Daniel
“God is my judge”
Summary
A Jewish exile who rose to prominence in the Babylonian and Persian courts, renowned for his wisdom, faithfulness to God, and prophetic visions.
☩Early Life and Training
Daniel was carried to Babylon as a youth of noble or royal descent in the first deportation under Nebuchadnezzar, around 605 B.C. Selected for service in the royal court, he was trained for three years in the language and learning of the Chaldeans and given the Babylonian name Belteshazzar. Despite his youth, Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king's food, likely because of idolatrous ceremonies connected with it. God blessed his faithfulness, giving him and his three companions—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—wisdom and favor exceeding all the magicians of Babylon.
☩Interpreter of Dreams
Daniel's public career began when Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his wise men not only interpret his troubling dream but tell him what it was. When the Magi failed, Daniel sought God in prayer and received the revelation. The dream of the great statue represented successive world empires, culminating in God's eternal kingdom. For this service, Daniel was made ruler over the province of Babylon and chief of the wise men. He later interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great tree, foretelling the king's temporary madness as punishment for his pride.
☩The Writing on the Wall
At Belshazzar's impious feast, when the king drank from vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple, a mysterious hand wrote words upon the wall. Daniel, summoned to interpret them, boldly rebuked the king for his arrogance and declared the divine sentence: Babylon's kingdom was numbered, weighed, and found wanting, to be divided between the Medes and Persians. That very night Belshazzar was slain and Darius the Mede received the kingdom.
☩The Lions' Den
Under Darius, Daniel was appointed one of three presidents over the realm and distinguished himself so greatly that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Jealous rivals, unable to find fault in his administration, trapped him through a decree forbidding prayer to anyone except the king for thirty days. Daniel continued his custom of praying three times daily toward Jerusalem and was cast into a den of lions. God shut the lions' mouths, and Daniel emerged unharmed, while his accusers were themselves devoured.
☩Prophetic Visions
The latter half of Daniel records his apocalyptic visions concerning the future of world empires and God's people. The vision of the four beasts represented successive kingdoms culminating in the everlasting dominion given to 'one like a Son of Man.' The prophecy of the seventy weeks provided a timeline pointing to the Messiah's coming. Daniel's visions extend to 'the time of the end,' including the resurrection of the dead. Jesus Himself cited Daniel's prophecy of the 'abomination of desolation.'
☩Character and Legacy
Daniel exemplified purity, wisdom, and unwavering devotion to God throughout a lifetime of service in pagan courts. Ezekiel, his contemporary, cited him alongside Noah and Job as a pattern of righteousness. His practice of regular prayer, his refusal to compromise his faith, and his courage in speaking truth to power made him a model for faithful living in exile. His prophecies shaped Jewish messianic expectations and profoundly influenced early Christian eschatology.
Related Verses84 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Daniel," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Daniel," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Daniel," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Daniel," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 5.George Morrish, "Daniel," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 6.James Hastings (ed.), "Daniel," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).