PHIL HARRIS |
Introduction
Here in Daniel chapter five we have the sad, short account of Belshazzar the son of Nebuchadnezzar. Surely Belshazzar must have known of his father’s dream of a great statue where Babylon (the head of Gold) would be replaced by another kingdom which was identified as the chest and arms of silver. Also, Belshazzar must have known the story of why and how Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were cast into the fiery furnace yet survived unharmed when another person appeared with them in the furnace having the likeness of “the son of the gods”. Just where was Belshazzar when his father was reduced to living like a wild beast? Finally, Belshazzar must have known of his father’s testimony of the one and only true God.
Even if, as some people think, Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, he must have known these stories!
Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, has a banquet
King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone (Daniel 5:1-4).
History tells us that Belshazzar’s enemies were at the gates besieging Babylon. The very last thing he should have been doing is having a wild drunken party. Even more, Belshazzar went too far in his depravity by commanding that the holy golden vessels that his father had taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem be brought in so they could drink from them in their debauchery.
Handwriting On the Wall
Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed (Daniel 5:5-9).
The hand writing on the wall had the appearance of a human hand. However, the message was from God. The dramatic appearance of a disembodied hand illumined by the light of the lampstand without a person to direct it badly frightened the king.
Terrified, Belshazzar was desperate for an understanding. He proclaimed that anyone who could read the words and explain their meaning would become the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar called in his pagan wise men, but they were of no help. Their inability to decipher the writing troubled the king even more.
The Advice Of the Queen
The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation” (Daniel 5:10-12).
The queen entered the chaos of the banqueting hall and ironically said, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change”.
What a counter-intuitive thing for her to say; the Medes were even then invading the city through the diverted river bed, and a disembodied hand was writing words on the wall of their party room!
The queen then reminded Belshazzar of Daniel who would be able to explain what was written on the wall.
One wonders: since there were multiple wives at the party, why wasn’t Belshazzar’s queen already here?
Daniel Arrives
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom” (Daniel 5:13-16).
When Daniel arrived and was brought before Belshazzar, the king revealed that he knew all about Daniel. We realize that he knew Daniel could and would explain the sudden, strange writing on the wall. Belshazzar repeated to Daniel his offer of making him the third ruler of the kingdom—along with other perks—if he could read and explain the strange words on the wall.
Once again we realize how disjunct Belshazzar’s bribery was; his city is about to be overtaken by the next world empire that was breaching his unguarded city at that very hour. Being given the position of third in the kingdom was a dead offer!
Daniel Rejects the King’s Offer
In Daniel 5:17 we read that Daniel declines Belshazzar’s offer of gifts and rewards; however, he says he will read the writing on the wall and give the king the meaning of these words.
Daniel 5:18 shows us that Belshazzar is reminded that the Most High God gave his father greatness, glory, and majesty. Then, in Daniel 5:19, Daniel says to Belshazzar that his father’s greatness was given to him by God. He recognizes that all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before Nebuchadnezzar. Furthermore, Nebuchadnezzar had the power to kill whom he would, and whomever he wished, he kept alive. He had the authority to raised up and to humble whomever he would.
Daniel 5:20-21 reveals how God brought Nebuchadnezzar’s proud heart down. His kingly throne was taken from him. He was driven from among “the children of mankind”. His mind was made like a beast, and he lived with wild donkeys. He ate grass like an ox, and his body becamewet with dew.
Finally, proud Nebuchadnezzar knew that it is who God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets in power whose he wills.
We read in Daniel 5:22-23 that Daniel then condemned Belshazzar. He told him that he was not humble even though he was well aware of happened to his father. You has lifted himself against the Lord of Heaven and has brought out the vessels of the temple of God to drink wine from them. Furthermore, he has praised the gods who are no gods. He has not honored the one and only true God who “gives your breath” and knows all his ways.
HANDWRITING FROM THE HAND OF GOD
“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 5:24-28).
Finally, the prophet Daniel gives God’s verdict that the Babylonian kingdom has ended. The Legacy Standard Bible clarifies in Daniel 5:24 that the hand was sent from Him, meaning it was from God.
‘Mene’, written twice, means “God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end”. ‘Tekel’ means “you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting”. ‘Peres’, means “your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians”.
Epilogue
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old (Daniel 5:29-31).
Daniel has just informed the king that his kingdom only had its last few hours remaining. Yet even with this dreadful news still ringing in his ears, Belshazzar commands that the rewards he had promised be given to Daniel.
Daniel must have wondered why Belshazzar would even bother with these rewards at that time.
Just as Daniel has told him, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed that very night, and Darius the Mede, then 62 years old, received the kingdom.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap (Galatians 6:7).
A Message to Seventh-day Adventists
This account of what happened to Belshazzar, along with what happened to his father Nebuchadnezzar, debunks the core message of Ellen G. White’s book The Great Controversy. There simply is none who can challenge the Lord of lords and King of kings. God consults with none. Whoever God sets up, is set up. Whoever God takes down is removed. There is no defense lawyer for the guilty in the courtroom of God. †
All biblical quotes from the ESV
- Daniel 8: Abomination of Desolation - December 5, 2024
- Daniel 7:15–28 • Everlasting Kingdom of the Most High - October 10, 2024
- Daniel 7:1–14: The Ancient of Days - August 15, 2024