The Canonical Column, Book 27: Daniel

We continue our journey through the Canonical Column with the twenty-seventh book of the biblical canon—Daniel. For those unfamiliar with this mystery, the Canonical Column is the name I have given to a framework embedded within the Bible that bears dual witness to the divinely sanctioned biblical canon through an organized network of witnessing chapters in three key books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Leviticus, and Isaiah.¹ For a deeper understanding of this framework, I highly recommend reading the introductory article linked above, which lays the foundational context for the insights explored in this post.²

Suffice it to say that the Canonical Column refers to a divinely designed structural framework and prophetic network embedded within the Bible which bears witness to the final form of the biblical canon—testifying to its 39–27 book division, identifying all 66 books within it, and even delineating the exact order in which they would appear. In this sense, it may be likened to an internal measuring line that God deliberately placed within his Word, allowing us to determine objectively which canon of Scripture is the correct one.

As established in previous installments, every book of the Bible is confirmed by two witnessing chapters within the Canonical Column—one drawn from the Law (Genesis 12–50 or Leviticus) and the other from the Prophets (Isaiah).³ In the case of Daniel, its two witnesses are Genesis 38 and Isaiah 27. Both of these chapters function within their respective branches of the Canonical Column as figurative types of the book of Daniel. To this end, each has been divinely embedded with textual allusions to specific passages within Daniel and intentionally sequenced as the twenty-seventh chapter in its branch of the framework, reflecting Daniel’s ordinal position as the twenty-seventh book of the Old Testament and of the Bible at large. As we will see, it is by the mouth of these two witnesses that the divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordained placement of the book of Daniel are firmly established.

Table of Contents anchor

The book of Daniel

The book of Daniel stands as one of the most enigmatic and exalted writings in all of Scripture—bridging Israel’s exile history with a sweeping prophetic vision that extends to the very end of the age. Composed during the Babylonian and early Medo-Persian periods, the book is structured in two distinct halves: the first (chapters 1–6) is comprised of court narratives that chronicle Daniel’s trials and triumphs in foreign courts; the second (chapters 7–12) presents a series of apocalyptic visions that unveil the rise and fall of empires, the persecution of the saints, and the final deliverance at the resurrection.

Daniel’s narrative reveals God’s sovereignty not only in miraculous interventions—such as the fiery furnace, the lion’s den, and the handwriting on the wall—but also through the revelation of divine mysteries, including Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue, the vision of the four beasts, and the prophecy of the seventy weeks. These revelations affirm that history itself unfolds according to God’s predetermined plan, culminating in the overthrow of human kingdoms and the establishment of the everlasting Kingdom of the Son of Man.

Thematically, Daniel is a book of contrasts: between pride and humility, concealment and disclosure, earthly rule and divine dominion. It is a book that calls for patient endurance and faith in a time of exile and spiritual conflict—offering both a blueprint for prophetic history and a theological foundation for New Testament eschatology.

Dating & Authorship

The book of Daniel claims to have been written by Daniel himself, a Jewish exile taken to Babylon in the first wave of captivity under Nebuchadnezzar (circa 605 BC). Internal evidence places its composition during the sixth century BC, spanning the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian. Throughout the book, Daniel writes in the first person, especially in the latter half (chapters 7–12), affirming his role as both narrator and recipient of the prophetic visions.

Traditional Jewish and Christian scholarship has long affirmed Danielic authorship and a sixth-century date. However, modern critical scholars—unwilling to accept the book’s detailed predictive prophecies—have often assigned it a much later date, typically around 167–164 BC, during the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This theory relies heavily on the post-modernist assumption that prophecy must be retrospective, rather than predictive—a presupposition that stands in opposition to the clear claims of the text itself, as well as to the testimony of Jesus, who referred to “Daniel the prophet” (Matt. 24:15).

Far from being a late forgery, the book of Daniel stands as a supernaturally authenticated work of true prophecy—foretelling successive world empires, the rise of the Antichrist, the first and second comings of the Messiah, and even the resurrection of the dead. Its detailed visions of the end times closely parallel those found in the book of Revelation in the New Testament, forming a prophetic bridge between the covenants and establishing Daniel as one of the most eschatologically rich books in all of Scripture.

