More opposition for Daniel

Daniel Chapter 6

Here's an interesting thing. My New King James Version uses “satraps” in the first verse where the KJV has “princes”. The New Revised Standard Version also has “satraps”. I had to look up satrap, didn't I! The dictionary has “A subordinate ruler; especially a despotic one.” Another telling one is, “henchman.”

[Ed. Dictionary.com offers the following in their Thesaurus: governor, nabob, representative]

As I read the chapter with those definitions in mind, I thought of to-day's political scene. Perhaps nothing has changed much. I don't know a lot about lobbying of parliamentary members, but that is the practice that came to mind; and all the to-do there is about gaining power and using it.

Jealousy is illustrated in a big way in this story of Daniel and the Lions’ Den. Also illustrated is an example of using a law to bring dishonour to a “tall poppy.” But the highest authority in the land, King Darius, was able to recognise an even higher authority in God's keeping Daniel safe from the lions. The accusers had a grim fate – they were cast into the den of lions, which in their case did what lions are renowned for doing.

King Darius acknowledges the God of Daniel and makes “a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel” (Dan 6: 26). We are told that Daniel continued to prosper in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Daniel Chapter 7

Boy! This is a deep one! I wondered if Mrs. Eddy gives any interpretation of Daniel's dream/vision. It is so interesting to find this: “It is authentically said that one expositor of Daniel's dates fixed the year 1866 or 1867 for the return of Christ – the return of the spiritual idea to the material earth or antipode of heaven. It is a marked coincidence that those dates were the first two years of my discovery of Christian Science” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, p. 181:27).

This helps me somewhat in considering the message in this chapter.

We find that God is defined as “The Ancient of Days” (Dan 7: 9) and Christ as “one like the Son of man” (Dan 7: 13), although the NRSV gives a disappointing “one like a human being.” A footnote states that the Aramaic has “One like the Son of man.” Ah! A note in NRSV seems to indicate the human and the divine of Jesus Christ's demonstration: it says, “One like a human being symbolizes a new, everlasting kingdom” (my underlining). Well. I am satisfied that the visions predict the coming of the Messiah and of Christian Science.

William McKenzie must have had a clear idea of “The Ancient of Days” because he has given us a poem containing the idea in hymn 150 of the Christian Science Hymnal:

In mercy, in goodness, how great is our King;

Our tribute, thanksgiving, with glad hearts we bring.

Thou art the Renewer, the Ancient of Days,

Who givest, for mourning, the garment of praise.

We thank Thee for work in the wide harvest field,

For gladness that ripens when sorrow is healed;

Made strong with Thy goodness that meets every need,

We gather the fruit of the Sower's good seed.

Joyce Voysey