Daniel

This book is unique because it is set entirely in the royal courts of Babylon and Persia. It functions as a handbook for how to survive in a culture that is hostile to your faith. The first half consists of famous stories: Daniel refusing the King's food, the three friends in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the lions' den. These narratives prove a single point: God is sovereign over the superpowers of the world.

The second half shifts to apocalyptic visions. Daniel sees a series of terrifying beasts that represent future empires rising and falling. While these passages can be confusing, the message is the same as the stories: earthly kingdoms are temporary and beastly, but God's kingdom is eternal.

A key figure introduced here is the "Son of Man," a divine being who is given authority over all nations. This is the title Jesus later adopts for Himself. Daniel encourages the people that even if the exile lasts longer than they hope (the "seventy weeks" prophecy), history is ultimately under God's control. With the Major Prophets complete, we now enter the "Twelve" Minor Prophets, beginning with the shocking love story of Hosea.