The debates surrounding the book of Daniel in Chapter 2 centre around the historical accuracy of the book. Sceptics challenge its authenticity, claiming that it couldn’t have been written in 600 BC because of how precise the prophetic fulfillments are. Instead, they propose that the book was written in the 2nd century BC about the character of Daniel.
However, this argument is actually a testament to the validity of the book. If it can be proven that the book was written in 600 BC, then it supports its credibility. There is evidence to support this claim, such as the fact that Jesus himself believed that Daniel wrote the book (as stated in Matthew 24:15).
Critics also argue that the Aramaic language used in the book (Chapters 2 to 7) doesn’t match the Aramaic language used in 6th century BC Egypt. This is true, but it also doesn’t match the Aramaic used in the 2nd century BC, the time in which the alleged anonymous author lived.
However, the Aramaic used in the book of Daniel matches the Imperial Aramaic, which was the official language employed in Persia and Babylon in the 6th century BC, the time and place in which Daniel lived. As a ruler in both Babylon and Persia, Daniel would have used Imperial Aramaic in government documents.
The key aspect is the prediction that the fourth empire will be divided and the resulting attempts at reunification will ultimately prove unsuccessful, which has been fulfilled exactly as stated, regardless of the specific number of parts the empire was divided into.
Once again, this point is irrelevant to the study. The historical fact is that the empires of prophecy – Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome understood themselves to be world-dominating powers. They likely had no knowledge of China, or else they didn’t see China as a threat. All of these empires defeated and dominated anyone that stood in their way of world dominance.
We must remember that God’s focus is His people, and all of these world empires were directly connected with the future/history of His people. China, on the other hand, was not.
God finds sin reprehensible and wants us to feel the same way. These stories, both good and bad, add credibility to the Bible by presenting things as they are. This honesty inspires confidence in the Bible’s reliability and it doesn’t conceal anything. Satan wants people to believe they are such terrible sinners that God won’t save them, but the Bible shows many examples of people who were delivered from sin by God. (Romans 15:4).
According to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.” The Bible is not merely a collection of God’s words, but it is the very Word of God. It serves as a manual for human life and ignoring it can lead to unnecessary difficulties.
No, the Bible’s age is actually evidence of its inspiration. As 1 Peter 1:25 states, “The word of the Lord endures forever.” The Bible is like a rock and has stood the test of time. People and nations have tried to discredit the Bible, but in the end, it remained and continues to be in high demand. Its message is current and relevant, and one can understand it with the help of the Holy Spirit by asking God to open their heart as they read.
Even the brightest minds may struggle to understand the Bible because spiritual things can only be understood spiritually. (1 Corinthians 2:13, 14). The deep truths of the Word cannot be grasped by a worldly mind, no matter how brilliant. Only by seeking an experience with God can one understand the things of God. The Holy Spirit, who explains the Bible, is not understood by a secular mind, but the humble and sincere seeker who studies the Bible can receive understanding from the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 11:25; 1 Corinthians 2:9, 10).
Most so-called errors in the Bible have been proven to be misunderstandings on the part of those who raised the objections. The Bible:
- Always tells the truth
- Never misleads
- Can be fully trusted
- Is reliable in spiritual, historical, and scientific matters
In some cases, copyists might have made small errors in copying words or numbers, but these do not affect the truth of the Bible. Doctrine is based on the total of divinely inspired comments on a subject and not on one Bible passage. Some parts of the Bible may be difficult to reconcile, but even unresolved issues will eventually be resolved. The more people try to undermine the Bible, the brighter its light shines.
Think of the Bible like a car with various parts manufactured in different parts of the world. The engine was made in Germany, the body in the USA, the running gear in Japan, the interior in France, the electrical circuitry in Taiwan, and the gearbox in Korea. All these parts were assembled in Australia. If all the parts fit together perfectly, what would be the logical conclusion? That someone oversaw the whole process.
It is important to note that the Bible was written over a span of 1600 years, from 1500 BC to 100 AD, by 40 diverse authors including kings, peasants, fishermen, philosophers, shepherds, physicians, poets, statesmen, and scholars. It was written on three different continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe) and in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek). The only way a book written in this way could be so unified is if the Holy Spirit lead the whole process.
Old Testament
The major impact of the Dead Sea Scrolls is that it validated the accuracy of the Hebrew Old Testament Scriptures. Prior to their discovery, the earliest Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament were dated around 920 A.D. Yet, the Dead Sea Scrolls date back to around 100 B.C.! With this gap of about a thousand years, some supposed there would be massive changes uncovered. This was not true, however, as the variances were of no significance.
Thus, the major significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls is that it verifies the stability of the Hebrew Old Testament manuscripts from well before the birth of Jesus and Christianity. We can be confident that the Old Testament we read today has been accurately transmitted throughout history from at least a hundred years before the birth of Jesus.
The prophecies of the Messiah that so accurately and specifically point to the time of Jesus and to the specific events in His life were not introduced after the birth of the church, but were there all along.
The New Testament
We have discovered 5856 ancient New Testament manuscripts as of 2021. But how do these compare with other ancient books? Well, a stack of existing manuscripts from the average classical writer would measure about four feet high. Yet the New Testament manuscripts would stack to more than one-mile high.
For many ancient books, there are often a few dozen existing manuscripts, and sometimes even a few hundred. For example, the account of Caesar’s Gallic Wars happened between 58 – 50 B.C., however the oldest record that we have is 1000 years after his death. Yet nobody ever doubts the veracity of these events.
The sheer number of ancient New Testament documents far surpass any other ancient writing, not only in how many we have available but also how close these are to the time of the originals. Nothing else comes close, not even Plato’s Tetralogies, Herodotus’ Histories or Homer’s Iliad.
Professor Douglas Groothuis states “the New Testament is better attested by ancient manuscripts than any other piece of ancient literature.”