Notes on Daniel: Hermeneutics
By Jay Rogers
Published July 18, 2019
Hermeneutics is defined as a method or approach to interpreting Scripture. A confusing difficulty with the great diversity of eschatological approaches persists to our day. Is the correct approach to Daniel and Revelation preterist, historicist, futurist or idealist?
In the Days of These Kings (Book)
Perfect-bound Paperback — 740 pages
The Book of Daniel in Preterist Perspective
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).
The overarching message of Daniel is that Jesus the Messiah is even now ruling over the nations. He is the King of kings. Daniel tells us that Messiah’s kingdom will advance in the whole world from “generation to generation” (Daniel 4:4,34). Christ’s dominion is “given to the people of the saints of the most High” (Daniel 7:22). Our purpose then is to see “all people, nations, and languages … serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:14,27).
This comprehensive work offers a fascinating look at the book of Daniel in preterist perspective. Great attention is paid to the writings of ancient and modern historians and scholars to connect the dots and demonstrate the continuity of Daniel’s prophecy with all of Scripture.
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While most prophecy is forth-telling rather than foretelling, the Prophets and John’s Revelation also speak of things “yet to be.” What was “yet to be” often had a temporal immediacy. King Belshazzar saw his Chaldean Empire conquered by the Medo-Persian Empire that same night, just as Daniel had prophesied. But other prophecies were fulfilled centuries later. And some biblical prophecies – such as the Second Coming of Christ, the General Resurrection, the Final Judgment, and a New Heavens and a New Earth – have yet to be fulfilled.
One problem with interpreting prophecies is that they sometimes seem to have several fulfillments. Certainly, some references to Antiochus IV Epiphanes can be found in Daniel’s prophecy. However, the abomination that causes desolation (Daniel 9:26,27; 12:11) referred to by Jesus in the Mount Olivet Discourse (Matthew 25:15,16), cannot refer to Antiochus, even though when Daniel is read in isolation from Matthew 24, Antiochus might seem to fit the description.
These difficulties are only superficial problems that may be solved by looking at audience relevance and key time indicators in the text. Predictive prophecies refer to the blessings, curses and judgments of God. There is a direct cause-effect relationship between God’s promised judgment and the outcome of a prophecy. When Daniel foresaw the successive overthrow of four kingdoms, this was directly related to the persecution of God’s people by these nations. The Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Greeks and Romans came under judgment because they usurped the rule of God’s chosen people over the Promised Land.
Using the Book of Revelation as an example, when John saw the destruction of the Beast, the False Prophet and the Whore of Babylon, this was the direct result of the persecution of the Church by Nero and the Jews. This came to pass in the first century when Nero was killed, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and the Roman Empire began to come under progressive judgment by God through internal strife.
There are historical applications we can make, such as the invasion of Rome by barbarian hordes in the beginning of the Middle Ages, and futuristic applications, such as the judgment of Gog and Magog at the end of the millennium (Revelation 20). However, the immediate application of most of the Book of Revelation is explicitly stated. Judgment was to happen soon, “the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). The angel showed John “things which must shortly take place” (Revelation 22:6). To say that the papacy or the Roman Catholic Church is going to be judged for its persecutions of Christians in the time that John describes in Revelation is anachronistic. It ignores the repeated temporal urgency as well as the historical and literary context of the Book of Revelation.
For instance, according to Revelation 11:2, John was writing when the Temple at Jerusalem still stood and prophesied that the Temple “is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” At very least, the futurist and the historicist ought to concede that John was writing to seven churches that were currently undergoing or were about to undergo “tribulation.” If John saw events in a vision that had an immediate first century application, then how can the papacy or a future one-world government be interpreted as the Beast or the Whore of Babylon?
While I agree that God has judged those who persecuted believers throughout history, I do not see a cause-effect relationship between the persecutions of Christians by the first century Roman emperors and the persecution of Protestants by Rome during the Reformation (at least not in this prophecy).
Since the papacy did not exist in the first century, then how can the Roman Church of the Middle Ages be responsible for persecutions of Christians in the first century? How can a future Antichrist figure be responsible for first century persecutions? A futurist or historicist hermeneutic is anachronistic because these events did not coincide in history.
Publications
- The Forerunner: America's campus newspaper
- The Forerunner Weblog: Archived blog articles by category
- The Boston Awakening: It's time for another Great Awakening!
- Predvestnik: Articles translated from the Russian language Forerunner
- Russian Predvestnik: Russian Forerunner (in Russian!)
- The Mandate: China's Christian newspaper
- El Campeón: Spanish Champion (in Spanish!)
- Pakistani Forerunner: Articles on Christian foundations in Urdu!
- Turkish Forerunner: Apologetics for Christians in Turkey!
- The Champion: Proclaiming the Crown Rights of King Jesus!
- The Puritan Storm: A chronicle of the neo-Puritan revival
- Chalcedon Report: Articles from the magazine by staff and friends
Books
- Why Creeds and Confessions? Foundations in Biblical Orthodoxy
- The Four Keys to the Millennium: Foundations in Biblical Eschatology
- In The Days of These Kings: The Book of Daniel in Preterist Perspective
DVDs & Online Videos
- The Abortion Matrix: Ending Child Sacrifice and the Culture of Death
- The Real Jesus: A Defense of the Historicity and Divinity of Christ
- God's Law and Society: Now includes a free Study Guide!
- The Beast of Revelation: Identified: Ken Gentry's powerful teaching
- Abortion Clinic 911 Calls: Exposing the Dangers of Abortion to Women
- Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism
- A Revival Account Asbury 1970: What is true Revival?
