O terceiro capítulo de Daniel segue o mesmo padrão que os dois primeiros: Nabucodonosor começa por fazer ameaças contra aqueles que não se curvam aos seus caprichos, e termina com a sua humilde admissão do poder do Senhor.

As semelhanças entre a visão dramática da estátua no capítulo dois e a construção de uma imagem no capítulo três não são, no entanto, uma mera repetição. Uma atenção atenta aos detalhes deste capítulo mostrará como em sua busca de dominação o lado egoísta da natureza humana continua a tentar dominar, mesmo que possamos nos submeter conscientemente ao Senhor.

Este terceiro capítulo abre com uma enorme imagem criada por Nabucodonosor. As dimensões reais são importantes, não devido ao seu impacto físico, mas devido aos conceitos espirituais que contêm. Da mesma forma, a impossibilidade de ser feito de ouro não deve interferir com a exposição espiritual do verso. O sentido literal da história é importante apenas como um meio de trazer à tona o sentido espiritual.

Toda esta imagem foi feita de ouro. Mas como a cabeça da estátua no capítulo anterior, este não é o ouro que representa o amor ao Senhor, mas o amor próprio. Toda boa correspondência também tem um sentido oposto.

A estátua é descrita como sessenta côvados de altura e seis côvados de largura. O número recorrente "seis" tem significado a partir do seu contraste com o número imediatamente a seguir. "Sete" é um estado de plenitude e completude - o Senhor descansou no sétimo dia da criação, animais limpos entraram na arca em sete, devemos perdoar aos outros "até setenta vezes sete". Como sete contém este sentido de completude, seis representa um estado de incompletude.

"Seis" é frequentemente usado para descrever o processo de regeneração, especialmente na série de criação, e nos Dez Mandamentos. Nos seis dias da criação, as pessoas são tentadas e estão em estado de conflito, que deve ser superado para que a pessoa se regenere (AC 8494, 8539:2, 8888). O conflito ilustrado neste capítulo é entre o nosso sentido de egoísmo e a nossa consciência emergente.

O número sessenta é a plenitude deste conflito, já que sessenta é um seis multiplicado por dez. Se seis representa os conflitos de tentação, dez representa a completude (AC 3107, 4638, 8468, 9416), ou a plenitude desse conflito.

Idealmente, os estados de bondade, verdade e sua expressão mútua deveriam ser iguais. A forma que representa uma pessoa regenerada seria um cubo perfeito, como descrito por "a Cidade Santa descendo de Deus do céu" (Revelação 21:2).

Mas a imagem de Nabucodonosor é muito diferente deste ideal: era alta e estreita - dez vezes mais alta do que era larga, e nenhuma profundidade é descrita. Ela se apresenta como uma dimensão, desproporcional, sua característica mais convincente é o ouro do qual é feita.

Como no segundo capítulo, Nabucodonosor convoca os seus conselheiros: antes, eram astrólogos e sábios. Neste capítulo, ele convoca os governadores do seu reino: os satraps, os administradores e assim por diante. Quando a Palavra fala dos governadores, fala dos nossos amores, porque somos governados e governados por amores. A lista aqui dá uma hierarquia de amores desde o topo, ou amores governantes, até os menos afetos que temos.

É-nos mostrado o nosso estado quando esse amor governante é Nabucodonosor: ele domina a cena, a sua palavra é lei. Ele controla um vasto império e tem controle absoluto sobre a vida e a morte. Assim, Nabucodonosor pode convocar seus governantes e ordená-los com a mesma facilidade com que reuniu os sábios e exigiu deles o impossível.

Ao som da música, todo o seu império devia cair e adorar a imagem de ouro erguida pelo rei. A música é usada como um meio de convocar os governantes da terra, porque se esses homens representam os nossos vários amores e afectos, então a música fala aos nossos amores.

Se Nabucodonosor representa nosso egoísmo e amor ao controle, os caldeus entram em cena como uma confirmação desse egoísmo. A essência da profanação - o fingimento de ser bom - é o mau uso da bondade e da verdade para os próprios fins. Qualquer estado de bem genuíno ou verdade que resista a esse mau uso entraria em conflito com ele.

