DID YOU KNOW? Apocalyptic Literature Daniel, chapters 7-10 As you read chapters 7-10 of Daniel, you might ask, What’s with the four beasts in Chapter 7, and the goat with the horn in Chapter 8, and the man with a face like lightning in Chapter 10? These are all examples of apocalyptic literature. Apocalypse is a Greek word meaning “To uncover or reveal.” Apocalyptic literature is written to sound like an attempt to foretell the future by using symbols and visions. But the symbols are often codes for people and events in the present. This type of literature frequently is produced during a time of persecution, when using real names could get a person into trouble or even killed. Apocalyptic literature developed in Israel around 200 B. C. when the country was enduring great persecution and suffering. The Book of Revelation in the New Testament is another example of apocalyptic literature. The Book of Daniel contains some explanation of the visions it describes. But sometimes, you will have to consult a good Bible commentary (a book that gives additional background on Bible passages) to completely understand the symbols. For instance, you might need help recognizing that the third beast in Chapter 7, which has four heads, is a symbol for Babylon, Media, Persia, and Greece – the four nations that ruled over Israel but would pass away. Or that the arrogant eleventh horn on the fourth beast’s head is a symbol for Antiochus IV Epiphances, the king who persecuted the Jews during the time Daniel was written. Apocalyptic literature assured the people of Israel that GOD would triumph and the present evil would eventually pass away. It was one more way to reinforce the belief that evil would be punished and good rewarded, even when it didn’t look that way at the moment.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 12:51:42 +0000
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