Daniel Read the Handwriting on the Wall for Which Ruler of Babylon?

A king of ancient Babylon was terrified when a man'south paw suddenly appeared, writing a warning message on his palace wall. What does it mean for us today?

The fifth affiliate of Daniel records a noteworthy and revolting scene of lavish partying that occurred in 539 B.C. The place was Babylon, the capital of the Chaldean Empire.

The king (or coregent) of Babylon, Belshazzar, held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and other guests. In a sacrilegious deed of disdain for God, he and his guests toasted their pagan gods with the gilded and silver vessels Male monarch Nebuchadnezzar had previously looted from the temple in Jerusalem. "As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of golden and silver, of bronze, fe, woods, and stone" (Daniel 5:iv, New International Version).

At the height of the festivities, the rex was terrified when, without warning, a disembodied hand appeared and began writing a message on the wall. "Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the majestic palace. The king watched the hand equally information technology wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking" (verses 5-6, NIV).

Daniel is summoned

The king called for his wise men, simply they were unable to explicate the meaning of the words. On advice from the queen, the aged Daniel was summoned to interpret what the hand had written.

And why was Daniel called? Because he had a reputation as a human being "in whom is the spirit of the Holy God," and was endowed with "light and understanding and wisdom … an splendid spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas" (verses 11-12). For farther information virtually this man of God and his ability to interpret dreams and visions, come across the articles "Daniel the Prophet" and "Interpretation of Dreams."

Daniel unravels the pregnant of the words

Daniel then delivered a message of disaster and catastrophe for the king and the Babylonian Empire. Daniel explained that the hand was sent from God, thus identifying the message every bit coming from a divine source: "Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him" (poetry 24).

The inscription contained iv Chaldean (Aramaic) words: "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN [the plural grade of the atypical word peres]" (verse 25). Each of these words had a dual meaning as both a verb and a monetary value (and ane of them occurs twice). As such, it appears that God was giving a dual message to this king—a message regarding Babylon's demise and a message for the king at that immediate fourth dimension.

Next, Daniel told the king the significant of the words:

• "MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished information technology;
• "TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and plant wanting;
• "PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians" (verses 26-28).

Male monarch Belshazzar is slain

The generals of the Medes and Persians realized that a direct frontal set on on the walls of Babylon would be formidable and would result in a huge loss of life. Instead, they diverted the grade of the Euphrates River, which ran through the city, and that very night they entered the heavily fortified city through the dry riverbed. The inhabitants were taken by surprise, and the city was quickly overrun.

These events occurred in one dark, and the once mighty Babylonian empire came crashing downward. Ironically, these dramatic events came to pass while the Chaldean king and his princes were belongings a feast honoring their gods and, at the aforementioned time, dishonoring the true God! "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being most sixty-two years old" (verses 30-31).

Lessons for u.s.a.

Is there annihilation nosotros can larn from this ancient incident?

Writing many centuries later, the apostle Paul attached importance to events of the Exodus and, past extension, all the events recorded in the Old Attestation: "Now all these things happened to them every bit examples, and they were written for our admonition [margin, "education"], upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (one Corinthians ten:xi).

Information technology is upwardly to each of us to take these incidents to eye, larn the lessons God has recorded for our learning and, almost importantly, avoid repeating the same mistakes. Paul stressed: "For whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and condolement of the Scriptures might have hope" (Romans xv:four).

Can we come across the writing on the wall today?

This website is issuing warnings about the devastating damage acquired to our societies past those promoting secular teachings and standards that are reverse to biblical values. The Bible and its tenets are no longer held up as the foundational bedrock on which to build our lives.

More and more, God and His Bible are mocked, scorned and profaned—and this in our and so-called Christian nations! Why are so many people so destitute of vision? Why do people decline to learn the unmistakable lessons of the past? Unless these modern trends that are contrary to God's Word are reversed, our nations will face the aforementioned subversive calamities that caused the collapse of the Babylonian Empire.

Lesson 1: Defaming God has serious consequences

Belshazzar made a fatal fault. He dishonoured the true God, toasting his pagan gods every bit he used the vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple. Through his actions, the king brought dire consequences upon himself and his subjects.

Find these warnings from the Word of God directed toward ancient Israel and all nations today.

Isaiah the prophet proclaimed: "They declare their sin as Sodom; they do not hide information technology. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves" (Isaiah three:9, emphasis added throughout).

Jeremiah stated: "Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people—the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words nor My law, but rejected it" (Jeremiah 6:19).

