The book is believed to have been written during the 5th century, sometime around 605 BC. Chapters 2-7 were written in Aramaic and deal primarily with issues that would have concerned all the people of these empires, not just Israel.Ĭhapters 1, and 8-12 were written in Hebrew and deal more directly with issues concerning Israel-its future persecution and God’s plans for deliverance. Aramaic was the chief language of the Babylonian and Persian empires during this time. The book is written to encourage not only the Jewish people in exile, but also to encourage us and to prove that the LORD is the only true God and that He rules the world still today no matter what it appears to be at the time.Ī unique feature of the book of Daniel is that it was originally written in two languages-Hebrew and Aramaic. Through these writings, God, through the prophet Daniel, was assuring the people that HE was in complete control and that they would one day be restored as a nation according to God’s promise and plan. But his writings seem to be recorded to encourage the Jewish exiles living in Babylon and beyond-the ones who had been exiled from their homeland. His interpretation of dreams and visions were given to the Gentile kings he served, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. Daniel’s writings aren’t addressed to any one specific audience. The book is unlike most of the phophetic books. Jesus mentioned the writings of Daniel in Matt. So, the writing seems to be a firsthand perspective. In chapters 7, 8, and 9 we see that he speaks in first person. The book itself claims to be the work of Daniel. Fasten your belts and enjoy the ride.įirst, a few background details of the book. But I anticipate this study taking 5-6 months or longer.
There are only 12 chapters in the book of Daniel but I’m not sure how detailed God will get us. I’m not exactly sure where God will lead us in this study. Tonight, we begin a more detailed look at the book of Daniel.