Literal interpretation of the bible book of daniel

The widely held view that the book of daniel is largely fictional rests mainly on the modern philosophical assumption that longrange predictive prophecy is impossible. Which is it, dispensationalism with an improbable future of armies on horseback, or an admission to the use of nonliteral interpretation. The bible prophet, daniel, outlines in vivid detail world events now unfolding before our eyes. More likely, it refers to an empire with a literal confederation of 10 kings cp. When people come to the bible and want to mush up all the prophecy into figures they are violating a principle that daniel will adhere to, a literal interpretation. Mene means that god has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. How do i distinguish the literal from the figurative. In the hebrew bible, and in most recent protestant versions, the book of daniel is limited to its protocanonical portions. Book of daniel from the king james version of the bible. The interpretation of the revelation given to daniel concerning the seventy weeks daniel 9. This type of hermeneutics is often, but not rejection by neoorthodox theology. The biblical character king belshazzar is described in the book of daniel. How can i recognize and understand biblical symbolism.

It is a fact that many different sects of christendom use the bible to prove contradictory teachings. Biblical literature types of biblical hermeneutics. But thou, shut up the words, and seal the book by this was intimated, 1st, that the writing of truth see daniel 10. This book will focus on two different approaches to interpreting the bible. Discussion of the interpretative approaches to the book of daniel. That is, we try to find the plain literal meaning of the words based on an understanding of the historical and cultural settings in which the book was written. In other words, mauro is unable to find any event within the seventieth week of daniel to fulfill the prophecy of the latter part of daniels seventieth week, and in the end is forced to abandon his major thesis that the prophecies of daniels seventy weeks are subject to literal fulfillment.

The interpretation of the book revelation lamb and. The literal meaning is held to correspond to the intention of the authors. The book of revelation is written in a specific literary style called apocalyptic. The interpretation of the book revelation lamb and lion. Daniel 2 niv nebuchadnezzars dream in the bible gateway. This is a very important truth about the book of daniel its literal interpretation. Paul lee tan, in his book literal interpretation of the bible says, apparently the bible can be made to prove almost anything. However, it is not evolution or science that has driven christians away from a literal bible interpretation. This pope has said more than once that all christian denominations other. When we try to force literal interpretations on picture language, we run the. We must look at this declaration in light of other recent endorsements of the claim that the roman catholic church is the only true church. Daniel interpretation is part of the interpretation commentary series, and i have now read more than a dozen selections in this volume. In the english bible, daniel is placed among the major prophets, immediately after ezk, thus following the order of the septuagint and of the latin vulgate jeromes bible, 390405 a.

There is much confusion in the religious world regarding this issue. The oracles are primarily prophetic utterances, but often their narrative setting has also come to acquire oracular. They like to paint literal interpreters of the bible as being believers in wooden literalism, which they now simply label as literalism. Literal interpretation asserts that a biblical text is to be interpreted according to the plain meaning conveyed by its grammatical construction and historical context. Dispensationalism is a theology deduced from the bible that emphasizes the glory and grace of god. Considering all the contradictions, which are so apparent, one. Thomas ice the primary way critics of our prophecy views attack what we believe the bible teaches is to distort our view of literal interpretation.

Jun 24, 2009 when we say that the bible is literally true we do not mean that every word has a literal interpretation. How does the bible student discern the difference between passages that contain figurative language, and those that strictly are literal. Like any other book, the bible uses forms of speech, and recognizing these forms of speech is essential to a proper understanding of scripture. Four beasts come out of the sea, the ancient of days sits in judgement over them, and one like a son of man is given eternal kingship.

Read this article and learn some of the interpretative principles that are. Biblical literalism or biblicism is a term used differently by different authors concerning biblical interpretation. Unsealing daniels mysteries lesson 1 prophetic symbols. Reformed theology has abandoned literal interpretation in three key areas. In the christian bible, daniel is placed right after the major prophetsisaiah, jeremiah, and ezekieland right before the minor prophets. Biblical literature biblical literature types of biblical hermeneutics. Yeah, so its the dudes namepretty logical move for the biblical titlenamers. It not only prophesies the liberation of the jews from the reign of wicked and tyrannous powerparticularly that noted rapscallion, antiochus iv epiphanesbut contains the first and only direct and unambiguous reference to life after death in the hebrew bible. An authentic interpretation of the bible must always be in harmony with the faith of the catholic church, benedict declared. The interpretation of the prophecy of a future tennation confederacy as found in four major passages of scripture is a determinative issue in any system of prophetic interpretation. Dispensationalists seek to interpret the bible literally, that is, to consistently understand the scriptures in their plain, normal, natural, obvious sense, much like we would read and understand the newspaper, a book, a poem, an essay or other types of literature. Like all books of the bible, revelation was written in a particular time and place.

