Word Studies¶
Question¶
How do NT authors treat Daniel 7-12? What vocabulary links demonstrate that Revelation and the NT epistles treat Daniel's visions as a unified prophetic system?
1. δεῖ (dei) - G1163 - "must / it is necessary"¶
Original: δεῖ Transliteration: deî Definition: 3rd person singular active present; impersonal verb expressing divine necessity -- "it is necessary, one must, it is inevitable" NT Count: 95 occurrences (106 counting variants)
Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| must | 49 | 51.6% |
| ought | 11 | 11.6% |
| other forms | 35 | 36.8% |
The "ha dei genesthai" Formula¶
The critical phrase is "ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι" ("what must come to pass"): - LXX Dan 2:28: "ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν" = "what must come to pass in the last days" - Rev 1:1: "ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει" = "what must come to pass shortly" - Rev 22:6: "ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει" = "what must come to pass shortly" (identical to 1:1)
The core formula "ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι" is RETAINED from Daniel; the temporal qualifier is CHANGED: - Daniel: "ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν" = "in the last of the days" (distant future) - Revelation: "ἐν τάχει" = "in quickness / shortly" (imminent)
This substitution is the programmatic claim of Revelation: what Daniel saw as distant future has entered its fulfillment phase.
Key Eschatological Uses of dei¶
| Verse | Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 1:1 | "things which must shortly come to pass" | Opening formula |
| Rev 4:1 | "things which must be hereafter" | Throne vision |
| Rev 10:11 | "Thou must prophesy again" | Commissioning |
| Rev 11:5 | "he must in this manner be killed" | Two witnesses |
| Rev 13:10 | "must be killed with the sword" | Beast's judgment |
| Rev 17:10 | "he must continue a short space" | Seven kings |
| Mat 24:6 | "all these things must come to pass" | Olivet Discourse |
| Mar 13:7 | "such things must needs be" | Olivet Discourse |
| Luk 21:9 | "these things must first come to pass" | Olivet Discourse |
| Act 3:21 | "heaven must receive until..." | Peter's sermon |
Significance: dei expresses divine necessity -- not human obligation but God's predetermined plan. Its presence in both Dan 2:28 and Rev 1:1 establishes that the same divine plan governs both visions. The inclusio (Rev 1:1 / 22:6) frames all of Revelation under this Danielic formula.
2. ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis) - G602 - "revelation / unveiling"¶
Original: ἀποκάλυψις Transliteration: apokálypsis Definition: From ἀποκαλύπτω (to uncover); disclosure, appearing, manifestation, revelation NT Count: 18 occurrences
Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| revelation | 5 | 27.8% |
| revelations | 2 | 11.1% |
| the revelation | 2 | 11.1% |
| shall be revealed | 2 | 11.1% |
Key Verses¶
- Rev 1:1 -- "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" -- the title of the entire book
- Rom 16:25 -- "the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began"
- 1Co 1:7 -- "waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
- Gal 1:12 -- "by the revelation of Jesus Christ"
- Eph 1:17 -- "the spirit of wisdom and revelation"
- 2Th 1:7 -- "the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven"
- 1Pe 1:7,13 -- "at the appearing / revelation of Jesus Christ"
Significance: The noun apokalypsis means "unveiling" -- the removal of a covering. This is the conceptual opposite of Daniel's "sealing" (Dan 12:4). The very title of Revelation (Apokalypsis) positions the book as the UNSEALING of what Daniel sealed. Rev 1:1 is simultaneously a revelation FROM Christ and a revelation OF Christ.
3. βλασφημία (blasphemia) - G988 - "blasphemy"¶
Original: βλασφημία Transliteration: blasphēmía Definition: Vilification, especially against God; slander, blasphemy NT Count: 18 occurrences
Distribution in Revelation¶
| Verse | Form | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 2:9 | βλασφημίαν | "the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews" |
| Rev 13:1 | βλασφημίας | "upon his heads the name of blasphemy" |
| Rev 13:5 | βλασφημίας | "a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies" |
| Rev 13:6 | βλασφημίας | "opened his mouth in blasphemy against God" |
| Rev 17:3 | βλασφημίας | "full of names of blasphemy" |
The Dan 7 / Rev 13 Verbal Link¶
- LXX Dan 7:8: "στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα" = "a mouth speaking great things"
- Rev 13:5: "στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας" = "a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies"
The Greek phrase is VERBATIM from LXX Daniel 7:8,20. Revelation ADDS "kai blasphemias" (and blasphemies) as an interpretive expansion -- John explains that Daniel's "great things" are in fact blasphemies against God.
