Under the unworthy successors of Nebuchad nezzar, Daniel and his deservings seem to have been forgotten, and he was removed from his high posts. His situation at court appears to have been confined to a very inferior office (comp. Dan. viii. 27) ; neither is it likely that he should have retained his rank as head inspector of the order of The magians in a country where these were the prin cipal actors in effecting changes in the administra tion whenever a new succession to the throne took place.
We thus lose sight of Daniel until the first and third year of King Belshazzar (Dan. v. 7, 8), gene rally understood to have been the last king of Ba bylon (called by profane writers Nabonnedus), but who—to judge from Dan. v. II, /3, /8, 22—was, more probably, the son and successor of Nebu chadnezzar, usually called Evil-Merodach, though passing in Daniel by his Chaldean title and rank. After a reign of two years, this monarch was as sassinated by his brother-in-law Neriglissar (13erosus in Joseph. contra Afion. i. 2o). Shortly before this event Daniel was again restored to the royal favour, and became moral preacher to the king, who overwhelmed him with honours and titles in consequence of his being able to read and solve the meaning of a sentence miraculously displayed, which tended to rouse the conscience of the wicked prince.
Under the same king we see Daniel both alarmed and comforted by two remarkable visions (Dan. vii., viii.), which disclosed to him the future course of events, and the ultimate fate of the most powerful empires of the world, but in particular their rela tions to the kingdom of God, and its development to the great consummation.
After the conquest of Babylon by the united powers of Media and Persia, Daniel seriously busied himself under the short reign (two years) of Darius the Mede or Cyaxares II. with the affairs of his people and their possible return from exile, the term of which was fast approaching, according to the prophecies of Jeremiah. In deep humility and prostration of spirit, he then prayed to the Al mighty, in the name of his people, for forgiveness of their sins, and for the Divine mercy in their, behalf: and the answering promises he received far exceeded the tenor of his prayer, for the visions of the Seer were extended to the end of time (Dan.
ix.) In a practical point of view, also, Daniel appeared at that time a highly-favoured instrument of Jeho vah. Occupying, as he did, one of the highest posts of honour in the state, the strictness and scrupulousness with which he fulfilled his official duties could not fail to rouse envy and jealousy in the breasts of his colleagues, who well knew how to win the weak monarch, whom they at last in duced to issue a decree imposing certain acts, the performance of which, they well knew, was alto gether at variance with the creed of which Daniel was a zealous professor. For his disobedience the prophet suffered the penalty specified in the decree : he was thrown into a den of lions, but was miracu lously saved by the mercy of God—a circumstance which enhanced his reputation, and again raised him to the highest posts of honour under Darius and Cyrus (Dan. vi.) He had, at last, the happiness to see his most ardent wishes accomplished—to behold his people restored to their own land. Though his advanced age would not allow him to be among those who returned to Palestine, yet did he never for a moment cease to occupy his mind and heart with his people and their concerns (Dan. x. 12.) In the third year of Cyrus, he had a series of visions, in which he was informed of the minutest details respecting the future history and sufferings of his nation, to the period of their true redemption through Christ, as also a consolatory notice to him self to proceed calmly and peaceably to the end of his days, and then await patiently the resurrection of the dead at the end of time.
From that period the accounts respecting him are vague, sometimes confused, and even strange ; and we hardly need mention the various fables which report his death to have taken place in Pa lestine, Babylon, or Susa.—H. A. C. H.