Every Kingdom Falls

There is an old saying that when something bad is about to happen, and it’s clear that it will happen, people will say “We can see the handwriting on the wall.” In other words, its going to happen, it’s obvious. Time after time, the Kings of Babylon go against what God wants. We have seen the greatness of the nation of Babylon. It’s power, it’s military, and its size.

This is a map of the area that we see the events that take place in the Bible. You might see some places you know. Mt Sinai, there’s Nineveh.

But now, look at the empire of King Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon in the green. Look how big it is. But notice the purple. The purples is the Median Kingdom. The people that lived there were now as the Medes.

Now if you have been following closely as we have gone through the first four chapter of Daniel, you will know that name…the Medes.

By the time we finish Chapter 5 you will see that God is finished allowing the Babylonian empire to remain in power. And in final moments of the empire, Daniel is there, interpreting a sign from God to the last King of Babylon.

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We are in Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel.

But before we read what happens here. I want you to take your mind back to Chapter 2 of Daniel.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream , and only God could reveal the dream and he did so by prophet Daniel.

Do you remember, In this dream he saw a great image. Every level of this image was different.

Daniel 2:32–33 ESV

32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

But what did this symbolize? Every level on the image was symbolic of a kingdom. But these Kingdoms would only last for a time. So starting at the top, Daniel revealed from the Lord who each level would be.

The head of Gold, that was Babylon. Then as you move down, the chest and arms of Silver represented the Medes and the Persians.

In showing this, God was telling Nebuchadnezzar that every kingdom will come to an end. The head of gold, will be replaced and destroyed by the chest and arms of silver. And after that another would come, and another, and another. But today we will only focus on the end of the head of gold, and the rising of the arms and chest of silver.

It’s time for God’s will and purpose to continue, and that is the destruction of Babylon and the raising up of the next Kingdom. The handwriting was on the wall.

But there is a reason for these rise and falling of Kingdom. God isn’t just playing with people, he has a purpose and I will talk about in a moment.

So how did the mighty Babylon fall? We see it in Daniel 5.

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READ DANIEL 5

Daniel 5 ESV

1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in 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 silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. 10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.” 13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. 24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Do you see a different name? A different king’s name? King Belteshazzar. Who is this? What happened to King Nebuchadnezzar? From the last period of chapter 4 to the first letter of chapter 5, 30 years had passed, and during that time King Nebuchadnezzar died. He was followed by a few other kings, some lasted for years other lasted a short time. Belteshazzar would be the last King in the empire of Babylon, the golden head.

King Belteshazzar had a party and invited so many people and as he was drinking wine and getting drunk, he thought in his mind, I want to drink this wine from a different cup. What did he do? He called his men together and told them, “Hey remember our great King Nebuchadnezzar, 66 years ago when he took Jerusalem captive, he brought back all of those cups and things from the Temple…bring them to me, I want to drink my wine from them. And he did. He was partying, and feeling good and them he looked up and saw something strange on the wall…

There was a hand only…not an arm or a body…only a hand writing something on the wall in a language that no one knew.

The king did not understand. He could not interpret the writing. What was he to do? Who could do it?

Like the Kings before him, Belshazzar calls all of his wise men and magicians, but they are worthless. They can’t interpret it. Then the queen, heard what was going on and remembered that there was a man, who was still in the Kingdom named Daniel who listened to the God of heaven and could interpret the dream.

Daniel comes in, the King says if you will tell me what it means, I will bring you up to the third highest in command of Babylon. Daniel said, keep your things, but I will tell you what this means..

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN

As Daniel looks to the wall, I’m sure his mind went back to the Great Image interpretation. Remember, the iron arms and chest points to the Kingdom of the Medes and Persian who would battle and win against the Babylonian empire.

Look what Daniel says about the writing…

Daniel 5:25–28 ESV

25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

The great Babylonian Kingdom, the head of gold was now about to be crushed by the Iron Arm and Chest of the Medes. The Medes and Persians, on that same night would crush Babylon. Look at the last verse: Daniel 5:30-31

Daniel 5:30–31 ESV

30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

This is more than a history lesson about something that happened many years ago. Two reasons it is important for us to read, learn and understand Chapter 5 from the Book of Daniel.

This is our history, but it is also our present and future. Our Biblical heritage. When we read this story of the hand writing on the wall and a King who dishonors the God of creation by drinking from those items that are sacred, it more than a story from 2,500 years ago. It is a story that continues. After the Medes there was another kingdom, and another kingdom, and another kingdom, then, there was the Kingdom of God when Jesus came into the world. That is where we are right now. But there is still one more kingdom, and Daniel, in chapter 2 sees it as a stone that was uncut by destroys all others. That is the everlasting kingdom when Jesus returns, Satan is defeated and those who given their lives to Jesus will be with him forever. But those who did no t care about Jesus, who have turned away, will be separated from Him in darkness.

That is why it is important to study and read these stories from long that God has preserved for us. But there is another reason.

2. This is a call to line your kingdom up with His.

Why does God want us to stay faithful in looking to his Word? Why does he desire that you seek him in the pages of this book? Because he wants you to see him revealed here. He wants you to learn from those who have come before, following the good examples, but staying away from the bad. King Belshazzar had to remember the stories and accounts of King Nebuchadnezzar. They were probably told to his as a child. But he became king and his head grew big and those things he had heard were not as important as himself. He simply wanted to party and have a good time, and when he did, he dishonored the very God that gave him the breath of life.

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One day, you will have your own kingdom. It may be small, it may be big, you will have a family and a job, you will have responsibilities. In that moment, who will you look to? Will you have a mind of I’m free from that orphanage home, now I will live like I want. If i don’t want to read the Bible, I wont. If i don’t want to go to church, I will sleep. NO problem, I will do what I want.

That is what King Belshazzar did. And see what happened when he did not honor God? He was destroyed on the earth, and even now he is separated from God forever.

What do you want your life to be like? Do you want your kingdom to reflect your love and fear of God, are will you go the way of the King’s of Babylon?

Every Kingdom will fall. My kingdom. Your kingdom. The kingdom of Nigeria. The Kingdom of London, the United States….all will fall….except. The eternal Kingdom of God.

If you don’t set your heart, and mind, and life on His eternal Kingdom, just like the gold head of the great image…your kingdom will fall, and the consequences will be eternal.