The Visions of Daniel the Hebrew Prophet

Book excerpt: For centuries, controversy has raged over the authorship and genuineness of the book of Daniel. Is it an authentic document from the sixth century before the Common Era with a message from God to postexilic Israel; or is it a forged document written centuries later to encourage Israelites being oppressed by the Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes? Robert Johns addresses these issues and more in his thesis on Daniel's visions. Importantly, Johns establishes when Daniel was provided with his visions, and he defines why God provided Daniel with the visions. The Visions of Daniel the Hebrew Prophet examines the metal image, the beast with eleven horns, the Seventy "sevens," chapter eight's little-horn, and the 2,300 evening-mornings. It demonstrates that the enigmatic 1,290 days and 1,335 days are anything but enigmatic, and it identifies the reason why Daniel's fifth and final revelation is so detailed. Appendices address issues of general nature, such as the historicity of Jesus the Christ, the popularity of dispensationalism, the identity of "the abomination that desolates," and the integrity of novels representing the Christian-fiction genre (which focus on a seven-year tribulation period at the end of history). This book will be of value to every Christian who has an interest in Bible prophecy and eschatology.