BEMA Episode Link: 62: Daniel — Son of Man
Episode Length: 21:05
Published Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2018 01:00:00 -0800
Session 2
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the book of Daniel and its persistent and sometimes hidden message of perseverance.

Daniel — Son of Man Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 62

Double Rainbow — YouTube

Transcript for BEMA 62

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 62: Daniel — Son of Man

Title & Source Summary

This episode explores the Book of Daniel, focusing on its sophisticated literary structure and central message of perseverance during exile. Rather than reading Daniel primarily as an end-times prophecy, the episode reveals how the book uses a double chiastic structure to communicate hope to God’s people facing oppression, culminating in the promise of “one like a son of man” who will establish an everlasting kingdom.

Key Takeaways

  • Daniel is written in two languages (Hebrew and Aramaic), with the language shifts themselves communicating a message of exile and restoration
  • The book contains a remarkable “double chiasm” structure—two chiasms that together form a larger overarching chiasm
  • Daniel may have been written much later than the Babylonian exile (possibly 2nd century BC), using that historical setting as a backdrop for contemporary challenges
  • The central message focuses on “one like a son of man” (Daniel 7:13-14) who will come to make everything right
  • The book’s primary purpose is to encourage perseverance and faithfulness during times of suffering and empire, not primarily to predict end-times events
  • Daniel appears in the Ketuvim (Writings) in Hebrew Scripture, not among the Nevi’im (Prophets)
  • The familiar characters Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were given these names by their Babylonian captors; their Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah

Main Concepts & Theories

Literary Structure: Language as Message

Daniel uniquely employs two languages to convey its message:

  • Chapter 1: Written in Hebrew (the language of God’s people)
  • Chapters 2-7: Written in Aramaic (the common secular language of the ancient Near East)
  • Chapters 8-12: Return to Hebrew

This deliberate language shift creates a literary journey from Jewish identity (Hebrew) into the experience of exile and loss of identity (Aramaic), then back to restoration and hope (Hebrew). The language choice alone—before any content analysis—communicates the arc of the exile experience and the promise of return.

The Double Chiasm Structure

Daniel contains one of Scripture’s most complex literary structures: a double chiasm where two chiasms exist independently and also combine to form a third, larger chiasm.

Chiasm A (Chapters 2-7, mostly in Aramaic)

The first chiasm addresses the experience of exile:

  • A: Chapter 2 — Four-part statue representing kingdoms
  • B: Chapter 3 — Refusal to worship, thrown into furnace
  • C: Chapter 4 — Fall of Nebuchadnezzar
  • C’: Chapter 5 — Fall of Belshazzar
  • B’: Chapter 6 — Refusal to worship, thrown into lion’s den
  • A’: Chapter 7 — Four beasts representing kingdoms

Center of Chiasm A (Daniel 4:37): “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

This center verse dramatically places words of worship and acknowledgment of God’s justice in the mouth of the prideful, evil King Nebuchadnezzar—affirming that even in exile, God’s ways are just.

Chiasm B (Chapters 8-12, in Hebrew)

The second chiasm addresses the promise of restoration:

  • A: Chapter 8 — Prophecy about beasts
  • B: Chapter 9A — Trials and forgiveness
  • C: Chapter 9B — Prophecy about the fall of a king
  • B’: Chapter 10 — Trials and mourning
  • A’: Chapter 11 — Prophecy about kings

Center of Chiasm B (Daniel 9:26): “After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.”

This passage speaks of the destruction of the temple and the death of “the Anointed One”—themes that connect both to the historical experience of exile and (from a Christian perspective) to Jesus, though the original audience would have understood it in their own historical context.

