DANIEL CHAPTER FIVE (5) Roy Matlock, Editor. Paul Roberts, Pastor

Transcription

1 Paul Roberts, Pastor The Monthly Mission Messenger Volume XVII, No August 2016 An Outreach Ministry of East Union Missionary Baptist Church N. Springlake Rd. Hensley, AR Phone (501) Roy Matlock, Editor NEW LOOK If you are on our mailing list you see new pictures on your MMM this month. The reason is, after my retirement from pastoring and after taking a new companion in life, I relocated. I am also with a new church - East Union Missionary Baptist Church of Hensley, Arkansas and pastor Brother Paul Roberts. The mailing address and phone number is as posted above. My personal contact numbers are listed on the upper left on the back page. Many of you who have been with us for a long time will remember that I was with East Union Church from 2004 through 2008 when I went through the surgeries for prostate cancer and a triple by-pass. God was merciful to me and helped me to completely recover from both of these and allowed me to pastor for seven years at Hamilton Church of which I am so very grateful. I plan to continue with my writing ministry of the MMM and also the web page and music ministries which God has blessed. I welcome you to continue to worship and study God s Word with me as long as God gives me the ability to continue this ministry. We continue our count as from the beginning as shown above. We are now in the 17th year of the MMM and this is the 200th messenger we have sent out. May God bless as you continue to worship and study with us. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. DANIEL CHAPTER FIVE (5) V,1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. At this point King Nebuchadzzar is evidently dead. We don t have any more references about him. He is never mentioned again in the scriptures dated past this point in time except when naming him as the father of the next king. Like in verse two and verse 18 and. Jeremiah 27:7 And all nations shall serve him, (Nebuchadzzar) and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his own land comes: (the time of his own land is the time referring to the fall of Babylon.) and then many nations and great kings shall enslave him. V,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 lords, his wives, and his concubines, might drink from them. Here he is going to further desecrate the vessels that Solomon made for the temple in Jerusalem. 2 Kings 24:10-11 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 2 Kings 24:13-14 And he carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and 1

2 Aug the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, except the poorest sort of the people of the land. 2 Kings 25:1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built a seige wall against it round about. 2 Kings 25:8-9 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burned he with fire. This is the record of the fall of Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Israel. Belshazzar is using these vessels for his drunken party. V,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 lords, his wives, and his concubines, drank from them. V,4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone. This is the son of King Nebuchadzzar having his drunken party. They are using the vessels that once were used to worship and praise the true God of Israel, drinking wine and worshipping the false gods of Babylon. V,5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Try to imagine that you are standing in your house by yourself and suddenly you see a moving hand writing on the wall. This is what the king saw and it was real. Not a hallucination. This is God giving the king a message. V,6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened, and his knees struck one against another. You talk about knees knocking. This scared the king so that he had to hold onto something to keep from falling down. V,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 its interpretation, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. This shows that the man at the top doesn t know it all. He calls for men, with different kinds of knowledge than that which he has, to tell him what this writing says. He promises great wealth to anyone who can tell him. V, 8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king its interpretation. This is a language that God used that was different from all known written languages at that time. V,9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished. That no one knew the language greatly astonished the king and also all his wise men. V,10-12 Now the queen because of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet 2

3 Aug house: and the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever: let not your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance be changed: 11. There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, I say, your father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12. Because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and solving of riddles, and explaining of problems, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. The king s wife had heard about Daniel and how he interpreted the dreams of King Nebuchadzzar. She comes into the banquet house to tell the king about Daniel and recommends that Daniel be brought in. V,13-16 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spoke and said unto Daniel, Are you that Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 14. I have even heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 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 its interpretation: but they could not show the interpretation of the thing: 16. And I have heard of you, that you can make interpretations, and explain doubts: now if you can read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. As the king speaks to Daniel he lets him know that he has heard of his service to Nebuchadzzar. The king promises Daniel that if he will interpret the writing on the wall that he will be rewarded richly and promoted to the third ruler in the kingdom. V,17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. Daniel never seeks for rewards from men to do God s service. This should be true by God s servants today. God s rewards should always be the first and foremost reward any of His servants seek. Daniel is ready and willing to do God s service here and make known to the king what God has written for him. V,18-21 O king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor: 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. 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: 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 donkeys: 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 appoints over it whomever he will. Daniel recalls the fact that King Nebuchadzzar lost his mind and was driven from the kingdom for seven years (Ch. 4). V,22. And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this; King Belshazzar knew about what happened to Nebuchadnezzar but he didn t take the lesson. V. 23 But have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine in them; and you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which 3

