Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah 2:1

Cast Into the Lions’ Den

When Darius understands what is happening, how he fell into a trap, he blames himself. He tortures his brain for a solution if something could redeem Daniel. It is about something that can free him from his own laws. But that is impossible. The longer he thinks, the more it becomes clear how much he is a slave to his own laws. That makes the big man very weak at the same time. Nebuchadnezzar did not have such laws.

The men, with some contempt called “these men” (Daniel 6:15), not only keep an eye on Daniel, but they also keep an eye on Darius. They know his predilection for Daniel. They notice how much the king is looking for ways to free Daniel from the lions. But that will not happen. Hypocritically, they remind him that nothing should be changed about a law of the Medes and Persians. Then Darius can do nothing but cast Daniel into the lions’ den. Before he lets him be cast into it, he expresses his confidence that the God Who is constantly or persistently honored by Daniel will redeem him. At the same time Darius confirms that Daniel did nothing to deserve the lion’s den. He justifies Daniel before his prosecutors.

When Daniel is cast into the pit, a stone is placed on it that is sealed with the signet ring of the king and with the signet rings of his nobles. Daniel’s’ fate is sealed in several ways and is immutable. Liberation from outside is impossible and inside death is present in all its horror. After this act, the king moves to his palace. The man who has set down that he must function as a god for thirty days has no rest. That is not because he receives so many requests from people, but because his conscience tortures him. He refuses to be distracted and he can’t sleep. Thus the night passes for him.

There is a parallel to be drawn between Darius and Pilate. Just as Darius has been manipulated by his commissioners and satraps to kill Daniel, so the Jews manipulated Pilate to condemn and kill the Lord Jesus (John 19:12-16). Just as Darius seals the stone of the den, which is a grave for Daniel, so Pilate has secured and sealed the grave of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 27:65-66). That Pilate washes his hands in innocence (Matthew 27:24) does not wash away his sin. We don’t read about Pilate that he had a sleepless night of it, but his wife had. Darius has no rest that night, just like Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19).

Zephaniah 2:2

Cast Into the Lions’ Den

When Darius understands what is happening, how he fell into a trap, he blames himself. He tortures his brain for a solution if something could redeem Daniel. It is about something that can free him from his own laws. But that is impossible. The longer he thinks, the more it becomes clear how much he is a slave to his own laws. That makes the big man very weak at the same time. Nebuchadnezzar did not have such laws.

The men, with some contempt called “these men” (Daniel 6:15), not only keep an eye on Daniel, but they also keep an eye on Darius. They know his predilection for Daniel. They notice how much the king is looking for ways to free Daniel from the lions. But that will not happen. Hypocritically, they remind him that nothing should be changed about a law of the Medes and Persians. Then Darius can do nothing but cast Daniel into the lions’ den. Before he lets him be cast into it, he expresses his confidence that the God Who is constantly or persistently honored by Daniel will redeem him. At the same time Darius confirms that Daniel did nothing to deserve the lion’s den. He justifies Daniel before his prosecutors.

When Daniel is cast into the pit, a stone is placed on it that is sealed with the signet ring of the king and with the signet rings of his nobles. Daniel’s’ fate is sealed in several ways and is immutable. Liberation from outside is impossible and inside death is present in all its horror. After this act, the king moves to his palace. The man who has set down that he must function as a god for thirty days has no rest. That is not because he receives so many requests from people, but because his conscience tortures him. He refuses to be distracted and he can’t sleep. Thus the night passes for him.

There is a parallel to be drawn between Darius and Pilate. Just as Darius has been manipulated by his commissioners and satraps to kill Daniel, so the Jews manipulated Pilate to condemn and kill the Lord Jesus (John 19:12-16). Just as Darius seals the stone of the den, which is a grave for Daniel, so Pilate has secured and sealed the grave of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 27:65-66). That Pilate washes his hands in innocence (Matthew 27:24) does not wash away his sin. We don’t read about Pilate that he had a sleepless night of it, but his wife had. Darius has no rest that night, just like Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19).

Zephaniah 2:3

Cast Into the Lions’ Den

When Darius understands what is happening, how he fell into a trap, he blames himself. He tortures his brain for a solution if something could redeem Daniel. It is about something that can free him from his own laws. But that is impossible. The longer he thinks, the more it becomes clear how much he is a slave to his own laws. That makes the big man very weak at the same time. Nebuchadnezzar did not have such laws.

