Prophet Daniel: life, interpretation of dreams, book of the Old Testament

Borovikovsky Vladimir Lukich. "...Daniel in the lion's den." Fragment from the iconostasis from the chapel of St. Michael the Archangel of the Trinity Church at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg. 1824–1825 Wood, oil. 282 × 72 cm. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

From hoary antiquity, only a small number of names have survived to this day. Some, like Julius Caesar, became famous for their military and political skills. Others, like Archimedes, made significant contributions to the development of science. But the greatest rarity, comparable to pure gold, were and remain the righteous, whom God himself gave high praise to. One of them was the prophet Daniel.

Life of the Great Prophet of the Old Testament

Daniel is one of the four Great Prophets of the Old Testament. He comes from a noble Jewish family. Perhaps he was a member of the royal family. Around 606 BC. e. he was taken to Babylon among the most noble and gifted young men of Judea.

Interesting fact

The name of the prophet means "God is my judge."

Finding himself in Babylon, Daniel did not consider the honors that they were given in the powerful pagan country to be flattering. He decided not to be defiled by anything that was common in Babylon, but was contrary to God's will. And the Lord blessed him abundantly for this.

Already at a young age, Daniel received the gift of prophecy.

Interesting fact

God placed young Daniel on a par with such outstanding righteous people as Noah and Job (Ezekiel 15:14-18).

For his wisdom, honesty and responsibility, Daniel was appointed one of the main rulers of Babylon. This happened thanks to the wise policy of Nebuchadnezzar , who did not suppress the captive Jews, but used the best that each nation had.

Prophet Daniel at a feast with King Belshazzar. Miniature from the Book of the Prophets with interpretation. 1888

the last ruler of the Babylonian state, Belshazzar , that he would die in a few hours. It was God's message, encrypted in an inscription on the wall of the royal palace, left by a hand that appeared in the air out of nowhere.

What kingdom does the second beast symbolize?

The prophecy goes on to say:

And here was another beast, a second one, like a bear, standing on one side, and three fangs in its mouth, between its teeth; He was told this: “Get up, eat a lot of meat!” (Dan.7:5).

Understanding the structure of the book, having a clear time frame for what is happening and using God's beacons, is it not difficult for you to understand who God symbolizes in this prophecy by this bear?

This is the Medo-Persian Empire, which conquered the Babylonian Empire and instead became a world power at that time.

Where and when did he live

Daniel was a resident of the southern kingdom of Israel when Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem.

Daniel came to the greatest city of that time in the 4th year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of the Jews at the time when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem for the first time. After this, the prophet spent his entire life in Babylon, after the fall of which he lived under the rule of the Medo-Persian kings.

Apparently, Daniel was born around 623-620. BC e. When Babylon fell in 539, Daniel was over 80 years old. The date of his death is unknown.

The history and fate of three Jewish youths

Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael became Daniel's closest friends in Babylon. Together with him, they decided to refuse the royal treats offered to all Jewish youths. The fact is that the pagans, from the point of view of the Mosaic Law, ate unclean food.

God blessed his young ministers. They offered their overseer a 10-day trial. Instead of meat and wine, they ate plant foods. After the appointed time, all four looked better than their peers. In the exam, which was conducted by the king himself, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel turned out to be the most capable. The king appointed them to responsible positions. In modern terms, they proved themselves to be geniuses. Obviously, it was not a matter of vegetarian cuisine, but the influence of the Holy Spirit .

As part of the cultural assimilation program, everyone was given Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The young men were named so in honor of the pagan gods.

However, new names, training in pagan institutions and food from the royal table did not force Daniel’s three friends to give up their devotion to God. It is obvious that the four friends were the black sheep among young Jews who easily adapted to new circumstances and put their careers first.

One day Nebuchadnezzar decided to unite the empire through idolatry. On the field of Deir, a golden idol was built as tall as a nine-story building (27 m). All officials were called to the field to worship the idol under penalty of death. A furnace heated with fire awaited all those who refused.

After the musical instruments began to play, all the officials fell prostrate before the idol. All except Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel was not with them. Three Jews decided that they would rather die than give up their beliefs.

Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael. Three youths in the fiery furnace. An 18th century Greek icon filled with many details. Icon painter Adrianopolitis Konstantinos

In great anger, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the destruction of the disobedient ones. Strong warriors threw them into the oven. The fire was so strong that those who threw God's servants into the fire died. Obviously, the strength of the flame spoke of the king's furious rage. But a miracle happened: the young men did not die. Moreover, a fourth person appeared in the oven. This was an angel of God who appeared in order to deliver the righteous from death and show the arrogant pagan world that there is only one true God and that is Yahweh.

Nebuchadnezzar was struck to the heart. The pagans attributed all their military victories and economic prosperity to the patronage of the gods. And Babylon was the most powerful power of that time. Nebuchadnezzar clearly thought that the gods of Babylon were the greatest. But now he admitted that there is no God except the one of Israel, and issued a command to his subjects to honor Him.

He gave Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego even greater powers. Anyone who dared to disrespect the Jewish God faced certain death.

Thus the devotion of Daniel's three friends served to the greatest glorification of the true God. They also set an outstanding example for modern Christians. Nowadays, in order to obey God, most often you do not need to walk on the edge of a knife, fearing for your life. Our religious beliefs and even feelings are protected by law.

Nevertheless, Christianity is not held in high esteem by many. The commandments are considered long ago outdated, and believers are considered narrow-minded, dense and backward. But the example of the three young men teaches us that it is natural for true Christians to feel not shame for their beliefs, but a sense of self-worth. You should not be ashamed of faith in God and an eternal happy life in an age when humanity is increasingly mired in depravity, destroying the planet and rapidly flying into the abyss of Gehenna.

What does the fourth beast with ten horns symbolize?

Next, the Roman Empire is presented to us in the form of a terrible and terrible beast. There is no analogue found in nature. He was even presented to Daniel in a separate vision. In order for Daniel to pay special attention to him:

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, terrible and terrible and very strong; he has large iron teeth; he devours and crushes, and tramples the remains underfoot; he was different from all the previous beasts, and he had ten horns. (Dan.7:7).

The lighthouses are visible to the naked eye, and this is a description of the empire itself, similar to the image:

And the fourth kingdom will be strong as iron; for just as iron breaks and crushes everything, so it, like all-crushing iron, will crush and crush. (Dan.2:40)

Iron destroys and crushes everything. And the ten horns of this beast are also a beacon:

And ten horns mean that ten kings will rise from this kingdom... (Dan.7:24).

The same picture of a divided Europe as in the prophecy about the history of mankind represented in the image. But, as you may have already guessed, this layer of prophecies is not given for the sole purpose of simply repeating the previous truth, adding new details to it...

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

One day the king had a dream that greatly surprised and alarmed him. Here is its content:

“You, king, had such a vision: behold, some kind of large idol; This idol was huge, it stood before you in extreme splendor, and its appearance was terrible. This image had a head of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of copper, its legs of iron, its legs partly of iron and partly of clay.

You saw him until the stone came off the mountain without the help of hands, struck the image, his iron and clay feet, and broke them.

Then everything was crushed together: iron, clay, copper, silver and gold became like dust on the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away, and no trace remained of them; and the stone that broke the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

(Dan.2:31-35)

The only one who was able to talk about this dream and provide an interpretation was Daniel.

Archangel Gabriel explains the vision to the prophet Daniel. Painting of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Ferapontov Monastery. Master Dionysius. 1502

Who revealed the secrets of the future to the prophet Daniel

Daniel did not have a third eye. He spoke directly about who gave him the ability to reveal secrets:

“Daniel answered the king and said: the secret that the king asks about cannot be revealed to the king by wise men, charmers, mystic scholars, or fortune-tellers. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets; and He revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar what would happen in the last days.”

(Dan.2:27,28)

Five Kingdoms

Nebuchadnezzar's dream has prophetic meaning. Daniel explained that each part of the image signified a certain political system or world power that would prevail at a certain period of history:

1. Golden Head - the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, which became a world empire under Nebuchadnezzar. 2. Silver chest and arms - Medo-Persia. 3. Copper or bronze upper body and legs - Greco-Macedonian kingdom. 4. Iron lower legs - Roman Empire. 5. Feet made of a mixture of clay and iron - European states created on the ruins of the Roman Empire.

