A. Mystery

1. Veiled meanings, hidden enigmas, difficulty of being understood.

2. Religious confusion: proof texting a huge problem. J.W's, 7th Day Adv., Premill., Armstrongism etc.

B. Wisdom

1. Challenge of the mind

2. Need for Prayer

3. Allow the Bible to interpret itself.

     a. Daniel interprets the king's dream in chapter 2

     b. Daniel interprets the king's dream in chapter 4.

     c. Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall in chapter 5.

     d. Daniel explains the visions of chapters 7-12.

     e. Ch. 2, 5, 8, explain ch.7

     f. Ch. 8 explains ch. 11 & 12.

     g. Mrk. 1:15; 9:1; Col. 1:13 explain Dan. 2:44

4. Secular history shows fulfillment and explanation of many of the prophecies.

C. Evidences

1. Historical detail not found in other books now confirmed by archaeological data.

2. Predictions of detailed history hundreds of years before the events happen.

D. God's Sovereignty

1. God's rule over world kingdoms

2. God's rule of world history

3. God's rule of his own kingdom

E. God's Son

1. The one like "a son of God" in ch.3.

2. The "Son of Man" who rules God's Kingdom in ch. 7.

3. The celestial figure of ch. 10.

A. Evidence in Favor of Daniel

1. The Book's claim

a. Words of the Kings

b. Words of Daniel

2. Ezekiel's testimony in 590 B.C.__Ezek. 14:14,20; 28:3

3. Historical corroboration of Belshazzar by Official Babylonian records.

4. Testimony of I Macc. 2:60; 150 B.C.

5. Manuscript of Daniel in dead Sea Scrolls, 150 B.C.

6. Testimony of Jesus Christ. Matt. 24:15

7. Testimony of Josephus

a. Authentic history. Ant. XI. 10. 1-6; 11.2-7

b. Alexander the Great's Acknowledgment of Daniel-Ant., XI.8.5

c. Jewish Canon of 22 Books included Daniel. Contra Apion, 1:6-8.

B. Evidence Against Daniel.

1. Historical inaccuracies now  disproved by archeology

2. Writings Instead of the Prophets:

a. Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deut.

b. Prophets:

1. Former: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings

2. Latter: Isaiah, Jeremiah/Lament, Ezek. The 12 Minor prophets.

3. Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Ester, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles.

c. Daniel was a statesman, not a vocational prophet

d. Daniel had the gift of prophecy (2nd Peter 1:21) like David the King, who wrote the Psalms.

3. Two languages:

a. Language division: Hebrew (1:1-2:4a & 8:1-12:13) & Aramaic (2:4b-7:28)

b. Arguments against Daniel

1. D instead of Z is late Aramaic (but Ras Shamra documents duplicate Daniel's style.)(here)

2. Indicates Hebrew was lost and later hand substituted it and possibly changed it, but why in the middle of the verse?

c. Arguments for Daniel

1. Daniel learned the official Babylonian language (Dan. 1:4; 2:4; 2nd Kings 18:26; Ezra 4:7).

2. Daniel speaks to the king in 2:4b and the kings speaks in chapter 4; Sections 1-7 dealt with prophecies transmitted to the Babylonian: ch. 8-12 deals with angels interpreting Daniel's visions; angels would speak to Daniel in his native language.

3. Since Daniel knew both languages, it fits him perfectly but not a later Jew.

A. God uses other nations to punish His people.

B. God protects the faithful even while punishing the disobedient, and will eventually bless them eternally in the resurrection.

C. God establishes, controls, and punishes all nations and kingdoms of the earth (Rev.1:5).

D. God is the Sovereign ruler of the universe

E. God knows and controls world history

F. God will establish His eternal kingdom (and He did on Pentecost) and it will outlast all other kingdoms and endure forever.