Lifespan

Deported from Israel to Babylon in 597 B.C. (Daniel 1:1 implies 603 B.C.).

Ministry

Daniel spent his entire ministry in Babylonian captivity.

Preparation and Calling

Little is known of his preparation, other than that Daniel was known in his youth for his piety and wisdom. No record has been preserved of a particular calling from God. For this reason, Jewish scholars do not consider Daniel as a formal prophet, though they do hold him to be a great leader and an inspired man. Most Christian faiths, however, count him as a prophet in the fullest sense.

Interaction with God

Daniel dreamed dreams, saw visions, and interpreted visions. He prayed to God, felt His support and direction, and also received angelic visitors for instruction and protection. Perhaps the Son of God Himself was among those angels who protected Daniel and his three friends in the fiery furnace.

Social Situation

Though we don’t know details of Daniel’s ancestry, he was apparently of royal birth. He was taken captive to Babylon, where he made a name for himself with his captors by standing up for his beliefs in a standard of health and in his ability to interpret the king’s dreams. He is also known for being miraculously saved when he was thrown into a den of lions at a time when he had gained significant political power and yet defied the king’s decree regarding worship of God.

Key Teachings

Chapter 2 of the book of Daniel identifies an image associated with the restoration of the gospel, that is, “what shall be in the latter days” (Daniel 2:28). He interprets a dream had by King Nebuchadnezzar, in which a large figure made of various components represented various worldly kingdoms. However, eventually, “the God of heaven [will] set up a kingdom, which . . . will stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44). This kingdom, the stone “cut out without hands,” was established with the restoration of the gospel and God’s power in 1830, during a time when European kingdoms still dominated the political scene. Chapter 7 also contains a vision of the last days. Thus, some of Daniel’s key teachings deal with a great apostasy from God’s kingdom, followed by a restoration of truth and God’s kingdom in the last days.

Daniel also taught uprightness and dedication to principles. Three examples are well-known: (1) Despite great pressure, he requested a simple diet in his youth, which resulted in greater health. (2) Though King Nebuchadnezzar commanded all his people to worship a golden image, he and his three friends refused for they knew it was not God. For this act, the king had all four of them cast into a fiery furnace, where they were miraculously preserved and came out unharmed. (3) Many years later he defied another royal decree in order to worship God as he wished. The latter act got him thrown into a lions’ den, where his faith in God saved him. These are some of the best known of all Bible stories, and demonstrate commitment to God and the power of faith. Because of Daniel’s example, many people were converted to belief in God.

Prophecies of Christ

“. . . to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. . . . And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off” (Dan. 9:24, 26).

Living with the Prophet

On several occasions (see Key Teachings), Daniel was true to his religious convictions despite pressure to do otherwise. Today, we encounter pressure from many directions to do what is wrong. Commit to following the example of Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) by standing up for what you know is right, regardless of circumstance or negative pressure.

Sources:

Book of Daniel

Oxford Companion to the Bible