Studying the book of Daniel
66Starting a study of the book of Daniel
I have always found the book of Daniel to be fascinating. There is perhaps no more fascinating book in all of the Bible because of the range of topics that it discusses. Children in Sunday school begin their church life by hearing the stories of Daniel in the Lion's Den, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and Daniel and his friends being tempted to eat the king's food. On the other end of the spectrum are the deep prophecies like Daniel's seventy sevens.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of the book of Daniel is the fact that it reveals God's plan for the ages. God reveals to Daniel the future of the Babylonian empire, the people of Israel, and God's plan for the coming of His kingdom.
Having the advantage of history we can see how some of Daniel's prophecies were fulfilled. The prophecies of Daniel are so incredibly accurate about the coming of future empires such as the Medes & Persians, the Greek, and the Romans that liberal critics believe that the prophecies had to have been written centuries after the lifetime of Daniel.
Conservative scholars hold that Daniel is literal and was written by Daniel during the period of the Babylonian exile. In 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and carried off numerous prisoner, Daniel being among them. The Babylonians attacked a second time in 597 BC and a third time in 586 BC, destroying the city and carrying most of the people off to Babylon.
Despite being written during a period of great turmoil for the nation of Israel, Daniel is a book of great hope. It serves as a reminder that God is in control. He watches over Daniel and his friends just as he has authority over the kingdoms of the world. In the end it is the kingdom of God that will be established forever and none of the kingdoms of the world.
I am currently preaching through the book of Daniel and plan on doing a series of articles giving an overview of each chapter. I'll provide links to each overview below when I post them so you can follow along if you wish.
Study on Daniel
I'll be updating this as I complete articles on each chapter of Daniel:
Daniel 1 - The Temptation of Daniel
Daniel 2 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
Daniel 3 - The Fiery Furnace
Daniel 4 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of a Tree
Daniel 5 - The Writing on the Wall
Daniel 6 - Daniel and the Lion's Den
Daniel 7 - Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts
Rev. Akins Level 1 Commenter 14 months ago
I enjoy reading the book of Daniel, although to be honest my favorite Old Testament is Job. Daniel has many good stories and lessons in it, from trusting in God to living a life well lived. I am curious about the liberal vs. conservative comment you made. I don't know that it would break down that way. I think there are some people who try to explain away miracles, prophecies and the sort simply because it makes them uncomfortable. The belief in a higher being, a God, does not sit well with them and they go into the Bible with that lens. I would be curious to see what else you have to say about Daniel. Interesting Hub, it has me thinking I need to spend a little more time with this Prophet.