ONE of the most convincing evidences of the inspiration of the Bible is the uniform literary excellence of the outlines on which its books are built. Whether they come from the fen of the statesman, the publican, the herdsman, the fisherman, the poet, the philosopher, or the lawyer; whether in the Hebrew language or in the Greek; the same perfect symmetry and literary beauty characterizes them all. In his presentation of the outline of the book of Daniel, Dean Fowler has given us a study which is exceedingly valuable from the Bible study paint of view, and fraught with blessing for the spiritual life.

-H. A. W.

THE SPIRIT of God has constructed Daniel in a Synthetic outline which is unusually beautiful. The book is arranged in a seven-fold introversion and is one of the simplest and easiest outlines in all Scripture to discover because the division points of the Synthetic outline fall at the chapter division points, and because some of the sections which answer to one another bear such striking marks of similarity as to give an almost immediate clue to the balance of the outline to even the inexperienced student. An example of this is the Fiery Furnace with its miraculous deliverance and the Lion's Den with its miraculous deliverance. Not even a novice at Bible studyreads these two chapters without associating them. These two chapters answer to one another in the outline, and thus present to the eager student of the Book, a starting point from which the remainder of the Synthetic out line may be readily produced.

In order that any Bible Book may be rightly apprehended it must be approached from at least four stand points—the local setting, the subject, the key-thought, and the application. The local setting includes time, place, circumstances and narrative. The subject is thespecial theme which is revealed as being in the mind of God in giving us the Book. It is the purpose for which the book was written. The key-thought is always the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Every book in the Bible has for its key-thought the presentation of our blessed Lord in some one or in several of His manifoldbeauties, works, characteristics, and offices. The application is the individual spiritual message whereby the Holy Spirit purposes to build up the personal experience of every believing soul. In approaching the study of any book in the Bible, the recognition of these four points of investigation and study will pave the way for a well-rounded concept of the particular book under consideration. The accompanying Synthetic outline of Daniel presents each one of these four angles of approach to the book.

THUS when we view Daniel from the standpoint of local setting we see the following outline:

A. Predictive History. Chap. 1.

     B. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. Chap, 2.

          C. Predictive History. Chap. 3.

               D. Nebuchadnezzar's Dream and Fall of Babylon. Chaps. 4 and 5.

          C. Predictive History. Chap. 6.

     B. Daniel's Dreams. Chaps. 7, 8, 9.

A. Predictive Revelation. Chaps. 10, 11, 12.

This is the surface message of the book. The local setting will give the time, place, narrative and historical background.

WHEN the book is approached from the stand point of its subject—the principal thought which is in the mind of God in giving us this particular book—a very different outline presents itself. The subject of Daniel is The Great Tribulation. Studyingbook from the angle of its subject we observe the following outline, which, of course, follows the same divisions as the local setting outline:

A. Israel in the Great Tribulation. Chap. 1.

     B. The Four World Powers, Culminating in the Great Tribulation. Chap. 2.

          C. The Fiery Furnace, Picture of the Great Tribulation. Chap. 3.

               D. Wicked Gentile Supremacy, Culminating in Tribulation and Judgment. Chap. 4, 5.

          C. The Lion's Den, Picture of the Great Tribulation. Chap. 6.

     B. The Four World Powers, Culminating in the Great Tribulation. Chap. 7, 8, 9.

A. Israel in the Great Tribulation. Chaps. 10, 11, 12.

This is the outline of Daniel from the standpoint of its subject. It shows that the primary thought of God in giving His people this book is to set forth truth concerning the awful time of trouble which is to come upon the earth (Dan. 12:1) and which our Saviour calls the "Great Tribulation."

THERE is a stream of light and blessing which pours from this book when we view it from the standpoint of the key-thought, for the key-thought of every book in the Bible is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Around that glorious and ineffable One, the Holy Spirit hath woven the message of the inspired Book. That our blessed Lord stands forth in striking typical beauty in Daniel is revealed by the Synthetic outline shown from the standpoint of the key-thought.

A. Jesus is Pulse and Water (The Sustainer of Life). Chap. 1.

     B. Jesus is the Stone Cut without Hands (Lord and King). Chap. 2.

          C. Jesus is the Deliverer from the Flames (Saviour). Chap. 3.

               D. Jesus is the Holy One, the Watcher (both God and Man). Chaps. 4 and 5.

          C. Jesus is the Deliverer from the Lions (Saviour). Chap. 6.

     B. Jesus is the Prince of Princes (Lord and King). Chaps. 7, 8, 9.

A. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Chaps. 10, 11, 12.

Note that in A and A Jesus is set forth as "the Life," while in B and B His glorious Lordship is presented in most convincing prophetic incident. In C and C He appears as the Saviour Who is wondrously able to snatch His own from the snares of the adversary, while in D He stands before us as the Dual One — The Holy One, the Watcher. The expression "Holy One" sets forth deity, the expression "Watcher" points to One Who watches or prays, hence a man — both God land Man. Our blessed Lord Jesus is here most plainly indicated because He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," and because He is the One Who now watches, prays, intercedes on the behalf of His people. Speaking of this office of our Lord, the Holy Spirit says — "there is one mediator between God and men, THE MAN Christ Jesus." It takes a man to effectually represent mankind, it takes one who is equal with God to have access to the throne of God. Our Lord Jesus qualifies on both counts — He is both God and Man. Inexpressibly beautiful is the Synthetic 'unfolding of the key-thought of Daniel, as it discovers to us heavenly truths concerning Him Who is Lord of all.

FINALLY, we turn to Daniel to observe its applicational message for the individual soul. And once more we find this matchless prophetic work is radiant with light. The outline follows:

A. TRANSFORMATION— God's Children Transformed by Trusting Him 1:15.

     B. GLORIFICATION— God's Children Exalted because of Trusting Him 2:46-49.

          C. SALVATION— God's Children Saved from Fiery Judgment through Trusting Him 3:28.

               D. GLORIFICATION— God's Child Exalted through Trusting Him 5:29.

          C. SALVATION— God's Child Saved from Judgment in the Lion's Den, through Trusting Him 6:23.

     B. GLORIFICATION— God's Children (Israel) Exalted through Trusting Him 7:27.

A. TRANSFORMATION— God's Children (Israel) Transformed 12:10a.

Glorious unfolding! The book of Daniel carries to the individual soul, by means of this amazingly perfect synthesis, the threefold message of God's inspired Book — God offers to those who will heed His message, salvation, transformation, and glorification. The gift He proffers to a sin-cursed world covers both time and eternity. It is a perfect gift. It is an endless gift. In the fulness of that gift of grace the soul may rest for ever. What matchless beauty, what depth of consolation!

Thus the rounded-out message of the books of the Bible may be spread before the mind of God's child through the Synthetic exhibition of the local setting, the subject, the key-thought, and the personal application. May this brief study of Daniel be used of God to bring fresh light from the throne to those who study its message.