Heidegger's Bible Handbook: Daniel: Argument and Use

5. The book’s argument and consummate usefulness.

The sum of the book centers in this, that Daniel, a man flourishing in wisdom, renown, and piety, filled with and chosen by the divine Spirit, makes the Church far more certain, of the future calamities preceding the promised and anticipated Kingdom of Christ; of His coming in the flesh and into His Kingdom; of the things following a little afterwards, the ruin of the Jewish nation, the ἀμεταπτώτῳ/ unchangeable kingdom of Christ, and the coming destruction of Antichrist. It is filled with most beneficial documents, both historical, concerning various nations: and prophetic, concerning the destinies both of human kingdoms, and their changes and successions; and of the Church, especially of its head, the Christ, and its adversary, Antichrist: and dogmatic, concerning the Holy Trinity, the incarnation and death of Christ, the Providence of GOD, the final judgment, the offices of Angels, etc.: and moral, containing many incentives and examples, whereby we are excited unto faith, piety, fortitude, mercy, etc. Here is a differentiating between the wisdom committed to this world and the wisdom of GOD, the consummate power of this world and the infirmity of GOD,[1] Daniel and his few companion’s confession of the true GOD, whom the captive people was adoring, and the power of God extorting it from the greatest Monarchs; the true religion and superstition. In addition, it contains all the modes of Prophetic visions, by dreams, ecstasy, sensible signs, the illumination of the mind. But it was peculiar to him and extraordinary, that he describes, not only the coming of Christ, but also its time and the manner of its time:[2] and also by continuous series the alteration coming in empires all the way to the last straits of the Church, and the Kingdom to be given to the saints.

[1] See 1 Corinthians 1:25. [2] See 1 Peter 1:11.