At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Daniel (traditional); critical view: anonymous 2nd c. BC pseudonymous author |
| Date | Traditional: 6th c. BC; critical: ~165 BC (Maccabean era) |
| Audience | Exiles and Jews under foreign powers |
| Genre | Narrative and apocalyptic prophecy |
| Purpose | God's sovereignty over kingdoms and Messianic and eschatological hope |
| Chapters | 12 (Brenton LXX has Daniel-Greek with additional sections including Susanna, Bel and Dragon) |
Authorship and date debate
| View | Position |
|---|---|
Traditional 6th c. | Daniel himself; Christ refers to Daniel by name (Matthew 24:15); detailed predictions fulfilled |
|
Critical 2nd c. | Critical scholarship favors late date, historical inaccuracies; Aramaic linguistic features; "predictions" are post-event |
| Conservative response | Predictive prophecy is genuine; alleged inaccuracies addressed; linguistic features compatible with 6th c. |
Mainstream evangelical affirms traditional 6th c. Daniel; critical scholarship favors 2nd c. This reference notes both.
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Narratives | 1-6 | Daniel and 3 friends; Nebuchadnezzar's dreams; Belshazzar; den of lions |
| Apocalyptic visions | 7-12 | 4 beasts; Son of Man; ram and goat; 70 weeks |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| God's sovereignty | Over all kingdoms, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome (or other) |
| Kingdom of God | Eternal kingdom replaces transient empires (Daniel 2; 7) |
| Faithfulness under pressure | Daniel and 3 friends model |
| Son of Man | Daniel 7:13-14, title Jesus uses for himself |
| Resurrection | Daniel 12:2, clearest OT resurrection text |
| Messianic anticipation | "Anointed One" (Daniel 9:25-26) |
Key passages
- Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar's image dream
- Daniel 3, fiery furnace
- Daniel 6, lions' den
- Daniel 7:13-14, Son of Man
- Daniel 9:24-27, 70 weeks
- Daniel 12:2, resurrection text
Multi-view on apocalyptic visions
| Interpretive school | Position |
|---|---|
| Preterist | Visions fulfilled in 2nd Temple period (Maccabean era and AD 70) |
| Historicist | Visions trace history through church age to end |
| Futurist | Visions fulfilled in end-time tribulation and millennium |
| Idealist | Visions symbolize ongoing spiritual realities |