Old Testament
Daniel shows how God's people live faithfully in a hostile, pagan culture, and assures them that God reigns over every empire. As an exile in Babylon, Daniel resolves not to defile himself, and he and his friends remain faithful under mounting pressure — refusing idolatry even before a fiery furnace ('our God is able to deliver us; but if not, we will not serve your gods') and praying openly despite a deadly decree, for which God shuts the lions' mouths. Running through the book is God's sovereignty over the kingdoms of the world: earthly empires rise and fall, but 'the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed.' At its climax, Daniel sees 'one like a son of man' come with the clouds to receive an everlasting dominion — the vision Jesus claims for himself. Daniel calls God's people to unwavering faithfulness and steadies them with the certainty that beyond every passing power, God's King will reign forever.
Open Daniel in the Atlas →Work through Daniel in the Atlas — passage by passage. Read the text, test your understanding, discover its themes, and watch how it connects across Scripture.