Bible Study: Daniel Chapters 7, 8

For some reason we are back with Belshazzar again (we killed him off 2 chapters ago, right?). Daniel has a vision. It's a confusing jumble of beasts coming out of the seas and horns with eyes, etc.

Then in chapter 8 we have a ram and a goat smashing into each other and stars falling out of the sky. I'm not really going into details on either since I'm thinking I will be going over them in gory detail once I read the essay that this is all prep work for. Also I think they would be difficult to summarize since they are essentially just a bunch of strange things one after the other.

Thoughts

- I'm struck again by how strange it is that a vision would come in such a cartoonish way. Why not just give him the straight dope? What is the point of the mythical imagery? If you don't want us to think it's a myth then why make it look like one? Perhaps his contemporary audience had certain expectations of what a prophecy was supposed to look like.

- I'm curious why it is reported that Daniel is ill after the vision from chapter 8. Is this a particularly important vision or is it just the case that they are taking a toll on him?

- I wonder what the point of the visions is. Are people supposed to understand them and prepare for the future or are they just supposed to understand them after they come to pass and be amazed?

[atheism] [bible]