Significance: This is one of the strongest verbal links between Daniel and Revelation. The identical Greek phrasing proves literary dependence, and the added "blasphemies" shows John is INTERPRETING Daniel, not merely echoing him.
4. βδέλυγμα (bdelygma) - G946 - "abomination"¶
Original: βδέλυγμα Transliteration: bdélygma Definition: A detestation, i.e. (specially) idolatry; an abomination NT Count: 6 occurrences
All NT Occurrences¶
| Verse | Translation | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Mat 24:15 | "the abomination of desolation" | Olivet Discourse -- explicit Daniel citation |
| Mar 13:14 | "the abomination of desolation" | Olivet Discourse -- implicit Daniel reference |
| Luk 16:15 | "abomination in the sight of God" | Teaching on wealth (different context) |
| Rev 17:4 | "full of abominations" | Babylon the harlot |
| Rev 21:27 | "worketh abomination" | New Jerusalem exclusion |
Hebrew Source: shiqquts (H8251)¶
- Translates H8251 in LXX for Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
- H8251 appears 28 times in OT, ALWAYS for idolatrous objects -- never generic sin
- Used for pagan gods: Chemosh (1Ki 11:5), Milcom (2Ki 23:24), various idols (Jer 4:1; 7:30; Ezk 5:11)
Significance: 4 of 6 NT uses of bdelygma are in eschatological/apocalyptic contexts tied to Daniel. When Jesus says "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" (Mat 24:15), he uses this specific Greek word that the LXX chose to translate Daniel's Hebrew shiqquts -- preserving the connotation of idolatrous sacrilege.
5. ἐρήμωσις (eremosis) - G2050 - "desolation"¶
Original: ἐρήμωσις Transliteration: erḗmōsis Definition: Despoliation, desolation, devastation NT Count: 3 occurrences -- ALL THREE IN THE OLIVET DISCOURSE
Complete NT Distribution¶
| Verse | Text |
|---|---|
| Mat 24:15 | "τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως" -- "the abomination of desolation" |
| Mar 13:14 | "τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως" -- "the abomination of desolation" |
| Luk 21:20 | "ἡ ἐρήμωσις αὐτῆς" -- "the desolation thereof" |
Significance: This word is a "Daniel marker" -- it exists in the entire NT ONLY in the three Synoptic Olivet Discourse passages where Jesus quotes or alludes to Daniel. Luke replaces the Semitic idiom with "Jerusalem compassed with armies" but RETAINS eremosis, the technical Daniel vocabulary. The complete confinement of this word to Daniel-quoting contexts demonstrates that the NT authors treated it as specifically Danielic language.
6. σφραγίς (sphragis) - G4973 - "seal" (noun)¶
Original: σφραγίς Transliteration: sphragís Definition: A signet (as fencing in or protecting from misappropriation); a seal, stamp, mark NT Count: 16 occurrences
Key Occurrences¶
| Verse | Context |
|---|---|
| Rev 5:1 | "a book... sealed with seven seals" |
| Rev 5:2 | "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals?" |
| Rev 5:5 | "hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals" |
| Rev 5:9 | "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof" |
| Rev 6:1-12 | Six seals opened sequentially |
| Rev 7:2 | "the seal of the living God" |
| Rev 8:1 | "the seventh seal" |
| Rom 4:11 | circumcision as "a seal of righteousness" |
| 2Ti 2:19 | "the seal of God" |
Connection to Daniel: Rev 5:1's sealed book evokes Dan 12:4's sealed vision. The dramatic scene of the Lamb's worthiness to unseal (Rev 5:1-9) is the narrative counterpart to Dan 12:4's sealing command. What Daniel sealed, Christ unseals.
7. σφραγίζω (sphragizo) - G4972 - "to seal" (verb)¶
Original: σφραγίζω Transliteration: sphragízō Definition: To stamp with a signet or private mark for security or preservation; to seal NT Count: 25 occurrences
The Sealed/Unsealed Reversal¶
| Daniel | Revelation |
|---|---|
| Dan 8:26: "shut thou up the vision" | Rev 10:4: "Seal up those things" (intermediate) |
| Dan 12:4: "seal the book, even to the time of the end" | Rev 22:10: "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy" |
| Dan 12:9: "the words are closed up and sealed" | Rev 5:1-9: the Lamb OPENS the sealed book |
Key Verses¶
- Rev 22:10: "Μὴ σφραγίσῃς" = "Do not seal" (aorist subjunctive with μή = PROHIBITION)
- Dan 12:4 LXX uses the same verb (σφράγισον = "seal!")
