The Structure (or Message) of Daniel 2-7: A Weapon for Our Times
Type: a study
Relevance: prophecy
Text: (Please read all of the Book of Daniel!)
Recall the contents of the 12 chapters of the book of Daniel. (Perhaps the above image will help you remember by providing a few hints.)
Fact: the Book of Daniel is written in two languages! Why?
Roughly speaking, chapters 1 and 8-12 are in Hebrew and chapters 2-7 are in Aramaic. Why though? Is it an accident? Does it indicate multiple authorship? Why? Is there method/purpose in the construction of the Book of Daniel? Yes!
Focusing on chapters 2-7.
Notice the chronological order of the chapters of Daniel 2-7. Chapter 2 occurs first, in Nebuchadnezzar's 2nd year. Chapter 3 occurs second, as this chapter's golden statue is a rebellious act, on Nebuchadnezzar's part, in response to the statue of Daniel 2. Chapter 4 occurs third, as it is the climax of Nebuchadnezzar's life... his conversion story! Chapter 7 occurs fourth, in the 1st year of Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, Belshazzar. Chapter 5 occurs fifth, in Belshazzar's last year. And chapter 6 occurs sixth, under the Medo-Persian Darius, the Medes and Persians having brought the Babylonian Empire, under Belshazzar, to an end in the previous chapter. Clearly, the chapters are out of chronological order! Chapter 7 should sit between chapters 4 and 5, but it doesn't. Why?
Notice the themes of the chapters of Daniel 2-7. They form a pattern or structure:
The A's, Daniel 2 and 7, talk about the fall and rise of kingdoms, i.e., prophecy. The B's, Daniel 3 and 6, talk of persecution, i.e., Daniel in the lions' den and his three friends in the fiery furnace. And, the C's, Daniel 4 and 5, talk of the fall of the king, i.e., Nebuchadnezzar, who repents and returns to the throne, and Belshazzar, who, unrepentant, brings an end to the Babylonian Empire.
This pattern or structure is called a chiasm, and is named for the Greek letter Chi, X, which became our letter "x." This structure is also called "hill climbing" or "a sandwich", i.e. the A's are pieces of bread, the B's tomatoes, the C's leafs of lettuce, etc.
Ok! So, the Aramaic exists to highlight this structure and the chapters are out of chronological order in order to create this pattern. But, why? A pattern is nice but it must have a purpose.
Note: Structure is never by accident! It, like language, carries information, which is over and above the words, sentences, stories, etc. that form it.
So why the chiasm of Daniel 2-7?
Looking at theme again and modifying slightly/rewriting the previous themes... Daniel 2 and 7, prophecy: Satan's kingdom, Babylon, is unmasked! Daniel 3 and 6, Babylon persecutes God's servants. And, Daniel 4 and 5, Babylon falls! But why? Rewriting hasn't clarified/revealed the purpose of the structure... or has it?
The message of Daniel 2-7 is a simple message. (1) The revelation of prophecy (Daniel 2 and 7) results in (2) persecution by Babylon (Daniel 3 and 6) which culminates in (3) the fall of Babylon (Daniel 4 and 5). Prophecy unmasks the deceptions of Satan and his kingdom, Babylon, declaring the reality of the God of the Bible, a God of love, and the end results of our choices. As the flood of prophetic truth sets more and more of his captives free, free to clearly choose for or against a God of love, Satan and Babylon act, through persecution, to silence the preachers of prophecy. But "he that toucheth you [the declarer of prophecy] toucheth the apple of his [God's] eye" (Zechariah 2:8) and thus the persecution causes God to act and bring about the end of Babylon.
The book of Daniel is really a tale of two cities: Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, and Babylon. Symbolically, these two cities represent the two sides at war in this world, God and his people/selfless love, truth, and justice versus Satan, the accuser, and his people/selfishness, er-ror, and injustice. God lays down prophetically, in the book of Daniel, the struggles of these two sides through time in order to equip and ready His people for the com-ing final battle. God promises in the chiasm of Daniel 2 through 7 that Babylon will fall and he invites each one of us to actively be involved. Will you accept the invitation?
Relevance: prophecy
Text: (Please read all of the Book of Daniel!)
