PROPHET DANIEL

The memory of the great biblical prophet Daniel closes the year in the Orthodox Churches of the Julian calendar. This apocalyptic figure reminds the Church, as a Community of Interpreters and Pilgrims to the Kingdom, of its duty to prophesy.

1 Along with the Prophet Elijah and King David, the holy Prophet Daniel and the three young Jewish men Ananias, Azarias, and Mishael are perhaps the most venerated Old Testament saints in contemporary Orthodox piety. Unlike Elijah, whose commemoration is liturgically celebrated once a year in the service, the commemoration of David and Daniel is presented daily and, as it were, invisibly in the texts used in the service. Finally, both the Psalter and the biblical Song of the Young Men from the Book of Daniel are sung daily in the Orthodox service. “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers,” is the refrain that resounds at the end of this hymn.

2 Commemorations of the Old Testament prophets are found in large numbers in the days and weeks before Christ’s birth. They seem to “stitch together” the liturgical calendar of the pre-Christmas period. In this way, the Church prepares the faithful for the celebration of the Savior’s arrival into the world. Yet most believers forget these memories in the hustle and bustle. Daniel and the three young men are also commemorated by the Church on the two Sundays before Christmas, which are called “Sunday of the Fathers” and " Sunday of the Forefathers" in the liturgical calendars. Despite the different names, these two consecutive Sundays are dedicated to the commemoration of the same biblical figures. This is an important detail to know. The liturgical year in Orthodoxy is characterized by a special semantic and character-richness.

3 The prophet Daniel and his three companions, traditionally called the “three young men,” but in reality, equal to him in rank, were chosen to serve at the court of the Babylonian king during the early period of the Babylonian captivity, around 600 BC. Daniel prophesied during the captivity, witnessed the fall of Babylon, and witnessed the first Persian kings.

4 The Book of Daniel consists of 14 chapters, twelve of which are part of the Hebrew Bible, and the last two are preserved only in Greek. It is full of interpretations, images, and visions. Due to its complexity and imagery, many commentators compare it to the Book of Revelation. Both books share many images. When Jesus speaks of the “abomination of desolation foretold by the prophet Daniel,” he is quoting this great biblical prophet in the Gospel (Matthew 24:5; cf. Daniel 11:31).

5 It is symbolic that, due to the mutual shift of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the commemoration of the prophet Daniel falls on the penultimate day of the year. Of course, according to the church calendar, the year begins in autumn, and December is only the fourth month. However, most believers live according to the secular calendar. Thus, the commemoration of God’s great prophet Daniel on the eve of the last day of the year reminds the Church, as a society of believers, that ours is the last time.

6 " When the Church ceases to prophesy, writes Giorgio Agamben, the voices of secular false prophets who predict catastrophes begin to sound particularly aggressive. My sick existence cries out for redemption," sings Till Lindemann in one of his songs. The world thirsts for salvation, and the entire planet needs the intercession of the saints, among whom the prophets of God are particularly clairvoyant and significant.