PROPHECY: DANIEL, WHO REPRESENTS US, IS
(SHALL BE) RESURRECTED FROM THE LION’S DEN
06-23-13
(Dan 6:14) It pleased Darius to set over the
kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole
kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first:
that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have
no damage [no loss of property or taxes]. Then this Daniel was
preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent
spirit [which we know to be the Spirit of God (Dan 5:12)]
was in him; and the king thought to [Heb: purposed to] set him
[Daniel] over the whole realm. Then the presidents and
princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the
kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he
was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in
him.
1.
Commentary:
“It pleased Darius…” = Darius the Median had recently taken the
kingdom of the Babylonian empire from king Belshazzar who saw the hand
writing on the wall of his own judgment. King Darius, fulfilling
progressive prophecy, represented the advent of the Medo-Persian empire
and the “breast and his arms of silver” (Dan 2:32) of the great image
(statue) that king Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his first dream.
2.
(Dan 5:12) Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and
knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams [“divers
kinds of tongues” 1 Cor 12:10], and showing of hard sentences, and
dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named
Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will show the
interpretation.
3.
Commentary:
“set him [Daniel] over the whole realm” = just as
Joseph, who was a type and shadow of Jesus Christ, and a type and shadow
of us, also interpreted dreams (i.e., “divers kinds of tongues” 1 Cor 12:10)
and was significantly (and prophetically) set over the whole realm of
Egypt (the whole unsaved world) by Pharaoh, so too shall we be during the
Millennium. Joseph, through an excellent spirit,
interpreted the dreams of “the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt”
(Gen 40:5), and Joseph interpreted the dream of Pharaoh (Gen 41:15).
a.
(Acts 2:16-21) But this is that which was spoken
[prophesied] by the prophet Joel [Joel 2:28]; And it shall
come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my
Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men
shall dream dreams [tongues]: And on my servants and on
my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they
shall prophesy [Gk: speak under inspiration] [i.e., interpret
dreams (tongues)]: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in
the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The
sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood
[the Sixth Seal: Rev. 6:12], before that great
and notable day of the Lord come [“the glory which shall be revealed
in us” Rom 8:18,19 & 2 Thes 1:7-12]: And it shall come to pass,
that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
saved.
(Dan 6:5-9) Then said these men, We shall
not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against
him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and princes
assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live
for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes,
the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a
royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall
ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save [Heb:
except] of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den
[Heb: a pit (for wild animals)] of lions. Now, O
king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be
not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
1.
(1 Pet 5:8) Be sober [not intoxicated, but of a
“sound mind” 2 Tim 1:7], be vigilant [Gk: watchful];
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour [Gk: to drink down, i.e.
gulp entire: swallow (up)]:
(Dan 6:10,11) Now when Daniel knew that
the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows
being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem [signifying (else this
phrase need not be here) that his windows, like his arms, were figuratively
always open toward Jerusalem, thus illustrating the vulnerability and
concurrent trust of his heart in the Lord our God], he kneeled
upon his knees [humble before the Lord] three times a day,
and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime
[i.e., Daniel did not change his prayer life, his time of communion with his
God]. Then these men assembled [intentionally gathered into a
group specifically to find and witness to Daniel’s transgression],
and found Daniel praying and making supplication
[petitions of healing and mercy for others] before his God.
(Dan 6:12-15) Then they came near, and
spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not
signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God
or man within thirty days, save [Heb: except] of
thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king
answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes
and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the
king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of
Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou
hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the
king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself,
and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the
going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the
king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes
and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth
may be changed.
(Dan 6:16-18) Then the king commanded,
and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions [a
type and shadow of great tribulation]. Now the king spake and said unto
Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
And a stone [symbolic of the hard and heavy heart,
ultimately, of the Medo-Persian empire] was brought, and
laid upon the mouth of the den [suppressing, subduing,
crushing, overwhelming, all opposing speech]; and the king sealed it
[supported the judgment] with his own signet, and with the
signet of his lords; that the purpose [the judgment] might not
be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and
passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music
brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
(Dan 6:19-22) Then the king arose very
early in the morning [Heb: the dawn (as brilliant with aurora)],
and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to
the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king
spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy
God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath
sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt
me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also
before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
(Dan 6:23,24) Then was the king
[now, a type and shadow of God] exceeding glad for him, and
commanded that they should take Daniel [a type and shadow of
we who are believers] up out of the den. So Daniel was taken
up out of the den [a type and shadow of the resurrection from certain
death unto eternal life], and no manner of hurt was found upon him,
because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they
brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them
into the den of lions [a type and shadow of hell], them,
their children, and their wives [a type and shadow of judgment];
and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in
pieces or ever [before] they came at the bottom of the den.
1.
Commentary:
“up out of the den” = Satan, who is “the god of this world” (2 Cor
4:4), is represented by the unchangable law of the Medo-Persian
empire, the law of men. The judgment of Satan (his law) condemns
every person to Hell; however, his law was changed, overruled, or most
precisely, rejected.
2.
Commentary:
“…and their wives…” = Why? Because of the proliferation of
interactive “thought” associations within each of their families. In a very
real sense, evil thoughts (spirits) are contagious; hence,
to avoid the evil, God has laws against adultery and against
fornication and against being unequally yoked in marriage wherein
the merging back into “oneness” is achieved (Gen 2:21,22).
3.
Commentary:
“and brake all their bones” = Bones form and maintain the structure
of one’s body and are the basic enabler of movement. As such, they represent
“the law” of God (Ezek 37:1-3) which is hard, rigid, and
unforgiving, whereas “the grace” of God (Ezek 37:4-6), which is
soft, flexible, and forgiving, is represented by one’s sinews, flesh,
skin, and breath. This latter action is not the replacement of the Law, but
it is the addition to the Law of Grace. This pattern is biblically
exemplified as the Old Testament Tabernacle of Moses (Law) which is a type
and shadow of the New Testament Jesus Christ (Grace). However, Daniel’s
accusers were unsaved (not imputed for righteousness), not having “the law
of God” within them, and consequently they still lived according to “the law
of men” (of unclean thoughts) which is error leading to eternal
damnation as indicated by their bones (man’s own laws) being broken “in
pieces” in the judgment of God.
a.
(John 19:36) For these things were done, that the scripture should
be fulfilled, A bone [law] of him shall not be
broken. [Exo 12:46; Num 9:12; Psa 34:20] [and He is our example]
THE
BURNING FIERY FURNACE IS A TYPE AND SHADOW OF THE LIONS’ DEN
(Dan 3:20-28) And he [Nebuchadnezzar]
commanded the most mighty men that were in his army
[Daniel’s accusers: “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred
and twenty princes” Dan 6:1] to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace [into the
lions’ den, a type and shadow of Hell]. Then these men were bound in
their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and
were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because
the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot,
the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then
Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and
said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound
into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O
king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the
midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like
the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the
burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire
[a type and shadow of the resurrection from certain death unto
eternal life]. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's
counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men [Shadrach,
Meshach, Abednego], and upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor
was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the
smell of fire had passed on them [“and no manner of hurt was found
upon him [Daniel], because he believed in his God” Dan 6:23].
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, who hath sent his angel [“My God hath sent his
angel” Dan 6:22], and delivered his servants that trusted in him,
and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies [Rom
12:1], that they might not serve nor worship any god, except
their own God.
(Dan 6:25-28) Then king Darius wrote unto
all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace
be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of
my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he
is the living God, and stedfast [Heb: permanent: sure] for
ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his
dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and
rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth,
who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel
prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Amen
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