The Reign Of Belshazzar
When Nebuchadnezzar recognized the God of heaven, he was restored to his throne seven years after he was cast out and the rest of his reign was blessed. However, he was soon succeeded by his son Belshazzar, who did not respect the Lord. During a wild drunken feast, he and his guests drunk out of the vessels that his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, praising their idols. In response to his dishonorable behavior, a hand appeared and wrote words in an unknown language on the wall. The king was terrified and called Daniel to translate. He told Belshazzar:
This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Tekel, and Peres. These words mean: Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it Tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting Peres, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
Then by order of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel in purple, with a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed him third in governing the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was slain. Daniel 5:25-30
The Young Men At Nebuchadnezzar’s Court
1 In the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia attacked Jerusalem and surrounded the city. 2 The Lord let him capture King Jehoiakim and seize some of the Temple treasures. He took some prisoners back with him to the temple of his gods in Babylon, and put the captured treasures in the temple storerooms.
3 The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief official, to select from among the Israelite exiles some young men of the royal family and of the noble families. 4 They had to be handsome, intelligent, well-trained, quick to learn, and free from physical defects, so that they would be qualified to serve in the royal court. Ashpenaz was to teach them to read and write the Babylonian language. 5 The king also gave orders that every day they were to be given the same food and wine as the members of the royal court. After three years of this training they were to appear before the king. 6 Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all of whom were from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
11 So Daniel went to the guard whom Ashpenaz had placed in charge of him and his three friends. 12 Test us for ten days, he said. Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.
Cross references
What Is The Story Of Daniel In The Lions’ Den
Daniel was a Jewish young man who served as a high-ranking official in the kings court, but his colleagues resented his success and favor before the king, and so it is recorded in Daniel 6 that they created a plot by which Daniels faith would land him in trouble with the law and would result in his death. When Daniel was punished for praying to God by being thrown into a den of lions, God miraculously spared his life by shutting the mouths of the lions.
This is a summary of what happened to Daniel in the lions’ den, but there are many details from the book of Daniel which add to our understanding of his story.
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Daniels Time In The Kingdom
Before we start with the lessons, lets first become acquainted again with the story of Daniel and how he found himself sealed in the lions den.
Daniels life first changed when he and his friends were taken to serve King Nebuchadnezzar in his court in Babylon, becoming advisors to the king for either the kings reign or however long the king sought fit. This was a common practice at the time for youth of royalty or prominence in the area, as the youth was trained to teach the king about the cultures of those within the Babylonian empire.
Yet Daniels time in the court was anything but ordinary, as word got around quickly of his devotion to God and his unwillingness to defile himself in any way, from what he ate to whom he swore allegiance to.
He was also conscripted to tell what certain dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar meant, and became a well-respected prophet to the king, even leading to the king praising God instead of his pagan idols.
After Nebuchadnezzars reign, his son Belshazzar became king but was later killed. King Darius then took the throne, which was where this aspect of Daniels life began.
As shared in Daniel 6:1-25, Daniel was still a favored member of the kings court, recognized for the excellent spirit within him, and he was even considered by the king for leadership over the entire advising court.
Things To Know About Daniel And The Lions’ Den
1. Daniels name means God is my judge.The name Daniel comes from the Hebrew God is my judge. The meaning of Daniels name is very appropriate for one who chose to please God rather than man. His attitude is similar to that of the apostle Paul who said: For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ . Believers can learn from these examples and say along with the parents who named Daniel: God is my judge.
2. Daniel was born in Jerusalem but taken captive to Babylon as a young man.The biblical character Daniel was born into a noble family in Jerusalem but was taken into captivity as a young man and brought to Babylon. He and several other captives were selected as being young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the kings palace and were trained for three years before officially beginning their jobs as servants of the king.
4. Daniel was above reproach in his work.The other administrators and those they managed felt resentful about Daniels success, and so plotted to bring him down somehow, but they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him . And the plotters realized they would have to figure out a way to get the king to penalize Daniel for his faith.
