Plymothian

A Type of Antichrist

Even with no full knowledge of Christ we see a type of the Antichrist represented in Antiochus IV Epiphenes.  The prophecy here looks forward to what he did in his reign, but Jesus also referred to events from Antiochus’ life as being future (Matthew 13:14).  This shows at least a two part fulfilment of the abominations of Antiochus.  What he did in the past at least one more person will do in the future.  So what kind of person was Antiochus?  What did he do?

The Jewish on-line Encyclopedia says:

Antiochus combined in himself the worst faults of the Greeks and the Romans, and but very few of their good qualities. He was vainglorious and fond of display to the verge of eccentricity, liberal to extravagance; his sojourn in Rome had taught him how to captivate the common people with an appearance of geniality, but in his heart he had all a cruel tyrant’s contempt for his fellow men. …

He first entered Jerusalem amicably; then suddenly turning upon the defenseless city, he murdered, plundered, and burnt through its length and breadth. The men were butchered, women and children sold into slavery, and in order to give permanence to the work of desolation, the walls and numerous houses were torn down. The old City of David was fortified anew by the Syrians, and made into a very strong fortress completely dominating the city. Having thus made Jerusalem a Greek colony, the king’s attention was next turned to the destruction of the national religion. A royal decree proclaimed the abolition of the Jewish mode of worship; Sabbaths and festivals were not to be observed; circumcision was not to be performed; the sacred books were to be surrendered and the Jews were compelled to offer sacrifices to the idols that had been erected. The officers charged with carrying out these commands did so with great rigor; a veritable inquisition was established with monthly sessions for investigation. The possession of a sacred book or the performance of the rite of circumcision was punished with death. On Kislew (Nov.-Dec.) 25, 168, the “abomination of desolation” (, Dan. xi. 31, xii. 11) was set up on the altar of burnt offering in the Temple, and the Jews required to make obeisance to it. This was probably the Olympian Zeus, or Baal Shamem.

Similar acts will be carried out in the future by another like-minded madman.

Daniel 8:23-24

²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. ²⁵ He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.

Questions

1. How was Antiochus a man of intrigue?
2. What was Antiochus’ most foul act?
3. What would have to happen before this could be repeated in our times?
4. How do we empower people who are masters of intrigue with our foreign policies?
5. What should a Christian response to the Arab Spring be?  Is ‘Antiochus’ being deposed or empowered?

In his commentary on Daniel, Tremper Longman writes:

Chapters 7-12 focus on six important themes:

• the horror of human evil, particularly as it is conducted by the state
• the announcement of a specific time of deliverance
• repentance taht leads to deliverance
• the revelation that a cosmic war stands behind human conflict
• judgment as certain for those who resist God and oppress his people
• the equally certain truth that God’s people, downtrodden in the present, will experience new life in the fullest sense.

Daniel 8

 ¹ In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. ² In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. ³ I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. ⁴I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.

 ⁵ As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. ⁶ It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. ⁷ I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. ⁸The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.

 ⁹ Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. ¹⁰ It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. ¹¹ It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the LORD; it took away the daily sacrifice from the LORD, and his sanctuary was thrown down. ¹² Because of rebellion, the LORD’s people^[a]and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.

 ¹³Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the LORD’s people?”

 ¹⁴He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”

The Interpretation of the Vision

 ¹⁵ While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. ¹⁶And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”

 ¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,”^[b]he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”

 ¹⁸While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.

 ¹⁹ He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.^{[c] 20} The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. ²²The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.

 ²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. ²⁵He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.

 ²⁶“The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

 ²⁷ I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

Questions

1. How is the horror of human evil shown in this passage?
2. How does repentance lead to deliverance?
3. How do chapters 7 and 8 interconnect?
4. How do people get hung up on the numbers in prophecy and make mistakes when using them?
5. Why do you think each generation makes an argument that Jesus must return in their generation?

The concept of a world empire would have meant the civilized world of the Mediterranean basin plus Persia to the ancient readers of Daniel.  So an empire that conquered the whole world could be perceived as Rome.  However, the nature of the last empire in Daniel seven shows a scope that envelopes more than the original writer could have known.  In these days we see the possibility of a world governemnt as literally taking control of the whole world.  We know the world to be round, we know of the Americas, and we know that The League of Nations and The United Nations have been two attempts to extend law and order around the world.  This is why End Times books often use the United Nations or something like it as the housing for the Beast’s government.  Some see the Roman connection in the European Community, and that the Beast will manipulate the world from Europe. 

