IV. THE SECTIONS
The last matter to be covered in this message is the sections of the book of Daniel.
A. The Issue of the Degradation of God’s Elect
In Daniel 1:1 and 2, an introductory word, we see the issue of the degradation of God’s elect—the captivity to Babylon.
B. The Victory, in Their Captivity,
of the Young Descendants of God’s Degraded Elect
over Satan’s Further Devices
Actually, the book of Daniel has just two sections. The first section, comprising chapters one through six, concerns the victory, in their captivity, of the young descendants (including Daniel) of God’s degraded elect over Satan’s further devices. This victory was over the demonic diet (1:3-21); over the devilish blinding that prevents people from seeing the great human image (the totality of human government throughout human history) in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (ch. 2); over the seduction of idol worship (ch. 3); over the covering that hinders people from seeing the ruling of the heavens by the God of the heavens (ch. 4); over the ignorance concerning the result of the debauchery before God and the insult to His holiness (ch. 5); and over the subtlety that prohibited the faithfulness of the overcomers in the worship of God (ch. 6).
C. The Visions of the Overcoming Daniel
The second section of Daniel covers the visions of the overcoming Daniel (chs. 7—12). Daniel’s faithfulness and victory gave him the position and the right angle to receive visions from God.
The first vision concerns the four beasts out of the Mediterranean Sea (ch. 7). These beasts refer to Babylon, Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire, and they correspond to the head, the breast with the arms, the abdomen with the thighs, and the legs with the feet of the great human image in 2:31-33. The second vision concerns a ram and a male goat with its successors (ch. 8). The next vision concerns Israel in the seventy weeks apportioned out to them (ch. 9). The last vision (chs. 10—12) concerns the destiny of Israel. According to chapters ten and eleven, Israel’s destiny is related to the king of the south (Egypt) and the king of the north (Syria). According to chapter twelve, Israel’s destiny is also related to the archangel Michael’s standing for Israel.
(Life-Study of Daniel, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)
