Apocalyptic Visions

Daniel 7–12 (selections)

Hellenistic Period, 4th–2nd Century BCE

Chapter 7

¹In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision of his mind in bed; afterward he wrote down the dream. Beginning the account, ²Daniel related the following:

“In my vision at night, I saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea. ³Four mighty beasts different from each other emerged from the sea…

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About Daniel 7-12

In the Hebrew Bible, Daniel is found in the Writings, not in the Prophets, although some ancient traditions considered Daniel a prophet. (Christian Bibles include him among the prophets.) While most of the book of Daniel is in Hebrew, parts of it (2:4b–7:28) are in Aramaic. The first six chapters are stories set in the periods of Babylonian and (like Esther) Persian rule and are included in this volume in the section on Short Prose Narrative Books. Chapters 7–12 contain apocalyptic visions composed, for the most part, during the reign of the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BCE), whose persecution of Judaism provoked the Maccabean revolt of 167–165 BCE. Among their consequential themes are the presence of named angels as guardians of various nations, and the earliest statement of the belief in the resurrection of the dead (Daniel 12:2). See the introduction to Classical Prophetic Literature for more on the apocalyptic texts.

Antiochus IV on Seleucid Coin, 175 to 164 BCE. The apocalyptic visions in are presented as prophecies to the figure of Daniel, who was in service to the kings of Babylon and Persia. They were composed during the time of King Antiochus IV, and reflect the events leading up to the Hasmonean revolt against him.

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Apocalyptic Visions

Chapter 7

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Apocalyptic Visions

Chapter 7

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