In Front | Dating Daniel and the Evidence of Predictive Prophecy

In Daniel 8, and especially 11, there is a great deal of detail that corresponds closely to Alexander the Great, his four generals and the despised Antiochus Epiphanes. The correspondence is so complete, in fact, that many critical scholars assume that the book was written after this history—as late as the second century BC. 

While the debate about the dating of Daniel is likely to continue in academia, there is no doubt that Daniel was written before the first century. The rock that destroys the statue of kingdoms (Daniel 2:31-36) comes during the empire of iron and clay, a suitable image for the Roman Empire. This dream (which parallels the four-kingdom vision of Daniel 7) matches the world empire in place after the seventy sevens (490 years) of Daniel 9—that is the Roman Empire during the first century.

In our last lesson, we considered the downside of trying too hard to decode prophecy. But Daniel provides very firm evidence of predictions that come true in the first century through the life, death, resurrection and kingdom of Christ. And that is the key emphasis in Daniel: The true King of kings is Israel’s God, and the only ultimate kingdom on earth is the kingdom of heaven.