The book of Daniel has often been thought about in two parts.  Chapters 1-6 tell the story of Daniel and his friends living in captivity serving King Nebuchadnezzar.  From a lion's den to a fiery furnace to dream interpretations, it's clear that God is leading Daniel and enabling him to show Nebuchadnezzar and those who are close to him that the God of Israel is the true God and only God worthy of worship.  These chapters were originally written in Aramaic.  Chapters 7-12 are apocalyptic visions, written in Hebrew.  Many of the images from these visions are also in Revelation.

Be sure to check out the blog for the guiding questions as you read and for the opportunity to interact with each other.  We enter our rhythm of LEARN-READ-INTERACT.

From How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens, Michael Williams makes these points about Daniel:

Phrase: Cosmic Authority
Theme: God asserts his authority over human kingdoms.
Christ-Focus: Jesus has divine authority over all things in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
Implications: Our kingdom service flows from, and is strengthened by, the limitless power and authority of God (1 Peter 4:11).
Questions: Are you embarrassed to speak the truth?  Do you trust your source?

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