and the Three Holy Youths:
Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael
December 17th
They needed two miracles in order to survive – and they received both!
Daniel, thrown headlong into a den full of hungry lions, did not hesitate: He simply walked from one roaring animal to the next and gently closed each mouth. All at once, the beasts stopped raging. They simply lay down on the earth and rested quietly there, like peaceful kittens.
That was one miracle.
The second occurred when Daniel’s three friends from the Holy Land (all four youths had been abducted from their homeland as part of the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews during the first part of the Sixth Century B.C.) were suddenly hurled into a blazing furnace. Their transgression? The three young men from Jerusalem – Hananiah, Azaria and Mishael – had refused to kneel and worship a giant statue of the Babylonian Emperor, Nebuchadnezzar. Determined to maintain their worship of the One True God of their fathers, the trio of future martyrs had simply ignored the proud herald who stepped forth to announce the required worship of the Emperor by declaring in words like these:TAKEN FROM“To you it is com¬manded, nations, peoples, tribes, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, and dulcimer, and every kind of music, you will fall down and worship the golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar!"
When the rebellion by the lads of Israel reached the ears of the Emperor, he was incensed . . . and quickly ordered that they be burned alive in his blazing court furnace.
What happened next was a miracle so amazing and convincing that it converted the pagan Emperor on the spot.
First an Angel of the Lord appeared out of thin air in the heart of the scorching furnace. While the flames lapped skyward with such force that they instantly incinerated several of the Babylonian onlookers, the Angel remained utterly unconcerned. Strolling through the inferno, he gathered up the youths and began to lead them safely through the conflagration. Soon the young men could be heard cheerfully singing a hymn of thanks to their God for having kept them out of harm’s way: Blessed art Thou, Lord God of our fathers. (Their beautiful hymn is still sung each year during divine liturgy on Holy Saturday.)
When the amazed Nebuchadnezzar saw how the young believers from the ancient Palestinian city of Jerusalem had been saved by their God, he was instantly converted to their faith. While proclaiming the majesty of the One True God, he released the believers from the furnace and presented them with the highest honors obtainable in his mighty court.
All of this happened in the years following the Babylonian Captivity of the Israelites around 600 B.C. Like thousands of other grieving prisoners, the young men from Jerusalem (all were members of the tribe of Judah) mourned the loss of their homeland endlessly – along with the loss of the exquisitely wrought Temple of Solomon, the center of worship in Palestine for countless generations.
The horror of slavery was all around these young prisoners of war. But life must go on, somehow; and after only a few years, they began to adapt to their lives in exile. And indeed, they fared better than most; as the sons of formerly illustrious families in Palestine, they were given a superb education by royal tutors in the court of the Babylonian Emperor. After absorbing the essence of the Chaldean culture that surrounded them, they were costumed in expensive finery and then admitted to the precincts of the royal palace.
The youths were extremely fortunate; they had escaped the life of endless drudgery and brutal whippings that had to be endured by most of the Babylonian captives. Nonetheless, they absolutely refused to reconcile themselves to their fate. While clinging steadfastly to the faith of their fathers, they led ascetic lives of stern austerity. They ate raw vegetables and nothing else, and they drank only water. And because they were faithful to Him, the Good Lord granted all of them the special wisdom that would help them survive their harsh exile. In His mercy, He also gave them the gift of clairvoyance and the ability to interpret dreams.
Because of his keen perspicacity, Daniel (whose name means “God is judge”) soon rose to become a confidant of the mighty Nebuchadnezzar. His upright character had been revealed during his first few years in Babylon – when he spoke out against the deceitfulness of two scheming old lechers, and thus protected the chaste Susanna from their perfidy. After listening to the false accusations of the lechers – who were bitterly disappointed that she had rejected their own illicit sexual advances – Daniel was horrified to learn that she was about to be executed for supposedly having consorted with the two perjurers. In a rage of righteous wrath, the youthful prophet cried out to his countrymen in words like these:
“Are ye such fools, ye sons of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth ye have condemned a daughter of Israel? Return to the place of judgment, for they have borne false witness against her.” This act of courageous integrity greatly impressed Daniel’s captors, who soon realized that he had a gift for interpreting events and predicting the future.
