Allen Ng
May 30, 2011
Chapters 1-6 of Daniel Differ from Chapters 7-12
The book of Daniel is constructed as a complete work with changes in point of vision and tone in the middle of the book.
The first half of the book is written in third-person perspective with Daniel becoming an expert in interpreting dreams. This half is considered a “historical tale of Daniel the protagonist” (Coogan 527). Chapters 1-4 begin with Daniel’s childhood and his interpretation of king Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams. These dreams begins with bright tones, “O king, as you looked on there appeared a great statue… which was huge and its brightness surpassing…” (Daniel 2:31) and “I saw a tree of great height in the midst of the earth…Its top reached heaven… Its foliage was beautiful” (Daniel 4:7-9). Daniel interprets these dreams to the same conclusion; Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom will be dismantled into four inferior kingdoms. Things change in Chapter 5 and 6, as Belshazzar, the new king, orders Daniel to interpret a writing of a mysterious human hand, the only time when writing was interpreted in the entire book of Daniel.
Meanwhile, in second half of the book, “[Daniel] himself has dreams and visions and can only interpret them with the assistance of the angel Gabriel” (Coogan 531). This second half is known as apocalyptic literature as history and predictions of the future are given. Chapter 7 and 8 contains two of Daniel’s dream. These dreams are similar to those in chapter 2 and 4; yet different symbols are used to express a darker prophesy, “In my vision at night, I saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea. Four might beats different from each other emerged from the sea” (Daniel 7:2-3). Daniel is unable to understand these visions by himself. A holy being by the name of Gabriel interprets these dreams for Daniel. Chapters 10-12 contain a extensively detailed prophecy revealed by an oracle and not by Daniel.
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