DANIEL SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 5.5

Gleanings from the Book of Daniel:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

DANIEL

Chapter Five

The Feast of Belshazzar

The Fall of Babylon

 

 

Introduction

In the previous study, King Belshazzar was carousing with his diplomats at a great feast honoring a chief god of Babylon in the Royal Ballroom. While seated at the banquet table, Belshazzar became very intoxicated. In his drunken stupor, he utilized the sacred Temple vessels to enhance the group’s licentiousness; and deliberately invoked God to provocation.

Pauli warns:

Romans 1:18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

 

Meanwhile, at the height of pleasurable entertainment, the city of Babylon was besieged by the Medo-Persian army. And, the King wasn’t the least bit worried. Notwithstanding what transpired next caused the entire mood and character of the party to change.

 

 

1. The Feast of Belshazzar (v. 1)

2. The Folly of Belshazzar (Vv. 2-4)

3. The Furor of God (v. 5)

(Verse 5)

 

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

 

The Finger of God

At the same hour, amidst this pagan ceremony, suddenly:

1.  Something happened that made the dancing stop

2.  Something happened that made the music halt

3.  Something happened that made the immorality cease

 

Out of nowhere, by direct supernatural intervention, the fingers of a man’s hand emerged. And, it began to write a message in some unknown language. Everyone remained motionless as they gazed at the circle of light on the plastered wall adjacent to the lampstand. It is believed this candlestick was one of the Temple artifacts confiscated by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C.

 

Although detached from a man’s hand, it is obvious and widely agreed the fingers belonged to God. Other scriptural references of this phenomenon are as follows:

 

In the Old Testament

1. When Pharaoh’s magicians attributed the revelation of God’s power to the third plague:

Exodus 8:19 – Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

 

2. When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone:

Exodus 31:18 – And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

 

3. When God’s power is compared to the insignificance of man, David wrote:

Psalm 8:3-4 - When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?

 

In the New Testament

4. When Jesus responded to the infirmed who doubted His healing powers, Jesus spake:

Luke 11:20 – But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you.

 

5. When Jesus wrote in the dirt addressing those accusing the adulteress:

John 8:6 – This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.

 

6. When Jesus healed the man who was deaf:

Mark 7:33 - And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue.

 

 

4. The Fear of Belshazzar (Vv. 6-9)

(Verse 6)

 

Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

 

As the King witnessed the disembodied fingers writing on the wall, he encountered some overwhelming experiences:

1. His countenance changed

a.  Literally, brightness; figuratively, cheerfulness

b.  Complexion - his face turned pale

 

2. His thoughts troubled him

a.  Sheer terror gripped his heart

b.  He was consumed by fear

 

3. His loins were uncontrolled

a.  He lost control of his bowels

b.  He soiled himself

c.  Isaiah prophesied God would call upon, and anoint a heathen king to do His will. Notice his direct reference to the Babylonian King:

Isaiah 45:1 - Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut.

 

4. His knees knocked together

a.  His legs gave way

b.  He was unable to stand up

 

Incidentally, the book of Nahum uses similar expressions to describe the heart of every Ninevite trembling with fear in the face of their enemy:

Nahum 2:10 - She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

 

 

(Verse 7)

 

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

 

A Call for Help

In a desperate attempt to have the writing deciphered, Belshazzar screamed for the conjurers of the Empire. Recall, they were the same wise men sought out by his grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar:

1. The astrologers

2. The Chaldeans

3. The soothsayers

 

At the height of his emotions, Belshazzar offered a most exorbitant bounty for its meaning and interpretation. Three incentives included:

1. The possession of royal garments

a.  Purple or scarlet clothing was germane to nobility

b.  Purple was the royal colour of court Persians

c.  Purple precedent is notated in Esther:

Esther 8:15 - And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

 

2. The possession of a golden chain

a.  An award only a king could present

b.  An award to highly honor someone

c.  A decoration was once given by Pharaoh to Joseph:

Genesis 41:42 - And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.