At this, daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Daniel 7 the seventh chapter of the book of daniel tells of daniel s vision of four worldkingdoms replaced by the kingdom of god. The following pages are a scripture by scripture bible commentary on each chapter of the book of daniel and many historical quotes are given to reinforce the truth. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse combining a prophecy of history with an eschatology cosmic in scope and political in focus. Its prophecies speak with increased meaning to this generation. This is meant to imply that hes sort of a major proph. The prophetic book of daniel was written for our time. He is the man who in 1909 produced the very first study bible a bible with explanatory notes. Additionally, a large proportion of the book is written in aramaic rather than the traditional hebrew adding to the complexity of these biblical texts. There is a strong enmity between the greeks christian orthodox and the turks muslims that goes back to the conquest of constantinople istanbul and the rise of the ottoman empire. Hermeneutics is the study of the principles of interpretation. The book of daniel is filled with messianic illusions and calculations that even left daniel pondering their meanings. The interpretation of the book can be determined only by understanding its historical background. In my mind, this books greatest value lies in the theological assessments.

Daniel 2 what are some biblical examples of dream interpretation. We then follow standard rules of grammar, according to the books. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of. It would be worthwhile and advisable to read the page on bible prophecy symbols first to gain a comprehensive understanding of the many bible symbols before beginning. One cannot read the great prophecies of the bible found in isaiah, jeremiah, daniel, ezekiel and in all the other prophets without coming face to face with amazing detailed descriptions of a future kingdom age when the messiah will be. The literal, grammatical, historical interpretation of. The bible prophet, daniel, outlines in vivid detail world events now unfolding before our. The first view holds fairly closely to what uriah smith wrote in his 1884 book, daniel and the revelation and defends a strong literal interpretation throughout the entire chapter. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, i have had a dream that troubles me and i want to know what it means. The book of daniel begins with king nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of babylon, ransacking jerusalem. Literary forms and biblical interpretation answers in genesis. All biblical dreams, such as those of joseph, gideon, daniel, paul, and peter, are very symbolic and therefore had a hidden spiritual meaning rather than a literal interpretation of the symbols. More detail about the stone and the mountain are provided in daniel 7 and 9.

Principles of the literal bible interpretation free republic. The interpretation of the book is it symbolic or literal in nature. Edgar cayce on the book of revelation the afterlife. There are other examples of it in the biblefor example in parts of the book of daniel and elsewhere in the prophets. Apr 28, 2018 which is it, dispensationalism with an improbable future of armies on horseback, or an admission to the use of nonliteral interpretation. Part of the section of the bible referred to as ketuvim the writings see the torah, it is an apocalyptic book, like the book of revelations in the new testament. He probably designed to show that he had clearly understood what had been said, or that he had attended to the most minute circumstances as narrated. The book of daniel is unsealing middle east and prophecy. The book of daniel speaks of things that can be interpreted in many ways, and many scholars, who do not have any concept of an inner meaning, interpret them literally. The historicist method accepts the assumption that the prophecies of daniel and revelation are intended to unfold and to find fulfillment in historical time in. Daniel 7 niv bible in the first year of belshazzar king. In the septuagint, the vulgate, and many other ancient and modern translations of the bible, it comprises both its proto and its deuterocanonical parts, both of which have an equal right to be considered as inspired, and to be included in a treatment of the book of daniel. The first important fact to notice is that the prophecies in daniel 2 literally came true.

The second main part of the book in the hebrew bible viixii is taken up with four visions which daniel describes in the first person. The study of prophecy should by no means be neglected. Apr 22, 2011 when people come to the bible and want to mush up all the prophecy into figures they are violating a principle that daniel will adhere to, a literal interpretation. Biblical literature types of biblical hermeneutics britannica. Once you understand the meaning of the symbol, bible prophecy becomes.

Daniel 7 niv bible in the first year of belshazzar. The angel gabriel specifically told daniel to seal up these prophecies until the time of the end. In my vision at night i looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. They tie everything together and point directly to the central themes behind the narrative that propel the text forward. It can equate to the dictionary definition of literalism. In other words, it is the way you interpret scripture. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse. In my vision at night i looked, and there before me were the f. The continual movement of the book of daniel it is of the outmost importance to understand the structure of the book of daniel, its nature and purpose in order to know how to apply this last chapter. Literal interpretation biblical criticism britannica.

