“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3–4) Table

Gage, W. A. (2011). Milestones to Emmaus: The Third Day Resurrection in the Old Testament (pp. iv – v). Warren A. Gage.

How is this the meaning of Daniel? Where is the burial and resurrection?

Warren Gage offers one of his most detailed and elaborate typological interpretations in this milestone. He constructs a timeline that stretches the events of Daniel 6 into a three-day sequence:

• Day 1: Daniel prays three times, is accused, and is condemned under the unalterable decree.
• Day 2: The conspirators report him; the king labors to deliver him until evening, but cannot.
• Day 3: Daniel is cast into the den that night; the king comes early the third day, the stone is removed, and Daniel is lifted out unharmed.

Gage then draws extensive parallels to Jesus:

• Daniel’s innocence and envy-driven accusation → Jesus’ innocence and envy of religious leaders (Matt 27:18).
• King Darius bound by unalterable law → Pilate bound by higher powers.
• Daniel’s three daily prayers → Jesus’ three prayers in Gethsemane.
• Stone sealed over the den → stone sealed over Jesus’ tomb.
• Daniel emerges unharmed on the third-day morning, “lifted up” → Jesus rises on the third day.
• Accusers thrown in and destroyed → Jesus’ enemies judged.
• Daniel exalted to rule → Jesus exalted to God’s right hand.
• King’s decree to all nations → Gospel to all nations.

He even notes “not one of his bones was broken” (Dan 6:22–23; cf. John 19:36) and Daniel’s prosperity/exaltation (Dan 6:28). Gage presents this as a “remarkable preview of the gospel” and a clear third-day resurrection type.

From the perspective of the original Aramaic/Hebrew text of Daniel 6, its historical and literary context, and traditional Jewish exegesis, this milestone does not withstand scrutiny as a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection on the third day. The “third day” chronology is artificially imposed, and the episode lacks the core elements of death, burial, and resurrection.

1. There Is No Actual “Three-Day” Sequence in the Text—Daniel Is in the Den for Only One Night

• The text is explicit about timing: Daniel is cast into the den that night after the conspirators press the king (Dan 6:16).
• The king spends the night fasting and sleepless (v. 18).
• Very early in the morning (בְּשַׁפְרְפָרָא / b’shaprapara, “at dawn”), the king goes to the den (v. 19) and finds Daniel alive.
• Daniel is immediately “taken up out of the den” (v. 23).

This is one night (roughly 12–18 hours), not three days. Gage creates the “three days” by counting backward from the accusation/prayer day, inserting an extra day of the king’s “laboring,” but the narrative flows continuously without such a gap. The king hears the accusation, tries to deliver Daniel “until the going down of the sun” (v. 14), then immediately commands that Daniel be cast in that same evening. There is no full second day of imprisonment.

Contrast with Jesus: literal death on Friday afternoon, burial before sunset, in the tomb all of Saturday (full day + nights), rising early Sunday morning—counted as “three days” in Jewish inclusive reckoning (part of Friday + Saturday + part of Sunday).

2. Daniel Never Dies, Is Never Buried, and Does Not Rise from Death

• Daniel is thrown into a lion’s den (a pit/cave-like enclosure), not a grave/tomb.
• A stone is placed over the mouth and sealed (v. 17)—a parallel Gage emphasizes—but this is to prevent escape or tampering, not to entomb a corpse.
• Daniel remains alive the entire time; God’s angel shuts the lions’ mouths (v. 22). He is “taken up” (הַסְּקִיל / hasqil, “lifted out”) unharmed—no death or resurrection occurs.
• The phrase “not one of his bones was broken” (v. 23, implied by “no injury whatever was found on him”) is protective deliverance, not post-mortem preservation (contrast Ps 34:20 applied to Jesus in John 19:36).

This is a story of divine protection from death, not resurrection after death.

3. Jewish Interpretation Emphasizes Faithfulness, Divine Deliverance, and God’s Sovereignty—Not Resurrection Typology

• Rabbinic sources (Talmud, Midrash, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, etc.) highlight:
• Daniel’s unwavering prayer life despite danger (three times daily as a model for Jewish prayer).
• The king’s distress and the power of an unchangeable decree.
• Miraculous angelic intervention and the reversal of fate (accusers destroyed).
• The spread of God’s fame to all nations (Dan 6:26–27).
• No classical Jewish commentary treats the lions’ den as a “third-day resurrection” type or messianic prophecy in the Christian sense. The “morning” deliverance is immediate vindication, not a three-day motif.
• The book of Daniel is apocalyptic and exilic literature, focused on faithfulness under persecution (similar to Esther, Joseph), not explicit messianic resurrection patterns.

4. The Parallels Are Selective and Overstretched

• “Three times a day” prayer → three prayers in Gethsemane: The text says Daniel prayed three times daily “as was his custom” (v. 10)—a lifelong habit, not a special preparation for this trial.
• Stone and seals: Common ancient prison/security measures; not uniquely tomb-like.
• Exaltation and worldwide decree: Daniel is already a high official; his promotion is confirmed, but the king’s edict praises God, not Daniel personally.
• These elements make for compelling typology only when read backward through the lens of the Gospels.

Conclusion on Milestone 6

Daniel 6 is one of the most beloved and powerful narratives in the Tanach: a righteous man faces death for his faith, is miraculously preserved by God, and God’s name is glorified among the nations. It teaches profound lessons about prayer, integrity under pressure, and divine deliverance. However, it does not depict a “third day resurrection.” Daniel never dies, spends only one night in the den, and is delivered alive the next morning. The “three days” chronology is an artificial construction that the text itself does not support.

Gage’s reading continues the pattern we’ve seen across all milestones: a creative, post-resurrection Christian typology that imposes a death-burial-resurrection framework onto narratives that, in their original context and plain meaning, simply do not contain it. The Tanach here speaks of deliverance from death, not resurrection after death.

Next is Milestone 7: Esther Delivered from Death on the Third Day