Daniel : Christian Community Bible

Introduction to Daniel

The core of the book is in chapters 7–12 and can be summarized as follows:

• the great persecution against the Jewish people is part of God’s plan for salvation;
• the persecuting kings, especially Antiochus Epiphanes – remembered so many times in a figurative way – will not succeed in destroying the believing people;
• not long after the persecution, the kingdom of God will come.

The author also adapted the stories found in chapters 1–6 to his message. These stories taught the Jews who settled in foreign countries, and who at times served the kings there, that they should not compromise the demands of faith and the practices of the Law under any circumstances, whether in terms of foods (1:8) or of idolatrous worship (chaps. 2 and 6).

There are three very famous passages in this book. In 7:9-14 we have the text referring to the Son of Man (the Human One). Jesus refers to this text when he presents himself as the Son of Man (the Human One) (Mk 13:26 and 14:62). In another text, (Dn 12:13), we have an announcement of the resurrection of the dead. The prophecy in 9:21-27 has lent itself to many commentaries about the end of the world. However, such prophecies refer to many things except the end of the world.

NOTE: excerpted from the introductory material for this book.