DANIEL 7- VISION OF THE 4 BEASTS

 

We are now coming to the difficult, apocalyptic[1]  section of the book of Daniel with its strange, head-scratching imagery and evil sounding beasts. We are leaving the biographical section of Daniel Chapters 1-6 behind, as we move into the prophetic section (Daniel 7-12).  But, before you get scared by that be assured that quite the opposite is true.  The apocalyptic passages found in the Bible are not written to scare us. On the contrary, they were given and written to encourage God’s people in times of persecution. The main themes of the apocalyptic passages are always the same[2]:

(i)                 the growth of evil

(ii)               God’s providential care for His people   

(iii)             the assurance that evil  will not ultimately prevail

(iv)              the only thing of eternal duration is the kingdom of God.

In this part of the book of Daniel we will find the revelation of the God who is in the process of bringing this earthly mess to its appointed end. I say this as we think of the scary days in which we live, days in which the Ukraine and Russia expend more ammunition on a given day than they  and their respective  supporters  can produce on any given day. Reporters speak of apocalyptic scenes on the battle fields of the eastern Ukraine. We think of images of Mariupol and Bakhmut. God only knows what will happen to Sudan at this rate.  

OUTLINE

7: 1 – 8 Daniel's dream and vision of the 4 beasts

7: 9-14 Divine Judgement

7:15-28 Vision interpreted

   1. 7:1 – 8 DANIEL'S DREAM AND VISION OF THE 4 BEASTS

This vision was given to Daniel "in the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon" (7:1). Chronologically this chapter fits in somewhere before chapters 5 and 6. Chapter 6, you will remember had taken place in the reign of Darius the Mede, who conquered the city of Babylon. He had king Belshazzar killed.

Instead of interpreting the dream of another, as he had done previously, Daniel was now given his own dream. We shall see that Daniel was also given the interpretation of that dream (7:16). We read that when Daniel woke up, “he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter”  (7:1). The vision reveals the four winds of heaven (N,W,S & E) stirring up the great sea. The sea is  symbolic of mankind. The  four great  beasts arise out of this  sea[3]  of humanity (7:2):  

(i)                 a lion with eagle wings (7:4)

(ii)               a bear  with three ribs  in its mouth (7:5)

(iii)             a leopard with 4 wings  of a bird on its back  and with  four heads (7:6)

(iv)              a  fourth beast that defies description (7:7).  

The identity of these beasts is given to us in 7:17 : "The four great beasts are four kings who shall arise from the earth...". This helps us to  see that these beasts must be symbolic of  mankind or  human kingdoms.  And now you will perhaps remember that we have already dealt with this in Daniel 2 (Nebuchadnezzar's dream), and the parallel now needs   to be drawn with Chapter 7 :

(i)                 The head of gold of the statue (2:32) corresponds to the lion   with eagle wings  (7:4) - the Babylonian empire. Apparently   the symbol of a lion with wings is well known in archaeological excavations in Babylon. The wings are said to have been plucked off etc... it was  made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.(7:4).  The Babylonian kingdom would be conquered by...

(ii)               The second beast – the Medo-Persian empire would soon strip the Babylonian empire of its glory! The chest and arms of silver (2:32) are represented by the second beast which looked like a bear. The bear is represented to us in motion and with   three ribs in his mouth. It was hungry for conquest, and the ribs may be representative of three empires which were conquered by Medo-Persia  i.e. Babylon, Lydia[4] and Egypt.

(iii)             The third beast is described as being a leopard with four wings of a bird and it had four heads. The third beast corresponds to the "middle and thighs of bronze" (2:32). This is a kingdom which moves and conquers swiftly like a leopard, which swiftly pounces on its prey from its hiding place. This beast and image refers to the swift and rapid expansion of the Greek empire under Alexander the Great (356-323BC). By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to north-western India. He is widely considered to be one of history’s greatest and most successful military commanders. His army was known for its extreme mobility.  The 4 heads refer to the four portions into which Alexander's empire was divided after his early death.  

