This paper will argue that the themes of wisdom and power are central to the theological message and purpose of the book of Daniel, and have been under-appreciated in both exegetical and theological treatments of the book. The argument will be advanced along three lines. First, the theological message of the book, expressed by these concepts, can be found early and consistently in the narratives. It is encapsulated well in the praise of Daniel in 2:20–23, “Let the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him.” Both wisdom and power are The Lord’s, and the entire book reinforces this—he gives Daniel and his friends wisdom and interpretive insight in chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 (1:17; 2:27–28; 4:19–26; 5:18–24); he has power to rescue from the furnace and the lions’ den (3.28–29; 6:25–27); and he has authority in every generation to raise up or bring down kings (4:1–3, 17, 25–26, 30–37; 5:18–23; 6:26). In these narratives, The Lord is praised in response to the displays of his wisdom and power—often by foreign rulers (2:47; 3:28; 4:1–3; 6:25-27).
Secondly, the concepts of wisdom and power expressed directly in the narratives inform one’s understanding of and appreciation for the shape and structure of the book. The clear message of the narratives validates the trustworthiness of the apocalyptic visions. Because God can so reliably reveal mysteries through his servant Daniel and because he has the power to raise up and remove kings, the reader can have confidence in the reliability of the visions and hope in God’s deliverance from their own foreign oppression.
Lastly, recognizing the significance of these concepts in Daniel allows one to observe relevant connections with the book of Job, where both the wisdom (Job 38–39) and power (Job 40–41) of The Lord are highlighted respectively in his speeches to Job. This connection moves beyond the interests of biblical theology alone and has the potential to speak further to the relationship between wisdom and apocalypse genres, which has received a revival since Von Rad’s initial arguments of the 1960’s and others’ (e.g. VanderKam) more recent and more specific arguments related to mantic wisdom.