Stroll through Scripture for Sunday, August 25, 2024

Based on Daniel 7:1–18

The first six chapters of Daniel were stories of Daniel and his compatriots and their interactions with various kings. They are clearly conquered people and throughout much of these stories, there are others who conspire to have them removed from positions of trust. The stories in Daniel use fantastic elements (like an overheated furnace or a lion’s den) to talk about things familiar to oppressed peoples. Yet these stories offer consolation to those oppressed peoples because regardless of the empire, the king, or the conspirators, it is God who always prevails and protects God’s faithful. That doesn’t mean that life is easy of course.

Chapter seven presents a turning point in the book of Daniel. From here on out we will hear about Daniel’s apocalyptic visions, with heavenly creatures, and mystery. Apocalyptic literature is a genre of Scripture that is written during times of great oppression. It is meant to offer consolation and hope to those who are oppressed, telling them that no matter how bad the situation gets (there is no sugar coating the situation, which is why it was written in the first place), God hears the cry of God’s faithful and acts.

Daniel’s version of apocalyptic literature is not a warning that allows for change. Rather, the book of Daniel presents its apocalyptic language as a set-in-stone certain future — God has judged and is carrying out the judgement. There is no way to change it. This differs from other apocalyptic…