Signs and Wonders in Heaven and Earth

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 unto 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; forasmuch 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 unto 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 whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, 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 altereth not. 9. Wherefore 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 upon 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 spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, 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 altereth not. 13. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh 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 laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. 16. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. 17. And a stone was brought, and laid upon 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 musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. 19. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21. Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, 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 upon 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 brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. 25. Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto 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 stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 27. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath 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.

*Jeremiah 33:1-7, "Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city. Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first."

Persia was a land that included parts of what are now Iran and Afghanistan. Under Cyrus the Great, Darius I, Xerxes, and other leaders it became the home of great civilization, and the center of a vast empire. The name Persia came from Persis, the Greek name for the region. The Persians themselves called the region the land of the Aryans, from which the name Iran comes. The Persians called their language Aryan.

The Archaemenid Empire ruled from 549 to 331 B.C. The empire was divided into provinces called satrapies, each governed by an official called a satrap. Satraps ruled and lived like minor kings. But the king of kings, who ruled the empire from Persia, had final and absolute authority. The kings systematized the laws in various parts of the empire. Troops in the satrapies were controlled by the central government. A secret service, sometimes called the 'eyes and ears of the king,' informed the king of affairs throughout the empire.

The name Darius in Daniel chapter six is more of a title rather than the name of a person. Darius alludes to the term governor. In Aramaic it means 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction). Daniel also refers to Darius as king giving credence to the term 'satrap.' The reference to 'the son of Ahasuerus' in chapter nine indicates he was of the lineage or the children of that house but not necessarily one of the monarchs who ruled over the entire Persian empire.

Darius the Mede was given authority to rule over the kingdom of Babylon after Cyrus the Great conquered it in 539 B.C. He appointed one-hundred, twenty princes over the whole kingdom. Also, he appointed three presidents, of whom Daniel was first, to whom the princes were to report any problems in the kingdom to keep the king secure in his position.

Now Darius preferred Daniel more than all the presidents and princes because he was faithful and honest, and thought about placing him over the whole realm. This displeased the presidents and princes so they tried to find some fault in Daniel in matters of state, but they weren't able to find anything. They decided that the only thing they could charged him with was concerning the law of his God.

So the presidents and princes went together in one accord to see the king and said to him, "King Darius, live for ever. We all have agreed to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree. That decree is that whoever asks a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except you, that person should be cast into the den of lions. So you, Darius, establish the decree and sign it that it should not be changed, which is according to the law of the Medes and Persians." Therefore, king Darius agreed to the decree and signed the statute.

Even though Daniel knew that the king had agreed to the decree and signed the royal statute his faithfulness to the Lord his God never wavered. As always, he went into his house, opened his window, and prayed toward the holy temple in Jerusalem. And the nobles watched as Daniel made his petition to his God.

*Psalm 22:21-28, "Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations."

The presidents and princes went to Darius and reported what Daniel had done. When Darius realized that they had subtly conceived a plan to destroy Daniel he became distraught and tried to find some way to spare Daniel's life. His attempt was unsuccessful. By nightfall he had to agree to throw Daniel into the lion's den at the insistence of his nobles because of the decree he had signed. So Daniel was tossed to the lions, a stone was rolled over the opening, it was sealed with the king's signet ring, and Darius spent the night fasting and in prayer for his life.

Daniel's heart must have sung like David's. "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them," (*Psalm 34:1-7). God sent His angel and he closed the mouths of the lions. Not one touched him throughout the night.

In the morning Darius hurried to the lion's den and cried out, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt," (verse 20-22).

Darius was extremely happy that Daniel was alive. Then the king commanded that all the men who had accused Daniel and their families be thrown into the lion's den and the lions devoured them. "Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 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 stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions," (*Daniel 6:25-27).

Daniel was not afraid of what man could do to him. Even though the decree meant certain death he remained faithful to the God of Israel. Daniel is one of the greatest examples of faithfulness in scripture. For sixty-six years he had remained a prisoner in captivity in a land that was not of his nativity. Yet, even though he found favor among the rulers, his steadfast trust and love for the Lord remained sure. Truly he was a servant of the Living God. So Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

*Ezra 1:1-4, "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem."

&The book of Daniel is divided into two parts. The first six chapters are historical. Chapters seven through twelve are prophetical. What we have have looked at in this study is the historical portion of Daniel interspersed with the prophetical placing it in chronological order. Through the remainder of this study we will focus more on the prophetical. Please read through chapters nine to twelve asking the Holy Spirit to quicken your spirit to the living word of God. If you have been diligent in this study (reading the prophets and filling in your observations) what you read will begin to unfold before we begin. Also, please read through Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ester which we will touch upon in the next study.