When the Honor of God Is at Issue: Belshazzar and the Writings on the Wall DANIEL 5

When the Honor of God Is at Issue: Belshazzar and the Writings on the Wall DANIEL 5

Remember the Beginning? Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah (605 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. (Dan. 1:1-2 NAU) Ancient Kings under Polytheistic Worldview Take the Image of the God of the Conquered Kingdom to the Storehouse of the Temple of Their Own God to Glorify It. Yahweh Had No Idol, so Nebuchadnezzar Took the Vessels to Show that Marduk Is Greater than Yahweh. He Did Not Use Them.

Now It Is the End! Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. (Dan. 5:1-2 NAU) The Last King of Neo-Babylonia (Belshazzar) Was a Coregent with His Father Nabonidus. Cyrus the Persian, the Crown-Prince of Media, Was Besieging Babylon on Tishri 16 (Sun, Oct 11), 539 B.C.

The Rise of Cyrus the Persian Cyrus Was the Son of the Prince of Persia, Cambyses I, a Vassal to Media at That Time, and Mandane, the Daughter of Astyages, the King of Media, with Aryennis, the Princess of Lydia (Married in 585 B.C. after the Thales Eclipse). According to Herodotus, Astyages Had a Dream, that His Daughter Urine Would Inundate the Empire. So He Married Her to a Small Prince. When Cyrus Was Born in 569 B.C., Astyages Asked His Servant to Throw the Baby to the Wolves. But the Servant s Wife Just Had a Stillborn Son, so He Switched the Babies. When Cyrus Was 10 Years Old, He Was so Good and Kingly among the Children, They Elected Him Their King (559 B.C.).

The Rise of Cyrus the Persian When Astyages Found Out That Cyrus Was Still Alive, He Restored Him to His Court and Educated Him as a Grandson. Cyrus Became a Mighty Warrior and a General for the Median Empire. The World Peace Brokered by Nebuchadnezzar in 585 B.C. Was Broken When Croesus, the King of Lydia, the Richest Man in the World at That Time, Went to Delphi in Greece in c.543 B.C., to Ask the Priestess of Apollos Whether He Could Attack Media/Persia. The Pythia Answered: If You Attack Persia, You Will Destroy a Great Civilization, and You Can Only Be Defeated by a Mule. Croesus Attacked Media in 542 B.C., but Is Was His Civilization That Was Destroyed. He Was Captured by Cyrus (Age 27), a Mixed Blood Midian-Persian, i.e. a Mule.

The Rise of Cyrus the Persian Herodotus Recorded That Cyrus Battle with Lydia Was Extremely Easy, for the Horses of Lydia Smelled the Camels of the MedoPersian Army, and All Bucked and Turned Around. The Bible Predicted Cyrus in Name by Prophet Isaiah Almost Two Centuries before the Time of Cyrus: "It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'" (Isa. 44:28) Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2 "I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. 3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. (Isa. 45:1-3)

The Rise of Cyrus the Persian Xenophon Recorded That Cyaxares II (550-537 B.C.) Inherited the Throne of Media, Married His Daughter Cassandane (according to Herodotus) to Cyrus in c.549 B.C., and Made Him the Crown Prince of the Median Empire. When the Son of Nebuchadnezzar with Amytis (the Princess of Media), Amel-Marduk ( Evil-Merodach ) Was Overthrown in a Coup in 560 B.C. by Neriglissar, His Brother-in-Law (Married to a Daughter of Nebuchadnezzar with Another Queen Nitocris), the Peace between Media and Babylon Was Broken. Cyrus (at Age 30) Attacked Babylon in 539 B.C. He Captured Nabonidus in Sippar, but the City of Babylon Was Secured by a Nearly 300 Feet Tall Wall, Almost Impregnable.

