1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (ASV)
One of the big problems the lost world has with Christianity is the sovereignty of God and His ability to use them. This same issue is, though sometimes, invisible, is present in the membership of the church, today. Belshazzar did not give any credit to our Father even though he, being the son of Nebuchadnezzar and would have known of his Pops eating grass and sleeping on the dirt for seven seasons.
As a result of the customs of his people, peer pressure and personal preferences he is making a move to anger the God of all gods and everything else. Just like folks today, he is concentrating on what he can see, smell and touch. What is about to happen contains a life application that should scare every one of us more than the 50 caliber tracers that the NVA used to shoot my aircraft with.
5 In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king’s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
Now... now he's frightened! If the hand of God, or for that matter, any other hand suddenly appears out of nowhere and begins to scribble on my walls, I believe I, also, might be concerned. But we need to adjust ourselves when we read the scriptures and learn to apply the lessons there to our daily lives and these two verses, coupled with what's about to occur, is another dynamic life lesson.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Status was everything, just as it is today among the Lost. Just like the wealthy of today, the king offers up a great reward for anyone that can read the “writing on the wall.” Note, please, he did not fall on his face before God, nor before the Idols of any of his gods. He went, first, to men of lessor stature than himself. When I was a teenager and I did not know how to deal with a thing, the first person I went to was my dad, the person, directly, above my ranking in this world. Today, I try to remember to call on my Heavenly Father before anyone or anything else.
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.
These men, like all men, are no better off or knowledgeable than the king. I suspect that the alphabet in Heaven is as different from ours as the writing of the Chinese is from the Europeans. We know the language of the holy Spirit is not the same as ours as many folks have a prayer language that is not normal speech (1 Cor. 14) and it is for this reason I say this about the writing on the wall.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
10 Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
We live in a world where we know nothing of Kingdom living but we need to get serious and to study these matters. The queen was nothing like our wives today. She came to the king, only, when and if he summoned her. She did not just barge in and we must learn to respect our LORD, not as the queen did the king, so much, but even more, to the point of reverence. Not so much in fear but more like the love and respect we had for our dads when we were five or six years old... pure love.
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, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say , thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12 forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.
The queen, like our mothers, has kept her eyes open to what goes on around us and remembering the tails of Daniel and Belshazzar's father, brings the name of Daniel in a manor that allows the king's pride to remain in place.
13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, who art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.
16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Daniel is presented with an offer no young man could turn down, he can become number three in the line of rule in the kingdom. If a man does not walk with God, this is a very powerful temptation.
18 O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:
19 and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts’, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will.
Not like a normal man, at all, Daniel reminds Belshazzar of the harshness his dad endured when he exalted himself above God, that he might contrast the life lesson learned by his dad against the, absolute, foolishness Belshazzar has exercised this day. When we read our Bibles, all of it, we must learn to apply what we have read to our, daily lives. From our, earthy, moms and our dads we learned how to endure in this world where we live and if we ever hope to live with and under the Righteous Rule of our Heavenly Father, we must learn what He requires of us.
Today there are many Ear Ticklers teaching in the Church today. Men such as Mr. Hinn and Mr. Warren of Saddleback fame are very popular and their messages are very popular but is the core of their message and the principal of their lives based on the scriptures? Many, very, successful men, here, will not fare so well in Eternity. Belshazzar appeared to be doing very well but watch, closely, to what happens because of the path he chose.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this,
23 but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.
God will never judge a person, male or female, without the knowing, exactly what they have done, good or bad. (Rev. 20:11-15) The Christian, the follower of Jesus will stand their judgment at the Bema Seat Judgment. Immediately, following the First Resurrection. (Rev. 22:12, 1 Cor. 15:10, Col. 1:29 and key verses Rom. 14:10-11, 1 Cor. 3:11-15, 2 Cor. 5:9_10, 1 John 2:28 and Rev. 3:11-12)
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: [1] MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end;
27 TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 [1] PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
David then interprets what is meant by the words, written, on the wall and history has recorded that the words were true, that night. If we teach the message of Rick Warren, there are many paths to Heaven, or the message of Benny Hinn, give him enough money and you will have the desires of your life, here on Earth, I believe they will hear, “I never knew you” from Jesus.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.
31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
Yes, Daniel received a great honorary position but it did not even exist past breakfast the next morning because there was a new government, just as he read in the Words from God. If we are to succeed in this live, on the Spiritual Level, we must learn to follow God in the manor that exalts Him and gives us Eternal Peace.
