Daniel
The book of Daniel follows after Ezekiel in the Old Testament. Daniel was a prophet during the early part of the captivity of the Jews in Babylon. (His Babylonian name, given to him by King Nebuchadnezzar, was Belteshazzar.) The first half of the Book of Daniel tells the story of Daniel and three friends, and then Daniel’s rise to prominence under Kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius. The second half is prophecy. In the internal sense of the Word, Daniel represents the Lord at His advent. Daniel's captivity, and the actions of the Babylonian kings that he interacts with, show the state of the Israelitish church at that time.
(References: Arcana Coelestia 3652)
De Sensu Interno Librorum Propheticorum et Psalmorum Davidis #173
173. DANIEL CAPUT II.
Versus | Res
Daniel 2:1, 2; Praedictum qualis "Babel" futura. {2}
Daniel 2:3-11; Quod hoc non scirent illi qui unum faciebant cum "Babele.. {2}
Daniel 2:12, 13; Quod occaecati fuerint. {2}
Daniel 2:14-30; sed quod detectum sit illis qui ab Ecclesia per revelationem a Domino. {2}
Daniel 2:31-35; Progressio religiosi Babylonici sequitur: quod primum moderatores discerent et docerent bona et vera Caeli et Ecclesiae; ac postea illi recederent, usque dum non aliud superesset quam adulteratum, ita mere falsum et malum, et quod tunc Dominus venturus. {2, 1}
Daniel 2:36-38; Quod primum ibi docebitur Verbum secundum vera doctrinae inde. {2}
Daniel 2:39; Quod postea Ecclesia futura valens, non ex bono spirituali, sed ex bono naturali. {2}
Daniel 2:40-43; Quod demum omne bonum et verum per adulterationes mutabitur in malum et falsum, 1 valens modo per potentiam civilem diabolicam. {3}
Daniel 2:44, 45; Quod tunc venturus sit Dominus, ac destruet illud religiosum, ac instituet Ecclesiam, quae in Divino vero ab Ipso erit. {1, 3, 11}
Daniel 2:46-49; Quod 2 hoc initium "Babelis" esset, quando coluit Deum caeli, et doctrinam ex Verbo magnifecit. {2}
Footnotes:
This Latin text was written by Swedenborg in 1761. It was first printed 12 years after Swedenborg's death, in 1784. An 1860 printing was edited by Tafel, probably by the Swedenborg Society in London (swedenborg.org.uk). We're not sure of the provenance of this text, and are researching it further. We received most of this text from the NewSearch project of the Academy of the New Church (brynathyn.edu), and the front matter courtesy of the Heavenly Doctrines Publishing Foundation (heavenlydoctrinepublishing.org).
