The Book of Daniel
Daniel is an amazing book of prophesy and pre-recorded history. It's accurate predictions of the coming world events have led skeptics and unbelievers to conclude that the book of Daniel must be a fake written after the fact. They claim it was written in the second century BC. Bible scholars give the date of writing as the sixth century BC. I will present two points of evidence that disprove the assumption of the skeptics, but first what's the ruckus about?
Daniel was a young Jewish boy probably from the royal family of Israel taken captive by the Babylonians in their early invasions of Judah around 600 BC. He along with several others were to be indoctrinated into King Nebuchadnezzar's court, probably as propaganda tools to help control the rest of the captive Jews. Daniel did not forsake his religious roots; however, and at the same time managed to impress the King enough to advance to a position among the king's ministers.
Daniel's pathway to success under King Nebuchadnezzar began when he interpreted a dream for the king that no one else could explain. Daniel tells the king that "there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets." The king's dream was a look into the future world powers of first the Medo-Persians, the Greeks (Alexander the Great's conquests), and then the Roman empire. Daniel accurately told King Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom would fall to the Medo-Persians, and they would then fall to the Greeks who would then be overpowered by the Roman empire. The identities of these kingdoms are given by the angelic messenger that came to Daniel in the second half of the book. In chapter 11 Daniel is given a revelation so detailed of what will happen in the 3rd-1st century BC that it defies any explanation except a supernatural one. This is the part that really leaves the skeptics looking for answers. Daniel was also given revelations about Jesus in chapters 2,7, and 9. In chapter 9 a time line is given that accurately describes the time of Christ's first coming. It can be calculated with the time line that was given the exact day that Christ publicly proclaimed he was indeed the Messiah. That day was the day we know as Palm Sunday; the day Christ had his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Daniel also tells of the Messiah's rejection. Daniel says that after the Anointed one comes he will be "cut off and have nothing". This happened only one week after Palm Sunday, the day of Jesus' crucifixion. Then Daniel tells about the "destruction of the city and the sanctuary" which refers to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70AD.
Now back to the skeptic's charges of fakery. They claim that the book was written in the 2nd century BC after much of what was told by the writer actually happened. Indeed the book can be proven to go back at least that far as some copies have been found from the Macaabean period. Jesus even spoke of the book of Daniel himself. But how does one explain the accurate predictions of the coming of Jesus, his death, and the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem? If the book is a forgery as the skeptics claim in their attempt to explain away the predictions about the 400 years before Christ, then one still must answer for the accurate predictions of the 1st century AD events. And there is another bit of evidence. Another thing critics once pointed to is what they thought at the time was an inaccuracy in Daniel's writings. Daniel mentioned a ruler of Babylon named Belshazzar. He was called the "second ruler of Babylon". At one time this ruler had never been heard of by secular history, so the critics of Daniel said this was an error in the bible. But evidence of this fact was finally found. In 1853, an inscription was found in some ancient Babylon ruins that did mention Belshazzar. It mentioned that he was the son of the King Nabonidas. From other inscriptions it was learned that Belshazzar and Nabonidas were co-regents. So the book of Daniel is accurate to events that had been lost to secular history until the 19th century. And with events that were accurately foretold after a supposed faked writing in the 2nd century BC, one can safely conclude Daniel's time of writing is indeed 6th century BC.
Why do skeptics continue to deny so much evidence that says God is real? This little example from Daniel is just one thing of many things which can rightly be considered good evidence for the Christian faith. Still the unbeliever rejects the message. That's the unbeliever's mindset and his comfort zone won't allow him to see the truth. The sad reality the unbeliever can't see is that his "comfort zone" is much more comfortable in Christ. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10-10