2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (ASV)
One of the big problems the lost world has with Christianity is the sovereignty of God and His ability to use them. This same issue is, though sometimes, invisible, is present in the membership of the church, today. Belshazzar did not give any credit to our Father even though he, being the son of Nebuchadnezzar and would have known of his Pops eating grass and sleeping on the dirt for seven seasons.
As a result of the customs of his people, peer pressure and personal preferences he is making a move to anger the God of all gods and everything else. Just like folks today, he is concentrating on what he can see, smell and touch. What is about to happen contains a life application that should scare every one of us more than the 50 caliber tracers that the NVA used to shoot my aircraft with.
5 In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king’s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
Now... now he's frightened! If the hand of God, or for that matter, any other hand suddenly appears out of nowhere and begins to scribble on my walls, I believe I, also, might be concerned. But we need to adjust ourselves when we read the scriptures and learn to apply the lessons there to our daily lives and these two verses, coupled with what's about to occur, is another dynamic life lesson.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Status was everything, just as it is today among the Lost. Just like the wealthy of today, the king offers up a great reward for anyone that can read the “writing on the wall.” Note, please, he did not fall on his face before God, nor before the Idols of any of his gods. He went, first, to men of lessor stature than himself. When I was a teenager and I did not know how to deal with a thing, the first person I went to was my dad, the person, directly, above my ranking in this world. Today, I try to remember to call on my Heavenly Father before anyone or anything else.
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.
These men, like all men, are no better off or knowledgeable than the king. I suspect that the alphabet in Heaven is as different from ours as the writing of the Chinese is from the Europeans. We know the language of the holy Spirit is not the same as ours as many folks have a prayer language that is not normal speech (1 Cor. 14) and it is for this reason I say this about the writing on the wall.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
10 Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
We live in a world where we know nothing of Kingdom living but we need to get serious and to study these matters. The queen was nothing like our wives today. She came to the king, only, when and if he summoned her. She did not just barge in and we must learn to respect our LORD, not as the queen did the king, so much, but even more, to the point of reverence. Not so much in fear but more like the love and respect we had for our dads when we were five or six years old... pure love.
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, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say , thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12 forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.
The queen, like our mothers, has kept her eyes open to what goes on around us and remembering the tails of Daniel and Belshazzar's father, brings the name of Daniel in a manor that allows the king's pride to remain in place.
13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, who art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.
16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Daniel is presented with an offer no young man could turn down, he can become number three in the line of rule in the kingdom. If a man does not walk with God, this is a very powerful temptation.
18 O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:
19 and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts’, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will.
Not like a normal man, at all, Daniel reminds Belshazzar of the harshness his dad endured when he exalted himself above God, that he might contrast the life lesson learned by his dad against the, absolute, foolishness Belshazzar has exercised this day. When we read our Bibles, all of it, we must learn to apply what we have read to our, daily lives. From our, earthy, moms and our dads we learned how to endure in this world where we live and if we ever hope to live with and under the Righteous Rule of our Heavenly Father, we must learn what He requires of us.
Today there are many Ear Ticklers teaching in the Church today. Men such as Mr. Hinn and Mr. Warren of Saddleback fame are very popular and their messages are very popular but is the core of their message and the principal of their lives based on the scriptures? Many, very, successful men, here, will not fare so well in Eternity. Belshazzar appeared to be doing very well but watch, closely, to what happens because of the path he chose.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this,
23 but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.
God will never judge a person, male or female, without the knowing, exactly what they have done, good or bad. (Rev. 20:11-15) The Christian, the follower of Jesus will stand their judgment at the Bema Seat Judgment. Immediately, following the First Resurrection. (Rev. 22:12, 1 Cor. 15:10, Col. 1:29 and key verses Rom. 14:10-11, 1 Cor. 3:11-15, 2 Cor. 5:9_10, 1 John 2:28 and Rev. 3:11-12)
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: [1] MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end;
27 TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 [1] PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
David then interprets what is meant by the words, written, on the wall and history has recorded that the words were true, that night. If we teach the message of Rick Warren, there are many paths to Heaven, or the message of Benny Hinn, give him enough money and you will have the desires of your life, here on Earth, I believe they will hear, “I never knew you” from Jesus.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.
31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
Yes, Daniel received a great honorary position but it did not even exist past breakfast the next morning because there was a new government, just as he read in the Words from God. If we are to succeed in this live, on the Spiritual Level, we must learn to follow God in the manor that exalts Him and gives us Eternal Peace.