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Book of Daniel · Intertext & Canon Links

Daniel in the Canon דָּנִיֵּאל

Daniel isn't a stand-alone apocalypse. Its images and vocabulary grow out of Torah and the Prophets—and then echo forward into the Gospels, Paul, Hebrews, and Revelation. This page is a listening guide for those connections.

Torah & Prophets → Daniel Daniel → Second Temple literature Daniel & the Gospels Daniel, Paul, Hebrews, Revelation
Overview

How to Read Daniel in Stereo with the Rest of Scripture

This page does not try to catalogue every allusion or debate every historical proposal. Instead, it highlights major canonical conversations: how Daniel listens to earlier Scriptures and how later authors listen to Daniel when they talk about exile, empire, judgment, and the Son of Man.

Backward: Daniel Listening to Torah & Prophets

Daniel's stories and visions presuppose Genesis-Kings: creation and image-bearing, idolatry, exile, and prophetic promises of restoration. It feels the weight of unfulfilled hopes.

Sideways: Daniel & Second Temple Apocalyptic

In Jewish literature between the Testaments, Daniel-type visions, beasts, books, and resurrection themes are reused and expanded. Daniel becomes a key template for thinking about empire and hope.

Forward: Daniel & the New Testament

Jesus' "Son of Man" language, the Gospels' trial scenes, resurrection imagery, and Revelation's beasts all sound like they have Daniel open on the table.

Daniel's Assumed Backstory

Genesis 1–11: The Story Daniel Presupposes

Daniel 7's vision of beasts and the Son of Man makes full sense only when read against Genesis 1–11. The book assumes we know the story: humans made to rule beasts, deceived by a beast, becoming beastlike, and waiting for a truly human one to restore what was lost.

Genesis 1: Humans Made to Rule Beasts

On day six, God creates both animals and humans from the earth. But humans alone are made in God's image and given royal authority to "rule over" the beasts. Daniel's vision of a human figure receiving dominion over beastly kingdoms echoes this original design.

  • Humans created second on day six, yet given rule over those who came first.
  • Image-bearing = representing God's rule on earth.
  • The "empty throne" in Daniel 7 = humanity's forfeited role.

Genesis 3: The Beast That Deceives

The serpent is called "more crafty (arum) than any beast of the field." Instead of ruling over this beast, the humans are deceived by it—and their grasping for godlike knowledge results in expulsion to the realm of beasts.

  • Serpent is both a beast and something more (insider knowledge of God's council).
  • Humans meant to rule beasts end up ruled by one.
  • Gen 3:15 promises a "seed of the woman" who will strike the serpent's head.

Genesis 4–11: Humans Become Beastly

After the serpent's deception, humans increasingly act like animals. Cain is warned that "sin is crouching" like a beast at his door. Violence spreads through Cain's line, culminating in Lamech's boast and Nimrod's founding of Babylon and Assyria—the very empires that Daniel's beasts represent.

  • Sin depicted as an animal crouching to devour (Gen 4:7).
  • Nimrod: first hunter, mighty warrior, founder of Babylon (Gen 10:8–12).
  • Nebuchadnezzar eating grass "like an animal" replays Adam's expulsion.

The Empty Throne: Daniel 7's Central Image

In Daniel's vision, thrones (plural) are set up in heaven, but only one is occupied by the Ancient of Days. The other throne is conspicuously empty. This unoccupied throne is the visual representation of humanity's forfeited partnership with God.

From Genesis 3 onward, the biblical story asks: who will ascend the holy mountain and take the seat beside God? Who will be the truly human one who rules with God rather than grasping to be God?

The Son of Man riding on the clouds to fill the empty throne is not just political vindication—it is the restoration of true humanity to the role forfeited in Eden.
Daniel 7 is not introducing new ideas; it is replaying Genesis 1–11 in symbolic form. Beastly empires are humanity's fall writ large. The Son of Man is the promised seed who overcomes the beast and restores humans to the divine throne.
Second Temple Context

Daniel Among Other Apocalyptic Voices

Later Jewish writings pick up Daniel-like visions to wrestle with new empires—especially under Greek and Roman rule. Daniel becomes one of the main "languages" for thinking about oppressive power and God's future intervention.

Family Resemblances in Apocalyptic Literature

Without mapping every text, it's enough to note that Daniel shares certain "family traits" with other Jewish apocalypses:

  • Heavenly court scenes with books and thrones.
  • Symbolic beasts representing empires.
  • Angelic interpreters who explain visions.
  • Focus on the suffering of the righteous and their vindication.

Daniel is both a voice in that larger conversation and a uniquely canonical one, situated firmly within the story of Israel's covenant God.

Heavenly court Beasts as empires Angelic interpreters Suffering righteous & vindication

1 Enoch and the Son of Man Tradition

The Similitudes of Enoch (1 Enoch 37–71), likely from the first century BCE or CE, presents a vision strikingly similar to Daniel 7. In 1 Enoch 62, the Son of Man is described as one who was "concealed from the beginning" and then revealed to the holy ones. Kings and governors fall down before him in worship.

