2021 Includes Leader's Guide 7 STUDIES FOR GROUP OR PERSONAL USE
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TERM 1
2021
7 STUDIES FOR GROUP OR PERSONAL USE
Includes Leader’s Guide| 2
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Contents
Series Overview………………………………………………….…4
STUDY 1 | Fitting In…..…………………………..………………...8
STUDY 2 | Kingdom of Dreams.………..………………………..11
STUDY 3 | Into the Fire………………...…………………….…..14
STUDY 4 | Pride Takes a Fall….....………………………………17
STUDY 5 | The Writing is On the Wall…………………………..20
STUDY 6 | Into the Lions’ Den…………………………………...23
STUDY 7 | The Beast and Beauty………………………………. 27
Leader’s Guide…………………………………………………….30
This study owes several helpful insights to the study series Daniel: Kingdom of Dreams
(Matthias Media, 1997) and the commentary Daniel: From Biblical text to
Contemporary Life (The NIV Application Commentary Series: Zondervan, 1999) by
Tremper Longman.
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Series Overview
If you’ve ever wished God would come right out and show himself, boosting
your faith and striking awe into the hearts of unbelievers, you’ll appreciate
the book of Daniel. The main ‘character’ (apart from God himself!) is, perhaps
unsurprisingly, the person after whom the book is named: Daniel. Possibly a
member of Judah’s royal family, he was taken captive to Babylon as a young
man around 605 B.C.
Structure and Genre of the Book
There’s a well-known sporting adage: ‘it was a game of two halves’. The
saying means that one half of the game played out quite differently to the
other half. From a literature standpoint the same applies to the book of
Daniel. Between chapters 6 and 7 there is a radical shift in genre and
complexity: the first six chapters contain fairly straightforward historical
narrative, while the second six chapters contain obscure visions and
prophecies. The first half of the book are stories about Daniel; the second
half are visions of Daniel. However, the overall message of the book is
uniform: In spite of present appearances, God is in control.
The style of literature used in Daniel 7–12 has become known as apocalyptic,
from the Greek word ‘apocalypse’ meaning ‘revelation’. It involves a ‘pulling
back of the curtain’; the apocalyptic literature found in the Bible (in Daniel,
as well as in Revelation in the New Testament) is largely about revealing a
‘big picture’ of God and his work. This is conveyed through the use of
images, numbers, etc.
The apocalyptic visions of Daniel are presented as revelations of future
events – i.e. prophecies. However, while apocalyptic images speak truly and
accurately, they don’t speak precisely. As such it’s wrong to press apocalyptic
imagery in its details and interpret it too finely.
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Authorship
The question of authorship is tied to the question of the book’s dating.
Those who hold to a sixth century B.C. composition – that is, around the time
of, or not long after, the events it’s depicting – often assume Daniel himself
is the author, or someone who lived not long after him.
However, others argue Daniel (or a sixth century contemporary) couldn’t
possibly be the author because they believe the book was composed much
later – in the second century B.C. This conviction is based on a few factors, a
chief one being the assumption that predictive prophecy – that is, the ability
to foretell future events – is not possible. Thus, these interpreters read the
prophecies of Daniel which, among other things, appear to predict quite
accurately the rise and fall of kingdoms following Babylon, and assume that
the author is writing from the vantage point of the future – namely, the
second century. In this construction Daniel is the result of oral tradition that
was composed as a text to provide encouragement to the Jewish people
dispersed throughout the vast Greek empire.
Of course, those who believe that the Bible is God’s supernaturally inspired
word, and that he is in control of history and time itself, have less difficulty in
holding to Daniel’s prophecies as genuine visions of the future. This does not
automatically mean that the book was authored in the sixth century, but it
certainly makes it possible.
Themes of the Book
There are several prominent themes throughout Daniel. One of them is that
of ‘exile’. The events take place during Israel/Judah’s exile to Babylon – a
national and spiritual tragedy. Daniel provides some perspective on exile as
a just judgment on God for the sin of his people, as well as an experience of
injustice at the hands of a culture that is very anti-God (that is, anti the true
and living God).
Thus, another theme is that of being ’the odd ones out’, culturally and
spiritually. Daniel (and several of his Jewish friends) are challenged to live
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godly lives in an ungodly, pagan culture, where the cost of remaining faithful
to God might be extremely great.
As mentioned above, the overall message of Daniel is that, in spite of present
appearances, God is control. This is seen in the miraculous rescues of his
people, the humbling of pagan kings, and the striking visions of how God
would depose tyrants and oversee the rise and fall of entire kingdoms. It all
demonstrates God’s care and provision for his people, as well as his
complete sovereignty over all things.
