Journal: Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal
Volume: DBSJ 30:1 (NA 2025)
Article: Faithfulness In A Faithless Age: Daniel’s Witness To The Kingdom Of God
Author: Jacob Z. Elwart

DBSJ 30 (2025) p. 131

Faithfulness In A Faithless Age: Daniel’s Witness To The Kingdom Of God

Jacob Z. Elwart1

Introduction

The chaos of living in a faithless age is seen in war, disease, theft, murder, adultery, hunger, riots, denial of rights to people who deserve them, and the demand for recognition. As Christians, it is disorienting to focus on the evil in the world around us—disorienting, because Christians know that God is the true King. They know that he is in control of all things. And yet as they look around, they see a culture that is opposed to God. God did not create brokenness and evil. Christians find it difficult to hold God’s control and a chaotic world side-by-side.

When the ruling chaos compels Christians to doubt whether God is in control or not, they go to the Word to be reminded about what is true. God is alive, and he is in control. God is good, and he always does good. And God is working to bring all things into subjection under the Lord’s feet. One of the best places to go to renew confidence in the God of gods is the book of Daniel.

Christians have loved the book of Daniel for ages because of stories like the rejection of the king’s meat in chapter 1; the interpretation of the king’s dream in chapter 2; the fiery furnace in chapter 3; the writing on the wall in chapter 5; and the lion’s den in chapter 6. Those are great stories that help to build a Christian’s faith, but there is so much

DBSJ 30 (2025) p. 132

more to the book of Daniel. Chapters 7 through 12 are filled with visions and prophecies of the end times. This essay is designed to survey the book of Daniel and to show that the message of Daniel resonates with believers of all ages.

The Origin And Context Of Daniel

Named after the prophet Daniel, the book of Daniel was written by him as well (9:2; 10:2; cf. Matt 24:15).2 Daniel recorded events that took place over the course of his seventy years in exile. Outside of this book, the Scriptures do not say much more about him. From 1:3, we know that he had noble birth. He may have even been royalty as well.

The date for Daniel’s writing is...