The Beast and his Mark
The beast “shall intend to change times and law” (Daniel 7:25), to elevate himself as high as God (Daniel 11:36). In particular, he will try to change the commandment of God regarding the Sabbath Day.
The governors and satraps see if they can find any charge against Daniel regarding the Law of his God. The King (the beast) makes a decree that sets him as high as God. Daniel must go into the Lion’s den because the King is unable to change his own decree.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
Dan 6:5
“unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
The paramount significance of the law of God is introduced. Of course, the first commandment is in mind, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). In Daniel 3, the saints were forced to worship an “image” that Nebuchadnezzar, the Beast, set up. But now the King – “the Beast” will have everyone to worship him. The Apostle Paul wrote:
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
But the main focus of this Chapter is “the Law that cannot be changed.” For the Beast will make himself as great as God by claiming the authority to change God’s commandments.
6 Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus to him, King Darius, live forever. 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
Dan 6:6-7
King Darius live forever – his advisors set him as high as God. They tell him that he shall be the only god. The Beast will also tries to make himself as high as God, as we read in Daniel 11:36.
Dan 6:8
“establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”
They put His words as high as God’s such that they cannot be altered.
To change the law that cannot be changed will be the intent of the beast, “to change time and law” (Dan 7:25).
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him.
Dan 6:14
he labored til the going down of the sun – the King is unable even to find a way to change his own decree, a comparison to the changing of the law of God.
15 Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor statute which the king establishes may be changed.
Dan 6:15
“Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
25 Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, 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.
Dan 6:25-27
To all peoples, nations and languages that dwell in all the earth…fear the God of Daniel – the introduction of Darius speech is identical to that of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:1-3, as we noted there. After we learn about the mark of the beast, Darius warns us to fear God. King Nebuchadnezzar told us to give God glory, after we learned that we need to worship the true God, and not the image of the beast. These two speeches prefigure the call of the Angel in Revelation 14:6-7, to “those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people…’fear God and give Him glory.'”