Jesus in Daniel in the lions den

Following from the previous post, lets continue at Daniel 6.

If you've read any other posts on here, you've grasped the fact that everything in the Bible points to Christ and the Gospel.

Lets look at how Daniel is a picture of the Christ to come, approximately 548 years later:

Just like Jesus, Daniel faces opposition from the local leaders of his day. Jesus often received hostility from the Saduccees and Pharisees, who made up the Jewish council. (Daniel 6:4 "...so the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel...").

Similarly, Mark 3:2 states "some Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus..." Verse 6 states, "then the Pharisees went out and began to make plans with the Herodians. They wanted to kill Jesus."

The religious leaders of Jesus' day were unable to find fault with Him despite their efforts. In Luke 23:4  after interrogating Jesus, Pilate declared "I find no fault in this man" The Lord Jesus is perfect, without blemish or spot.

In the same way we are told about Daniel in Daniel 6:4 that the governors "could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him."

Daniel 6:5 tells us how the governors had to revert to looking for fault in Daniel concerning the law of God: "we shall not find any charge against Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God"

How often in the gospels did the Pharisees and Saducees look to trap Jesus through using the law of God. 

John 8:3-6 ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” ⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. 

Daniel 6:16-17

¹⁶ So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” ¹⁷ Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Here we can see the obvious illustration of Christ's crucifixion death and burial in the tomb. Lets take each verse in turn:

Verse 16:

Verse 16 tells us that it was the king who gave the command to cast Daniel into the lions den. We know from verse 14 that the king was reluctant to give judgment on Daniel and wanted to deliver him.

In the same way, God forsook Christ and caused Him to be crucified upon the cross and die. God did not want to do this, but He knew that the death of His only Son was the only way salvation could come to us.

Verse 17:

Just as the stone was laid on the mouth of the lions den and sealed, we are told in Matthew 27 how the stone was laid over Jesus' tomb. Matthew 27:66 states: "So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard."

Daniel 6:23-24

²³ Now the king was 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 injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
²⁴ And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

Finally we can see the resemblance between Daniel and Jesus in verses 23 and 24.

Verse 23:

The den represents Hades, the place were Jesus visited when he died on the cross, during the period between His death and His resurrection. 

Ephesians 4:9-10 ^"(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first^[a] descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)."

We are told in Revelation 1:18 that whilst Jesus was in Hades He defeated death and death had no power over Him. "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

We know from Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. Sin is death. The reason we all die is because we have all sinned. However, Jesus had not. Jesus is perfect, and therefore death had no affect over Him. This is why He was able to defeat death. Not only did death not have affect over Him, but also He defeated death so that we can be set free of it too. He set the captives free. 

This is why after 3 days He was able to raise again - because He had no sin in Him. After 3 days He was risen by the power of God and was exalted on high. 

Verse 24:

The lions had no affect over Daniel, because Daniel was found innocent before God. In the same way, death had no affect over Jesus because He was innocent and sinless. However, we can see in verse 24 that the lions devoured the governors and their families before they even touched the bottom of the pit. In the same way, we are all sinners and have all committed wrongs, therefore we will be devoured in hell, if we were to die as we are. 

Death certainly does have an affect over us, and we cannot escape it. This is why it is absolutely imperative that we put our trust in Christ Jesus, to ensure that through putting our trust in Him, the man who defeated death and set the captives free, we too will escape the wiles of death and the teeth of the lions and be saved.

-BACChristian