Verses¶
Question¶
How do NT authors use Daniel, and do they treat Daniel 7-12 as a unified prophetic corpus?
A. THE OLIVET DISCOURSE (Three Synoptic Accounts)¶
Matthew 24 (Full Chapter)¶
24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 24:12 And because iniquity [G458 anomia] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation [G946 bdelygma + G2050 eremosis], spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 24:17-20 [Flight instructions] 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [cf. Dan 12:1] 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 24:23-26 [False Christs warning] 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [cf. Dan 7:13] 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Daniel chapters woven into one discourse: - Dan 8-9: "abomination of desolation" (v.15) - Dan 12:1: "great tribulation, such as was not" (v.21) - Dan 7:13: "Son of man coming in the clouds" (v.30) - Dan 7:25: "anomia shall abound" echoes "change times and laws" (v.12)
Mark 13 (Full Chapter)¶
13:1-4 [Temple destruction question] 13:5-13 [Wars, persecution, endurance] 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing [hestekota — MASCULINE participle for NEUTER bdelygma] where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. [cf. Dan 12:1] 13:24-25 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened... 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. [cf. Dan 7:13] 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds 13:30 This generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
Key grammatical note: Mark 13:14 hestekota (masculine) modifying bdelygma (neuter) = constructio ad sensum, implying a personal agent behind the abomination.
Luke 21 (Full Chapter)¶
21:5-7 [Temple destruction question] 21:8-19 [Wars, persecution] 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation [G2050 eremosis] thereof is nigh. 21:21-22 Then let them which are in Judaea flee... For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 21:25-26 Signs in sun, moon, stars... 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [cf. Dan 7:13] 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 21:32 This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Luke's distinctive contribution: Replaces "abomination of desolation" with "Jerusalem compassed with armies" but retains G2050 eremosis. Adds "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (duration marker).
B. PAUL'S MAN OF SIN (2 Thessalonians 2 — Full Chapter)¶
2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together [G1997 episynagoge] unto him, 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away [G646 apostasia] first, and that man of sin [anthropos tes anomias] be revealed, the son of perdition [huios tes apoleias]; 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God [naos tou theou], shewing himself that he is God. [cf. Dan 11:36] 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity [mysterion tes anomias] doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked [ho anomos = the lawless one] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth [pneumati tou stomatos], and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [cf. Isa 11:4] 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness [G93 adikia] in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Paul's Daniel fusion points: - "exalteth himself above all called God" = Dan 11:36 "magnify himself above every god" - "sitteth in the temple of God" = Dan 8:11 sanctuary usurpation - "man of lawlessness" = Dan 7:25 "think to change times and laws" - "mystery of iniquity already work" = already/not yet framework - "son of perdition" = same title as Judas (John 17:12)
C. REVELATION'S DANIEL ALLUSIONS¶
Revelation 1 (Full Chapter)¶
1:1 The Revelation [G602 apokalypsis] of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must [G1163 dei] shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [G4591 semaino] it by his angel unto his servant John: [cf. LXX Dan 2:28 "ha dei genesthai"] 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him [cf. Dan 7:13] 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. [cf. Dan 7:13 + Dan 10:5] 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire [cf. Dan 7:9 Ancient of Days + Dan 10:6]
KEY: Rev 1:13-14 merges Dan 7:13 (Son of Man) with Dan 7:9 (Ancient of Days) into one figure = Christological merger
Revelation 13 (Full Chapter)¶
13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. [cf. Dan 7:7-8] 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. [cf. Dan 7:3-6 — REVERSED ORDER] 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things [stoma laloun megala] and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. [cf. Dan 7:8,25] 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle [cf. Dan 7:25] 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them [cf. Dan 7:21] 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him
Composite beast mapping (Rev 13:2 vs. Dan 7:3-8): - Dan 7: lion (1st) - bear (2nd) - leopard (3rd) - dreadful beast (4th) - Rev 13: leopard - bear - lion (REVERSED) + dragon features - The beast combines ALL FOUR Daniel 7 beasts into one composite entity - The little horn's "mouth speaking great things" (Dan 7:8) = Rev 13:5 verbatim
Revelation 17 (Full Chapter)¶
17:3 a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns 17:4 having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations [G946 bdelygma] 17:5 MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH 17:7 I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns 17:8 The beast... shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition [G684 apoleia] 17:11 And the beast... goeth into perdition [G684 apoleia] 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet [cf. Dan 7:24 VERBATIM] 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them
