Daniel in the Lion’s Den
by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.  
Chapter 1
Daniel was a good guy, and was doing a good job for the king.  But Daniel had enemies who got him thrown into the lion’s den.  
The narrative is in Daniel chapter 6.  Here it is from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, (Amazon.com). 

___Daniel chapter 6
 1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty princes, who would be over the whole kingdom,
 2 And over these, three presidents, of whom Daniel was first, so that the princes would give account to them, and so the king would have no loss.
 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion nor fault, since he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault found in him.
 5 Then said these men, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."
 6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus to him, "King Darius, live forever.
 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counselors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be thrown into the den of lions.
 8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, so it won't be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, that doesn't change."
 9 So king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his room toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, like he did previously.
 11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
 12 Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree, "Haven't you signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, except from you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?"  The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, that doesn't change."
 13 Then they answered and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn't regard you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."
 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him, and he labored 'til the going down of the sun to deliver him.
 15 Then these men assembled to the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute that the king establishes can be changed."
 16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and threw him into the den of lions.  Now the king spoke and said to Daniel, "Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you."
 17 And a stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords, so that the purpose wouldn't be changed concerning Daniel.
 18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting, nor were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep went from him.
 19 Then the king got up very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions.
 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice to Daniel, and the king spoke and said to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?"
 21 Then said Daniel to the king, "O king, live forever.
 22 My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, since before him innocence was found in me, and also before you, O king, I've done no hurt."
 23 Then the king was very glad about him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den.  So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of hurt was found on him, because he believed in his God.
 24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they threw them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives, and the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever hit bottom of the den.
 25 Then king Darius wrote to all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth, "Peace be multiplied to you.
 26 I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, and steady forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even to the end.
 27 He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."
 28 So this Daniel prospered in the rule of Darius, and in the rule of Cyrus the Persian.

Chapter 2
The king later regretted agreeing with the enemies of Daniel.  After the new law that you couldn’t petition God, how did that affect Daniel?  Not at all.  Daniel kept praying as before.  
So the king had to put him in the lion’s den.  
Next morning, the king went to the lion’s den to see about Daniel.  Daniel said, “I’m O.K., King, God sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions.”  
So the king brought up Daniel, and threw down Daniel’s enemies.  
But this time, no angel to shut the lion’s mouths.  The lions had the mastery of them.  Daniel didn’t have any more trouble with those enemies since they were dead.  
But from the beginning, Daniel had put his trust in the Lord.  
Daniel was part of the Babylonian captivity.  Israel had provoked God over and over again, so God gave them into the hands of the Babylonians, who took most of them to Babylon.  
But Daniel proved himself to be a very able and capable administrator.  
Daniel is one of God’s prophets.  God showed Daniel things that would come on the earth in the future.  
The book of Daniel speaks of “The Beast” that will rule the world during the period of seven years called “The Great Tribulation.”  This man is also referred to as the Antichrist in the book of Revelation.   
People on earth at that time will have to take “the mark of the beast.”  The mark of the beast is taken in the hand or in the forehead.  
But if you take the mark, you’re damned, and can’t go to heaven.  If you don’t take it, you can’t buy or sell.  
The Jews are mostly unaware that their Messiah has already come, and that his name is Jesus.  They’re still looking for the Messiah.  
The Antichrist will deceive the Jews into thinking that he’s the Messiah, and will make a pact with the Jews.  
After a while, the Jews will figure out that the Antichrist is not the Messiah.  
I don’t expect to be around during the Great Tribulation, having already been “raptured.” 
The “Rapture” refers to the catching away of the church, the believers in Jesus, as told in 1 Thess 4:16,17.  
There has been disagreement as to whether the rapture is pre-trib, post-trib, or mid-trib.  
Pastor John Osteen said, “If you want to tribulate, go ahead and tribulate.”  
No thanks, John, I think I’ll pre-trib rapture, and I have scripture for that.  
As you read about the Great Tribulation in the book of Revelation, it’s the wrath of God being poured out on the earth.  
But the Bible says “God has not appointed us to wrath.”  
Since God has not appointed me to wrath, as a Christian, he will no doubt rapture me pre-trib, if I’m still alive when the Great Tribulation is about to start.  
But if you want to tribulate, go ahead and tribulate.  But I strongly recommend against it.  

___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.