Book 27 - Daniel

Daniel closes out the Major Prophets, but it reads differently from the books that come before it. Instead of speeches directed at Israel, Daniel is set almost entirely outside the land, during exile. The stories unfold inside foreign empires, primarily Babylon, and later under Persian rule.

What kind of book is this?

Daniel contains:

• Narrative stories about Jewish exiles serving in foreign governments

• Court politics and public tests of loyalty

• Visions filled with symbolic imagery about kingdoms and power

The first half reads like historical storytelling. The second half shifts into dense symbolic visions.

Who is speaking?

The book is named after Daniel, a Jewish exile taken to Babylon as a young man. In the narrative sections, Daniel is the central figure along with three companions. Much of the book is written in the third person, with later sections shifting to Daniel’s first-person visions. Authorship is debated, but the book presents itself as a record of Daniel’s experience and the visions associated with him.

Historical setting

Daniel is set during the Babylonian exile, after Jerusalem has fallen and the temple has been destroyed. The opening chapters take place in Babylon, the political and cultural center of the empire. Later chapters move into the early Persian period after Babylon falls.

Daniel and others are absorbed into imperial systems of education, administration, and power. The stories assume constant pressure to conform to the values, practices, and authority of the ruling empire.

How the book is structured

Daniel is commonly divided into two main sections:

Chapters 1–6: Narrative

• Life inside Babylonian and Persian courts

• Public loyalty tests involving food, prayer, and obedience

• Episodes that unfold as self-contained stories

Chapters 7–12: Visions

• Symbolic dreams and revelations

• Imagery involving beasts, kingdoms, time, and judgment

• Less narrative clarity and more abstract language

What Daniel is saying

Across both stories and visions, the book repeatedly states that:

• Empires rise and fall

• Political power is temporary

• Authority shifts between kingdoms

• Individuals live under systems they did not choose

• Events unfold beyond the control of rulers

These ideas are presented through stories, dreams, and symbolic imagery rather than direct explanation.

Spotlight: The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)

Three Jewish exiles refuse to bow to a golden statue set up by King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. They are thrown into a blazing furnace as punishment. According to the story, they survive unharmed, and a fourth figure is seen walking with them in the fire.

The episode takes place publicly, in front of political and military leaders, and centers on obedience under direct pressure from state power. The phrase “thrown into the fire” and the image of surviving extreme heat under pressure are often traced back to this story.

Spotlight: The Lions’ Den (Daniel 6)

Daniel continues his regular pattern of prayer after a new law is issued that effectively criminalizes it. He is arrested and thrown into a den of lions as punishment. The story describes him surviving the night and being released the next morning.

This episode occurs under Persian rule, after the fall of Babylon, and highlights continuity in Daniel’s behavior across changing regimes. The phrase “thrown to the lions” comes directly from this account.

Spotlight: Writing on the Wall (Daniel 5)

During a royal feast in Babylon, mysterious writing appears on a wall, visible to everyone present. No one can interpret it until Daniel is brought in. He explains that the writing announces the end of the current kingdom.

That same night, the city falls. The phrase “the writing on the wall” is still used today to describe an outcome that has become unavoidable.