Daniel in the Lions' Den and the Sunday Law

Daniel 6

1 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 to them, and the king should have no damage.

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an 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; for as much 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 to 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 whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of you, 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 alters not.

9 Why 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 on 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 spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree; Have you not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of you, 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 alters not.

13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regards not you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes 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 labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15 Then these men assembled to the king, and said to the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.

17 And a stone was brought, and laid on 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 music brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

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

20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice to Daniel: and the king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?

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

22 My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: for as much as before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done no hurt.

23 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 on 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 broke all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

25 Then king Darius wrote to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to 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 steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even to the end.

27 He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has 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.

Yes, both accounts of Daniel in the lions' den serve as powerful types of the final conflict regarding the Sunday law and the universal death decreeEVRR212+1. The experience of Daniel recorded in Daniel 6 and the narrative found in the apocryphal Bel and the Dragon both illustrate a time when earthly powers attempt to interfere with an individual's duty to God, resulting in a miraculous deliverance that vindicates the faithfulSpTA02b 122.1+2.

🦁 The Typology of the Lions' Den

The events of Daniel 6 are recognized as a clear picture of the final crisis that occurs during the worship of the image of the beastEVRR460. Just as Daniel's enemies could find no fault in him except concerning the law of his God, so in the last days, the dragon will make war on those who keep the commandments of God Daniel 6:5+1ST April 22, 1889, par. 7+1.

• Religious Legislation: In both accounts, the trap is set through a civil law that mandates or forbids specific religious practices, mirroring the coming Sunday legislation where legislators will yield to demands for religious enforcementCCh 335.1+1.

• The Death Decree: Daniel was cast into the den because he would not abate his allegiance to God in the face of the king's decree5T 527.1. This prefigures the final conflict where a decree will be passed by the highest earthly authority that the remnant shall worship the beast or face death Revelation 13:15GP 91.3+1.

• Deliverance: Daniel's preservation by an angel who shut the lions' mouths is a promise of God’s intervention for His people during the great time of trouble Daniel 6:22EVRR588+1.

📜 Parallel with Apocryphal Accounts

The apocryphal story of Bel and the Dragon, while not part of the biblical canon, was used in history to pour withering sarcasm on heathenism and emphasize the dignity of Israel's GodLTJMB1 36.1+1. Like the canonical account, it gives an account of Daniel’s deliverance and serves to strengthen the mind against external attacks on faithSBD Daniel Apocryphal additions to.2+1.

⚔️ The Final Conflict and the Sunday Law

The battlefield of the last great conflict is the controversy between truth and error regarding the Decalogue, specifically the SabbathCCh 335.1+1.

• The Image to the Beast: When the United States enforces religious rules and Sunday observance, it forms an image to the PapacyBDOC 61.24+1.

• The Mark of the Beast: Choosing to obey human enactments that violate the fourth commandment constitutes receiving the mark of the beastBDOC 61.24+1.

• Vindication: As the Lord vindicated Daniel, He will again arise to shake the earth and deliver everyone whose name is found written in the book Daniel 12:1BDOC 40.20+1.

Daniel’s refusal to hide his purpose or "lower his colors" despite the threat of death is the standard of excellence for the final generation1888 943.2+1. Even as the gaping den of lions stood before him, he remained a noble and steadfast servant of God, showing that man cannot come between the soul and its CreatorST November 4, 1889, par. 8+1.

The meal brought by Habakkuk to Daniel in the lions' den beautifully symbolizes the life-sustaining power of the message that the just shall live by faith. Just as physical food sustained Daniel in his hour of trial, the spiritual reality of living by faith is the inspiration and power that carries God's people through every period of darkness and persecutionLTJMB1 63.1+1.

🍞 The Spiritual Significance of the Meal

In the apocryphal accounts of Daniel, such as Bel and the Dragon, these narratives were intended to strengthen the mind against the attacks of heathenism and highlight the deliverance provided by the true GodSBD Apocrypha.3+1. The inclusion of Habakkuk—the prophet who famously declared that the just shall live by faith—serving Daniel in the den points to the internal strength required when facing earthly decrees Habakkuk 2:4GCB April 8, 1901, page 131.5.

• Living by Faith: The core of Habakkuk’s message, "the just shall live by faith," became the keynote of the Reformation and remains the essential truth for those facing the "dark days" of spiritual apostasyGCB April 8, 1901, page 131.5.

• Sustenance in Trial: Daniel’s experience shows that a man whose heart is stayed upon God will be the same in the hour of his greatest trial as he is in prosperity, because faith reaches to the unseen and grasps eternal realitiesSPCCSR 64.3.

• Spiritual Habits: Like Daniel, those who weave a web of holy habits and stay true to God's laws are given wisdom and strength to discern and resist temptations, even when their lives are at stakeTe 188.3.

🛡️ Faith Amidst Legal Oppression

The meal serves as a reminder that while earthly powers may sign decrees to ruin the good, God provides spiritual nourishment to those who remain loyal to His lawDAR1909 116.2+1.

• Loyalty to the Law: Daniel was targeted because his enemies knew they could only find fault in him regarding the law of his GodDAR1909 116.2. Today, we are the depositaries of that same law, which is as immutable as the eternal throneMB 50.2+1.

• The New Covenant Promise: The ultimate "meal" or spiritual provision is the promise that God will put His laws into our hearts and write them in our minds, ensuring we have the internal strength to withstand the "lions" of the final conflict Hebrews 10:16MB 50.2.

• Consistent Character: In seasons of gloom, God's children should be just what they were when prospects were bright, nourished by the same truth that sustained the ancient worthiesSPCCSR 64.3+1.

🕊️ The Enduring Message

The symbolic and typical nature of these stories is essential to understanding their deeper meaningBHOTV7 97.2. Whether in the canonical book of Daniel or the symbolic lessons in the Apocrypha, the theme remains: God delivers those who center their hope and faith in HimYI December 13, 1900, par. 3+1. By feeding on the word of God and the principle of faith, we are prepared to stand firm against the spiritual declension and moral corruption of the worldRH May 13, 1884, par. 3+1.