In times of economic trouble and religious confusion we can see that someone can come and restore econmoic stability and quietly start attacking a religious group.  Hitler did this in the 30’s in Germany.  If Christians were scapegoated like the Jews were, you could imagine the same course of events occuring again.  As long as people can trade and feel financially secure they will praise the Beast who brings them that security.

Some people, like Charlie Brown in the Christmas special of 1965, will see that commercialism is shallow and realise that the world is wrong side up.  They will be sacrificed to the Beast, but finally a new world order will arise that is neither consumerist or self-interested.  The Ancient of Days will use the globalized structures to rule justly on Earth.  A Second Advent.  Peace on Earth and goodwill to men.

Daniel 7:11-28

¹¹ “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ¹²(The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

 ¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

The Interpretation of the Dream

 ¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. ¹⁶I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.

   “So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷ ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. ¹⁸But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’

 ¹⁹ “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. ²⁰ I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. ²¹ As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, ²²until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.

 ²³ “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. ²⁴ The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. ²⁵ He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.^[b]

 ²⁶ “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. ²⁷Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’

 ²⁸ “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”

Questions

1. How is the final beast’s fate described?
2. How are God’s people treated in the last beast’s empire?
3. How might a single ruler claim authority over all the Earth in today’s environment?
4. How do you view the present trend to globalization?
5. How could you use the present changes in the world to communicate to others that God is incontrol?
6. If you are a Teaching the Bible in the Classroom student, you are not required to continue posting but you may choose to do so if you wish.

Going Deeper

1. How does daily Bible reading affect a course?
2. Was the reading better when it was titled by chapter and verse (e.g. Daniel 7:6,7) or was it better when it was titled by topic (e.g. God Looks ofn the Outside)?
3. Why do you think many students who claim to be Christian do not read their Bible in a daily fashion when going through Elementary and Senior School?
4. How are parents key in establishing the value of the Bible in their home?
5. Would you require daily Bible study from students?  How might this vary with grade?
6. How would you respond to a parent (this happened) who complained that doing 7 days of reading each Sunday because it is due on Monday is just too much for her child (she was asking for the load to be removed)?

Daniel chapter 7 starts with a view from heaven on the rise and fall of empires in the world.  We see human rulers and their empires as bestial at best, although the Babylonian empire finds a semblance of humanity.  After looking froma heavenly vantage point we look to heaven itself.  The base, beastly empires of earth are contrasted with the eternal authority and majesty of Jehovah.  This is the reality behind our limited perspective.  God does not wind up the world like clockwork and watch it unfold, he is close and he is involved.  Ultimately he reigns and he works a plan that blesses those who live with heaven in mind and brings hell on earth and into eternity for those who are mindless of God.

Daniel 7: 9, 10

⁹“As I looked,

   “thrones were set in place,    and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow;    the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire,    and its wheels were all ablaze. ¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing,    coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him;    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated,    and the books were opened.

Questions

1. Who is seated?
2. What is opened?
3. Why does the vision reveal the court of heaven at this point?
4. How do you see the spiritual reality behind the mundane?
5. How would history be different if people saw the Ancient of Days more easily?

The New World Encyclopedia says this about Antiochus IV Epihenes:

Antiochus regarded himself as Zeus (hence his title, epiphanes, meaning ‘manifestation of’), the Greek God. He gave lavishly to Greek temples, including the Temple of Zeus in Athens. His self-view as the supreme God meant that he saw himself as having power over all the religions in his realm. He thus tried to systematically change the traditions of the Jews, based on the laws of Moses, to make them conform to Greek beliefs. He built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, where instead of learning their ancient law, the priests engaged in wrestling contests in the Greek fashion, which meant they were naked. Those who were circumcised endeavored to hide this. Antiochus’ programs of Hellenization may even have involved altering the scriptures by, for example, introducing Greek cosmology into the Hebrew Scriptures. Texts say that people caught reading the Torah were punished, even killed; Sabbath observation was abolished and circumcision banned on pain of death. Josephus’ account describes this as follows:

Now Antiochus was not satisfied either with his unexpected taking the city, or with its pillage, or with the great slaughter he had made there; but being overcome with his violent passions, and remembering what he had suffered during the siege, he compelled the Jews to dissolve the laws of their country, and to keep their infants uncircumcised, and to sacrifice swine’s flesh upon the altar; against which they all opposed themselves, and the most approved among them were put to death. Bacchides also, who was sent to keep the fortresses, having these wicked commands, joined to his own natural barbarity, indulged all sorts of the extremist wickedness, and tormented the worthiest of the inhabitants, man by man, and threatened their city every day with open destruction, till at length he provoked the poor sufferers by the extremity of his wicked doings to avenge themselves (War, 1: 2; Whiston, V3: 11).

