Daniel in the Lion’s Den – A little known fact

In Book of Daniel Chapter 6

King Darius and Daniel’s relationship was apparently quite strong.  Darius faith in Daniel was due to “an excellent spirit was in him”.   Darius set 120 princes over the kingdom.  Over these were three presidents.  Of the three presidents Daniel was number one.  What envy and jealousy that created among all the others.  So much so, they kept up a constant vigil to see what “dirt” they could get on Daniel to “bring him down”.  (122 vs 1)    I would take those odds any day when you have God on your side.

They could not find a fault in Daniel nor could they create any conflict of interest to “trip him up”.  A scheme was created to attack Daniel by forcing him to choose between the King and his God.  They convinced the king that he the King was worthy of worship and NO ONE was to worship anyone but the king. 

The Medes and Persians operated under a set of laws and no king had ultimate authority. The king could not side step his own governments’ laws.  Knowing this, the men created the law and convinced the king to put it into place, well knowing that Daniel would have an issue with it.

Daniel knowing this had taken place did not allow it to prevent him from still staying true to his God.  In plain sight he prayed and worshipped God.

The men knew they had succeeded in “trapping” Daniel and took it to the king.  When evil is so entrenched in its attack on the righteous it fails to be able to see what is coming in the “end game”!

Darius now knew he had been swindled into trapping Daniel. The King had to have Daniel cast into the lions den.  But note that it was the king who states: “...Thy God...will deliver thee”

The den was sealed with a stone and the seals of both the king and his lords, so that there would be no tampering.  King Darius fasted for Daniel!  This was the king who was not a follower of Daniel’s God.

Daniel was found unharmed and brought out of the Den, praise being given by both Daniel and the king that God had intervened.  In true form of how punishment was dealt with, the men (122 of them) that had tried to get rid of Daniel, were ALL thrown into the Den of lions and were eaten before they hit the floor!

That is how we have all heard the story told.

Now, for the “rest of the story”.

Jewish historian Josephus in recounting this event adds a little more detail that Daniel was humble enough to leave out.  Paraphrasing the historian, he adds these details to the story:

After Daniel is brought out of the Den, these same men (not smart enough to leave things as they were) questioned that Daniel did not survive due to his God, but rather because of the fact that the lions had all been fed before Daniel was put in the den and that the lions were just “not hungry”.  King Darius, now ready to “turn the tables” on these men decided to get in on the game and ordered that the lions all be fed to overflowing.  The lions were fed and fed and fed.  Finally when everyone thought they were full, the King stated that it was now time to test the theory that these men had suggested about it not being God that delivered Daniel.  So he had the men tossed in the den one after another to see if it was true.  The lions not only ate the men, but their families as well!

God’s justice will prevail.

Fiery Furnace – A Different Perspective

The Fiery Furnace of Daniel Chapter 3 

King Nebuchadnezzar had a statue of himself built 12 ½ feet wide and 125 feet high.  Everyone was to bow and worship it. Three men did not. They did not even have to stop to consider their answer to the King as to why they did not do so. They would not worship an idol and their God would deliver them from the fiery furnace that they were going to be thrown into for not worshipping the idol.

In a rage of fury the King had his men heat the furnace up seven times hotter than it was.

This is where we usually MISS something in this story.

It describes the Jews being dressed in ALL their garments.  They were layered as thought it was fifty degrees BELOW zero temperature out there.  They were dressed into their: Coats, hats and “other garments”!  The king had mighty men bound the three Jews and throw them into the fire.  No one could break those bonds.

They were wrapped up like a mummy!  Then they were tied up to prevent any escape.  Picture what they looked like BEFORE ever being put in the furnace. REMEMBER this image in your mind.

The mighty men who threw the boys into the furnace died from the fire JUST TRYING to get the boys into the furnace.  Another historical record states the flames coming out of the front of the furnace were 75 feet high!

The boys were so “bundled up” that it says they “fell down” in the furnace.

THEN… (cue the drum roll please) 

Upon looking in the furnace the king found NOT three men BUT four! They were  ALL WALKING AROUND. Not lying down burning.

This is again another place we usually end the telling of this story with the acknowledgement that they came out not even harmed and the king repented.  BUT READ THAT ENDING PART AGAIN!

Correct ending is this:

In the furnace the boys were NO LONGER even tied up. AND they were WALKING AROUND.  Remember that image you had of what the boys looked like when they were thrown into the fire. The ropes had burned off and ALL THE EXTRA CLOTHING must have been burned off because they were walking around freely.  And not one of the men was harmed. 

It gives a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE now when scripture states that there was not a hair singed or the smell of smoke upon them!

Spiritual Warfare Illustrated by an OLD MAN

Daniel is at least 80 years old; some have listed him as being between 90-100 at the time his fourth vision takes place in Chapter 10 of his book. He spends 21 days in a fast from bread, flesh and wine while seeking understanding and a spiritual break through. After 21 days he is void of all human strength and cannot physically stand when an answer arrives.

The Archangel Gabriel explains to him that “from the FIRST Day that you set your heart to understand….thy words were heard.”  “….but the prince of the kingdom of Persia (one of Satan’s angels) withstood me 21 days…”

Gabriel had come to respond to Daniel’s immediately upon Daniel’s heart being focused.  BUT, it took Gabriel 21 days to get there because of the battle going on in the spirit realm!

21 days of prayer and fasting + 21 days of spiritual warfare = Hundreds of years of pinpoint prophecy in Daniels Fourth vision 

That story may be familiar sermon material on spiritual warfare.

BUT consider what would have happened if Daniel had not pressed on for 21 days? What if he had decided after 7 days (week) that he had enough and called it quitting time?

How about after two weeks of prayer and fasting? Surely that was plenty of time. No, he kept on and on for 21 days UNTIL there was the BREAK THROUGH!

I am not going to recommend fasting for three weeks, but it sure would put a dent in the enemy’s armor. I am going to state that there are not enough sore knees in God’s army. We need to have concern about the outcome of the battles in the spirit realm if NO ONE is praying!

Today’s battle zone is World wide and fiercer than Gabriel dealt with.

IT IS TIME TO QUIT PRAYING “Mother Goose” TYPE PRAYERS that we have learned and start

PRAYING DANIEL TYPE PRAYERS

Pray until it hurts and then keep on praying……