The men, with some contempt called “these men” (Daniel 6:15), not only keep an eye on Daniel, but they also keep an eye on Darius. They know his predilection for Daniel. They notice how much the king is looking for ways to free Daniel from the lions. But that will not happen. Hypocritically, they remind him that nothing should be changed about a law of the Medes and Persians. Then Darius can do nothing but cast Daniel into the lions’ den. Before he lets him be cast into it, he expresses his confidence that the God Who is constantly or persistently honored by Daniel will redeem him. At the same time Darius confirms that Daniel did nothing to deserve the lion’s den. He justifies Daniel before his prosecutors.

When Daniel is cast into the pit, a stone is placed on it that is sealed with the signet ring of the king and with the signet rings of his nobles. Daniel’s’ fate is sealed in several ways and is immutable. Liberation from outside is impossible and inside death is present in all its horror. After this act, the king moves to his palace. The man who has set down that he must function as a god for thirty days has no rest. That is not because he receives so many requests from people, but because his conscience tortures him. He refuses to be distracted and he can’t sleep. Thus the night passes for him.

There is a parallel to be drawn between Darius and Pilate. Just as Darius has been manipulated by his commissioners and satraps to kill Daniel, so the Jews manipulated Pilate to condemn and kill the Lord Jesus (John 19:12-16). Just as Darius seals the stone of the den, which is a grave for Daniel, so Pilate has secured and sealed the grave of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 27:65-66). That Pilate washes his hands in innocence (Matthew 27:24) does not wash away his sin. We don’t read about Pilate that he had a sleepless night of it, but his wife had. Darius has no rest that night, just like Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19).

Zephaniah 2:4

Taken up Out of the Lions’ Den

When early in the morning, Darius goes to the den, the grave of Daniel, it turns out that Daniel is still alive. Early in the morning it also appears that the Lord Jesus lives. Daniel is here a picture of the Lord Jesus in His resurrection. When the nations become aware of this, they will acknowledge that He has the rule. With Darius we see that in Daniel 6:25-27.

That Darius goes to the den and speaks to Daniel is quite special. Normally there is no reason to believe that Daniel would be alive. The punishment was not without reason to be thrown into the lions’ den. It was impossible to imagine a more certain death. Yet Darius must have felt something of the power of the God of Daniel. He can only have this feeling through his contact with Daniel and what he may have learned about Him from other sources. He addresses Daniel several times as a worshiper and servant of God. He has seen in the life of Daniel Who God is and of what He is capable. Then it is inevitable that this God is also able to redeem Daniel from the lions.

At the king’s request Daniel testifies that his God has sent His angel who has shut the lions’ mouth (cf. Acts 12:11). We read more about the lion’s mouth in Scripture. David rescued his sheep from the lions’ mouth (1 Samuel 17:34-35). This is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who rescues his sheep from the lion’s mouth, that is to say from the power of the devil, for he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He cares about them (cf. Amos 3:12).

The Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth when He hangs on the cross and evil people slander Him: “They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion” (Psalms 22:13). He asked His God to be saved from this: “Save me from the lion’s mouth” (Psalms 22:21a) and was answered: “You answer me” (Psalms 22:21c). “He was heard because of His piety” (Hebrews 5:7). God has heard Him by raising Him from the dead. This is evident in the very rest of Psalm 22.

The fact that the Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth means that He entered into the circumstances of His own. What His own experience, He also experienced and therefore He can sympathize with them. His attitude in it is our example, for while He experienced the lion’s mouth He relied upon the LORD, as is also said here of Daniel (Daniel 6:24). Paul also speaks about being “rescued out of the lion’s mouth” (2 Timothy 4:17). He stands before the world ruler Nero, but is aware that the Lord stands with him. We are also dealing with world rulers who increasingly show the character of roaring and destructive lions.

