Why study the book of Daniel? There are several reasons why someone should study the book of Daniel. I personally believe that there is a great blessing bestowed upon the sincere, faithful, and persevering searcher for the pearls that God put in His book, the Bible.
First of all, the Bible tells us that Jesus Himself studied Daniel, and foretold the time that Daniel prophesied “the abomination of desolation.” These words are recorded in the book of Mark 13:14, “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.” And also in Matthew 24:15, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand).” Secondly, Daniel foretold events that would happen up until the end of the world. The prophetic book of Revelation is based on the principles found in the book of Daniel. These two books are complementary and companion books, they fit together. Thirdly, you and I will be blessed by the Lord in a special way as written in Revelation 1:3. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Not only that, but if we make a full surrender to Jesus, He will make us wise , “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3
The book of Daniel is for our time, as foretold in Daniel 12. “And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Daniel 12:6, 8–9, 13. The “time of the end” and the “end of time” are two different things. Many people are confused regarding these periods. The first is making reference to the end time events; to be more specific this is the time after 1798 A.D. up until our day. The second is the end of all things, no more grace for the unrepentant sinner. Jesus is coming for the second time to take His faithful believers to Heaven. That is the end of time. Keep in mind this important issue.
We are not alone when we study the book of Daniel. As we study Daniel, God Himself will reveal amazing truths for us. In fact, as we study the book of Daniel, we will discover that the book of Daniel is not just a historical document. It is not merely a document with dates and facts. But as we study, we will see the Christ of Daniel in all the pages, and we will notice Him especially near to the problems and the challenges of our own lives.
The book of Daniel is divided into two segments, namely historic and prophetic, or prophecies and stories. The stories reveal “how” and the prophecies reveal “when”. What is the purpose of prophecy? Is it that we can boast about our knowledge? Other people do not know what we know. Is this the reason God gave us prophecy and understanding? Of course not.
One purpose for the prophecies in Daniel is to enable God’s people to prepare for the future. Knowing what is coming keeps us clearly aware and enables us to understand the future. Another reason is, the more you study prophecy and see its fulfillment, the more it builds your confidence in the Bible. “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 2 Chronicles 20:20, last part. So, according to this, it strengthens our faith and perseverance in our walk with God. Peter said in his first epistle “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21. Think of what God is saying here. Prophecy is not man-made or a church invention; it is the will of God for us, in order for us to know His plans. “Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. God does not want anyone to be taken by surprise; He wants to let people know what will happen. God is not like man saying, “I got you.” No, He gives us knowledge and time to take our stand.
Jesus gave another specific reason, “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.” John 16:13. Do you want to know the truth? Do you want to know the future? Do you want to prepare for Jesus’ coming? I hope you can sincerely answer with all your heart—yes, Lord, we want that, please help us.
The book of Daniel was written by the prophet Daniel himself. There are some people who say that Daniel was not a prophet. In the past many scholars believed Daniel was not a prophet at all. But the scholars who once were critical have their mouths closed today. Why? Because the prophecies of Daniel have been confirmed historically. The prophecies of Daniel were accurate. Today, with an abundance of historical evidence that Daniel’s prophecies came true, other scholars say, “Oh, Daniel was not a prophet, because his prophecies were too accurate. He must have written them after the events took place.” But what does Jesus say in Matthew 24:15? Do not miss it. Daniel, the what? “The prophet!” If Jesus says that Daniel is a prophet, I believe that Daniel is a prophet. Since the book was written by the prophet Daniel, it would have had to have been written while he lived, in the sixth century B.C. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon in 606–605 B.C. Hence, the book of Daniel must have been written sometime during and after those years.
The name Daniel comes from two words; “Dan” and “el.” The tribe of Dan was the tribe of judges. And the “el” on the end comes from the name for God, Elohim. So Daniel means “the God of justice and judgment.” When we think of a judge today, we think of one who condemns us, but that was not the Old Testament concept of judgment. The judge is the one who sets all things right. The judge is the one who vindicates. The judge is the one who exonerates. So the book of Daniel is about the God of judgment and justice—the God of the universe who will ultimately set all things right. Kingdoms rise and fall, but God sitting upon His throne holds the destinies of the nations in His hand, and He will set all things right. In the controversy between good and evil, in the panorama between right and wrong, in the battle for the throne of the universe, the God of judgment and justice will set all things right. That is what “Daniel” means.
Much of the books of Daniel and Revelation are written in symbolic language. In order to correctly interpret the prophecies, one must understand the Biblical meaning of the symbols, because once the symbols are understood, the prophecies make sense. This does not mean that every time these words appear in Scripture they have symbolic meaning. We should make that differentiation when we talk about the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation. I would like to bring to your attention to a few general principles of Biblical interpretation. As every thinking person knows, it is the context that determines the meaning of words. Words are only tools, and they can be used in many different ways, but understanding the meaning behind those words is what matters. Sometimes we do not understand what people are saying, because we do not listen very well. Before they finish saying what they have in mind, we begin to formulate in our mind something else. In other words, we may assume the person is saying something he or she does not mean at all. We can do the same with the Bible sometimes. We assume it is teaching some things that it is not teaching. That is why people misinterpret what God is teaching in His Word.
General principles of Bible interpretation
Principle #1. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:11, 14
Principle #2. The Bible is Christ-centered. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39
Principle #3. The Bible interprets itself. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27
Principle #4. Context matters. It is very important. Remember the old saying; “a text without context is a pretext.”
With these things in our mind let us make a deeper study of these very important Bible prophecies regarding the final events in this world’s history.
God bless you!
Nicholas Anca