Daniel Part 6 – Chapter 2 – Chasimus

“And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, O king, live forever. Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the meaning. “

Daniel 2: 4

It’s important that we look into the reason that the text mentions the Chaldeans speaking to the king in Aramaic. You see, the original text of Daniel from 1:1 through 2:3 was written in Hebrew. But, from chapter 2:4 through chapter 7:28, the original text was written in Aramaic. And then from 7:29 through 12:13 the text returns to Hebrew.

The Bible is not just a book written for your enjoyment, it’s not just words written down as information in a haphazard fashion. Many of the individual books were written in a literary structure called a “chiasm” (pronounced kŷ-azem) A chiasm is a symmetric structure of topics or concepts designed to attract attention to the commonality of individual themes on the way to presenting the focus of the central point of the book or story. It’s name comes from the name of the Greek letter “chi”, which is formed by two lines crossing over each other forming an X.

It works like this:

Imagine that the first topic in your story is labeled A, the next B and the third C, with C being the central point of your story or presentation. To emphasize these topics, you would cover them a second time in reverse order, C, B, A. Like this; ABCBA.

A              B

C

B               A

If you draw a line between the topics labeled A and the topics labeled B, an X is formed with topic C in the middle. X is the rendering of the Greek letter chi.

An example of chiastic structure is from the middle of the Book of Exodus all the way to the end of Leviticus. It starts with God making a covenant between Himself and the Children of Israel and ends with God warning of the consequences of disobedience, which is in effect another covenant. The central topics are in the very center of Leviticus, from chapter 11 through chapter 20.

These chapters instructed the Jews in matters of holiness in the Tabernacle and the holiness of the Jewish homeland in general. The chiasm directs you to the central idea, the expectation of holiness. The concept is that if they would keep the covenant and all the laws they would be blessed with holiness in the Tabernacle and in their general lives.

The chiasm used in Daniel is structured like this:

Chapter 1, the beginning of the book, is an historical prologue in Hebrew.

Chapters 2  Through 7 are in Aramaic

A. Chapter 2 deals with prophecies concerning the kingdom.

B. Chapter 3 relates the trials of God’s people.

C. Chapter 4 is a prophecy concerning the king of Babylon.

C’. Chapter 5 is a prophecy concerning the king of Babylon.

B’. Chapter 6 relates the trials of God’s people.

A’. Chapter 7 deals with prophecies concerning the kingdom.

Chapters 8 through 12 are in Hebrew

A’’. Chapter 8 deals with prophecies concerning the kingdom.

B’’. Chapter 9:1-24 relates the trials of God’s people.

C.’’ Chapter 9:25 is a prophecy concerning the king.

D’’.Chapter 9:26 is a prophecy concerning King Jesus

C’’’. Chapter 9:27 is a prophecy concerning the king.

B’’’. Chapter 10 relates the trials of God’s people.

A’’’. Chapter 11-12:3 deals with prophecies concerning the kingdom.

Chapter 12:4-13, the end of the book is a prophetic epilogue.

The chiastic structure of Daniel 2:4 through 7:28, are in the language of their captors and focuses on the prophecies related to the kings who took the Jews captive, while the chaistic structure of verses 7:29 through 12:13, are in the language of the Jews and focuses on the King (Messiah) who sets the Jews free.

Now we have a very, very basic understanding of the chiastic structure of the text of Daniel. We’re beginning to understand that the bible wasn’t just written down like a Post-it note, or an office memo, or a newspaper article. It was structured, it was designed to draw our attention to a central point, to direct our intrest to an important principal in God’s word. That central point of focus is Jesus.

In Daniel, the folks that spoke Hebrew, the Jews, were directed to chapter 9:26, the prophecy of how the Messiah would set them free. But it wasn’t freedom from their Babylonian captors which He would bring, it was freedom from their sin that brought them there in the first place. That chiasm that was engineered into the book of Daniel is still there today. It’s a timeless roadsign to guide all of us, Jews and Gentiles, to the Messiah.

Have we seen the signs? Do we see them pointing the way to freedom from our enemy and captor? They point the way out of the sin which brings us down and separates us from fellowship with God.

Please, today, see the signs and run to Jesus.  He’s there waiting to set you free from everything.