26 chapters
3 hour read
Selected Chapters
26 chapters
THE BOOK OF DANIEL UNLOCKED
THE BOOK OF DANIEL UNLOCKED
BY W. S. AUCHINCLOSS, C.E. AUTHOR OF “LINK AND VALVE MOTIONS” (PUBLISHED IN BERLIN AS, SCHEIBER-UND COULISSENSTEURUNGEN. PUBLISHED IN HOLLAND AS, STOOMSCHUIF-EN SCHAARBEWEGINEN). AUTHOR OF “NINETY DAYS IN THE TROPICS,” ALSO OF “WATERS WITHIN THE EARTH AND LAWS OF RAINFALL” INTRODUCTION BY A. H. SAYCE, LL.D. Queen’s College, Oxford, England NEW YORK FOR SALE BY D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY SCIENTIFIC BOOK PUBLISHERS 23 MURRAY STREET 1905 Copyright, 1905 BY W. S. AUCHINCLOSS DORNAN, PRINTER, PHILADELPH
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
PREFACE.
PREFACE.
This study of the Book of Daniel is based on the conviction, that its word is in very deed the Word of God. In approaching the subject we have brought to the solution of its problems only such numerals as were known to the ancient Hebrews and to the writers of the New Testament. Numerals that were symbolized in their feasts and were current before times of rejoicing. But towering over all, we have brought God’s own standard of time, viz: the sidereal year, which the greatest of modern astronomer
4 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER I. [Written in Hebrew.]
CHAPTER I. [Written in Hebrew.]
1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. This siege took place in B.C. 606. Verse 5 says that Daniel and the royal captives received 3 years’ training and verse 18 shows that at the end of 3 years they graduated. This brings us to the year B.C. 603 which chapter 2 verse 1 says was the 2nd of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, consequently Nebuchadnezzar began to reign in B.C. 605. This date agrees with the figures g
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER II. [Hebrew and Syriac.]
CHAPTER II. [Hebrew and Syriac.]
1. And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. From this point to the end of the VI chapter Daniel wrote in
10 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER III. [Syriac.]
CHAPTER III. [Syriac.]
1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. The dream described in the previous chapter, seems to have touched the inventive genius of king Nebuchadnezzar in a way, that inspired him to produce a mechanically perfect image—a casting of gold of priceless value—especially strong in every part, and one in which there were no planes of weakness whatever. An ima
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IV. [Syriac.]
CHAPTER IV. [Syriac.]
1. Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 3. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. 4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: 5. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoug
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER V. [Syriac.]
CHAPTER V. [Syriac.]
1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. According to the Almagesta of Ptolemy, Nabonadios the father of Belshazzar ruled Babylon for 17 years. During the last 3 years of his reign the court and the army were under the control of his son who became acting king. The three tablets of Belshazzar fully establish his identity and the annalistic tablet of Cyrus throws much light on the affairs of the Chaldean court during the last years
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VI. [Syriac.]
CHAPTER VI. [Syriac.]
1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2. And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel co
5 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VII. [Hebrew.]
CHAPTER VII. [Hebrew.]
1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. The known world. 3. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. Symbolical of Four powerful dynasties. 4. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: Medo-Persian empire. I behel
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VIII. [Hebrew.]
CHAPTER VIII. [Hebrew.]
1. In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. 2. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. 3. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; the Medo-Persian Empire but
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IX. [Hebrew.]
CHAPTER IX. [Hebrew.]
1. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; by Cyrus. 2. In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. “For thus saith the Lord, that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing
11 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER X. [Hebrew.]
CHAPTER X. [Hebrew.]
1. In the third year third since the conquest of Babylon, but first in the personal reign over Babylon of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. 2. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. 3. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks we
6 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XI. [Hebrew.]
CHAPTER XI. [Hebrew.]
1. Also I Gabriel in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. This does not indicate a change of date, it simply declares that the same solicitude was now bestowed on Cyrus, as had been manifested toward his royal representative Darius the Mede, when first placed on the throne of Babylon by Cyrus. 2. And now “in the third year” since Cyrus captured the city. Daniel X. 1. will I show thee the truth. Behold there shall stand up yet after the setting up
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XII. [Hebrew.]
CHAPTER XII. [Hebrew.]
1. And at that time shall Michael the archangel, see Jude verse 9 stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matt. XXIV. 21. Josephus says 1,100,000 perished in the Siege. and at that time thy people shall be delivered, “But he that shal
6 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
JEWISH INDEPENDENCE DAY.
JEWISH INDEPENDENCE DAY.
The era of the Seleucidæ among the Greeks and Eastern nations, sometimes called the “era of contracts,” dated from the capture of Babylon by Seleucus Nicator, Oct. 1st B.C. 312. The complete subjugation of the city followed 6 months later, and therefore the Babylonians counted from the spring of B.C. 311. With this exception the former date has been generally regarded as the true epoch. The years run as below: We pause at the beginning of the 171st year because it was a year of great moment in
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NOTE A. DARIUS, OR CYAXARES. [DANIEL V. 31.]
