Daniel-Introduction-Date and Authorship of the Book of Daniel
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday November 9, 2011
Daniel: Introduction to the Book of Daniel-Date and Authorship of the Book of Daniel
Lesson # 2
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 7:1.
The book of Daniel was named after its principal figure, who according to Jewish tradition was the attributive author.
The book itself declares Daniel as its author in Daniel 7:1, 9:2, 10:2, 7 and 12:4-5.
Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. (NASB95)
Daniel 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. (NASB95)
Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. 2 In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. 7 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. (NASB95)
Daniel 12:1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river. (NASB95)
The Lord Jesus Christ confirms this (Matthew 24:15) who quotes from Daniel 9:27, 11:31 and 12:11.
More confirmation is found in Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and 28:3, which were written after Daniel had assumed an important post in the king’s court at Babylon.
The authorship of Daniel was never seriously questioned until the third century A.D. when a Neo-platonist named Porphyry attacked the authenticity of the book of Daniel, assigning the date of 168 B.C. for the composition of the book.
He argued that the book was written to support the faith of the Jews Antiochus Epiphanes was persecuting.
However, they fail to realize that the pagan kings in Daniel are portrayed at times in positive terms (4;1-3, 36-37; 6:19-28).
Now, if the historical context of Daniel was 168 B.C. during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, a man who set up an image of Zeus in the temple and sacrificed pigs on its altar and who attempted to exterminate the Jews, this positive portrayal of pagan kings by a zealous persecutor of the Jews would be inexplicable.
Outside of this individual, no one questioned the authenticity of the book of Daniel.
However, higher criticism in the seventh century seized upon the arguments of Porphyry.
Liberal scholarship disregards the evidence and will not accept the facts because it is biased as a result of their philosophical presuppositions, which deny the supernatural and predictive prophecy.
The higher critics reject predictive prophecy, which the book of Daniel abundantly contains.
The book of Daniel presents in great detail the history of not only Babylon but also Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.
The events recorded in Daniel 11:5-35 were fulfilled in the fourth to the second centuries B.C.
The critics of Daniel have the presupposition that Daniel could not possibly have known in advance these events.
They argue that these events were recorded “after’ the events transpired.
They in effect reject the inspiration of Scripture by attacking the integrity of the book of Daniel.
Many scholars argue against a sixth century B.C. date of composition for the book of Daniel because the book contains several Persian and Greek words, which to them indicates that it must have been written much later than the sixth century B.C.
With regards to the words which are Persian in origin, it must be remembered that Daniel served in the Persian government towards the end of his life.
Almost half of the twenty Persian loan words found in the book of Daniel are related to government officials in some fashion.
All three Greek words (Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15) appear in the eighth century B.C. in Homer’s works, the Iliad and the Odyssey.
There are those who argue against Daniel’s authorship because of alleged historical errors.
They assert that Nebuchadnezzar was not the father of Belshazzar as indicated in Daniel 5:2, 11, 13, 18 (cf. verse 22).
However, the term “son” was used in the ancient world to not only denote a blood relationship but also a non-blood relationship and was used with reference to the preceding king.
Critics of the book of Daniel argue against a sixth century B.C. date for the composition of the book because it contains apocalyptic literature, which appeared often in the time of the Maccabees (which is non-canonical).
Consequently, some scholars argue that Daniel must have been written during the Maccabean period between 168-134 B.C.
However, apocalyptic literature appears in abundance in the book of Ezekiel who was also a sixth century prophet who was exiled to Babylon!
Pentecost writes, “Daniel’s familiarity with the individuals spoken of in the book and with the historical events and customs mentioned in the book necessitates a sixth-century date for the book. The minute details included in the book could hardly have been retained accurately by oral tradition for some 400 years, as suggested by those who postulate a late date for the book. The fact that manuscript fragments from the Book of Daniel were found in Qumran, written perhaps in the second century b.c., preclude the notion that Daniel was written in 165 b.c., as many critics suggest. Not enough time would have been available for the book to have reached the Essene community in Qumran and for it to have been copied there. Also the fact that the Book of Daniel was accepted by the Jews into the canon of Scripture bears witness to its authenticity.”
Some critics contend that the name Yahweh is not used by Daniel.
They argue that since this name was commonly used in Daniel’s day by others that the book of Daniel must have been written at a much later date.
But this is refuted by the simple fact that the name appears eight times in chapter nine (9:2, 4, 8, 10, 13-14).
There are those who contend Daniel’s frequent references to angels and his reference to the resurrection of the dead in 12:2 indicates a late postexilic date for the book.
But this fails to recognize the fact that angels are frequently referred to throughout Israel’s long history and that resurrection is mentioned in Psalm 16:10 as well as Isaiah 26:19, which were written before the book of Daniel.
Some are opposed to a sixth century date for Daniel because the book is not included with the Prophets but the Writings in the Hebrew Bible.
They contend that if the book was written in the sixth century B.C. it would have been included with the Prophets rather than the Writings.
But the status of the author rather than the date of his book determined where his book was placed in the canon of Scripture.
Daniel was regarded by his contemporaries as a governmental leader rather than a prophet, thus his writings were included in the Writings rather than in the Prophets.
In his day, Daniel was a statesman whose public ministry was not directed toward Israel but rather it was used in relation to the kings of the Babylonian and Persian Empires.
He was called a “seer” and a “wise man” but never a prophet, which is another reason why his book was not classified with the Prophets.
Furthermore, God did not use Daniel to deliver a message to the nation of Israel “publicly,” which a prophet would do (Bible Knowledge Commentary, Pentecost, volume 1, page 1323).
However, as we noted previously the Lord Jesus Christ did call him a prophet in Matthew 24:15.