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Living With Lions: The Story Of Daniel
This post is the fifth installment in the Basilicas Biblical Figures series, which highlights the stories of the individuals throughout the Scriptures who are portrayed in Americas Catholic Church. While some of them inspire us with their unwavering faithfulness, others serve as sober reminders of the consequences of sin. All of them have lessons to teach us about Christian living.
As we read the story of Daniel, we can be encouraged by his example of steadfast faith and Gods providence.
Story Of Daniel And The Lions
One of the last episodes in Daniels life occurs during the Persian reign of Darius the Mede after the fall of Babylon.
Here, a group of people who wish for Daniels death manipulates the king into signing an edict prohibiting asking God for things. Daniel fails to comply and is thrown into a den with lions, from which he comes out intact.
This ends Daniels faithfulness to God and shows the whole world what Our Lord is capable of, eventually leading to the liberation of the Jews and their return to Israel.
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Only The Impossible Can Happen With God
As we witness in the latter part of Daniel 6, King Darius arrived at the lions den the next morning to find that Daniel was alive and unharmed after a night with the lions.
The king was astonished to see that Daniel was okay and was even more amazed when Daniel told him an angel of the Lord came and prevented the lions from harming him by shutting their mouths. Daniel also thanked the king for his prayerful encouragement the night before, when he told Daniel God would deliver him.
When the impossible happens in our lives, we can only attribute it to the grace and power of God. Miracles from preventing wild animals from harming a person to a restored relationship or a debt mysteriously paid off are blessings we can only recognize God for doing.
When God gives us unbelievable blessings, we can only glorify Him and share with others the powerful testimony of His blessing to us. We see this occur with Daniel and, later, King Darius and his decree to honor God.
Meaning Of Daniel In The Bible
Daniel is a very used name today and you should know that, apart from being a pretty name, it is one of the oldest known names and has a very deep meaning given its Hebrew origin.
The word Daniel can be separated in Hebrew as Dan-i-el, which literally means: God is my judge. This meaning is closely linked to the history of the biblical character since it was God who helped him and saved him from the false justice exercised by the despotic monarchs with whom he lived.
The feminine version of the name is Daniela and it means the same as the masculine one. So, if you want to have a deeply Christian name to give your children or to recommend to any loved one, Daniel and Daniela are options that you can consider.
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Daniel Oversaw The Pagan Magicians Of Babylon
Daniel is made the chief prefect of the wise men in Babylon after interpreting Nebuchadnezzars first dream .
How crazy is that? Daniel is placed in a position to oversee the people who relied on other gods to enlighten them.
But this brings up an interesting aspect of Daniel that often gets overlooked. As far as these magicians are concerned, Daniel is a freak of nature.
When Daniel is still new to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream that nobody can interpret. The king doesnt make it any easier on the magicians and diviners, eitherhe doesnt even tell them what the dream was.
You know what the magicians response is?
No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.
This is bizarre, because the Babylonians have a templeand a temple is specifically built so gods can live with humans. We know the Babylonians have a temple because thats where Nebuchadnezzar stashed the treasures of Jerusalems temple .
Yet Daniel can interpret the dream. And so guess what they start saying about Daniel? They say that a spirit of the holy gods lives within him .
In a way, God uses Daniels wisdom to show up the gods of Babylon on their own turfeven though his own temple has been destroyed by the Babylonians.
The Impossible Made Possible
The stories from the book of Daniel are testaments of faith that many consider worthy of believing and following, but the story in Daniel 6 is one that embodies the impossible feats God makes possible for those who believe Him.
As Daniel accepted his fate, even though wrongfully accused, he inspired others with his belief that God would be with him even into the lions den. His willingness to step out in faith for God even inspired the renewed faith of the king, who was amazed when he saw Daniel alive and well the next morning.
Though we may not find ourselves in a lions den anytime soon, situations in life can feel like a lions den and an escape doesnt seem possible. But that is when we must put our faith in the God who isnt shaken by circumstances and is glorified as He brings us to our breakthroughs.
The lion called life is always ready to devour us. But have faith in God like Daniel, and we will see miracles happen that only God can do.
