At His word kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. It is the fear of God and
respect for innocent life that keeps a kingdom going. When a ruler oversteps his
bounds, he is on dangerous ground.
Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords,
and drank wine before the thousand.
Wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging and whoever is deceived by it , it
not wise. It is easier to sin against God if our inhibitions are dulled by
alcohol or strong drink.
Dan 5:2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden
and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple
which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his
concubines, might drink therein.
This showed lack of respect and no fear of the God of the Hebrews. So many today
have this lack of respect for God and all His commandments making light of the
gospel and even go so far as to forbid the name of Jesus to be spoken in public
assemblies. They fail to realize that at His word, they can fall. Some leaders
and nations think they are so mighty and can do what they will. Where is Hitler
today, Stalin, Alexander the Great and the Roman Emperors who dared to persecute
God's people? Alexander the Great died very young when he thought he was so
great.
One word from God and our country is history. It doesn't matter how great are
armies, navies and marines are, in one hour we can be history. God would not
have to do one thing to destroy us. All He would have to do is remove His hand
of protection and we are history. We exist by the mercy of God and Him alone yet
we cast Him from our public schools and forbid the teaching of His word.
Dan 5:3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the
temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his
princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
Dan 5:4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass,
of iron, of wood, and of stone.
This was deliberate. They purposely used the vessels of the Jewish temple to
drink from and then worship and praise the idols. We can see this to be a direct
rebellion against the God of the Hebrews.
Dan 5:5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over
against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and
the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
Dan 5:6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him,
so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against
another.
Dan 5:7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the
soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever
shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be
clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the
third ruler in the kingdom.
Dan 5:8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the
writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
Dan 5:9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was
changed in him, and his lords were astonished.
Dan 5:10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came
into the banquet house: and the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever: let
not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
Dan 5:11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods;
and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the
wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father,
the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers,
Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
Dan 5:12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding,
interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts,
were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel
be called, and he will show the interpretation.
Daniel appears to have been ignored until he was greatly needed again. This king
knew the events of chapter 4 concerning his father. Actually Nebuchadnezzar was
his grandfather but by the time he took the throne any fear that they had for
God was gone.
Dan 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spoke and
said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the
captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
Dan 5:14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and
that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
Dan 5:15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me,
that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation
thereof: but they could not show the interpretation of the thing:
Dan 5:16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and
dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the
interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of
gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Dan 5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to
thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the
king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Daniel does not do the service of God for gifts and rewards. His
faithfulness to speak the truth even though he could make the king angry and
Daniel could be in jeopardy of losing his life, he chooses faithfulness to God
than to say what men would rather hear.
Dan 5:18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a
kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor:
Dan 5:19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and
languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he
would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
Dan 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he
was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
Dan 5:21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the
beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like
oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most
high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever
he will.
Dan 5:22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though
thou knewest all this;
Dan 5:23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have
brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy
wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the
gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor
hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy
ways, hast thou not glorified:
This king was not given a chance to repent as his grandfather had received.
Surely what happened to Nebuchadnezzar was well known for who could lose his
throne for seven years and turn into a mad man living like the beasts without it
becoming a story to tell in years to come.
We fail to realize the holiness of God even among us Christians. He is a holy
God. This was years before Jesus Christ had come to die for sins and usher in a
way in which all who believe in Him can be cleansed from sin and begin to
worship Him in spirit and in truth. Until that time only sanctified priests
could enter into the temple to offer sacrifices pointing to the time when the
perfect sacrifice for sins would be offered. Everything had to be done according
to the instructions given to Moses showing them that the perfect one had not yet
come. God is so holy that sinful man cannot come into His presence without being
cleansed of His sin and made holy.
To use the vessels dedicated in the service of the temple in such a
disrespectful manner and on top of that in honor of a false god was truly the
ultimate disregard for the holiness of God.
Even today we who have been cleansed of sin and are filled with God's spirit
need to keep our vessels clean and not return to the sin we were saved from.
Hebrews 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is
lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which
no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest
any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
God is holy and we must seek Him to be partaker of His holiness. If we allow
ourselves to forget that we were purged from sin and make light of our
salvation, we too can suffer judgment from God.
Dan 5:24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was
written.
Dan 5:25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Dan 5:26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy
kingdom, and finished it.
Dan 5:27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
Dan 5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
This was a partial fulfillment of the message found in Chapter 2 of Daniel. The
head of gold of the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream was about to crumble. The
arms and breast of silver was about to arise and rule over the empire.
Dan 5:29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and
put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that
he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Dan 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
Dan 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two
years old.
Here we hear of the first fall of Babylon just as God said it would come. We can
rebel against God, refuse to believe and purposely disrespect all who represent
Him but it does not stop one iota of God's word from coming to pass.
In Revelation chapters 17 and 18, we read of a latter day fall of Babylon.
There are many different views on what this Babylon is. Chapter 17 calls
her a woman and pictures her as riding a beast. She is called Mystery
Babylon. In Chapter 18 we see a commercial Babylon that the kings of the
earth depend on for trade and commerce. It is called a great city that
rules over the kings of the earth. Some believe this mystery Babylon and
the Commercial Babylon is the same thing. Some believe Mystery Babylon is
a great latter day religious system that is false but claims to be true. The
commercial Babylon is the capital city ruled by the anti-christ. Some
believe the city is actually Rome instead of Babylon. I get into that in
more detail in the Revelation study. The prophecies in Daniel and
Revelation actually are different ways of describing the same events in some
cases. No matter what we believe concerning the interpretation of Babylon,
we must see that no matter how great, it is going to fall. Sin will be
stopped and will not continue. Both Mystery Babylon and Commercial Babylon
kill the saints of God. This is the last resort when this is done.
This causes the wrath of God to come down hard on those that kill innocent
people that are trying to preach the gospel and warn of God's judgment to come.
When we persecute and kill the messenger, we are in trouble. God help us
to discern and be careful not to harm the true servants of God.
Daniel Chapter 6