(iv)               So far-so clear! Now it becomes more complicated. The 4^th beast is beyond description "terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had 10 horns” (7:7). In Daniel 2:33, the 4th part of the statue has "legs of iron, its feet partly of iron, and partly of baked clay...".  We saw that historically this fits the Roman empire (which corresponds to 2:33,40).  This beast has also ten horns (7:7) - referring to a later stage of this empire. We see this in 7:24 where we are told that the 10 horns came out of this kingdom. It is not Roman, but Rome gives birth to these horns. Then follows a third stage in history- the era of the little horn (7:8), destroying 3 of the first horns. It was said to have “the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things.” (7:8). Incidentally, horns in the Bible are symbols of power. It seems as if the 4^th beast and its offshoots are symbolic  not only of the Roman empire,  but  it represents  the peak of evil and rebellion  and cruelty of  the world’s history. If we understand this to be the period following the ascension of the Lord to heaven, following the birth of the church (Acts 2),  then we know  from the history of the last 2000 years  that these ‘last days’ have known  untold evil, rebellion, cruelty and  suffering. One scarcely knows where to begin. The first 300 years of the Christian church were horrific, when one considers the persecutions. The dark ages (roughly AD 500- 1500) were horrible.  That is why this period is known as the dark ages.  The 20^th century with its two savage world wars in which 120 million people died leaves us speechless. And as we have entered into the 21^st century, things and prospects look no better. The current Russian – Ukrainian war is tragic. Already hundreds of thousands have been killed. I wonder whether you know that in 1932 the Russian leader Joseph Stalin demanded grain deliveries from the Ukraine farmers which were impossible to meet. Their food was taken from them and as a result of this  5 million Ukrainians starved to death. Such episodes pervade our human history. History is beastly, …  to use Daniel’s terminology.   

 2. 7:9-14 Divine Judgement

 And now the scene abruptly changes in 7: 9. Daniel takes his eyes off the world scene - that which must soon happen, from his perspective and from our retrospective – (Rev. 1:1). He now lifts his eyes to another world – in heaven.  Amidst a host of thrones he sees how the Ancient of Days comes to take His seat.  It is a courtroom scene. This is a picture of the eternal God in all His indescribable majesty– a picture of purity (fire) and judgement and majesty. The Great Judge takes His seat.  Over and above and beyond this scary world there is this revelation is the Sovereign God- the Creator of all that is. And here the Ancient of Days, as He is called,   takes His seat and “the court sat in judgement, and the books were opened” (7:10).

We note that judgement is firmly and decisively exercised upon the beasts. We see that the little horn, growing out of the fourth beast is finally destroyed and thrown into the fire (7:11). The divine sentence ends it all. A word – just one Word from Almighty God - and the   beast is no more.   Only one is all powerful, and that is the Ancient of Days – the eternal God, Creator of heaven and earth. This is the heart of the vision and this is the central truth which we need to embrace.  And remember too that this divine court does not only sit at the end of history.  It is sitting all the time:  Remember that Babylon is judged and is no more; the Medo-Persian empire, Greece, Rome, and all other past and modern empires are judged. The third Reich is judged and dead.  The America’s    will be judged, Europe will be judged, Russia will be judged, China and India and Africa and all the islands will be judged. Little Namibia will be judged.

It is true that  the most dramatic judgement will come at  the end of time, when we shall see that the little horn,  which is  the anti-Christ,  the rebellion, the man of lawlessness (see 2 Thess. 2:3,4) crushed beneath the feet of Jesus.  Satan   and all his demons and all of humanity which has defied God will be   cast into that lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).

