Author: Daniel (Hebrew name meaning "God is my Judge")
Date Written: Approximately 530 BC, during the Babylonian exile
Setting: Babylon and later the Medo-Persian Empire. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon as a young man during Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem (605 BC) and served in the royal courts of successive kingdoms throughout his life.
Historical Background: The book spans the entire period of the Babylonian captivity, from its beginning under Nebuchadnezzar through the fall of Babylon to the Persians and into the early Persian period. Daniel witnessed the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy of 70 years of exile and lived to see the decree allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem.
Purpose: To demonstrate God's sovereignty over all nations and kingdoms, to encourage exiled Jews to remain faithful despite persecution, and to reveal God's prophetic plan for Israel and the world through visions of future kingdoms and the ultimate establishment of God's eternal kingdom.
Further reading: Kevin Potter has a (currently ongoing) series on the book of Daniel on his Substack
"The LXX Scrolls" , available
HERE. It focusses on various source texts (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic), and offers rich insight into the book and its message. I highly recommend it!
Daniel and His Friends in Babylon
Daniel and his three friends (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) are taken captive and chosen for royal service. They remain faithful to God's dietary laws and are blessed with wisdom and understanding that surpasses all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel 1:1-21
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Statue
The king demands his wise men tell him both his dream and its interpretation. When they cannot, God reveals the dream to Daniel: a statue with a gold head, silver chest and arms, bronze belly and thighs, iron legs, and feet of iron mixed with clay. A stone cut without hands destroys the statue and becomes a great mountain. Daniel interprets this as four successive kingdoms, with God's eternal kingdom ultimately prevailing.
Daniel 2:1-49
The Fiery Furnace
Nebuchadnezzar erects a golden image and commands all to worship it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse and are thrown into a blazing furnace. God protects them, and a fourth figure (interpreted as a divine being) appears with them in the fire. They emerge unharmed, and the king praises their God.
Daniel 3:1-30
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Great Tree
The king dreams of a great tree that is cut down by divine decree. Daniel interprets this as judgment on Nebuchadnezzar's pride. The king will lose his sanity and live like an animal for seven periods until he acknowledges God's sovereignty. This comes to pass, and after his restoration, Nebuchadnezzar praises the Most High God.
Daniel 4:1-37
Belshazzar's Feast and the Writing on the Wall
King Belshazzar desecrates the sacred vessels from Jerusalem's temple during a feast. A mysterious hand writes on the wall: "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN." Daniel interprets the message as God's judgment - Belshazzar's kingdom is numbered, finished, weighed and found wanting, and will be divided between the Medes and Persians. That very night, Belshazzar is killed and Darius the Mede takes the kingdom.
Daniel 5:1-31
Daniel in the Lions' Den
Daniel distinguishes himself under Darius, arousing jealousy among other officials. They manipulate the king into issuing a decree forbidding prayer to anyone but the king for thirty days. Daniel continues his regular prayer to God and is thrown into the lions' den. God sends an angel to shut the lions' mouths, and Daniel emerges unharmed. His accusers are thrown to the lions instead, and Darius issues a decree honoring Daniel's God.
Daniel 6:1-28
Vision of Four Beasts
Daniel sees four great beasts rising from the sea: a lion with eagle's wings, a bear with three ribs, a leopard with four wings and heads, and a terrifying beast with iron teeth and ten horns. A little horn arises, speaking boastfully. The Ancient of Days takes His throne in judgment, and "one like a son of man" receives an everlasting kingdom. The vision parallels the four kingdoms in chapter 2 but emphasizes their bestial, oppressive nature and focuses on the final kingdom and the little horn's persecution of the saints.
Daniel 7:1-28
Vision of the Ram and the Goat
Daniel sees a ram with two horns (Medo-Persia) conquered by a goat with a prominent horn (Greece/Alexander the Great). The horn breaks, and four horns grow in its place (Alexander's divided kingdom). A small horn emerges that grows powerful, attacks the host of heaven, and desecrates the sanctuary for 2,300 evenings and mornings. Gabriel explains this vision refers to the distant future and the persecution under a fierce king.
Daniel 8:1-27
Daniel's Prayer and the Seventy Weeks
While reading Jeremiah's prophecy of 70 years of exile, Daniel prays a profound prayer of confession and intercession for his people. Gabriel appears and reveals the prophecy of seventy "weeks" (or "sevens") decreed for Daniel's people: to finish transgression, atone for iniquity, bring everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy, and anoint the most holy place. The prophecy details the timeframe until the Anointed One comes and is cut off, and describes the destruction of Jerusalem and a future covenant with "the many."
Daniel 9:1-27
Vision of the Heavenly Messenger and Future Conflicts
Daniel receives a troubling vision and fasts for three weeks. A glorious angelic figure appears, explaining he was delayed by spiritual warfare with the "prince of Persia." He reveals detailed prophecies about future conflicts between the kings of the North and South, including persecutions and the desecration of the temple by a contemptible ruler. The prophecy extends to a time of unprecedented distress and ultimately to the end times.
Daniel 10:1-11:45
The Time of the End
Michael, the great prince who protects Daniel's people, will arise during a time of unprecedented distress. Many who sleep in the dust will awaken - some to everlasting life, others to shame and contempt. The wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens. Daniel is told to seal up the vision until the time of the end. Time periods are given (1,290 days and 1,335 days), but their meaning is sealed. Daniel is promised he will rest and rise to receive his inheritance at the end of days.
Daniel 12:1-13
God's Absolute Sovereignty:
Throughout Daniel, God demonstrates His control over all earthly kingdoms and rulers. He raises up kings and deposes them, revealing that human power is temporary while His kingdom is eternal.
Faithfulness Under Persecution:
Daniel and his friends model unwavering devotion to God despite threats of death. Their courage encourages believers to remain faithful even when facing severe opposition or cultural pressure to compromise.
Divine Revelation and Prophecy:
God reveals hidden mysteries and future events to demonstrate His omniscience and to prepare His people for what is to come. The prophecies span from Daniel's time through successive kingdoms to the end of the age.
The Kingdom of God:
A central theme is the establishment of God's eternal kingdom that will crush all earthly kingdoms. This appears in multiple visions - the stone that becomes a mountain (ch. 2), the Son of Man receiving dominion (ch. 7), and the ultimate deliverance in chapter 12.
Prayer and Intercession:
Daniel's prayer life is exemplary, marked by regular devotion (three times daily) and powerful intercession for his people (chapter 9). His prayers demonstrate confession, humility, and confidence in God's faithfulness to His promises.
Spiritual Warfare:
The book reveals the reality of spiritual conflict behind earthly events. Angels and demonic princes battle over nations, showing that human history has a supernatural dimension.
Wisdom From God:
True wisdom comes from God, not human learning alone. Daniel's God-given wisdom surpasses that of all the pagan wise men, demonstrating that revelation from God is superior to human knowledge.
Resurrection and Final Judgment:
Daniel contains one of the clearest Old Testament references to resurrection and eternal destinies, pointing forward to God's ultimate justice and the reward of the righteous.
"But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action... And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 11:32; 12:3)