Daniel’s witnessing chapters in the Canonical Column

Crucially, Daniel also serves as a structural fulcrum within the Bible—occupying the twenty-seventh position in the biblical canon. Both its canonicity and its canonical placement are established by its two witnessing chapters within the Canonical Column: Genesis 38 and Isaiah 27. In the sections that follow, we will examine how both of these witnessing chapters function as prophetic types of the book of Daniel—bearing witness to its divine authorship and foreordained position as the twenty-seventh book of the Bible through their many divinely embedded allusions, echoes, and parallels to its content and themes.

Context of Genesis 38

Genesis 38 is one of the most arresting and seemingly out-of-place chapters in the book of Genesis. Inserted between the sale of Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37) and his rise in Egypt (Genesis 39), it abruptly shifts focus to Judah, who departs from his brothers and enters into a morally compromised life among the Canaanites.

The chapter chronicles Judah’s descent—both literal and spiritual—as he marries a Canaanite woman, raises wicked sons whom God slays, and ultimately withholds his third son from Tamar, his daughter-in-law. In response to this injustice, Tamar disguises herself as a harlot and deceives Judah into fulfilling the levirate duty himself, conceiving twin sons. When Tamar is accused of harlotry, Judah commands that she be burned—but upon realizing that he is the father of her children, he declares her “more righteous than I.”

Genesis 38 -> Daniel

As the twenty-seventh chapter of The Circumcision (which functions within the Canonical Column as a figurative type of the Old Testament canon), Genesis 38 has been deliberately designed by God to function as a figurative type of the book of Daniel–ordained before the foundation of the world to become the twenty-seventh book of the Old Testament (and the Bible). Accordingly, this chapter has been divinely embedded with allusions and echoes of various kinds to specific scenes and passages that God in his perfect foreknowledge knew would be found in the book of Daniel. The comparative table below documents just a few of what I deem to be the most notable of these allusions (explanations provided in the footnotes).

Genesis 38	Daniel
And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.4 (Genesis 38:3)	And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. (Daniel 2:1; cf. Dan. 6:18)
And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.5 (Genesis 38:7-10)	Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. (Daniel 11:26)
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went down and dwelt in her father’s house. And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.6 (Genesis 38:11-14)	And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. (Daniel 11:6)
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.7 (Genesis 38:15-18)	He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. (Daniel 11:17)
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.8 (Genesis 38:24)	And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:6)

Structural Symmetry between The Circumcision and the OT canon

Before turning to the individual verse comparisons, it is worth noting a remarkable structural correspondence between the book of Daniel and its witnessing chapter in The Circumcision. Genesis 38, the twenty-seventh chapter of that section, abruptly shifts the narrative spotlight away from Joseph and the sons of Israel as a whole, and focuses exclusively on Judah, who is depicted as living among Gentiles and morally compromised. This placement is deliberate. It mirrors the twenty-seventh book of the biblical canon—Daniel—which likewise narrows its focus to Judah in exile, surrounded by Gentile powers.

This Judah-centric chapter is bookended by two Joseph-centric chapters: Genesis 37 (where Joseph is sold into slavery) and Genesis 39 (where Joseph rises in Egypt).

Section	Focus	Character(s) Highlighted	Setting
Genesis 37 (26th chapter of The Circumcision)	Joseph and his brothers	All Israel	Canaan
Genesis 38 (27th chapter of The Circumcision)	Judah’s personal exile and sin.	Judah	Among Canaanites
Genesis 39 (28th chapter of The Circumcision)	Joseph’s trials in Egypt	Joseph	Egypt

This pattern is not arbitrary, but is of divine design. How do I know? Because the exact same structural arc is reflected in the canonical sequence of the biblical canon. Ezekiel (26th book of the OT) includes prophecies concerning both Judah and Ephraim; Daniel (27th book of the OT) centers on Judah; and Hosea (28th book of the OT) returns the focus to Ephraim, also known as Joseph. Behold:

Section	Focus	Tribe(s) Highlighted	Setting
Ezekiel (26th OT book)	Prophecies concerning both Israel (Ephraim) and Judah.	All Israel	Babylonian exile
Daniel (27th OT book)	Judah in exile	Judah	Babylon & Persia
Hosea (28th OT book)	Prophecies focused on Ephraim	Ephraim (Joseph)	Northern Kingdom

This triplet pattern is too deliberate to be coincidental. It reflects the divinely orchestrated structure of the Canonical Column, which highlights the book of Daniel as the prophetic counterpart to Judah’s narrative in exile.

