Daniel

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The deciphering of the meaning and purpose of world history is addressed by various ideological and philosophical systems. They can provide methods for discussing the past, but when it comes to the future, they can only formulate speculations.

In contrast, the Bible not only reports on the past but extensively discusses forthcoming events. The Scriptures contain 330 prophecies, with most of them being fulfilled in the person of Jesus. The majority of prophecies are found in the Book of Daniel, which is why Daniel is classified among the four major prophets.

Daniel, the hero 

Daniel's identity: The name Daniel in Hebrew means "God is my judge." He came from a noble background and received an excellent education. In 605 BC, he was taken to Babylon into captivity and was likely 16-20 years old at that time. He served as an advisor to the king, and his role as a statesman intertwined with his role as a prophet.

He lived a challenging, perilous life full of crises with unwavering faith and significant spiritual experiences. Due to his wisdom and character, he earned the highest level of respect during his lifetime. He played a role in the repentance of Nebuchadnezzar, and even Cyrus listened to the divine word he conveyed. Daniel was an inspired and holy man of God. The Lord spoke through him, he prophesied, and even kings believed in his words. In his writings, he remains in the background, only recording what God instructed him to. He lived for about 91 years, and his alleged tomb is said to be shown in Susa.

The Book of Daniel: Daniel wrote it around the 6th century BC, although some modern biblical critics dispute this, considering it a later work influenced by the neoplatonic philosopher Porphyry.

Biblical data supports Daniel's authorship: he had excellent knowledge of the Persian and Babylonian conditions in the 6th century and knew the name Belshazzar. Fragments of Daniel's book were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, contradicting the idea of the book's later composition. According to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, even Alexander the Great read the book.

The book's division:

• Reign of Nebuchadnezzar: Jewish captives at the royal court, Daniel interprets the king's dream, trials of the three friends, humiliation of the king (historical narratives).
• Period of Nabonidus and Belshazzar: The beastly nature of kingdoms, identification of kingdoms, the eve of Babylon's fall (visions).
• Medo-Persian period: Daniel's concern for his people, trials due to his faith, Daniel's final vision.

Thanks to his visions, we get a comprehensible overview of world history and a believer's interpretation. The four mentioned empires (Neo-Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman) can be easily identified based on their histories.

The significance of the book lies in its discussion of the Son of Man, the Kingdom of God, resurrection, judgment, and the time of tribulation. The Book of Revelation builds on Daniel and quotes extensively from it. Both can be considered eschatological books, dealing with the last times.

The Book of Daniel was highly respected among Jews and early Christians, according to Josephus Flavius. Luther was among the first to translate it. The book contains 200 fulfilled prophecies, indicating that history unfolds according to God's plan, teaching that God should be considered the ruler of the whole earth.

Reference: Roger Liebi - World History in the Vision of the Prophet Daniel, Primo k.