Daniel in the Lions' Den

Daniel the Prophet was one of the greatest men in history.....Taken captive as a teenager to the world capital, Babylon, he lived to the ripe old age of 90 years. He lived through the entire span of the first world empire and saw the rise of the second great empire of Medo-Persia. Daniel was shown the future course of history right down to the end of the world. His predictions have never been disproved. So accurate were his predictions that skeptics have said that the Book of Daniel must have been written hundreds of years later....Daniel is the only man in the entire Bible that God calls "greatly beloved" (Daniel 10:11).

Imagine Daniel's surprise when the king of the Persian forces that conquered Babylon was named . . . Cyrus. This Cyrus (who reigned as co-rex with King Darius) would be crowned sole king just 3 short years later, and he would issue the famous proclamation ending the Babylonian Captivity and sending the Jews back to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. Cyrus was named in the Book of Isaiah written 200 years earlier!!

During this short interval, king Darius appointed Daniel to a high position within the new government and was going to promote him even higher:

Satan filled the other princes with envy. He wanted Daniel dead . . . dead . . . dead, because Daniel was revealing all his diabolical plans for the future.

These men tried to find some fault with Daniel in order to frame him but found . . . nothing. No skeletons in his closet. No drug use, extra-marital affairs, cheating on his taxes, bribes etc., etc. Daniel never looked at the Babylonian equivalent of pornographic sites on the Internet!!!!

These men were very cunning and subtle but the only thing that they could find wrong with him is that he prayed too much!! They went to the king with a decree that nobody should pray to any god or man but the king for 30 days. Unaware of their plan to destroy Daniel the king signed the decree:

These men in their desperation to destroy the Prophet were willing to ignore and shut down their own religious system and heap insults on their own gods in order to trap Daniel. Nobody could go to the pagan temple and light a candle before their favorite idol for 30 days. The false gods were all sent on vacation . . . for a month.

Daniel in the lions' den is a type of the true Church at the end of time.

He was nearing the end of a long and successful career. He was a top official and only 3 years remained before the great Decree of King Cyrus would end the Babylonian Captivity and set the captives free. But what happened? So close to final victory yet he was thrown into the den of lions and would have been lion chow if God had not intervened to save him. St. Peter says:

That roaring lion will be taken off his leash — loosed from his prison — just before Jesus comes. This is the Last Great Inquisition — the ultimate weapon of mass destruction!!

The Second Coming of Christ is like D-Day!!

Daniel mentions a period of 1335 days and another period of 1390 days concerning the end of the world. We believe that the Second Coming of Christ is like D-Day — Deliverance for the believers — Doom for the unbelievers.

The closest analogy to that blessed event is the Allied invasion of Fortress Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Everybody know that the invasion would take place in that year. Due to the poor weather in the English Channel there was a very small window of opportunity. This was limited to a few months during the Summer. General Eisenhower, as Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, was the only man in the world who could make the final decision to begin the invasion.

General Eisenhower, the ONLY man in the world who could give the final command to invade Fortress Europe.

The "longest day" June 6, 1944, Allies invade France after the "O.K. lets go" from General Eisenhower.

God the Father in Heaven is the only one in the universe who will make the final decision to send Captain Jesus to rescue the true believers . . . and destroy the persecutors.

In order to get control of the king — the U.S. Government — the Vatican sent their system on vacation for the past 40 years....At Vatican Council II, all the deeply held dogmas were dismissed — put on hold — during this momentous time. Here is a brief list of some of the major changes:

Pre-Vatican Council II	Post Vatican Council II
There is no salvation outside the "church" of Rome.	All religions will eventually lead to God if your are sincere....Mother Teresa encouraged Hindus to be "good" Hindus, Muslims to be "good" Muslims etc., etc.
Protestants are "heretics."	Protestants are "separated brethren."
Mass in Latin.	Mass in English.
Roman Catholics forbidden to marry outside their religion.	Marriage with anybody is O.K.
Evolution is a fable....In 1950, Pope Pius XII issued an Encyclical condemning evolution as a fable!!	Evolution is true.
Cremation is forbidden.	Cremation is O.K.
Mariolity and Fatima is encouraged.	Fatima is downplayed.
Prayer to the saints is encouraged.	Most of the saints are demoted including the Great St. Patrick.

The entire text of Daniel chapter 6

IT pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

2 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.

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because can excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

4 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.

5 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.

6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

7 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 of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 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.

9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime.

11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 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 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.

13 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.

14 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.

15 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.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments
of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

20 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?

21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

22 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.

23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

26 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 for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

27 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.

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.