The Hubris of Belshazzar Belshazzar s Party Could Be His Enthronement Celebrating His Elevation from a Regent (Having the Power but Not the Name of Kingship) to a Vice-Rex or Rex (Having Both Power and Name), the Highest When His Father Was Still Alive. A Co-Rex Has the Name but Not the Power. A Crown Prince Has Neither the Name nor the Power. Belshazzar Brought Out the Vessels from the Temple of Yahweh, and Maybe from More Temples of Other Gods, Whose Country the Babylonians Conquered, to Show That Babylon Was Invincible under the Protection of Marduk. This Is a Time When the Honor of the True God Is at Issue!

Honoring False Gods 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. (Dan. 5:34 NAU) Nebuchadnezzar Dreamed of a Great Statue Made from the Same Materials: gold, silver, bronze, iron, and Mud/Clay. The Symbol of the Conglomerate Human Civilization Was Broken by the Rock from Heaven (Kingdom of God) in Dan 2. The Hubris of this Lesser King than Nebuchadnezzar Will Be Checked by God.

The Terrifying Manifestation 5 Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together. 7 The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom." (Dan. 5:5-7 NAU) He Offered the Position of the Third Ruler Because He Was the Second: He Father Was Still Alive.

Rembrandts' Rendition

The Inability to Decipher 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed. 10 The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, The Message Was Written in Aramaic, without Separation between the Words, and without Vowels. It Looks Like = מנאמנאתקלופרסין MN MN TQLVPRSYN If Divided Differently and Put in Different Vowels, They Could Mean Different Things. The Queen Was that of Nabonidus, the Queen Mother of Belshazzar, a Daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and Nitocris.

The Need of Divine Wisdom "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale. 11 "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners. 12 "This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation." (Dan. 5:8-12 NAU) Nebuchadnezzar Was the Father of Belshazzar as Predecessor, Possible Grandfather, and Typical Man of Hubris.

The Calling of Daniel 13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 "Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15 "Just now the wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the message. 16 "But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom." (Dan. 5:13-16 NAU) He Did Not Mention the Spirit of the Holy Gods as the Queen Did.

A Reminder on Nebuchadnezzar 17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 "O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19 "Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. (Dan. 5:17-19 NAU) Nebuchadnezzar Was a Much Greater King.

A Reminder on Nebuchadnezzar 20 "But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. 21 "He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. (Dan. 5:20-21) Nebuchadnezzar s Hubris Was Checked by God. Even He Became Humbled before the True God.

A Rebuke on Belshazzar 22 "Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, 23 but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified. 24 "Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out. (Dan. 5:2224 NAU) The Writing on the Wall Is God Checking the Hubris of Belshazzar.

Solving the Puzzle 25 Now this is the inscription that was written out: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE '-- God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. 27 'TEKEL '-- you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28 'PERES '-- your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians. (Dan. 5:25-28 NAU) Daniel Read MN MN TQLVPRSYN as MENE, TEKEL, PERES. MENE Was Repeated (as a Hint?), and PERES Is Plural. MENE = Mina = 60 Shekels; TEKEL = 1 Shekel; PERES = Half (a Shekel or a Mina); UPHARSIN = Two Haves (2 Halve Shekels). 60 + 1 + 2 * ½ = 62

Keeping the Promises 29 Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. (Dan. 5:29-30 NAU) Belshazzar Kept His Promise by Making Daniel the Third Highest Ruler in the Kingdom. God Kept His Promise by Letting Belshazzar Being Deposed and Killed in the Same Night (Sun, Tishri 16, Oct 11, 539 B.C.) Cyrus Army Diverted the Euphrates River, and Come in through the Water Way.

Note Bene 31 So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. (Dan. 5:31 NAU) Mene + Tekel + Upharsin 60 + 1 + 2 * ½ = 62 It Was Cyrus Who Conquered the City, Directly Commanded by a General Called Ugbaru or Gubaru. Darius the Mede (= Cyaxares II) Received the Kingdom from Cyrus, and Reigned for 2 Years (539-537 B.C.) as the King of the United Kingdom of Babylon, Media and Lydia. When God s Honor Is at Issue, God Will Defend It With His Almighty Power.