The prophet too witnessed "a horrible thing" in those who were supposed to teach God's ways of life: "They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no 1 turns back from his wickedness" (Jeremiah 23:fourteen).

One of the ways countless people demonstrate daily disdain for God is past using His proper name in a vain, needless and senseless manner. This is a straight violation of the Third Commandment, which states: "Y'all shall not accept the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not concur him guiltless who takes His name in vain" (Exodus 20:vii).

Within minutes of turning on the idiot box or radio, nosotros're likely to hear someone uttering profanity, which is using God's proper name in vain. God says He will not hold such people "guiltless," which means, without punishment.

How many today believe that the walls of our Western nations are impregnable? How many tin can run across the writing on our wall that says punishments will come if our peoples continue to ignore God'due south commands?Notice these comments from The Expositor'due south Bible Commentary (revised edition) most the Third Commandment: "God's proper noun (Heb. Sem) must be treated with the highest regard and reverence. To 'have up' the proper name of the Lord on one's lips 'in vain' means to 'misuse' it. Simulated or vain uses of God's name on the lips of His people include: (one) to limited mild surprise in a minced oath, (2) to fill in the gaps in speeches or prayers by using the name of the Lord without whatever existent function in the sentence, and (3) to ostend by an oath something that is fake" (p. 481).

Lesson ii: Don't ignore the signs of the times

Nosotros observe information technology hard to believe that Belshazzar could hold a magnificent feast while the Medes and the Persians were encamped exterior the city walls! But the Babylonians were convinced of their safety—the walls of Babylon were seemingly impregnable.

How many today believe that the walls of our Western nations are impregnable? How many can see the writing on our wall that says punishments will come if our peoples continue to ignore God's commands?

Christ said we should "take listen to yourselves, lest … that 24-hour interval [of His return] come up on you unexpectedly [every bit destruction did on the Babylonians]. For information technology volition come as a snare on all those who dwell on the confront of the whole earth. Sentinel therefore, and pray e'er that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come up to laissez passer, and to stand up before the Son of Homo" (Luke 21:34-36).

Lesson 3: Pride can blind us to our faults and weaknesses

In the book of Proverbs we are taught a valuable principle: "Pride goes earlier devastation, and a haughty spirit before a autumn" (Proverbs sixteen:18). Belshazzar was and then filled with his own self-importance that he was unaware of his impending destruction and ultimate autumn.

In near circles, Western values are increasingly condign morally destitute, and secular credo is taking the place of a belief in God and the Bible. Christian ethics and standards are condign less and less important every bit everyone does what is "right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

The Christian heritage of Western nations, which meant so much to their governments and people in the past, is being corrupted by distorted secular ideas and a tolerance of sin in the proper name of political definiteness. The Bible says this philosophy is a cunning deception!

Every bit our Western democracies continue to reject God and His Word, nosotros can conceptualize problems and difficulties to worsen for our nations. Based upon the punishments God brought on the ancient nation of State of israel for disobedience to His laws (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28), which is an example of the fashion God will ultimately bargain with all, nosotros can expect the following:

• Increase in nationwide problems.
• Weakening of our national ability and resolve.
• More subversive atmospheric condition patterns.
• Increase in terrorist threats and activities.
• More financial reverses.
• Increase in health problems (both physical and mental).
• Increase in law-breaking and violence.
• Further breakdown of marriage and the family.

Hosea, the prophet, wrote that God became angry because "they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law. … From their silver and gold they fabricated idols for themselves. … They sow the wind, and reap the cyclone. … I have written for him the great things of My law, just they were considered a strange thing" (Hosea 8:ane, 4, 7, 12).

The ultimate fashion to survive—strengthening our relationship with God

By the time King Belshazzar witnessed the handwriting on the wall, it was already too late. Do yous recognize the timeless biblical principles involved with this aboriginal message and know how to answer?

If nosotros make the changes in our lives God desires, God volition provide for united states of america and protect us. Isaiah 26:three states: "Y'all will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You lot, because he trusts in You."

For help staying up with earth news in calorie-free of God's Word and learning God's expectations of yous, read our Insights Into News & Prophecy and visit the Learning Center on this website where you will observe a multifariousness of free educational materials and services.

For additional study, be sure to read the accompanying articles covering subjects and events institute in the book of Daniel.

About the Author

Andre van Belkum

Andre van Belkum currently serves equally the pastor of the Church of God, a Worldwide Clan, in New Zealand and the Pacific region. Previously he pastored congregations in southern Africa, including S Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

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Source: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/understanding-the-book-of-daniel/writing-on-the-wall/

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