Daniel and his companions faithful under foreign captivity — visions of the coming kingdom.
Key themes: faithfulness, sovereignty of God, prophecy, fiery furnace.
| Author | Daniel |
|---|---|
| Date Written | c. 605–530 BC |
| Original Audience | Jewish exiles in Babylon |
Daniel is written in two distinct sections: chapters 1-6 (narrative stories of Daniel and his three friends in Babylon) and chapters 7-12 (apocalyptic visions of future kingdoms and the end of history). The narrative chapters contain the Bible's most dramatic stories of faith under pressure: the fiery furnace (chapter 3), where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's idol and walk through fire without even the smell of smoke on their clothes; the writing on the wall (chapter 5); and the lions' den (chapter 6), where Daniel survives a night among lions because 'he had trusted in his God.' The central theological message of both sections is the same: 'The Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes' (5:21). Daniel's visions in chapters 7-12 describe four world empires, the rise of the Antichrist, and the ultimate victory of God's eternal kingdom — still studied intensely by students of biblical prophecy. Jesus quotes from Daniel when describing the end times.
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