Beyond the familiar lions' den and fiery furnace, much of the book of Daniel seems baffling to modern readers. The first half recounts stories full of ancient Near Eastern protocol and imperial court drama; the second half features apocalyptic visions of monstrous beasts and cosmic conflict. Many Christians misunderstand or simply avoid the book. But failing to read Daniel well means missing a critical part of God's message to us.
According to Tremper Longman III, when we read Daniel on its own terms and in its original context, we'll discover that all of the book is easier to understand than we might think. In this volume of the popular How to Read Series, Longman brings his expertise as an Old Testament scholar and teacher to orient readers to a proper engagement with Daniel. He examines the book's genre, structure, historical background, and major theological message before diving deeper into each of the stories and visions.
As we learn how to enter the world of Daniel, we find a message not only for his generation but also for ours: even in hostile circumstances, God is in control, and he will have the final victory. Longman draws out this theme of Daniel for the twenty-first century, finding help for faithful living in a toxic culture and hope in a troubled world. How to Read Daniel is the perfect starting point for anyone studying, teaching, or seeking a reliable guide to this ancient book.
İçerik tablosu
Introduction: Invitation to the Book of Daniel
Part 1: Reading Daniel in Its Original Setting
1. Stories and Visions in the Midst of Oppression: Genre, Language, and Structure
2. Babylonian Exile and Persian (and Greek) Domination: The Historical Setting of the Book of Daniel
3. Comfort in the Midst of Oppression: The Theme of the Book
Part 2: Reading Daniel as Six Stories and Four Visions
4. Forced to Train in a Hostile Environment, Part 1: Daniel 1
5. Forced to Train in a Hostile Environment, Part 2: Daniel 2
6. God Humbles Powerful Nebuchadnezzar: Daniel 4
7. Who Can Interpret the Writing on the Wall?: Daniel 5
8. The Three Friends and the Fiery Furnace: Daniel 3
9. Daniel in the Lion’s Den: Daniel 6
10. ‘One Like the Son of Man’: Daniel 7
11. A Ram and a Goat: Daniel 8
12. Seventy Weeks: The Exile Continues: Daniel 9
13. ‘Yet He Will Come to His End’: Daniel 10:1–12:4
14. ‘Go Your Way to the End’: Daniel 12:5-13
Part 3: Reading Daniel as a Twenty-First-Century Christian
15. How to Live in a Toxic Culture: Daniel 1–6
16. Finding Comfort in God’s Ultimate Victory: Daniel 7–12
Appendix: Commentaries on the Book of Daniel
Notes
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index
Yazar hakkında
Tremper Longman III (Ph D, Yale University) is Distinguished Scholar of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He is also visiting professor of Old Testament at Seattle School of Theology and Psychology and adjunct of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary.