Daniel’s life and ministry covered the entire seventy years of the Babylonian captivity. Deported to Babylon at approximately age sixteen and handpicked for government service, Daniel became God’s prophetic mouthpiece to the Gentile and Jewish world, declaring His present and eternal purpose. Daniel, a Hebrew, became prime minister of Babylon and worked for at least three kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. This inspired work quotes both Nebuchadnezzar and Darius as declaring that Daniel’s God is the living and true Lord of all.
The name Daniye’l or Dani’el means “God is my Judge.” The Greek form Daniel in the Septuagint is the basis for the Latin and English titles.
The Book of Daniel details the life and prophecies of God’s trusted servant. It includes a great deal of fulfilled prophecy and is quoted by Christ (Matt. 24:15). Several of the book’s twelve chapters revolve around dreams, including God-given visions involving trees, animals, beasts, and images.
While many of the stories in Daniel are retold in children’s books, those accounts are too important and relevant to relegate exclusively to the pages of childhood literature. To be sure, Daniel in the lion’s den; the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace; and the disembodied hand that spells doom for the Babylonian despot are all spectacular and gripping narratives. But what stands out in all of them is that our sovereign, omnipotent God consistently and swiftly reacts to the earnest prayers of His faithful servants.
Daniel prophesied concerning the rise and fall of the Antichrist and the glorious Second Coming of Christ. The Book of Daniel is often seen as a companion to the New Testament Book of Revelation, largely because both contain a great deal of similar prophetic imagery.
Themes: God rules over the affairs of men, and no one can derail His plans or stop Him from acting. He is absolutely sovereign.
Author: Daniel.
Time: During and shortly after the seventy-year Babylonian captivity of Judah (c. 605–530 B.C.).
Structure: The first six chapters of Daniel cover the personal biographies of several key people, plus some local history. The final six chapters cover visions and prophecies concerning God’s sovereign hand in the affairs of men.
As you read Daniel, watch for the life principles that play an important role in this book:
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. See Daniel 2:16.
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. See Daniel 3:15.
17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees. See Daniel 6:10, 11.
13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God. See Daniel 9:3.
1. Our intimacy with God—His highest priority for our lives—determines the impact of our lives. See Daniel 11:32.