Context of Isaiah 27

Isaiah 27 is the final chapter in a three-part prophetic sequence (Isaiah 24–27) sometimes called the “Isaiah Apocalypse.” This section zooms out to a cosmic scale, portraying the downfall of the proud, the judgment of the nations, and the ultimate restoration of God’s people. Chapter 27 in particular centers on the theme of divine pruning, purging, and protection. It opens with the slaying of Leviathan—the twisted sea serpent—and proceeds to describe God’s careful cultivation of His vineyard, His measured chastisement of Israel, and the eventual ingathering of His exiled people.

The chapter alternates between judgment and mercy, destruction and hope. The wicked are broken and burned because they are “a people of no understanding,” while the righteous are gathered from exile, one by one, to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. The vineyard motif, the breaking of boughs, and the image of gathered gleanings all echo agricultural and harvest imagery—invoking a pattern of refinement through fire and separation of the faithful from the unfaithful.

Isaiah 27 -> Daniel

As the twenty-seventh chapter of First Isaiah (which functions within the Canonical Column as a figurative type of the Old Testament canon), Isaiah 27 has been deliberately designed by God to function as a figurative type of the book of Daniel–which was ordained before the foundation of the world to become the twenty-seventh book of the Old Testament (and the Bible). Accordingly, this chapter has been divinely embedded with allusions and echoes of various kinds to specific scenes and passages that God in his perfect foreknowledge knew would be found in the book of Daniel. The comparative table below documents just a few of what I deem to be the most notable of these (explanations provided in the footnotes).

Isaiah 27	Daniel
In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.9 (Isaiah 27:1)	I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. (Daniel 7:11)
Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.10 (Isaiah 27:5)	And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. (Daniel 10:16-19)
He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.11 (Isaiah 27:6)	Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. (Daniel 4:10-12)
Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?12 (Isaiah 27:7)	In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. (Daniel 5:30)
By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin;13 . . . (Isaiah 27:9a)	And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. (Daniel 11:35; 12:10)
. . . . when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.14 (Isaiah 27:9b)	Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:34-35)
Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: . . . .15 (Isaiah 27:10a).	In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:2)
. . . . there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof. When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: . . . .16 (Isaiah 27:10b-11a)	He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: (Daniel 4:14)
. . . . for it is a people of no understanding; therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.17 (Isaiah 27:11b)	To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. (Daniel 9:9-14)
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.18 (Isaiah 27:13)	And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-2)

Group Chat

As an added bonus, the three-column table below documents just one example of a three-way prophetic dialogue occurring in the Canonical Column between Daniel and its two witnessing chapters. Such is the mind-boggling complexity and symmetry of the Canonical Column.

Genesis 38	Isaiah 27	Daniel
And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. (Genesis 38:7-10)	Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? (Isaiah 27:7)	Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. (Daniel 11:26)

Genesis 38:7–10 records the unusual double judgment of Er and Onan, both of whom are slain by the LORD for their wickedness. Isaiah 27:7 joins the conversation with a rhetorical reflection on divine justice: “Is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?” Both verses function as direct allusions to Daniel 11:26, where betrayal leads to a devastating downfall: “many shall fall down slain.” Together, these three verses form a prophetic dialogue across the Canonical Column—each bearing witness to the divine principle that those who smite may themselves be smitten, whether by God’s judgment or providential reversal.

Conclusion: The Canonical Column affirms the canonicity and ordinal position of Daniel as the twenty-seventh book of the biblical canon.

The canonicity of the book of Daniel is affirmed by its two witnessing chapters within the Canonical Column: Genesis 38 and Isaiah 27. These two chapters have been deliberately structured and sequenced as the twenty-seventh chapter within their respective branches of the Canonical Column, in order to function as individual figurative types of the book of Daniel–the twenty-seventh book of the Old Testament and the Bible at large. To this end, both chapters have been divinely embedded with direct allusions to specific passages and content that God in his perfect foreknowledge knew would be contained within the book of Daniel, which was ordained before the foundation of the world to become the twenty-seventh book of the Old Testament and biblical canon. Accordingly, the divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordinal placement of the book of Daniel are established by the Canonical Column–being witnessed by both the Law & the Prophets.

