Many people find the book of Daniel intimidating due to its (predictive) prophecies that are often taken out of context and used in support of a wide range of teachings—many quite unbiblical. That’s a shame, because the book is rich and rewarding for those who are willing to push past the hype and work with the text. Furthermore, it is the prequel to another book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. You won’t be able to understand keys parts of Revelation if you are unfamiliar with Daniel. (Which explains why many people struggle with Revelation).
The events in the book span almost 70 years (605-537 BC/1:1,10:1). Daniel was probably in his early teens when he was taken by the Babylonians and was an old man when the Medo-Persian ruler, Darius, had him thrown into the lions’ den. The visions of the book span centuries—from the time of the Babylonian kingdom under Nebuchadnezzar to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (Matthew 24:15-16). And of course, Daniel most famously speaks of “a kingdom that will never be destroyed” in 2:44.
Daniel is one-part historical narrative and one-part prophecy. Most outlines split the book in half with chapters 1-6 being the historical section and 7-12 being the prophetic section. That’s helpful—a long as we recognize that these designations are not to be taken exclusively—there are prophetical parts in the historical section and historical parts in the prophetical section.
Daniel
1. Historical Section
- Nebuchadnezzar’s court (1)
- Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (2)
- Nebuchadnezzar’s image (3)
- Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream (4)
- Belshazzar’s feast (5)
- Darius’ dilemma (6)
2. Prophetic Section
- The four beasts (7)
- The Ram and the Goat (8)
- The Seventy “Sevens” (9)
- The Vision of the Future (10-12)
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 