What a comfort and what an assurance to know, dear child of God, that all evil must and will finally be judged, although it is allowed to continue for a season and a time! (7:12). In 7:11 we see how effortlessly the little horn (and the 4^th beast) is eliminated.  Dale Ralph Davies helpful points out the ‘sandwich structure’ of the text - ”the little horn and its beast are scrunched  and squeezed between the Ancient of Days (7:9-10) and the Son of Man (7:13-14). The  literary envelope seem to make the little horn  truly little.”[5] 

But the glorious scene does not end here. 7:13, 14 give us another view into heaven. This time it is a vision of the Son of Man - the Lord Jesus, and we find here that He shares all the attributes of the Ancient of days. He possesses dominion and authority and glory.  He is worshipped and served by peoples, nations and languages. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which will not pass away (7:14).  This corresponds  with 2:34; 44,45. Please note also that He is described here as "a son of man". We know that Jesus constantly referred to Himself as the Son of man. When asked by the high priest Caiaphas to confess whether He was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed, Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mk 14:62). The time will come  when Caiaphas and all ancient and modern Christ deniers  will find Jesus not as an accused  in their arrogant  human kangaroo  courts, but  when they themselves  will be in the accused bench, facing  the  Great Judge seated  on His white throne (Rev. 20:11ff).

 For the time being this knowledge will not keep us out of pain and the reality of suffering, but it should keep us from panic.

   3. 7:15 – 28 THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM

We have covered much in this section already in our earlier comments, and so we will use this section to summarize what we have already seen:

 i.                    Even though Daniel has this glorious vision and assurance, his spirit was anxious. The visions… alarmed him (7:15).  That is understandable.  Daniel was particularly troubled by  the fourth beast - because it was so terrifying (17:19).  Even though God  looms large over this situation, the fact of 7:25 still needs to be  faced by the saints! For this Daniel requires clarity (7:16a),  and then he receives  a basic explanation of the vision  (7:17,18). This is followed by a request for more clarity concerning the 4^th beast. We have said enough for now about this, put please note that this terrifying beast, intimidating as it is, is doomed to destruction because it has the seeds of self- destruction in its DNA.  Dear believer - evil has no cohesion! It is like  the feet of iron and clay (2:41-43) –  and that combination  is brittle, and whilst it may have a vicious power,  that power is brittle.

ii.                  In its ‘little horn phase’  this kingdom pursues the saints – God’s people  (cf. 7:25) for a brief time  (Rev. 13:5,7,15) – a time shortened by the Lord  (Mk. 13:20). Most   commentators are  agreed on the fact, that this is the anti- Christ, referred to in 2 Thess. 2:3,4 , who ushers in the time described by our   Lord Jesus in Matthew  24, and of course the anti-Christ of  the book  of Revelation.

iii.                From this follows the victory (7:26,27).

Cling to Jesus, dear believer. Do not trust your eyes. Do not trust your emotions.  Do not trust the world’s narratives. Trust in the eternal and truth giving Word of God, and the peace of God will guard and guide you.  Amen    

      

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[1] Apokalupsis (ἀποκάλυψις) : an uncovering ; Apocalyptic  passages are found in Isaiah  24-27, Joel, Zechariah 9-14,  Matthew 24,  and  of course  the Book of Revelation

[2] Stuart Olyott :  Dare to Stand Alone , Welwyn Commentaries , (EP), p. 86

[3] See also Revelation 13:1   where  the  first beast  with 10 horns arises out of the sea

[4] The Kingdom of Lydia existed from about 1200 BC to 546 BC. At its greatest extent, during the 7th century BC, it covered all of western Anatolia. In 546 BC, it became a province of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, known as the satrapy of Lydia or Sparda in Old Persian. In 133 BC, it became part of the Roman province of Asia.

[5] D.R. Davies : Daniel , IVP p. 98

Daniel 6: "IN THE LION’S DEN"

 

Daniel 6 is a parallel to Chapter 3.  Both are stories of deliverance in which Daniel and friends had to make a choice to not worship the idols of men. That decision leads them alternatively into the fire and the lion’s den. Both end with God’s wonderful deliverance. Both these accounts remind us that the life of faith and trust in God must be lived to the very end. By the time we get to chapter 6 Daniel is probably in his 80’s.  Be reminded that this world is not a peaceful haven. It is a constant battleground. It reminds us that former victories do not absolve us from future crises. We need this portion of Scripture  to know how to persevere.

