Podcast: The Book of Daniel

(Photo: Unsplash)

Check out the So We Speak podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Daniel is at once one of the most thrilling narrative books and one of the most cryptic prophetic books in the Bible. Daniel’s life spanned the rise and fall of the great empires and the message of his life and his vision points us to Christ – his faithfulness and eternal reign.

Background

Daniel is the last book of the Major Prophets. The events in this book, which happen through the 6th century BC, display the validity of Daniel as a true prophet of God.

Daniel came to Babylon in 605 BC as a young man with the majority of Israel.

His entire life in Babylon is based around kings ascending and descending to and from power.

Daniel shows us what it looks like to live a life devoted to God in a pagan culture while holding a position of influence within Babylonian politics.

A Theology of Suffering from Daniel

The main outline of the stories of Daniel is meant to communicate God’s faithfulness to His people even while they are in exile.

Chapter 1 – Refusal to eat the king’s food

Chapter 3 – The fiery furnace

Chapter 6 – Daniel and the Lion’s Den

From these three stories, we learn that God has a greater purpose for our suffering than we realize. According to Scripture, faithfulness to God often brings us into adverse circumstances where our faith is tested – in this case, being burned alive and eaten by lions. God’s people have always been a suffering people. It’s to note that God did not immediately remove Daniel and his friends from the fire or the lion’s den – nor did he prevent their suffering. Rather, God was with them in their suffering. He was physically present in the fiery furnace and shut the mouths of lions.

Faith in adverse circumstances is a greater apologetic than argument and logic. The faith of Daniel’s friends in the fire caused Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge Yahweh as the only true God. While their verbal arguments would not persuade Nebuchadnezzar, their faith and fearlessness in the face of death spoke louder than words.

The Prophecies

It is important to note that Daniel’s visions are symbolic – images that correspond to real things (example 7:17). Daniel often gives us the interpretation, so we are rarely left guessing as to the meaning. This book mainly prophesies about geopolitical aspects of both the Babylonian Empire, the Roman Empire, and the rise of Alexander the Great.

Daniel and Revelation

Daniel is the most alluded-to book in Revelation. This demonstrates continuity in the prophetic visions because they all point toward the coming of the Anointed One. All prophecies find their culmination and end in the person and work and kingship of Jesus Christ.

Brittany Proffitt lives in Dallas, TX, holds a BA in Religion, and is a student at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is passionate about Scripture and how God’s Word impacts individuals’ hearts and lives.


Editor's Picks

  • featureImage

    Making This December 26 Better Than Last Year's - Today Can Be Different

    The more we draw near to and worship Him, the more we’ll become aware of how much He loves us and has intervened in our circumstances. The more we become aware of all He has done for us – and in us – the more we’ll experience healing from our pain and anger. Eventually, we’ll experience a joy we haven’t known for a long time.

    3 min read
  • featureImage

    Did You Know?

    The Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know” asks Mary, the mother of Jesus, a series of questions. “Did you know your baby boy would one day walk on water? Give sight to a blind man? Calm a storm? Rais…

    2 min read
  • featureImage

    What the Angels Said — Carol McLeod Ministries

    Angels are an intrinsic and dynamic part of the Christmas story. Christmas simply would not have occurred without these God-sent messengers from heaven. We don’t know if the angels were clothed in flowing, white robes, if they had a halo that sparkled, or even if they flew with wings into the Christ

    7 min read
  • featureImage

    The Mall or the Manger?

    Much has changed since the God of the universe decorated the night sky with the star of Bethlehem and directed the choir of angels in a chorus announcing the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. But the commercialism doesn’t have to rule in our hearts and homes. This year let’s focus on the Christ Child and remember the true meaning of the holiday season. As we turn our eyes to the Babe in the manger, we will not view Christmas as a dreaded obligation or a major retail event. It will be a time of joyous celebration, honoring the One Who came to give us eternal life and worshipping our Heavenly Father.

    4 min read