The Book of Daniel is a historical narrative and prophetic oracle that describes both apocalyptic events and future events. It demonstrates how God protected and provided for His faithful followers while they were in captivity; and it presents a vision of future redemption and hope for mankind.

Daniel gave all the glory to God and said, It is only God who reveals all profound and hidden things. The light lives in God alone.

Chapter 1 Daniel was taken captive to serve in the palace of the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, after God allowed Jerusalem to fall. Daniel and his three companions refused the the king's food and wine; and God gave visions to Daniel in dreams. When the king found them better than the other wise men, he kept them in his court.

Chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about four kingdoms replaced by a fifth. His wise men were unable to explain the meaning of the dream. But God gave Daniel a vision that explained the dream. As a result, the king made Daniel chief over all of his wise men.

Chapter 3 The fiery furnace - Daniel's three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to a golden statue of the king; and because of that, they were thrown into a fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar was astonished to see them unharmed and a fourth figure in the furnace. After that, the king acknowledged God.

Chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar's madness - Daniel interpreted the king's dream about a huge tree that was cut down, and Daniel explained that the tree was the king himself who was about to lose his mind and live like a wild beast for seven years.

Chapter 5 Belshazzar's feast - Daniel interpreted handwriting that appeared on the wall when his nobles drank from sacred Jewish temple vessels and offered praise to false gods. The message was that the king's kingdom would be given to the Medes and Persians.

Chapter 6 Daniel was thrown into the lions's den after he continued to pray and worship God in defiance of King Darius' edict. But God shut the mouths of the lions, after which Darius acknowledged Daniel's God.

Chapter 7 A vision of four beasts rising from the sea represented four worldly kingdoms that crush and devour the whole earth. Eventually they were replaced by a fifth that would rule an everlasting kingdom by the Son of Man,

Chapter 8 Daniel next had a vision of a ram, a he-goat, and a horn. These represented successive conquests leading to a small horn that would grow large as a wicked king who would stop daily temple sacrifices and desecrate the sanctuary for 2,300 evenings and mornings until the temple is cleansed.

Chapter 9 Prophecy of Seventy Weeks. Daniel saw that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years and he pleaded for God to restore Israel and the desolated sanctuary of the Temple. The angel Gabriel explained that the seventy years stands for seventy weeks of years or 490 years.

Chapter 10 Daniel's final vision brings the revelation that an angel who was called a man, but actually is a supernatural being who will reveal what will happen to Daniel's people.

Chapter 11 A future king of Persia will make war on the king of Greece. Then a mighty king will arise and wield power until his empire is broken up. Next the king of the south, Egypt, will go to war with the king of the north. Then a contemptible king of the north will invade the south two times. But he will eventually be turned back, though his soldiers will desecrate the Temple, abolish the daily sacrifice, and set up the abomination of desolation. Eventually, he meet his end between the sea and the holy mountain.

Chapter 12 Finally, Michael will come. It will be a time of great distress, but all those whose names are written will be delivered. Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. In the final verses the time to the end is revealed. From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished, there will be 1,290 days.

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