Page 34 - Daniel

Israel is mentioned in Isaiah 26:19. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry
bones (chap. 37), while referring to the restoration of Israel nationally,
requires the individual resurrection of Israel to accomplish its purpose.
Also embedded in the Old Testament are references to the Book of Life
or the Book of Remembrance, which is related to resurrection as early as

Exodus 32:32–33.
In addition, the Old Testament doctrine of Messiah carries with it a

doctrine of resurrection; and this theme begins, of course, in Genesis
3:15. On the other hand, apocryphal books rarely mention the
resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous; Archer finds
mention only in the Book of the Twelve Patriarchs. Further, as Archer
points out, the doctrine of the last judgment (which implies resurrection)
is a frequent theme of prophecy as found in Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, and Malachi, as well as in many of the Psalms. Accordingly,

the objections of critics that Daniel’s doctrine of resurrection was
unsuited for the sixth century B.C. was borrowed from pagan sources, or
was unnoticed by the Minor Prophets who wrote after Daniel lack
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evidential support and are contradicted by the facts of Scripture. There
is no good reason God could not reveal these truths to Daniel in the sixth
century B.C. Of interest is Daniel’s faith that he would be resurrected “at
the end of the days,” that is, at the second advent of Christ (Dan. 12:13).

Daniel’s contribution to eschatology is evident with his main theme
being the course of history and Israel’s relation to it, culminating in the
second advent of Christ. Daniel makes a tremendous contribution to
theology in keeping with the broad testimony of Scripture, but

constituting a distinct advance in Old Testament revelation.

CONCLUSION

In many respects, the book of Daniel is the most comprehensive
prophetic revelation of the Old Testament, giving the only total view of

world history from Babylon to the second advent of Christ and
interrelating Gentile history and prophecy concerning Israel. Daniel
provides the key to the overall interpretation of prophecy, is a major
element in premillennialism, and is essential to the interpretation of the