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Prophetic Eschatology and Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Book of Daniel

Chong Hun Pae 1

1장로회 신학대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study aims to elucidate the distinction between prophetic eschatology and apocalyptic eschatology as manifested in the book of Daniel. Contemporary scholarship in Old Testament studies identifies three primary types of eschatology: pre-exilic prophetic eschatology, post-exilic prophetic eschatology, and apocalyptic eschatology. While earlier research tended to emphasize the similarities between prophetic and apocalyptic eschatology, recent scholarship has highlighted the divergence between proto-apocalyptic prophetic eschatology and apocalyptic eschatology. This research applies these recent scholarly trends to an examination of the eschatology found in the book of Daniel. Methodologically, this paper reviews the history of research concerning the relationship between prophecy and apocalypse, followed by a detailed textual analysis of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7-12. The study examines how scholars such as Plöger, Hanson, and Cook have understood the development from prophecy to apocalyptic literature, and adopts John J. Collins's criterion of the "transcendence of death" as the defining characteristic of apocalyptic eschatology. The research demonstrates that the eschatology in Daniel 2 differs fundamentally from that in Daniel 7-12. Daniel 2 reflects a prophetic eschatology that anticipates restoration within history. Both the original Babylonian-era interpretation and the later Greek-era reinterpretation envision an earthly Kingdom of God established by the Jewish people following the fall of gentile empires. This represents a restorative eschatology grounded in historical continuity. In contrast, Daniel 7-12 presents an apocalyptic eschatology that transcends the boundaries of death and history. These chapters reveal the end of history accompanied by cosmic judgment, individual resurrection, heavenly immortality, and eternal life. This apocalyptic vision includes throne visions, angelic mediation, and the revelation of a transcendent reality beyond the present world. This study contributes to biblical scholarship by demonstrating the theological development from prophetic to apocalyptic eschatology within a single biblical book, thereby clarifying their distinctive characteristics and theological significance.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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* References for papers published after 2024 are currently being built.

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