1. I received the knowledge of this great mystery by the light of divine revelation way back in 2009 (1 Chron. 28:19; Num. 8:4; cf. 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:12). ↩︎
2. Alternatively, if that article is too long, you can read a summarized version here. ↩︎
3. Every book of the Bible has two chapters which correspond to it within the Canonical Column–one in Genesis 12-50 or Leviticus (the Law), and one in Isaiah (the Prophets). Genesis 12-50 (known in the Canonical Column as “The Circumcision”) and Isaiah 1-39 (known in the Canonical Column as “First Isaiah”) are both figurative types of the Old Testament canon–each containing 39 chapters which have been divinely designed to prefigure the 39 books of the Old Testament canon. Similarly, Leviticus (known in the Canonical Column as “An Holy Priesthood”) and Isaiah 40-66 (known in the Canonical Column as “Second Isaiah”) function as figurative types of the New Testament canon–each containing 27 chapters which have been divinely designed to prefigure the 27 books of the New Testament canon. The individual chapters within these four scaffolding branches of the Canonical Column are known as witnessing chapters, so called because they have been divinely embedded with textual allusions of various kinds to the content of the specific biblical book which occupies the same numerical position within the canonical sequence. Thus the witnessing chapters function as divinely designed figurative types of whatever biblical book they numerically correspond to within their specific branch of the framework–testifying to their divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordinal placement within the completed biblical canon. ↩︎
4. In Genesis 38:3, Tamar conceives and bears a son, whom Judah names Er—a name whose Hebrew root (עָר / ʿar) can mean “watchful,” “awake,” or “alert.” Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to Daniel 2:1, where King Nebuchadnezzar is jolted from sleep by troubling dreams, and also to Daniel 6:18, where sleep departs from the king during a night of anxious vigilance. In both cases, the motif of disturbed or broken sleep is foregrounded, evoking the meaning behind Er’s name and highlighting the prophetic pattern of restless nights preceding divine revelation or judgment. ↩︎
5. In Genesis 38:7–10, both Er and Onan are slain by the LORD in rapid succession for their wickedness, resulting in a rare double judgment scene. Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to the prophecy of Daniel 11:26, where betrayal from within leads to devastating internal collapse: “they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him,” and “many shall fall down slain.” The unusual repetition of death in both passages underscores the principle of divine retribution, while the phrase “many shall fall down slain” resonates directly with the dual slaying of Er and Onan—marking both texts with a distinctive pattern of fatal justice. ↩︎
6. In Genesis 38:11–14, Judah sends Tamar away to her father’s house under false pretenses, promising to give her to Shelah once he is grown—but ultimately withholding him. Tamar is “given up” to a prolonged state of widowhood and abandonment. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to Daniel 11:6, where the daughter of the king of the south is likewise “given up” in a broken political agreement—betrayed and left without power or protection. The narrative structures parallel one another: a woman is sent away under a pretense of future union, only to be discarded and betrayed. ↩︎
7. In Genesis 38:15–18, Judah sees Tamar veiled and mistakes her for a harlot, initiating an illicit union in which he gives her a pledge—his signet, bracelets, and staff—as a token for future payment. Tamar is referred to as a woman and is used (though ultimately vindicated) in a political and personal deception. Within the Canonical Column, this mirrors Daniel 11:17, where the king of the north gives “the daughter of women” in a politically motivated scheme, intending to corrupt her for strategic gain—though “she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.” Both texts depict a veiled political or sexual exchange involving a woman used deceptively in pursuit of a greater agenda, and in both cases, the plan fails to produce the intended alliance. ↩︎
8. In Genesis 38:24, Judah declares that Tamar should be “burnt” after learning she is pregnant by apparent whoredom—an extreme and rare form of execution in the Bible. Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to Daniel 3:6, where Nebuchadnezzar decrees that anyone who refuses to worship his golden image shall be “cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” Both passages involve the threat of death by fire issued under a false perception of guilt, followed by an unexpected reversal—Tamar is vindicated by evidence of Judah’s fatherhood (Gen. 38:25–26), just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are miraculously preserved from the flames (Dan. 3:27). These narrative and thematic echoes point to deliberate structural design. ↩︎
9. In Isaiah 27:1, the LORD is depicted slaying Leviathan—the crooked serpent and dragon of the sea—using His “sore and great and strong sword.” Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to Daniel 7:11, where the apocalyptic “beast” (representing a final tyrannical kingdom) is slain and destroyed. Both passages describe the ultimate divine judgment and annihilation of a monstrous adversary—portrayed as a serpent or beast—using vivid, symbolic language. This literary and prophetic parallel reinforces the typological connection between Isaiah 27 and the book of Daniel. ↩︎