The 2nd Book of Maccabees records that the compliant priests diverted Temple funds to pay for the polis activities, such as “international games and dramatic competitions” and “ceased to show any interest” in Temple affairs (see Johnson, 102). Maccabees Antiouchus’ influence was strengthened because of rivalry among contenders for the High Priesthood in Jerusalem. A contest for power between Onias III and Jason (brothers) resulted in the former setting up a rival Temple at Heliopolis in Egypt and the latter becoming High Priest. By cooperating with Antiochus, Jason (which was the Greek name he adopted) was able to remain in office from 175 B.C.E. until 172 B.C.E.. However, while Antiochus was campaigning in Egypt, a faction of the Jewish leadership succeeded in deposing Jason, sending him into exile. Other sources say that Antiochus engineered the change of High Priest because his successor, Menelaus (a non-practicing Jew) promised more tribute and to speed the Hellenization process. Antiochus was demanding more and more cash to pay for his wars. Many Jews already saw the High Priesthood as too compromised to maintain their respect. Jason allied himself with anti-Hellenic Jews and, with their support, was able to re-take the office in 168 B.C.E., also expelling Antiochus’ troops. This was actually a rebellion against Antiochus, who responded swiftly.

In 168 B.C.E. or 169 B.C.E. Antiochus marched to Jerusalem, slew Jason (last of the Zadokite High Priests) and dedicated the Temple to Zeus, erecting an image of Zeus in his own likeness on the altar, and, according to some sources, sacrificed a pig in the Temple. This is known to Jews as the ‘great desecration’ or ‘abomination of desecration’ (from Daniel 11: 31 & 12: 11). The Temple’s sacred treasures, including “the golden candlesticks, and the golden altar” were robbed (V2: 87). Copies of the Torah were destroyed, as were buildings. He re-built the old city of David as a Seleucid fortress, dominating the rest of the city. Sources are confused about exactly when the desecration took place. Menelaus was restored to the High Priesthood (see discussion at [1]. Most have Antiochus visiting Jerusalem twice, perhaps as early as 166 B.C.E. for the first and as late as 169 B.C.E. for the second. Josephus describes him as robbing on both occasions (Whiston, V2: 87)[2].

Antiochus was a ‘type’ for the beast who is the boastful horn.  When we look at the actions of the Beast in both Daniel and revelation we see an evil ruler who sets himself up against God’s anointed.  this has happened at various times in history, notably in the 2oth Century with Adolf Hitler.  Beasts rise and beasts fall.  It is my opinion that Satan raises up Hitler and Antiochus types on a regular basis, but none of them will reach their full potential for destruction until the end of all things.

Daniel 7:8

 ⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

Questions

1. Who does the boastful horn move aside?
2. How is the horn described?
3. What kinds of boats might a ‘beast’ make?
4. How was Antiochus a type of beast?
5. Are there leaders in the world that you could imagine becoming more like the horn mentioned here?

the fourth beast in Daniel’s list is generally accepted as Rome.  This is the consensus among those who think that Daniel truly predicts the future rather than looks to the recent past.  The armies of Rome were machine-like and disciplined, they were also well-equipped with iron weapons.  Nothing that Rome opposed could withstand them.  Rome built on Greek foundations, but through the church and its own cultural traditions the influence of Rome has reached down through the centuries.  The ten kingdoms that are talked of as horns are powers within this Roman-influenced timeline.  Their exact meaning is unclear.

Daniel 7:7

⁷ “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

Questions

1. How was this beast different from other beasts?
2. How destructive is this beast?
3. In your opinion, what might the horns represent?
4. What world powers have been well-organised and experts at destroying their enemies completely?
5. How might a final kingdom in the history of mankind resemble this beast?

The empire of Alexander the Great was established with lightning rapidity.  This could be why the next beast is a fast animal like a leopard.  Like other beasts in this unhloy list, this beast proceeds from the forces of chaos (the sea) that are opposed to creation.  The animal itself is unnatural, having four wings on its back.  These wings may illustrate the increased speed when compared to the winged lion, but may also refer to the four subsequent, Greek kingdoms that grew from the conquests of Alexander the Great.  Generals and family faught to be rulers and they are collectively known as the Diadochi.  Four of the Diadochi formed empires that lasted.