Approaching the New Testament
Daniel is a book that has long found resonance in the lives of Christians. In
many respects, the experience of Christian living in the world is an
experience of exile – removed from our true spiritual home, striving to live
godly lives in the face of a culture going strongly the other way. Indeed, the
New Testament letter of 1 Peter uses this exact language to encourage and
exhort God’s people today (NIV):
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces… (1:1)
I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to […] live such good lives
among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong,
they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits
us. (2:11-12)
There are other New Testament connections. Perhaps the most famous is
the vision of ‘one like a son of man’ in Daniel 7, a vision which fleshes out
God’s promise of a Messiah – his specially anointed forever king who would
one day be given the authority to rule, not only the Jewish people, but all
people. During his public ministry Jesus would take up the title of ‘Son of
Man’ up, showing from his power and authority that he identifies with the
figure from Daniel – and thus claiming to be the Messiah.
This is further brought home in the apocalyptic visions given to the Apostle
John in the book of Revelation, where he too sees ‘one like the Son of Man’.
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It is Jesus, ‘the First and the Last’, who ‘was dead’, but is now ‘alive forever
and ever’ (1:17-18). Like the events and visions of Daniel, Jesus’ life, death
and resurrection remind us in the most profound way that God is with his
people – now and forever – and that, in spite of present appearances, God
is control.
May these great truths encourage us to show courage in chaos.
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STUDY 1 | Fitting In
Daniel 1
1. What are some things that might cause you to compromise your
faith/Christian identity?
READ | Daniel 1:1–2
2. These opening couple of verses function as a bit of a ‘scene setter’,
helping us to locate the events of Daniel in history – generally, and in terms
of God’s dealings with his people.
What are some of the things we learn?
3. It seems that God has abandoned his people (by ‘handing’ them to a
pagan nation). Is this so? Why/why not? (see Daniel 9:7–14)
• What effect does this have on your view of God?
READ | Daniel 1:3–7
4. Why would Nebuchadnezzar educate captive leaders?
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5. In verses 6 and 7 we read of four such young men from Judah. What
significance do you think there is in the changing of their names?
6. Bearing in mind the spiritual significance behind the name changes, do
you find it odd that these young Hebrew men chose not to oppose this?
Why/why not?
• Can you think of times/areas of life where you’ve felt it’s ok to make
a similar ‘concession’?
READ | Daniel 1:8–16
7. How might the king’s food and wine have defiled Daniel?
8. Despite God’s granting Daniel ‘favour and compassion from the chief
official’, out of fear of Nebuchadnezzar the official denies Daniel and his
friends their dietary request. What is Daniel’s solution? What does this
indicate to us about Daniel?
READ | Daniel 1:17-21
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9. The writer describes the personal and professional development of the
four young men in overwhelmingly positive terms. What are some of the
particular things said about it/them?
10. What do you think v.21 (‘Daniel remained there until the first year of King
Cyrus’) contributes to the narrative?
FINAL THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION
11. In light of Daniel 1, what is so important about being God’s people?
12. In what areas do you find your faith and identity as a Christian, as one of
God’s people, being put in jeopardy?
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STUDY 2 | Kingdom of Dreams
Daniel 2
1. To what extent do you think it’s true that ‘history repeats’?
READ | Daniel 2:1–13
2. Why do you think the king was so hard on the wise men?
3. Consider the wise men’s response in vv.10-11. What does it indicate
about the god(s) they believe in and how it/they act in the world/with
humans?
READ | Daniel 2:14–23
When Daniel hears of the news we’re again presented with his
wisdom: ‘with tact and discretion’ he learns the reason behind such a
harsh sentence, then manages to convince the enraged
Nebuchadnezzar to pause the carrying out of executions and give
Daniel some time ‘so that he could give the king the interpretation’.
4. Consider Daniel’s response to the situation. What does it indicate about
the God Daniel believes in and how he acts in the world/with humans?
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READ | Daniel 2:24–30
5. Daniel is brought before Nebuchadnezzar and asked whether he is able
both to relate the king’s dream and interpret it. What is Daniel’s response?
What’s good about it?
READ | Daniel 2:31–43
Daniel interprets the dream for Nebuchadnezzar: it is indeed about
the future, and it involves the rise and fall of kingdoms – starting with
his. Opinion is divided regarding the identities of the three kingdoms
that will follow. Without going into detail about all the reasons why,
two main approaches have dominated: The Greek view and the Roman
view.
The Greek view is largely driven by the conviction that predictive
prophecy does not occur, and that Daniel was written during the time
of the Greek empire. Thus, the four kingdoms of the statue are (1)
Babylonian (2) Median (3) Persian (4) Greek. This view forces a somewhat
unnatural split between the Medes and the Persians, where in reality
they were more or less two parts of the one extended empire.
The Roman view is held by conservative scholars in the main, who also
hold to the possibility of predictive prophecy. In this view Daniel was
written not long after Cyrus captured Babylon (i.e. early 6thC BC), and
the four kingdoms are (1) Babylonian (2) Medo-Persian (3) Greek (4)
Roman.
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READ | Daniel 2:43–45
6. Describe the kingdom that ‘the God of heaven will set up’. What do you
make of it?
• How does this vision challenge and/or encourage you as one of God’s
people today?
READ | Daniel 2:46–49
7. What do you make of Nebuchadnezzar’s response to Daniel’s
interpretation? Has he become a ‘believer’?
