Twelve Ways Daniel and the Lions’ Den Foreshadows the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

daniel05 On Sunday, I preached a message on Daniel 6, ‘Jesus and the Lions’ Den.’ In that message, I concluded with a series of connections between Daniel 6 and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I made the point that in Daniel, the Spirit of Christ inspired the words of Daniel and led the life of Daniel to present in shadow form a picture of Christ.

For those who are interested in the whole message, here’s the sermon. The list of connections between Daniel and Jesus, complete with Scripture verses grounding each point, is found below. If you see more connections, textual or conceptual, please feel free to add them in the comments. I don’t suppose I’ve seen everything, but I think I’ve seen enough to argue that Daniel’s experience of ‘death and resurrection’ is a type of Christ’s death and resurrection.

You can also read a children’s book by the same title, Jesus and the Lions Den. I didn’t read it before the sermon, but I would highly recommend it, as I read it to my children after Sunday.

Twelve Ways Daniel and the Lions’ Den Foreshadows the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Shadow

The Substance

Daniel is a son of Judah, a royal son, whose superior wisdom and excellent spirit set him apart from his peers. (Daniel 1:3)

Jesus is a son of Judah, a royal son, whose superior wisdom and excellent Spirit set him apart from his peers. (Matt. 1:1–17; Acts 10:38; Col. 2:3)

Daniel is presented as the chief ruler in Babylon . . . one whose appointment angers his contemporaries because of their envy of him.

Jesus is the King of the Jews, one whose claim to the throne angers his contemporaries (the Chief Priests) because of envy. (Mark 15:10)

Daniel is willing “sacrifice,” not a hapless victim, of an evil plot to put him to death. (Daniel 6:10)

Jesus is a willing sacrifice, not a hapless victim, of an evil plot to put him to death. (John 10:17-18; Hebrews 9:1–10:18)

Daniel is sentenced to death under a unjust Gentile law. (Daniel 6:6–9)

Jesus is sentenced to a death under an unjust Gentile law. (Luke 23:40; Gal. 4:4)

The king, though desiring to free Daniel from his sentence, is powerless in the face of others. So he sentences an innocent man to death against his will (Daniel 6:14)

Pilate, though “desiring” to free Daniel from his sentence, is powerless in the face of others. So he sentences an innocent man to death against his will. (Matt. 27:15–23)

Daniel’s prayer in the upper room leads to his arrest when his enemies come to spy on him. (Daniel 6:11–13)

Jesus is arrested as he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, when his enemies come to arrest him. (Matt. 26:36–46; John 18:1-11)

Daniel is thrown into a den of lions to be devoured by these beasts. (Daniel 6:16)

** Daniel is saved in the den of lions because his Lord (the Son of Man in Daniel 7) was not spared.

Jesus is surrounded by beasts and attacked by Lions. (Psalm 22:12–21)

** God saves his people from the Lion’s mouth because Jesus suffered at the Lions mouth. (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:17; 1 Peter 5:8)

Darius rolls the stone over the mouth of the pit and seals it with his ring. (Daniel 6:17)

Joseph rolls a stone over the mouth of the tomb and Pilate seals it. (Matt. 27:60, 66)

Daniel is not just saved from death; he is vindicated by God shutting the lions’ mouth (Daniel 6:22). His salvation is a legal matter that breaks the penalty of the law. (Daniel 6:19–24)

Jesus is saved from death (Heb. 5:5–10). His resurrection is a matter of legal vindication (Rom. 4:23–25; 1 Tim. 3:16). Jesus’s death breaks the power of the law (Col. 2:11–15).

When Daniel is raised from the pit, his enemies are thrown into the same place and devoured by the lions. (Daniel 6:24)

Through his death and resurrection Jesus has disarmed and put to shame his enemies. (Colossians 2:13–15)

All the bones of Daniel’s enemies are broken into pieces, a fate that would have happened to Daniel, if God had not intervened. Thus Daniel’s bones, like a Passover lamb, were spared. (Daniel 6:24)

Jesus is crucified and buried in the grave, but his bones are not broken. He is the true Passover Lamb. (John 19:36)

When Daniel was saved from the pit, it led to the praise and worship of God in Babylon, to everyone who heard the good news sent out by Darius. (Daniel 6:25–27)

When Jesus was saved from the pit and raised from the dead, it led to the universal praise of God. (Philippians 2:5–11)

Soli Deo Gloria, ds