4 Aug see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, have you not glorified: V,24. Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. Daniel does not hesitate to tell the king the truth about this matter. He points out that the vessels he and his wives and lords are drinking wine from came from the true God s house in Jerusalem. Note that Daniel points out that God holds life and breath in His power and that the king does not recognize Him. Therefore, the hand that did this writing was from Him. V, And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it. 27. TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting. 28. PERES; Your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Daniel explains the meaning of each word and shows that the kingdom of Babylon is about to fall and that the Medes and Persians will take over. This territory took in what today is known as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Israel. Note that this acquisition instantly brought Persia into direct relationship with the Jews. Later they would be highly influenced by them through Daniel. V,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. After Daniel gave the interpretation of the writing, the king kept his word and rewarded Daniel and made him the third ruler in the kingdom. V,30. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. The following excerpt from the WEB, quoted below, gives a historical account of what was happening the night of the festivities of the king. Cyrus then advanced against Babylon. But the Babylonians, having taken the field, awaited his coming; and when he had advanced near the city, the Babylonians gave battle, and, being defeated, were shut up in the city. But as they had been long aware of the restless spirit of Cyrus, and saw that he attacked all nations alike, they had laid up provisions for many years, and therefore were under no apprehensions about a siege. On the other hand, Cyrus found himself in difficulty, since much time had elapsed, and his affairs were not at all advanced. Whether, therefore, someone else made the suggestion to him in his perplexity, or whether he himself devised the plan, he had recourse to the following stratagem. Having stationed the bulk of his army near the passage of the river where it enters Babylon, and again having stationed another division beyond the city, where the river makes its exit, he gave order to his forces to enter the city as soon as they should see the stream fordable. Having stationed his forces and given these directions, he himself marched away with the ineffective part of his army; and having come to the lake, Cyrus did the same with respect to the river and the lake as the queen of the Babylonians had done; for having diverted the river, by means of a canal, into the lake, which was before a swamp, he made the ancient channel fordable by the sinking of the river. When this took place, the Persians who were appointed to that purpose close to the stream of the river, which had now subsided to about the middle of a man s thigh, entered Babylon by this passage. If, however, the Babylonians had been aware of it beforehand, or had known what Cyrus was about, they would not have suffered the Persians to enter the city, but would have utterly destroyed them; for, having shut all the little gates that lead to the river, and mounting the walls that extend along the banks of the river, they would have caught them as in a net; whereas the Persians came upon them by surprise. It is related by the people who inhabited this city, that, by reason of its great extent, when 4

5 Aug 2016 they who were at the extremities were taken, those of the Babylonians who inhabited the centre knew nothing of the capture (for it happened to be a festival); but they were dancing at the time, and enjoying themselves, till they received certain information of the truth. And thus Babylon was 285 WWW. taken for the first time. V,31 And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. Will continue with Ch. 6 next month. * * * * * * * BIBLE QUIZ FOR THIS MONTH How many years existed from the Exodus until King Solomon began his reign over Israel? Give scripture for your answer. ANSWER TO LAST MONTH S QUIZ How much of the Old Testament time period of approximately 4000 years does the Book of Genesis cover? The Book of Genesis covers a time period of approximately 2,500 years. The Post Adam date of the Exodus as recorded in Exodus 12:40-41 was 2,513. Everything recorded in the remaining 38 chapters took place in the last 1,500 years of the O.T. time.. For a detailed study of this timing get the book, A Biblical Chronology of Man by this author, found on page eight and on our web site. * * * * * * * SIGNS OF THE TIMES Most Bible believers recognize many of the events taking place in the world today as biblical signs of the second coming of Christ. Let s look at some of them. Jesus said: John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. 2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also. Heb. 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Jesus Christ was here on earth 2,000 years ago. He was born three or four years before they started counting from zero (0). (Compton s Encycl. Vol. 7. p413). This is the year Add 4 B.C. to this and you get 2020 A.D. as today s date since the birth of Christ. Two thousand years ago right now Jesus was on the earth in person and was 20 years old. Our encyclopedias and history books tell us He was here. Our Bible tells us He was here, why and how He came to be here and how He left. The Bible tells us that over 500 people saw Him at one time after His resurrection. It states: 1 Cor. 15:6 After that, he was seen of over five hundred brethren at once... In the above scriptures the Bible states that He is coming back. Before He left the earth and went back to heaven He said He would return some day to get all people who believed in Him (Eph. 1:10). He also gave us some signs so we could tell when His coming was near. Let s look for a few of these signs. First, let s note that Israel is a nation that was accepted by God. Deut. 7:6 For you are a holy people unto the LORD your God: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. Israel was scattered because of disobedience. Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Israel would be re-gathered. Ezekiel 37:21 And say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they are 5

