I. INTRODUCTION
Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks refers to an end time vision that God had given him through his servant; angel Gabriel. This vision came to him as he was praying after perceiving that the time period that had been prophesied by Prophet Jeremiah concerning their seventy year captivity period had already passed. This vision came to him as an answer to his prayer since after realizing that the time period had passed, he went ahead and started repenting for the sins of his people so that God may have mercy upon them and forgive them their sins, and if possible allow them to go back to their country.
Synopsis
Daniel was brought into Babylon during the reigns of king Jehoiakim when the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, and carried them away as captives. They were taken captive together with Mishael, Azariah, and Hananiah all of them being descendants from the royal lineage. He was given the name Belteshazzar by Nebuchadnezzar the then most powerful king in the world after being selected together with his three companions to be trained for service in the king’s palace. It is in this king’s training school that he together with his three companions distinguished themselves with excellent ability and wisdom concerning all knowledge. Daniels fame as a seer and an interpreter of dreams rose when he interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams as well as the mysterious handwriting on the wall during the reign of Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son.
Daniel’s ability to interpret dreams through the power of God made him rise in ranks and become second only to the king in the Babylonian kingdom, a position which exposed him to some many enemies due to his Jewish culture of praying everyday th...
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... due. His visions outline events from the rebuilding of the temple to the time of the ministry of Jesus Christ, to the time the temple was destroyed again. This vision also contains the unfulfilled portion, specifically the last seven weeks, which talks about the reign of the antichrist on earth.
Works Cited
Albertz, Rainer. Israel in Exile: The History and Literature of the Sixth Century B.C.E. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003.
LaHaye, Tim, and Edward E. Hindson. The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy: Over 140 Topics from the World’s Foremost Prophecy Experts. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2004.
Miller, Stephen R. Daniel Vol. 18. Oxford: B & H Publishing Group, 1994.
Obrien, David and Leon J. Wood. A Survey of Israel’s History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986.
Quidera, Tasso. From Here to Eternity. Fairfax: Xulon press, 2005.
Joseph Hirsch’s painting Daniel was painted in 1976-1977. In 1978 during the153rd Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, it won the First Benjamin Altman (Figure) prize. It measures 38 inches by 45 inches (96.52 cm x 114.3 cm) with a five inch gold wood frame surrounding it. The medium is oil on canvas. Everything within the painting is centered to draw your eyes to the action of the turned head and the pointed finger. According to the placard next to the painting this is a modern day version of the biblical story of Belshazzar’s Feast following the sacking of Jesualism from the Book of Daniel. From this point on, each figure within the painting will be addressed as Hirsch intended. The painting depicts a seated king, a dozing courtesan and Daniel. The three figures are the focal point of the composition. Hirsch uses a strong color palette to give the painting a luxurious and wealthy feel. Although the detail is not miniscule, the composition as a whole is easily understood. The use of oil paint allowed Hirsch to play with the composition as it was created.
Anson Rainey and R. Steven Notley are the authors of The Sacred Land Bridge, which is an Atlas of the biblical world and includes maps, pictures, and historical cementation as to the significance of this region. The biblical world that this atlas focuses on is defined as the eastern Mediterranean littoral, or more commonly called the Levant in modern archeological discussions. In my critique of this book I will be focusing on pages 30-34 which will define the boundaries and explain the importance of the Levant.
They were set apart; they had no earthly king and their history was one filled with miracles and impossible victories. Yet Israel’s people were still human; their failures were nearly equal to their victories and their frequent disobedience towards God had cost them greatly. They were hardly a unified nation, and despite a history rich in God’s provision, they were rebellious.
Bard, Mitchell G. “Ferdinand & Isabella.” Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, n.d. Web. 1 May 2014.
Situated just north of Lake Kinneret overlooking the Huleh Valley in Israel and the Al Raquad Valley in Syria sits a plateau, which rises to between 700 and 1,400 feet above sea level and is perhaps the most strategic piece of land in the Middle East, depending on one’s perspective. (Jewish Virtual Library, 2001) The antiquities left behind by the Romans, Turks, Greeks, and Mongols, just to name a few of the empires that have conquered this area, date back several centuries. This relatively small area of land, roughly the size of Queens, New York, is approximately 40-45 miles long and 15.5 miles across at its widest point, and controls the Kinneret, Israel’s only lake and foremost water resource. (Bard, 2002) This much-disputed piece of land is called the Golan Heights.
Provan, Iain W., V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman. A biblical history of Israel. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003. Print.
Main Events in the history of Jerusalem. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2011, from Century One Educational Bookstore: http://www.centuryone.com/hstjrslm.html
The timeline altered in the first verse of Dan. 7 serves as the opening to the four visions of in the remainder of Daniel. Belshazzar is cited in the first verse of chapter seven (7) as the King of Babylon, however Belshazzar is noted as the last King of Babylon and the son of Nebuchadnezzar in chapter five. The last king of the Babylonian Empire was Nabonidus. It is believed that Nabonidus for inexplicable reasons moved to the town of Teima and abrogated the empire to his son Belshazzar. Therefore, Seow points at that the “literary setting of Daniel 7 is the beginning of the end of the Babylonian Empire” (Seow, p. 101). The literary chronology of the period set is correct, but it is generally agreed among scholars (Collins, Hartman, Di Lella) there is no historical value in the dating. It is for this reason that most commentators immediately go into verse two of 7. Nevertheless, Daniel states, “Then ...
Daniel was taken captive at 15 years old and got put into unfamiliar territory. He believed in the Jewish God and got tested daily in his faith. Back then the most accepted action was whatever the king said. People believed in the Pagan gods and had rituals ...
Jewish Virtual Library. Timeline for the History of Judaism. JVL, 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014
Sohn, Seock-tae The Divine Election of Israel. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1991
The theme of these three chapters is God’s modeling of King David. This theme develops throughout the three chapters with the disobedience and punishment of David.
Penkower, Monty Noam. The Holocaust and Israel Reborn: From Catastrophe to Sovereignty. IL: University of Illinois Press,
... of Israel, 2d ed.: A Theological Survey of the Old Testament. Garden City: Baker Academic, 2002.
... star” Encyclopedia of Judaism, Encyclopedia of World Religions. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.