Assim os caldeus com grande entusiasmo chamam Shadrach, Meshach e Abed-Nego, que não servem ao rei nem adoram a sua imagem dourada. Ao usar seus nomes babilônicos, eles estão se recusando a reconhecer a verdade como vindo da Palavra. Este é o próprio coração da profanação: saber algo é da Palavra, até mesmo reconhecê-lo como tal, e ainda assim negá-lo - assim como aqueles caldeus devem ter sabido que os três homens eram judeus, e que seus nomes babilônicos não eram verdadeiramente seus. É a negação final da sua identidade, assim como a profanação é a negação final do Senhor.

A vida de Nabucodonosor é a primeira da conquista militar e da expansão do seu império. Esta conquista vem com o domínio das coisas religiosas. Assim, não foi fora de caráter para ele comandar a adoração. À medida que o amor de si mesmo progride, ele exige coisas cada vez maiores, até exigir ser tratado como o próprio Senhor (Apocalipse Revelado 717).

"O mal do amor próprio não é, como geralmente se pensa, aquela euforia externa que se chama orgulho, mas sim ódio contra o próximo, e daí um ardente desejo de vingança, e deleite-se com a crueldade. Estes são os interiores do amor de si mesmo. Seus exteriores são o desprezo pelos outros em comparação com o eu, e uma aversão aos que estão no bem espiritual, e isto às vezes com manifesta euforia ou orgulho, e às vezes sem ele. Pois aquele que mantém o próximo em tal ódio, interiormente não ama a ninguém senão a si mesmo e àqueles que considera como fazendo-se um consigo mesmo, assim os ama em si mesmo, e a si mesmo neles para o único fim de si mesmo" (AC 4750:5).

Cada pessoa neste mundo é capaz de dar liberdade a estes sentimentos, e se o fizermos, logo nos vemos fazendo o que Nabucodonosor fez: exigir que as pessoas vejam o mundo através dos nossos próprios espetáculos pessoais, e condená-las redondamente ao inferno se não o fizerem.

Como vimos anteriormente, Daniel representa a consciência que se desenvolve em oposição aos nossos estados egoístas. A consciência é a atividade da verdade conduzindo e guiando nossas mentes em direção a uma vida em harmonia com a do Senhor. A consciência, porém, deve ser composta de verdades individuais, verdades aplicáveis a diferentes partes de nossas vidas. Temos um conjunto de verdades para governar o casamento, a ética do trabalho, a interação social e assim por diante.

Estas verdades individuais são as companheiras hebraicas de Daniel. Cada vez que as vimos, elas se mantiveram na sua crença em Deus, mas cada vez na liderança de Daniel. Desta vez eles estão sozinhos, dispostos a enfrentar a ira imperial e enfrentar a morte por sua crença.

As consequências foram, é claro, terríveis. Nabucodonosor voou em fúria, exigindo que os jovens fossem lançados numa fornalha ardente, aquecida a sete vezes o seu calor normal. Os jovens estavam preparados para aceitar esse castigo, em vez de retraírem a sua crença no Senhor.

Nabucodonosor tentou assustar os três homens, aquecendo a fornalha mais que o normal, o que descreve bem as ações dos espíritos malignos em tentação quem,

"agem contra os afetos da verdade que fazem a consciência: assim que percebem algo da consciência, de qualquer espécie, então das falsidades e falhas no homem formam para si mesmos um afeto; e com isso lançam uma sombra sobre a luz da verdade, e assim a pervertem; ou induzem ansiedade e o torturam" (AC 1820:4).

O tempo que os jovens passam na fornalha representa um estado de tentação, que ocorre em nome da regeneração (Apocalipse Explicato 439). Mais simplesmente definida, a tentação é uma batalha entre dois lados dentro de nós, onde o lado natural, ou egoísta, é subjugado. Até então, o egoísmo é visto como sendo simplesmente uma parte de nós, do jeito que somos (Arcanos Celestes 1820). Em tentação, esta auto-imagem muda, e aprendemos a ver-nos à luz do céu (Apocalipse Explicato 439).

O poder dos espíritos malignos é muito ilusório. Assim como Nabucodonosor caiu para trás após a resistência, assim também os espíritos se retiram quando lhes resistimos. A maior tentação que enfrentamos é acreditar que o Senhor é incapaz de nos ajudar em nossos tempos de grande necessidade. Se nos agarrarmos à crença de que Ele pode e dá ajuda, então enfrentar o nosso egoísmo interior torna-se menos difícil. A imagem que os homens foram ordenados a adorar era, afinal, um objeto imóvel de ouro, desproporcional e unidimensional. O nosso egoísmo é assim: aparentemente monolítico, e ainda assim desprovido de qualquer vida real. As suas atracções desvanecem-se quando vistas à luz do céu. A resistência espiritual não é tão difícil, e os resultados dão força:

"As vitórias são assistidas com o resultado de que os gênios e espíritos malignos depois não ousam fazer nada; pois sua vida consiste em poder destruir, e quando percebem que um homem é de tal caráter que pode resistir, então no primeiro início fogem, como costumam fazer quando se aproximam da primeira entrada no céu, pois são imediatamente tomados de horror e terror, e se lançam para trás". Arcanos Celestes 1820.

Nabucodonosor é levado à consciência e apreciação do poder do Senhor, desta vez, com os seus próprios sentidos. Há um poder em sua aquiescência depois de testemunhar os quatro homens na fornalha ardente que é muito mais dramático do que sua incredulidade, depois que Daniel predisse o sonho no capítulo dois. Desta vez ele realmente viu o poder da fornalha, tão forte que aqueles que lançaram os três homens dentro foram mortos pelo seu calor, mas ele viu os três homens saírem incólumes. Isso provou o poder de Deus para ele mais do que qualquer outra coisa antes.

Vemos algo desse processo nos versículos finais do capítulo três, onde Nabucodonosor louva ao Senhor, mostrando uma nova humildade impossível para ele antes. Como resultado, o afeto da verdade começa a governar no lugar dos antigos amores egoístas. Assim vemos Sadraque, Mesaque e Abed-Nego promovidos na província da Babilônia, presumivelmente no lugar dos satraps babilônicos, administradores, governadores, conselheiros, tesoureiros, juízes, magistrados e todos os funcionários da província que responderam ao chamado de Nabucodonosor para adorar a imagem de ouro.

3863. 'For she said, Because Jehovah has seen' in the highest sense means foresight, in the internal sense faith, in the interior sense understanding, and in the external sense sight - faith received from the Lord being meant here. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing', dealt with below. What has been presented above shows that the twelve tribes, named after the twelve sons of Jacob, meant all things forming part of truth and good, or of faith and love, and so all aspects of the Church. It also shows that each tribe meant some universal division, and so the twelve tribes the twelve universal divisions which embrace and include within themselves every specific thing which is part of the Church, and in the universal sense everything that is part of the Lord's kingdom. The universal division meant by 'Reuben' is faith. The reason faith is the first universal division is that when a person is being regenerated, or becoming the Church, he must first learn and absorb aspects of faith, that is, of spiritual truth, for it is by means of doctrine about faith or truth that he is led into regeneration. For man is such that of himself he does not know what heavenly good is but has to learn about it from doctrine, which is called the doctrine of faith. Every doctrine of faith has life as the end in view, and because it has life it also has good in view, for good is the sum and substance of life.

[2] Controversy existed among the ancients over which was the firstborn of the Church, whether it was the truth of faith or whether it was the good of love. Those who said that the truth of faith was the firstborn based their conclusions on the outward appearance and decided that such truth was the firstborn because it is and must be learned first and because a person is led by means of it into good. But they did not know that good is essentially the firstborn and that it is instilled by the Lord through the internal man so that he may adopt and accept the truth which is brought in by way of the external. They did not know that good holds life from the Lord within it, or that truth does not possess any life except that which comes through good, so that good is the soul of truth by making truth its own and clothing itself with it as the soul does the body. From this it may be seen that to outward appearance truth occupies first place and is so to speak the firstborn while a person is being regenerated, though essentially good occupies first place and is the firstborn, and does actually come to occupy it once he has been regenerated. For the truth of this, see 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701.

[3] The subject in this and previous chapters being the regeneration of the natural - at this point its first state, which is a state of being led by means of truth into good - the first son of Jacob, who was Reuben, was so named from the phrase Jehovah seeing, which in the internal sense means faith originating in the Lord. Regarded in itself faith consists in faith in the understanding and faith in the will. Knowledge and understanding of the truth of faith is called faith in the understanding, but willing the truth of faith is called faith in the will. The former - faith in the understanding - is the faith meant by 'Reuben', but the latter - faith in the will - is that meant by 'Simeon'. It may be seen by anyone that faith existing in the understanding, or the ability to understand truth, comes before faith existing in the will, or the actual willing of it. For when a person does not know of something, such as heavenly good, he must first come to know of its existence and then to understand what it is before he is able to will it.

[4] 'Seeing' in the external sense means sight, as is clear without explanation. 'Seeing' in the interior sense means the understanding, as is likewise clear, for the sight that the internal man has is nothing else than the understanding, which also is why in everyday speech the understanding is called internal sight, and the word light is used in reference to it as well as to external sight and is called the light of the understanding. 'Seeing' in the internal sense means faith received from the Lord, as is clear from the consideration that interior understanding has no other objects than those of truth and good, for these are the objects of faith. This interior understanding, or internal sight, which has truths of faith as its objects, does not show itself so plainly as the understanding does which has truths to do with public and private life as its objects, the reason being that it exists inside this latter understanding and dwells in the light of heaven, which light is in obscurity as long as a person dwells in the light of the world. Nevertheless it does reveal itself with those who are regenerate, in particular by means of conscience. 'Seeing' in the highest sense clearly means foresight, for the intelligence spoken of in reference to the Lord is an infinite intelligence, which is nothing else than foresight.

[5] That 'seeing' after which Reuben was named means in the internal sense faith received from the Lord is evident from very many places in the Word, of which let the following be brought forward: In Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Make a serpent and set it on a standard, and it will be that everyone who has been bitten, when he sees it, will live. And Moses made a serpent of bronze and set it on a standard. And so it was, if a serpent had bitten a man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, that he was restored to life again. Numbers 21:8-9.

'The bronze serpent' represented the Lord's external sensory perception, which is natural, see 197 - 'bronze' meaning that which is natural, 425, 1551. Faith in Him was represented by the restoration to life again of those who saw it, that is, looked at it, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life. John 3:14-15.

[6] In Isaiah,

The Lord said, Go and say to this people, Hearing, hear - but do not understand; and seeing, see - but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands. Isaiah 6:9-10.

Here it is quite evident that 'seeing, see - but do not comprehend' means understanding what is true and yet not acknowledging. The words 'plastering over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes' means depriving them of the understanding of truth, faith in the Lord being meant in this case by 'seeing', as is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew 13:13-14, and in John 12:36-37, 39-40.

[7] In Ezekiel,

Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but they do not see, who have ears to hear but they do not hear. Ezekiel 12:2

'Eyes to see but they do not see' stands for their being able to understand the truths of faith but not willing them. They do not will them on account of evils, meant by 'a rebellious house', which bring an untrue light to falsities and darkness to truths, in accordance with the following in Isaiah,

They were a rebellious people, lying sons, sons who did not wish to hear the law of Jehovah, who said to the seers, Do not see; and to those who had visions, Do not see for us things that are right, tell us smooth things, see illusions. Isaiah 30:9-10.

In Isaiah,

This people walking in darkness have seen a great light; those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shone out. Isaiah 9:2.

'Seeing a great light' stands for receiving and believing the truths of faith. It is over those who have faith that heavenly 'light' is said 'to shine out', for the light which is shed in heaven is Divine Truth coming from Divine Good.

[8] In the same prophet,

Jehovah has poured out over you a spirit of slumber, and has closed your eyes, the prophets and your heads, the seers, He has covered. Isaiah 29:10.

'Closing the eyes' stands for closing the understanding of truth - 'the eye' meaning the understanding, see 2701. 'Covering the seers' stands for covering those who know and teach the truths of faith. 'Seers' in former times were called prophets, and prophets mean those who teach as well as meaning the truths of doctrine, see 2534. In the same prophet,

The priest and the prophet err through strong drink, they err among those who see, they are tottery in judgement. Isaiah 28:7.

Here the meaning is similar. 'The judgement in which they are tottery' means the truth of faith, see 2235. In the same prophet,

The eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. Isaiah 32:3.

Here the meaning is similar.

[9] In the same prophet,

Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty, they will see a land stretching far. Isaiah 33:17.

'Beholding the king in his beauty' stands for beholding truths of faith which come from the Lord and are called beautiful by virtue of good. 'Seeing a land stretching far' stands for seeing the good of love. For 'the king' means the truth of faith, see 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, this being called beautiful by virtue of good, 553, 3080, 3821; and 'a land' means the good of love, 620, 636, 3368, 3379. In Matthew,

Blessed are the pure in heart, for these will see God. Matthew 5:8.

