Part 12 (1/2)
”Most humbly will we all bow before our G.o.d, and pray that a clear revelation of the lost dream may be made on the mind of our beloved Daniel,” said Azariah.
In solemn silence, the youths of Judah departed, and retired to their respective apartments, there to prostrate themselves before the Lord in humble devotion, with full confidence that the G.o.d in whom they trusted would hear their prayer and grant their pet.i.tion.
Many hours had already pa.s.sed away. Stillness prevailed throughout the thoroughfares of the great metropolis. Silence reigned throughout Babylon. The faithful night guardians solemnly paraded the streets in the performance of their important duties. The queen of cities was hushed to repose; its vast thousands had, for a while, forgotten their toil and sorrow. Old midnight was left far in the rear, and some faint signs in the eastern skies betokened the distant approach of day. But yonder, on their bended knees, see the trembling forms of Amon.o.ber's children! For many hours they have wrestled with G.o.d. Does He hear them? But where is Daniel? Let us silently enter his chamber. The son of Baramon is asleep!
Mark his countenance!
Still the three brothers, ”with their faces toward Jerusalem,” are bowed before the Lord. But hark! Ah! it is the well-known voice of Daniel. It rings melodiously throughout every apartment and it falls on the ears of the cousins. Hark!
”Blessed be the name of G.o.d forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his. And he changeth the times and seasons. He removeth and setteth up kings. He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that seek understanding. He revealeth deep and secret things. He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank Thee and praise Thee, O G.o.d of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of Thee; for Thou hast made known to us now the king's matter.”
Early in the morning, Daniel sought an interview with Arioch, and besought the reversing of the sentence against the wise men, and a.s.sured him that he was fully prepared to appear before the king, and restore to him the lost vision.
”Let Belteshazzar be a.s.sured,” said the captain of the guard, ”that I shall not move a finger against the wise men but by the positive orders of the king, and I am happy to say that he hath ordered me to delay execution until I receive further directions. I have just learned by chance that the merchant Joram has had an interview with the king in behalf of thee and thy friends. If I can be of any service to Belteshazzar, I am at his pleasure.”
”In one hour, then, I will call on thee again, and thou shalt accompany me into the presence of the king,” and Daniel departed.
Daniel found his companions sunk into calm slumber, from which they were not then awakened. He partook of a slight repast, bowed once more in adoration before G.o.d, and returned to seek Arioch, the captain of the guard.
They were soon on their way to the palace. Arioch first entered.
”O king, live forever! Belteshazzar is without, desiring to see thee; and--”
”No more from thee at this time,” interrupted the king. ”Retire, and send the young man hither.”
The officer, well used to the manner of his sovereign, bowed low and retired.
”Belteshazzar,” said Arioch, ”thou are admitted; and may the G.o.ds give thee success.”
With a firm step, and a calm look, and with full confidence in the G.o.d of Israel, the Hebrew youth once more marched into the presence of the King of Chaldea.
”Belteshazzar,” cried the king, ”art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?”
”The secret which the king demandeth of his servant is far above the knowledge and comprehension of all his wise men, astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers. But the G.o.d of heaven--that Jehovah who dwelleth in light--he revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, what shall come to pa.s.s in the latter days. Be it known, therefore, to the king, that this secret is not revealed to me through any wisdom that I have more than any living, but it is the kind interposition of Jehovah in behalf of thy servant and his companions in tribulation, who are doomed to die; and, moreover, to show the king that Jehovah is the only G.o.d.
”Thy dream, and the vision of thy head, are these: As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pa.s.s hereafter; and He that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee the grand events of the future.
”Thou, O king, sawest a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of bra.s.s, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest that a stone smote the image upon the feet which were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the bra.s.s, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer thres.h.i.+ngfloor, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream. Now, O king, listen to the interpretation thereof.
”Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the G.o.d of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven, hath he given unto thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of bra.s.s, which shall bear rule over the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron; forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the G.o.d of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and this kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the bra.s.s, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great G.o.d hath made known to the king what shall come to pa.s.s hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
For a while the king, in silent astonishment, gazed on the wonderful being before him; then he arose and fell prostrate at the feet of the captive Hebrew, and paid him adoration suitable only to a divine being.
”Let thy adoration be paid to Jehovah, O king!” cried Daniel, ”for it is he that revealeth secrets, and bringeth to light the hidden mysteries.”
”Of a truth, your G.o.d is a G.o.d of G.o.ds,” cried the king, ”and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this mystery. And now, Belteshazzar, thou art exalted to be a ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Chaldea; and if thou desirest any particular favor, let it not be hidden from the king; for thou art worthy of all honors, and the full desire of thy heart shall be given thee.”
”For himself, thy servant has nothing to ask; but be it known to thee, O king, that thou art as much indebted for the restoration of the vision to my three companions as to thy servant, for in answer to our united prayers the secret was made known. I pray thee, therefore, that while I am thus honored, my companions may share in it.”
”Wisely remarked. Thy three companions shall be promoted to posts of honor and trust in the empire. Let them, under thee, preside over the province of Babylon.”