine|2010|p=1234}} According to [[Deuteronomy]] 32:8–9 God assigned each nation its own divine patron; originally these were subordinate gods, but by the time Daniel came to be written they had been redefined as [[angels]]. In Daniel, [[Archangel Michael|Michael]], the angel of Israel, is in battle with the "prince (i.e., angelic patron) of Persia", and this will be followed by further battle with the "prince of Greece"–the; the theological point being made is that the fate of nations is decided in heaven, not on earth. The same theme underlies the reference to the heavenly "Book of Truth" which is about to be revealed to Daniel, and which supposedly forms the content of chapter 11: both the past and the future are written already, and God is sovereign over all.{{sfn|Hammer|1976|pp=102–103}}

Daniel's final vision is set in "the third year of [[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus]], king of Persia": this marks 70 years since Daniel's own captivity began (606 BCEBC), and thus the fulfillment of [[book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]]'s prophecy that the exile would last 70 years.{{sfn|Hill|2008|p=175}} Chapter 11, the centre-piece of the revelation, gives a broad sweep of history from the 6th century BCEBC to the 2nd, but the coverage is uneven: two centuries of Persian history plus Alexander the Great's conquests and the breakup of his empire, over two and a half centuries of history, are covered in three verses (2–4), but the century and a half of wars between the [[Ptolemaic Egypt|Ptolemies]] of Egypt and the [[Seleucid Syria|Seleucids]] of Syria receive 16 verses (5–20), and the reign of [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]], which lasted less than ten years, gets 25 (21–45).{{sfn|Seow|2003|p=166}}

Verses 20–39, the bulk of the historically accurate verses, deal with Antiochus, who reigned 175–164 BCEBC. Verse 21 describes him as "the contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given", meaning that he came to the throne by questionable means. Verse 22 notes his removal of the High Priest [[Onias III]], (Antiochus sold the priesthood twice over, first to a relative of Onias named Jason, and then to a rival of Jason's named Menelaus), and verses 23–24 apparently refer to his liberality in scattering the spoils among his supporters. Verses 25–28 describe his first war with Egypt, in 170 BCEBC, in which he was largely but not entirely successful. In 169, on his way back to Syria, he stopped in Jerusalem to plunder the Temple (verse 28).{{sfn|Towner|1984|pp=157–158}}

In 168 Antiochus invaded Egypt again, but this time he was [[Gaius Popillius Laenas|stopped]] by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] (the "ships of Kittim") and forced to retreat (verses 29–30).<ref group="Notes" name="Kittim">Kittim: originally the town of [[Kition]] (now [[Larnaca]]) in Cyprus, but applied to the Greeks and Romans; the same verse mentions Ashur, meaning Syria, and Eber, meaning Palestine.</ref> Verses 30–31 describe the events that followed: passing once more through Jerusalem, Antiochus instituted a persecution of Jewish customs and religion, desecrated the Temple, and established a garrison there. Verses 32–39 describe the response of "the wise" (the group associated with the Book of Daniel) and "the many" (the population at large): the wise suffer and die so that the many will understand.{{sfn|Newsom|Breed|2014|p=339}}{{sfn|Towner|1984|p=160}} In time the faithful receive "a little help" (possibly, but not certainly, a reference to [[Judas Maccabeus]], who led an armed revolt against the Greeks).{{sfn|Towner|1984|pp=160–161}} Verses 36–39 appear to carry Antiochus's history to the cosmic plane, detailing the blasphemy of the tyrant who considered himself a demi-god. He "spoke astonishing things against the God of gods" and gave "no heed to the god of his fathers".{{sfn|Towner|1984|p=162}}

Verses 40–45 finish the chapter with the prophecy that Antiochusthe unnamed king would make war once again against Egyptmany, and would die inwithout Judeasupport.{{sfn|Newsom|Breed|2014|p=339}} In theAntiochus' event this did not happen:case, there was no third war with Egypt and Antiochushe died in Persia or in Babylon.{{sfn|Towner|1984|pp=164–165}}