- Massacre of Innocence: The Occult Roots of Abortion
- World Changers: A Blueprint for Revival and Reformation
- Jesus Christ: Lord of All of Life! 1998 Reconstruction Conference
- U.S. Taxpayers Party: 1997 National Committee meeting
Pro-Life Ministry
- Melbourne's Abortion Industry: Exposing the evil of abortion
- Florida's Abortion Industry: Exposing the unfrutiful deeds of darkness
- Abortion Wars: An open letter to the pro-life community
- Pro-life Videos: Streaming videos about pro-life activism
- Pro-life Florida: Pro-life resources for the state of Florida
- Personhood Florida: Constitutional Personhood for all human beings
- Personhood USA: Protecting the pre-born by love and by law
- Life Coalition International: Reports from pro-life missionaries
- The Counselor Corps: Pro-life health referral counselors
Civil Government
- Theonomy FAQ: Frequently asked questions on theonomy
- Theonomy Debate: Is theonomy exegetically sound?
- Pass The Word: Political cartoons and articles
- Second American Revolution: Clips from God's Law and Society
- The Christian Statesman: Christian publication founded in 1864
The Hall of Church History
- Creeds and Confessions: Patristic Creeds and Reformed Confessions
- Church Fathers: Writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers
In the Days of These Kings (Book)
Perfect-bound Paperback — 740 pages
The Book of Daniel in Preterist Perspective
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).
The overarching message of Daniel is that Jesus the Messiah is even now ruling over the nations. He is the King of kings. Daniel tells us that Messiah’s kingdom will advance in the whole world from “generation to generation” (Daniel 4:4,34). Christ’s dominion is “given to the people of the saints of the most High” (Daniel 7:22). Our purpose then is to see “all people, nations, and languages … serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:14,27).
This comprehensive work offers a fascinating look at the book of Daniel in preterist perspective. Great attention is paid to the writings of ancient and modern historians and scholars to connect the dots and demonstrate the continuity of Daniel’s prophecy with all of Scripture.
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)Click here for more information
The United States of America 2.0: The Great Reset (Book)
High Quality Paperback — 40 pages of dynamite!
Revival, Resistance, Reformation, Revolution
An Introduction to the Doctrines of Interposition and Nullification
In 1776, a short time after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were assigned to design an official seal for the United States of America. Their proposed motto was Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God. America owes its existence to centuries of Christian political philosophy. Our nation provided a model for liberty copied by nations the world over.
By the 21st century, we need a “Puritan Storm” to sweep away the Hegelian notion that the state is “God walking on earth.” We need revival and reformation in full force to vanquish the problems that plague us as a nation — from government controlled healthcare — to abortion on demand — to same sex “marriage.” This booklet gives a primer on our founders’ Christian idea of government and examines how the doctrine of nullification was woven into the Constitution as a safeguard against federal tyranny. It concludes with the history and theology of civil resistance. A Second American Revolution is coming with the Word of God growing mightily and prevailing! (Acts 19:20).
$7.95 — ORDER NOW!
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Freedom: The Model of Christian Liberty (DVD)
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
Patrick Henry’s famous declaration not only helped launch the War for Independence, it also perfectly summarized the mindset that gave birth to, and sustained, the unprecedented experiment in Christian liberty that was America.
The freedom our Founders envisioned was not freedom from suffering, want, or hard work. Nor was it freedom to indulge every appetite or whim without restraint—that would merely be servitude to a different master. No, the Founders’ passion was to live free before God, unfettered by the chains of autocracy, shackles that slowly but inexorably bind men when the governments they fashion fail to recognize and uphold freedom’s singular, foundational truth: that all men are created in the image of God, and are thereby co-equally endowed with the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
This presentation is a similar call, not to one but many. By reintroducing the principles of freedom that gave birth to America, it is our prayer that Jesus, the true and only ruler over the nations, will once again be our acknowledged Sovereign, that we may again know and exult in the great truth that “where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17).
Welcome to the Second American Revolution!
This DVD features “Liberty: The Model of Christian Liberty” along with “Dawn’s Early Light: A Brief History of America’s Christian Foundations.” Bonus features include a humorous but instructive collection of campaign ads and Eric Holmberg’s controversial YouTube challenge concerning Mitt Romney’s campaign for president.
$14.95 — ORDER NOW!
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The Real Jesus: A Defense of the Historicity and Divinity of Christ (DVD)
Who is the Real Jesus?
Ever since the dawn of modern rationalism, skeptics have sought to use textual criticism, archeology and historical reconstructions to uncover the “historical Jesus” — a wise teacher who said many wonderful things, but fulfilled no prophecies, performed no miracles and certainly did not rise from the dead in triumph over sin.
Over the past 100 years, however, startling discoveries in biblical archeology and scholarship have all but vanquished the faulty assumptions of these doubting modernists. Regrettably, these discoveries have often been ignored by the skeptics as well as by the popular media. As a result, the liberal view still holds sway in universities and impacts the culture and even much of the church.
The Real Jesus explodes the myths of these critics and the movies, books and television programs that have popularized their views. Presented in ten parts — perfect for individual, family and classroom study — viewers will be challenged to go deeper in their knowledge of Christ in order to be able to defend their faith and present the truth to a skeptical modern world – that the Jesus of the Gospels is the Jesus of history — “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the real Jesus.
Speakers include: George Grant, Ted Baehr, Stephen Mansfield, Raymond Ortlund, Phil Kayser, David Lutzweiler, Jay Grimstead, J.P. Holding, and Eric Holmberg.
Ten parts, over two hours of instruction!
Running Time: 130 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
(We accept all major credit cards and PayPal.)
