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Daniel in the Lions’ Den by Thomas Agnew and Sons, (1892) (Public Domain)

Anticipating Armageddon: The Interpretation of Daniel’s Dream

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“But Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal it up so that it will not be understood until the end times, when travel and education shall be vastly increased! (Daniel 12:4). The traditional date of the Babylonian captivity, the era in which the army of Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, is usually thought to be 586 BC. Historians now argue that other dates are more accurate, but that will do as well as any other. The story told in the Old Testament is that a great deportation took place. The cream of the Jewish nation was marched in slavery to Babylon. Among them was a young man named Daniel. He was to figure prominently in Babylonian/Persian/Hebrew history, and his story is told in the book of Daniel, an important book in the Hebrew Bible. The book of Daniel is sometimes called the ‘Little Book of Revelation’. In many ways it is the Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament apocalypse. It represents an important plank in the platform of most prophetic interpretive systems.

Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's Dream W. A. Spicer - Our Day in the Light of Prophecy, Southern Publishing Association: Nashville, Tennessee.(1917) (Public Domain)

Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's Dream W. A. Spicer - Our Day in the Light of Prophecy, Southern Publishing Association: Nashville, Tennessee.(1917) (Public Domain)

Those who believe that it tells the future of the human race are in good company with scholars of long ago. Josephus, a Hebrew historian who lived circa 40-100 AD, wrote in his monumental Antiquities of the Jews that when Alexander the Great was shown the Book of Daniel, wherein Daniel declares that one of the Greeks would destroy the empire of the Persians, Alexander supposed that he himself was the person intended.

Whether or not Daniel actually wrote the book that bears his name, the text purports to outline a progression of nations, beginning with Babylon and continuing through Persia, Greece, and Rome, ending with, according to some interpretations, a revived European Empire at the end of time, during which the Messiah will come. But there are problems with this book that are not always apparent when someone simply picks up a Bible and begins to read.

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles by Valentin de Boulogne (1650) Blaffer Foundation Collection, Houston (Public Domain)

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles by Valentin de Boulogne (1650) Blaffer Foundation Collection, Houston (Public Domain)

Different Bibles, Different Daniels

First, different Bibles contain different versions of Daniel. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles have entirely different versions than are found in Protestant Bibles. Protestant Bibles omit sections called Daniel and Susanna and Bel and the Dragon, as well as an addition to chapter 3 called The Prayer of Azariah.

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This is an excerpt adapted from Jim Willis’ book, Censoring God: Lost Books of the Bible and Other Suppressed Scriptures, Published by Visible Ink Press, for release in 2021. Jim Willis is also the author of  Hidden History: Ancient Aliens and the Suppressed Origins of Civilization

Top Image: Daniel in the Lions’ Den by Thomas Agnew and Sons, (1892) (Public Domain)

By Jim Willis

 

Comments

Hello Mr. Willis,

Being Seventh Day Adventist The Book of Daniel it is one of the many points to the Foundation of our Faith as Seventh Day Adventist I attended my first Prophecy Seminar when I was 14 years old dealing with Daniel and Revelation.

It was an humbling experience For One Whole week Seventh Fay Adventist churches around the World via Satellite watched Pastor Mark A. Finley preach and teach about Daniel and Revelation from Sacramento California.

So basically it is an annual tradition for the Adventists Church to Host Daniel and Revelation Seminars and they still use Satellite as well the Internet. My Sabbath School teacher who was my Youth Minister now preaches in Detroit Michigan but occassionally He'll host such a Seminar his name is David Asherrick go to ytube if you're interested look them up.

The Statue in Daniel chapter 2 serves as a Timeline in the Bible regarding the Future of the World and pretty much Earth itself significant moments that has taken place in History.

Give you an example I'm African American I had no interest in Early American History around the 1700's because I knew that African Slavery was happening then all during the American Revolution the constitution that was drafted by other people's founding father's states INDIANS (First Americans since before 1492,), Black people and women were 3/5ths of a person loosely described as Not Human Beings so I had a dull need to know moment with 1776. I didn't gain interest till the 1800s because I knew then The Civil War would end Slavery.

Then I went with my mom to The Prophecy Seminar about Daniel and Revelation after being shown that the Bible prophecies were being full-filled right into the 1700s with Declaration of Independence and The French Revolution then I gained a interest in Early American History and Thank God for That I'll say.

However, when I found out about Books who by Man's designed and not by God removed Biblical Accounts that their afraid of I have learned that Daniel is only the 3rd, & Revelation is the 4th Apocalyptic Bible Book.

The First 2 Books are Enoch, an Ezra unfortunately, Ezra is available only through the Latin Vulgate and the Ethiopian Bible Ezra 1, Ezra 2, Ezra 3, and Ezra 4 i can't tell you how much that surprised Me. This led me to the Conclusion that there maybe more Apocalyptic Bible Books out but so far we have 4 of them.

This was a Great article Mr. Willis I truly enjoyed reading all about Daniel.

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Jim

After graduating from the Eastman School of Music, Jim Willis became a high school band and orchestra teacher during the week, a symphony trombonist on the weekends, a jazz musician at night and a choral conductor on Sunday mornings. ... Read More

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