The Writing on the Wall
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
April 8, 2003, Saddam Hussein and sons (Udah and Kusah) at a table
20 days before, Iraq hit a deadline
Pres. George W. Bush gave Saddam 48 hours
He had to vacate his office and leave Iraq
2 days later at 1:00am, airstrikes began
Now, he’s at the al-Saah restaurant for dinner party
Didn’t realize special forces were outside
Called in an airstrike
Restaurant destroyed but Saddam lived
The next day, American forces took control of Baghdad
Less than a week later, coalition declare the war is effectively over
Had to go into hiding - found 8 months later
One room shack - outdoor kitchen - in muddy orange grove
Hiding in a 6 foot hole in the ground
His words were, “I am Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq, and I am willing to negotiate.”
The soldier in charge responded, “President Bush sends his regards.”
That’s a quick turnaround - a nation invaded in less than 2 months
Although it took 7 years to remove troops
It’s nowhere near as quick as our turnaround in today’s lesson!
Prayer
Prayer
YouVersion: The Writing on the Wall
Daniel 5 (whole chapter)
Chiastic order - ABCCBA
Today we’re on the 2nd C (interpretations)
For years, many said the Bible has a discrepancy
Daniel says Belshazzar lost the kingdom
Archaeology shows Nabonidus is the last king
No mention at all of Belshazzar
FAMILY TREE
FAMILY TREE
Nebuchadnezzar II (43 years)
His son Amel-Marduk AKA Evil-Merodach AKA Dr. Evil
Names are often listed in multiple languages in Scripture
In Jer 52 he is called Evil-merodach (Hebrew)
Babylonians called him Amel-Marduk (Akkadian)
We’ll stick with Akkadian names - but Hebrew names are up there
Your name’s evil, that can’t be good (rule breaker)
Reigned 2 years
Assassinated by brother-in-law Neriglissar (Akkadian)
In Jer 39 (Nergal-sar-ezer - Hebrew)
He was Chaldean - Married to Neb’s daughter Kashshaya
Reigned 4 years
Died of natural causes – His son Labashi-Marduk
(Laborosoarchod - Hebrew)
Only child – still very young
Some say angry and mentally disabled
Beaten to death by conspirators led by Nabonidus and his son
Married to Nebuchadnezzar’s other daughter, Nitocris
Last record of Babylonian king
That was a problem for Christians/Jews for centuries!
Daniel says last king is Belshazzar, history says Nabonidus...
Until 1854 - Found Cylinders of Nabonidus
"As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great godhead and grant me as a present a life long of days, and as for Belshazzar, the eldest son -my offspring- instill reverence for your great godhead in his heart...” (Cylinder of Nabonidus from the temple of God Sin at UR, Mesopotamia).
I love when Scripture proves to be right when it seems wrong to humans!
Belshazzar is Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson (his daughter’s son)
So how does this work? Nabonidus was king, Belshazzar was his son...
That doesn’t make him king! Nabonidus was still alive!
Break it down: Nabonidus was not the most popular king
Marduk was the city’s major god, but he liked Sin (moon god)
He left in order to restore temples in Arabia (mostly to Sin)
In his 3rd year he left his son in charge while he was out…
Little did he know, the Medo-Persians were moving in!
And the people liked king Cyrus!
He promised to restore Marduk in their temples!
So Nabonidus was king, he left which made Belshazzar a co-regent
Or a co-king!
It’s always shaky when you leave town and put your kids in charge...
ILLUSTRATION: Tami’s boyfriend steals her car
Gary comes home and says, “I left you in charge for 5 days! What happened?!”
King Nabonidus is gone
Belshazzar is in charge
The Medo-Persian’s are strong and gaining approval
Now that the scene is set, let’s look at Scripture
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.
He’s in trouble now!!
Kids always throw a party at the house when their parents aren’t home!
Many say drinking is not a sin…
That’s true (wine is blood)
But I’ll tell you this:
A lot of dumb things have happened when people sit and drink too much together
Here’s an example: Hey guys, let’s get the Israeli vessels from the Temple!
“I am more afraid of alcohol than of all the bullets of the enemy.” ~ Stonewall Jackson
They’re drunk, they’re defiling God’s vessels, they’re praising other gods…
Mmmm…. Not the best idea!
The crazy thing is there is an army just outside the gates!!
