Commentary - Overview

The Book of Daniel occupies a unique place among the books of the prophets in the Old Testament. It is somewhat like the place held by The Apocalypse of John in the New Testament, being mainly apocalyptic in character. The first six chapters are partly historical, or relate incidents in which Daniel took a prominent part. The latter six chapters contain the account of four visions seen by Daniel. The prophecy is written in two languages, or rather, two dialects. From chapter 2:4 - 7:28, it is in Aramaic, or what is improperly called Chaldee. It is not the language of the Chaldean empire, but a dialect akin to the Hebrew, which in later times became the language of the exiled Jews in Chaldea. The book contains several words of Persian origin, and a few Greek words. Certain other peculiarities are worthy of notice. The familiar prophetic expression "Thus saith the Lord" is not once used. The word "Jehovah" (printed Lord in capital letters in our English Bibles) which occurs on almost every page of the books of the Divine Word, appears only in chapter 0. Other names, such as God of heaven, Son of God, Ancient of Days, etc., are used instead. Daniel does not address the Jews like Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. He does not upbraid them for their sins. His view of the advent of the Messiah is distinctive. The Messiah is not spoken of as of David's line. The Jews are not to be restored to their own land. The prophet's vision steps beyond the limits of his own race, he sees whole empires rise and fall, and a religion take the place of past religions which is to fill the whole earth. "Instead of a church for the Jews, there is to be a church for all mankind."

We must learn what we can about Daniel from the first chapter. He was a young man, among the first captives taken from Jerusalem. The taking of captives mentioned in Daniel 1:1-2, seems to be the same that is described in 2 Kings 24:1, 10-14. Shinar means the country of Babylon. (Gen. 11:2)

As to the prophet himself, he was apparently of noble blood. (Daniel 1:3-4) He was carried into captivity "in the third year of Jehoiakim king of Judah," that is, the year 606 or 605 B.C. He was young then and was instructed, together with his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "in the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans."

The names of the young men chosen for special training were changed. Their Hebrew names contained a name of God. Daniel means "God is my judge," "Dan" meaning judge, and "el" meaning God. This is lost in the Babylonian names, which often instead contained the names of heathen gods.

Daniel and his three friends felt that the king's food was unclean and would defile them. It may have been unclean according to the Jewish law in its manner of preparation, and it may have been dedicated to idols. They asked for pulse. This word usually means in English peas, beans, lentils. But the meaning here is vegetable food. They were allowed to try this diet, and after ten days were so well and strong that they were allowed to eat only the vegetable food. When they were brought with others before the king and examined by him, Daniel and his three friends were found better than all the rest and superior to the wise men of Babylon. That Daniel continued to the first year of King Cyrus would mean through all the seventy years that the Jews were captives in Babylon, for it was Cyrus who gave them liberty to return to the Holy Land.

There follow in the book of Daniel chapters that give pictures of the selfish pride of the kings of Babylon and of the courage of Daniel and his friends in remaining faithful to the Lord. These chapters (1 to 6) make the first half of the book. We find here the story of the fiery furnace, and of the lions' den.

Chapters 7 to 12, the second half of the book, record visions of Daniel that have an immediate relation to the history of the times after the captivity and a more spiritual relation to conditions and changes in the Christian Church.

The Prophet Daniel is twice referred to in Ezekiel's prophecy. In the first instance (Ezekiel 14:14, 20), he is associated with Noah and Job as an example of piety; in the second passage (Ezekiel 28:3), he is extolled for his wisdom. It is noteworthy that these two qualities - piety and wisdom - stand out prominently in his book.

