Daniel 5.30-Belshazzar Is Killed By The Medes And Persians The Very Same Night Daniel Interpreted The Inscription
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday January 31, 2013
Daniel: Daniel 5:30-Belshazzar Is Killed By The Medes And The Persians The Very Same Night Daniel Interpreted The Inscription
Lesson # 169
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 5:1.
Daniel 5:1 King Belshazzar threw an enormous banquet for a thousand of his nobles. He even drank wine excessively directly in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar issued an order while under the influence of the wine causing the gold and silver articles to be brought in which Nebuchadnezzar, his great-grandfather caused to be confiscated from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, in order that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 3 Therefore, the gold and silver articles were brought in, which were confiscated from the temple, which was God’s house, which was in Jerusalem so that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 4 They drank wine while they praised gods composed of gold as well as silver, bronze, iron, wood and in addition stone. 5 During this time, the fingers of a human hand appeared while writing on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, directly in front of the lampstand so that the king observed the palm of the hand which was writing. 6 Then the king, his countenance was changed for him. Also, his thoughts caused him to be terrified so that his hip joints gave way resulting in his knees knocking together, one against the other. 7 The king authoritatively shouted out an order for the purpose of causing the necromancers, astrologers as well as diviners to be brought in. He declared to the city of Babylon’s wise men, “Any person who can read aloud the inscription as well as can make known its interpretation to me will be clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain around his neck. Indeed, they will rule as third in the kingdom.” 8 Therefore, each and every one of the king’s wise men came in but they were totally unable to read or cause the interpretation to be made known to the king. 9 Thus causing the king to be extremely terrified so that his countenance was changed on him as well as causing his nobles to be perplexed. 10 The queen entered the banquet hall because of the king’s words as well as his nobles. The queen responded and said, “O king, live forever! Please, by no means let your thoughts cause you to be terrified so that they by no means cause your countenance to be changed! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who possesses God’s Holy Spirit in him. Specifically, during the days of your great-grandfather, illumination, discernment as well as wisdom in accordance with God’s wisdom were observed in him. Indeed, King Nebuchadnezzar, your great-grandfather, your great-grandfather the king, promoted him to be commander over the occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners 12 because in him, in Daniel whom the king assigned him the name Belteshazzar, was found an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, discernment interpreting dreams, explaining riddles as well as solving difficult problems. Please summon Daniel right now in order to cause the interpretation to be known.” 13 Consequently, Daniel was ordered to enter the king’s presence. The king asked a question and said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, who is one of the deported people from Judah whom my great-grandfather the king ordered to be brought from Judah? 14 Likewise I heard concerning you that God’s Spirit is in you so that illumination, discernment as well as extraordinary wisdom were observed in you. 15 Now at this time, the wise men, the necromancers were ordered to enter my presence in order that they could read aloud the inscription as well as to make known to me its interpretation. However, they were totally unable to cause the message’s interpretation to be made known to me. 16 But I myself personally heard concerning you that you are able to provide interpretations as well as solve difficult problems. Now, if you are able to read aloud the inscription as well as cause its interpretation to be made known to me, you will be clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain around you neck. Indeed, you will rule as third over the kingdom. 17 Then Daniel responded and said, “Please, keep your gifts for yourself or please give your rewards for another. However, I will read aloud the inscription to the king as well as cause the interpretation to be made known to him. 18 As for you, O king, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your great-grandfather a kingdom, yes a great kingdom as well as honor, yes, great honor. 19 Indeed, because of this greatness, which He gave to him, each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities as well as language groups was in state of trembling, yes in a state of fear from being in the presence of him. He was characterized as putting to death whomever he desired whereas he was characterized as sparing whomever he desired. He was also characterized as promoting whomever he desired while on the other hand he was characterized as demoting whomever he desired. 20 However, when his mind was in a state of arrogance, namely, his attitude was obstinate so that he was proud, he was ordered to be removed from his royal throne so that honor was taken away from him. 21 Specifically, he was driven away from members of the human race. For his benefit, his mind was even transformed into the mind of a wild animal so that his dwelling place was among the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like cattle. Furthermore, his body was continually drenched with the dew from heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God was the sovereign authority over mankind’s realm so that He can establish over it whomever He desires. 22 However, as for you, his great-grandson, you by no means humbled your heart even though you are well acquainted with all this. 23 Instead, you caused yourself to become arrogant against the Lord ruling the heavens. Specifically, the vessels which are from God’s house were brought into your presence. Consequently, you, yourself along with your nobles, your wives as well as your concubines drank wine excessively with them while you, praised the gods composed of silver as well as gold, bronze, iron, wood and in addition stone, which never see as well as never hear likewise, never communicate. Thus, you never honored the God who holds your life in His hand so that every one of your ways originates from Him. 24 Then, the palm of the hand was sent from Him so that this inscription was written. 25 Now, this is the content of the inscription to follow that was written: MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the message: As for MENĒ’-God has numbered your kingdom’s days so that He has caused it to be brought to an end. 27 As for TEKĒL-you have been weighed on the balances with the result that you have been observed deficient. 28 As for PERĒS-your kingdom has been divided so that it has been given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Consequently, Belshazzar issued an order for the purpose of clothing Daniel with a purple robe as well as a gold chain around his neck. Indeed, they issued a proclamation concerning him that he was the third ruler in the kingdom. (My translation)
Daniel 5:30 That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. (NASB95)
We have the figure of “asyndeton” meaning that there is no connective word between the statement to follow and the previous statement.
