Many people in the Old Testament are types of Christ that point to Him. We think of Joseph, Moses, David, and other well-known people. The prophet Daniel is also one of them. This is particularly evident in the sixth chapter of his book. Let’s look at some parallels between Daniel and the Lord Jesus:
- There was an extraordinary spirit in Daniel. He surpassed the other rulers and satraps of the Medo-Persian Empire (Dan 6:3). – There was more oil of gladness on Christ than on his companions because His life was perfect (Ps 45:7). His enemies testified that no man ever spoke like this man (Jn 7:46). He surpassed them all.
- The ruler Darius wanted to place capable Daniel over the whole kingdom (Dan 6:3). – Christ, on whom the power of the Spirit rests sevenfold is to rule over the earth in righteousness according to the counsel of God (Isa 11:1, 2, 4, 5).
- The leaders were envious of Daniel and feared for their influence. That is why they wanted to go after Daniel (Dan 6:4). – The religious leaders in Israel were jealous of Jesus and worked against Him because He influenced the people more than they did. When Jesus was handed over to Pilate by the elders of the Jews, the Roman governor recognized that they had acted out of envy (Mt 27:18; Mk 15:10).
- Because Daniel was faithful, his enemies could not find any reason to accuse him, neither any bad deed, nor any fault (Dan 6:5). – People were unable to find a single sin in the One who is called “Faithful and True”, even though they were waiting to hunt something out of His mouth (Rev 19:11; Jn 8:46; Lk 11:54).
- The enemies acted cunningly and wanted to bring Daniel into conflict with the commandments of the ruler (Dan 6:6-8). They knew well how faithful Daniel was to the law of God. – The religious leaders tried to find reasons to accuse Christ to the Roman occupying power. They therefore asked Him whether it was permissible to pay taxes to the emperor. They thought that His faithfulness to the law of Moses would tempt Him to answer this tricky question incorrectly, making Himself vulnerable (Lk 20:20-26; Lk 23:2).
- Daniel was a man of prayer: he knelt in his upper room three times a day and prayed by the open window. He did this even after the edict had been issued, “that whoever petitions any god or man for 30 days except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions” (verse 7). His enemies caught him praying and denounced him on the same day (Dan 6:10-12). – The entire life of the Lord Jesus was characterized by prayer. The gospels give a particularly impressive account of how Jesus prayed to His Father three times in the Garden of Gethsemane in facing His death. Shortly afterwards, He was arrested and brought to court on the same day and sentenced to death (Mt 26:37-46).
- Daniel’s enemies were in a great hurry when it came to their murderous intrigues directed against the prophet of God (Dan 6:7, 12, 16). – The Jewish leaders could not be quick enough for Jesus to be put on trial: The first court session was already scheduled on the night of His arrest. The trial took place at lightning speed and at nine o’clock in the morning the Roman governor announced the verdict: execution on the cross (Mk 15:15, 25).
- Daniel’s enemies had no authority to condemn him to death. That is why they came to Darius with their sinister intentions, who had only Cyrus over him (Dan 6:13, 29). – The Jews were not allowed to carry out the death penalty and therefore went to the Roman governor Pilate, who was subordinate to the Roman emperor (Jn 18:31).
- The rulers and satraps told Darius that Daniel had to be put to death according to the law and portrayed him as someone who wanted to rebel against the king (Dan 6:12, 13). – The Jews told Pilate that Jesus had to die as a blasphemer according to the law of Moses (Jn 19:7) and gave the impression that Jesus was acting like a revolutionary: “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King” (Luke 23:2).
- The weak king Darius wanted to save Daniel and made every effort to do so (Dan 6:14). – Pilate tried several times to release Jesus (Jn 18:39, 40; 19:12).
- When Daniel’s enemies realized that Darius did not want to condemn his faithful servant, they pointed out to the king that the laws of the Medes and Persians could not be changed. Even Darius could not get around this unscathed (Dan 6:15). – When the Jews saw, that Pilate did not want to condemn the Lord Jesus, they shouted at the governor and said, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend.” (Jn 19:12).
- The king gave in to the colonels’ insistence because he wanted to retain his influence and power. In doing so, he acted against his conscience (Dan 6:16). – Pilate did not want to fall out with the Roman emperor and therefore pronounced the death sentence on Jesus, even though he was convinced of His innocence (Jn 19:13, 16).
- Daniel was thrown into a terrible pit after his condemnation (Dan 6:16). – Jesus Christ came to the cross in a “horrible pit” (Ps 40:2; 69:15).
- Hungry lions were lurking in the pit into which Daniel fell. This means certain death (Dan 6:16). – Christ encountered the devil, who has the power of death, on the cross at Golgotha (Heb 2:14). There He fell into the jaws of the “roaring lion” (cf. Ps 22:13; 1 Pet 5:8).
- Darius called down to Daniel to ask God to save him. This must have rung like irony in Daniel’s ears, as the king was not able to execute his command (Dan 6:16). – The crucified Christ was mocked with the words: “He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him” (Mt 27:43).
- A stone was rolled on the opening of the lions’ den and sealed by sovereign authority (Dan 6:17). – The large stone in front of the Lord’s tomb was sealed with a seal, which Pilate had expressly approved (Mt 27:64-66).
- King Darius could not sleep that night; he fasted mournfully (Dan 6:18). – After the Lord was crucified, the disciples mourned, who – like Pilate – would also have preferred to prevent the Lord’s death (Jn 16:20). The bridegroom’s companions fasted because the bridegroom was no longer with them (Mk 2:20).
- The king hurriedly and sadly went to the pit at dawn. He doubted that he would find Daniel alive (Dan 6:19, 20). – The disciples came hastily to the tomb of Jesus early on the first day of the week; they were sad and did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus (Jn 20:1-15).
- Daniel was brought out of the lions’ den unharmed because he had done no wrong and had trusted his God (Dan 6:22, 23). – The legs of the dead Savior were not broken because He had walked in perfect ways (Ex 12:46; Ps 34:20). He, who had lived piously, did not see decay, and was brought up from the lowest parts of the earth after three days (Jn 19:33-37; Ps 16:10; Eph 4:9; Heb 5:7).
- Standing at the tomb, Darius recognized that Daniel had been rescued from the lions by God’s power and rejoiced (Dan 6:22, 23). – At the tomb of Jesus, the disciples learned that Jesus had been heard from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen (cf. Ps 22:21). How they rejoiced when they saw the risen Lord (Jn 20:20)!
- Those who were responsible for Daniel’s death were put to death with their families by the very power they had used to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den (Dan 6:24). – In the year 70, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and many Jews were killed. The blood of Christ came upon them and upon their children (Lk 21:20-24; 23:27-31).
- A message of peace was then sent to all nations. God’s reign was proclaimed, and Daniel’s deliverance was praised (Dan 6:25-27). – After the glorification of Jesus, peace is proclaimed to those near and far, the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and the resurrection of Jesus is testified to (Eph 2:17; Acts 4:33; 28:31 etc.).
- It is then reported that Daniel had good success in his governmental affairs (Dan 6:28). – In the hand of the glorified Christ the good pleasure of the LORD prospers (Isa 53:10).
If we allow these astonishing parallels to influence us, we are encouraged to seek the Lord Jesus even more in the Old Testament examples and to be impressed by His life and ministry. We remember the great and motivating words of our Lord: “You search the Scriptures … and these are they which testify of Me” (Jn 5:39).