The experiences of the prophet in Babylon are sometimes regarded as being in a large degree parallel with those of Joseph in Egypt. Each resists temptation to defilements. Each interprets the dreams of the king. And each is raised to a position of honor in recognition of his wisdom.Commentary - In-Depth

Until recent years, the narratives of Daniel (chapters 1 to 6) were regarded as literal history, but acquaintance with "apocalyptic" literature of the later Jewish days has led to the belief that this type of writing is employed in the book of Daniel. It was characteristic of such writing that the name of the author did not appear, but that the lessons given in historical or prophetic form were associated with some wise leader of the past. It was also characteristic of the apocalyptic writing, as the name implies, that it drew aside the veil to reveal forces of the spiritual world and the fulfillment of Divine promises there which had no fulfillment here. We recognize this in the Revelation, the Apocalypse of the New Testament. This view of the book of Daniel need not affect at all the acceptance of the book as of the Divine Word, and it is definitely recognized as of the Divine Word, in our Lord's reference to it in Matthew 24:15, and in our doctrines. (Arcana Coelestia 10325, 1709) It is of interest to learn what we can of Daniel, the central figure of this Divine book.

Those who read chapters of Daniel as apocalyptic and of later writing believe that the date of writing was in the days of persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler in Antioch, 175 to 164 B.C. The history of Persian rule in western Asia, which began with Cyrus, and of Greek rule, which began with Alexander's defeat of Persia, belongs to the period between the Old Testament and the New. This history is indicated in the book of Daniel itself as the subject of Daniel's visions (Daniel 8:19-22; 11:2-4) Following this historical application of the visions, they lead up to the oppression of Antiochus and promise then Divine deliverance. If ever there was a time in Jewish history which needed Divine lessons of courage and devotion to the Lord, it was this time, and it may well be that the Lord in those days gave everlasting lessons of courage and devotion. (Arcana Coelestia 1183, 5223)

Scripture itself points us also to an application of the book of Daniel to the Christian Church. See the Lord's reference to Daniel in Matthew 24:15. This reference indicates the conditions and experience of the Christian Church to which the lessons of Daniel apply, for the Lord in that chapter of Matthew is describing in representative language the states of spiritual desolation to be experienced by the Christian Church as it approached its judgment and the founding of a new church by the Lord. The reference to Daniel may be especially to Daniel 9:27 and 12:11.

Swedenborg speaks of it, however, as a reference in a more general sense to all prophecies concerning the coming of the Lord and the condition of the church, especially its condition at His coming. (Arcana Coelestia 3652; Apocalypse Explained 684)

The abomination of desolation in the holy place describes a condition in the Christian Church when the Lord's truth and good are despised and things evil and false have taken the central place. The charge, "Whoso readeth, let him understand," means that such conditions should be well noted by people of the church, who should cling for safety to love to the Lord and charity to the neighbor. The line of application to the Christian Church is followed throughout the interpretation of Daniel in Prophets and Psalms. Babylon is everywhere recognized as the symbol of self-love and the love of rule in the church, even by the profane use of holy things. This is the meaning of Babylon in the Book of Revelation, which in the explanation of that book is shown to have had a special development in the Roman Church. Prophets and Psalms shows in Daniel 1 the desire and effort of the selfish spirit of rule to appropriate for its own use the knowledge and understanding of the church. It shows in Daniel 3 the effort of this same love to claim worship to itself. The attractiveness of such worship is meant by the music at which all should fall down.

Those faithful and loyal to the Lord refuse to worship. Self-love burns as a fiery furnace with hatred and desire to destroy them. The protection of the Lord is so manifest with those loyal to Him, that even those in self-love are constrained to worship.

The summary of the internal sense of the first chapter is thus stated in Prophets and Psalms:

"Verses 1, 2. When the church among the Jewish nation had been destroyed, ‘Babylon' appropriated to herself all things pertaining to it. Verses 3-21. She wished to know all things of the church, and to acquire an understanding of them, and this was the beginning of ‘Babylon.'"