Here it is quite evident that 'seeing God' means believing in Him, and so seeing Him by faith, for people who possess faith, from faith see God, since God is within faith and is that within faith which constitutes true faith.

[10] In the same gospel,

If your eye causes you to stumble pluck it out. It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than having two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire. Matthew 18:9.

Here, as is quite evident, 'the eye' does not mean the eye. Nor does it mean that the eye has to be plucked out, for it is not the eye that causes the stumbling but the understanding of truth meant here by 'the eye', 2701. The law that it is better not to know and grasp the truths of faith than to know and grasp them and yet to lead a life of evil is what is meant by 'better to enter into life one-eyed than having two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire'.

[11] In the same gospel,

Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, but did not see. Matthew 13:13-17; John 12:40.

'Seeing' stands for knowing and understanding the things that constitute faith in the Lord, and so stands for faith. For it was not their seeing the Lord and seeing His miracles that made them 'blessed' but their believing, as becomes clear from the following words in John,

I said to you that you have both seen Me and not believed. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life. No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father; He has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in Me has eternal life. John 6:36, 40, 46-47.

'Seeing and not believing' stands for knowing the truths of faith and not accepting them, 'seeing and believing' for knowing them and accepting them. The words 'No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father' stands for not being able to acknowledge Divine Good except through Divine Truth - 'the Father' being Divine Good and 'the Son' Divine Truth, see 3704. Consequently the internal sense is that nobody is able to possess heavenly good unless he acknowledges the Lord.

[12] Similarly in the same gospel,

Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. John 1:18.

And in the same gospel,

Jesus said, He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. John 12:45-46.

Here it is explicitly stated that 'seeing' means believing or possessing faith. And in the same gospel,

Jesus said, If you know Me you know My Father also. And from now you know Him and have seen Him. He who has seen Me has seen the Father. John 14:7, 9.

In the same gospel,

The Spirit of truth the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you. Yet a little while, the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me; because I live you will live also. John 14:17-19.

'Seeing' stands for possessing faith, for it is solely through faith that the Lord is seen. Actually faith is the eye of love, since it is from love through faith that the Lord is seen, love being the life of faith. Hence His statement, 'You will see Me; because I live you will live also'.

[13] In the same gospel,

Jesus said, For judgement I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, but that those who see may become blind. The Pharisees said, Are we also blind? Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see', therefore your sin remains. John 9:39-41.

'Those who see' stands for those who imagine themselves to be more intelligent than everybody else. Of them it is said that they will become blind, that is, will not acquire faith. 'Not seeing' or being blind is used in reference to those immersed in falsities, and also to those who have no knowledge [of the truth], see 2383. In Luke,

To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but for everyone else in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear. Luke 8:10.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same gospel,

I tell you truly, There are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. Luke 9:27; Mark 9:1.

'Seeing the kingdom of God' stands for believing. In the same gospel,

Jesus said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see. Luke 17:22.

This refers to the close of the age or last period of the Church when no faith exists any longer.

[14] In the same gospel,

It happened, when Jesus was at table with them, that He took the bread and said a blessing, and broke it and gave to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Luke 24:30-31.

The meaning of this event was that the Lord comes into sight through good, but not through truth devoid of good; for 'bread' means the good of love, 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3478, 3735, 3813. From these and many other places it is clear that 'seeing' in the internal sense means faith received from the Lord, for no other faith exists which is truly faith except faith which comes from the Lord. This is also the faith that enables a person to see, that is, to believe. But faith originating in self or a person's proprium is not truly faith, for it causes him to see falsities as truths and truths as falsities; or if he does see truths as truths he does not truly see them because he does not believe them. For in them he sees himself and not the Lord.

[15] That 'seeing' means possessing faith in the Lord is quite evident from what has been stated often about the light of heaven, namely that because it flows from the Lord the light of heaven holds intelligence and wisdom within it, and so holds faith in Him since faith in the Lord is inwardly present in intelligence and wisdom. Consequently seeing by that light, as angels do, can mean nothing else than faith in the Lord. The Lord Himself too is within that light because it proceeds from Him. That light is also the light which shines within the conscience of those who possess faith in Him, though no one is directly conscious of its doing so as long as he lives in the body, for during that time the light of the world is obscuring that light.