Book of Daniel presents a clear tension between the more pragmatic books of the historical Old Testament and the visionary, apocalyptic books of scripture to come. Daniel has been called "the most peculiar and most difficult books in the Old Testament," precisely because the narrative is apocalyptic in nature and tone (Brueggeman, 2003, p. 351). Moreover, there is a historical dimension to the text as Daniel maintains his "distinctive Jewish identity in the presence of indifferent or hostile imperial power," (Brueggeman, 2003, p. 351). The book of Daniel contains within it elements of apocalyptic visionary experience that set the stage for Christianity without diverging from Jewish culture or context. Thus situated in history, Daniel inspires both fear and hope.The central and titular figure of the book, Daniel can interpret dreams, conveys visions of the future, and therefore has supernatural powers that inspire Jewish people and connect Daniel to God. As Boadt (1984) puts it, the "clear purpose of these visions is to predict in a veiled fashion the end of the kingdom of Antiochus Epiphanes and his persecution," (p. 509). The author(s) of Daniel wrote in a climate of political and social turmoil, during a "terrible time," in which Daniel's visions...
509). Daniel is presented as a "boy-hero" whose life story is one of persecution, prediction, and eventual triumph (Boadt, 1984, p. 509). While not entirely divergent from the Jewish scripture of previous texts in the chronological canon of the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Daniel nevertheless presages the social zeitgeist that would welcome the coming of the Christ.
Although frequently lambasted for its being a “thorny shrub” of miscreant journalism, Daniel Defoe’s semi-fictional account of the great plague of 1665 also offers telling insight into English social and political customs. A Journal of the Plague Year is now framed more as novel than as historiography, but is equal parts both, making it akin to ancient narratives like the epic of Gilgamesh. Defoe does do a deft job at
Exegesis Hosea 10: 5-6 Close Reading Hosea is a prophetic book and like many books in this tradition, it is a critique of the current ways of the Israelites and an explanation of why their words and deeds are in error. One of the central images of Hosea 10: 5-6 is that of idolatry, specifically that of the "calf" at which the inhabitants of Samaria "tremble" despite the explicit prohibition of worshipping
Book of Revelation is a unique portion of the New Testament. Unlike the other Books found in the latter part of the Bible, the Book of Revelation is not presented as a historical document or an instructional discussion, but is essentially a prophetic book, intended to deliver a glimpse of upcoming history that affects the happenings of the church. Also more mystery and disagreement surrounds the Book of Revelation
While these events are signs that the end times are approaching, they are not necessarily indicators that the end times have arrived. The Apostle Paul warned that the last days would bring a marked increase in false teaching. "In the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1). The last days are described as "perilous times" because
Willard's internal trauma is representative of the shock many Americans must have felt at seeing the violence inflicted in their name, and thus his killing of Kurtz represents a kind of superficial destruction of the "bad seed" that supposedly tainted the otherwise respectable and honorable American military. By focusing on the "primitive" evil embodied by Kurtz, the film allows the more "subtle and civilized manifestations of evil" in the form
King's The Man In The Black Suit The modern concept of self, and the human trait of self-awareness, have been a part of humanity since recorded history -- as has the notion of good and evil, although clearly on a sliding scale. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that the concept of the self in relation to the choices of good and evil coalesced, moving away from the supernatural
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