He knows, but isn’t worried
The cities defenses were incredible
City was the size of Chicago
If you fought your way in, you’d get to the center of the city
Outer walls: 17 miles long and 90 feet high
22 feet thick - held chariot races on them!
Guard towers almost 200 feet high
Know what’s funny? It was probably BIGGER!
These are just conservative estimates
Gates were made of bronze
also layers of inner walls and moats
This was a HARD city to conquer
But there’s something important about to happen:
It’s not just the end of an empire
God wants Belshazzar to know Who is kicking him out!
It’s not the Medo-Persians, it’s GOD!
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.
You remember “Thing” from the Adams Family?
Well he just showed up to graffiti the kings wall
That had to be terrifying!
It’s unmistakeable that this is more than an earthly power
Floating hands don’t just appear and start writing!
6 Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
He was scared to death!
Wouldn’t you be?
He was so scared his knees actually knocked together
Quick Illustration: Hand caught in the ragger
My knees literally knocked
So Belshazzar is terrified, and he can’t read!
Here’s what he does...
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.
Apparently there is a family tradition here
If you need interpreters, called the wise men and they won’t help you
This floating hand wrote a message, and no one can read it!!
But he’s desperate!
Not totally sure why...
I’m sure the hand has something to do with it
But I think he knew something else too
He knew the life he had been living...
He knows they’re drinking from holy relics
He can’t read, but I think he might have already gotten the message
Fortunately, the queen (probably his mom) helps out
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.”
Mom says “relax, Daniel did this for grandpa Nebby.” so he calls him
Notice something though: She doesn’t call him Belteshazzar!
After Neb lost his mind, he started calling him Daniel
It means, “God is my judge.”
God showed Neb He was judge, now He’ll show his grandson
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.”
Daniel is in a familiar position
He’s in his 60’s
Been doing this for 47 years...
Oh really? You need an interpretation? You don’t say...
Now he’s offered to be the third ruler over Babylon
Why third? That is the highest possible position!
King Nabonidus, King Belshazzar, Daniel
He couldn’t give him second; HE was second!
Look at Daniel’s response to this offer though:
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.
Remember when Daniel gave Neb bad news?
Last week: let this be for your enemies and not you!
He liked Neb!
He doesn’t seem impressed with his grandson
Dude, just keep it. I don’t want it.
It won’t be worth anything after tonight anyway...
And so, here we go again with another interpretation...
He starts out by highlighting why he liked Neb:
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.
If you were here last week, this sounds familiar
Neb had boanthropy (delusions of being an ox or cow)
God taught him 3 things:
God is sovereign
He chooses who gets power
He chooses the humble
When Neb was humbled, he was healed and restored to power
AND he honored God the rest of his life!
He starts with Neb as an example, then compares Belshazzar
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.
Notices references to SON (vv.18, 22) and FATHER (vv.2, 11, 13, 18)
Critics of Daniel say it’s wrong - author didn’t know the relationship
BOTH Hebrew and Aramaic have one word for both
Aramaic (language of chapter 5)
Grandson/son are both BAR (Simon BAR Jonah)
Father/grandfather are AB (as in ABBA, Father)
He says, you already know this about your grandpa (his humbling)
And now you’re defiling the vessels from the temple!
These vessels are important
Explain Scripture talks about rebuilding the third Temple
There is the “Temple Institute” in Jerusalem
1967 Six Day War - Israel liberated the Temple Mount
Could visit Western Wall - last remaining structure of the Temple
The Temple Institute was founded to rebuild the Temple on it’s site
Hasn’t happened yet (the end would come)
But they have started manufacturing the vessels for the Temple
These are for Temple Sacrifices when that day comes
Not just replicas, THE ACTUAL ONES!
These are very important holy objects
They were back then too - when Belshazzar was partying with them
Getting drunk out of the holy vessels - he should know better
More than that, he was worshipping false gods - not like his grandpa
At this point, God is DONE with Belshazzar!
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.
These were not a crazy language - it was in Aramaic (a Semitic language)
I don’t think Daniel even had to pray about this part
He did for the meaning, but he could probably just read it
Most nobles spoke their own language, plus Akkadian (Babylonian)
There’s a couple reasons why they could have been confused
1. Aramaic writing is consonantal (like Hebrew): no vowels
Yahweh is YHWH - the “A” and “E” are kind of just guesses!