Let us note that there is no consensus among interpreters about the fulfillment of this prophecy. Some believe that the lower part of the idol symbolizes Rome in its decline, when the empire began to include more and more peoples, often rebelling against the conquerors. In the end, Rome fell under the onslaught of barbarian tribes.

Prophet's vision Daniel of the four kingdoms. Fragment of the icon “Arch. Michael with the deeds of the angels." Con. XIV century

However, the answer to this can be that each part of the idol represents a separate world empire or a more or less homogeneous political force. Therefore, it is still logical to conclude that the feet of the idol mean the post-Roman world. European powers extended their influence throughout the planet. It would be surprising if the prophecy did not affect those states under whose combined rule most of the world fell.

Clay mixed with iron may indicate that the European states will no longer have the strong unity characteristic of Rome.

The Babylonian Empire is symbolized by a lion with eagle wings

Let's go further in examining the prophecies of God from the seventh chapter of Daniel:

The first is like a lion, but he has the wings of an eagle; I watched until his wings were torn out, and he was lifted up from the ground, and stood on his feet like a man, and a human heart was given to him. (Dan.7:4).

There are plenty of beacons here in order to connect together information about the same thing from different layers of Scripture.

The prophecy of the second chapter of Daniel, which sets the time boundaries , begins with the Babylonian Empire. Whether in the image or in the prophecies of the seventh chapter, there will be four empires that become world-class.

And one more beacon. Gold is the royal metal; Lion is the king of the animals; The wings of an eagle are the wings of the king of birds. Sublime images are used. Likewise, in other places in Scripture we find these images applied to the Babylonian Empire:

...the king of Babylon... Behold, he ascends like a lion from the heights of the Jordan to the fortified dwellings... (Jer. 50:43,44).

For behold, I will raise up the Chaldeans, a cruel and unbridled people, who walk across the breadths of the earth to take possession of villages that do not belong to them. He is terrible and formidable; from himself comes his judgment and his power... they fly like an eagle rushing at its prey. (Hab.1:6-8).

We add more puzzles that became clear to us with the help of Scripture. And the picture of God’s prophecies is increasingly opening up before us. As a result of the wars, the Babylonian Empire, symbolized by a lion with eagle wings, will emerge onto the world stage.

Prophet Daniel and lions

After the fall of Babylon, Daniel became one of the three main rulers of the Persian Empire. He was so honest and capable that the king wanted to put him over the entire state. This appointment aroused the envy of Persian officials. And they found the perfect way to get rid of their competitor.

Daniel could not be convicted of corruption or other violation of the law. Then the enemies decided to destroy him, using the prophet’s devotion to God. By cunning and flattery they persuaded the king to pass a law that for one month no one had the right to pray to any god except the head of state. Daniel could not do this. He, as before, continued to pray to the God of Israel in his room, looking towards Jerusalem lying in ruins.

The spies reported this to the king, and he, against his will, gave the order to throw Daniel into a den with hungry lions. But the prophet did not die. God blocked the lions' mouths. Upon learning of this, Darius released Daniel, but ordered the execution of his enemies. The ruler of another world power received an outstanding testimony about God.

The Bible in engravings by Gustave Doré. Book of the prophet Daniel. Daniel in the lions' den.

Why does the lion in the prophecy stand on its hind legs?

But the prophecy says:

God reveals interesting details to us in this layer of prophecies. Those details that were not revealed in the image. But with the help of beacons we know that we are talking about the same period of time that is indicated in the image by the golden head, i.e. during the reign of the Babylonian Empire.

A lion with an animal heart rises to its feet like a man, and a human heart, instead of an animal one, is given to him. Man, unlike animals, is created in the image and likeness of God with the presence of intelligence. Thanks to this, a person can believe in God and glorify Him, and know His will for himself. A lion on its hind legs, like a person, is not the pose of a lion in wild, familiar conditions, it is the pose of a tamed, trained lion.

Book of the Prophet Daniel

The book of Daniel consists of 12 chapters. It is not only prophetic, but also historical.