Many people have heard of Cleopatra, but they do not realise that she was the last in a line of Greek rulers of Egypt.  The line of Greek rulers in Egypt were part of the Ptolemy line.  Below you see images pulled from coins minted by the Ptolemies.

The Seleucid empire was founded by Seleucus who was a great administrator.  He literally organised his way to power by rallying the administrators of the Persian heartland and also forming an army that combined the strengths of Greek infantry and Persian cavalry.  The extent of Seleucus’ empire is shown on the map below:

The final two large sections of the Greek Empire were divided between Cassander in mainland Greece and Lysimachus in Macedonia and around the Aegean.  Although the following map is in German it shows the ‘four wings’ of the third beast.

The accuracy of the prophecy is one of the causes that skeptics say the book of Daniel was written after these kingdoms were stablished.  Of course, the other position is that God knew what would transpire.  Even though the murder and intrigue of the hellenistic period was worth the bloodshed to those fighting for power, to God it was the rise of another beast who would leave the stage when the right time arose.

Daniel 7:6

⁶ “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

Questions

1. How is the third beats described?
2. Why is that appropriate for the Greek empire?
3. Why would God allow the hellenization of the Ancient Near East?
4. What empires in history have risen quickly and then disappeared?
5. How do people worship speed and power today?

Medo-Persia

After a brief look at the web researching Medo-Persia it seems that biblical scholars use Medo-Persia as a term and others use Achaemenid as a term referrring to the same empire.  Cyrus gets a lot of love as the uniter of the Medes and Persians, however the empire is still a ‘beast’ in the eyes of God emerging from the seas of chaos.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art has this to say about the Achaemenid Persian Empire:

The Achaemenid Persian empire was the largest that the ancient world had seen, extending from Anatolia and Egypt across western Asia to northern India and Central Asia. Its formation began in 550 B.C., when King Astyages of Media, who dominated much of Iran and eastern Anatolia (Turkey), was defeated by his southern neighbor Cyrus II (“the Great”), king of Persia (r. 559–530 B.C.). This upset the balance of power in the Near East. The Lydians of western Anatolia under King Croesus took advantage of the fall of Media to push east and clashed with Persian forces. The Lydian army withdrew for the winter but the Persians advanced to the Lydian capital at Sardis, which fell after a two-week siege. The Lydians had been allied with the Babylonians and Egyptians and Cyrus now had to confront these major powers. The Babylonian empire controlled Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean. In 539 B.C., Persian forces defeated the Babylonian army at the site of Opis, east of the Tigris. Cyrus entered Babylon and presented himself as a traditional Mesopotamian monarch, restoring temples and releasing political prisoners. The one western power that remained unconquered in Cyrus’ lightning campaigns was Egypt. It was left to his son Cambyses to rout the Egyptian forces in the eastern Nile Delta in 525 B.C. After a ten-day siege, Egypt’s ancient capital Memphis fell to the Persians.

The three ribs in the teeth of the beast are thought to be the conquests of the Persians.  Specifically the conquests are Lydia, Mesopotamia and Egypt.  Heavenly powers direct the Persian Empire and show it favour.  We forget how God directs even the most glorious achievements.

Daniel 7:5

 ⁵ “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’

Questions

1. What does this beast look like?
2. How would you describe an empire that is described like this?
3. Who is telling the empire to eat its fill of flesh?
4. Which empires have represented themselves as bears?
5. How might a person become aware of spiritual forces directing empires if they have not read the Bible?

There has been more than one ‘beast’ in history.  Daniel 7 contains four great beasts.  We can see them as a description of great and proud empires that set themselves up as world powers.  In this light Britain could be seen as a beast of the 18th – 20th centuries, and America and Russia could be beasts of the 20th century.  Each world empire is different, but each one is the same.  It takes the order of creation and it twists it and exploits it.

For the original reader the beasts’ rising from the sea would show that they are rising from forces which try and undo God’s order in creation.  The sea is chaos.  These beasts, then, are not part of the natural created order but like horrific orcs created from beautiful elves, the beasts in the Daniel narrative are mutations.