- The command is REVERSED: Daniel received "seal!" / John received "do not seal!"
Significance: The same verb (sphragizo) appears in both the sealing command (Daniel) and the unsealing command (Revelation), creating a deliberate verbal echo with reversed polarity. This proves John was consciously positioning Revelation as Daniel's counterpart.
8. ἀνομία (anomia) - G458 - "lawlessness / iniquity"¶
Original: ἀνομία Transliteration: anomía Definition: Illegality, violation of law, lawlessness, iniquity NT Count: 13 occurrences
Key Occurrences¶
| Verse | Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2Th 2:3 | "ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας" | "the man of lawlessness" |
| 2Th 2:7 | "τὸ μυστήριον... τῆς ἀνομίας" | "the mystery of lawlessness" |
| Mat 7:23 | "ye that work iniquity" | False disciples |
| Mat 13:41 | "all things that offend, and them which do iniquity" | Wheat and tares |
| Mat 23:28 | "full of hypocrisy and iniquity" | Woe to scribes |
| Mat 24:12 | "iniquity shall abound" | Olivet Discourse |
| 1Jn 3:4 | "sin is the transgression of the law (anomia)" | Definition of sin |
Connection to Daniel 7:25¶
Dan 7:25: "think to change times and laws" - The Aramaic word is דָּת (dath) = "law, decree" - Paul's "man of lawlessness (anomias)" directly echoes this: the figure who opposes God's law - The genitive τῆς ἀνομίας is a genitive of quality: "the man characterized by lawlessness"
Significance: Paul designates his Daniel-derived figure specifically by the quality of LAWLESSNESS -- the exact characteristic Daniel assigns to the little horn who would "think to change times and laws." This is not a generic moral failing but a specific connection to Daniel's prophecy.
9. ἀπώλεια (apoleia) - G684 - "perdition / destruction"¶
Original: ἀπώλεια Transliteration: apṓleia Definition: Ruin, loss, destruction, perdition (physical or spiritual) NT Count: 17 occurrences
Key Occurrences¶
| Verse | Translation | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2Th 2:3 | "the son of perdition" | Paul's man of sin |
| Rev 17:8 | "go into perdition" | The beast |
| Rev 17:11 | "goeth into perdition" | The beast is the eighth king |
| Jhn 17:12 | "the son of perdition" | Judas Iscariot |
| Mat 7:13 | "broad is the way that leadeth to destruction" | Two paths |
| 2Pe 2:1 | "damnable heresies... swift destruction" | False teachers |
| 2Pe 3:7 | "the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" | Final judgment |
The "Son of Perdition" Link¶
The phrase "ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας" ("the son of perdition/destruction") occurs only twice in the NT: 1. Jhn 17:12 -- Jesus about Judas: "the son of perdition" 2. 2Th 2:3 -- Paul about the man of sin: "the son of perdition"
The beast of Revelation is described as going "into perdition" (Rev 17:8,11) -- the same word (apoleia). This verbal thread connects Paul's man of sin to Revelation's beast via the shared "perdition" designation.
Significance: The apoleia link creates a three-way connection: Paul's "man of sin" (2Th 2:3) -- Revelation's beast (Rev 17:8,11) -- and Judas as the archetype of betrayal (Jhn 17:12). All three figures share the "perdition" designation, suggesting the NT authors saw them as expressions of the same Danielic antagonist power.
10. ἀντίχριστος (antichristos) - G500 - "antichrist"¶
Original: ἀντίχριστος Transliteration: antíchristos Definition: An opponent of the Messiah; antichrist NT Count: 5 occurrences (ALL in Johannine epistles)
Complete NT Distribution¶
| Verse | Form | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 1Jn 2:18a | ἀντίχριστος (sg) | "antichrist shall come" (singular, future expectation) |
| 1Jn 2:18b | ἀντίχριστοι (pl) | "even now are there many antichrists" (plural, present reality) |
| 1Jn 2:22 | ἀντίχριστος (sg) | "He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" |
| 1Jn 4:3 | ἀντιχρίστου (sg gen) | "this is that spirit of antichrist... even now already is it in the world" |
| 2Jn 1:7 | ἀντίχριστος (sg) | "This is a deceiver and an antichrist" |
The "Already / Not Yet" Pattern¶
John presents antichrist in a dual temporal framework: - Future singular: "antichrist SHALL COME" (1Jn 2:18a) -- ἔρχεται (present tense for future expectation) - Present plural: "many antichrists HAVE COME" (1Jn 2:18b) -- γεγόνασιν (perfect tense = completed action with present results) - Present spirit: "even now already is it in the world" (1Jn 4:3) -- νῦν + ἤδη = double temporal emphasis
This parallels Paul's "already at work" in 2Th 2:7 (ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται).