This text shows that Daniel 7's Son of Man imagery was alive and being developed in Jewish circles before and during Jesus' time. When Jesus called himself the Son of Man, he was drawing on a well-known tradition—not inventing a new title.

1 Enoch 62 Son of Man concealed & revealed Kings worship him Pre-existent figure
Forward Links · Gospels

Jesus and the Son of Man from Daniel 7

Jesus' favorite self-title in the Gospels—"Son of Man"—carries echoes of many texts. But when he speaks of the Son of Man coming with glory, receiving a kingdom, and sharing that kingdom with his people, Daniel 7 is in the background.

Why "Son of Man" Instead of "Messiah"?

The title "Christ" (Messiah) appears throughout the New Testament, but Jesus himself almost never used it. Instead, he consistently called himself the Son of Man. When others called him Messiah, he often redirected to Son of Man language.

  • Peter confesses Jesus as Messiah → Jesus immediately speaks of the Son of Man suffering (Mark 8:29–31).
  • "Messiah" carried political baggage; "Son of Man" carried a whole biblical story.
  • The phrase was not an official title but a charged allusion to Daniel 7's vision.

Calling himself the Son of Man was like quoting a famous movie scene: everyone who knew Daniel 7 would immediately picture the human figure ascending to God's throne after the beasts are judged.

Jesus' preferred self-title Redirects from "Messiah" Assumes Daniel 7 backstory

Trial Scene: The Cross as Throne

At his trial before the high priest, Jesus quotes Daniel 7 directly. When asked if he is the Messiah, he responds: "From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven" (Matt 26:64).

  • The high priest tears his robes: "Blasphemy!"
  • Jesus claims to share God's throne—not just to be an earthly king.
  • The moment of condemnation is reframed as the moment of enthronement.

From one angle, the cross looks like a Roman torture device. But Jesus' Daniel 7 allusion reframes it: the beast (the religious and political powers) thinks it is destroying the Son of Man, but it is actually enthroning him.

Cloud-coming Son of Man Enthronement after suffering Cross as throne Shared kingdom with the saints
Forward Links · Resurrection & Kingdom

Daniel's Resurrection Hope and Later Writers

Daniel 12 is one of the clearest Old Testament passages about a future resurrection. Later New Testament writers echo its language when they talk about judgment, glory, and the destiny of the righteous.

"Those Who Sleep in the Dust"

Daniel speaks of many who "sleep in the dust of the earth" awakening—some to everlasting life, others to shame and contempt. This becomes a key way of talking about resurrection and final judgment.

"Those Who Are Wise Shall Shine"

The image of the wise shining like the brightness of the sky and the stars anticipates later language about glory, inheritance, and the transformed people of God.

Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

When later writers speak of receiving an unshakable kingdom and reigning with the Messiah, they join Daniel in contrasting fragile empires with a lasting dominion given to God's people.

Daniel helps shape a two-stage pattern that later writers assume: present suffering, often under beast-like powers, and future vindication in resurrection and shared rule with God's Messiah.
Forward Links · Revelation

Daniel and Revelation: Beasts, Books, and a Human Ruler

Revelation may quote the Psalms and prophets more frequently, but its feel is strongly Daniel-like: beasts as empires, books opened in judgment, a human-like figure exalted, and a kingdom shared with the faithful.

Shared Imagery, Different Angles

Without forcing one-to-one identifications for every image, we can still see strong family resemblance:

  • Composite beasts rising from the sea vs. beasts in Daniel 7.
  • Throne scenes with books opened vs. Daniel's heavenly court.
  • War on the saints, limited in time, followed by vindication.
  • A human-like ruler (the Lamb / Son of Man) receiving universal worship.

Revelation does not simply "repeat" Daniel; it reuses Daniel's language and patterns to interpret new imperial realities in light of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Reference Tables

Key Intertextual Connections

Old Testament → Daniel

ReferenceConnection
Gen 1:26–28 Image-bearing humanity rules beasts; Daniel reverses this—kings become beastlike
Gen 3:1–15 Beast deceives humans; promise of seed who strikes serpent ↔ Son of Man overcomes beasts
Gen 4:7 Sin "crouching" like a beast at Cain's door ↔ beastly temptation pattern throughout Daniel
Gen 10:8–12 Nimrod founds Babylon and Assyria ↔ Babylon as first beast-empire in Daniel
Gen 11:1–9 Babel's empire scattered; Daniel's empires similarly judged for arrogance
Deut 28:36, 64 Exile prophecy fulfilled in Daniel's setting
Jer 25:11–12 Seventy-year exile; Daniel 9 reinterprets as "seventy sevens"
Ezek 37:1–14 Dry bones resurrection; Daniel 12 makes resurrection explicit
Isa 14; Ezek 28 Arrogant kings brought low; echoed in Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation

Daniel → New Testament

DanielNT Echo
Dan 7:13–14 Matt 26:64; Mark 14:62 — Jesus at trial claims Son of Man identity
Dan 7:22, 27 1 Cor 6:2–3; Rev 20:4 — Saints judging and reigning
Dan 9:27 Matt 24:15; Mark 13:14 — "Abomination of desolation"
Dan 12:1 Matt 24:21; Rev 12:7 — Great tribulation; Michael rises
Dan 12:2–3 John 5:28–29; Matt 13:43 — Resurrection and shining glory
Dan 7:3–8 Rev 13:1–7 — Composite beast from the sea making war on saints
Canonical Reading

Reading Daniel with the Whole Bible Open

Seen within the canon, Daniel is not primarily a codebook for date predictions. It is a bridge text that gathers up earlier Scripture, passes through the pressure of empire, and hands later writers a vocabulary for speaking about Jesus and the future of God's people.

A canonical reading keeps at least three questions in view:
  1. How does Daniel echo Genesis 1–11's story of humans becoming beastlike and awaiting a truly human ruler?
  2. How does Daniel listen to Torah and the Prophets about exile, kingship, and restoration?
  3. How do Jesus and the New Testament authors adopt Daniel's language to proclaim the crucified and risen Son of Man?
Together, these questions help us hear Daniel as part of a larger conversation that centers on God's faithfulness and the restoration of true humanity.

Study Questions

  1. Genesis Connection: How does Daniel's portrayal of kings who become "beastlike" (ch. 4) interact with Genesis 1's vision of humans made to "rule over" the beasts? What does Nebuchadnezzar eating "grass of the field" echo from Genesis 1?
  2. Empty Throne: In Daniel 7, thrones (plural) are set up but only one is occupied. How does this image connect to Genesis 1–3's portrayal of humanity's forfeited role alongside God?
  3. Serpent and Beasts: What connections do you see between the serpent in Genesis 3 and the beasts in Daniel 7? How does Genesis 3:15's promise of a "seed of the woman" find fulfillment in the Son of Man?
  4. Prophetic Echoes: Daniel 9 reinterprets Jeremiah's "seventy years" of exile. What does this tell us about how later biblical authors read and reapplied earlier prophecy?
  5. Second Temple Context: Why might Daniel's imagery of beasts, books, and resurrection have resonated so strongly with Jews living under Greek and Roman rule? How does 1 Enoch's Son of Man tradition show that Daniel 7 was being actively interpreted?
  6. Son of Man: When Jesus uses "Son of Man" language at his trial (Mark 14:62), how does knowing Daniel 7—and its Genesis 1–11 backstory—change how we hear that moment?
  7. Revelation: Compare the beast in Revelation 13 with Daniel 7's beasts. What is similar? What is different or transformed?
  8. Application: How does recognizing Daniel's place in the biblical storyline shape how we apply its message to contemporary situations of faithful witness under hostile powers?
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Bibliography & Sources

Academic references for Daniel intertextuality

Video & Podcast Resources

The Bible Project. "Son of Man" podcast series (Episodes 1–3), January 2019. Available at bibleproject.com
Genesis Backstory Son of Man Extended discussion of Daniel 7's roots in Genesis 1–11

Intertextuality & Canonical Studies

Beale, G.K. The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and in the Revelation of St. John. Lanham: University Press of America, 1984.
Daniel → Revelation Foundational study of Daniel's influence on apocalyptic literature
Shepherd, Michael B. Daniel in the Context of the Hebrew Bible. Studies in Biblical Literature 123. New York: Peter Lang, 2009.
Backward Links Daniel's relationship to Torah and Prophets
Dempster, Stephen G. Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible. New Studies in Biblical Theology 15. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2003.
Canonical Reading Daniel's place in biblical theology; Genesis–Daniel connections

Son of Man & Gospel Connections

Collins, John J. "The Son of Man in First-Century Judaism." New Testament Studies 38 (1992): 448–466.
Second Temple Gospels Background for Jesus' Son of Man usage
Hurtado, Larry W. "The Influence of Daniel 7 on the New Testament." In The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. Edited by John J. Collins and Peter W. Flint. Leiden: Brill, 2001.
Forward Links Survey of Daniel 7's NT influence
Wright, N.T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Christian Origins and the Question of God 2. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996.
Gospels Daniel's influence on Jesus' self-understanding, esp. chapters 8, 13

Second Temple Context

Collins, John J. The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016.
Second Temple Standard introduction to apocalyptic genre and Daniel's place within it
Nickelsburg, George W.E. 1 Enoch 1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1–36; 81–108. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001.
1 Enoch Commentary on Enochic literature with attention to Daniel parallels
García Martínez, Florentino. "The Eschatological Figure of the Book of Daniel at Qumran." In Qumran and Apocalyptic. Leiden: Brill, 1992.
Second Temple Dead Sea Scrolls reception of Daniel

Note on Sources: This bibliography focuses on intertextual and canonical studies. For detailed exegesis, consult the commentaries listed in the Literary Design bibliography.

Citation Format: Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition