Why study the book of Daniel?

September 16, 2026 | Posted by Ray Fowler

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

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Why study the book of Daniel?

Why study the book of Daniel? One obvious reason is that it’s Scripture, which means it’s part of what God has revealed to us and wants us to know. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), and so we always want to be studying God’s word.

But what are some of the specific reasons for studying this particular book of the Bible? What specific contributions does Daniel make to the Scriptures as a whole? Let me share with you four reasons why we should study the book of Daniel.

1) Important book of prophecy in the Old Testament

First, it’s an important book of prophecy in the Old Testament. There are seventeen prophetical books in the Old Testament, and these books are vital not only for understanding God’s plan for the ages, but also for understanding our role in God’s plan and how we should live our lives in light of God’s plan. So, that’s the first reason why we should study the book of Daniel. It is an important book of prophecy in the Old Testament.

2) Frequently referenced in the New Testament

Secondly, it is frequently referenced in the New Testament. Daniel, Isaiah and the Psalms are the three most frequently quoted or alluded to Old Testament books in the New Testament. There are over two hundred quotations or allusions to the book of Daniel referenced in the New Testament. Once again, the book of Daniel is important not only for understanding the Old Testament, but for understanding the New Testament as well.

3) Familiar yet unfamiliar book to most Christians

Another reason why it is important to study Daniel is that it is a familiar yet unfamiliar book to most Christians. We will talk more about this when we get to Daniel’s structure in a moment, but most of us are familiar with the stories of Daniel, but not so familiar with the visions. Both are important, and they work together to tell us the story of the whole book.

4) Practical encouragement for godly living in ungodly times

Finally, we should study the book of Daniel because it is full of practical encouragement for godly living in ungodly times. Daniel and his friends knew what it was like to take a stand for God in a culture that didn’t believe or follow God.

We live in a culture that is not always friendly to Christians or Christian teaching. The Bible indicates that things will most likely get worse before they get better. The book of Daniel encourages us to take a stand anyway and shows us how God’s plan will overcome all evil and obstacles in its way. If you want to be on the winning team, you will want to stick with Daniel and his friends.

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

Click on the book image to view on Amazon.