drunken feast of belshazzar: the writing on the wall

Drunken Feast of Belshazzar:

The Writing on the WallDaniel 5

Daniel 5:1

“Belshazzar the king made a great feast for

a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the

thousand.”

The King’s Feast

“While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring

the gold and silver vessels which his father

Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple...”

Daniel 5:2

The King’s Feast

“... which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives,

and his concubines might drink from them.”

Daniel 5:2

The King’s Feast

“Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God

which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from

them.”

Daniel 5:3

The King’s Feast

“They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold

and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.”

Daniel 5:4

The King’s Feast

Belshazzar’s Extravagant Feast

• He is the present king in Babylon.– “King of the Chaldeans” (5:30)

• External evidence all speaks of Belshazzar as the “son of the king.”

• His father was Nabonidus.• Leadership was entrusted to him, as his father was

away on another campaign, probably in Tema.• Belshazzar shared co-regency with his father,

Nabondius, but he was subordinate to his father.

• Nabondius was king, and Belshazzar was the king’s son.

• The populace regarded him as the king.• Called and managed as a king.• Desecrated the Temple vessels—disrespectful

conduct.• Royal feasts of oriental antiquity were

extravagant.

Belshazzar’s Extravagant Feast

Belshazzar’s Irreverent Conduct

• The wine-induced drunkenness, along with the lasciviousness with the concubines, resulted in an orgy.

• Insulting to the God in heaven!• Blasphemous and irreverent conduct.• Used the vessels dedicated to use in the house of

God to arrive at a drunken stupor and praise their pagan idols!

• The vessels had been brought to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar—Belshazzar’s grandfather. (Ezra 1:7-11)

• The orientals used the word father in eight different ways.

• It was used in the sense of an “ancestor.”• Drunken Revelry is offensive to the God of Heaven!• Loss of the sense of things being holy is always a

sign of moral rottenness and inward decay!

Belshazzar’s Irreverent Conduct

Daniel 5:5

“In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's

palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.”

Writing Hand

“Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts

troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his

knees knocked against each other.”

Writing Hand

Daniel 5:6

The Writing Fingers• The pale king• King’s terror is brought about by the

writing of the armless hand’s fingers on the wall.

• King’s color changed.• He was literally and absolutely terrified!• His hips loosened and his knees knocked

together!

Daniel 5:7

“The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the

Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king

spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon...”

Cries for Counselors

“... Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation,

shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third

ruler in the kingdom”

Daniel 5:7

The Reward

“Now all the king's wise men came, but they could not read the

writing, or make known to the king its

interpretation.”

Daniel 5:8

Powerless

Powerless Wise Men• Powerless wise men• “A third ruler in the kingdom”

– “One of three”– Nabonidus, Belshazzar, Daniel

• Purple—color of royalty• Necklace—ornament worn by prominent ranking

persons• Reward is great, but the ability of the wise men is

not up to the task!

Daniel 5:9

“Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his

countenance was changed, and his lords were

astonished.”

Lords Astonished

The King Is Troubled• Perplexed lords• King and his lords are all the more

bothered when they see the inability of the Chaldean wise men to interpret the writing.

• “Thrown into confusion”• Whole party became a tumult!

Daniel 5:10“The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to

the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, ‘O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor

let your countenance change.’”

The Prudent Queen

“There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the

Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light

and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of

the gods...”

The Prudent Queen

Daniel 5:11

“... were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father-your father the king-

made him chief of the magicians, astrologers,

Chaldeans, and soothsayers.”

Daniel 5:11

The Prudent Queen

“Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding,

interpreting dreams, solving riddles and explaining enigmas were found in

this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called,

and he will give the interpretation.”

Daniel 5:12

The Prudent Queen

The Prudent Queen• This is the queen-mother, not Belshazzar’s wife.

– Nitocris, wife of Nabonidus; daughter of Nebuchadnezzar.

• Verse 2 tells us the wives were already there.

• In verse 11, the queen speaks in such a way as to suggest a mother speaking to her son, rather than a wife to her husband, the king.

• She was cognizant of past events previously unknown to Belshazzar. (either mother or grandmother)

• Stored in her memory were facts concerning the relationship that existed between Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel.

• Good indicator she was his daughter.

• She was high-ranking and entered the banquet hall of her own accord.

The Prudent Queen

• Her language was similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s—she spoke highly of Daniel.– “Excellent spirit” (able to interpret) 1 Kings 10:1– “Knowledge” (able to solve riddles) Numbers 12:8– “Understanding” (able to give meaning) Psalm 49:4

The Prudent Queen

Daniel 5:13“Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, ‘Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought

from Judah?’”

Daniel Before the King

“I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and

that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are

found in you.”

Daniel 5:14


“Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read

this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the

thing.”

Daniel 5:15


“And I have heard of you, that you can give

interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can

read the writing and make known to me its interpretation...”

Daniel 5:16


“... 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 5:16


Daniel Before the King• King’s request and promised reward• King avoids Daniel’s Babylonian name—

similar to his own• “I” king’s introduction reveals a tone of

haughtiness and arrogance in his heart.• He is skeptical—”if…”

Daniel 5:17

“Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, ‘Let your gifts be

for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him

the interpretation.’”

