DANIEL STANDING IN HIS LOT.
By Hiram Edson
According to Webster, "to stand," signifies "Not to fail or become void; to succeed; to maintain one's ground; not to fail; to be acquitted; to be safe; to appear prominent; to have relief; to stand trial is to sustain the trial or examination of a cause, rank, post, station," &c. "Lot" signifies, that which in human speech is called chance, hazard, fortune, but in strictness of language is the determination of providence; as the land shall be divided by lot. Num. xxvi. 2d. That by which the fate or portion is determined, that by which an event is committed to chance, that is to the determination of providence as to cast lots, to draw lots. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Prov. xvi. 3d. The part, division or fate which falls to one by chance, that is by divine determination. Josh. xix. Lot. v. t. To allot, to assign, to distribute, to sort, to catalogue, to portion. &c. Daniel's Lot, and the lot of the whole human family, is cast into or in other words, is referred to the judgment. In other words, the determination of divine providence relative to the fate or future eternal destiny of Daniel and the whole human family is cast into or referred to the period of the judgment when and where the fate or eternal destiny of all is determined by divine providence. The human family are all destined to stand before God in the judgment, [see Rom. xiv, 10; 2 Cor. v, 10; Rev. xx, 12.] at which time divine providence will determine the fate or future eternal destiny of all mankind. It is written, [Ps. i, 5.] "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment." That is to say, the ungodly shall not stand or endure the judgment trial; they shall not be safe nor be acquitted in the judgment trial when divine providence shall determine their fate, or future eternal destiny. But in contradistinction from this declaration to the ungodly, the blessed promise and assurance was given to Daniel, the man greatly beloved, that he should stand in his lot; that is to say, he should stand or endure the judgment trial, he should be acquitted and be safe in the judgment trial when divine providence should determine his fate or future eternal destiny. This promise or assurance to Daniel that he should stand in his lot at the end of the 2300 and 1335 days was a promise that he should stand or endure the judgment trial and be acquitted and be safe. It amounted to a blessed promise and an assurance to Daniel, the man greatly beloved, that he should have eternal life awarded to him in the judgment when divine providence should determine his fate or future eternal destiny. Daniel understood the vision [see chap. x, 1.] hence he understood that the cleansing of the Sanctuary at the end of the 2300 and 1335 days would be the canceling and atoning for and blotting out and putting away the errors and sins of the whole Israel of God, and that this would be the judging or judgment of the house of God; or in other words, it would be the time when all Israel would stand in their lot, when all Israel should be judged and acquitted and divine providence would determine and award to them eternal life. This important fact of the judgment upon the Israel of God at the end of the 2300 and 1335 days being brought before the mind of Daniel it could but be a matter of deep anxiety to Daniel to know whether he should stand or endure the judgment trial and be acquitted and be safe. How blessed then was the promise to Daniel that he should stand in his lot at the end of the days and be acquitted in the judgment trial and be safe and have eternal life.