There is another aspect to the deliverance of Daniel from the lions. That other aspect is his faith. For we read of a faith by which believers “shut the mouths of lions” (Hebrews 11:33). In the midst of the lions, he had rest in his trust in God. In Psalms 57 we read how David sings of his experiences and talks about lying down “among lions” (Psalms 57:4). Daniel had that faith and God responded to it by sending His angel. But Daniel does not boast of his faith towards Darius. Before Darius he honors God Who delivered him from the lions’ mouths.

Daniel says that his innocence is the reason that the lions did not harm him. This is also found when he is taken out of the den. This is the same as what has been found with the three friends when they come out of the furnace of blazing fire (Daniel 3:27). He has done nothing against the LORD, nor against the king. This testimony of innocence and his being delivered from any injury will also be given by the faithful remnant of Israel. They can give that testimony because Christ, the true Innocent, has borne the guilt of the remnant.

Because Daniel was in the lion’s den, the requirement of the law has been met. Now he can be delivered from it again, taken up out of it. As said, that is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He is risen because everything that the law demands of man is fulfilled in Him and through Him in His death. Therefore He could be raised up by God.

Zephaniah 2:5

Taken up Out of the Lions’ Den

When early in the morning, Darius goes to the den, the grave of Daniel, it turns out that Daniel is still alive. Early in the morning it also appears that the Lord Jesus lives. Daniel is here a picture of the Lord Jesus in His resurrection. When the nations become aware of this, they will acknowledge that He has the rule. With Darius we see that in Daniel 6:25-27.

That Darius goes to the den and speaks to Daniel is quite special. Normally there is no reason to believe that Daniel would be alive. The punishment was not without reason to be thrown into the lions’ den. It was impossible to imagine a more certain death. Yet Darius must have felt something of the power of the God of Daniel. He can only have this feeling through his contact with Daniel and what he may have learned about Him from other sources. He addresses Daniel several times as a worshiper and servant of God. He has seen in the life of Daniel Who God is and of what He is capable. Then it is inevitable that this God is also able to redeem Daniel from the lions.

At the king’s request Daniel testifies that his God has sent His angel who has shut the lions’ mouth (cf. Acts 12:11). We read more about the lion’s mouth in Scripture. David rescued his sheep from the lions’ mouth (1 Samuel 17:34-35). This is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who rescues his sheep from the lion’s mouth, that is to say from the power of the devil, for he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He cares about them (cf. Amos 3:12).

The Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth when He hangs on the cross and evil people slander Him: “They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion” (Psalms 22:13). He asked His God to be saved from this: “Save me from the lion’s mouth” (Psalms 22:21a) and was answered: “You answer me” (Psalms 22:21c). “He was heard because of His piety” (Hebrews 5:7). God has heard Him by raising Him from the dead. This is evident in the very rest of Psalm 22.

The fact that the Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth means that He entered into the circumstances of His own. What His own experience, He also experienced and therefore He can sympathize with them. His attitude in it is our example, for while He experienced the lion’s mouth He relied upon the LORD, as is also said here of Daniel (Daniel 6:24). Paul also speaks about being “rescued out of the lion’s mouth” (2 Timothy 4:17). He stands before the world ruler Nero, but is aware that the Lord stands with him. We are also dealing with world rulers who increasingly show the character of roaring and destructive lions.

There is another aspect to the deliverance of Daniel from the lions. That other aspect is his faith. For we read of a faith by which believers “shut the mouths of lions” (Hebrews 11:33). In the midst of the lions, he had rest in his trust in God. In Psalms 57 we read how David sings of his experiences and talks about lying down “among lions” (Psalms 57:4). Daniel had that faith and God responded to it by sending His angel. But Daniel does not boast of his faith towards Darius. Before Darius he honors God Who delivered him from the lions’ mouths.

Daniel says that his innocence is the reason that the lions did not harm him. This is also found when he is taken out of the den. This is the same as what has been found with the three friends when they come out of the furnace of blazing fire (Daniel 3:27). He has done nothing against the LORD, nor against the king. This testimony of innocence and his being delivered from any injury will also be given by the faithful remnant of Israel. They can give that testimony because Christ, the true Innocent, has borne the guilt of the remnant.

Because Daniel was in the lion’s den, the requirement of the law has been met. Now he can be delivered from it again, taken up out of it. As said, that is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He is risen because everything that the law demands of man is fulfilled in Him and through Him in His death. Therefore He could be raised up by God.

