Wenstrom Bible Ministries Marion, Iowa Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom wenstrom

1. Wenstrom Bible MinistriesMarion, IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.wenstrom.org

2. Tuesday May 28, 2013Daniel: Daniel 7:16-Daniel Asks for the Interpretation of the Vision from an Unidentified IndividualLesson # 215

3. Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 7:1.

4. Daniel 7:1 During Belshazzar’s, Babylon’s king, first year, Daniel saw a dream specifically visions in his mind on his bed. Then, he wrote down the dream. He declares the beginning of the account. 2 Daniel began to speak and said, “I was in a trance like state, staring because of my vision during the night as behold the heaven’s four winds were blowing violently against the great sea.

5. 3 Then, four great beasts, one different from the other, came up out from the sea. 4 The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings attached to it. I was in a trance like state staring when its wings were torn off. Then it was lifted up from the ground for the purpose of it standing on two feet like a human being. A human mind was also given to it.

6. 5 Next, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear with it raised up to one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. Then, they issued orders to it, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ 6 After this, I was staring in a trance like state as behold, another one, was like a leopard with it having four bird’s wings on its back. Also, the beast had four heads. Indeed, governmental dominion was given to it.

7. 7 After this, I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these night visions as behold, a fourth beast, intimidating, yes even terrifying as well as extremely powerful, possessing two large rows of iron teeth. It devoured as well as crushed. Specifically, it violently crushed the rest with its feet. Indeed, it was characterized as different from all the beasts which were before it in the sense of possessing ten horns.

8. 8 I was contemplating in a trance like state because of these horns as behold, another little horn emerged out from among them. Then, the first three originating from the horns was torn out by being in the presence of it. In fact, behold, on this horn, were eyes like a human being’s eyes as well as a mouth speaking boastfully.

9. 9 I was continuing to stare in a trance like state when thrones were set up. Then, the One Ancient in Days sat. His clothing was white like snow. Also, the hair of His head was like lamb’s wool. His throne was fiery flames. Its wheels were a blazing fire.

10. 10 A river composed of fire was flowing, yes issuing forth from His presence. A thousand times a thousand were continually rendering worshipful service to Him. In fact, ten thousand times ten thousand were continually standing in His presence. The court convened resulting in scrolls being opened.

11. 11 I was continuing to stare in a trance like state at that time because of the sound coming from the boastful words which the horn was making a habit of speaking. I was continuing to stare in a trance like state when the beast was killed. In fact, its body was destroyed. Specifically, it was given over to the consuming fire.

12. 12 On the other hand, the rest of the beasts, their governmental dominion was taken away, though for their benefit an extension of life was granted for a period of time, yes an appointed period of time. 13 I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these visions as behold One like a Son of Man was coming upon the clouds of heaven. Specifically, He went up to the One Ancient in Days in the sense that He approached His presence.

13. 14 Then, governmental dominion was given to Him as well as honor and in addition sovereignty in order that each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities as well as language groups would serve Him. His governmental dominion is an eternal governmental dominion which can never be taken away so that His kingdom is one which can never be destroyed.

14. 15 As for me, Daniel, my soul was distressed in the midst of my body. Specifically, the visions in my mind caused me to be terrified.” (Author’s translation)

15. Daniel 7:16 “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things.” (NASB95)

16. In this verse, we have the figure of “asyndeton” which is designed to mark a transition in the narrative.

17. This figure indicates that Daniel is finished telling his readers the content of the vision and is now transitioning to the interpretation of this vision.

18. “I approached” is the first person singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active perfect form of the verb qerēḇ (קְרֵב) (ker-abe´), which means “to approach, to come near, to go up to someone.”

19. It indicates linear movement and is used here of Daniel “approaching” or “going up” to an unidentified individual who was standing nearby him in the vision and asking this individual to interpret the vision for him.

20. “One of those who were standing by” is composed of the preposition ʿǎl (עַל) (al) which is not translated and its object is the masculine singular substantive form of the adjective ḥǎḏ (חַד) (khad), “one” and this is followed by the preposition min (מִן) (min), “of” and its object is the masculine plural peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active participle form of the verb qûm (קוּם) (koom), “those who were standing by.”

21. The adjective ḥǎḏ means “one” referring to an unidentified individual who was standing nearby to Daniel in the vision.

22. The word is the object of the preposition ʿǎl, which is used in a terminative sense meaning that it is marking the end of the motion of the verb of motion indicating that it is marking this unidentified individual as the end of Daniel’s approach.

