Literary Introductions to the Books of the Bible by Leland Ryken

Author:Leland Ryken
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crossway

Literary Tips for Reading Daniel

(1) We need decisively to divide our expectations in regard to the two halves of the book. The first half is pure narrative, hero stories that elevate us and grab our attention, as attested by children’s fondness for these stories. The first six chapters call for a childlike response to the narrated events. The second half is very nearly opposite—adult material that baffles even biblical scholars. Daniel is really two books. (2) One of the most obvious applications of the book (especially in the narrative half) is that it shows Christians how to live godly lives in an oppressive secular or non-Christian society. The stories of Daniel and his friends are a model for how to survive as a Christian in a hostile society. (3) Without hope, the human spirit withers. Both the hero stories and the visions of the future offer avenues for hope in a fallen world. (4) The primary difficulty is knowing how to interpret the visions that Daniel receives and records. Some of the prophecies deal with human history—still in the future when Daniel received his vision but part of the distant past for us. But to what do the symbols refer? The only way to answer is to consult scholarly commentaries, but even there, the commentaries are not in agreement as to what the symbols mean. As we reach the last chapters, the prophecies refer to the end times. An alternative to finding specific political history in the visions of Daniel is to read at a more general or universal level of symbolism in which the details are simply accepted as pictures of what happens throughout history and in an ultimate way at the end of history. Examples of such general truths are that God is in control of history, that empires rise and fall and are never permanent or all-powerful, that good and evil are always engaged in a cosmic battle, and that in the end “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the . . . stars forever and ever” (12:3).

Perspectives on the Literary Forms of Daniel

Unity:

The two halves each convey a different message on the same theme: the relationship between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men. —P. R. Davis

Apocalyptic genre:

Unlike the prophetic books, Daniel does not emphasize sin, punishment, and restoration, . . . nor does it explain why Israel fell. Instead Daniel is an apocalyptic book. That is, it stresses the distant future, claims God orders history, and uses symbolic language.—Paul R. House

Symbolism (the nonliteral) as the basic mode:

We miss the whole purpose of the book . . . if we engage in arithmetical niceties. —Sir Robert A. Anderson

Exile motif:

Here is a story that offers hope and insight for believers who live and work in environments where they are a minority. —Edward G. Dobson

Symbolic mode:

By the use of dreams and visions, signs, symbols and numbers, [the book of Daniel declares] the course of history . . . mapping out its course as it proceeds towards its end.

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