Court narrative and apocalypse · 12 chapters
Daniel
Faithfulness under empire meets visions of God’s final rule. Symbolic visions encourage endurance; avoid treating them as a confident timetable for current events.
Historical & literary context
Set among Jewish exiles in Babylon and under later imperial rule. Traditional sixth-century dating and later composition theories are debated.
Introduction and study notes are commentary, not Scripture.
The shape of the book
- 1–6 · Faithfulness in imperial courts
- 7–9 · Kingdoms and prayer
- 10–12 · Conflict and final hope
A passage to begin with
Daniel 7:13-14
13In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. 14And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Berean Standard Bible · Public domain
Read the full chapterThink it through
How does God’s enduring kingdom put earthly power in perspective?