PREACHING CHRIST FROM DANIEL

Foundations for Expository Sermons

SIDNEY GREIDANUS

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 2012 Sidney Greidanus

All rights reserved

Published 2012 by

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 /

P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

www.eerdmans.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Greidanus, Sidney, 1935–

Preaching Christ from Daniel: foundations for expository sermons / Sidney Greidanus.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8028-6787-2 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Bible. O.T. Daniel—Sermons. 2. Jesus Christ. 3. Expository preaching.

I. Title.

BS1555.54.G74 2012

251—dc23

2012031284

Unless otherwise noted, the Bible quotations in this publication are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This book is dedicated

to the Church of Jesus

suffering persecution.

May the comforting messages of Daniel encourage all Christians

to remain faithful to the end.

“I saw one like a son of man

coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Daniel 7:13

“I am [the Messiah];

and ‘you will see the Son of Man

seated at the right hand of Power,’

and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ”

Jesus. Mark 14:62

“Look! He is coming with the clouds;

every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him.”

John. Revelation 1:7

Contents

preface

acknowledgments

abbreviations

Introduction: Issues in Preaching Christ from Daniel

The Historical and Geographical Setting of Daniel

A Second-Century-b.c. Composition

A Sixth-Century-b.c. Composition

The Author(s)/Editors and Audience(s) of Daniel

Literary Issues of Daniel

Hebrew and Aramaic in Daniel

Literary Genres and Forms in Daniel

Redemptive-Historical Narrative

Apocalyptic Literature

The Unity and Rhetorical Structures of Daniel

The Message and Goal of Daniel

The Overall Message of Daniel

The Goal of Daniel

Issues in Preaching Daniel

A Series of Sermons on Daniel

Selection of the Preaching Text

The Theme and Goal of the Text

The Relevance of Daniel for the Church Today

The Form of the Sermon

Preaching Christ from Daniel

The Sermon’s Oral Style

1. Daniel and His Friends Taken to Babylon

Daniel 1:1–21

2. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Great Statue

Daniel 2:1–49

3. Daniel’s Friends in the Fiery Furnace

Daniel 3:1–30

4. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Great Tree

Daniel 4:1–37

5. The Writing on the Wall

Daniel 5:1–31

6. Daniel in the Lions’ Den

Daniel 6:1–28

7. Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts and God’s Kingdom

Daniel 7:1–28

8. Daniel’s Vision of a Ram, a Goat, and a Little Horn

Daniel 8:1–27

9. Daniel’s Prayer and God’s Response of Seventy Weeks

Daniel 9:1–27

10. Daniel’s Final Vision of the Future

Daniel 10:1–12:4

11. Daniel’s Concluding Vision of “the Time of the End”

Daniel 12:5–13

appendices

1. Ten Steps ...