The Key Role of Daniel 7

PERHAPS the most persistent problem with regard to the unity and composition of the book of Daniel has been the relation of its first six chapters to its latter half. Although several divergent views have been held (particularly as to the age and provenance of chapters 1 and 7, these may presently be reduced to a widely held consensus: "The first six chapters of the book contain material which is older than the later chapters, and this material has been re-edited in Maccabean times to attain a redactional unity with the apocalyptic visions of chs. 7-12.” This study will suggest that chapter 7 functions not only as a hinge chapter that provides unity to the two primary literary genres in Daniel, but plays a key role in the understanding of biblical eschatology.4