Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/700

 Hebrew Bible, and next, with its deutero-canonical portions.

Proto-Canonicai, Portions. — (1) Contents. — The Book of Daniel, as it now stands in the ordinary Hebrew Bibles, is generally divided into two main parts. The first includes a series of narratives which are told in the third person (chaps. i~vi), and the sec- ond, a series of visions which are described in the first person (chaps, vii-xii). The opening chapter of the first series may be considered as a preface to the whole work. It introduces to the reader the Hebrew heroes of the book, Daniel and his three fellow-captives, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias, and records the manner in which these noble youths obtained a high rank in Nabuchodonosor's service, although they had refused to be defiled by eating of the royal food. The second chapter relates a disquieting dream of the king which Daniel alone was able accurately to set forth and in- terpret. Nabuchodonosor's dream was that of a great statue made up of various materials and broken in pieces by a small stone which became a mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel's interpretation was to the effect that the several parts of the statue with their various materials symbolized as many monarchies with their respective power, while the stone which destroyed them and grew into a great mountain pre- figured a universal and everlasting kingdom which would break in pieces all the other kingdoms, and which, of course, is no other than that of the Messias. The next section (iii, 1-30; Vulgate, iii, 1-23,91- 97) narrates how Daniel's three companions, having refused to worship a colossal statue set up by Nabu- chodonosor, were cast into a highly-heated furnace in which they were preserved unharmed, whereupon the king issued a decree in favour of their God and pro- moted them to places of dignity. The following section (iii, 31-iv; Vulgate, iii, 9S-iv) contains Nabuchodo- nosor's letter to all peoples and nations, recounting his dream of a mighty tree hewed down at God's bidding, and its interpretation by Daniel, together with its fulfilment in the form of a seven years' mad- ness which befell the king, and the recovery from which was the occasion of his thankful letter. The fifth chapter (Heb. Bible, v-vi, 1) describes Baltasar's profane banquet, the mysterious handwriting on the wall, Daniel's interpretation of that writing, and the overthrow, on that same night, of Baltasar's kingdom. In the sixth chapter Daniel is represented as the ob- ject of the special favour of Darius the Mede, and also of the persistent jealousy of the other officers of the Crown, who finally succeed in having him throw^l into the lions' den, because of his faithfulness in praying to God three times a day; upon Daniel's miraculous pres- ervation, Darius decrees that all in Ids kingdom should "dread and fear the God of Daniel". The second main part of the book in the Hebrew- Bible (vii-xii) is taken up with four visions which Daniel describes m the first person. The first of these visions (ch. vii) is referred to the first year of Baltasar's reign, and offers a close parallel to the dream set forth and explained in the second chapter of the book. The nightly vision was of four several beasts coming out of the sea, and symbolical of the Gentile powers judged in due time by "the Ancient of days", and finally re- placed by the universal and everlasting Messianic kingdom. Like the first, the second vision (ch. viii) is ascribed to the reign of Baltasar, and represents worldly powers under the figure of animals. Daniel sees a ram with two horns (the Medes and the Per- sians) pushing victoriously towards the west, north, and south, until it is struck by a he-goat (the Greeks) with a great horn (Alexander) between its eyes. This great horn is soon broken in its turn, and gives place to four others (the Greek kingdoms of Egypt, Syria, Macedonia, and Thrace), from one of which grows out a "little liorn", namely Antiochus Epiphanes. This prince is not, indeed, named by the Angel Gabriel, who explains the vision to Daniel, but is clearly des- ignated by the description of the doings of the " little horn " against the host of heaven and its prince (God), desecrating "the sanctuary", interrupting the daily sacrifice for about three years and a half, and finally "broken without hand". The next chapter contains the prophecy of the sev- enty weeks, «hich is referred to the first year of Darius, the son of Assuerus. As Daniel was suppli- cating God for tlie fulfilment of His promises of mercy in Jeremias, xxix, 10 sq., or xxv, 11, he was favoured with the vision of tlie Angel Gabriel. The heavenly messenger explained to him how the seventy years of desolation foretold by Jeremias should be understood. They are seventy weeks of years, falling into three periods of seven, sixty-two, and one weeks of years, respectively. The first period, one of seven weeks, or forty-nine years, will extend from the going forth of "the word" for the rebuilding of Jerusalem to "an anointed one, a prince". During the second, of sixty-two weeks or four hundred and thirty-four years, the Holy City will be built, though "in straitnoss of times". At the end of tliis period "an anointed one" will be cut off, and the people of a prince who shall come will "destroy" the city and the sanctuary; he will make a firm covenant with many for one week (or seven years), and during a half of this week he will cause sacrifice and oblation to cease and the abom- ination of desolation to be set up, until he meets with his fate. The last vision, ascribed to the third year of Cyrus, is recorded in chapters x-xii. Its opening part (x-xi, 1) gives a description of the vision with a reference to Media, Persia, and Greece. The second part (xi, 2-45) announces many events connected with four Persian kings, with Alexander and his successors, and more particularly with the deeds of a king of the north, i. e. Antiochus Epiphanes, against Egj-pt, the Jews, the Temple, etc., until he should come to an end. The conclusion of the vision (xii) declares how Michael (the guardian angel of Israel) will deliver the people. Mention is made of a resurrection of the dead, followed by rewards and punishments. For 1290 days, or about three and one half years, the daUy sacrifice will cease and the abomination of desolation will be set up. Blessed is he who continues steadfast till 1335 days. (2) Object a7id Unity. — From these contents it readily appears that the Book of Daniel has not for its object to give a summary historical account of the period of the Babylonian E.xile, or of the life of Daniel himself, since both its parts profess to give only a few isolated facts connected with either the Exile or the Prophet's life. From the same contents it can also be readily seen that the object of that sacred writing is not to record in substance prophetical addresses similar to those which make up the works ascribed to distinct prophets in the Old-Testament literature. In respect to both matter and form, the contents of the Prophecy of Daniel are of a peculiar kind which has no exact parallel m Holy Writ, except in the Apoca- ly]5se of St. John. In Daniel, as in this last book of the Bible, one is in presence of contents whose general purpose is undoubtedly to comfort God's people under the ordeal of a cruel persecution, chiefly by means of symbolical visions bearing on " the time of the end ". This is the obvious purpose of the four visions re- corded in the second part of the Book of Daniel (chaps, vii-xii), and also of Nabuchodonosor's dream as given and explained in the second chapter of the first part of that inspired writing: the persecution therein in view is that of Antiochus Epiphanes, and the Jews are to be comforteil by the assured prospect both of the fate that awaits their oppressor and of the setting up of God's universal and eternal kingdom. Nor have the narratives in chajiters iii-vi a different general purpose: in each and in all of them the generous and constant servants of the true God — Daniel and his fellow captives — triumph in the end, while their op'