# Introduction to Daniel

### Outline of Daniel

1. Daniel and his friends in the court of Nebuchadnezzar (1:1–21)
1. Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's first dream (2:1–49)
1. Daniel's friends delivered from the fiery furnace (3:1–30)
1. Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's second dream (4:1–37)
1. Belshazzar's feast and the writing on the wall (5:1-31)
1. Daniel in the den of lions (6:1–28)
1. Daniel's vision of four beasts (7:1–28)
1. Daniel's vision of a ram and a goat (8:1–27)
1. Daniel prays and Gabriel answers (9:1–23)
1. Daniel's vision of seventy weeks (9:24–27)
1. Daniel's vision of a man (10:1–11:1)
1. The kings of the south and north (11:2–20)
1. An evil king exalts himself (11:21-39)
1. The time of the end (11:40–12:13)

### What is the Book of Daniel about?

The first part of the Book of Daniel (chapters 1–6) is a narrative about Daniel and his friends. They were young men from Jerusalem who were taken to Babylon as prisoners. These chapters tell how they were faithful to Yahweh while living in a pagan land serving a pagan king. And it tells how God rewarded them because they were faithful. 

The rest of the Book of Daniel is a series of prophetic visions. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with images representing the kingdoms and kings of the major nations. Chapters 9–11 are prophecies and visions about wars and a type of the great enemy of God appearing. Chapter 12 is a vision that describes end times.

### Who wrote the Book of Daniel?

Daniel was a Jew who became a Babylonian government official during the exile. He may have written the book himself. Or he may have written the parts of the book and someone else put the parts together at a later time.