By now Daniel has outlived quite a few kings:  Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius the Mede and soon Cyrus the Persian (1:21; 6:28). Kings and kingdoms come and go, but through all these, Daniel is enabled by grace to persevere…. Through many dangers toils and snares. (John Newton).  It seems as if every time Daniel finds himself under a new king, he finds new challenges.  In this 6^th chapter, Daniel now serves under king Darius - a Mede. The Medes like the Persians were an ancient Iranian people.  It was these people  that conquered the  once powerful kingdom of Babylonia in n Chapter 5.

       

OUTLINE

1.  6:1 – 9 The plot to destroy Daniel 

2. 6:10 – 17 Daniel in the Lion's den  

3. 6:18 – 28 Daniel's deliverance     

       

1. 6:1-9 The Plot To Destroy Daniel

You will immediately note that Daniel is once again at the "top" of the political structure. We had previously seen how Daniel had prospered under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (2:48). Under Belshazzar we see him coming out of obscurity back into prominence (5:29) in his  eighties!  Daniel out-lived and out-served four Kings, one of them, Nebuchadnezzar who reigned for 43 years. “An excellent spirit, knowledge and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve problems were found in this Daniel…”  (5:12)

Why do you think, that Daniel would have made one of the top three posts in the new political dispensation (6:2)?  How could one so prominent in the defeated dynasty of the Babylonians become such a high official in the Medo- Persian regime? The answer is found in our text: “This Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him”(5:12,6:3)  …  so much so  that  “the king  planned to set him over the whole kingdom…” (6:3), a position that Daniel had already occupied in his younger days (c.f. 2:48). He is clearly a man of integrity. He was trustworthy. He could not be bribed or bought. He was valuable to the new administration of the Medes. All political dispensations suffer from the same problem. After a new party settles into power, it does not take long before corruption and greed and theft sets in. We see that indirectly affirmed in  5:2: “… that the king might suffer no loss”.  King Darius needed people whom he could trust with the country's affairs and material resources.  He had to find people that were not corrupt. Daniel was such a man. And king Darius certainly possessed at least one valuable trait - he knew a good man, when he saw one.

Jealousy makes you nasty … Daniel’s corrupt colleagues could not take it. We read that an impressive force of 120 ‘satraps’ and the two other administrators resolved to get rid of Daniel (6:4). But how could they do it? They would not find proof to charge Daniel on grounds of corruption. He had a solid integrity – (Daniel) was faithful and no error or fault was found in him” (6:4). Can this be said about me and you?  They soon realized, that they were not going to find a fault with which to charge him and so dispose of him.

But now see to which extent such corrupt  men will go in order  to make up a case against him. The enemies of  those that  stand  for  truth  and integrity  spend endless hours scheming how they may cause a  virtuous person to  fall.  We recall that this is what happened to Jesus and also to the apostle Paul. Trumped up charges were brought against  them  to  discredit them. They knew that Daniel was incorruptibly faithful to Darius, because he was faithful to his God. They knew that his integrity was linked to his faith in God Almighty. 

And so, as they were scheming they figured that if they could put him into a position where he would have to choose between His God and the king - what would happen? Would he choose His God over the king?  This becomes the basis of their scheme (see 6:5)

The favourite tool of evil men is subversion, deceit and flattery. These are the tools which Satan used in the garden of Eden. He asked Eve a subversive question: “Did God really say …” (Gen. 3:1), when it is clear that God really did say (Gen.  2:17).  The servants of deceit are called Mrs. Flattery and Mr. Lies. They learn this trade from their father the devil. Satan said to Eve, "when you will eat, you shall be like God" - that is flattery; "you will surely not die?” – that is a lie  for after the fall in Genesis 3  we see  that  all people do die- just as God said.

Now when these false men came to the king with their subversive, flattering and dishonestly  ‘humble’ suggestion  that the king should be prayed to (worshipped) for the next 30 days (6:7), their  flattery has a devastating effect.  Darius was flattered in a most deceptive way. And he was blatantly lied to.  And he never noticed it.  Look at 6:7:  "All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors  are  agreed that the king should establish an  ordinance and  enforce an injunction, that whosoever  makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, o king shall be cast into the den of lions.”  ALL? Where was Daniel's consent? He, an important decision maker in the Median empire was conveniently left out. And so king Darius was deceived, something he would soon deeply regret.  As a result of   falling for this deceptive flattery and lying he would be bound by the law of the Medes and the Persians – which apparently could not be revoked (6:8,12,15)– not even by  the king.  Darius had walked into the conspirators trap.  And he signed  the injunction (6:9). And  Daniel is very much like our Lord  Jesus  here, being sent to his death,  simply because he was righteous.

2.  6:10-17 Daniel In The Lion’s Den

When these 30 days  of compulsory emperor worship came, it was obvious that  Daniel would not worship  Darius, because Daniel  was no idolater. His heart loved and served God MORE than his king whom he served well!  So what  did Daniel do, when he heard, that the decree was published (6:10)? He did what he always did: “He went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He  got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he  had done previously.” When the going gets tough the tough go to prayer –as always ! A few observations:

 i.                    Why is he praying towards Jerusalem? Look at Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8:46-51. There Israel is directed that when captive in a foreign land, that they should pray  toward their land, the city and the temple which God had chosen. This is not superstition. This is obeying God’s Word.   This is remembering the place where God made a  covenant – which cannot be broken - a better  covenant than the Medes and the Persians.

ii.                  He is praying against clear orders! But what is the real issue for Daniel here? The same as for Peter in John in  Acts 4:19,20 : “We must obey God rather than man”.  Ultimately for Daniel this is a matter of keeping the first commandment. But what about his personal safety? Does he not know that this means certain death?  So the big point  for Daniel is  this : Do I worship God first or my safety? His response shows, “I must not make  an idol of my own safety, and so by prayer I destroy that idol’[1]

iii.                Daniel remains  consistent  in his prayer routine: “He  got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he  had done previously”. His previous discipline feeds his present faithfulness.  A lifestyle of consistent obedience to God, finds no other option, than to place God first. It’s hard but it is necessary!  And each time  you say, "NO" to sin, you are training yourself for godliness (1 Tim 4:7). And do not believe for a moment, that Daniel was not tempted to compromise at this point. He was a man like us. And if Jesus could pray, that the Father should take this cup of suffering in his hour of need from him - i.e. the temptation to  avoid the cross  (Matt 26:39) - then  we must  assume that Daniel would also have wrestled with  this  matter.  Daniel finds the courage  to persevere through prayer – by talking to God. It is the same kind of courage which Dr. Martin Luther received when in 1521 he stood before that  hostile Roman Catholic religious council in the city of  Worms  (Germany). He was asked to repent of his ‘heretical teachings’. He knew that He stood on God’s word  and therefore  he replied with God-given boldness, "Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me  God."

iv.                 He kneels in prayer! Posture says a lot!  He bows the knee before His God, whose servant he ultimately is... not before Darius!

All this does not work in Daniel’s outward favour. In 6:11ff he is discovered and they accuse him before the king. The king is clearly pro-Daniel (11:14) and he is distressed. The whole focus in 6:16-20 is ironically on the king’s distress rather than on Daniel’s plight.  His own law condemns Daniel, yet in his heart he longs to save him. Before him lies a sleepless night! So   Daniel will go to the lions! King Darius on the other hand faces that terrible dilemma of seeing the consequences of his wrong judgment.  He even spent the night fasting (6:18)

But, praise  be to God, He preserves His servants in all sorts of trials  - not FROM the trial, but (AGAIN) IN the trial. Daniel was in great physical danger, but never in spiritual danger.