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Daniel Was Probably In His Eighties When He Was Thrown To The Lions
Daniel was taken to Babylon as a young manlikely before he had finished puberty. So lets say he was between 10 and 18 years of age.
The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, which would put Daniel in his eighties at the beginning of Darius reign in Daniel 6. This is when the whole lions den episode takes place.
If this is the case, then we may need to update some of our Sunday school artwork! =)
Daniel Is A Government Official Under Four Kings
Daniel is made an officer in Babylon by four kings:
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Story Of Daniel For Kids
The Bible is a beautiful book that everyone can read and it is important that the little ones know it. Even so, some episodes are very crude and it is difficult to explain them verbatim to children so that they understand them.
This is the case with Daniel and his whole story because in many cases his visions and experiences can cause them fear, something that we do not want at all. So, now we are going to show you some videos that you can show to the little ones in the house so that they understand the story of Daniel without any fear.
In the following video, Daniel 1 is explained very clearly, thus serving as an introduction to the Book of Daniel for children. It is also short and is not going to be boring at all.
The best-known episode in Daniels life is the one in the lions den, so there are many versions for children that are clear and understandable.
With this episode, children can learn what it means to be faithful to God and how Daniel manages to do it despite many adversities ahead. Show this video to whoever needs it, they will surely like it!
And here we come to the end of this article about the great prophet Daniel of the Bible. Biblical history is very important, as you have seen, and studying it makes us much stronger in faith.
Daniel A Faithful Man Of God
The book of Daniel shows him to be a faithful man of God. Rather than defile themselves with food provided by King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel and his three friends chose to eat vegetables and water instead.
God blessed their effort and after a 10-day test, their appearances were found to be healthy by the steward who had been appointed over their care .
When King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to destroy all the wise men if one of them didnt tell him his dream and interpret it, Daniel and his friends asked for time so he and his three friends could beseech God in prayer to reveal this information . When God answered his prayer, Daniel remembered to praise and thank God for giving them what they had requested .
Later, Daniel again demonstrated his faith by praying to God even though he knew that doing so would endanger his life! Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed , he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days .
Daniels faithfulness to God landed him in a lions den, where his detractors were sure he would be devoured. But God sent an angel that shut the lions mouths, and Daniel was miraculously spared.
Daniels faithfulness to God landed him in a lions den, where his detractors were sure he would be devoured. But God sent an angel that shut the lions mouths , and Daniel was miraculously spared.
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When Did Daniel Live And When Was The Book Of Daniel Written
The biblical account of Daniel the prophet begins as he and other young men from Judah were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in approximately 604 B.C. This captivity of citizens of Judah in Babylon lasted for 70 years, as God had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah .
During this time, Daniel served in prominent positions in the governments of several Babylonian and Medo-Persian rulers, including Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus.
In the first year of the reign of Darius , Daniel came to understand, or simply proved to himself again, the prophecy of Jeremiah that predicted a 70-year captivity of his people . The end of the 70 years was approaching at that time.
Daniel was likely in his 80s or 90s by that time. He lived a long life, but the Bible does not tell us how old he was when he died.
Daniel wrote the book of Daniel during the sixth century B.C. Because the book of Daniel contains so many detailed prophecies of things that happened centuries later, some skeptics have suggested that it is a fraud, written much later in history.
But revealing the future is what God does.
Through Isaiah, God declares: Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure .
What Does Deuterocanonical Mean
The term deuterocanonical refers to a secondary canon of sacred books or literary works. It is most commonly applied to writings of the Christian Old Testament , which are not found in the Hebrew Bible. Consequently, the deuterocanonical books are not viewed as Scripture by Jews or by most Protestants. Deuterocanonical books are considered Scriptural by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Surprisingly, the original meaning of deuterocanonical separated these writings from non-canonical books and from protocanonical books. Protocanonical refers to books accepted early into the first canon without much controversy. Some Bible editions include both deuterocanonical and non-canonical sources in one section called the Apocrypha.
The word apocrypha comes from the Greek combination of apo and kryptein . Together, these words form apokryphos . Thus, the term referred to sacred texts considered too dignified for public consumption. It eventually became derogatory since the authority of the books was often questioned.
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