 

3. The advancement to a top position in government

a.  Third ruler indicated political dignity

b.  Third ruler may be a title for an office of honor

c.  Third ruler suggested a triumvirate regency:

                                        i.    Nabonidus

                                     ii.    Belshazzar

                                   iii.    Third ruler [later Daniel (cf. 5:29)]

 

 

(Verse 8)

 

Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

 

Just as in the days of Nebuchadnezzar (cf. 2:2-11; 4:7), God’s supernatural inscription confounded the wise men. They were inadequate and helpless to a message privy to the inspiration of Daniel.

 

A prior instance occurred when Pharaoh called upon Joseph and made him ruler over his household, and the land of Egypt:

Genesis 41:8 - And it came to pass in the morning that his (Pharaoh’s) spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

 

 

(Verse 9)

 

Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

 

The Reaction

Because of the inability of the wise men to interpret the writing, three circumstances surfaced:

1. The King became more alarmed

2. The King’s complexion changed

3. The King’s lords were confounded

 

 

(Verse 10)

 

Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

 

The Queen

Enter the Queen. It is apparent the Queen, known as “Queen Mother,” is not a wife of Belshazzar, since all his wives were already in attendance (cf. 5:2). Contextually, and in all probability, the Queen was the widowed wife of Nebuchadnezzar. Additionally, in Eastern antiquity, the Queen Mother was an influential person. [cf. 1 Kings 15:13 (NKJV); Jeremiah 13:18 (NKJV)]. 

 

Her address to the King was protocol as she stood before him, “O king, live forever.” Confident to have a solution to his dilemma, she portends to advise the King not to be distressed.

 

 

(Verse 11)

 

There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

 

There is a Man

Speaking with conviction, the Queen Mother brought Daniel’s existence to the King’s attention. Noted: Belshazzar, not the legal king, but a man of debauchery, arguably would not have been obvious to Daniel. With the change of monarchs, it is evident he would have been in obscurity.

 

However, the Queen proceeded to cite Daniel’s credentials in the days of Nebuchadnezzar:

1. Daniel possessed the spirit of the holy gods

2. Daniel possessed the spirit of light (insight)

3. Daniel possessed the spirit of understanding

4. Daniel possessed the spirit of wisdom

 

She also credited Daniel’s promotion by Nebuchadnezzar to master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers (cf. 2:48).

 

 

(Verse 12)

 

Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

 

Continuing to elaborate on Daniel’s qualifications, the Queen lists additional character references:

1. Daniel had an excellent spirit

2. Daniel had excellent knowledge

3. Daniel had an excellent understanding

4. Daniel was excellent at interpreting dreams (cf. 1:17)

5. Daniel was excellent in showing hard sentences

a.  The Hebrew phrase means dark sentences, an enigma, puzzle, proverb, or riddle

b.  The Hebrew phrase is also used in 1 Kings. When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s wisdom, she wanted to test him (cf. 1 Kings 10:1)

 

6. Daniel was excellent at dissolving doubts

a.  The ability to solve difficult problems

 

She had inadvertently elevated Daniel by itemizing all his abilities, accomplishments, and achievements. Accordingly, the Queen showed much respect to whom she was describing.

 

There is a man...Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar

The Queen Mother first referred to his Hebrew name, Daniel. Notwithstanding, she then identified him with the Babylonian name the prince of the eunuchs previously gave him (cf. 1:7). It appears coincidental, but there is a distinct play on names. Observe their meanings:

A. Belteshazzar (Bel protects his life)

B. Belshazzar (Bel protect the king)

C. Daniel (God is my judge)

 

Now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

 

 

Daniel, once again, will be called out of seclusion to stand before the king. This time he will face Belshazzar. The story unfolds in Study 5:13.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1. What caused the banquet to halt?

2. What was Belshazzar’s reaction?

3. What was Belshazzar’s reward for the interpretation?

4. What is the meaning of Belshazzar’s name?

5. Who was the Queen?

6. What were some of Daniel's attributes?

7. Why was it necessary to call Daniel?

 

 

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