Jerusalem besieged by Babylon represents the church in a state of profanation. The vessels in the house of God taken to the land of Shinar signify that the holy truths of the Word were appropriated by the love of rule. (Arcana Coelestia 1183)

This same spirit also desires to acquire all the knowledges of truth that it may use them to further its own interests. Daniel and his companions were to be educated that they might serve the king of Babylon. The love of rule is a strong incentive to the study of even the spiritual sense of the Word. That is a Babylonic spirit, which is well illustrated in worldly affairs. The love of pre-eminence stimulates people beyond measure to study and to master those knowledges which will insure success. Likewise, when the knowledge of the truths of the church lies in the path of success, no pains are spared to acquire proficiency therein. It is clearly Babylon which has taken hold of people when they study the truth simply to prove that others are wrong and they are right.

Daniel and his companions refused to partake of the king's meat and drink. This suggests the presence of a true spirit in people at war with the evil spirit of dominating over others. This spirit of the Lord in people is ultimately to be their judge and protect them from bondage to evil. It refuses to be defiled with evil and falsity that belong to an unclean lust of the flesh. It is nourished by the truths from the Word, "pulse," or, rather, "seeds." The spiritual life of a person can only prosper when fed by true thoughts drawn from the Word that are capable of being developed so as to produce the fruits of righteousness.

At the end of three years, Daniel and his three companions were found in matters of wisdom and understanding to be ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in the kingdom. "The magicians were acquainted with such things as are of the spiritual world, which they learnt from the correspondences and representatives of the church; therefore also many of them had communication with spirits and hence learnt illusory arts, whereby they wrought magical miracles." (Arcana Coelestia 5223)

Daniel is called the "chief or master of the magicians." (Daniel 4:9; 5:11)

Doubtless he had his light in spiritual knowledges from above under the Lord's guidance. He prospered for the same reason that Joseph prospered: because the Lord was with him. Light and strength and prosperity accompany all who look to the Lord and trust in Him.

Commentary for Young Students

Daniel was also a prophet of the Lord who was taken to Babylon, as Ezekiel was, among the first captives from Jerusalem. He was a young man at the time, and was one of several princes who were chosen for fine looks and bright minds, to be taught and trained in the palace school in Babylon, so that after three years they could be attendants and advisers to the king. We read their names in verse 6, but their names were changed and they were given other strange names by the king. Hear what Daniel and his three friends did. They would not eat the food nor drink the wine provided for them, which they called unclean, and asked to be given pulse to eat, which means here various fruits and vegetables, and water to drink. The one in charge of caring for the young men was afraid to change their food, lest they should not be as strong and beautiful as the rest. But he let them try it for ten days. And what happened? Daniel and his three friends were better in face and flesh than those who had eaten the king's food. So the keeper took away the king's food and gave them the food they asked. After three years of special care and training, the young men were brought before the king, and Daniel and his three friends were the best. They were ten times better in wisdom and understanding than the wise men of Babylon.

Several grand stories follow in the book of Daniel, which teach us to be brave and faithful to the Lord.

2576. 'Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes for all who are with you' means that rational truths are like a covering or garment for spiritual truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'a covering', to be dealt with immediately below, and from the meaning of 'the eyes' as things of the understanding, as is evident from very many places in the Word, and also from the meaning of 'seeing' as understanding, 2150, 2325. Anyone may see that each detail in this verse holds arcana within it which cannot be brought to light except by some interior sense - such as the detail that it is said 'he gave a thousand pieces of silver to her brother' not 'to her husband'; or the details that it was 'a covering of the eyes', and that it was 'for her and all who were with her', also 'with all'; or the detail 'so she was vindicated'. Many historical inferences might indeed be drawn from the sense of the letter, but none of these would have anything spiritual in them, still less anything Divine. Such is the nature of the Word.