23. The verb qûm means “to stand nearby” indicating that this unidentified individual who Daniel approached was “standing nearby” him.

24. The participle form of the verb is functioning as a substantive and should be rendered as a relative clause.

25. This substantive participle is the object of the preposition min, which is a partitive marker meaning that it is marking the whole from which a part is taken indicating that this unidentified individual Daniel approached in the vision was a “part” of the enormous group of individuals standing before the throne of the Ancient of Days.

26. “And began asking him the exact meaning of all this” presents the purpose of Daniel going up to an unidentified individual who was from those standing nearby him in the vision.

27. “Began asking him” is composed of the first person masculine singular peʿal (Hebrew: qal) active imperfect form of the verb beʿā(h) (בְּעָה) (beh-aw´), “began asking” and this is followed by the preposition min (מִן) (min), which is not translated and its object is the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who), “him.”

28. The verb beʿā(h) means “to make a request” and is used here of Daniel going up to an unidentified individual from those standing nearby the throne of the Ancient of Days in order to “make a request” from this individual to provide for him the exact meaning of this vision.

29. The third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) means “him” referring to the unidentified individual Daniel approached who was standing nearby him at the throne of the Ancient of Days in the vision.

30. This pronominal suffix is the object of the preposition min, which this time is a marker of separation indicating that Daniel was requesting “from” this individual the exact meaning of the vision and denotes that Daniel was to extract from this individual the interpretation of the vision.

31. “The exact meaning” is the masculine singular form of the adjective yǎṣ∙ṣîḇ (יַצִּיב) (yats-tseeb´), which literally means “what is certain, what is reliable” referring to the “exact meaning” or “true meaning.”

32. It is used here as a substantive meaning “the truth” indicating that Daniel was seeking “the truth” of this vision from this unidentified individual.

33. “So he told me” presents the result of the previous statement in which Daniel asked an unidentified individual from those standing nearby the meaning or truth regarding the vision.

34. “And made known to me the interpretation of these things” presents the purpose of the unidentified individual speaking to Daniel.

35. “Made known to me” is composed of the third person masculine singular hafʿel (Hebrew: hiphil) active imperfect form of the verb yeḏǎʿ (יְדַע) (yed-ah´), “made known to” which is followed by the first person singular pronominal suffix –î (־י), “me.”

36. The verb yeḏǎʿ means “to inform, make known” and is used with an unidentified individual who was standing nearby the throne of the Ancient of Days as its subject and the interpretation of the vision is its object.

37. Therefore, this verb indicates that this individual “made known” to Daniel the interpretation of the vision.

38. “These things” is the masculine plural form of the noun mil∙lā(h) (מִלָּה) (mil-law´), which means “the events” referring to the events that appeared to Daniel in the vision recorded in Daniel 7:2-14.

39. Daniel 7:16 “I went up to one from those standing nearby in order to request from him the truth regarding all this. Consequently, he spoke to me in order to make known to me the interpretation of these events.” (My translation)

40. The visions which Daniel received as recorded in Daniel 7:2-14 caused him distress in his soul and specifically caused him to be terrified as recorded in Daniel 7:15.

41. This resulted in Daniel seeking an interpretation or the meaning of this vision he received from God.

42. Here in Daniel 7:16, he tells the reader that he went up to an unidentified individual who was from those standing nearby the throne of the Ancient of Days in this vision in order to request the interpretation of the vision.

43. This individual is one of the innumerable individuals standing before the throne of the Ancient of Days who are mentioned as appearing in the vision in Daniel 7:10.

44. Since Daniel 7:9-10 records events in symbolic terms which will take place at the end of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the innumerable unidentified individuals rendering worshipful service to the Father and those standing around His throne waiting to do so must be both regenerate human beings and elect angels.

45. Daniel does not identify for the reader this individual who gave him the interpretation of the vision but it would appear to be the elect-angel Gabriel since he is the one who gives him the interpretation of the visions recorded in Daniel chapter eight (see 8:16, 21).

46. Gabriel also appears to Daniel to give him the prophecy of the seventy weeks in Daniel chapter nine (see 9:21).

47. So in Daniel 7:16, this unidentified individual who is more than likely the elect archangel Gabriel spoke to Daniel in order to make known to him the interpretation of the events which appeared to him in the vision.

48. The interpretation is recorded in Daniel 7:17-27.