Chiasm C (The Entire Book, Chapters 1-12)

The two chiasms combine to form the overarching structure:

  • A: Chapter 1 — Prologue
  • B: Chapter 2 — Prophecy about kingdoms
  • C: Chapter 3 — God’s people in suffering
  • D: Chapters 4 & 5 — Prophecy about the fall of kings
  • E: Chapter 6 — God’s people in suffering
  • F: Chapters 7 & 8 — Prophecies of the beasts (CENTER)
  • E’: Chapter 9A — God’s people in suffering
  • D’: Chapter 9B — Prophecy about the fall of a king
  • C’: Chapter 10 — God’s people in suffering
  • B’: Chapter 11 — Prophecy about kingdoms
  • A’: Chapter 12 — Epilogue

Center of Chiasm C (Daniel 7:13-14): “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

The “Son of Man” as Central Message

The centerpiece of the entire book is the vision of “one like a son of man” who will:

  • Come with the clouds of heaven
  • Approach the Ancient of Days (God)
  • Receive authority, glory, and sovereign power
  • Be worshiped by all nations and peoples
  • Establish an everlasting dominion and indestructible kingdom

This figure becomes central to Jewish eschatological hope and is heavily referenced by Jesus in the Gospels. The promise is that someone will come who will stand before God, render judgment, and “make everything right in the world.”

Dating and Historical Context

The episode challenges the traditional view of Daniel as an exilic prophet (6th century BC), instead suggesting:

  • Daniel was likely written in the 2nd century BC, making it one of the last books of the Hebrew Scriptures
  • The Babylonian exile setting serves as a historical backdrop or “stage” for addressing later challenges
  • The book speaks to people facing oppression under various empires (potentially Greco-Roman)
  • This later dating helps explain passages like Daniel 9:25-27, which reference temple restoration, corruption, and destruction—events that don’t fit chronologically within the Babylonian exile
Themes of Empire and Resistance

Daniel presents a consistent message about:

  • Standing strong in the face of suffering
  • Resisting empire and refusing to bow to foreign gods
  • Subverting kingdoms that demand allegiance away from God
  • Recognizing the temporary nature of empires—all kingdoms will eventually fall
  • Pride as the ultimate downfall of every empire and ruler
  • God’s protection and presence with His people during trials

Examples & Applications

The Renamed Friends (Chapter 1)

The renaming of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego illustrates the empire’s attempt to strip away Jewish identity. The Babylonian names praised Babylonian gods, functioning as a form of cultural bullying and forced assimilation. That we know them primarily by their Babylonian names rather than their Hebrew names reflects how deeply empire can affect identity and memory.

Application: Consider how dominant cultures attempt to reshape the identities of marginalized groups, and the importance of preserving and honoring original names and identities.

The Fiery Furnace and Lion’s Den (Chapters 3 & 6)

These mirror stories within Chiasm A both involve:

  • Refusal to worship according to empire’s demands
  • Being thrown into life-threatening situations as punishment
  • God’s miraculous protection and deliverance
  • The eventual acknowledgment of God’s power by the empire

Application: These stories encourage faithfulness even when it leads to persecution, trusting in God’s presence in the midst of suffering rather than necessarily His deliverance from it.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humbling (Chapter 4)

The proud king is driven to madness, living like an animal until he acknowledges God’s sovereignty. His restoration comes when he looks up to heaven and recognizes God’s eternal kingdom.

Application: Pride precedes destruction in both individual lives and empires. True restoration requires humility and recognition of God’s authority.

The Seventy Sevens (Daniel 9)

This challenging passage with its “seven sevens” and “sixty-two sevens” has been used extensively in end-times calculations. However, its original meaning likely related to:

  • Restoration of Jerusalem
  • The corruption and death of an anointed leader
  • Temple destruction
  • The cyclical nature of judgment and restoration

Application: While prophecy can have multiple layers of meaning and fulfillment, the primary meaning must make sense to the original audience in their historical context.

The Vision of Four Kingdoms

Both the statue in Daniel 2 and the beasts in Daniel 7 represent successive kingdoms that will rise and fall. Regardless of which historical empires these represent (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, or others), the message remains consistent: all earthly kingdoms are temporary.