Daniel Desires No Reward

Daniel’s Conduct• Prophet’s reply and rejection…

– Not due to rudeness– Contemptuousness– Arrogance

• Prophet’s rejection of the reward– Is not due to fear or deceit– No desire for worldly gain, or position and advantage– He had other values and standards

• Prophet’s conduct…– Come what may, he will declare the truth.– “Things and power” will not alter his words.

• The man of God is free from the bondage of these things!

• The prophet promises to “read the writing” and make the “interpretation known” to the king…

Daniel’s Conduct

Daniel 5:18

“O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your

father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.”

Daniel Reminds the King…

“And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples,

nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished,

he executed...”

Daniel 5:19


“... whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and

whomever he wished, he put down.”

Daniel 5:19


“But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his

glory from him.”

Daniel 5:20


“Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was

made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild

donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen...”

Daniel 5:21


“... and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he

knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men,

and appoints over it whomever He chooses.”

Daniel 5:21


Daniel Recalls…• Daniel reminds the king of his grandfather’s

greatness and his pride• Manifests the difference in power in Nabonidus and

Belshazzar• Though not equal in greatness to his father,

Belshazzar had become proud, before Him who is able to “abase the proud”

• Nebuchadnezzar’s experience related--“until he knew that Ruler is God.”

Daniel 5:22

“But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.”

Daniel’s Rebuke

“And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His

house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your

concubines, have drunk wine from them...”

Daniel 5:23

Daniel’s Rebuke

“... And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron,

wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who

holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not

glorified.”

Daniel 5:23

Daniel’s Rebuke

Daniel’s Rebuke• Daniel reproves Belshazzar• Belshazzar had not taken the past to heart.• He knew these things but had not humbled his

heart.• “Lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven.”• Vaunted the God of heaven• Praised gods which “were not gods”• Failed to glorify the one true God who held

Belshazzar’s life in His hands!

• Literally, Belshazzar’s life was in God’s hands!– Job 20:20; Acts 17:26

• He owned all of his ways.– Jeremiah 10:23; Acts 17:28

• Idols of wood and stone and ”finely spun philosophies” were little more than pure stupidity.

• They were creations of the minds and hands of men.

Daniel’s Rebuke

Daniel 5:24,25

“Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. And this

is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

Daniel Interprets

Daniel Solves the Riddle• Reading of the riddle• Writing was “inscribed”—recorded or

written• Writing sent from God• Inscription apparently was still on the wall.• “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

• Explanation of “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

• Original probably…– MENE, MENE,TEKEL, UPERES

• Appeared only as “consonant.”• Inscription of the words possibly names of weights:

– “MENE”—Mina or Maneh – “TEKEL”—Hebrew shekel– “PERES”—Half-mina or Maneh

Daniel Solves the Riddle

Daniel 5:26,27

“This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered

your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting.”

Daniel Interprets

“PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Daniel 5:28

Daniel Interprets

• “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”• MENE—Numbered. God has numbered the days

(length or duration) of the kingdom and brought it to an end (finish).

• TEKEL—Thou (Belshazzar) art weighed in the balances and found wanting (lacking, deficient in moral worth).

• PERES—Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and the Persians.


• “Divided” does not mean that the Babylonian kingdom would be divided between the Medes and Persians.

• The kingdom would be dissolved or destroyed by the united effort of the Medes and the Persians under Cyrus.

• The Medes are mentioned before the Persians here, but from the time of Cyrus onward the Persians are named before the Medes.– Esther 1:3,14,18,19


• In the word PERES (divided), there is an allusion to “PARAS” (Persians), which apparently indicates that the domination power in breaking (dividing or dissolving) Babylon would be Persia.

• Characters may be obscure, but the interpretation of Daniel is clear.

• The kingdom of Babylon is doomed!

• The proud king’s festive night ended in death!


Daniel 5:29“Then Belshazzar gave the

command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold

around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the

kingdom.”

The King Keeps His Word

The King Keeps His Word• Belshazzar keeps his word—he promotes Daniel

• This is a royalty must! The king merely fulfills his word.

• This shows he believed Daniel. Had he not, he would have had him put to death.

• No contradiction of his refusal (vs.17). This is the king’s doing—not at Daniel’s request!

Daniel 5:30,31

“That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede

received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.”

Words Fulfilled!

Daniel’s Words Fulfilled!• Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was slain

that very night.• Murdered that night (Jeremiah 51:39)• Festivity of the night of “drink, dread, and

death”• No mention of any battle• In perfect keeping with the historical facts.

• The city fell…– Fell during the celebration of a festival– Fell without a battle. Cyrus redirected the

flow of the river.– The king was murdered in his palace by a

soldier named Bobyras.– Darius the Meade—Persian kingdom—

second part of the image in Daniel 2!

Daniel’s Words Fulfilled!

Babylonian Rulers• Nabopolassar (625 B.C.)• Nebuchadnezzar (604 B.C.)• Evil-Merodach (562 B.C.)• Nergal-shar-usar (560 B.C.)• Labash-Marduk (556 B.C.)• Nabonidus {Beltshazzar} (555 B.C.)• Babylon fell in 539 B.C.

drunken feast of belshazzar: the writing on the wall

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