FINAL THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION
8. If we are Christians then, like Daniel, we too are God’s representatives –
surrounded by alternative views of God and the world. In what areas are
these alternative views most obvious and clear? List some of the most
common statements that represent these world views.
9. How should we react to this conflict of world views? In what ways can we
be like Daniel and take on the false gods of this world (and show them up as
counterfeit)?
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STUDY 3 | Into the Fire
Daniel 3
1. Have you ever been in trouble for making a principled stand – for doing
the right thing? What was that experience like?
READ | Daniel 3:1–7
2. What phrase is attached to each mention of the gold statue? What does
this indicate?
READ | Daniel 3:8–18
3. What do you think motivates the wise men’s (‘Chaldeans’) accusation
against the three friends?
4. How do the Chaldeans frame their accusation before the king (i.e. what
do they emphasise; v.12)?
5. In no uncertain terms, Nebuchadnezzar makes it clear what choice lies
before the three friends – and what the consequences are for choosing not
to worship the idol. In particular, what does Nebuchadnezzar doubt (v.15)?
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6. Consider the young men’s response (vv.16-18). What do they (or don’t
they) expect from God in this situation?
• Have you found yourself in situations where you think God should
rescue you? In what way does the young men’s response encourage
you? In what way does it challenge you?
READ | Daniel 3:19–30
The king is enraged, and orders the three men to be thrown into the
super-heated furnace. Some scholars have suggested that this is a
furnace near the plain of Dura used to make the golden statue in the
first place. This is plausible. Either way the furnace must have been
large. Apparently these three men are thrown in from an opening at
the top. Nebuchadnezzar’s ability to look into the furnace indicates
that perhaps there was a window or opening at the side as well.
7. Nebuchadnezzar sees a fourth figure in the furnace. What do you make of
his description of this figure (vv.25, 28), and how might it explain
Nebuchadnezzar’s actions?
8. What do you make of the king’s response to their miraculous rescue? In
what way is it familiar? To what extent might it be genuine?
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FINAL THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION
The appearance of the divine figure in the furnace with the young men
is a concrete expression of the truth of Daniel: that God is with his
people – and powerfully active – even in Exile. This truth is profoundly
realised in the New Testament with the coming of Christ – not just one
‘like a son of the gods’, but God the Son himself. In Christ, God’s rescue
and protection goes beyond our physical condition to our ultimate one:
deliverance from sin and eternal judgement. To achieve this, God the
Son not only joined us in our judgement, but, incredibly, took our
place.
9. How do you feel about the fact that God may not always do what you
want?
READ | 2 Timothy 2:8-13
10. The apostle Paul wrote this to Timothy while imprisoned in Rome for
staying faithful to Jesus.
• What principles could apply to the situation of Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego?
• How do Paul’s words here apply to you and your situation?
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STUDY 4 | Pride Takes a Fall
Daniel 4
1. Have a think about the various people ‘in authority’ over you in your life.
How do you expect them to act toward you in the exercise of their authority?
READ | Daniel 4:1–18
2. What’s striking about the beginning of this chapter (indeed, up to v.18)?
Why do you think the first half of this chapter exists like this?
3. Consider Nebuchadnezzar’s words about the Most High God (cf. esp. v.3
and v.17). What picture do we get? Does it gel with the picture of God we
find elsewhere in the Old Testament/Bible? Why/why not?
Like in chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar has a vivid dream that troubles
him. Unlike chapter 2, he tells his advisors its content. Yet they still
can’t interpret it. Once again Daniel is part of the solution.
4. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is a mixture of images. Have a go at summarising
it.
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• What are your first impressions as to its meaning?
READ | Daniel 4:19–27
5. According to Daniel’s interpretations, why did God give Nebuchadnezzar
this dream?
• Consider those in authority around the world today: in what way do
they resemble Nebuchadnezzar? How might this dream speak to
them?
READ | Daniel 4:28–37
6. The writer tells us that twelve months later this happened. What is the
catalyst for Nebuchadnezzar’s being driven into madness?
7. It seems Nebuchadnezzar became so violently insane that he wasn’t able
to be around people (like a ‘wild beast’), and so for a period of time he
wasn’t. Why do you think God acted in this particular way?
8. Consider Nebuchadnezzar’s response to God’s judgement – and God’s
subsequent restoration of Nebuchadnezzar. Is the king now a believer in
God?
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FINAL THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION
9. Consider what we learn about God’s power and authority as revealed in
the New Testament. There are ways in which Jesus’ kingship is similar to
Nebuchadnezzar’s, yet profoundly different at the same time. What are they?
10. We are not Nebuchadnezzar, ruling with unmatched power over a vast
empire. However, considering that the story is so specifically addressed to
us (i.e. the reader), how does its message speak into areas of your life, such
as:
• Your accomplishments?
• Your prayer life?
• Your relationships?
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STUDY 5 | The Writing’s on the Wall
Daniel 5
1. Think of a time when someone gave you a warning. Was it justified? How
did you respond?
READ | Daniel 5:1–4
2. What were the goblets that Belshazzar ordered the use of?
3. What do you think was so wrong with Belshazzar’s use of them?
Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C. after ruling for nearly 45 years.
