The Vision of Daniel in Chapters 8 and 9

Notes

1. The student will notice that the chronology of Archbishop Usher, which is used in the margin of our Bibles, places the vision of Daniel 8 in 553 B. C., and the vision of Daniel 9 in 538 B. C., 15 years apart. It was formerly supposed that the Belshazzar of Dan. 8:1 and of Daniel 5 was the Nabonadius of secular history, whose reign began in 555 B. C. Later researches have proved, however, that Belshazzar was the son of Nabonadius, and that his reign dated from 540 B. C. This would make his third year 538 B. C., the same year he was overthrown and succeeded by Darius. Thus the visions of the two chapters would be in the same year, and not 15 years apart. See "Christ Our Advocate," pp. 48, 49.

2. Apparently Daniel had connected the cleansing of the sanctuary at the end of the 2,300 days in some way with the ending of the 70 years of the captivity. But it is evident that he was desirous of further light upon the subject, and his faith laid hold of the command that he had heard given to the angel Gabriel to "make this man to understand the vision." And lo, while Daniel was speaking in prayer, "even the man Gabriel," whom he had "seen in the vision at the beginning" being caused to fly swiftly on account of Daniel's supplication, has now come forth to give him skill and understanding. Daniel is told to "consider the vision;" and as no other vision has been mentioned except the one in chapter 8, we must conclude that Gabriel has now come to finish carrying out the command recorded in that chapter to make "this man to understand the vision."