Biblical Profile: Daniel

Daniel

Daniel provides a stirring example of faith, wisdom, and endurance under difficulty and oppression. His life and prophecies affirm that God is in control and will have the final victory despite apparently dominant evil forces.

Daniel was a young man of Judah’s royal family when the Babylonian army first attacked Jerusalem in 605 BC (Dan 1:3). Daniel was deported to Babylon with Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael. King Nebuchadnezzar trained these young men, among others, to serve in his growing empire. Daniel and his friends were the brightest and healthiest of the students, so they assumed important positions in Nebuchadnezzar’s court.

Daniel’s court career lasted nearly seventy years (see Dan 1:21). He quickly established a reputation for intelligence and absolute fidelity to God. When Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream, God revealed its meaning to Daniel, who explained it to the king (Dan 2). Later, Daniel interpreted a second dream about the king’s pride (Dan 4). Daniel urged Nebuchadnezzar to repent, but he did not. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar became temporarily deranged (Dan 4:28-37).