Daniel is the final of the three contemporary prophets of the captivity. Already discussed has been Jeremiah and his work among God’s people back in the homeland and Ezekiel’s work among the captives of Judah who were already in Babylon. Daniel, along with his three youthful companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (otherwise known by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), was stripped from his homeland during the first carrying away in 606 B.C. along with the seed-royal of Jerusalem. His work, as evident from this book, took place solely within the court of Babylon itself, in the midst of king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel thus would be God’s workman at the very source of this exile himself and would be found effective in his persuasion to these idolatrous heathen of the one true God whom he served, and whom they should serve. He was so persuasive in his work, in fact, that many ardent students of this book believe whole heartedly that Nebuchadnezzar was converted from idolatry before it was all over.
The book of Daniel begins with the siege on Jerusalem and the carrying away of the seed royal and the temple vessels. Once in Babylon, though, Nebuchadnezzar chose, “Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them” and they were “to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans” (Daniel 1:4). Of this number were Daniel, Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah. In fact, so extraordinary were these young men that upon their training in the finest Babylonian schools, they rose to positions of great authority in the kingdom itself. With His servants having infiltrated the palace, God then used them throughout the rest of the book to bestow upon Nebuchadnezzar a number of signs, visions, dreams, and other proofs of His deity in order to prove to Nebuchadnezzar that it was not really him in charge, but God. From chapters 2-12, each chapter was comprised mainly of the following events:
• Daniel 2—Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the great image.
• Daniel 3—Nebuchadnezzar’s construction of the image of gold.
• Daniel 4—Nebuchadnezzar’s “uninterpretable” dreams (which Daniel interpreted).
• Daniel 5—Nebuchadnezzar sees the handwriting on the wall.
• Daniel 6—Daniel cast into the lions’ den.
• Daniel 7—Daniel’s vision of the four great beasts.
• Daniel 8—Daniel’s vision of the ram and the he-goat.
• Daniel 9—Daniel’s vision of the seventy weeks.
• Daniel 10—Daniel’s vision by the River Hiddekel of a man clothed in linen.
• Daniel 11—Daniel’s prophecies concerning Persia and Greece.
• Daniel 12—Daniel’s words of hope, comfort, and consolation to the children of God.
Concerning Christ’s appearance in Daniel, He is prominent. Time and time again He is pictured throughout the book in anticipation of His arrival. In Daniel 2, He is the great stone who crushed the kingdoms of the world. In Daniel 7, He is the Son of Man given dominion by the Ancient of Days. In Daniel 9, He is the coming Messiah and Prince. And, in Daniel 9, it is believed that the time of Christ’s coming and death, and the establishment of the church is pinpointed by the division of the seventy weeks. As, then, is fully noted, Christ and His kingdom (Daniel 2) is pictured throughout Daniel and came in perfect fulfillment of it all.
The book of Daniel is a precious treasure to the historic prophecies of the church of Christ. Its truths and evidences are priceless as proof of the one vessel of salvation. Daniel’s book surely does prove that God still reigns and rules in the kingdoms of men yesterday, today, and forever (Daniel 4:17).