Daniel in the Lion's Den

Daniel & Angel in the Lion's Den

Daniel was one of the captive Children of Israel.  He was a servant of the Medes.  Of course he was not filling water pots or something.  He was probably one of the Nobility in Israel and he was carreid away captive to be a leader of the people.  He was a good God fearing man and prayed every day to God or Jehovah.  The other leaders were jealous of him.  So they convinced the king. . . King Darius, to make a decree that you could only pray to the king.  

Daniel, of course, did not obey this new law so he was thrown into the Lion's Den.  This was probably a pride of captured lions kept fed by feeding condemned prisoners to them.  Darius was Daniel's friend and he did NOT want to have him excecuted.  Daniel was probably in his 80s at the time this happened.  

Daniel was thrown into the den in the evening.  Notice the hole in the ceiling of the den.  In the morning King Darius approached the entrance to the den and probably shouted through the opening to ask if Daniel's god had saved him.  King Darius probably did not expect an answer other than lion's roars.  But Daniel answered that God had sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths.  Of course a lion could kill with claws as well.  Obviously the angel of God had stopped the lions from killing and eating Daniel.  

Daniel was let out. . . probably via a rope... and King Darius had the wicked men who had tricked him, their wives, and their children thrown into the lion's den.  The Bible says that the lions broke all their bones.  That is probably a euphmism for saying that the wicked men and their families were killed and eaten by the lions.  

It is important to note that God does not always save the righteous from the wicked.  But sometimes he does.  Sometimes the wicked are allowed to do their wickedness so that the judgements that come upon them are just.  Righteous people who are martyred by the wicked are in Paradise.  We also call that the Spirit World.  It is hard to think this way as a mortal, but the eternal perspective is different than the mortal perspective.  From the eterrnal perspective those who die in the Lord are fine.  

When we die our spirits leave our bodies.  We, as spirits, are able to remember all of our mortal life and possibly much of our premortal life as well.  The Spirit World is organized by families so when you die you probably will be greeted by loved ones from your family as you enter the Spirit World.  There is a temporary judgement where we are assigned to either paradise or spirit prison.  Wicked people who die have to go to a part of the Spirit World called Spirit Prison or Hell to pay the eternal price for their wicked deeds while they were mortal.  

Eventually everyone will be resurrected with flawless bodies.  Then we are faced with final judgement and we are sent to one of three kingdoms of glory.   The very righteous will go to dwell with Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother and their first born son Jesus Christ.  This will be in what is called the Celestial Kingdom.  We beleive that married man and wife, who are sealed for time and all eternity in one of God's Temples, will be able to stay married forever and live as husband and wife in the Celestial Kingdom.  It also appears that they will be able to live with their righteous children.  The Celestial Kingdom also must be organized by families.  So Family is very important.  

The people who were good but did not accept all of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will go to the Terrestrial Kingdom.  They will have fallen short of their potential but I think that they will be happy there.  Jesus  must live in the Celestial Kingdom, but he must visit the Telestial Kingdom because he presides there.  

The people who were wicked on Earth as mortals will be sent to the Telestial Kingdom.  They fell way short of their potential but their terrible suffering in hell will be over.  The Holy Ghost presides over the Telestial Kingdom.

FYI this is all doctrine of life after death is from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We are members of this church.   We believe it is a restoration of Christ's original church along with the authority to perform saving ordinances.  Both my wife and I served missions to teach this.  I served in New Mexico, USA and she served in Arizona, USA.  On my mission I spoke Spanish.  WE served those missions when we were young.