KEY: Rev 17:12 = Dan 7:24 verbatim "ten horns = ten kings" (parallel score 0.500)
Revelation 22 (Full Chapter)¶
22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. [= "ha dei genesthai" again, forming inclusio with Rev 1:1] 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not [me sphragises] the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. [cf. Dan 12:4 "seal the book" — REVERSED COMMAND]
D. THE ALREADY/NOT YET PASSAGES¶
1 John 2:18-22 (Full Chapter Retrieved)¶
2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist [G500] shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:1-6 (Full Chapter Retrieved)¶
4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1 Timothy 4:1-3¶
4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats
2 John 1:7¶
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
E. THE SON OF PERDITION CHAIN¶
John 17:12¶
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition [ho huios tes apoleias]; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
2 Thessalonians 2:3¶
...that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition [ho huios tes apoleias]
Revelation 17:8,11¶
17:8 The beast... shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition [eis apoleian] 17:11 And the beast... goeth into perdition [eis apoleian]
Philippians 3:19¶
Whose end is destruction [apoleia], whose God is their belly
F. NAOS TOU THEOU (Temple of God) — Paul's Usage¶
1 Corinthians 3:16-17¶
3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple [naos] of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 3:17 If any man defile the temple [naos] of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple [naos] of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 6:19¶
Know ye not that your body is the temple [naos] of the Holy Ghost which is in you?
2 Corinthians 6:16¶
And what agreement hath the temple [naos] of God with idols? for ye are the temple [naos] of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them
Ephesians 2:21¶
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple [naos] in the Lord
2 Thessalonians 2:4¶
so that he as God sitteth in the temple [naos] of God, shewing himself that he is God
Pattern: Every Pauline use of naos (tou theou) = believers/church as God's dwelling. 2 Thess 2:4 is the only Pauline usage where the man of sin "sits" in it.
G. THE ANOMIA (LAWLESSNESS) CHAIN¶
Matthew 7:23¶
depart from me, ye that work iniquity [anomia]
Matthew 13:41¶
they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity [anomia]
Matthew 23:28¶
within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity [anomia]
Matthew 24:12¶
And because iniquity [anomia] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8¶
2:7 the mystery of iniquity [anomia] doth already work 2:8 then shall that Wicked [anomos = lawless one] be revealed
1 John 3:4¶
sin is the transgression of the law [hamartia estin he anomia = sin IS lawlessness]
H. KINGDOM-GIVEN-TO-SAINTS MOTIF¶
Daniel 7:18,22,27¶
7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever 7:22 judgment was given to the saints... and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom 7:27 the kingdom and dominion... shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High
Luke 12:32¶
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
1 Corinthians 6:2-3¶
6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels?
Revelation 20:4¶
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them
Revelation 11:15¶
The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
I. THE SEALED-TO-UNSEALED ARC¶
Daniel 12:4¶
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end
Daniel 12:9¶
the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end
Revelation 10:4¶
Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
Revelation 22:10¶
Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
J. DANIEL 7 SOURCE TEXT (Full Chapter)¶
7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings 7:5 another beast, a second, like to a bear 7:6 another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings 7:7 a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible... it had ten horns. 7:8 there came up among them another little horn... and a mouth speaking great things. 7:9 the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool [cf. Rev 1:14] 7:13 one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven [cf. Matt 24:30; Rev 1:7,13] 7:14 there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom [cf. Rev 11:15] 7:18 the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom [cf. Luke 12:32; 1 Cor 6:2] 7:21 the same horn made war with the saints [cf. Rev 13:7] 7:24 the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings [cf. Rev 17:12 VERBATIM] 7:25 he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. [cf. Rev 12:14; 13:5] 7:27 the kingdom... shall be given to the people of the saints [cf. Rev 20:4]
K. ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING PASSAGES¶
Revelation 12:14 (Time Formula)¶
to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle... where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. [= Dan 7:25; 12:7]
Jude 1:9 (Michael the Archangel)¶
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses
1 Thessalonians 4:16 (Archangel Voice)¶
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God
Galatians 4:4 (Fullness of Time)¶
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son
Mark 1:15 (Time Fulfilled)¶
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand
Acts 10:38 (Anointing = Messiahship)¶
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power
Romans 15:8 (Confirm/Establish)¶
Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm [G950 bebaioo] the promises made unto the fathers