There is a grandeur to these aberrations and that is nowhere more apparent than in the first beast which takes the form of a lion crossed with an eagle.  Both beasts are swift and both beasts are beasts of prey.  However, because of their beauty and grandeur both beats were frequently used as national symbols.  Judah ascribed greatness to God by calling him a lion and an eagle at various times.

This beats is Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon.  It starts as proud and ravenous but finds humanity with Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling experience.  It is transformed from a mythological symbol of terror to a compassionate and rational human being as God created humans to be.  In other words the empire of Nebuchadnezzar is redeemed in this narrative.

Daniel 7:3,4

³Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

 ⁴ “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.

Questions

1. What does the sea show us about the beats that follow?
2. Describe the first beast?
3. How does the first beast change?
4. What empires in history have developed power that led them to be destructive of people and God’s creation?
5. How could you make an argument for or against America being a beast like those in Daniel 7?
6. How can an empire redeem itself like Babylon?

Tremper Longman III writes:

Daniel’s report of the vision begins with the setting.  He is on the coast of the sea, where the winds are whipping waves into a frenzy.  That Daniel is not giving a scientific description is immediately apparent since he attributes the wildness of the sea to the ‘four winds of heaven’ (v.2).  They are all blowing at once.  We are not simply to imagine huge waves scrashing into the shore, but rather turbulent chaotic waters moving in all directions.

On a simple, psychological level, this forbodes danger.  But reading this description with a broader literary background reveals that even more is at stake here.  By the time of Daniel, the sea was already a potent symbol of chaos, indeed odf destructive evil.  Here and elsewhere in the second half of Daniel the imagery of the visions may be associated with the mythology of the broader Near East.  We may illustrate this with reference to the great creation myths of the Babylonians and the Canaanites.

…

The most well known creation story of the Babylonians is the Enuma Elish.  This tale begins with an account of the creation of the gods.  At the beginning stands primordial Tiamat and her consort Apsu.  Both of these deities represent different aspects of the waters.  Indeed, Tiamat’s name, when translated from the Akkadian, means ‘The Sea’.  She is the mother of the next generation of deities, including Enlil and Ea.  The generation after Enliland Ea includes Marduk.  The story in Enuma Elish is about how Marduk becomes the head of the pantheon.

The plot gets underway when Apsu, the father, grows angry with his noisy divine children and purposes to get rid of them.  Tiamat, the mother, protests but does not thwart Apsu’s intention.  However, Ea, the god of wisdom, catches wind of his intentionsand succeeds in doing away with Apsu.  Far from solving the problem, however, Tiamat is now enraged and turns her more potent forces against her children.  Ea and the other gods stand powerless before her.  Marduk comes to the rescue and agrees to fight Tiamat, The Sea, with the proviso that if he succeeds, he will be recognized as chief among the gods.

This is not the place to justify what to us in the twentieth century seems a silly theology.  The point is that the myth in all seriousness now relates the creation of the world in the light of a struggle between the Creator and The Sea.  The fight between Marduk, the one who brings order into the world, and Tiamat, the one who by her very nature as water desires to abolish order and boundaries.

The story is dramatically told, but I will relate just its conclusion.  Marduk destroys Tiamat, the Sea, and from her body creates the universe as we know it (including humankind).  Nonetheless, somehow the sea continues to threaten to abolish creation, so that Marduk must set up boundaries and guards to keep the world from reverting to its formless state.  In other words, the sea is a force ranged against God and creation in Mesopotamian theology.

…

The point is that deep in the psyche of people of the ancient Near East the sea was more than a dangerous place.  It was a threatening force that ranged against the beneficial forces of creation.

Daniel was not the first one to use sea imagery in this way.  Elsewhere in the Old Testament, Yahweh’s struggle and victory over evil is recounted as a fight against the sea and its monsters.  God blasts the sea with his rebuke (Ps. 18:15), he sets guard over the sea (Job 7:12; Jer. 5:22); he causes the sea to dry up (Nah. 1:4); he traeds on the sea (Hab. 3:15); and he fights the sea monsters (Isa. 27:1)

Daniel 7:1 – 3

¹In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.

² Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. ³ Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

Questions

1. What is the setting for Daniel’s vision?
2. How did Mesopotamians understand ‘the sea’?
3. What cosmic forces would throw up wild beats and champions against God?
4. Who have been champion beasts of chaos in the 20th and 21st century?
5. Why shouldn’t people be afarid when chaotic forces of evil manfest themselves in the political, econmoic, and social spheres?