MEN, LAMBS, AND LIONS

KEY VERSES:

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. 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… Then the king arose very early in the morning, 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 forever. 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. Then was the king exceedingly 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. (Dan 6:16-23)

The Jew Daniel had become a high ranking “governor” in the Persian kingdom. Out of spite, because of jealousy, the lesser officials staged a cunning plan: They tricked King Darius into signing an irrevocable statute that was sure to “impeach” governor Daniel… permanently:  None were allowed to call on their God. The cunning snakes didn’t truly care about other religions of whom Persians were tolerant, but only the religion of Daniel. (That sounds much like those who persecute Christians to this day, and is an historical device as old as the Serpent himself!)
  Daniel was faithful to petition God thrice daily. Righteous people call such a “petition” praying. Despite Darius’s law, which he was duped into signing, Daniel still petitioned his God and broke the law of the Medes and Persians. His statutes came from God, and held precedence above the law of the land. Any righteous person, to be saved, must honor God by placing His Law above the laws of men.

  Allow me to deviate for a moment. Those Christians who ignore God’s Laws in favor of America’s civil laws would be eaten by lions, and indeed, someday may be eaten by ravenous wolves (Mat 7:15). When Christians turn their heads to God’s Will, and vote for people and parties who espouse abortion, same-sex marriage, radical feminism, legalized theft through godless socialism, and the like; they are elevating the “gods,” who are mere men, over the One True God. They do their will rather than God’s Will, and it is God’s Will which is to be done on Earth as in Heaven.
  Why would Christians vote for “beasts” that would result in themselves being eaten by wolves? For economic prosperity! One of the main points of the Bible is that prosperity is not in the land of milk and honey, but the realm of God. Essentially, anyone who places personal benefit over God’s Will have chosen their master. I submit that Christians cannot do the law of the land when God’s Law differs. If that was not true, God would have allowed Daniel to perish to the lions!

  Now back to the subject at hand: What message was relayed in the story of Daniel in the lions’ den?
  Daniel was without fault as he was accustomed to doing what God Willed rather than what the king and the people willed. As such, Daniel suffered persecution. His fate should have been destruction. Because the lions were untamed vicious beats, his death was certain, and he was all but dead. Only King Darius was concerned that a good man would die. No one else cared, and they looked forward to Daniel’s death.
  Daniel was the “lamb” to be sacrificed to the lions. There was no way that Daniel, on his own, could overcome the lions, but Daniel went into the den anyway because he knew that God would keep him safe.
  Daniel, as the sacrificial lamb, is symbolic of the Lamb of God, who is known as Jesus (John 1:29). Whereas Daniel was “excellent,” the Lamb of God Is perfect. Daniel is a type of Christ, and he was to be the sacrifice.
  Who were the lions? They were akin to those who betrayed Jesus. Those were the Pharisees (religious heretics), scribes (lawyers), and the deceived mob. Pontius Pilate was merely the gate-keeper.
  Who represented Judas Iscariot? The cunning governors. Daniel was their competitor, and it was them who were the beasts, more so than the lions. It was they that should have been thrown to the lions!
  In the case of the cross, it was Judas who was the thief. He had been stealing what belonged to God, and even took the reward for delivering the Lamb to the “lions.” Judas should have been on Calvary, but it was Jesus there instead of them. That was also the case with Daniel. The governors were the lost sheep, not Daniel who was the scape-goat for their own treachery. As both lost sheep and vicious lions, the governors’ characteristics were two-fold; they were what seems to be spiritually bi-polar, much like Judas was. Judas surely loved Jesus in that he followed him, but he loved money more. In the case of the governors, they didn’t hate Daniel, but preferred their own power over his life. Prosperity and power are often more influential in the hearts of lost men than respect for life!
  Daniel was a governor. Implied is that those he governed were governed using God’s Law over the laws of men. Jesus made that claim; he came not to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it. Hence, Jesus honored the Law of the land of Judea, but did so with love. Essentially, that was how Daniel ruled.
  The baddest (sic)  “lion” who ravished Jesus was the chief priest, and the most vicious were the scribes and Pharisees.  Jesus told Pilate that those who delivered him had the greater sin. The governors were symbolic of those with the greater sin who desired to throw Daniel to the lions. Jesus seemed to die by the hands of his “lions,” and like Daniel, he spent one night in the den of “lions.” The next morning Daniel was found alive. With Jesus, after a night with the lions, he was still safely “asleep” in his grave.
  Whereas Daniel came out unscathed because God protected him, Jesus was found mauled by the lions. Daniel was alive and well, and had never suffered. God had tamed the lions to preserve his life. On the other hand, Jesus suffered death, but God saved him! Because he shed his blood and living waters gushed from him, everyone can be saved from THE vicious Beast – Satan.
  Jesus died that Daniel need not! It was by trusting the Word (Jesus) that saved Daniel. It’s the same trust that will save all Christians from ravenous wolves or even the pretend “lion.” Why? Because Jesus is the real “Lion” and he tames the untamable!
  Darius represented Pontius Pilate. Both were chief civil governors of their land. Pilate washed his hands of Jesus’s crucifixion; he was merely obeying the law and did what he had to do. Well, the same goes for Darius. He provided the lamb for the lions, just as Pilate provided THE Lamb to the Beasts who desired his blood. He merely obeyed his own law.
  In the story of Daniel, Daniel credited God with shutting the lions’ mouths. God domesticated the lions to save an excellent but imperfect man.
  Now let’s switch symbolism for a moment. Daniel was like Jesus, but he was not Jesus! Because he was a man of God, the lions were domesticated, just as they had been back in the Garden Paradise. Hence, Daniel was more like Adam before he sinned, because in the Garden, Adam was safe from harm as he had dominion over the beasts.
  How could Daniel be both symbolic of Jesus and Adam? Because Adam, before original sin, was the image of Jesus, and in latter times, Jesus was the image of Adam. Jesus is a type of Adam as well… Adam when he was excellent, before he too became a mere “beast.”
  The nature of animals is important in Christology. In the Garden of Eden, they were tame. Like Adam, they too were herbivores. Adam had dominion over them! It is assumed that when Adam was cast out of Paradise, that some animals were as well, for his use. It makes sense that some animals were saved from perishing just as with Adam. Why so? Because in the heavenly Paradise, the lion will lie down with the lamb.