The prophecies of the book of Daniel span hundreds and thousands of years of human history, predicting the coming of the Messiah and the eternal Kingdom of God.

The Book of Daniel is the only one of all the books of the Old Testament that belongs to the genre of apocalyptic literature.

Origin

The Church believes that the book of Daniel was written by the prophet himself under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Its entire content suggests that the author was inspired by God.

Dating

The book was created during Daniel's life in Babylon and Persia in the 6th century BC. e.

Prophet Daniel. Mosaic of the catholicon of the VMC monastery. Catherine in Sinai. 550-565

Authenticity

The authenticity of the book began to be disputed back in the 3rd century AD. e. The Neoplatonist Porphyry believed that it appeared during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes . In the XVII-XIX centuries. the controversy continued. Critics claimed that Daniel's prophecies were written after the historical events they predicted had occurred.

This opinion is refuted by the following compelling arguments:

The book does not contain hostile rhetoric directed against pagan rulers, which would be logical if it was written during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, who suppressed the Jewish religion and culture.
The book mentions angels and the resurrection from the dead, which cannot be said about the apocrypha of the period to which critics refer it.
Different styles and languages used in one book are not unusual. When Daniel writes about the Jews, he uses Hebrew language; when he talks about the pagans, he switches to Aramaic.
The style varies depending on the genre of the story.

Non-canonical additions

Non-canonical parts were introduced into the Greek translations of the book:

"Azaria's Prayer"
"Song of the 3 Youths";
"Susanna";
"Fork and the Dragon."

Interpretation

The red thread running through the entire book is the idea that the supreme Ruler over humanity is God . He allows the imperfect and often unjust rule of people over the world only temporarily. In giving revelation about the change of world powers, God uses the method of recapitulation.

Prophet Daniel. Miniature from the Book of Prophets. 1489

That is, he repeats the same idea, adding new details to it. In Chapter 7 He says that all the world powers will be like ferocious predators. Not one of them was presented at least in the form of a herbivore, peacefully grazing on a green lawn.

And only the Messiah is shown as a man:

“I saw in the night visions, behold, one like the Son of Man walked with the clouds of heaven, came to the Ancient of Days and was brought to Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all nations, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and His kingdom will not be destroyed.” (Dan.7:13,14)

The emergence and change of world powers, the confrontation between the northern and southern kings, hatred of saints - all these predictions indicate that only the Kingdom of God will bring justice to earth.

What is the meaning of prophecy

Nebuchadnezzar's prophetic dream helps us get rid of illusions about humanity being in the power of Satan. Epoch after era passes, science develops, technology improves. But no political system will last forever and will not bring universal peace and prosperity. John Chrysostom wrote that the reason for this is the rejection of selfless love.

The kingdom of God, headed by Christ, had already struck at the feet of the idol when Jesus came to earth. It was a spiritual strike to the very heart of Satan's wicked world. But the next blow of God's Kingdom will be much stronger. He will destroy all the wicked kingdoms of the world and one eternal and perfect government will be established on earth.

Daniel, prophet Dates: XVI century. Second half of the 16th century. 1560s Origin: From the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady of the Anthony Monastery. Material: Wood, tempera Frame material: Silver Dimensions of the icon: height 77.8 cm, width 54.8 cm Half-length image of the prophet Daniel with an unrolled scroll in his right hand. NGOMZ 2761. © Novgorod State United Museum-Reserve

The Bible Explains Itself

The Bible explains itself. It itself contains prophecies and their interpretations. Our task is to be attentive and read the Bible not in the sense of reading, but in the sense of exploring. ( how to read the Bible in the previous topic. Having mastered it, you will correctly understand prophecies and navigate the Bible). This is the task facing a believer: to understand the Bible with the help of the Bible. This is the point of her research. And so that we do not doubt that this is really so, God immediately gives us a beacon:

these great beasts, which are four, mean that four kings will rise from the earth. (Dan.7:17).

Not you and no one else, not outside books from the outside, but God Himself in His Word gives an explanation of the prophecy. If believers understood this, then there would be much less disagreement and disagreement in Christianity, and much more unity around the truth.