6 Aug gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: Isaiah 27:12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall thresh from the channel of the river to the stream of Egypt, and you shall be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. On May 15, 1948 the Israeli flag was raised and Israel became a nation again for the first time since Nebuchadzzar destroyed Jerusalem and took the golden vessels from the temple. This is the very first notable sign of the Second Coming of Christ. Other signs are: There will be great earthquakes. Jesus said in: Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Comments by Tom McElmurry). Note the statistical information, based on data contained in the Readers Digest Almanac for 1982 on all major earthquakes reported since the beginning of the 20th century. Note the major earthquakes since This indicates a noticeable increase, worldwide, just before the Second Coming of Christ. Prior to the beginning of the 20th century, major earthquakes reported in each 10 year period have varied from two to five. This is true all the way back to the 6th century when reliable records began to be kept. However, following 1948, after the re-gathering of Israel, the 10 year cycle doubled to eight. Then it climbed to 13, and finally soared to 39 in the period from 1970 to We have nothing in human history that even faintly approaches it. Furthermore, during the 21 month period from Jan. 21, 1980 to Sept. 12, 1981, there were 13 major earthquakes. This rate has radically increased since then. The following is a list of some of the major earthquakes in the twentieth century. A large list can be found in Vol. 4, P of the Compton Encyclopedia. In 1906 in San Francisco, Calif. 500 people were killed along with 500 million dollars worth of damage. In 1923, in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan 160,000 were killed and both cities wrecked. In 1939, in Turkey, 45,000 were killed and a region 200 miles inland was wrecked. In 1960, in Morocco two earthquakes and a Tidal wave and the fires that raged destroyed 95 per cent of the city and killed 10,000 people. In 1963 in Iran 12,000 killed, 10,000 injured, 25,000 left homeless. In 1990, in Iran, 36,000 were killed. The Indian Ocean tsunami generated by the most powerful earthquake in decades on December 26, 2004 is believed to have killed more than 150,000 people and made millions homeless, making it perhaps the most destructive tsunami in history. The epicenter of the 9.0 magnitude quake was under the Indian Ocean near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors earthquakes worldwide. A violent movement of the Earth's tectonic plates displaced an enormous amount of water, sending powerful shock waves in every direction. And just look at Japan with the earthquake and tsunami wave in Jan. 12, 2010, an earthquake at 7.5 register on the rector scale killed 100,000 in Haiti. Worse quake in over 200 years. Lukewarmness of the church. Revelation 3:14-22 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15. I know your works, that you are neither cold 6

7 nor hot: I would that you were cold or hot. 16. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. 17. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18. I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white clothing, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness does not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me. 21.To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. 22. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. This has been stated by many as the condition of today s church. This brings the time element to the end of the church age when the rapture will take place. There will be Mockers before the rapture takes place. Jude 1:14-18 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, 15. To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration for the sake of advantage. 17. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own Aug ungodly lusts. 19. These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. This is happening so astonishingly among the people today. They don t want you to mention Jesus Christ anymore. (More next month). Help Spread the Word Share this link Everyone, please send this link to all your contacts, family and friends. The Monthly Mission Messenger is available on site monthly with all other materials written by Brother Roy. A new one will be posted there every month. Read, download it, and file it for future studies. Share our weekly devotional every Monday morning on the weekly blog. Start the week off right. Click on the Video and listen to Brother Roy sing, I ll See You Soon, as pictures of his family show on the screen. FINANCIAL SUPPORT SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE Thank you so much and May God bless Glenn Ford. England, AR 7

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