Introducing Daniel

September 15, 2026 | Posted by Ray Fowler

To celebrate the release of my new book, Daniel: Stories and Visions, I will be sharing portions from the first chapter this week.

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Introducing Daniel

We are starting a new series in the book of Daniel called Stories and Visions. The stories of Daniel are well-known even to school children, while the visions task the minds of even the greatest Bible scholars.

Daniel is an amazing book of prophecy and historical narrative that is vitally important not only for understanding the Old Testament, but also for understanding the New. Although we will be working our way verse by verse through the book, Daniel 2:20-21 serves as a wonderful theme passage for the whole book, so we will start there. (Read Daniel 2:20-21 and pray.)

So, why start with an introduction to the book of Daniel? You will notice that many study Bibles and most commentaries start with an introduction to a book of the Bible before diving into the text itself. That’s because it is helpful to know the background of a book before reading or studying it as a whole.

When you study a book like Daniel, it is extremely important to know the background of the book. Without knowing the background, you are more likely to make mistakes in your interpretation of the text and in your application of its principles to modern life. For example, those who believe Daniel was written after the events it prophesies miss out on the wonder of worshiping a God who is sovereign over all history and who knows the beginning from the end.

So, what are some of the things you should know before jumping into the book of Daniel? You should know some of the reasons why it is good to study the book of Daniel. You should know something about Daniel’s structure. You should know something of Daniel’s historical situation. You should understand the genre or style of the book. And you should know Daniel’s main themes, so you can watch out for them as you read.

We want to be good students of God’s word. God has not only given us his word, but he has also given us the tools to study his word, that we may better understand what he desires to communicate to us through his word. So, let’s take a closer look at the background of the book of Daniel together.

~ Excerpted from the book Daniel: Stories and Visions by Ray Fowler

Click on the book image to view on Amazon.