Prophet
Daniel
Daniel (620 BC - 530 BC) is the last of the four major prophets.
Daniel, of a noble Jewish family, is a teenager when he is deported to Babylon where he will exercise the service of prophet.
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Daniel Prophet
Daniel is a Jewish prophet of the sixth century BC.C. His name in Hebrew means "God judges." He is considered the last of the four great prophets of the Christian Old Testament, because his book is believed to contain prophecies about Jesus Christ. The name "Daniel" also appears in the Book of Ezekiel as a proverbial figure of sage. The prophet Ezekiel, in fact, assimilates him to Noah and Job.
Daniel is from a noble Jewish family and as a teenager is deported to Babylon, where he exercises the service of prophet. The king had dreams that frightened him. Then he issued an order that all the sages of Babylon be brought to him, so that they could give explanations. Magicians, soothsayers, astrologers, Chaldeans came but they could not give explanations. Finally Daniel was brought, and the king recounted the dreams: "If therefore you can make known its meaning, you will wear purple, you will wear a gold necklace and you will be third in the government of the kingdom" (Dn 5:16).
Daniel refused the gifts and made the meaning known to the king. Then by order of Belshazzar, Daniel was dressed in purple, the gold necklace was put around his neck and it was proclaimed that he would be third in the government of the kingdom. But on that same night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans was killed and Darius, the Medo, received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two. In Chapter 6 of the Book of Daniel it is said that Darius liked to prepose to the government of the provinces one hundred and twenty satraps headed by three ministers, one of whom was Daniel. Daniel was distinguished by his skill, so much so that the king thought of giving him authority over the whole kingdom.
Therefore, the ministers and satraps sought a pretext, a lack to be able to accuse Daniel, but they could not find either a pretext or a lack. They were cleverly looking for something about his God. And they proposed to King Darius to issue an edict: "Whoever, within thirty days, will address a prayer to any God, or man, except to you, O king, who is cast into the lions' den." Condescending to the council, King Darius signed the prohibition document.
The instigators of the decree went to Daniel and surprised him as he addressed prayers and supplications to his God and reported to the king that Daniel had dared to break the law. The king heard this, he remained very afflicted, but he put it in his heart to save Daniel. But these enemies reminded the king that whatever prohibition or command the king has made is irrevocable. Then Darius ordered that Daniel be taken and thrown into the lions' den, and the mouth be sealed with a large stone. The king spent the night fasting, towards the dawn he went in great haste to the lions' den, and when he was near it he called Daniel, who replied: "My God sent his Angel who closed the mouth of the lions and they did me no harm". The king rejoiced and ordered daniel to be taken out of the pit and he was found unharmed, for he had trusted in God.
Then the king gave orders and those who had defamed Daniel were taken and thrown into the lions' den, they, their wives and their children. They had not yet touched the bottom of the pit, which the lions threw on them and crushed all their bones.
Mysteries were revealed to Daniel concerning future events concerning his people Israel, the rebuilding of Jerusalem and Solomon's temple. He saw in vision "These enormous beasts, appeared in number of four, are four kings, who will rise on the earth, but then the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever, forever. [...]
The fourth most terrible great beast of the other three had ten horns." In the middle of these horns sprang another small horn, which had the eyes of a man and knocked down three of the previous horns; this little horn uttered great things and symbolically represents the Antichrist who will make war on the saints. The four beasts are destroyed and their bodies are burned forever.
"I was contemplating in the night visions: now come into the clouds of heaven one as a Son of Man, who advanced to the elder and was led before him, who bestowed upon him power, majesty and kingdom, so that all peoples, nations and peoples of every tongue served him. His power is an eternal power that will not pass, and his kingdom will never be destroyed." (Dn 7:13-14).
Daniel's prophecy can be considered as the point of arrival of God's intervention throughout the previous history of the Chosen People and opens new horizons for the future history of the promised Kingdom.