There were several short reigns before Nabonidas came to power in
555 B.C. Belshazzar, his oldest son, became co-regent with his father
not long after that, and effectively ruled as king for a period of 10
years while his father was away.
READ | Daniel 5:5–12
4. What is it that terrifies Belshazzar about the writing on the wall?
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• This is clearly a supernatural event. Does reading about things like
this confront your view of the world and God? In what way?
Hearing the commotion the queen enters the scene. While she’s called
simply ‘queen’, she is most likely the queen mother, a figure of
importance in many Ancient Near Eastern societies (very possibly
Nebuchadnezzar’s widow, Nitocris, still exerting her influence two
decades later). Either way, she knows of Daniel’s reputation, and she
recommends him to the king as a solution to this unsettling mystery.
READ | Daniel 5:13–28
5. Daniel declines Belshazzar’s rewards, but nevertheless agrees to interpret
the supernatural writing. However, it’s not until v.24 that we get a
translation/interpretation of the writing. What do you think is the point of
Daniel’s ‘preamble’ (vv.18-23)?
Daniel provides the translation. The language is Aramaic, which was
widely known in the Gentile world. But without context the words
would have been nonsensical, which explains the king and his wise
men’s earlier bafflement as it most likely would have just read:
Numbered – Weighed – Divided.
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6. What do you think is the point of the message: is it a warning, or
something else?
• How does that make you feel? Do you think that’s fair or unfair?
FINAL THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION
7. Belshazzar profaned God in a very specific and direct way. What are some
of the ways we’re tempted to dishonour God in our thoughts, words, and
deeds?
8. God tends not to write supernaturally on walls these days. In what ways
does God speak to us?
READ | Mark 10:35–45
9. How does Jesus exercise his rule? And what is that rule contrasted with?
10. Think about the relationships you’re in where you have authority, and the
manner in which you exercise your authority. Are you more like God/Jesus,
or are you like Nebuchadnezzar/Belshazzar?
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STUDY 6 | Into the Lions’ Den
Daniel 6
1. Think of powerful people in our world. What makes them powerful?
What’s the effect of their power – what difference does it make?
READ | Daniel 6:1–9
2. King Darius plans to promote Daniel for the same reasons that the satraps
and other administrators can’t find any grounds to charge him. What are
those reasons?
• What principle might there be here for all God’s people (cf. 1 Peter
2:12)? Could your colleagues say the same thing about you?
3. If he was doing such a good job, why do you think Daniel’s colleagues
wanted to bring him down?
4. Realising they can’t bring Daniel down on a competency/ethical front, his
opponents approach the king with another plan. How is their plan designed
to accuse Daniel?
READ | Daniel 6:10–18
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5. Consider how the writer describes Daniel’s actions upon learning of the
decree. What does this indicate/suggest to us?
In the same way that the plotters manipulated Darius into signing the
decree into law, they now lead him to confirm that anyone breaking
the decree will be thrown to the lions – only to spring the revelation
that his favourite administrator has done just that.
6. What is Darius’s response to this revelation?
• Imagine you’re King Darius. What might you be thinking and feeling
at this point?
• Imagine you’re the officials. What might you be thinking and feeling
at this point?
• Imagine you’re Daniel. What might you be thinking and feeling at this
point?
READ | Daniel 6:19–28
7. There are some striking parallels between Daniel’s experience and that of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in chapter 3, chief among them:
miraculous survival from certain death. In Daniel’s case, what are the reasons
given for this?
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The macabre flipside to Daniel’s safe return is the wrath of a king
played for a fool. The death the conspirators engineered for Daniel is
now visited upon them; and, tragically, not only them, but their whole
families. Such a practice was not uncommon in the ancient world, and
such is the vengeance of Darius.
Darius’ final act in the story is to write another decree: instead of
worshipping him, all the people of Babylon ‘must fear and reverence
the God of Daniel’, and Darius finishes, like Nebuchadnezzar before
him, praising God himself, or at least declaring true things about God.
FINAL THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION
8. In what situations have you found yourself where you think God should
rescue you? From what situations have you heard Christians saying God
should rescue them?
READ | Romans 8:35-39
9. In what ways do these verses help you better understand God’s ultimate
plan for the protection and vindication his people?
10. What comfort do these verses offer you?
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STUDY 7 | The Beast and Beauty
Daniel 7
1. Have you heard the phrase ‘to pull back the curtain’? To what does it tend
to refer? (Think about the climactic scene in The Wizard of Oz!)
While the literary style of Daniel 1–6 is familiar to us and easy enough
to interpret, the same can’t be said for Daniel 7–12. The style of
literature used in Daniel 7–12 has become known as ‘apocalyptic’
(from the Greek word ‘apocalypse’ meaning ‘revelation’).
As mentioned in the Series Overview, apocalyptic literature involves
a ‘pulling back of the curtain’; it’s largely about revealing a ‘big
picture’ of God and his work. It does this using images, numbers, etc.,
not unlike poetry. However, apocalyptic images speak truly and
accurately, but not precisely, and so it’s wrong to interpret apocalyptic
images too finely, to press them in their details.
