Judgment in Daniel 7

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Judgment in Daniel 7A certain amount ofpoetic balance may be seen in chapter 7 when itsthree poetic passages orstanzas are compared. Ifthebicola ofthe first twostanzas are added together, they are seen to nearly equal the bicola ofthisthird stanza (10 bicola: :8 bicola and 1 tricolon). Furthermore, the first sixbicola ofthe third stanza (vss. 23-25) equal the six bicola ofthe first stanza(vss. 9-10); and the two bicola and one tricolon ofthe third stanza almostequal the four bicola of the second stanza (vss. 13-14).The consecutive order of this narration outlined in the third stanza isemphasized by the continuous use of the imperfect form of the verbsthroughout (vss. 23-27). Following the introductory perfect, which putsGabriel's speech in past time, 18 imperfects appear in the consecutivecourse ofthis narration. The three infinitives in it take their time referencefrom the imperfects with which they are linked. This use ofthe imperfectas the narrative verbal form for the description offuture actions stands incontrast with the "prophetic perfects" found in Daniel's description ofhisvision as mentioned above in the analysis of the two preceding stanzas.In addition, a dozen perfects appear in the narration ofthe vision thatruns from verse 2 to verse 8, along with three more compound verbal constructionsexpressing past time. This frequency stands in contrast with thethree participles, two imperatives, and one imperfect that are found in theprose passage. Thus chapter 7 presents a distinct differentiation-analmost classical instance-of the use oftenses to prophesy future events.The perfect is used to narrate its vision, and the imperfect is used to narrateits interpretation. The synthetic nature ofvirtually all the parallelismsemployed in the bicola also emphasizes the consecutive order ofits narration.The first bicolon of the couplet dealing with the fourth kingdom (vs.23) begins and ends with the word "kingdom." (Literally, "Kingdom, thefourth, shall be on the earth which shall be different from all the kingdoms.")The verbal construction of the second bicolon in the same verse emphasizesthe intensive nature of the destructive actions of this kingdomsince three verbs ("consume," "trample," "crush") appear in its two cola.A pair of them are linked together in its second colon ("shall trample ...and crush"). This construction is ofinterest when it is noted that the samearrangement occurs only in verse 26 where theangel states how thoroughlythe judgment will dispose of the kingdom of the little horn ("shall takeaway," "destroy," "annihilate").Another observation on the verbs ofthe second bicolon in verse 23 is128
Judgment in Daniel 7that they occur in short lines with a 2:2 meter. This kind ofmeter is commonlyused to describe physical activity in contrast to the longer metersthat serve more descriptive functions.The words for "king" and "kingdom" are used synonymously in thispassage. Although the little horn is identified as a "king" (vs. 24a), it ispreceded by the fourth kingdom, followed by the kingdom of"the peopleofthe saints ofthe Most High," and has its "dominion" taken away by thejudgment. Thus the term "king" in this context can stand for a "kingdom"just as it does in verses 17 and 23, where the four beasts are designatedboth "kings" and "kingdoms." See also Daniel 2:37-39; 8:22 for a similarinterchange of the terms.Verbal forms from qam, "to arise," occur twice in the bicolon ofverse24a. Their usage here lends support to the meaning suggested for this verbin the first stanza describing the heavenly hosts at the judgment (see discussionon verse 10). The words "another" and "after" found at the end ofverse 24a are related, being derived from the same Aramaic root. They areseparated from each other in this line by the repeated expression "arise."The same verb, "to differ, be different," is used in verse 23a and inverse 24b. Just as the fourth kingdom was different from the precedingthree kingdoms, so the little horn differs from the preceding 10 kingdoms.The verbs in the bicolon in verse 24b ("shall be different, shall bring ...down") are found at opposite ends of their respective cola in the Hebrewtext. This chiastic arrangement contributes to the imagery of the fallinghorns.A cognate accusative relationship ("speak-words," a verb and itsnoun object deriving from the same root) is broken up by a prepositionalphrase in the first bicolon ofverse 25a. The line reads literally: '~d wordSagainst the Most High he shall speak."The parallelism involved in this bicolon is direct, but incomplete. Theprepositional phrase ("against ..."), the reference to the Most High, andthe verbs ("shall speak," "shall wear out") all follow in order in both cases.The "saints," however, have taken the place ofthe "words," and the termappears in construct with the Most High ("saints ofthe Most High"). Thusthe pattern of the bicolon is A:B:C:D: :B':C':D'. This bicolon takes onmore interest when its relations with the succeeding one are noted.The bicola of verse 25 form an interrelated couplet in which thethematic relations between the individual cola are organized in the A:B::~:B' pattern as on the following page:129
Page 1 and 2: Chapter VJudgment in Daniel 7Chapte
Page 3 and 4: Judgment in Daniel 7mencement ofa g
Page 5 and 6: Judgment in Daniel 7Poetic Structur
Page 7 and 8: Judgment in Daniel 7sat")with theea
Page 9 and 10: Judgment in Daniel 7pronominal suff
Page 11 and 12: Judgment in Daniel 7Having outlined
Page 13 and 14: Judgment in Daniel 7I. The Son of m
Page 15 and 16: Judgment in Daniel 7The first bicol
Page 17: Judgment in Daniel 7them is even wr
Page 21 and 22: Judgment in Daniel 7This means that
Page 23 and 24: Judgment in Daniel 7them." However,
Page 25 and 26: Judgment in Daniel 7But that He wil
Page 27: Judgment in Daniel 7same is true of
Page 30 and 31: Judgment in Daniel 7The chronologic
Page 32 and 33: Judgment in Daniel 7accept the hist
Page 34 and 35: Judgment in Daniel 7tribunal. Thus
Page 36 and 37: Judgment in Daniel 7fairly in the i
Page 38 and 39: Judgment in Daniel 756:8 where it i
Page 40 and 41: Judgment in Daniel 7present in chap
Page 42 and 43: Judgment in Daniel 7in this book of

Judgment in Daniel 7

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?