 3. 6:18 – 28 Daniel's deliverance     

After a sleepless night, king Darius hurried to the lion’s den, calling out with an anxious voice – even before he got there, “O Daniel, servant of the Living God, has your God  whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”  (6:20). Daniel's responded in a calm,  composed voice  wishing  the king ‘eternal  life’ (6:21). In the meantime we are informed that God had sent His angel to shut the lions mouths (6:22). Not only did the king not have an appetite that night, but so did the lions! Child of God – the Lord is your KEEPER – Psalm 121

Those that  build traps and pits for others  fall into their own pit (Psalm 35:7,8). The pit of lions which they have devised for Daniel death, becomes their own grave (6:24) and the glory goes as always to God (6:25-27). The gallows which Haman designed for Mordechai the Jew in the book of Esther, becomes his own  place of execution. (Esther)

At the end of history are not great kings  of nations. They come and go. We shall see that  from Chapter 7 onward. At the end of history is God. It is His story. And because of  God’s commitment to His own glory, Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian (6:28)

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[1] D.R Davies : The Message of Daniel BST commentaries (IVP) , p.87

DANIEL 5 - "THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL"

 

The phrase, the writing is on the wall, is an English idiom which comes from this chapter.  A person who refuses to "see the writing on the wall" is seen as ignorant to what will likely occur in the near future. Last year in June 2022  we were in the  National  Art Gallery in London where we saw Rembrandt’s famous and striking  1635 painting,   entitled Belshazzar’s feast. By the way, the National Art gallery   has so many biblical paintings - the gospel literally shouts in that gallery, to all who will care to look and listen.

In 1744  Georg Friedrich Händel, the famous  German composer, best known for his Messiah  wrote an oratorio[1]  entitled  “Belshazzar”. 

1.      5:1-4  King Belshazzar: Historical Background

At the end of Chapter 4 we have left Nebuchadnezzar as a converted man (4:37). According to historical sources he died in 562 B.C. after a 43 year reign, which included   his seven years of insanity (5:33). After him Babylonia's mighty kingdom began to crumble.  His son Evil Merodach, mentioned in 2 Kings 25:27-30 and  Jeremiah 52:31 - 34, ruled  for 2 years, from 562-560 BC, when he was assassinated by Neriglissar, his brother-in-law, who then claimed the throne. Neriglissar  died in 556 B.C., and was succeeded by his son Labashi Marduk, who was assassinated that same year in a plot likely led by Belshazzar  the son of Nabonidus.  Although Nabonidus was officially the king it seems as if he was absent for long periods of time,  conducting raids into other  territories. Belshazzar, who was his eldest son, appeared to have been caretaker king, while his father was away for these long periods of time.        

Rembrandt's "Belshazzar" painted in 1635

For a long time, Bible critics used Daniel chapter 5 as a proof that the Book of Daniel was historically inaccurate. According to Berosus   and Abydenus (Babylonian historians), the last King of Babylon was Nabonidus.  But in this book of Daniel, the last  Babylonian king is Belshazzar, as Darius the Mede now  takes over the kingdom (5:30). Archaeology, the great friend of the Bible has since proved, both the Babylonian historians and the Bible were correct.  Assyrian inscriptions found in 1854 by J.E. Taylor, who was   British consul at Basra (in modern day Iraq), reveal that Belshazzar was the son of  Nabonidus, and that he reigned as co-regent with his father. Why then is Nebuchadnezzar spoken of in this chapter as the ‘father’ of Belshazzar in 5:2?  The simplest answer is- the same sense as David is called ‘father’   of Jesus in Lk. 1:32 - the meaning being simply that of ‘ancestor’  or the  founder of a dynasty.       

Now from the writings of a Greek historian named  Herodotus we know   that at  this  time the city of Babylon was being besieged by the Persians[2] the ancestors of the modern day Iranians. This seemingly did not worry Belshazzar, because his confidence was in the mighty walls that surrounded the city. The walls by were 39 metres thick, 110 metres high and they had 250 watchtowers which were each 30 metres high. Belshazzar felt self- assured in this bastion, this unassailable city.   So, he threw this  party with a thousand of his nobles. But he made himself contemptible in the eyes of the Sovereign God - by desecrating the holy articles taken by Nebuchadnezzar from   the temple in Jerusalem, and in the act also praising the gods of gold and silver, of   bronze, iron, wood and stone.5:4)