Having received this beacon and understanding the principle of interpreting the prophecies of God with the help of the Bible itself, we will try to find an interpretation of the vision of the great sea and the four winds fighting on it. There is no explanation for this in the book of Daniel. But the Bible interprets and explains itself, which means that there is an explanation for this in its other books. In other layers:

Alas! the noise of many peoples! They make noise like the noise of the sea. Roar of the tribes! they roar like mighty waters. (Isa. 17:12).

And he says to me: The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are people and peoples and nations and languages. (Rev. 17:15).

Look at the harmony of the Holy Scriptures. Whether in the Old Testament or in the New, God does not change His principles. Therefore, the reader will not get lost in the interpretation of biblical prophecies. In this we see one of the most important features of God’s character, His immutability, which gives us all stability:

For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you sons of Jacob were not destroyed. (Mal.3:6).

The power that the Roman Empire had will be transferred to the little horn

The activity of the little horn led to the beginning of judgment in heaven, which will put an end to its activity. Each of the beasts, except the fourth, had times of their dominion. After the completion of the period set by him, they ceased to exist.

The fourth beast, together with the little horn that grew on it, will be destroyed only by the power of God after the heavenly judgment and only in the lake of fire. The power of the fourth beast and its power will manifest itself in the power of the little horn.

In another layer of prophecies that reveal this event to us in more detail, the transfer of power by the fourth beast to the little horn is presented as follows:

The beast that I saw was like a leopard; His legs are like those of a bear, and his mouth is like the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his strength and his throne and great authority. (Rev. 13:2).

We are shown that the power that came after all the beasts and was represented in the 7th chapter of Daniel by the little horn grew so large that in Revelation it began to be symbolized as an independent beast to which power was transferred from the dragon. Therefore, God's prophecy teaches us that the power that the Roman Empire had will be transferred to the little horn.

The horn did not break off from the beast, it became the dominant force in the beast. Therefore, the power and authority of the fourth beast, terrible and terrible, continues to exist in the power of the little horn even now. Only the Second Coming of Christ will put an end to this power.

Recommendations

Quotes

^ a b
Boyce 2006, p. 68.
Seu 2003, pp. 3.85–86.
^ a b
Seu 2003, pp. 86-88.
Collins 1984, para. 28.
Seu 2003, pp. 7-8.
Daniel 14:28–42: New Version of the American Bible
Seu 2003, pp. 85-86.
Collins 1984, pp. 29,34–35.
Reddit 2008, pp. 176-177.
Wesselius 2002, para. 295.
Reddit 2008, paragraph 180.
Reddit 2008, paragraph 177.
Goldingay 1989, para. 124.
Daniel, Jewish Encyclopedia (1906).
"Us against the world - Coldplay." Retrieved 2018-01-07.

The activities of the little horn are directed exclusively against God, His truth and God's people

During the reign of the Roman Empire, the Son of God was crucified by Roman authorities. And the little horn, which absorbed all the power of the Roman Empire and its spirit, continues the activities that were characteristic of Rome.

I have seen this horn make war with the saints and overcome them. (Dan.7:21)

and he will utter words against the Most High, and oppress the saints of the Most High; He will even dream of abolishing their holidays and the law, and they will be delivered into his hand until a time and times and half a time. (Dan.7:25).

The power of the little horn will, like the Roman Empire that crucified Christ, persecute and kill the followers of God. And he will rebel against the Most High God, His law and government. And in another layer, which we will talk about later, it is said about the activities of this government:

and he ascended to the heavenly army... and even ascended to the Leader of this army... and he, casting the truth to the ground, acted and succeeded. (Dan.8:10-12).

Those. we see that the activities of the little horn are directed exclusively against God, His truth and God's people.

Remember this, because it will be a beacon for us as we explore other layers of prophecy in the book of Daniel. This is why God gives us these layers with beacons and repetitions, so that we understand exactly what and who these prophecies are talking about. And so that we do not get lost in another layer of prophecies, attributing what was said about one force to a completely different force. This will be perjury, for which we will be guilty ourselves. For God leads us in sufficient detail, gradually and quite clearly to an understanding of His truth.