Zephaniah 2:6

Taken up Out of the Lions’ Den

When early in the morning, Darius goes to the den, the grave of Daniel, it turns out that Daniel is still alive. Early in the morning it also appears that the Lord Jesus lives. Daniel is here a picture of the Lord Jesus in His resurrection. When the nations become aware of this, they will acknowledge that He has the rule. With Darius we see that in Daniel 6:25-27.

That Darius goes to the den and speaks to Daniel is quite special. Normally there is no reason to believe that Daniel would be alive. The punishment was not without reason to be thrown into the lions’ den. It was impossible to imagine a more certain death. Yet Darius must have felt something of the power of the God of Daniel. He can only have this feeling through his contact with Daniel and what he may have learned about Him from other sources. He addresses Daniel several times as a worshiper and servant of God. He has seen in the life of Daniel Who God is and of what He is capable. Then it is inevitable that this God is also able to redeem Daniel from the lions.

At the king’s request Daniel testifies that his God has sent His angel who has shut the lions’ mouth (cf. Acts 12:11). We read more about the lion’s mouth in Scripture. David rescued his sheep from the lions’ mouth (1 Samuel 17:34-35). This is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who rescues his sheep from the lion’s mouth, that is to say from the power of the devil, for he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He cares about them (cf. Amos 3:12).

The Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth when He hangs on the cross and evil people slander Him: “They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion” (Psalms 22:13). He asked His God to be saved from this: “Save me from the lion’s mouth” (Psalms 22:21a) and was answered: “You answer me” (Psalms 22:21c). “He was heard because of His piety” (Hebrews 5:7). God has heard Him by raising Him from the dead. This is evident in the very rest of Psalm 22.

The fact that the Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth means that He entered into the circumstances of His own. What His own experience, He also experienced and therefore He can sympathize with them. His attitude in it is our example, for while He experienced the lion’s mouth He relied upon the LORD, as is also said here of Daniel (Daniel 6:24). Paul also speaks about being “rescued out of the lion’s mouth” (2 Timothy 4:17). He stands before the world ruler Nero, but is aware that the Lord stands with him. We are also dealing with world rulers who increasingly show the character of roaring and destructive lions.

There is another aspect to the deliverance of Daniel from the lions. That other aspect is his faith. For we read of a faith by which believers “shut the mouths of lions” (Hebrews 11:33). In the midst of the lions, he had rest in his trust in God. In Psalms 57 we read how David sings of his experiences and talks about lying down “among lions” (Psalms 57:4). Daniel had that faith and God responded to it by sending His angel. But Daniel does not boast of his faith towards Darius. Before Darius he honors God Who delivered him from the lions’ mouths.

Daniel says that his innocence is the reason that the lions did not harm him. This is also found when he is taken out of the den. This is the same as what has been found with the three friends when they come out of the furnace of blazing fire (Daniel 3:27). He has done nothing against the LORD, nor against the king. This testimony of innocence and his being delivered from any injury will also be given by the faithful remnant of Israel. They can give that testimony because Christ, the true Innocent, has borne the guilt of the remnant.

Because Daniel was in the lion’s den, the requirement of the law has been met. Now he can be delivered from it again, taken up out of it. As said, that is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He is risen because everything that the law demands of man is fulfilled in Him and through Him in His death. Therefore He could be raised up by God.

Zephaniah 2:7

Taken up Out of the Lions’ Den

When early in the morning, Darius goes to the den, the grave of Daniel, it turns out that Daniel is still alive. Early in the morning it also appears that the Lord Jesus lives. Daniel is here a picture of the Lord Jesus in His resurrection. When the nations become aware of this, they will acknowledge that He has the rule. With Darius we see that in Daniel 6:25-27.

That Darius goes to the den and speaks to Daniel is quite special. Normally there is no reason to believe that Daniel would be alive. The punishment was not without reason to be thrown into the lions’ den. It was impossible to imagine a more certain death. Yet Darius must have felt something of the power of the God of Daniel. He can only have this feeling through his contact with Daniel and what he may have learned about Him from other sources. He addresses Daniel several times as a worshiper and servant of God. He has seen in the life of Daniel Who God is and of what He is capable. Then it is inevitable that this God is also able to redeem Daniel from the lions.

At the king’s request Daniel testifies that his God has sent His angel who has shut the lions’ mouth (cf. Acts 12:11). We read more about the lion’s mouth in Scripture. David rescued his sheep from the lions’ mouth (1 Samuel 17:34-35). This is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who rescues his sheep from the lion’s mouth, that is to say from the power of the devil, for he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He cares about them (cf. Amos 3:12).

The Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth when He hangs on the cross and evil people slander Him: “They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion” (Psalms 22:13). He asked His God to be saved from this: “Save me from the lion’s mouth” (Psalms 22:21a) and was answered: “You answer me” (Psalms 22:21c). “He was heard because of His piety” (Hebrews 5:7). God has heard Him by raising Him from the dead. This is evident in the very rest of Psalm 22.

The fact that the Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth means that He entered into the circumstances of His own. What His own experience, He also experienced and therefore He can sympathize with them. His attitude in it is our example, for while He experienced the lion’s mouth He relied upon the LORD, as is also said here of Daniel (Daniel 6:24). Paul also speaks about being “rescued out of the lion’s mouth” (2 Timothy 4:17). He stands before the world ruler Nero, but is aware that the Lord stands with him. We are also dealing with world rulers who increasingly show the character of roaring and destructive lions.

There is another aspect to the deliverance of Daniel from the lions. That other aspect is his faith. For we read of a faith by which believers “shut the mouths of lions” (Hebrews 11:33). In the midst of the lions, he had rest in his trust in God. In Psalms 57 we read how David sings of his experiences and talks about lying down “among lions” (Psalms 57:4). Daniel had that faith and God responded to it by sending His angel. But Daniel does not boast of his faith towards Darius. Before Darius he honors God Who delivered him from the lions’ mouths.

Daniel says that his innocence is the reason that the lions did not harm him. This is also found when he is taken out of the den. This is the same as what has been found with the three friends when they come out of the furnace of blazing fire (Daniel 3:27). He has done nothing against the LORD, nor against the king. This testimony of innocence and his being delivered from any injury will also be given by the faithful remnant of Israel. They can give that testimony because Christ, the true Innocent, has borne the guilt of the remnant.

Because Daniel was in the lion’s den, the requirement of the law has been met. Now he can be delivered from it again, taken up out of it. As said, that is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He is risen because everything that the law demands of man is fulfilled in Him and through Him in His death. Therefore He could be raised up by God.

Zephaniah 2:8

Taken up Out of the Lions’ Den

When early in the morning, Darius goes to the den, the grave of Daniel, it turns out that Daniel is still alive. Early in the morning it also appears that the Lord Jesus lives. Daniel is here a picture of the Lord Jesus in His resurrection. When the nations become aware of this, they will acknowledge that He has the rule. With Darius we see that in Daniel 6:25-27.

That Darius goes to the den and speaks to Daniel is quite special. Normally there is no reason to believe that Daniel would be alive. The punishment was not without reason to be thrown into the lions’ den. It was impossible to imagine a more certain death. Yet Darius must have felt something of the power of the God of Daniel. He can only have this feeling through his contact with Daniel and what he may have learned about Him from other sources. He addresses Daniel several times as a worshiper and servant of God. He has seen in the life of Daniel Who God is and of what He is capable. Then it is inevitable that this God is also able to redeem Daniel from the lions.

At the king’s request Daniel testifies that his God has sent His angel who has shut the lions’ mouth (cf. Acts 12:11). We read more about the lion’s mouth in Scripture. David rescued his sheep from the lions’ mouth (1 Samuel 17:34-35). This is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who rescues his sheep from the lion’s mouth, that is to say from the power of the devil, for he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He cares about them (cf. Amos 3:12).

The Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth when He hangs on the cross and evil people slander Him: “They open wide their mouth at me, as a ravening and a roaring lion” (Psalms 22:13). He asked His God to be saved from this: “Save me from the lion’s mouth” (Psalms 22:21a) and was answered: “You answer me” (Psalms 22:21c). “He was heard because of His piety” (Hebrews 5:7). God has heard Him by raising Him from the dead. This is evident in the very rest of Psalm 22.

The fact that the Lord Jesus experienced the lion’s mouth means that He entered into the circumstances of His own. What His own experience, He also experienced and therefore He can sympathize with them. His attitude in it is our example, for while He experienced the lion’s mouth He relied upon the LORD, as is also said here of Daniel (Daniel 6:24). Paul also speaks about being “rescued out of the lion’s mouth” (2 Timothy 4:17). He stands before the world ruler Nero, but is aware that the Lord stands with him. We are also dealing with world rulers who increasingly show the character of roaring and destructive lions.

There is another aspect to the deliverance of Daniel from the lions. That other aspect is his faith. For we read of a faith by which believers “shut the mouths of lions” (Hebrews 11:33). In the midst of the lions, he had rest in his trust in God. In Psalms 57 we read how David sings of his experiences and talks about lying down “among lions” (Psalms 57:4). Daniel had that faith and God responded to it by sending His angel. But Daniel does not boast of his faith towards Darius. Before Darius he honors God Who delivered him from the lions’ mouths.

Daniel says that his innocence is the reason that the lions did not harm him. This is also found when he is taken out of the den. This is the same as what has been found with the three friends when they come out of the furnace of blazing fire (Daniel 3:27). He has done nothing against the LORD, nor against the king. This testimony of innocence and his being delivered from any injury will also be given by the faithful remnant of Israel. They can give that testimony because Christ, the true Innocent, has borne the guilt of the remnant.

Because Daniel was in the lion’s den, the requirement of the law has been met. Now he can be delivered from it again, taken up out of it. As said, that is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He is risen because everything that the law demands of man is fulfilled in Him and through Him in His death. Therefore He could be raised up by God.

Zephaniah 2:9

The Enemies Cast Into the Lions’ Den

When Daniel has been delivered from the den, it is time to judge his enemies. They have knowingly sought his downfall. Now they will be given their just punishment. They are cast into the den they had intended for another person. Here the word becomes true: “The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked takes his place” (Proverbs 11:8; Proverbs 21:18). With the prosecutors, their wives and children are also cast before the lions.

Sin often has consequences not only for the perpetrator, but also for his family and relatives. The law states that children may not be killed because of the fathers’ sins (Deuteronomy 24:16; 2 Chronicles 25:4; Ezekiel 18:20). However, this is not an event in Israel, but in a heathen country. If in Israel children die with their sinning father, as with Achan (Joshua 7:24-25), it seems that somehow they have supported sin, by which they deserve the same judgment. But the father is the main responsible person and by his sin is the cause of the judgment that comes over other family members.

As soon as these people are cast into the lions’ den, the lions attack them and crush them. This happens even before they have reached the bottom. It is clear from what is happening here that the lions have not attacked Daniel because they were not hungry. The pure voraciousness of the lions makes the miracle that they have not harmed Daniel even greater. From his enemies the lions crush all their bones.

The saying that whoever digs a pit for someone else falls into it himself (Psalms 57:6b; Psalms 7:16; Proverbs 26:27; Ecclesiastes 10:8), applies not only to persons, but also to nations. For them it sounds prophetic in Psalm 9: “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; in the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught. The LORD has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared” (Psalms 9:15-16). This psalm speaks of the deliverance of the God-fearing remnant in the end time. Then the wrath of God is poured out upon the enemies and they die in the trap they set. In the last verse quoted it is also about “the wicked”, that is the antichrist. He also perishes in his own evil works.

Zephaniah 2:10

Darius’ Decree

The testimony Darius gives about God and His power goes beyond what Nebuchadnezzar has ever testified. Nebuchadnezzar bears personal witness of Him (Daniel 2:47; Daniel 4:1-2), and has given his people only the command that no derogatory things should be said about God (Daniel 3:29). But Darius commands that all peoples in his empire must fear and tremble before God, which means that everyone has to take account of Him in their lives. It is an appropriate testimony at the end of the historical chapters. What Darius says clearly applies to the kingdom of peace. He represents and is the mouth of the nations that will be in the realm of peace. They shall proclaim and praise the glory, honor, and majesty of God. Great respect fits towards that great and mighty and awesome God.

Again he calls God “the God of Daniel”. Daniel is a picture of Israel’s faithful remnant that will also pass through a time of great distress and will be delivered from it by God. The peoples and nations will bear witness to this, they will acknowledge that He is the redeeming and delivering God, He “Who has [also] delivered Daniel from the power of the lions”. Darius also calls God “the living God”. That is also an expression that goes far for a heathen monarch. Often God is so named to indicate the contrast with the dead idols.

He also acknowledges that the Being of God and His kingship are unchanging and eternally inviolable. No outside power can exercise any influence on His Being or His dominion. His power is so great, that He carries and leads the entire world dominion. In doing so, He does not lose sight of any of His own, not even the little ones and the few, but redeems and delivers them.

He does this with means which as signs and wonders refer to Him. He does these signs and wonders both in heaven and on earth. He is the sovereign Lord to Whom all things belong and Who has all things at His disposal to use them for His purpose. That these things are so, He has shown in the delivery of Daniel from the power [lit. hand or claw] of the lions. The first thing a prey has to deal with is the lion’s claws, only then does the lion’s mouth come into play.

Zephaniah 2:11

Darius’ Decree

The testimony Darius gives about God and His power goes beyond what Nebuchadnezzar has ever testified. Nebuchadnezzar bears personal witness of Him (Daniel 2:47; Daniel 4:1-2), and has given his people only the command that no derogatory things should be said about God (Daniel 3:29). But Darius commands that all peoples in his empire must fear and tremble before God, which means that everyone has to take account of Him in their lives. It is an appropriate testimony at the end of the historical chapters. What Darius says clearly applies to the kingdom of peace. He represents and is the mouth of the nations that will be in the realm of peace. They shall proclaim and praise the glory, honor, and majesty of God. Great respect fits towards that great and mighty and awesome God.

Again he calls God “the God of Daniel”. Daniel is a picture of Israel’s faithful remnant that will also pass through a time of great distress and will be delivered from it by God. The peoples and nations will bear witness to this, they will acknowledge that He is the redeeming and delivering God, He “Who has [also] delivered Daniel from the power of the lions”. Darius also calls God “the living God”. That is also an expression that goes far for a heathen monarch. Often God is so named to indicate the contrast with the dead idols.

He also acknowledges that the Being of God and His kingship are unchanging and eternally inviolable. No outside power can exercise any influence on His Being or His dominion. His power is so great, that He carries and leads the entire world dominion. In doing so, He does not lose sight of any of His own, not even the little ones and the few, but redeems and delivers them.

He does this with means which as signs and wonders refer to Him. He does these signs and wonders both in heaven and on earth. He is the sovereign Lord to Whom all things belong and Who has all things at His disposal to use them for His purpose. That these things are so, He has shown in the delivery of Daniel from the power [lit. hand or claw] of the lions. The first thing a prey has to deal with is the lion’s claws, only then does the lion’s mouth come into play.

Zephaniah 2:12

Darius’ Decree

The testimony Darius gives about God and His power goes beyond what Nebuchadnezzar has ever testified. Nebuchadnezzar bears personal witness of Him (Daniel 2:47; Daniel 4:1-2), and has given his people only the command that no derogatory things should be said about God (Daniel 3:29). But Darius commands that all peoples in his empire must fear and tremble before God, which means that everyone has to take account of Him in their lives. It is an appropriate testimony at the end of the historical chapters. What Darius says clearly applies to the kingdom of peace. He represents and is the mouth of the nations that will be in the realm of peace. They shall proclaim and praise the glory, honor, and majesty of God. Great respect fits towards that great and mighty and awesome God.

Again he calls God “the God of Daniel”. Daniel is a picture of Israel’s faithful remnant that will also pass through a time of great distress and will be delivered from it by God. The peoples and nations will bear witness to this, they will acknowledge that He is the redeeming and delivering God, He “Who has [also] delivered Daniel from the power of the lions”. Darius also calls God “the living God”. That is also an expression that goes far for a heathen monarch. Often God is so named to indicate the contrast with the dead idols.

He also acknowledges that the Being of God and His kingship are unchanging and eternally inviolable. No outside power can exercise any influence on His Being or His dominion. His power is so great, that He carries and leads the entire world dominion. In doing so, He does not lose sight of any of His own, not even the little ones and the few, but redeems and delivers them.

