- The
overwhelming problem of the Exile was the apparent superiority of
paganism over YHWH (Jehovah). This was a terrible assault to the faith
of the Jews.
- Israel
was now in complete subjection to the "heathen
world-power." 21 Moses'
warning fulfilled (Deuteronomy 28:64-47).
- Paganism
was seemingly triumphant over YHWH's covenant with Abraham.
Babylonian Bel had "swallowed" Judah like a piece of candy
(see Jeremiah 51:34, 44).
- No
Jerusalem tamid ministry was in existence during the Exile.
- After
the Exile, no true tamid ministry was ever reinstated because
the Ark of the Covenant was never recovered; the real presence of
YHWH in the Jerusalem sanctuary was therefore never truly restored
(except in the brief personal visit of Christ to Herod's temple).
- The
only possible identification of ha tamid (note, a
substantive, never so used elsewhere in the Old Testament) during
the Exile is as an idiom demoting the ever-continual, all
pervading, all enveloping presence of surrounding paganism. It was a
blight to Israel in Exile and a constant irritation, serious concern
and challenge to their faith in YHWH.
- The
constant, supreme question in the minds of the Jews in Exile was,
"How long" will this terrible "continual"
paganism triumph over YHWH? 22 It
was the main burden of the Exilic Psalms (tamid is frequently
used with reference to paganism). Note Isaiah's Exilic concern for tamid
paganism (Isaiah 51:12-14; 52:4-6; 65:1-3). "How long such
unrequited tamid evil?" was the cry of Exilic writers.
- The
vision of Daniel 8 was given as an answer to this persistent
question: vs. 13.
- Daniel's
surprise and agony: he sees paganism absorbed into a desolating
power even more desolating, worse than itself because of its
being now professedly Christian. The union creates the
"abomination that maketh desolate."
- The
literal Hebrew of Dan 8:11-14 presents a message that is relevant to
the concerns of the Exilic Jews and satisfactorily answers their
questions regarding paganism. The pagan-papal overreach becomes
Daniel's concern. Final victory of truth was assured as certain.
- Only
in Daniel is tamid used with the article, i.e., "ha tamid,"
"the daily."
- The
Cyrus Cylinder uses a similar expression denoting paganism
(line 7).
- Without
the article, tamid was used frequently in Exilic times as a
desolating power. 23 It was
natural for ha tamid as a unique substantive to be coined
during the Exile as an idiom for paganism.
- Neither
Ezekiel nor any other Bible author uses tamid as a noun.
- The
prophet Daniel was not naive; his concern was not for mere cultic ritual
in the Jerusalem temple. As a prophet he was a man of very mature
spiritual perception.
- The
overwhelming concern of all the inspired prophets was for a personal
heart relation to the YHWH, not a revival of ritualism.
- When
David sinned, the Lord did not "desire" a ritual or daily
"sacrifice." (Psalm 51:6, 16, 17).
- Jeremiah
disparaged preoccupation with their temple cultus and daily
sacrifices. (Jer. 7:1-14, and etc.). The Lord actually
"hated" the temple cultus (see Isaiah 1:14; Amos 5:21).
- True
Israelites were not concerned for revival of the temple cultus or
"daily sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6; Micah 3:11; 6:6-8; Amos
5:21-27; Malachi 1:10). Since the time of Moses, "daily
sacrifice" in the sanctuary was not of itself of ethical
importance; heart religion was important (Jeremiah 7:21-26).
- How
could enlightened, faithful Jews in Exile be supremely concerned for
reinstatement of ritual cultus? How could God give a major vision to
Daniel with the main focus of attention the interruption of cultic
ritual in which He had no "pleasure"?
- Cultic
legalism and fanaticism in the time of the Maccabees contributed to
misunderstanding Daniel's prophecy and attributing undue
significance to Antiochus Epiphanes.
- Daniel
exerted tremendous influence on the Gentile world; he saw Israel as
the evangelizing agency for "all families of the earth"
(see Genesis 12:3). His concern was the accomplishment of this
mission, not cultic ritual, but the Jews, in general, did not share
the maturity of his vision.
- Daniel
saw the sanctuary as an object lesson of the cosmic plan of
salvation, as did other Hebrew prophets. He could well have had at
least a rudimentary concept of the antitypical Day of Atonement as
cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven, the final end of the sin of
the world. In fact, knowledge of a heavenly antitype was common. 24
If Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's day, surely Daniel did also. The
gospel is "everlasting".
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Notes:
- Keil, p. 8 [return
to text]
- see Psalm 74:1, 3, 10,
etc.; 79:5; 80:4; Zechariah 1:12. [return
to text]
- Psalm 74:22, 23; Isaiah
52:5. See also Obadiah 16; Nahum 3:19; Habakkuk 1:17. [return
to text]
- Exodus 25:8, 40; Psalm
20:1, 2, 6; Hebrews 9:11. [return
to text]
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