How Long is a Year? More studies in Daniel
The new year started and we went back into Daniel, hoping to finish our study of the prophets soon. Since this study will end with John the Baptist - an appropriate book-end with Samuel - we've decided to move straight into a Chronological study of the Gospels next. But first, here are the last few studies from the prophets - with all their attendant numerical and apocalyptical complexities.
(51) Daniel’s Numbers
(51) Daniel’s Numbers
Daniel is often remembered for
obscure visions and strange numbers. We’ve already looked at how important
symbolic numbers can be in prophesy—3 for God’s certainty, 2 for man’s trust, 4
for the earth, 7 for God’s plan, 10 for man’s counting, 12 for God’s choice…
But Daniel uses real numbers too—360 days in a year, 7 days in a week, etc.
Going back to Daniel’s vision of Alexander and the history to follow him…
Read
Daniel 8:11-14
1. A
mathematical question. A generic year was 360 days long. How many years is
2,300 days?
2. There
are lots of different interpretations of Daniel’s 2,300 days.
a. One
suggests that the Temple will be defiled when the high priest is killed in
171BC, and restored when Antiochus Epiphanes dies in 164BC.
i.
Do you think the people would have been
encouraged by this interpretation in the time of the Maccabees?
ii.
Do you think God intends the prophecy to be
encouraging or confusing?
iii.
Do you think God intends the prophecy to be
applicable to all times and places?
b. Interpreting
days as years meant the world was going to end in 1844. Does this remind you of
end-times arguments about the millennium?
Daniel looks for an explanation of
the vision and talks with an angel again.
1. Read Daniel 8:16 Where else do we know
Gabriel from? (Read Daniel 9:21, Luke
1:19,26)
2. What
do we think of when we hear Gabriel’s name? (In Hebrew, it might be a play on words, meaning one like a
man)?
3. Who
might the one telling Gabriel to speak?
Read
Daniel 8:17,19 The angel mentions the time of the end. Does this mean the
end times, or the end of Israel’s punishment under Antiochus Epiphanes?
3. Some
interpretations use Antiochus as an image or precursor of the anti-Christ. Do
you think we’re meant to know for sure, now? Should Christians argue over
interpretations?
4. What
general message do you get for difficult times from Daniel’s vision?
Daniel’s fourth vision takes place
after the Babylonians have been conquered. He’s still working at court, working
for the Medo-Persian empire. And Jeremiah’s 70 years have passed – it’s time
for God’s people to go home.
1. Read Daniel 9:1-6. Daniel confesses
“our” sins even though he’s not guilty of them.
a. How
willing are we to confess other people’s sins as our own?
b. When
we Read Romans 1:18,21,24 do we emphasize the sins of others or our own
failure to glorify God?
2. Read Daniel 9:18-19 Are we called by His
name?
3. Read Daniel 9:20-23. Another vision is
coming. Read Daniel 9:24-27
a. Why
might 70 be on Daniel’s mind? (Read
Jeremiah 25:11)
b. What
do you think might be the significance of 70? (symbolic numbers, average
lifetime…?)
i.
Jeremiah’s
70 years could be from the fall of Jerusalem to the rebuilding (66) or
dedication (71) of the Temple, or from Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus (various
numbers). Does it worry you if it’s not precise?
c. What
might be the significance of weeks instead of years? (Read Matthew 18:22)
d. What
“command” do you think might be the starting point for “calculating” the years?
i.
Some use Cyrus decree. Others use the decree
issued in Nehemiah’s time to rebuild the city. Given how hard it is to
“calculate” Jeremiah’s 70 years, does there have to be a “right” answer?
e. 7
weeks and 62 weeks might represent 49 years to clean up the rubble and rebuild
the city under Nehemiah, and 434 years to the Messiah… but years are only 360
days long, which leads to a Messiah in 32AD… but the crucifixion might be in
30AD… Is all this really about counting precise numbers?
f.
Which leads to the final week of years. Cutting
off the Messiah must have been a strange idea to Daniel who looks forward to
welcoming a Messiah. What strangely
unlikely events has God done in your life?
g. Who
might the people of the prince who is to come be, if the Messiah invites
Gentiles into his kingdom? And what did the Romans do to Jerusalem?
h. Read Matthew 14:15-21. What do you think
Jesus meant?
In the reign of Cyrus, with the
Jews about to return, Daniel has another vision
1. Read Daniel 10:1-3 Is this going to be a
nice message?
2. Read Daniel 10:4-6 Who does Daniel see?
(Read Revelation 1:14-16. This
probably happens just after Passover)
3. Read Daniel 10:7-11 Does this remind you
of Paul?
4. Read Daniel 10:12,2-3 How does Daniel
end up being the person to speak with angels?
5. Read Daniel 10:13-14.
a. What
was happening to the Jews at this time (Read
Ezra 4:1-5)?
b. Why
isn’t Daniel with them (instead he’s near the Tigris – still working for the
“the enemy.”)?
c. Why
does this make it more plausible to non-believers that Daniel’s a real person?
6. Read Daniel 10:8,15,17 How many times is
Daniel overcome? Who else does that remind you of?
7. Read Daniel 10:20-21 What do you think
is meant by “The Scripture of Truth”? How might it differ from Scripture?
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