Exiled to Babylon in 605 B.C., Daniel was one of several young men chosen to serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. When Persia conquered Babylon in 539, Daniel was again given a position of power. He remained faithful to God in both of these hostile environments. From the interpretation of dreams, to the familiar stories of the fiery furnace, the lions’ den, and the handwriting on the wall, to the prophetic visions, the recurrent theme is God’s sovereignty over human affairs. In the historical sections (chs. 1–6) God supernaturally rescued Daniel and his friends. The rest of the book consists of visions of future judgment and deliverance by the Messiah. Some of Daniel’s prophetic themes are echoed in the New Testament, especially in Revelation. (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.)
King Nebuchadnezzar
Da 1.1-7; Story; Nebuchadnezzar teaches Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah the Chaldean way
Da 1.8-21; Story; Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food or wine. He gains weight.
Da 2.1-16; Story-Plight; Nebuchadnezzar has a bad dream and threatens to kill all who cannot interpret it
Da 2.17-30; Story-Saved; God reveals the mystery to Daniel in a vision of the night. Daniel praises God.
Da 2.31-45; Story-Saved; Daniel interprets the dream to the king averting disaster. The dream is about several kingdoms.
Da 2.46-49; Story-Glory; King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, paid homage to Daniel and gave glory to God.
Da 3.1-7; Story-Plight; King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold image of himself for everyone to worship. If they don’t, they will be burned to death.
Da 3.8-27; Story-Saved; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship and are thrown into the fire. But they are unharmed. There is another like the son of Gods with them in the fire.
Da 3.28-30; Story-Glory; Nebuchadnezzar blesses the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He also sets up a law preventing others from saying things against their God.
Da 4.1-3; Story; Nebuchadnezzar praises God for the signs he has performed
Da 4.4-18; Story-Dream; Nebuchadnezzar asks Daniel to interpret his dream of the tree that was cut down
Da 4.19-27; Story-Prophecy; Daniel interprets the Second Dream. Nebuchadnezzar is the tree that will be humbled
Da 4.28-33; Prophecy-Fulfilled; Nebuchadnezzar exalts himself and is humiliated
Da 4.34-37; Story; Nebuchadnezzar repents and is restored
King Belshazzar (son of Nebuchadnezzar)
Da 5.1-12; Story; Belshazzar uses the vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple. A mysterious hand writes on the wall. Daniel is called in to interpret.
Da 5.13-21; Story; Daniel tells Belshazzar his father’s story and how he was raised and humbled by the LORD. Daniel tells Belshazzar he has not learnt from his father example.
Da 5.22-29; Story-Interpretation; Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin
Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;
Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;
Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
Da 5.30; Story; That night Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede received the kingdom.
Darius the Mede
Da 6.1-5; Story-Plight; The high officials and satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel
Da 6.6-9; Story-Plight; Whoever makes petition to any god for thirty days, except to the king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
Da 6.10-18; Story-Plight; Daniel knowingly and visibly prays to God and is cast into the den of lions.
Da 6.19-24; Story-Saved; Daniel is saved because he was blameless and trusted the LORD. The officials were thrown in and overpowered by the lions.
Da 6.25-28; Story-Glory; Darius decrees in all his dominion people are to tremble and fear before God
Vision given in the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon
Da 7.1-8; Vision; Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts. Lion, Bear, Leopard and Devourer
Da 7.9-14; Vision; The Son of Man comes on the clouds to the Ancient of Days
Da 7.15-28; Interpretation; The kingdoms of the world will be handed over to the Saints of the most High.
Vision given in the third year of Belshazzar king of Babylon
Da 8.1-14; Vision; Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and the Goat. The sanctuary of trampled.
Da 8.15-27; Interpretation; Kingdoms Media, Persia and Greece will conquer.
Daniel prays in the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus
Da 9.1-19; Story-Prayer; Daniel confesses his and Israel’s sin and asks for forgiveness
Da 9.20-27; Story-Answer; Gabriel answers Daniels prayer. Seventy weeks are decreed to atone for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness
Vision given in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia
Da 10.1-21; Vision; Daniel’s Terrifying Vision of a Man. Daniel is weaked, comforted and strengthened.
Comfort given to Darius the Mede in his first year
Da 11.1-45; Vision; The Kings of the South and the North battle it out
Da 12.1-13; Vision; The time of the end. Those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake