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skill in all learning and wisdom and Daniel had understanding
in all visions and dreams."-Chap. i. 17.

Among the Babylonians the interpretation of dreams was regarded as a science: it formed the peculiar study of a class of the learned. And consequently, the histories of dreams occupy a large portion of the Book of Daniel. They are represented as the suggestions or inspirations of the Almighty; as the principle means, employed by God, for revealing his will to man. These dreams have a prophetic signification, but their hidden meaning cannot be discovered by the unassisted human reason: God only can reveal the

secret.

"The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon."

"Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions; that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”—Chap. ii. 10-12, and 16-19.

Angels are the instruments of God's providence. An angel is sent to protect the three children in the fiery furnace, also to preserve Daniel when cast into the lion's den. The angel is in the form of a man..

"Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him."-Chap. iii. 25 and 28.

"My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion's mouths."-Chap. vi. 22.

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These angels are called "watchers," likewise "the holy ones." They are sent from heaven by God..

"I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; he cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree.

"This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men."-Chap. iv. 13, 14, 17.

In this division of the Book of Daniel we find two notions, which are new. 1st. A prophetic voice falls from heaven. 2nd. Atonement for sins may be made by the exercise of charity towards the poor. This idea points to yet later times when almsgiving was considered highly meritorious.

“While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice
from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is
spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee."-Chap. iv. 31.
"Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee,
and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by
shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy
tranquillity."-Chap. iv. 27.

PART THE Second.

Chapters VII.-XII.

The prevailing notions of God, contained in this part of the Book of Daniel, are highly Judaical; they manifest all that illiberality, which characterised the opinions of the later Jews.

Representations of God.

God is the God of gods: the great and dreadful God: he liveth for ever.

"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished."-Chap. xi. 36.

"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have

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accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these
things shall be finished."-Chap. xii. 7.

He is represented as an old man sitting upon a throne, his garment white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire, and a fiery stream issuing from before him.

"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened."

Chap. vii. 9, 10.

Character and Attributes of God.

Daniel portrays the character of God in the prayer he addresses to him. Towards his own people, those who love him, he is just and merciful. He is dreadful to his enemies.

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"I prayed unto Jehovah my God, and made my confession, and said, O Jehovah the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments.

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O Jehovah, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. O Jehovah to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To Jehovah our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.".

Chap. ix. 4, and 7-9.

Here we find a trace of the ancient belief inculcated by Moses in the Pentateuch, that bondage and exile are the punishments of sin and rebellion against Jehovah.

Government and Providence of God.

After a

God watches over the welfare of his own people, but cares little about the other inhabitants of the earth. succession of severe trials, he will establish to the Jews an

everlasting kingdom, the kingdom of their Messiah, which shall surpass every other in greatness, majesty, and power. All people shall serve and obey the Jews, who are called the saints of the most High.

"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."

Chap. vii. 27.

God's government of the world, through the instrumentality of angels, is not so fully and distinctly set forth in any other part of the Bible, as in this portion of the Book of Daniel. Thousand thousands minister unto God, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand round before this throne.

See Dan. vii. 10.

Daniel sees visions, and angels are sent to interpret them to him. Here angels are distinguished by their several names. The one who always visits Daniel is called Gabriel; we read of another whose name is Michael. Both these are Hebrew names.

"And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for at the time of the end shall be the vision."-Chap. viii. 16, 17.

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Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding."-Chap. ix. 21, 22,

Gabriel is thus described:

"A man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."—

Chap. x. 5, 6.

Every land has its guardian angel, who watches over its

well-being and furthers its interests.

These angels are

called the princes of the respective provinces. They are sometimes opposed to one another, and sometimes two angels combine together, in order to protect a state against the malicious designs of a third angel. Michael is the guardian-angel of the Jewish nation, but the princes or angels of Persia and Greece are also mentioned here.

An angel, probably Gabriel, says to Daniel

"The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me.

And also

"Now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince."-Chap. x. 13, 20, 21.

"Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him."-Chap. xi. 1.

These descriptions are similar to those later Jewish fables respecting angels, which we meet with in the Book of Tobit.

Fasting is meritorious. God listens to the prayer of those who fast and chasten themselves. Daniel's fasting and mourning are approved and rewarded by God.

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In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

"Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words."

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1 tonowo Chap. x. 2, 3, 12.

We find fasting, as a sign of repentance, enjoined in some of the earlier Books; but nowhere is so much importance attached to it as in the Book of Daniel.

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