[2] As regards rational truths being like a covering or garment for spiritual truths, the position is that the inmost parts of man's being belong to his soul, while the more exterior belong to his body. Man's inmost parts consist in goods and truths from which the soul has its life, or else the soul would not be a soul. Those which are more exterior however derive their life from the soul, and each one of them is like a body, or what amounts to the same, a covering or garment. This becomes clear in particular from the things that are seen in the next life, for example, from angels when these are presented to view. The interior parts of their beings shine from their faces, while the exterior are represented both in their bodies and in the clothes they are wearing, so completely that anyone there may recognize the character of those angels simply from the clothes they are wearing; for every angel consists of real substance and so is an essence given outward form. It is similar in the case of angels who have been seen and whose faces and clothing are described in the Word, such as those seen in the Lord's tomb, Matthew 28:3; Mark 16:5; and the twenty-four elders around the throne, Revelation 4:4; and others. Nor does this apply only to angels but also to everything else, even inanimate objects, mentioned in the Word. Their exteriors are a covering or garment as with the Ark of the Covenant and the tent surrounding it. 'The Ark' there, which was inmost, represented the Lord Himself, for the Testimony belonged there, while 'the tent' outside of it represented the Lord's kingdom. Every single one of 'the coverings' there, that is, the veils and screens, represented the exterior celestial and spiritual things within the Lord's kingdom, that is to say, within the three heavens. This becomes clear from the plan of it that was shown to Moses on Mount Sinai, Exodus 25:9; 26:30. It was this that gave it its holiness, not the gold and silver and the carvings that were in it.

[3] Since the matter of rational truths being like a covering or garment to spiritual truths is being discussed here, and since in Moses a description of the Tent is given - of its coverings or of its screens, and also of its veils in front of places of entry - let an explanation be given, for the sake of illustration, of what specifically was meant by the veils. (But what was meant by the enveloping covers will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere.) The Tabernacle had three veils, the first, which made a division between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies; the second, which is called a screen serving as a door into the tent; the third, which is called a screen serving as a gate into the court.

[4] The first of these, the veil itself, which was a screen in front of the Ark, is referred to in Moses,

You shall make a veil of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen. The work of a designer, ¹ you shall make it with cherubs on it. And you shall hang it on four pillars of shittim, overlaid with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold; [they shall stand] on four bases of silver. And you shall hang the veil under the clasps. And you shall bring in, within the veil, the Ark of the Testimony, and the veil shall divide for you the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Exodus 26:31-34; 36:35-36.

This veil represented the most immediate and inmost appearances of rational good and truth, which occur among the angels of the third heaven. These appearances are described by the violet, purple, twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen, the red of which represented the goods that belong to love, and the white its truths. Also, the gold and silver with which the pillars were overlaid, and of which the hooks and bases were made had a similar representation. As regards colours being representative, see 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624; and as regards 'gold' meaning the good of love, 113, 1551, 1552, and 'silver' truth, 1551, 2048.

[5] This shows what is meant by the veil of the temple being torn in two, Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45 - namely that once all appearances had been dispelled the Lord entered into the Divine Itself, and at the same time He opened a means of access to the Divine Itself through His Human that had been made Divine.

[6] The second veil, or screen serving as a door to the tent, is referred to in Moses as follows,

You shall make a screen for a door of the tent, of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. And you shall make for the screen five pillars of shittim and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold; and you shall cast for them five bases of bronze. Exodus 26:36-37; 36:37-38

This screen represented the appearances of good and truth which are lower and more exterior than those mentioned already; that is, they are the middle appearances that belong to the rational, which occur among the angels of the second heaven. The description given to these appearances is virtually the same, the difference being that this screen had five pillars and five bases, by which number is meant something relatively small, for these appearances are not so unified or heavenly as the appearances belonging to the inmost or third heaven. Regarding the number 'five' meaning that which is small, see 649, 1686. And because these appearances look to natural things, it was commanded that the bases should be cast of bronze; for bronze represented and meant natural good, 425, 1551.