Application: No political power, economic system, or cultural empire lasts forever. Placing ultimate hope in any human kingdom leads to disappointment.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Apocalyptic Literature in Context
  • Study other apocalyptic texts from the Second Temple period to understand Daniel’s genre and literary conventions
  • Explore how apocalyptic literature functioned to encourage persecuted communities using symbolic language
  • Investigate the relationship between Daniel and other apocalyptic books like Revelation
“Son of Man” in Jesus’ Teaching
  • Trace Jesus’ use of the phrase “Son of Man” throughout the Gospels
  • Examine how Jesus applies Daniel 7:13-14 to himself and his mission
  • Consider why Jesus might have preferred this self-designation over other messianic titles
The Dating of Daniel
  • Examine the linguistic evidence for dating (Aramaic forms, Persian loanwords, etc.)
  • Study the historical references in Daniel and their accuracy to different time periods
  • Investigate the Dead Sea Scrolls evidence for Daniel’s composition date
  • Understand the theological implications of different dating proposals
Chiastic Structures in Other Biblical Books
  • Identify chiasms in other books of Scripture
  • Learn to recognize the center of chiasms as interpretive keys
  • Understand how ancient Hebrew authors used structure to convey meaning
The Theology of Resurrection in Daniel
  • Study Daniel 12:2-3 and the development of resurrection theology
  • Explore how Daniel’s eschatology influenced later Jewish and Christian thought
  • Examine the connection between vindication, resurrection, and divine justice
Empire and Resistance in Scripture
  • Trace the theme of resistance to empire throughout the biblical narrative
  • Study how Daniel’s message relates to other exilic and post-exilic literature
  • Apply Daniel’s message to contemporary experiences of oppression and cultural pressure
The Book of Life
  • Research references to the “book of life” in Daniel and elsewhere in Scripture
  • Understand ancient Near Eastern concepts of divine record-keeping
  • Explore how this imagery relates to judgment and remembrance

Comprehension Questions

  1. How does the use of two different languages (Hebrew and Aramaic) in the Book of Daniel contribute to its overall message about exile and restoration? Consider what each language represents and how the shifts between them would affect a Jewish reader’s experience of the text.

  2. Explain the concept of a “double chiasm” in Daniel. What are the centers of Chiasm A, Chiasm B, and the overarching Chiasm C, and what is the significance of each center? Be specific about which chapters fall into which parts of the structure.

  3. Why might the Book of Daniel have been written in the 2nd century BC rather than during the actual Babylonian exile in the 6th century BC? What internal evidence from the book suggests a later date, and how does this affect our interpretation of passages like Daniel 9:25-27?

  4. What is the central message of the Book of Daniel according to the chiastic structure, and how does the “Son of Man” figure in Daniel 7:13-14 embody this message? Explain what this promise would have meant to the original audience.

  5. How do the stories of resistance in Daniel (the fiery furnace, the lion’s den, Daniel’s prayer, etc.) work together within the book’s structure to communicate a message about empire and faithfulness? What consistent themes emerge from these narratives?

Summary

The Book of Daniel presents far more than a collection of familiar stories or a cryptic end-times prophecy. Through sophisticated literary artistry—including a unique double chiasm and strategic use of two languages—Daniel communicates a profound message of hope and perseverance to God’s people facing the oppression of empire.

Written likely in the 2nd century BC but set against the backdrop of the Babylonian exile, Daniel addresses communities wondering where God’s justice can be found in their suffering. The book insists that all earthly kingdoms, no matter how powerful, will eventually fall. Pride brings down even the mightiest rulers. God’s people must resist the pull of empire, refuse to bow to foreign gods, and remain faithful even when it leads to persecution.

At the heart of this message stands the vision of “one like a son of man”—a figure who will come in the clouds, stand before the Ancient of Days, and establish an everlasting kingdom that will never be destroyed. This central promise, positioned at the structural center of the entire book, offers the ultimate hope: someone is coming who will make everything right, render true judgment, and vindicate the faithfulness of those who persevered.

For the original audience, this message sustained hope during oppression. For later readers, including Jesus and the early church, this vision of the Son of Man provided language and imagery to understand God’s ultimate plan for justice and restoration. The Book of Daniel thus invites every generation facing the pressures of empire to set their faces resolutely toward tomorrow, standing firm in faith until the day they might see one like a son of man coming in the clouds of heaven.

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