Recall the contents of the 12 chapters of the book of Daniel. (Perhaps the above image will help you remember by providing a few hints.)
Fact: the Book of Daniel is written in two languages! Why?
Roughly speaking, chapters 1 and 8-12 are in Hebrew and chapters 2-7 are in Aramaic. Why though? Is it an accident? Does it indicate multiple authorship? Why? Is there method/purpose in the construction of the Book of Daniel? Yes!
Focusing on chapters 2-7.
Notice the chronological order of the chapters of Daniel 2-7. Chapter 2 occurs first, in Nebuchadnezzar's 2nd year. Chapter 3 occurs second, as this chapter's golden statue is a rebellious act, on Nebuchadnezzar's part, in response to the statue of Daniel 2. Chapter 4 occurs third, as it is the climax of Nebuchadnezzar's life... his conversion story! Chapter 7 occurs fourth, in the 1st year of Nebuchadnezzar's grandson, Belshazzar. Chapter 5 occurs fifth, in Belshazzar's last year. And chapter 6 occurs sixth, under the Medo-Persian Darius, the Medes and Persians having brought the Babylonian Empire, under Belshazzar, to an end in the previous chapter. Clearly, the chapters are out of chronological order! Chapter 7 should sit between chapters 4 and 5, but it doesn't. Why?
Notice the themes of the chapters of Daniel 2-7. They form a pattern or structure:
A B C C' B' A'
The A's, Daniel 2 and 7, talk about the fall and rise of kingdoms, i.e., prophecy. The B's, Daniel 3 and 6, talk of persecution, i.e., Daniel in the lions' den and his three friends in the fiery furnace. And, the C's, Daniel 4 and 5, talk of the fall of the king, i.e., Nebuchadnezzar, who repents and returns to the throne, and Belshazzar, who, unrepentant, brings an end to the Babylonian Empire.
This pattern or structure is called a chiasm, and is named for the Greek letter Chi, X, which became our letter "x." This structure is also called "hill climbing" or "a sandwich", i.e. the A's are pieces of bread, the B's tomatoes, the C's leafs of lettuce, etc.
Ok! So, the Aramaic exists to highlight this structure and the chapters are out of chronological order in order to create this pattern. But, why? A pattern is nice but it must have a purpose.
Note: Structure is never by accident! It, like language, carries information, which is over and above the words, sentences, stories, etc. that form it.
So why the chiasm of Daniel 2-7?
Looking at theme again and modifying slightly/rewriting the previous themes... Daniel 2 and 7, prophecy: Satan's kingdom, Babylon, is unmasked! Daniel 3 and 6, Babylon persecutes God's servants. And, Daniel 4 and 5, Babylon falls! But why? Rewriting hasn't clarified/revealed the purpose of the structure... or has it?
The message of Daniel 2-7 is a simple message. (1) The revelation of prophecy (Daniel 2 and 7) results in (2) persecution by Babylon (Daniel 3 and 6) which culminates in (3) the fall of Babylon (Daniel 4 and 5). Prophecy unmasks the deceptions of Satan and his kingdom, Babylon, declaring the reality of the God of the Bible, a God of love, and the end results of our choices. As the flood of prophetic truth sets more and more of his captives free, free to clearly choose for or against a God of love, Satan and Babylon act, through persecution, to silence the preachers of prophecy. But "he that toucheth you [the declarer of prophecy] toucheth the apple of his [God's] eye" (Zechariah 2:8) and thus the persecution causes God to act and bring about the end of Babylon.
Prophecy is thus a weapon to bring about the fall of this world!
And Daniel and Revelation are indeed... A weapon for our time!
(...a weapon for anyone who looks and longs for the coming of Christ!)
To be continued...
Postscript:
The book of Daniel is really a tale of two cities: Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, and Babylon. Symbolically, these two cities represent the two sides at war in this world, God and his people/selfless love, truth, and justice versus Satan, the accuser, and his people/selfishness, er-ror, and injustice. God lays down prophetically, in the book of Daniel, the struggles of these two sides through time in order to equip and ready His people for the com-ing final battle. God promises in the chiasm of Daniel 2 through 7 that Babylon will fall and he invites each one of us to actively be involved. Will you accept the invitation?
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