Scorning his own court sorcerers and astrologers, the tyrant kept Daniel near him at all times. On one occasion, the quick-witted counselor was able to perform an especially important service for the ruler, after the latter experienced a terrifying dream that he could not manage to recall. When all of the Babylonian seers confessed their inability to interpret the dream, Daniel stepped forward and announced that thanks to the glorious power of the One True God, he would be able to discern the details of the dream and also to interpret them.
When he did so, the grateful Emperor made him a lord of the realm.
For the bold-hearted but humble Daniel, it was the beginning a long career as a court sage and counselor. Years later, after the all-powerful Balthasar had succeeded Nebuchadnezzar on the throne, he would once again be asked to display his extraordinary skills as a clairvoyant. It happened after the troubled ruler was startled to see a mysterious inscription – God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end – appear suddenly on one wall of the palace during a ceremonial banquet. Once again, the youthful prophet was helped by God to uncover a prophecy – and he quickly explained to Balthasar that the enigmatic words actually foretold the catastrophic downfall of the Babylonian kingdom in future years.
That downfall came at the hands of the bellicose Persians, who soon arrived to overwhelm and destroy the culture of the Chaldeans. Once again, however, Daniel survived the carnage and rose to become a special counselor to the Emperor, Darius. He was a court favorite for a while – but then some jealous competitors slandered him to the tyrant, who responded by flinging him into the lions’ den. But when the young man simply walked around closing their mouths with his bare hands, while showing no concern at all for his own safety, the monarch instantly realized that he was being protected by the Almighty.
So touched was Darius that he gave orders throughout his realm that the God of Daniel would be exclusively worshipped, henceforth . . . For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one that shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall endure to the end. (Daniel 6: 26).
Once again, the Holy Prophet Daniel had risen to great prominence in the kingdom that he and his three companions now inhabited. And yet his heart remained sorrowful because of the Captivity that his people were suffering, due to their disregard and contempt for the God they had betrayed. As the great Prophet would later write in one of the most moving passages of the Old Testament: O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. (Daniel 9: 18)
Daniel’s prayer was answered, but perhaps not in the way he had imagined it might be. Because of his righteousness before the Lord, he was allowed to look deeply into the future . . . and to foretell, while interpreting a dream for mighty Nebuchadnezzar, an event of immense importance for both the nation of Israel and the world at large: the eventual arrival of a kingdom so holy and powerful that it would replace all others on earth: the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Daniel and his companions, all of whom had been abducted during the reign of Joachim, lived into old age. Yet they died in captivity – and the three youths who had walked through the fiery furnace were eventually beheaded by the Persian Emperor Chambyses, according to most historians of the period.
The story of Daniel in the lions’ den and the three young Martyrs who walked in the fiery furnace has been told to generations of believers during the 2,500 years since the astonishing events took place. These profoundly affecting narratives continue to inspire people around the world, who take comfort and courage from the strength that all four youths displayed during their time of trial.
From Daniel we can learn that faith is action – and that such God-affirming action is often meant to be performed in the public arena, rather than in solitary isolation. Although there may sometimes be painful consequences that result from such prophetic acts, the God of Daniel (our God!) is big enough to see us through them.
Apolytikion in the Second Tone
Great are the achievements of faith! In the fountain of flame, as by the water of rest, the Three Holy Children rejoiced. And the Prophet Daniel proved a shepherd of lions as of sheep. By their prayers, o Christ God, save our souls.
Kontakion in the Third Tone
Since thy pure and hallowed heart had been made pure by the Spirit, it became His dwelling-place and clearest prophecy's vessel; for thou didst behold things far off as near and present, and when cast into the den, thou didst muzzle lions; for which cause, O blessed Prophet, glorious Daniel, we all revere thee in faith.