2.      5:5 – 9 Judgment begins

Suddenly and supernaturally, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote a message on the plaster of the wall (5:5). The king’s response and reaction is recorded in 5:6. Why, do you think, Belshazzar became so fearful? Since he did not know the meaning of this writing, why was he responding this way? The answer is simple. His guilty conscience accused him at once. His   face showed it…”the kings colour changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way and his knees knocked together…”. One moment he was the life and soul of the party, the next - a frightened man.  Take note how quickly God's judgements can fall on the wicked…. In an instant! This is reminiscent of the judgement of God  at the end of the ages, when  the wicked, in an instant, comprehend  that they were wrong and deceived in their arrogance.

The king now loudly calls for his wise men (5:7). As we have noted before in 2:10ff;  4:7ff -   no one could read nor interpret the writing (5:8).

3.      5:10 – 16 Daniel brought before the King

The queen, probably Belshazzar's mother, the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar now remembers Daniel, and how he had interpreted the previous dreams and visions of her father. It seems as if Daniel, after Nebuchadnezzar's death appears to have dropped into obscurity. This illustrates the sad fact, that some of the ablest men are sometimes little recognized, while those with far inferior abilities hold high office. Remember too, that by now, Daniel would have been quite an old man -   probably in his late seventies or even early eighties.

The story is much the same, as we have seen in the previous chapters. The unable magic team could not produce the needed information. Ah, but there is the remembrance of this remarkable man, Daniel (5:10-12). Belshazzar is desperate to know the meaning of these words , and in so doing makes big promises (5:16) as did his grandfather (2:6,48). In 5:17  we see  the same  consistent old Daniel,  the man of God,  the uncompromising, incorruptible man of God! May the Lord multiply the calibre of such men among us today – men who fear God and are not afraid of rulers and worldsystems!

4.      5:17 – 29 Daniel's interpretation

Daniel wastes no time to give Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson a little history lesson. He reminds him  solemnly  how  God Almighty had dealt   with Nebuchadnezzar, his grandfather (5:18-21). He loses no time to charge  Belshazzar with arrogance against  the God who had severely chastised his grandfather – see 5:22-23.   Belshazzar's sin was not a sin of ignorance. He knew the history of the Jews and he knew what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar, and yet he was not humbled by these facts. Though they know the faith of their fathers, yet children often refuse to walk in these ways. When God gives us light, He expects us to follow that illumination. And friends, if  Belshazzar was held accountable for the comparatively  small amount of light given him, then what about us today, who have  the brightest of lights, the full revelation and testimony of Jesus Christ?  

Belshazzar wilfully defies  the Sovereign God by abusing the sacred objects from the Jewish temple, using these vessels once dedicated to the glory of God,  by praising   the idol gods of  silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not hear or know, and Daniel continues to remind him… ”But the God in whose hand is your breath, and  whose are all your ways, you have not honoured.”  (5:4, 23).

The message on the wall said: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.   These four words from God (5:24) changed a raucous party into sudden  panic, fear, terror and  confusion.   The language is in Aramaic, and the words are interpreted for us in 5:26 -28: "Numbered, numbered, weighed and divided" . [3]

(i)                 MENE : Your days are numbered, King Belshazzar. God has brought  your reign to an end.

(ii)               TEKEL: Belshazzar, every action of your life has been weighed by God. He has taken note of every opportunity which was   presented to you, from boyhood until now. Your life has been weighed.   God has considered your life, and it falls short of the standard. This is a reminder to us  that  when people poke fun at God, he  does not ignore it. Nothing is forgotten. A record is kept of every   invitation to come to Christ which is brushed aside. There is a note   of every failure to take seriously His command to repent. God notes it   all   "It is not for me", say some. "The cost is too great", say others.  "Everybody will think that I am a religious crank". "I am not an   extremist" . All these comments are heard in heaven and weighed, and   remembered by the God of Heaven whom nothing escapes. Everybody's work  will be weighed on the last day. Some will receive an eternal reward.  Many will  find themselves excluded from heaven; their insistence on   temporary pleasures will have gained them nothing but eternal grief.  They have been weighed and have been found wanting.