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isa 35:8-10)

  Since animals do not have souls, then, the animals in Heaven should be the same animals that Adam loved! The ones who left the Garden became vicious and turned on their master. Since that time, mankind has had to fight for dominance over the animals. With Daniel, God placed him in the same esteem as Adam. He had dominion over the beasts!
  Daniel spent one night in the lions’ den, and he rested peacefully. He overcame death because God protected him. God pacified the lions, and Daniel came out alive, although reasonable people must admit that he should have been dead! John 3:16 says that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “Whosoever” that night was Daniel. Why did God save him? Because he trusted God, and should not perish!
  Rational people should believe that evil people be penalized. Mankind deserves death for murdering God. We weren’t there, but when people sin, it is hating God, and that is as murder (1 John 3:15). Those who think that they are good are accomplices to killing God; albeit mankind failed even that task. God suffered death, but is still alive in Heaven, where he both loves and judges.
  Daniel was judged worthy of living because he refused to bow to the king. Christians are considered worthy of living if we bow to the Supreme King! He protected Daniel, who should have died, because he was merely excellent and not perfect. Most Christians are far from excellent, and are more deserving of death than Daniel, yet we too should not perish! Daniel also represents faithful Christians! There is much typology in the story of Daniel’s salvation.
  Whereas, Daniel spent one peaceful night in the den with a sealed door, Jesus spent three peaceful nights, also asleep, in Joseph’s den. Like Daniel in the lions’ den, Jesus too was sealed in the Lions’ den, according to scripture, which was his own tomb:

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (Rev 5:5)

  As is written therein, Jesus is THE Lion of Judah just as Daniel was the son of Judah. Whereas the lions were outside Jesus’s den, they were inside with Daniel. God will take care of the lions for us whether they be within or without.  Some of us are attacked by lions from the outside, and others from the inside. Either way, God will take care of the lions, wherever they are, when people trust in Him!
  While Daniel was in the lions’ den, his soul was protected therein as well. God’s Holy Spirit was with him in his time of trouble, and there was no trouble; there was nothing but peace! With Jesus, his flesh was in the “den” where the lions could not get to him, but all the while his Holy Ghost was overcoming the pretender to Lion King. The Holy Ghost was delivering all the sins of mankind to the Beast himself. The walls of the tomb kept his body from harm from the beasts who despised him, but all the while, the Holy Ghost was doing his business unperturbed.
  After one day, Daniel came from the grave unharmed with not a wound. After three days, Jesus came from his grave with the evidence of his battle with the lions as his scars were showing. Jesus was maimed, scarred, and murdered by the beasts so that Daniel and Christians should not be!
  During the Christian era, the Romans fed Christians to the lions. It seemed that they died, but those Christians who were killed by lions in the public arena are yet alive in Heaven. Their flesh which was mauled by lions, will someday be made “entirely good” (Gen 1:31) again; the regeneration which is called “glorification.”
  I don’t care for the weak translation that God created everything “very good.” He created it “entirely good” (Strong’s Dictionary). Daniel was “excellent.” That is not entirely, but very good.
  Daniel in the lions’ den was in Paradise like Adam’s. Isaiah described heavenly Paradise in the following manner:

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. (Isa 65:25)

  Daniel was with the lions the same as lambs will lie with wolves in Heaven. Since Paradise is entirely good wherever it is, it is reasonable to assume that in the Garden of Eden, that wolves and lambs were docile to each other, and that lions ate straw as a young bull would. The lions in their den with Daniel had their desire for meat squelched by God. They became as young bulls; those kine who are content with hay. Daniel was in Paradise for a short time, safely protected inside the walls of the den, and dominant to the creatures.
  It should be obvious that the governors were condemning Daniel to a type of Hell where he would perish. Instead Jesus protected him as if he was in the paradise of the Garden again.
  When Christians are true to the Will of God, He puts around them a wall of safety until the real Beast and his demon beasts are dead.  A stone was laid at the mouth of the lions’ den to keep Daniel from escaping, and to keep from rescue. A stone was rolled over the mouth of Jesus’s tomb to keep the “beasts” from maiming him in death by stealing his body for more tribulation. They thought they were keeping a man posing to be dead from escaping as well! All the while, the purpose was to demonstrate to the Jews that Jesus can be maimed, but can never be killed, because His Father in Heaven protects him. Just as Daniel, Jesus emerged from the grave completely healthy but with scars to show his ordeal.
  Sometimes the comparisons must end, but the main points are that if Daniel and Jesus can escape eternal death, that all Christians can also have eternal life. Jesus trusted his Father, and Daniel his God. That is all that Christians need do. I pray each day that Jesus protect me from the “roaring” lion out to devour me (1 Pet 5:8).

Daniel in Lions' Den: credit pininterest