Author’s Preface and Acknowledgments

THE BOOK OF DANIEL attracted my attention very early in my Christian life. As a college student in the turbulent 1970s, I was captivated by the book’s vision of a violent end to history. Calmer times led to a more sober assessment of the purpose of the book, but I have never lost the thrill of reading Daniel’s dramatic word pictures of the intrusion of God into the world as warrior and judge. If anything, the impact of the book has grown on me as I now see more clearly that those “simple” stories of the first half have such startling relevance for us as we struggle to come to terms with a hostile culture.

I have many people to thank for help in the composition of this book. During the past dozen years I have taught a doctoral-level seminar on the book of Daniel. Class discussions helped me sharpen my thinking about the book. For this reason, I would like to express my thanks to the students who participated in these classes. In particular, I thank Erick Allen, Mark DiGiasomo, and Jovanni Tricerri for their invaluable help as my research assistants.

This book is not the first that I have published with Zondervan. Through the years, my respect for Zondervan has grown enormously. In regard to this project, I thank Jack Kuhatschek and Verlyn Verbrugge for their insights and professionalism. I have also received excellent and insightful feedback from Terry Muck, the general editor of the series, and from John Walton of Moody Bible Institute. This volume is much better because of their critical interaction. I must say, however, that since I did not always follow their advice, they cannot be blamed for any shortcomings.

This book is dedicated to my wife, Alice, on the occasion of our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

—Tremper Longman III

Westmont College