Deeper Reflection
The Daniel 10 to 12 vision is “what is written in the Book of Truth” (v.21), “containing the course of history as shaped by God”⁴¹ and “what will happen to your people [Israel] in the latter days” (Dan 10:14). Three interrelated key themes are found in “the Book of Truth”: sovereignty of God, history of the world and destiny of God’s people. These three themes are also found in the visions in Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 9:24-27, with different focuses and perspectives.A key emphasis in the Daniel 10 to 12 vision is truth: “the word was true” (v.1), “the Book of Truth” (v.21) – “a trustworthy book”⁴², “I will tell you the truth” (Dan 11:2). The source of “truth” is none other than God Himself, and the truth is given in God’s spoken and written Word. The ultimate “Book of Truth” is the Scriptures. What is truly true is not false and never fails. “Truth” gives us certainty and confidence to live our lives. “Truth” means what is going to happen in world history and what will happen to God’s people. The destiny of God’s people is a two-sided destiny: tribulations and triumph. And because tribulations will happen according to “the truth”, we must expect tribulations. A difficult part in living by God’s truth is when God’s truth says is going to happen but it has yet to happen, or does not appear to happen. When tribulations get harder, the absence of God’s sovereignty and His promised deliverance is profoundly felt. Do we then still hang in there and cling to the “trustworthy book” given by the trustworthy God?

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⁴⁰ Matthew 24:35; Psalm 119:105, 160; Hebrews 4:12 ⁴¹ Tremper Longman, Daniel, The NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan, 1999), 252 ⁴² Earnest C. Lucas, Daniel, Apollos Old Testament Commentary (Apollos, IVP, 2002), 278