The book of Daniel combines some of the best-loved stories in the Bible — the fiery furnace and the lions' den — with some of its most mysterious visions. Its message is clear and encouraging: even in a hostile culture and under powerful empires, God is sovereign, and his kingdom will last for ever.
The setting
In 605 BC King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and took young men from Judah's royal and noble families to Babylon to be trained for service in his court (Daniel 1:1–4). Among them were Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah — given the Babylonian names Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel lived through the whole period of the exile, serving under Babylonian and Persian rulers.
The structure of Daniel
| Chapters | Content | Language |
|---|---|---|
| 1–6 | Stories of Daniel and his friends in the royal court | Chapter 1 in Hebrew; 2:4b – 7:28 in Aramaic |
| 7–12 | Daniel's visions of kingdoms and the future | Chapter 7 in Aramaic; 8–12 in Hebrew |
Part 1: Stories of faithfulness (chapters 1–6)
Faithful in small things (chapter 1)
Daniel "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat" (1:8). He asked to eat vegetables and drink water instead. After ten days, he and his friends looked healthier than the others, and God gave them knowledge and wisdom.
Nebuchadnezzar's dream (chapter 2)
The king dreamed of a great statue with a head of gold, chest of silver, belly of bronze, legs of iron and feet of iron mixed with clay. A stone "cut out without hands" struck the statue and became a great mountain filling the earth. Daniel explained that the statue represented a series of kingdoms, and the stone was a kingdom God would set up "which shall never be destroyed" (2:44).
The fiery furnace (chapter 3)
Nebuchadnezzar set up a huge golden image and commanded everyone to bow down. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused:
"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace… But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods." (Daniel 3:17–18, KJV)
They were thrown into the furnace, but the king saw four men walking in the fire, "and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (3:25). They came out unharmed.
The humbling of a king (chapter 4)
Nebuchadnezzar became proud and was struck with madness, living like an animal until he acknowledged that "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (4:25). He then praised God.
The writing on the wall (chapter 5)
At a feast, King Belshazzar drank from the sacred vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple. A hand appeared and wrote on the wall: "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN". Daniel interpreted it: the kingdom had been weighed and found wanting. That night Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians.
The lions' den (chapter 6)
Under the Persian ruler Darius, jealous officials tricked the king into banning prayer to anyone but himself for thirty days. Daniel continued to pray three times a day at his open window toward Jerusalem. He was thrown into the lions' den, but God "shut the lions' mouths" (6:22). Darius then honoured Daniel's God.
Part 2: Visions of the future (chapters 7–12)
Daniel's visions use dramatic symbols — beasts, horns and a heavenly court — to describe a succession of empires and God's ultimate victory.
The Son of man (chapter 7)
Daniel saw four great beasts rise from the sea, then the "Ancient of days" seated on a throne, and:
"One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven… And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom… his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away." (Daniel 7:13–14, KJV)
"Son of man" was Jesus' favourite title for himself, and at his trial he quoted this passage (Mark 14:62).
Daniel's prayer and the seventy weeks (chapter 9)
Reading Jeremiah's prophecy of seventy years, Daniel prayed a heartfelt prayer of confession for his people. The angel Gabriel then gave him a prophecy of "seventy weeks", which interpreters understand in different ways, many relating it to the coming of the Messiah.
Resurrection (chapter 12)
Daniel contains one of the clearest Old Testament statements about resurrection: "many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life" (12:2).
Interpreting Daniel's visions
Christians interpret the details of Daniel's visions in different ways. Many identify the kingdoms in chapters 2 and 7 as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, with God's kingdom arriving in Christ. It is wise to hold detailed timelines humbly while embracing the clear message: God rules over history, and his kingdom will triumph.
Lessons from Daniel
- Faithfulness in small choices prepares us for big tests.
- Prayer is a daily habit, not just an emergency measure.
- God may deliver — and even "if not", we stay faithful.
- Pride brings a fall; God humbles the proud.
- Kingdoms rise and fall, but God's kingdom is everlasting.
Continue with Jonah: the reluctant prophet, or read an introduction to Revelation. Daniel's stories are wonderful for children — see our Kids Bibles.