10. In Isaiah 27:5, God offers peace and strength to any who will “take hold” of His strength, saying, “he shall make peace with me.” Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to Daniel 10:16–19, where the prophet—physically depleted from divine revelation—is restored when a heavenly figure touches him, grants him peace, and strengthens him with repeated words: “be strong, yea, be strong.” Both passages depict divine strength and peace as graciously extended to the faithful amid overwhelming fear or weakness, highlighting the supernatural empowerment given to those who lay hold of God’s strength. ↩︎
11. In Isaiah 27:6, God foretells that Jacob’s descendants will “blossom and bud” and “fill the face of the world with fruit.” Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to Daniel 4:10–12, where Nebuchadnezzar beholds in a dream a great tree “in the midst of the earth” whose height reached to heaven and whose abundant fruit fed “all flesh.” Both passages use arboreal imagery—rooting, blossoming, fruit-bearing—to depict a figure whose growth nourishes the world, reinforcing a common motif of divine appointment to global influence and fruitfulness. ↩︎
12. In Isaiah 27:7, the prophet asks rhetorically whether God’s judgments are measured with equity: “Is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?” Within the Canonical Column, this line functions as an allusion to Daniel 5:30, where Belshazzar—the arrogant king of Babylon who had defied the God of Israel—is slain in a single night. The prophetic question in Isaiah 27:7 is answered in Daniel: the one who smote others is himself smitten, underscoring the principle of divine justice through poetic reversal. ↩︎
13. In Isaiah 27:9, the prophet declares that “by this… shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged,” identifying affliction and judgment as the means by which Israel’s sin is removed. Within the Canonical Column, this directly echoes Daniel 11:35 and 12:10, where persecution serves a refining purpose: “to try them, and to purge, and to make them white.” Both passages describe a divinely ordained process of purification—linking tribulation with spiritual cleansing, and affirming that suffering serves God’s redemptive end. ↩︎
14. In Isaiah 27:9, idolatrous altars are shattered like chalkstones, and “the groves and images shall not stand up”—a vivid image of divine judgment against false worship. Within the Canonical Column, this directly alludes to Daniel 2:34–35, where a stone “cut out without hands” strikes the feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, breaking it to pieces and destroying the idolatrous empires it represents. Both passages employ the motif of crushed stones and toppled idols to symbolize the overthrow of human pride and false religion by divine power. ↩︎
15. In Isaiah 27:10, the prophet foretells that “the defenced city shall be desolate… and left like a wilderness”—a poetic declaration of divine judgment upon a once-thriving habitation. Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to Daniel 9:2, where Daniel reflects on “the desolations of Jerusalem,” recognizing that the seventy-year judgment foretold by Jeremiah has been fulfilled. Both verses speak of a city laid waste under divine decree, underscoring the theme of national chastisement through desolation. ↩︎
16. In Isaiah 27:10b–11a, the prophet describes a scene where livestock feed upon a desolate land’s withered branches—soon gathered and burned by women. Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to Daniel 4:14, where the great tree representing Nebuchadnezzar is felled, its branches cut off, and its fruit scattered, causing the beasts and birds to flee. Both passages portray a tree or its branches being stripped and destroyed—symbolizing the humbling of human pride and the ruination of former glory. ↩︎
17. In Isaiah 27:11b, the prophet declares that a people “of no understanding” will be shown no mercy by their Maker—a sobering pronouncement of divine judgment. Within the Canonical Column, this reflects the lament of Daniel 9:9–14, where Daniel confesses Israel’s rebellion and lack of obedience to God’s voice, acknowledging that the great calamity upon Jerusalem is a just consequence of their refusal to “understand [His] truth.” Both passages emphasize that judgment falls not arbitrarily, but in response to persistent spiritual ignorance and disobedience. ↩︎
18. Isaiah 27:13 speaks of a “great trumpet” being blown, summoning the perishing exiles from Assyria and Egypt to worship the LORD in Jerusalem. Within the Canonical Column, this is an evident allusion to Daniel 12:1–2, where the resurrection of the dead and the deliverance of the faithful is foretold at a time of unprecedented tribulation. The imagery of national regathering and awakening in Isaiah aligns with Daniel’s vision of resurrection and salvation—both pointing toward the final ingathering and vindication of God’s people at the end of days. This link is further reinforced by Revelation 11:15–18 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which associate the resurrection with the sounding of the seventh trumpet. ↩︎

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