Were you confused by that passage read from the Book of Daniel? Don't feel bad. You are in good company. Daniel has been confusing people ever since it was written. It confused those rabbis who in the year 90 met in the coastal town of Jamnia to cast their votes on which of the historical writings were to be designated "sacred scripture." Daniel made it into the Bible by a majority vote, but many of those rabbis felt it should not have.

It confused early Christians, many of whom were as unsure of its value as were the rabbis. Luther, who translated the Bible so that it would be read, knew it was going to be confusing to people and so felt compelled to write by far his longest introduction - longer even than the one for Romans.

Over the centuries, confusion has been compounded as Daniel bec…