Daniel is a book of faithfulness, prophecy, and God’s sovereign rule over nations and history. Written during the Babylonian exile, it tells stories of Daniel and his friends remaining loyal to God under pressure and includes powerful visions revealing God’s plan for future kingdoms. Daniel highlights God’s control over all earthly powers and His faithfulness to those who trust Him.
Background
Author: Daniel
Audience: Jewish exiles and later generations
Date: 6th century BC (events from 605–536 BC)
Location Written: Babylon and Persia
Context: Daniel was taken to Babylon as a young exile after Jerusalem’s fall. Living in a pagan empire, he held positions of leadership while remaining devoted to God. The book combines narrative accounts of faithful endurance with apocalyptic visions predicting future kingdoms, the rise and fall of rulers, and God’s ultimate victory. Daniel encourages believers to remain steadfast even in hostile environments.
Characters
- Daniel — faithful servant of God given wisdom, favor, and prophetic visions
- Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego — Daniel’s companions who refuse idolatry and experience God’s deliverance
- Nebuchadnezzar — Babylonian king who encounters God’s power
- Belshazzar — Babylonian ruler judged during the fall of Babylon
- Darius — Persian king who reluctantly condemns Daniel to the lions’ den
- Angelic Messengers — beings who interpret visions and reveal future events
- The Son of Man — divine figure in Daniel’s visions representing God’s eternal kingdom
Major Events
- Daniel and his friends refuse the king’s food and remain faithful (Chapter 1)
- Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue and Daniel’s interpretation (Chapter 2)
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Chapter 3)
- Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling and restoration (Chapter 4)
- Belshazzar’s feast and the writing on the wall (Chapter 5)
- Daniel in the lions’ den under King Darius (Chapter 6)
- Vision of four beasts representing future kingdoms (Chapter 7)
- Vision of the ram and goat and future rulers (Chapter 8)
- Daniel’s prayer and the prophecy of the seventy weeks (Chapter 9)
- Final prophetic visions of future conflicts and God’s eternal kingdom (Chapters 10–12)
Application & Life Lessons
- God is sovereign over all nations and rulers
- Faithfulness in small decisions prepares believers for greater tests
- Standing for truth may bring persecution but honors God
- God protects and strengthens those who trust Him
- Pride leads to downfall, but humility brings restoration
- Prayer is powerful and essential in times of crisis
- God reveals the future to encourage perseverance, not fear
- God’s kingdom will ultimately triumph over every earthly power
Bible Study Videos
Video by the Bible Project providing an overview of Daniel
Sermons & Teachings
Sermon by Skip Heitzig offering a brief overview of Daniel 1-8
Sermon by Skip Heitzig offering a brief overview of Daniel 9-12
Podcasts
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Articles
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Bible Reading Plans
Books
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Disclosures & Notices
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