READ | Daniel 7:1–8
2. The first verse sets the historical context for us: Daniel’s dream comes to
him ‘in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon’. This is probably the year
in which Cyrus took over the Median Empire on his way to the eventual
overthrow of Babylon – the rise and fall of kingdoms is underway.
What strikes you about these 4 beasts that Daniel sees emerging from the
sea?
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READ | Daniel 7:9–14
3. The beasts are contrasted with The Ancient of Days, who is unmistakably
God. The beasts thus represent the rule of various kings or kingdoms in
comparison to the rule of God. Have a go at listing the differences between
each.
The Beasts God
4. After the rise and fall of the beast-like empires another figure appears.
What strikes you about him (vv.13-14)? Consider:
• How he’s described (title, appearance)
• What he does
• What he receives
Though enigmatic, there is a clear point to these contrasting images:
rule that does not recognise that it is delegated from God and that
does not mimic God’s rule is no longer true human rule – it is inhuman;
it is beastly.
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READ | Daniel 7:15–28
5. Given the interpretation of the vision in vv.17-27, which confirms our
earlier inference that the beasts represent human kings and kingdoms, what
would you say the central message of the chapter is?
READ | John 9:35–38
6. Who does Jesus say he is? What is the man’s response?
In the gospels the apocalyptic title of the ‘Son of Man’ becomes Jesus’
own self-description – 12 times in John’s Gospel he applies it to
himself, most explicitly in 6:53-54, 8:28 and, as just seen, in 9:35-37.
The term appears many times in the Synoptic Gospels too: 30 times
in Matthew, 14 times in Mark, and 25 times in Luke – most of them
instances of Jesus applying the title to himself. Daniel’s vision of ‘one
like a son of man’ is now tied to Jesus’ person and ministry, in
particular his sacrificial death.
READ | Revelation 1:1–16
7. How does the Lord God describe himself?
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8. Like Daniel many centuries before him, John sees ‘One like the Son of
Man’. Compare it to Daniel’s vision.
9. How does the Son of Man describe himself? What’s significant about this?
FINAL THOUGHTS AND APPLICATION
10. Are there times in your life when you have felt completely overwhelmed
by:
• the way the world is going?
• the way things are going for you because of forces at work in the
world?
• the cost you have to pay for being a Christian?
How does Daniel 7 encourage you as you face these circumstances?
11. How does the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus – and the
knowledge of his return in glory – add to the message of Daniel 7, and the
encouragement it holds out to God’s people?
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Leader’s Guide
STUDY 1 | Fitting In
Daniel 1
2. We learn that Babylon besieged and conquered Judah; that this happened ‘in the third year of the reign
of Jehoiakim’ (i.e. 605 BC); we learn that this was orchestrated by God – that it was God who ‘handed
Jehoiakim’ into Nebuchadnezzar’s hands; and that, as a result, ‘vessels from the house of God’ were taken to
Babylon and installed in ‘the treasury’ of a Babylonian deity.
3. It may seem that God was betraying Judah, but he was actually keeping a promise. God’s covenant with
his people had promised blessing if they obeyed him – and punishment if they didn’t. In keeping with this
covenant, after generations of idol-worshipping disobedience, God had allowed the northern kingdom of
Israel to be conquered by the Assyrians (722 BC), then, a hundred-or-so years later, the southern kingdom of
Judah by the Babylonians. Far from abandoning his people, God made sure the nation survived this exile and
learned from it.
4. By removing ‘the elite’ of a captured city/nation (e.g. royal officials, soldiers, artisans, people of wealth,
etc.), the Babylonians could re-educate them in their own history, culture and thought. This long-standing
practice both enriched the civil service of the empire and enabled them to strengthen their grip on the people
and lands they conquered.
5. On the surface it seems of little significance beyond a further act of ‘cultural immersion’. However, in the
ancient Near East, names and identities were closely connected, with names often containing some reference
to one’s deity. Each of these men’s Hebrew names made some reference to God/Yahweh, and their new
Babylonian names seem to refer to Babylonian deities.
6. It does seem like a significant spiritual concession. However, these men were only very young (likely
teenagers), and they likely had little choice: they were effectively hostages of Babylon, and resistance could
have meant death. It appears they made a wisdom call about what faithfulness to God looked like in these
difficult circumstances – only to make a rather different call in the very next section.
7. The word ‘defile’ calls to mind religious defilement. The food would not have been prepared according to
Jewish dietary requirements, and it’s likely that at least part of it would have been offered to an idol. In strict
Jewish food law terms these factors would have prevented faithful Jews from eating it, which could explain
Daniel’s objection. However, later texts imply that Daniel enjoyed such foods later in life (10:3); if Daniel is
convinced it’s not kosher in his youth, why change later on?
