Daniel - episode 2

You will see the Son of Man

We conclude the Book of Daniel reading with some excerpts that represent well its contents: the first one is from the narrative section (chapters 1-6), the second and the third one are from the “apocalyptic” «visions» (chapters 7-12).
King Darius succeeds to Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son, and puts in charge Daniel as chief administrator of the whole kingdom. Some envious officials look for ways to discredit Daniel; since in his work he is honest and above reproach, the only excuse left is the religious one. By fraud, the king is persuaded to issue an irrevocable decree that prohibits any prayer or petition (except to the king) for thirty days. «Then they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him. Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed.” Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.” 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 nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting. No musical instruments were brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions. When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?”



Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me; because as before him innocence was found in me; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king commanded, 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 mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den» (Dan 6,14-25). Even in this case the pagan king has to pronounce a beautiful confession of faith to the «God of Daniel»: I invite you to read it in Dan 6,26-28.
Here is instead an example of apocalyptic vision: «Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another. [...] “I watched until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came out from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set. The books were opened. [...] “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom that which will not be destroyed» (Dan 7,2-3.9-10.13-14). The animals may symbolize the four great kingdoms that succeeded until the time of the Author of the Book of Daniel: Babylonians, Medes, Persians and the Greeks of Alexander the Great. The last beast has several horns, one of them «had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogant things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom» (Dan 7,20-22). This is probably King Antiochus IV, who caused so much pain to God’s people at the time of the Maccabees. However, his and the other animals’ power is destined to end up at the appointed time, thanks to the intervention of God (the Ancient of days). The mysterious «son of man» seems to be a powerful messenger of God with messianic traits. This title is very different from the one that is often used in the Book of Ezekiel to name the prophet himself (see Ezekiel - episode 1): in that case its meaning is “man” (expressing Ezekiel’s belonging to the human community and the distance between him and the Lord’s Glory). In the Book of Daniel, instead, it indicates a figure who was given a divine and «everlasting» power. Jesus is inspired by the Book of Daniel when he attributes himself the title of «Son of Man», especially (and paradoxically), in the moment in which he seems to have failed his mission (the Passion): «The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”» (Matt 26,63-64; see even Matt 9,6; 10,23; 12,8; 13,41; 16,27-28; 19,28; 24,27-44; 25,31).
Daniel even announces the definitive victory of good, after «a time of trouble» (Dan 12,1): «Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. […] But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end […]”» (Dan 12,2.4). Only Jesus, «the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David» (Rev 5,5; see 5,1-10), will be able to break the seals of the full and definitive Revelation, in the last Book of the New Testament.
In the next post we will begin to read the Book of the Twelve Prophets.