Introduction
Overview
The first half of the book of Daniel (chaps. 1–6) contains stories about Daniel and his friends standing strong for their faith. The major theme in this unit, however, focuses on God, demonstrating that God is more powerful than the kings of Babylon and Persia. The second half of the book (chaps. 7–12) broadens the view to encompass God’s great plan for the future, especially in regard to humanity’s world empires in contrast to the establishment of God’s world empire. The message of the book is that even in difficult times when it appears that forces hostile to God are dominating, God wants his people to live faithfully, trusting in him and in his promise that he alone controls world history and that he will bring about his glorious kingdom, all in due time.
Authorship and Historical Context
According to the claims of the book itself (9:2; 10:2), the NT (Mt 24:15), and Jewish and Christian tradition, Daniel is the author of the book that bears his name. Daniel, whose name means “God Is Judge,” was carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon in the third year of Jehoiakim (1:1), which, according to the Babylonian system of reckoning, was 605 BC. Apparently, he was of noble descent and was selected to become the king’s courtier in a foreign land. He received special training in Babylon but was distinguished from his peers by a God-given ability to interpret dreams. Like Joseph in Egypt, God raised up Daniel to be his spokesperson in Babylon. He served under Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius the Mede.
Authorship of the book has been contested since the time of Porphyry, a third-century-AD philosopher. Porphyry argued that the book reflects a second-century-BC background, recounting the actual historical circumstances of Antiochus Epiphanes. He denied the predictive element of prophecy and explained the book as a pious hoax. This line of argument has had advocates throughout the history of interpretation, based on alleged historical errors, the denial of predictive prophecy, and the presence of Greek and Persian loanwords.
The book recounts Daniel’s ministry from about 600 BC to 536 BC, the third year of Cyrus the Persian. The book must have been completed after the first Jewish migration to Judea. It records the transfer of authority from Babylon to Persia but is silent on affairs regarding the Jewish political nation.
Literary Features
The book of Daniel has two major divisions. The first six chapters consist of third-person narratives about Daniel and his friends in a foreign court. Their response to the challenges posed by a pagan culture exemplifies loyalty to the covenant: even when their lives are threatened, they persevere in the faith. These stories are intertwined with dreams and interpretations of dreams. Chapters 7–12 are composed solely of visions and interpretations, written in the first person.
The book of Daniel belongs to the apocalyptic genre of literature. Apocalyptic literature flourished in Judaism from 200 BC to AD 100, but its roots were already present in the OT prophets. The prophets—especially Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel—employ visions and symbols. This in no way compromises the reliability of the historical information in the book of Daniel. At the same time, we must admit the difficulty in clearly distinguishing the historical from the symbolic.
The book of Daniel is written in both Hebrew (1:1–2:4a; 8:1–12:13) and Aramaic (2:4b–7:28). This reflects the historical situation, as Aramaic gradually became the official language of the Near East from 1000 BC until the time of Alexander the Great, when Greek supplanted it.
Daniel’s position in the English Bible is different from that in the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew Bible it is placed in the third group—the Writings—after Esther and before Ezra-Nehemiah. Critics have argued that the book was not written until after the prophetic era, after the second section (the Prophets) was already closed, and that it could therefore only be included in the last section of the Hebrew Bible.
Others, contending that the spirit of prophecy does not operate outside Israel, have argued that Daniel was not a prophet. Against this view, however, it must be noted that Ezekiel’s ministry took place wholly in exile, by the Chebar Canal. Yet it must be admitted that Daniel is a different kind of prophet. He does not quite fit the traditional definition, because he functions as a sage in a foreign land, much like Joseph.
Theological Themes
The message of Daniel focuses on the sovereignty of the Creator-Redeemer over the kingdoms of this world (earthly power structures), the suffering and perseverance of the saints, and their deliverance when the kingdom of God triumphs over all human power structures. Difficult as it may be to fit all the pieces of the interpretive puzzles together, the message of Daniel, like that of Revelation, is clear. It is an encouragement to persevere in godliness in the hope of the final establishment of the everlasting kingdom of God and his Messiah.
The book of Daniel consists of revelations given over a seventy-year period, while the remnant of Judah and Israel were in exile. The people felt the absence of God, having been forcibly separated from their land and having witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem, including the temple. This period of isolation forced the people to look once again to the Lord as the source of grace and favor. In this context the Lord raised up Daniel. The words of Daniel, however, were not known to the people in exile. Apparently, he had little contact with the Jewish community. Daniel’s role was that of a Babylonian statesman. Only after the exile did God’s people receive the record of God’s revelation to Daniel, giving them an interpretive framework. Notwithstanding the symbols, numbers, and ambiguous language, the book is a powerful witness to the certainty that God’s kingdom will be established. God’s people throughout the centuries have been challenged to look beyond historical circumstances and to look to God for the ultimate reality.
Along with Genesis, Psalms, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, Daniel is one of the OT books most influential on the NT book of Revelation.
The difficulty of interpreting Daniel and the variety of competing explanations function as a sober reminder not to seize upon any one interpretation. God holds the key to this and has given his authority to the Messiah. We do well to take our cue from Jesus, who saw in the prophecies of Daniel an intersection between the divine and the human—a world he stepped into in order to resolve the divine-human polarity and to vindicate the saints awaiting his redemption.
Outline
1. The Preparation of Daniel and His Friends (1:1–21)
A. Background (1:1–2)
B. Education (1:3–7)
C. The Challenge and Daniel’s Service (1:8–21)
2. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel’s Interpretation: Part One (2:1–49)
A. The King and the Chaldeans (2:1–13)
B. The King and Daniel (2:14–19)
C. Daniel’s Praise (2:20–23)
D. Daniel’s Interpretation (2:24–45)
E. Nebuchadnezzar’s Response (2:46–49)
3. The Fiery Furnace (3:1–30)
4. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel’s Interpretation: Part Two (4:1–37)
A. Nebuchadnezzar’s Confession (4:1–3)
B. The Dream and Its Interpretation (4:4–27)
C. Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation (4:28–37)
5. The Writing on the Wall (5:1–31)
6. The Lions’ Den (6:1–28)
7. Vision of the Four Beasts (7:1–28)
A. The Vision (7:1–14)
B. Its Interpretation (7:15–28)
8. Vision of the Kingdoms (8:1–27)
A. The Vision (8:1–14)
B. Its Interpretation (8:15–27)
9. Daniel’s Prayer and Vision of the Seventy Weeks (9:1–27)
A. Daniel’s Prayer (9:1–19)
B. God’s Response (9:20–27)
10. Message of Encouragement (10:1–11:45)
A. Introduction (10:1–3)
B. The Angel (10:4–11:1)
C. The Vision (11:2–45)
11. Troubles and Victory (12:1–13)