Book of Daniel
Stories of faith in exile and visions of God’s ultimate kingdom.
About the Book of Daniel
The book of Daniel is simultaneously history, biography, and apocalyptic vision. Daniel and his friends — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego — are young Jewish nobles taken captive to Babylon, where they are trained for royal service. The first six chapters present the most famous stories in the book: the fiery furnace, the writing on the wall, the lions' den. These are stories of faith under pressure, of people who refused to compromise their allegiance to God even under threat of death.
The second half of the book (chapters 7-12) consists of apocalyptic visions in which Daniel sees sweeping images of future world empires — beasts rising from the sea, a ram and a goat, the "Son of Man" coming on the clouds of heaven. These visions were deeply meaningful to Jews under persecution and have shaped Christian eschatology significantly. Jesus quotes Daniel's "Son of Man" language when speaking of Himself at His trial.
Daniel is a book about sovereignty — the conviction that despite appearances, God rules over the kingdoms of men and gives them to whom He will. The stories and visions work together to make one point: Babylon (or Rome, or any imperial power) is not ultimate. History has a destination, and it is not determined by earthly kings. "The Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes" is the refrain that runs through every chapter.