Another possibility is that Daniel knows it’s unrealistic to avoid all ‘defilement’ living in exile, and so the
‘defilement’ he is worried about concerns the ‘source’ of their prospering. If they ate the food of the
Babylonians and prospered, they’d naturally credit the Babylonians. If they didn’t eat that rich food, ate only
vegetables, and still prospered (a miraculous outcome), then only God could have done it. Thus, the
vegetable-only diet was a temporary regimen, its purpose being to keep the four pious Judeans from
believing that their physical appearance (and by consequence, perhaps, their intellectual gifts) were the
product of Babylonian culture.
Either way, Daniel is careful not to assimilate fully into Babylonian culture, and his concern seems to be driven
by his commitment to God.
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8. Daniel’s solution is to approach the guard directly in charge of them and suggest a ten-day trial period.
The guard, with little to lose, agrees. This indicates Daniel’s commitment and his level-headedness. He doesn’t
panic or become indignant; he simply chooses a different strategy. Here we see the beginnings of a theme
that will develop throughout the narratives concerning Daniel: he is a man blessed with wisdom. He knows
how to navigate life; he knows the right action for the right situation, and he does so with commitment to
God.
9. That they had attained ‘knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom’; that Daniel
in particular was able to understand ‘visions and dreams of every kind’; that ‘no one was found equal to them’
– indeed, that the king found them to be ‘ten times better’ than all other advisors in the whole kingdom. Most
importantly, this success is attributed directly to God himself (v.17).
10. Cyrus is the king who eventually defeated the Babylonians. Thus, the writer says, Daniel would outlast the
Babylonians themselves! Along with the hints already in this chapter, this final verse sets up the expectation
that God is the one ultimately in control.
STUDY 2 | Kingdom of Dreams
Daniel 2
2. Despite the wide use of wise men and astrologers in Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction suggests he
harboured doubts about their legitimacy. He may have sensed that this dream was more important than
others he’d had, and, realising how easy it is to provide an interpretation of a symbolic dream, wanted to
assure himself of their authenticity by hearing something that he – and he only – could verify.
The harsh sentence of death that Nebuchadnezzar orders is a sign of the power he knew he held, as well as
an indication that he had a personality disposed towards sudden rages and harsh punishments (see also in
the previous chapter the chief official’s refusal to let Daniel eat vegetables out of fear of the king).
3. The Babylonian wise men seem to believe that ‘the gods’ are remote and unknowable; that their interest
in mere ‘mortals’ is fickle and so they aren’t likely to impart divine knowledge to them.
4. The God Daniel believes in is both powerful and personal. He is omniscient (he knows all things); he is
interventionist (he acts in the world); he is omnipotent (he controls all things); and he’s merciful (a moral
attribute strongly distinct from the deities of Babylonian religion). We see this in his instructions to his friends
to pray to ‘the God of heaven’ (v.18), in the revelation of the mystery (v.19), and in Daniel’s prayer (vv.20-23).
5. Daniel responds in a way that puts the focus where it belongs – not on himself, but directly on God. This is
good not only because it rightly glorifies God, but because it undermines the Babylonian deities. The solution
as Daniel construes it has been anticipated by the inability of the Babylonian wise men, who said the answer
could only come from the divine realm (v.11). Now Daniel is able to bear witness to the God who knows and
who speaks.
6. It will never be destroyed – instead, it will destroy all the other kingdoms. It won’t belong to ‘another
people’ (i.e. an earthly, ethnic kingdom), a point underscored by the fact that the stone doesn’t come from
the statue/human hands.
On the one hand, this imagery suggests that ‘Daniel is not relating what was going to be completed in one
moment; he just wants to teach that the kingdoms of the world are transient and that there is only one eternal
kingdom’ (Calvin). On the other hand, the ‘stone’ of God’s kingdom has unmistakable New Testament
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connections with Christ himself (compare Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 28:16, with Acts 4:10-12, Romans 9:33 and
1 Peter 2:4-8).
7. The king is impressed enough with Daniel’s answer to reward Daniel and to declare ‘his’ God the ‘top
deity’. However, as the following chapters reveal, he still believes in many gods. Thus, while his declarations
here (and later in chapters 3, 4 and 5 concerning ‘the Most High God’) are striking coming from the most
powerful pagan on earth, there is no evidence Nebuchadnezzar abandoned Babylonian religion.
STUDY 3 | Into the Fire
Daniel 3
2. Some version of ‘which King Nebuchadnezzar/he set up’. We don’t know if this statue was of himself or a
Babylonian deity, but this indicates that Nebuchadnezzar is the one driving this imposed worship, and as such
it’s inextricably linked with him and his sense of ambition and identity.
3. Their reference to ‘some Jews’ who have been ‘appointed to manage the province of Babylon’ suggests
they’re motivated out of professional jealousy – perhaps particularly because they are foreigners who are
succeeding over and above them.
4. In accusing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they frame their religious non-conformity as a personal
affront and betrayal: these men, whom you personally appointed, ‘have ignored you, the king; they do not
serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up’. They effectively appeal to the king’s sense of
vanity, and Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction is predictable.
5. Nebuchadnezzar doubts that their God – that any god – can rescue them ‘from my power’. Thus, he
probably expects this ‘reality’ is enough of a threat that they’ll conform.