NOTE A. DARIUS, OR CYAXARES. [DANIEL V. 31.]
“And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” In the first verse of the 9th chapter we are told that Darius was the son of Ahasuerus, the same Assuerus spoken of in the 15th verse of the 14th chapter of Tobit, the Astyages of Median history. Astyages was king of the Medes and reigned for 35 years from B.C. 593-558. His son Cyaxares [Josephus X. 11, 4.] succeeded him on the throne and his daughter Mandané married Cambyses of Persia. Their offspring was Cyr
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NOTE B.“THE SUM OF THE MATTERS.” [DANIEL VII. 1. AND 25.]
NOTE B.“THE SUM OF THE MATTERS.” [DANIEL VII. 1. AND 25.]
The vision of the four great beasts is now complete and we have reached the sum of the matters in verse 25. Already in chapter II. the same subject was summarized by the following language: “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed ... and it shall stand forever.” The present summary differs from the first in that it localizes the endless kingdom, and tells the year when it would be set up. Whenever we send a telegram and wish to conceal
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NOTE C.“DAYS.”
NOTE C.“DAYS.”
In searching for symbolic numbers we found that number 49 stood both for the Jubilee year and for the Feast of Weeks:—Concerning the Jubilee it was said:—“And thou shalt number 7 sabbaths of years unto thee, 7 times 7 years: and the space of 7 sabbaths of years shall be unto thee 49 years.” Leviticus XXV. 8.—Concerning Pentecost it was said: “And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God”—“Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the 7 weeks from such time as tho
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NOTE D.“TWO THOUSAND AND THREE HUNDRED DAYS.” [DANIEL VIII. 14.]
NOTE D.“TWO THOUSAND AND THREE HUNDRED DAYS.” [DANIEL VIII. 14.]
In the vision of “the evening and the morning” it is evident that 2300 days must end with a complete cleansing of the sanctuary, and unquestionably this was accomplished by Simon Maccabeus on May the 4th B.C. 141. [ I Mac. XIII. 51]; but at what time they should begin to count is not so evident. The 19th verse tells us: “I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation.” We ask: what indignation? When was the first end? When the middle? and When the last end? We note fi
4 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NOTE E.THE EXODUS FROM PERSIA. [DANIEL IX. 25.]
NOTE E.THE EXODUS FROM PERSIA. [DANIEL IX. 25.]
Ezra gives a full account of this great event in his history of the Jews, in the VIII th and VII th chapters of his book, where he says, they “began to go from Babylon” on the 1st day of the 1st month in the 7th year of king Artaxerxes, also that they were not fairly under way until the 12th day of the 1st month, which was within two days of the Passover. After a journey of 4 months they arrived at the city of Jerusalem. In fixing the date of the Exodus from Persia we must determine the boundari
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NOTE F.DATE OF THE CRUCIFIXION. [DANIEL IX. 26.]
NOTE F.DATE OF THE CRUCIFIXION. [DANIEL IX. 26.]
Since the prophecy of Daniel points directly to the time when Messiah would be cut off and not to the date of Christ’s birth, it is evident that neither the natal day nor the length of his life on earth are necessary to a complete understanding of the prophecy. What we need most to know are the day and the year in which Messiah was crucified. Happily these points can be determined by data found in the Bible. Turn to Luke III. 1 and 23 and we learn that Jesus “began to be about 30 years of age”
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
Christ was born in the year B.C. 2. In support of this announcement we do not propose to give a table of dates, setting forth the ideas of the Christian Fathers who wrote prior to the 5th century. Nor those of Dionysius Exiguus, of the Venerable Bede, or of Roger Bacon, all of whom wrote between the 5th and the 14th centuries. Neither shall we give those of Archbishops Usher and Lloyd in the 17th century, nor those of Dr. Hales and of Sir Isaac Newton in the 18th century, nor those of Prideaux
5 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
YEARS IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST.
YEARS IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST.
The dates given herewith have been collated from the chart which accompanies this volume....
9 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
YEARS IN THE LIFE OF HEROD.
YEARS IN THE LIFE OF HEROD.
The dates here given are the result of a geometric plotting of the facts given in the works of Flavius Josephus:—see chart with this volume....
11 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
ASMONEAN DYNASTY.
ASMONEAN DYNASTY.
This government was founded by a priest named Mattathias, who had five sons named respectively:—John, Simon, Judas, Eleazar, and Jonathan. The dynasty lasted 130 years and was succeeded by the Idumean dynasty of Herod the Great. The dates here given result from a geometric plotting of the facts given by Josephus and the books of the Maccabees....
20 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
REIGNS OF THE CHALDEAN AND MEDO-PERSIAN KINGS.
REIGNS OF THE CHALDEAN AND MEDO-PERSIAN KINGS.
These dates have been established after careful study of the works of Herodotus, Thucydides, Ctesias, Josephus, Berosus, Manetho, Ptolemy, Diodorus, Julius Africanus, Eusebius, Egibi tablets; also Annalistic tablet of Cyrus and “Records of the Past.”...
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter