Mobile Ed: OT366 Book Study: Daniel and Its Literary and Historical Contexts (6 hour course)

by Wendy Widder; Logos Mobile Education

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2017–2018

Overview

OT366 Book Study: Daniel and Its Literary and Historical Contexts introduces you to the content and structure of the book of Daniel, as well as its literary and historical contexts. Dr. Wendy Widder navigates the many interpretive issues and complexities of critical scholarship in Daniel and presents them in a fair, concise, and accessible way, providing much clarity to what can often be a mystifying book. You’ll learn how the original audience would have understood the book in light of the historical events of the time period in which it was written and see how its theological message—originally intended for the Israelites—is extended to believers today, providing hope amid the brokenness of life and highlighting God’s sovereign rule over His eternal and indestructible kingdom.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Outline the basic structure of Daniel and summarize its contents
• Describe the historical, literary, and canonical contexts of the book of Daniel
• Highlight the key historical events that inform a correct interpretation of Daniel
• Discuss the main hermeneutical and interpretive issues involved in the book of Daniel
• Summarize each literary unit of the book and explain how each contributes to the overall message of the book
• Articulate the various genres contained in the book
• Identify key theological themes in Daniel and trace them throughout the book
• Explain the overall message of Daniel and its relevance for believers today

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Introduction to the Book

• Overview of Daniel
• Theology of Daniel
• Introduction to Hermeneutical Issues
• Genre: Daniel in the Hebrew Canon
• Genre: Daniel in the Christian Canon
• Author and Date
• Audience, Setting, and Purpose
• Literature/Genre
• Date Formulas
• Language: Part 1
• Language: Part 2

Unit 2: Daniel 1: Abstinence from Food

• Introduction to Daniel 1
• Kings and Gods in the Ancient Near East
• Historical and Geographical Setting
• Characters and Setting
• The Plot
• Resolution and Foreshadowing

Unit 3: Daniel 2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue Dream

• Introduction to Daniel 2
• Chronology
• Dreams in the Ancient Near East
• Daniel’s Prayer/Praise
• The Source of True Wisdom
• The Statue Dream
• The Interpretation
• Purpose of the Chapter

Unit 4: Daniel 3: Fiery Furnace

• Introduction to Daniel 3
• Narrative Features: Repetition
• Narrative Features: Reasons for Repetition
• The Decree and the Image
• The Accusation/Offense and the Challenge
• The Confession
• In the Furnace and Theology of Daniel 3

Unit 5: Daniel 4: Nebuchadnezzar’s Tree Dream

• Introduction to Daniel 4
• Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus
• Nebuchadnezzar’s Letter
• The Tree Dream
• The Interpretation: Part 1
• The Interpretation: Part 2
• The Fulfillment

Unit 6: Daniel 5: Handwriting on the Wall

• Introduction to Daniel 5
• The Banquet
• The Handwriting on the Wall
• The Queen’s Speech and Belshazzar’s Speech
• Daniel’s Speech
• Darius the Mede

Unit 7: Daniel 6: Daniel in the Lion’s Den

• Introduction to Daniel 6
• The Setting and the Decree
• Accusation and Condemnation
• Deliverance from the Lions’ Den
• Doxology and Conclusion

Unit 8: Daniel 7: Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts

• Introduction to Daniel 7
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Vision Report
• The Beasts
• Throne Room and One Like a Son of Man
• Vision Interpretation
• Conclusion and Purpose of Daniel 7

Unit 9: Daniel 8: Daniel’s Vision of Ram and Goat

• Introduction to Daniel 8
• Report of the Vision
• Vision Interpretation and Conclusion
• The Big Picture of Daniel 2, 7, and 8

Unit 10: Daniel 9: Daniel’s Prayer and the 70 Weeks

• Introduction to Daniel 9
• Historical Setting and Daniel’s Reflection on Jeremiah
• The Meaning of the Number Seventy
• Daniel’s Prayer
• The Revelation (Seventy Weeks)
• Interpretive Issue #1: Whose Word?
• Interpretive Issue #2: Seven and Sixty-Two Weeks
• Interpretive Issue #3: First Anointed One and End of First Seven Weeks
• Interpretive Issue #4: Second Anointed One
• Interpretive Issue #5: Seventieth Week
• Outlining the Views of the Seventy Weeks
• Eschatological Views on the Seventy Weeks: Messianic (Literal and Symbolic)
• Eschatological Views on the Seventy Weeks: Non-Messianic
• Historical Views on the Seventy Weeks: Messianic and Non-Messianic
• Summary and Purpose of Daniel 9

Unit 11: Daniel 10–12: The Kings of the North and the South

• Introduction to Daniel 10–12 and Spiritual Warfare
• The Angel’s Revelation: Part 1
• The Angel’s Revelation: Part 2
• The King Who Exalts Himself
• The Resurrection and the End of Time
• The Big Picture of Daniel

Product Details

• Title: OT366 Book Study: Daniel and Its Literary and Historical Contexts
• Instructor: Wendy Widder
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2016
• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education
• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
• Courses: 1
• Video Hours: 6

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About the Instructor

Dr. Wendy Widder contracts with Faithlife as a contributing editor for Logos Mobile Education, but has spent much of her career in the classroom. She began with fifth graders, then made her way into the college and seminary environments. Presently, Widder enjoys teaching and preaching in her local church as opportunities arise.

She has a PhD in Near Eastern studies from the University of the Free State, South Africa, and has also earned an MA in Hebrew and Semitic studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as an MDiv with an emphasis in educational ministries from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.

Widder is the author of two books for singles, Living Whole without a Better Half (2nd edition; Kregel Publications, 2014) and A Match Made in Heaven: How Singles and the Church Can Live Happily Ever After (Kregel Publications, 2003). She also coauthored a book with her father for Christian school teachers, The Forest and the Trees: Helping Teachers Integrate a Biblical Worldview across the Curriculum (Wipf and Stock, 2008). Additionally, her master’s thesis and PhD dissertation have been published by Logos Bible Software and Walter de Gruyter, respectively.  Widder is currently writing commentaries on the book of Daniel for two new series by Zondervan (The Story of God; Hearing the Message of Scripture). Her greatest passions are writing biblically and theologically solid materials for laypeople, as well as teaching the Bible in an engaging way.