Daniel

Daniel is a strong example of faith, wisdom, and endurance during difficult times and oppression. His life and prophecies show that God is in control and will ultimately win, even when evil seems powerful.

Daniel belonged to Judah’s royal family when the Babylonian army first attacked Jerusalem in 605 BC (Daniel 1:3). He was taken to Babylon with Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael. King Nebuchadnezzar trained these young men, along with others, to serve in his expanding empire. Daniel and his friends were the smartest and healthiest students, so they held important positions in Nebuchadnezzar’s court.

Daniel worked in the court for nearly seventy years (see Daniel 1:21). He quickly gained a reputation for intelligence and complete loyalty to God. When Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream, God revealed its meaning to Daniel, who explained it to the king (Daniel 2). Later, Daniel interpreted a second dream about the king’s pride (Daniel 4). Daniel urged Nebuchadnezzar to repent, but he did not. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar temporarily lost his sanity (Daniel 4:28–37).

Daniel always showed respect to the Babylonian king. Nebuchadnezzar respected Daniel highly because of his good character and behavior. This led Nebuchadnezzar to worship the Lord, although not exclusively. Daniel's faithfulness and wisdom inspire readers in hostile cultures today.

Later, Belshazzar, the vice-regent of Babylon, used the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem Temple disrespectfully during a banquet in 539 BC. Suddenly, a disembodied hand wrote the words “Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin” on the palace wall. Daniel interpreted these words as predicting Babylon’s imminent end. That same night, Persians captured the capital and killed Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1–31).

In 539 BC, under Darius the Mede, Daniel became an administrator of the kingdom (Daniel 6:2). Daniel's effective management angered his political enemies. They convinced Darius to issue a decree that banned worship of anyone except the king, with the punishment of being thrown into a lions' den. To maintain his religious beliefs, Daniel broke the law, but he was miraculously unharmed by the lions. Afterward, he returned to his position (Daniel 6:17–28). Daniel's later visions are from around this time (Daniel 10:1, 4).

Daniel’s prophecies are hard to understand in detail, but their message is clear: Evil forces are in power now, but God is in control and will save his people. Jesus and New Testament authors cited Daniel, often using his imagery when discussing the end times (for example, compare Daniel 7:1–9 and Revelation 13:1–10; Daniel 7:13 and Revelation 1:7; Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15). Daniel was certain that God Most High would win.

Passages for Further Study

Ezekiel 14:14, 20; 28:3; Daniel 1:1–12:13; Matthew 24:15