He does this with means which as signs and wonders refer to Him. He does these signs and wonders both in heaven and on earth. He is the sovereign Lord to Whom all things belong and Who has all things at His disposal to use them for His purpose. That these things are so, He has shown in the delivery of Daniel from the power [lit. hand or claw] of the lions. The first thing a prey has to deal with is the lion’s claws, only then does the lion’s mouth come into play.

Zephaniah 2:13

Success of Daniel

The last message in the historical chapters about Daniel is that he enjoys success in the reigns of the second world empire. But here too there is a prophetic picture. It is more than just a communication about Daniel’s success. We have seen in the previous verses that Darius in his testimony of the God of Daniel, the living God, represents the hearts of the nations in the realm of peace.

The mentioning of Cyrus expands that image even further. We can see Cyrus as a picture of the Lord Jesus. What is said of him by the prophet Isaiah, at least reminds us of this. We read that the LORD says of him: “[It is I] who says of Cyrus, ‘[He is] My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid” (Isaiah 44:28).

Also the next verse about Cyrus strongly reminds us of the Lord Jesus: “Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut” (Isaiah 45:1).

Cyrus is called “My shepherd” and “His anointed” in these verses, names that remind us directly of the Lord Jesus. In addition, Cyrus was the tool in God’s hand to deliver His people from the hand of Babylon. All in all, it seems justified to see in this last verse a picture of the kingdom of peace, where the faithful remnant will live in peace and prosperity under the blessed reign of the Messiah. The nations will rejoice in their peace and prosperity and share in it. For everything honor and glory will go to God. He is the Processor and Maintainer of it.

Zephaniah 2:15

Introduction

Daniel 7 is the first chapter of the second part of the book. History is not continued, as we return to the first year of Belshazzar (Daniel 7:1). In this second part we have four visions, the first in Daniel 7, the second in Daniel 8, the third in the last part of Daniel 9 and the fourth in Daniel 10-12. They’re all dated differently. They are about the further histories of the world empires and how the little people of God will experience in them. Daniel 7 and 9 are about the West, the empire of Western Europe, Daniel 8 and 10-12 about the East.

The Dream and Visions of Daniel

Belshazzar is the last king of Babylon, as we have seen in Daniel 5. In the first year of his government Daniel gets a dream. In that dream he sees some visions. It is shown to him that the empire of Belshazzar, the Babylonian empire, will be destroyed. He also sees a second, third and even fourth empire. Those empires too will all perish. It also becomes clear from the dream that the eternal kingdom, that of the Lord Jesus, does not come during the Babylonian or Medo-Persian empire, not even during the third, but during the fourth empire, the Roman.

That there will be four empires that will all perish, has been already made clear to him in Daniel 2 in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue. Here it is about the same four world empires. However, they are seen here from another perspective. What is new is that the vision is not shown to Nebuchadnezzar, but to Daniel. This time the empires are also not shown in the form of a statue that makes a great impression, with beautiful metals, as people like to see the empires.

Here God shows the empires, as He sees them, in their corrupt character, as unreasoning beasts. Beasts are beings without any recognition of God, beings who have no knowledge and understanding of Divine things. God also shows what these empires will do to His people when in their lack of understanding they turn against the saints. God wants to speak to our hearts through this. He wants to show that He knows the future and that He is above the empires and their striving. He knows how to use them for His purpose: the purification of His people.

As said, Daniel will not see one, but a few visions in this chapter. When we read the chapter, it turns out to be three. We see that three verses begin with the reference to a vision (Daniel 7:2; 7; 13) and that two times an interpretation follows (Daniel 7:16; 23).

1. The first vision, starting in Daniel 7:2, is about the first three empires, represented by three beasts. 2. The second vision, from Daniel 7:7 onwards, is about the fourth beast or empire. 3. The third vision is found in Daniel 7:13-14 and is about the eternal kingdom or the kingdom of the Son of man. 4. From Daniel 7:16 the first interpretation follows and from Daniel 7:23 the second interpretation.

Daniel writes down the dream. He records what he has seen, that is to say, as he himself says, the “summary of it”. After having had his dream, he thought about it and considered what it means. That is what the LORD has given him in his thoughts. This has enabled him to write down everything that is important and makes the interpretation clear. So it has been preserved for the generations to come and also for us.