The Five Visions of Daniel (Dan. 2, 7, 8, 9, 10-12)
By Jay Rogers
Published May 2008
The Five Visions of Daniel (Dan. 2, 7, 8, 9, 10-12)
The prophecy of Daniel is a series of five visions occurring over a time period of about 70 years. The visions move from general to specific. The purpose is to point to several key events in the future history of the Jews: the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus and its restoration from BC 167 to 160; the time of the coming of the Messiah in AD 27; Nero’s persecution from AD 63 to AD 67; and the siege of Jerusalem from AD 67 to AD 70.
The first vision is a dream of the king that is interpreted by Daniel. The second is Daniel’s dream. The next three visions are waking visions with angels and an epiphanous appearance of Christ to interpret the dream for Daniel.
Below are the years in which the visions occurred with their interpretations explained in terms of time-lines. All dates are approximate.
FIRST VISION — Daniel 2 — BC 603 in the second year of the reign of King Nebuchannezzar of Babylon.
The king’s dream is interpreted by Daniel. The four kingdoms are described.
Chaldean Empire ……………. from BC 605 to 539
Medio-Persian Empire ………. from BC 539 to 336
Macedonia Greece …………… from BC 336 to 133
Roman Empire ……………….. from BC 133 to AD 70
SECOND VISION — Daniel 7 — BC 555 in the first year of the reign of Belshazzar the son of Nabonidus and successor of Nebuchadnezzar.
This is Daniel’s dream. The interpretation by angels is part of the dream. The four kingdoms are described in more detail and special attention is given by Daniel to the fourth kingdom which has 10 kings.
Chaldean Empire ……………. from BC 605 to 539
Medio-Persian Empire ………. from BC 539 to 336
Macedonia Greece …………… from BC 336 to 133
Roman Empire ……………….. from BC 133 to AD 70
THIRD VISION — Daniel 8 — BC 553 in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar.
This is a vision of Daniel. The vision is interpreted by two angels. It describes the Medio-Persian Empire; the conquest of the world by Alexander; the Seleucid and Ptolomic succession; and the reign of Antiochus Epiphanies King of Syria.
Medio-Persian Empire …….. from BC 539 to 336
Alexander’s invasions …….. from BC 336 to 323
Ptolomies rule Egypt &
Seleucids rule Syria ……….. from BC 323 to 167
Antiochus Epiphanes ……… from BC 167 to 160
FOURTH VISION — Daniel 9 — BC 538 in the first year of Darius, king of the Medes.
Gabriel appears to Daniel while he was fasting over the meaning of Jeremiah’s “70 years” and later the Messiah the “Son of Man” appears. The vision describes the 483 year time period from the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, in 457 BC, when by his commandment Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2) to the baptism of Jesus Christ, in AD 27, when he first began to preach and execute the office of the Messiah.
Medio-Persian Empire …… from …… BC 457
Roman Empire ……………. to …….. AD 27
………………………………………. 483 years
FIFTH VISION — Daniel 10,11,12 — BC 534 in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia.
In chapter 10, an angel came to Daniel while he was fasting for three weeks. The angel shows Daniel the wars and succession of kings in the Persian, Greek and Roman empires (Daniel 11) and the time period from the coming of Messiah to the reign of Vespasian and the great tribulation from 67 to 70 AD.
Chapter 11
Medio-Persian Empire …….. from BC 534 to 336
Macedonia Greece ………… from BC 336 to 133
Roman Empire …………….. from BC 100 to AD 70
Pompey invades Jerusalem ………. BC 63
Death of Julius Caesar …………… BC 44
Chapter 12
The Messiah appears ……….. from AD 27 to 30
The Great Tribulation ………. from AD 67 to 70
The prophecy of Daniel was purposed to give God’s people comfort in the time of three great events in their history:
1. The captivity in Babylon
2. The invasion of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes
3. The coming of the Messiah during the occupation by the Roman Empire and the resulting destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
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