Significance: John's antichristos and Paul's "man of lawlessness" share the same temporal marker: the antagonist power is ALREADY present in the apostolic era, even though its full manifestation is future. This "already/not yet" framework matches the Daniel-Revelation relationship: Daniel's sealed vision (future) becomes Revelation's unsealed reality (present fulfillment era).
11. καιρός (kairos) - G2540 - "appointed time / season"¶
Original: καιρός Transliteration: kairós Definition: An occasion, a set or proper time; appointed time (distinguished from chronos = elapsed duration) NT Count: 80 occurrences
The Three-Language Time Formula¶
The "time, times, half a time" formula traverses three languages:
| Language | Passage | Word | Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aramaic | Dan 7:25 | עִדָּן (iddan) | "iddan we-iddanin u-felag iddan" |
| Hebrew | Dan 12:7 | מוֹעֵד (moed) | "le-moed mo'adim wa-hetsi" |
| Greek | Rev 12:14 | καιρός (kairos) | "kairon kai kairous kai hemisy kairou" |
Key Prophetic Uses of kairos¶
| Verse | Text |
|---|---|
| Rev 1:3 | "the time is at hand" (ὁ καιρὸς ἐγγύς) |
| Rev 11:18 | "the time of the dead, that they should be judged" |
| Rev 12:12 | "he knoweth that he hath but a short time" |
| Rev 12:14 | "a time, and times, and half a time" |
| Rev 22:10 | "the time is at hand" (ὁ καιρὸς ἐγγύς) |
| Luk 21:8 | "the time draweth near" |
| Luk 21:24 | "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" |
kairos vs. chronos¶
- kairos (G2540) = appointed/decisive time, the RIGHT moment
- chronos (G5550) = duration, elapsed time, a SPAN of time
- Revelation consistently uses kairos for eschatological timing, signaling appointed/decreed moments
Significance: The use of kairos in Rev 12:14 to translate the Daniel time formula demonstrates that John understood Dan 7:25 and Dan 12:7 as describing the SAME period. The identical formula in three languages (Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek) across three biblical books is the strongest single piece of evidence that NT authors treated Daniel 7-12 as one unified prophetic system.
12. ναός (naos) - G3485 - "temple / shrine"¶
Original: ναός Transliteration: naós Definition: A fane, shrine, the inner sanctuary (distinguished from hieron = the temple complex) NT Count: 43 occurrences
naos vs. hieron¶
- naos (G3485) = the inner sanctuary, the dwelling place of deity; the holy place / holy of holies
- hieron (G2411) = the entire temple complex, including courtyards and outer areas
- Paul uses NAOS in 2Th 2:4 -- the man of sin sits in the INNER SANCTUARY, not merely the temple grounds
2 Thessalonians 2:4 -- Sanctuary Usurpation¶
"ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καθίσαι" = "so that he sits in the sanctuary of God" - This echoes Dan 8:11: "the place of his sanctuary was cast down" - The naos is God's proper dwelling; the man of sin USURPS this space - Paul's figurative use (compare 1Co 3:16-17; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:21 where naos = the believing community) suggests the "temple" is not necessarily a physical building
Revelation's naos¶
- Rev 11:1-2: "measure the temple (naos) of God" but "the court which is without the temple leave out"
- Rev 11:19: "the temple (naos) of God was opened in heaven"
- Rev 15:5: "the temple (naos) of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened"
- Rev 21:22: "I saw no temple (naos) therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it"
Significance: The naos vocabulary links Paul's man-of-sin passage to Daniel's sanctuary attack and to Revelation's heavenly temple imagery. All three traditions -- Daniel, Paul, and Revelation -- describe a power that assaults or usurps the sacred space where God dwells.
