Daniel דָּנִיֵּאל
Study Overview
Tags: Prophet Exile Son of Man Wisdom Babylon Faithfulness Kingdom of God Apocalyptic
Summary: Daniel is a Judean exile taken to Babylon after Jerusalem's fall. Gifted with wisdom and the ability to interpret dreams, he rises to prominence in foreign courts while remaining faithful to Israel's God. His narrative displays unwavering loyalty amid pressure to assimilate, while his visions reveal God's plan to confront oppressive kingdoms and establish an everlasting dominion through the "Son of Man" — Jesus' most frequent self-designation in the Gospels.
🎯 Why Daniel Matters for Understanding Jesus
- "Son of Man" is Jesus' favorite title for himself — appearing 80+ times in the Gospels, drawn directly from Daniel 7:13-14
- Daniel 7 profoundly shaped Jesus' self-understanding — his identity, vocation, and destiny as the one who suffers yet is enthroned beside God
- Revelation's visionary framework is deeply indebted to Daniel — beasts, thrones, "time, times, and half a time," the kingdom given to the saints
- Daniel models faithful presence in Babylon — the "third way" between compromise and violent revolt that Jesus taught his followers
📐 Book Architecture
Daniel has a sophisticated literary design that most readers miss. The book is bilingual (Hebrew and Aramaic) and features a chiastic structure at its center — and understanding this design unlocks the book's theology.
Bilingual Structure
Hebrew
Aramaic
Hebrew
Why? The Aramaic section (lingua franca of empire) addresses the nations directly. The Hebrew bookends frame the message for Israel.
Aramaic Chiasm (Daniel 2-7)
Chapters 2-7 form a symmetrical pattern with the Son of Man vision at the center:
FRAME: Chapters 2 & 7 — God's kingdom ultimately triumphs over beastly empires
🛤️ Suggested Reading Pathways
Choose your entry point based on what you want to learn:
🎯 "I want to understand why Jesus called himself 'Son of Man'"
Start with Page 2: Son of Man — this explores Daniel 7 in depth and traces how Jesus used this vision to understand his identity, suffering, and exaltation.
🌳 "I want to see Daniel's Eden/new Adam theology"
Start with Page 1: Faithful Exile — this unpacks how Daniel is portrayed as a reversal of Adam (refusing forbidden food, ruling with beasts peacefully) and models faithful presence in Babylon.
⏳ "I want to understand the 'seventy weeks' and prophetic timelines"
Start with Page 3: Prophetic Hope — this explores Daniel 9's Jubilee mathematics, Second Temple interpretations, and the resurrection promise in Daniel 12.
📖 "I want a complete sequential study"
Read in order: Hub → Faithful Exile → Son of Man → Prophetic Hope
🎨 Core Theological Themes
These themes run through all four study pages:
New Adam / True Humanity
Daniel reverses Adam's failure, refuses forbidden food, rules beasts peacefully
Beasts vs. Humans
Empires become beastly when they reject God; the "Son of Man" is truly human
Kingdom of God
Stone becomes mountain; Son of Man receives everlasting dominion
Faithful Witness
Loyalty to God amid pressure to compromise — furnace and lions' den
Divine Judgment
God humbles proud rulers and vindicates the suffering faithful
Resurrection Hope
First explicit bodily resurrection promise (Dan 12:2-3)
Detailed theme analysis: Each sub-page develops these themes with full textual support and NT connections.
📖 Narrative Summary
Daniel's story unfolds in two movements:
Part 1: Court Tales (Ch 1-6)
- Ch 1: Exile to Babylon, faithfulness test (food laws), elevation
- Ch 2: Nebuchadnezzar's dream — statue of kingdoms, stone becomes mountain
- Ch 3: Friends refuse to worship idol, survive furnace
- Ch 4: Nebuchadnezzar becomes beast, then restored
- Ch 5: Belshazzar's feast, writing on wall, kingdom falls
- Ch 6: Daniel in lions' den, delivered, king praises God
Part 2: Prophetic Visions (Ch 7-12)
- Ch 7: Four beasts, Ancient of Days, Son of Man receives kingdom
- Ch 8: Ram and goat vision — Medo-Persia and Greece
- Ch 9: Daniel's prayer, seventy sevens revealed
- Ch 10-12: Final vision — kings of north/south, "time of distress," resurrection
📜 Key Verses
Daniel 7:13-14
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away."
→ Jesus' most common self-designation; quoted at his trial (Mark 14:62)
Daniel 2:44
"In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever."
→ Foundation for Jesus' proclamation: "The kingdom of God is at hand"
✝️ New Testament Connections
Daniel shapes the New Testament more than almost any other OT book:
| Daniel | New Testament | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Son of Man (7:13-14) | 80+ Gospel references | Jesus' primary self-designation |
| Coming on clouds (7:13) | Mark 14:62; Rev 1:7 | Jesus claims Daniel's vision at trial |
| Four beasts | Revelation 13 | Composite beast of Revelation |
| Ancient of Days / throne | Revelation 4-5 | Throne room vision expanded |
| Abomination of desolation (9:27) | Matthew 24:15 | Jesus cites Daniel directly |
| Resurrection (12:2) | John 5:28-29 | Two destinies — life and judgment |
Full analysis: See Son of Man page for detailed Gospel usage and Prophetic Hope page for Daniel 9 connections.
Master Bibliography
Complete sources across all Daniel study pages
Master Bibliography
Complete sources across all Daniel study pages
Section Reference Key
Major Commentaries
Biblical Theology
Second Temple & Apocalyptic
Eden Theology & ANE Context
Pastoral & Application
Media & Visual Resources
Note: Each study page includes page-specific sources. This master bibliography covers key works referenced across all pages. Colors indicate primary usage by section.