The attention given to it by all schools of interpretation, and the attacks upon the authenticity of the book itself combine to focus the white light of investigation upon it. Daniel s dream of four beasts in the first year of belshazzar king of babylon, daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. The traditional interpretation of the dream identifies the four empires as the babylonian the head, medopersian arms. The book of daniel is the history of the rise and fall of empires from 600 bc till the end of times. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse combining a prophecy of history with an eschatology a portrayal of end times cosmic in scope and political in focus. Daniel 7 niv daniels dream of four beasts in bible. Properly interpreted, the prophecy of daniel furnishes an excellent example of the principle that prophecy is subject to literal interpretation. He ends up taking back the cream of the crop, the most elite and noble israelites, to serve at his court in babylon. The three basic adventist interpretations of the book of daniel 11 are. Daniel 9 youngs literal translation ylt 9 in the first year of darius, son of ahasuerus, of the seed of the medes, who hath been made king over the kingdom of the chaldeans, 2 in the first year of his reign, i, daniel, have understood by books the number of the years, in that a word of jehovah hath been unto jeremiah the prophet. In more mundane language, it is an account of the activities and visions of daniel, a noble jew exiled at babylon, its message being that just as the god of israel saved daniel and his friends from their enemies, so. Literal bible interpretation and bible contradictions. This volume is offered as a consistent exposition of the books of daniel and the revelation according to the literal system.

Nebuchadnezzars dream in the second year of his reign, nebuchadnezzar had dreams. In the bible, the prophecy of seventy weeks chapter 9 of the book of daniel is a prophecy given to daniel by the angel gabriel in response to daniel s prayer for god to act on behalf of his people and city i. The key to bible interpretation, especially for the book of revelation, is to have a consistent hermeneutic. And as you have surely already surmised, the majority of the works listed on this page of daniel commentaries and sermons are from sources that seek to interpret the text literally, and also interpret figurative language e. Chapter 2 interpretation of the bible daniel helminiaks web site. In the hebrew bible, it is found in the ketuvim, while in christian bibles. Read this article and learn some of the interpretative principles that are involved in correct bible study on this matter. The tree that thou sawest in these two verses daniel refers to the leading circumstances respecting the tree as it appeared in the dream, without any allusion as yet to the order to cut it down. A simile is a vivid yet simple comparison of one thing with another. As has been said, the importance of biblical hermeneutics has lain in the bibles status as a sacred book in judaism and christianity, recording a divine revelation or reproducing divine oracles. Our understanding of iddan as a year is deduced from the context, so i will. Oct 29, 2002 it is a fact that many different sects of christendom use the bible to prove contradictory teachings. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed.

For the christian reader daniel is a prophetic book. See my response to ron rhodes question, should bible prophecy be interpreted literally or allegorically. The book of daniel is rightly so called, whether we consider daniel as the author of it, or as the principal person mentioned in it. The word translated grecia in the book of daniel is the name yavan javan, the name of a son of joktan, and of the race ionians, i. Modern interpreters who try to make the ot model literal or normative twist the revelation into a very jewish book and force meaning into. Sep 19, 20 the historicist method accepts the assumption that the prophecies of daniel and revelation are intended to unfold and to find fulfillment in historical time in the span between the prophets. The greek word for revelation is apocalypsis, so the title of the book is a translation of that word.

Daniel 9 interpreting bible prophecy literally youtube. Commenting on this interpretation, he stated, i dont understand it. In more mundane language, it is an account of the activities and visions of daniel, a noble jew exiled at babylon, its message being that just as the god of israel saved daniel and his friends from their enemies, so he would save all of israel in their present oppression. Verse 29 shows that daniel was made the third ruler in the kingdom for interpreting. Cyruss reign over babylon, the scene of the later chapters of daniel began in 539 b. Jews for judaism daniel 9 a true biblical interpretation. The three basic adventist interpretations of the book of daniel 11 are discussed below. Nov 06, 2019 the three basic adventist interpretations of the book of daniel 11 are discussed below. The book of daniel serves as the major apocalyptic book of the old testament, as chapters 712 foretell the end times. The book of daniel is very important to understanding the book of revelation since. The book of daniel is a 2ndcentury bc biblical apocalypse combining a prophecy of history with an. Biblebelieving christians generally follow a method of interpretation known as the historicalgrammatical approach. In the first year of belshazzar king of babylon, daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. This is because the principles of interpretation applied to this prophecy are the key to the total prophetic outlook.