6. While they don’t doubt God’s capacity to rescue them, they don’t expect it; they expect God, in his
unfathomable wisdom, to do what he wills to do – because he’s God. For their part: they will give the true
and living God his proper honour to the end.
7. His description of the figure ‘like a son of the gods’ implies a certain non-human appearance. This, and
Nebuchadnezzar’s later, slightly different, description of the figure as ‘an angel’ suggests he understands the
figure to be some sort of ‘divine being’. Was this God himself – or an angel? Ultimately it makes no difference:
either way, God is present and active; God is the redeemer. This seems to be Nebuchadnezzar’s realisation,
too, which leads to his pulling the men out.
8. The king’s response to the three young men’s miraculous rescue is not dissimilar to when Daniel interpreted
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream – he publicly recognises the Most High God, commends them for remaining faithful
to him, and promotes them. In terms of ‘genuine faith’, the command he issues is striking: while not instituting
worship of ‘the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’, he will not allow anyone in his kingdom to show
such a powerful deity any disrespect. However, as before, there is no evidence that Nebuchadnezzar
abandoned Babylonian religion.
STUDY 4 | Pride Takes a Fall
Daniel 4
2. It is Nebuchadnezzar who is speaking/writing (e.g. v.4). It appears to be an official proclamation from the
king that the writer of Daniel has quoted. It seems strange to have the first-person words of a pagan included
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in this way, but it does add a uniquely personal perspective to Nebuchadnezzar’s experience. And given his
pagan identity, what he says about the true and living God becomes a powerful testimony of God’s
sovereignty over all peoples.
3. God is pictured as hugely powerful and eternal. He is holy, and is sovereign over all human rulers. This
accords with the portrait of God from elsewhere in the Bible. A key difference here is that Yahweh is portrayed
as the Most High among many gods, as opposed to the one and only God. But given Nebuchadnezzar’s
pagan beliefs, this is unsurprising.
4. A massive tree covering all the earth, with healthy leaves and abundant fruit, giving shelter to every
creature. The tree is then cut down, scattering all its fruit and sheltering animals, remaining only as a bronzed
stump. The tree then appears to become a ‘he’ (v.15b), who then becomes a beast for a period of times (7
years?).
5. God gave Nebuchadnezzar this dream in order to humble him (v.25) and bring him to repentance (v.27).
Humanly speaking Nebuchadnezzar had become extremely great – and he knew it (see v.30)! Though not one
of God’s covenant people, since Nebuchadnezzar oversaw a kingdom that had killed and deported many
millions of people, and which made itself rich by impoverishing others, he was held responsible for his
violations of God’s justice and law.
6. His declaration in v.30 of his own greatness and mighty power. It comes from a pride that leaves no room
for the Most High God.
7. We are special because we’re made in God’s image, not because of what we achieve. Despite the efforts
of macro-evolutionary theory, we know there is a fundamentally qualitative difference between ‘beasts’ and
‘human beings’; to be made to act as an animal is to lose the image of God. Nebuchadnezzar was especially
prideful, and so he probably needed an especially humbling experience in order to have that pride broken to
the point of acknowledging his limitations – and the Most High God’s true sovereignty.
8. Through this experience Nebuchadnezzar was (once again) led to the truth that the Most High God rules
over all. However, like after the fiery furnace rescue, that realisation didn’t necessarily mean he abandoned
Babylonian gods to become a true believer. His realisation and restoration did however mean that Daniel
ended up with a powerful ally who respected his God.
STUDY 5 | The Writing’s on the Wall
Daniel 5
2. The goblets were part of the items taken from the Jerusalem temple by Nebuchadnezzar when Babylon
first conquered Judah (see Daniel 1:2).
3. Like most temple items, the goblets were consecrated for holy use. Their very use as part of a raucous
party is a slight on God to whom they’re dedicated. But the narrative suggests an even more serious misuse:
to celebrate the lifeless idols of Babylonian religion. Whatever Belshazzar believed about the Most High God,
he appears to go out of his way to dishonour him (while exalting himself).
4. The supernatural nature of the writing must have been spectacular and utterly frightening to behold; the
writer specifically describes ‘the fingers of a man’s hand’ appearing out of nowhere! But its supernatural
nature also suggests a divine message, and since none of the kingdom’s wise men and mediums can explain
it to him, Belshazzar is left in terrified uncertainty as to its significance.
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5. Daniel’s preamble provides the reason for the writing’s appearing. Unlike his predecessor,
Nebuchadnezzar, who, though also proud and self-exalting, did humble himself and acknowledge God’s
ultimate control, Belshazzar went the opposite direction and further dishonoured God by his using the temple
goblets in idol worship. It needs to be made clear to him that active rejection of God has only one outcome.
6. The message doesn’t allow room for repentance. As such it’s not a warning, it’s an announcement: that
due to Belshazzar’s consciously spurning the glory of the one true God, God has already passed judgement
on Belshazzar’s rule – which comes to pass ‘that very night’ (v.30).
