The Book of Daniel

Daniel records faith under pressure in Babylon — the lions' den, the fiery furnace, the writing on the wall — and visions of God's everlasting kingdom that will outlast every empire.

Testament

Old (12 chapters)

Type

Major Prophet

Date

Set during the Babylonian and early Persian period (605-530 BC).

Faithfulness in a foreign empire

Daniel and his friends serve faithfully in pagan courts while refusing to compromise on worship. The book is a manual for the people of God living as a minority — how to be loyal to God without becoming useless to neighbors.

Kingdoms rise and fall — God's lasts forever

Daniel's visions in chapters 2 and 7 show empires (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome) succeeded by an everlasting kingdom 'which shall never be destroyed'. The Son of Man imagery (7:13-14) is taken up directly by Jesus.

Key verses (KJV)

“But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods.” — Daniel 3:18 (KJV)

“his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.” — Daniel 6:26 (KJV)

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven.” — Daniel 7:13 (KJV)

How to read Daniel

Read the stories (1-6) first — they read like adventures. Then take the visions (7-12) more slowly; they reward repeated reading. Chapter 9 (Daniel's prayer) is one of the great penitential prayers in Scripture.

Read Daniel on your iPhone

Read the full book of Daniel in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.

Popular chapters in Daniel

• Daniel 6

More Old Testament books

• The Book of Hosea
• The Book of Joel
• The Book of Amos
• The Book of Obadiah
• The Book of Jonah

From the blog

Frequently asked questions

What is the Book of Daniel about?

Daniel is a book of Major Prophet, running to 12 chapters. Its main threads: Faithfulness in a foreign empire; Kingdoms rise and fall — God's lasts forever.

Who wrote the Book of Daniel?

Traditionally Daniel himself (6th c. BC). Many scholars place the book's composition in the 2nd c. BC (Maccabean era).

Where does Daniel come in the Bible?

Daniel is one of the 39 books of the Old Testament in the Protestant canon, grouped with the Major Prophet books. You can walk the canon in order using the previous and next links on this page.