This emphasizes with the reader how profound and terrible the punishment Belshazzar received from God for his disobedience and rebellion.
It expresses the shock that Belshazzar was killed immediately after Daniel interpreted the inscription for him.
“That same night” is composed of the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beh) and its object is the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) (הוּא) (who) and then once again we have the preposition b- (בְּ־) (beh) but this time its object is the masculine singular noun lê∙lê (לֵילֵי) (lay-leh), “night.”
The preposition b- and the third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hû(ʾ) are employed together as a temporal marker and literally mean “after this.”
The preposition b- is a temporal marker meaning “after” marking the end of the events recorded in Daniel 5:13-29 indicating that Belshazzar was killed subsequent to these events.
The third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hî(ʾ) means “this” since it is functioning like a demonstrative pronoun.
It is anaphoric referring to the events recorded in Daniel 5:13-29, which record Daniel reading and interpreting the mysterious inscription for the king.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase means “after this” indicating that Belshazzar was killed after the events recorded in Daniel 5:13-29.
This first prepositional phrase is followed by another.
Once again we have the preposition b- and this time its object is the noun lê∙lê, which means “night,” referring to the period of time between sunset and sunrise.
The preposition b- is again a temporal marker but this time it means “during” referring to the hour in which Belshazzar was killed by the Medes and the Persians.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase means “during the night” indicating that Belshazzar was killed during the night whereas the first prepositional phrase identifies for the reader that he was killed after Belshazzar made Daniel third ruler in the kingdom after he read and interpreted the inscription for the king.
Daniel 5:30 After this, during the night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king was killed. (My translation)
Daniel 5:30 tersely presents to the reader the death of Belshazzar at the hands of the Medes and the Persians.
The text says that this death took place immediately after Daniel interpreted the inscription for Belshazzar and during that same night.
This was in fulfillment of the prophecy of the inscription on the wall in the banquet hall where Belshazzar and his nobles were getting drunk and committing blasphemy and idolatry.
Therefore, the prophecy of the inscription taught a principle that appears in the book of Jeremiah, namely, God is watching over His Word to execute it.
Jeremiah 1:12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” (NASB95)
Belshazzar found out painfully through his own personal experience with God that the Lord is watching over His word to perform it.
The fact that God can bring to pass that which He has predicted would happen to Belshazzar and his Babylonian empire reveals that He is omnipotent and sovereign and omniscient.
Speaking in the context of judging Assyria the prophet Isaiah speaking for the Lord under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said the following:
Isaiah 14:24 The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.”
Babylon and Assyria both learned this statement is true.
Everything that Daniel said in his interpretation to the king came to pass exactly as Daniel said it would.
Belshazzar learned through personal experience what Balak was taught by Balaam.
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (NASB95)
Belshazzar also learned through personal experience the teaching of Proverbs 29:1.
Proverbs 29:1 A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. (NASB95)
Belshazzar and the Babylonians learned the hard way that when God says He will do something, He does it unlike sinful mankind who make promises that they can’t keep or say they are going to do something but do not keep their word.
The fall of Babylon is also described in ancient secular literature such as in the writings of Herodotus, Xenophon and the Nabonidus Chronicle.
These sources make clear that the Persians captured the city of Babylon without a major battle.
Herodotus states that Cyrus took Babylon by temporarily diverting the course of the Euphrates during a nocturnal festival (1.190-191).
Xenophon says that the Persians killed Belshazzar who he describes as a riotous, indulgent, cruel and godless man (Cyrus 4-7 on the fall of Babylon).
Berossus tells us that when Nabonidus knew Cyrus was going to attack him, he engaged the Persian’s forces.
However, he was defeated and with a few of his troops was shut up in the city of Borsippus.
After this Cyrus took Babylon and gave the order to destroy the city’s outer walls since they caused him so much trouble.
Daniel chapter five reveals that God working through His grace policy was responsible for the fact that Babylon became a great world-wide empire.
This chapter also teaches that when Babylon and its leaders became proud, they paid no attention to God and did not worship Him but rather gods of their own creation.
Daniel chapter five teaches that God is sovereign as demonstrated by the fact that He deposes kings and raises men up to be kings.
It also teaches that He judges the nations and holds them accountable along with their leaders.
Interestingly, as we noted Belshazzar’s name means “Bel protect the king.”
Bel is a reference to the Babylonian god Marduk. God demonstrated to Belshazzar that his god could not protect him.