8. God has poured out his Spirit, who helps us to understand and embrace God’s revealed word, the Bible.
The Bible itself is a record of God’s actions, a warning of judgement to come, and a declaration of God’s
mercy and salvation, which is ultimately found in the death and resurrection of Jesus – the fullest revelation
of God.
9. Jesus exercises his rule by laying down his life for others. This involves laying aside his own glory – for the
benefit of others and the ultimate glory of God. This is contrasted with ‘the rulers of the Gentiles’ who
‘dominate’ those under them – Gentile rulers like Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar. This same spirit is present
in James and John’s request in v.37.
STUDY 6 | Into the Lions’ Den
Daniel 6
2. The writer describes Daniel as having ‘an extraordinary spirit’ that distinguishes him above the other
bureaucrats. This is expressed not just in administrative acumen, but in qualities such as trustworthiness and
integrity.
3. It’s not made explicit, but they appear to be driven by some form of professional jealousy. This is somewhat
understandable: they didn’t know Daniel (he was an existing bureaucrat from the previous administration);
not only was he a foreigner, he was a Jewish foreigner – one of the original captives (how low can you get!);
and by this stage Daniel would have been quite old (eighties or nineties), making his professional success all-
the-more humbling for his colleagues.
4. Knowing that Daniel would betray his king before he would betray his God, their plan is to make everyone
pray only to Darius for thirty days – whether as a deity, or merely a representative of a deity. This gives them
an opportunity to catch Daniel ‘in the act’ of defying the his ‘divine’ king, and thus be grounds for his downfall.
5. Daniel’s actions indicate that he isn’t tripped up by accident or absent-mindedness. Daniel knows what
he’s doing; he knows the risk, and consciously commits to his usual practice of praying regardless.
6. Darius is devastated for Daniel – you can imagine this is the point where the penny drops that he’s been
played. He tries everything to save Daniel, but to no avail; the laws cannot be changed. And so Darius has no
choice but to throw Daniel to the lions.
7. One reason comes from the lips of Darius: Daniel serves God continuously, and God has defended his
faithful servant. Another comes from Daniel: he was always innocent, and his survival attests to his innocence.
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STUDY 7 | The Beast and Beauty
Daniel 7
2. Each beast is some sort of hybrid. The first has human-like characteristics. All have striking animal features
(all predators). The fourth has horns – a classic symbol of strength in the Ancient Near East.
3. Some of the differences between the beasts and The Ancient of Days:
The Beasts God
• Powerful (‘huge’, ‘incredibly strong’) but • Sovereign and All-Consuming (‘throne’
not all-powerful and ‘fire’)
• Unnatural and Horrifying (hybrid, • Wise and Holy (‘white’ clothing and hair)
‘frightening’) • Judge of All Things (convenes a ‘court’ in
• Violent and Destructive (‘stirring up the which ‘books’ are opened)
sea’, ‘Gorge’, ‘crushed’)
4. Daniel describes him as ‘One like a son of man’. In places like Psalm 8:4 son of man was a term meaning
‘regular human person’. But this figure is ‘like a son of man’ – that is, he’s human, but not (or rather, not
merely).
• He ‘comes with the clouds of heaven’ – as God alone does.
• He is able to approach the Ancient of Days – as only someone holy can.
• He’s granted authority to rule. Not as the beasts did: destructively, arrogantly, temporarily. But
eternally; gloriously.
• He’s given an everlasting dominion that will never pass a way – sovereignty over all peoples for all
time.
5. Daniel’s vision narrates a conflict between two realms – human evil and divine judgement. The central
message of the chapter appears to be that in this conflict there is a certain and clear conclusion: God is in
control. He will defeat the seemingly unconquerable powers that oppress his people, and he will do so
through this ‘one like a son of man’. Questions remain: Who exactly will this figure be? When will he come
and take up his rule?
6. Jesus says that he is the Son of Man – that is, the anointed One of Jewish Messianic hope. The man, who
has just received divine sight, responds by worshipping Jesus – and Jesus doesn’t stop him.
7. As ‘the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty’. In other words: The Ancient of Days.
8. Like Daniel’s vision, this one like the Son of Man has come on the clouds (1:7). He has approached the
Ancient of Days. John learns that he too has been granted authority to rule – forever. However here we get
physical descriptions, physical descriptions that take us back to Daniel 7 – not to the one like a son of man,
but to the Ancient of Days. The Son of Man John sees has:
• the full-length robe and sash as a king (v.13)
• the white hair like that of the ‘Ancient of Days’ (v.14; Daniel 7:9) – wisdom and purity
• the fiery bronze feet of the conqueror; the authoritative voice (v.15).
9. He calls himself ‘I am’ – God’s name for himself; ‘the First and the Last’ – like ‘the Lord God … Almighty’
(the Alpha and the Omega; 1:8): sovereign over all history. He says he once was dead but now he’s alive –
forever – and that he holds the keys to death and Hades (he is the judge – like the Ancient of Days was in
Daniel 7). What Daniel’s vision hints at John’s vision confirms: the one like the Son of Man is nothing less than
a divine figure – God himself.
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