That’s why the same name is translated “Jehovah”
“J” is pronounced “Y” (as in YESHUA for JESUS)
“W” is pronounced “V” in many languages (as in VOLKEVAGEN or DOUBLEVAY)
So, MENE MENE TEKEL PARSIN would be written without vowels
MN MN TKL PRSN
2. Some scholars think there would be no spaces either
MNMNTKLPRSN
3. Rembrandt has a painting called “Belshazzar’s Feast”
Written vertically and right to left (although right to left was normal)
MMTP
NNKR
LS
N
4. These were 3 random sounding nouns
Mene (or MINA)
Tekel (like a Hebrew SHEKEL)
Parsin is a little more open
MINA and SHEKEL are measures of currency
MINA also comes from the word that means “to count”
Shekels (or Aramaic Tekels) are based on weight
Parsin or Upharsin is probably one of several possibilities
Plural of PERES, another measure of currency
2. Form of PARAC - meaning “to divide or split up”
3. A word for PERSIA - the empire waiting outside the gates
It’s like a random flying hand writing, “dollars, cents, bitcoin”
OR “counted, bankrupt, Russia”
You would need an interpreter
So Daniel explains it like this:
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.”
In other words, you’re in deep doodoo…
I don’t know how Belshazzar felt about this
He sure didn’t seem to praise God or repent...
I don’t even know if he believed Daniel
Here’s what we do know:
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.
Okay, I guess I’ll be third ruler...
There won’t be a kingdom to rule tomorrow!!
Thanks for the bling, I’ll be in my room soiling myself
Many scholars believe Belshazzar’s dad Nabonidus was already captured
Medo-Persian General Gubaru found a way to beat the walls
The people inside opened up the gates
Mark L. Strauss: “Empires do not stand by human might, man-made machines and missiles. There is not a wall high enough nor thick enough to prevent a nation from falling when God pronounces that nation’s doom.”
Sometimes strength can’t be gained with money
That’s why there’s a line in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Henry Travers (Clarence Odbody): “No man is a failure who has friends.”
Apparently Belshazzar didn’t have any:
30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Now, Neb’s first dream starts to come true
The arms and chest of silver take over
The Medo-Persian empire is here, and Babylon has fallen
Jeremiah’s prediction came true:
58 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
The broad wall of Babylon
shall be leveled to the ground,
and her high gates
shall be burned with fire.
The peoples labor for nothing,
and the nations weary themselves only for fire.”
For Daniel, Babylon is no more
But God’s will is done
5 THINGS TO TAKE FROM THIS STORY:
5 THINGS TO TAKE FROM THIS STORY:
Don’t build up your earthly treasures
Neb did - he built a whole empire!
2 generations later, it was all gone
2. Nations who reject God are doomed to fall
We haven’t seen the writing on the wall yet
Neb repented and praised God
Belshazzar didn’t
As the church, we HAVE TO spread the gospel
3. God preserves the faithful
Daniel’s life and safety were threatened many times
He was pressured to worship idols, eat unacceptable food and stop praying
And God blessed him for his faithfulness
I cannot guarantee what that will look like for us
Except that those who have faith are saved!
Could you ask for a better reward?
4. We should not water down God’s message
Daniel had to give plenty of kings’ bad news
Hey Nebuchadnezzar, you’re going to go crazy for 7 years!
Hey Belshazzar! You’re gonna die tonight… hopefully soon… this is awkward
Regardless, he spoke honestly
We have a message to deliver today as well
We’re all sinners who need a Savior
Thankfully, God sent one in His Son, Jesus!
Bible has opinions of divorce, homosexuality, evolution…
We have to speak in love, but we cannot water down truth!
5. We can trust that God will follow through
This is the big one
God has made us promises, and He will keep them!
If you believe that, it will change your life!
Famous poem by an unknown author:
Armies can’t defeat him
schools can’t explain him
leaders can’t ignore him
Rome couldn’t kill Him
Pharisees couldn’t confuse him
Hitler couldn’t exterminate him
New Age can’t replace him
Oprah can’t find 10 easier steps!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
When I face loss, He provides
When I face Death, He carries me Home
He is everything for everybody, everywhere, every time, and every way
He is God,
If He said it, that settles it!
If you are on His side, you’ve got nothing to worry about!
All I have to say, is PLEASE don’t be a Belshazzar…
It’s not worth losing the kingdom
PRAY!!!
PRAY!!!