Introduction to Daniel: God Gives Hope In Our Bondage

Introduction to Daniel: God Gives Hope In Our Bondage

Collin Leong. September 1, 2025


A. Historical Summary

1. Author

  • Traditional View: Daniel, a Jewish exile and court official in Babylon, is considered the author, especially due to the first-person narrative in chapters 7–12.

  • Daniel is likely of noble or royal descent from Judah (Daniel 1:3–4), chosen for his intellect, appearance, and aptitude.

  • Scholarly View: The book likely had multiple contributors and editors, with final compilation during the 2nd century BC, though set in the 6th century BC.

  • Daniel’s visions speak to both present trials and future hope, offering coded resistance and cosmic reassurance.

2. Audience

  • Jewish communities under foreign oppression, especially during the Seleucid persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes (~167–164 BC).

  • Intended to encourage faithfulness, resist assimilation, and trust in divine sovereignty amid suffering.

3. Date of Composition

  • Setting: Babylonian exile (~605–530 BC), spanning the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus.

  • Final Composition: Likely completed during the Maccabean period (~165 BC), incorporating earlier traditions and visions.

  • Languages: Hebrew (Ch. 1, 8–12) and Aramaic (Ch. 2–7), reflecting its bilingual audience and layered composition.

4. Purpose and Themes

  • Purpose: 
    • To affirm God's sovereignty over all earthly kingdoms and historical events.
    • To encourage faithfulness among God's people during exile and persecution.
    • To reveal prophetic visions concerning future empires and the ultimate establishment of God's eternal kingdom.
    • To bridge history and eschatology, showing how past events foreshadow future divine interventions.
    • To model wisdom and integrity through Daniel and his companions as examples of righteous living in a foreign culture.
  • Themes:
    • God’s Sovereignty Over Empires: Kings rise and fall, but God’s kingdom endures.
    • Faithfulness in Exile: Daniel and his friends model integrity under pressure.
    • Apocalyptic Hope: History culminates in divine judgment, resurrection, and eternal justice.
    • Wisdom and Revelation: Dreams, visions, and angelic encounters unveil spiritual realities behind political events.
    • Messianic Foreshadowing: The “Son of Man” (Ch. 7) and “Anointed One” (Ch. 9) point toward redemptive fulfillment.


B. Key Messages

Daniel bridges prophetic insight and apocalyptic vision. It affirms that even in exile, God is active—revealing mysteries, protecting His people, and orchestrating history toward justice. The book’s enduring relevance lies in its call to courageous faith, spiritual discernment, and hope beyond empires.

1. God Is Sovereign Over History

  • Empires rise and fall, but God remains enthroned.

  • Daniel’s interpretations (e.g. the statue in Ch. 2, the beasts in Ch. 7) reveal that human kingdoms are transient, while God’s kingdom is eternal.

“He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them.” — Daniel 2:21

2. Faithfulness in Exile Is Possible

  • Daniel and his friends model covenant loyalty in a foreign land.

  • Whether refusing royal food (Ch. 1), enduring the furnace (Ch. 3), or praying despite threats (Ch. 6), they show that obedience is not location-dependent.

“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself…” — Daniel 1:8

3. God Honors Humility and Integrity

  • Nebuchadnezzar’s pride leads to his downfall (Ch. 4), while Daniel’s humility leads to honor.

  • The book warns against self-exaltation and invites us to walk humbly before God.

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and honor the King of heaven…” — Daniel 4:37

4. Prayer Is a Lifeline, Not a Ritual

  • Daniel’s disciplined prayer life (Ch. 6, Ch. 9) is central to his strength and clarity.

  • His intercession for Israel (Ch. 9) shows that prayer can shape history and align us with God’s purposes.

5. Apocalyptic Hope: God Wins

  • The visions (Ch. 7–12) unveil cosmic conflict and ultimate justice.

  • Even amid persecution (e.g. Antiochus IV), Daniel’s prophecies assure that evil has an expiration date, and resurrection awaits the faithful.

“Many who sleep in the dust will awake…” — Daniel 12:2

6. Wisdom Comes from God Alone

  • Daniel’s ability to interpret dreams and visions is not self-derived—it’s a gift of divine insight.

  • In a world of confusion, true discernment flows from intimacy with God.

“There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…” — Daniel 2:28

7. Faith Is Worth the Risk

  • Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s refusal to bow (Ch. 3) is a timeless call to courageous conviction, even when deliverance isn’t guaranteed.

“Even if He does not… we will not serve your gods.” — Daniel 3:18

 

C. Framework

The book straddles two eras:

  • Exilic Period: Daniel serves in Babylon and Persia, navigating imperial politics with divine wisdom. (Ch 1–6)

  • Apocalyptic Period: Later chapters reflect the crisis under Antiochus IV, when Jewish worship was outlawed and the Temple defiled. (Ch 7-12)

1. The Witness and the Wisdom: Faithfulness in Exile (Ch. 1–6)

God’s presence is revealed not through temple rituals but through integrity, dreams, and deliverance in foreign courts. Daniel and his companions embody covenant loyalty amid imperial pressure.

a) Chapters 1–2: The Resolve and the Revelation

Ch 1: Daniel’s dietary resistance—faithfulness in small things. God grants wisdom and favor, setting the stage for prophetic influence. 

Ch 2: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue—four kingdoms crumble before God’s eternal rock. Daniel interprets, revealing divine sovereignty over history.

b) Chapters 3–4: The Trial and the Transformation

Ch 3: Fiery furnace—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse idolatry. God walks with them in the fire, revealing His glory to the king. 

Ch 4: Nebuchadnezzar’s madness—pride leads to downfall. Daniel interprets the dream of the tree. The king is humbled and restored, acknowledging God’s rule.

c) Chapters 5–6: The Judgment and the Justice

Ch 5: Belshazzar’s feast—writing on the wall. Daniel reads the divine verdict: the empire falls that night. 

Ch 6: Lion’s den—Daniel’s prayerful defiance. God shuts the lions’ mouths, vindicating His servant before the empire.

2. The Visions and the Verdict: Sovereignty Beyond Empires (Ch. 7–12)

Daniel’s apocalyptic visions unveil cosmic conflict, divine judgment, and the hope of resurrection. The veil is lifted on history’s ultimate trajectory.

a) Chapters 7–8: Beasts and Blasphemy

Ch 7: Four beasts rise—chaotic empires. But the Ancient of Days sits in judgment, and the Son of Man receives everlasting dominion. 

Ch 8: Ram and goat—Persian and Greek powers clash. The little horn desecrates the sanctuary, but divine justice is decreed.

b) Chapters 9–10: Intercession and Insight

Ch 9: Daniel’s prayer of repentance—he pleads for Jerusalem. Gabriel reveals the seventy weeks, pointing to messianic fulfillment and covenant renewal. 

Ch 10: Angelic encounter—Daniel is strengthened to receive visions. Spiritual warfare is hinted behind earthly events.

c) Chapters 11–12: Conflict and Culmination

Ch 11: Detailed prophecy—kings of the north and south, culminating in a tyrant who exalts himself. 

Ch 12: Resurrection and sealing—many will rise, some to everlasting life. Daniel is told to seal the book until the time of the end.

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