13. שִׁקּוּץ (shiqquts) - H8251 - "abomination / idol"¶
Original: שִׁקּוּץ Transliteration: shiqqûwts Definition: Disgusting, filthy; especially idolatrous or (concretely) an idol OT Count: 28 occurrences
Daniel Occurrences¶
| Verse | Phrase |
|---|---|
| Dan 9:27 | "for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate" |
| Dan 11:31 | "they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate" |
| Dan 12:11 | "the abomination that maketh desolate set up" |
Always Idolatrous¶
Every single occurrence of shiqquts in the OT refers to an idolatrous object or practice: - 1Ki 11:5: Chemosh, the shiqquts of Moab - 2Ki 23:24: the shiqquts found in Jerusalem (Josiah's reform) - Jer 7:30: "they have set their shiqquts in the house which is called by my name" - Ezk 5:11; 7:20; 11:18,20; 20:7,8,30; 37:23: Israel's idolatrous shiqquts
Significance: The word shiqquts is NEVER used for generic sin, moral failure, or anything other than idolatrous sacrilege. When Daniel uses it (9:27; 11:31; 12:11), and when Jesus quotes Daniel's usage (Mat 24:15), the word carries a precise meaning: idolatrous desecration of sacred space. The LXX translated shiqquts with bdelygma (G946), and this same Greek word appears in all three Synoptic Olivet Discourse passages plus Rev 17:4.
14. עִדָּן (iddan) - H5732 - Aramaic "time"¶
Original: עִדָּן Transliteration: ʻiddân Definition: (Aramaic) A set time; technically, a year OT Count: 15 occurrences (all in Daniel)
Key Usage¶
- Dan 7:25: "עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן" = "a time and times and half a time"
- Dan 2:8,9,21; 3:5,15; 4:13,20,22,29; 7:12,25
The Aramaic-Hebrew-Greek Chain¶
Dan 7:25 (Aramaic iddan) --> Dan 12:7 (Hebrew moed) --> Rev 12:14 (Greek kairos)
All three words carry the sense of "appointed/set time," and all three appear in the SAME formula: time + times + half a time. This trilingual continuity across chapters proves that the authors understood Dan 7, Dan 12, and Rev 12 as describing the same prophetic period.
15. מוֹעֵד (moed) - H4150 - "appointed time / assembly"¶
Original: מוֹעֵד Transliteration: môwʻêd Definition: An appointment; a fixed time or season; a festival; an assembly OT Count: 229 occurrences
Daniel Occurrences¶
| Verse | Usage |
|---|---|
| Dan 8:19 | "at the time appointed the end shall be" |
| Dan 11:27 | "the end shall be at the time appointed" |
| Dan 11:29 | "At the time appointed he shall return" |
| Dan 11:35 | "even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed" |
| Dan 12:7 | "for a time, times, and an half" (the time formula in Hebrew) |
Significance¶
Moed is predominantly translated "congregation" (146 of 229 times) in the phrase "tabernacle of the congregation" (ohel moed). But in Daniel, it consistently means "appointed time" -- a divinely decreed moment in the prophetic timeline.
The use of moed in Dan 12:7 for the "time, times, and a half" formula parallels the Aramaic iddan in Dan 7:25, confirming that the two chapters describe the same period despite being written in different languages. The Greek LXX translates both with kairos, and Revelation picks up this same Greek word in Rev 12:14.
Summary of Vocabulary Chains¶
Chain 1: The Opening Formula¶
Dan 2:28 LXX (dei + genesthai) --> Rev 1:1 (dei + genesthai) --> Rev 22:6 (dei + genesthai)
Chain 2: The Sealed/Unsealed Arc¶
Dan 12:4 (sphragizo) --> Rev 5:1 (sphragis) --> Rev 22:10 (me sphragises)
Chain 3: The Abomination Phrase¶
Dan 9:27/11:31/12:11 (shiqquts H8251) --> LXX (bdelygma G946) --> Mat 24:15 + Mar 13:14 (bdelygma + eremosis)
Chain 4: The Blasphemy Quote¶
LXX Dan 7:8,20 (stoma laloun megala) --> Rev 13:5 (stoma laloun megala kai blasphemias)
Chain 5: The Time Formula¶
Dan 7:25 (Aramaic iddan) --> Dan 12:7 (Hebrew moed) --> Rev 12:14 (Greek kairos)
Chain 6: The Lawless/Perdition Figure¶
Dan 7:25 (change laws) --> 2Th 2:3 (anomia + apoleia) --> Rev 17:8,11 (apoleia)
Chain 7: The Kingdom Promise¶
Dan 7:14,18,27 (everlasting kingdom) --> Rev 11:15 (kingdoms become Christ's) --> Rev 22:5 (reign forever)
Chain 8: The Antichrist/"Already" Marker¶
Dan 7-8 (antagonist) --> 2Th 2:7 (already at work) --> 1Jn 2:18; 4:3 (already in the world)