(iii)             PARSIN: (plural of peres- meaning ‘half pieces’)  - This involves a word-play on the name of the Persians (pārās in Hebrew), suggesting not only that they are to inherit Belshazzar's kingdom, but that they are two peoples (two half pieces), Medes and Persians. Your kingdom is to be divided and   given to the Medes and the Persians.  In the N.T.  there are two instances, where the same is said in  essence to the Jews:

a.      Matt. 21: 33-43 - The parable of the tenants. This parable   illustrates the fact that the tenants, who have killed the servants of the landowner, shall be judged (21:41), and the land will  be given to other tenants. The application which Jesus gave is found in 21: 43,44. The   kingdom of God was taken from the Jews and given to the gentiles.      

b.      Acts 13:44 - 50 - When the Jews rejected the gospel message preached  to the Jews in Antioch- Pisidia, Paul warned them that God would take away   their privileges and would give them to the gentiles.

Something similar happens whenever the gospel is repeatedly rejected.  God’s voice to the conscience grows weaker and weaker. An invisible line is eventually crossed, the conscience is hardened  and the land of no return is entered into.  Many, many  people  that are  on the broad road  that leads to the city of destruction pass by the narrow  gate that leads to life, where  at its entrance gospel messengers are calling and inviting  all to come- but oh so few listen!

The story of Belshazzar is found in our Bible and in its entire context  (OT and NT) teaches us, that we can come to a point  where we have missed the  gospel opportunities  presented, as is also evident in Jesus’  parable of the rich fool  (Lk. 12:16-21),  who thought that he was the  master of his own destiny, the captain of his own soul, and to whom  God ultimately says, "Fool! This night your soul is  required of you, and the things you have prepared whose will they be? "

The story of Belshazzar teaches us that we cannot go as far as we like in sinning. Unbeknown to  Belshazzar, one more step along the  path of ungodliness will take him over that invisible line! There  will be   no more opportunity to find mercy for him.  That very night he would be dead!  God has called for the accounts  to   be settled. Who knows, when God will say,  "One more sin, and then the writing will be on the wall for you!"

5.      5:30,31 POSTSCRIPT

In 5:30,31  On the very night that Daniel  had spoken to Belshazzar,  Darius the Mede ( The Medes were also an Iranian tribe)   in  conjunction with Cyrus II of Persia (c. 600–530 BC) diverted the river Euphrates, which flowed under the mighty wall, and into  the city of Babylon. It was a brilliant  move, and no one in Belshazzar’s  kingdom  had ever thought  that  this  was possible. But so it was and the Median - Persian  army  under  Darius   marched into the city and captured Babylon. That night Belshazzar was   killed, and the divine prophecy was fulfilled. The golden head, gave way to the chest and arms of silver! This is  a fulfilment of  Daniel 2:32.

Again we are reminded that history is His story. Are you listening?        

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[1] Meriam- Webster  defines oratorio  as,  “ a lengthy choral work usually of a religious nature consisting chiefly of recitatives, arias, and choruses without action or scenery.”

[2] Herodotus : Persian Wars. Herodotus (484-425 BC)  - was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria . [Wikipedia]

 [3] The nouns are monetary weights: a mənê, equivalent to a Jewish mina or sixty shekels (several ancient versions have only one mənê instead of two); a təqêl, equivalent to a shekel; and p̄arsîn, meaning "half-pieces". The last involves a word-play on the name of the Persians (pārās in Hebrew), suggesting not only that they are to inherit Belshazzar's kingdom, but that they are two peoples, Medes and Persians. Daniel then interprets the words as verbs, based on their roots: mənê is interpreted as meaning "numbered"; təqêl, from a root meaning to weigh, as meaning "weighed" (and found wanting); and pərês (פְּרַס‎), the singular form of p̄arsîn, from a root meaning "to divide", denoting that the kingdom is to be "divided" and given to the Medes and Persians.