[7] The third veil, or screen serving as a gate into the court, is referred to in Moses as follows,

The screen for a gate of the court shall be twenty cubits [long], of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer; the pillars of it shall be four and the bases of these four. All the pillars of the surrounding court shall be fastened with silver; their hooks shall be of silver but their bases of bronze. Exodus 27:16-17; 38:18-19

This screen represented the still lower and more exterior appearances of good and truth, which are the lowest appearances belonging to the rational, and which occur among the angels of the first heaven. Because these appearances correspond to those that are more interior the description given to them is also much the same, the differences being that the pillars were not overlaid with gold but were fastened together with silver, while the hooks were made of silver - all of which mean rational truths such as have their origin immediately in factual knowledge - and the bases were made of bronze which mean natural goods. All these considerations show that there was nothing in the Tent which was not representative of the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom; that is, they show that all those things were made so as to provide every type or imprint of the celestial and spiritual things that exist in the three heavens. And they also show that the coverings or screens meant things which, like a body or clothing, surround or are outside of that which is inmost.

[8] In addition to all this, the fact that coverings, screens, and a garment or clothes mean relatively lower truths becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in Ezekiel,

Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. ² Ezekiel 27:7.

This refers to 'Tyre', which means interior cognitions of celestial and spiritual things, and therefore those who possess those cognitions, 1201. 'Embroidered work from Egypt' stands for factual knowledge - 'Egypt' meaning factual knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462. 'Violet and purple from the islands of Elishah as a covering' stands for forms of ritual corresponding to internal worship, 1156.

[9] In the same prophet,

All the princes of the sea will step down from upon their thrones, and will remove their robes and will strip off their embroidered clothes. They will clothe themselves with tremblings; they will sit on the ground. Ezekiel 26:16.

This too refers to 'Tyre'. 'Robes' and 'embroidered clothes' stand for cognitions formed out of factual knowledge, and so stand for lower truths.

[10] In the same prophet,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth and shod you with badger, and I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk, and I adorned you with adornments and put bracelets on your hands and a chain on your neck. You took some of your garments and made for yourself gaily-decked high places and committed whoredom on them. You took your embroidered clothes and covered them. Ezekiel 16:10-11, 16, 18.

This describes 'Jerusalem', which is the spiritual Church, as it had been in early times and as it was subsequently when perverted. Its lower spiritual things and its matters of doctrine are the embroidered clothes, fine linen, and silk.

[11] In Isaiah,

The Lord, Jehovah Zebaoth, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the whole staff of bread and staff of water. At that time a man will take hold of his brother, of his father's house, [saying,] You have clothing, you will be leader for us. On that day he will speak out, saying, I will not be a binder up; and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me leader of the people. The Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion. And on that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, and of the networks, and of the crescents, and of the necklaces, and of the chainlets, and of the bracts; ³ and the tiaras, and the garters, and the sashes, and the perfume boxes, ⁴ and the earrings; the rings, and the nose-jewels, the changes of clothes, and the robes, and the veils, and the pin-cases, and the mirrors, and the muslin, and the turbans, and the mantles. Isaiah 3:1, 6-7, 17-24.

'Jerusalem' stands for the spiritual Church, 'Judah' for the celestial Church, 'the staff of bread and the staff of water which will be taken away' for good and truth. 'The clothing which the leader will have' stands for the truths that make up doctrine. The various articles of clothing and adornments that are listed belonging to the daughters of Zion mean every single genus and species of good and truth which were to be taken away from them. Unless each item that is mentioned meant some specific detail of the Church they would not be part of the Word, every expression of which has what is Divine within it. 'The daughters of Zion' who are said to possess all these articles means those things that constitute the Church; see 2362.

[12] In the same prophet,

Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; no more may there come in to you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Isaiah 52:1-2.

'Zion' stands for the celestial Church, 'Jerusalem' for the spiritual, 'beautiful garments' for the sacred things of faith. In the same prophet,

Their webs do not become clothing, neither are they covered in their works. Their works are works of iniquity. Isaiah 59:6.

'Webs' stands for made-up truths which do not become clothing. 'Clothing' stands for exterior truths of doctrine and worship, hence the statement 'neither are they covered in their works'.

[13] In the same prophet,

I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul will exult in my God, for He will clothe me with the clothes of salvation, with the robe of righteousness has He covered me. Isaiah 61:10.

'The clothes of salvation' stands for truths of faith, 'the robe of righteousness' for the good that flows from charity. In John,

You have a few names also in Sardis, who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who conquers will be clad in white garments. Revelation 3:4-5.

