Daniel's Vision

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Evania

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I’m making an effort to read my Bible more. I came across the book of Daniel in my reading and am so confused by what God has shown him…I understand that there is meaning behind his visions, and was wondering if someone would explain it to me.

In particular, what is the significance of the vision of the ram and goat in Daniel 8?

Thanks!
 
po18guy said:
Not to derail, but what do you think about 165 BC ('late Daniel") as a likely date of composition of Daniel?
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I studied higher criticism years ago, but eventually I rejected it. I am very much a traditionalist.
 
COPLAND_3 said:
I studied higher criticism years ago, but eventually I rejected it. I am very much a traditionalist.
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Me too, for whatever that’s worth. I don’t think the late view of Daniel makes much sense of the text. More importantly, I don’t think Jesus adopted it (cf. Matt. 24.15).
 
jbejon said:
Me too, for whatever that’s worth. I don’t think the late view of Daniel makes much sense of the text. More importantly, I don’t think Jesus adopted it (cf. Matt. 24.15).
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I am asking about late Daniel inasmuch as it seems to contain fairly detailed information about Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who did indeed desecrate the temple - which was purified as recorded in 2 Maccabees. Prophecy is not usually that specific. However, the abomination also occurred under the Romans with their destruction of the temple. Arguably, it occurred much later again with the construction of the Al Aqsa mosque - going from Judaism which ultimately rejected Christ, to Islam which denies the Christ.

One other point is that the resurrection and eternal life are mentioned in Daniel - more consistent with the anticipatory Deuterocanonical books. If Daniel was an early date composition, why did no other prophet mention these two points over the hundreds of years which followed (until 2 Maccabees)?

Looking at the big picture here, since the date of Daniel’s composition is unknown.
 
Hi Po18,

I’m not sure how much you can be bothered to read about the subject. There are some articles I’ve written on the subject here: independent.academia.edu/jamesbejon/Papers. If you click on the link “Daniel’s Date Of Composition”, you’ll probably find some of your questions answered there. (Whether you agree with those answers is another matter!) To very briefly answer some of your concerns: I think prophecy can in fact be–and often is–quite specific (e.g., Isa. 53); I think that even granted a late view of Daniel, Daniel’s prophecies are still very specific (they’re just wrong, which doesn’t really help matters any); and I think that a lot of the allegedly late doctrines mentioned in Daniel aren’t really that late (the resurrection, for instance, is mentioned in probably the first OT book written, namely Job).

James.
 
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