In the same book,

Blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked. Revelation 16:15.

In the same book,

On the thrones I saw twenty-four elders seated, clad in white garments. Revelation 4:4.

Here it is evident that 'garments' do not mean garments but spiritual things, which are forms of truth.

[14] The same may be seen in what the Lord said when speaking about the close of the age. When He said that people were not to turn back and fetch their garments, Matthew 24:18; Mark 13:16, truths were meant by 'garments', see 2454, as they also are in His reference to the man who was not wearing a wedding garment, Matthew 22:11-12, and in His reference to John,

What did you go out to see. A man clad in fine garments? Those who wear fine garments are in kings' houses. Matthew 11:8; Luke 7:25.

This means that they did not care about the external things of doctrine and worship but about the internal, and this is why He adds,

What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. Matthew 11:9.

'A prophet' here stands for the external things of doctrine and worship.

[15] As 'clothes' meant truths of every kind the children of Israel were commanded when leaving Egypt to ask from their neighbour for gold and silver, and for clothes, and to place them on their children, Exodus 3:22; 12:35-36.

[16] They were also commanded not to wear clothes made from different kinds of stuff, or to wear mixed ones, Leviticus 19:19; Deuteronomy 22:11; and were commanded to make tassels for the hems of their clothes, to put a violet cord there, and when they saw it were to recollect the commandments and carry them out, Numbers 15:38-40. In former times they also rent their clothes, as is evident in Joshua 7:6; Judges 11:35; 1 Samuel 4:12; 2 Samuel 1:2, 11-12; 3:31; 13:30-31; 15:32; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 5:7-8; 6:30; 22:11, 14, 19; Isaiah 36:22; 37:1. This action meant a zealous regard for doctrine and truth which had in a similar way been torn to shreds, and also a humble recognition that nothing existed with them, which is meant by the adornment of clothing.

[17] That veils, screens, garments, or clothes mean such things is also evident with the prophecy of Jacob, who by now was Israel,

He will bind his colt to the vine, and the foal of his ass to a choice vine. He will wash his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. Genesis 49:11.

What these words mean nobody can know except from the internal sense, that is to say, what is meant by 'a vine', 'a choice vine', 'a colt', 'the foal of an ass', 'wine', 'the blood of grapes', 'clothing', and 'garment'. That it is a reference to the Lord who in that prophecy is called 'Shiloh' is self-evident. The reference at this point is to Judah who represents the Lord's Divine celestial. 'The clothing he was to wash in wine' and 'the garment in the blood of grapes' mean His Rational and Natural which He was to make Divine.

[18] Similarly in Isaiah,

Who is this coming from Edom, with dyed clothes from Bozra, he that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the vast numbers of his strength? Why are you red as to your clothing, and your clothes like his that treads the winepress? And I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me. Their victory has been sprinkled on my clothes, and I have stained all my raiment. Isaiah 63:1-3.

Here also 'clothes' and 'raiment' stand for the Lord's Human which, by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations and by means of victories, He made Divine by His own power; hence the statement, 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me'. The reference to 'Isaac smelling the smell of Esau's clothes, and so blessing him' implies much the same, Genesis 27:27.

[19] The Holiness itself of the Lord's Divine Human was also a garment which was seen as light and as something dazzling white when He was transfigured, described in Matthew as follows,

When Jesus was transfigured His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became [white] as the light. Matthew 17:2.

In Luke,

When Jesus was praying the appearance of His face was altered; His clothing became dazzling white. Luke 9:29.

And in Mark,

When Jesus was transfigured His clothes became glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Mark 9:3.

The sacred vestments worn by Aaron when he went inside the veil, which were made of linen, were similarly representative, Leviticus 16:2, 4, and so were the sacred vestments 'for glory and adornment' when he ministered, which are described in Exodus 28:2-end; 39:1-end. Not a detail of those vestments failed to be representative.

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