This another amazing bible study into the book of Daniel. It is titled, Prophecies of Daniel : Chapter 5 God’s Handwriting on The Wall
Click here for previous study – Daniel 4 Commentary: Nebuchadnezzar Goes Mad.
Prophecies of Daniel: Chapter 5 God’s Handwriting on The Wall
‘Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.’ Daniel 5:1 KJV
A period of about twenty five years came between the close of the fourth chapter of Daniel and the opening of the fifth. After Nebuchadnezzar’s death, his son Evil-Merodach, succeeded him to the throne. Nabonidus, Belshazzar’s father, followed him later about the year 556 BC, with Belshazzar sharing his throne for part of the time.1
Just two years later the armies of the Medes and Persians marched toward Babylon, and clashed with the Babylonian army outside the walls of the city. The Babylonians suffered defeat, and crawled back within the safety of their city walls. The gates were closed, and the siege began. The Babylonians, however, laughed at their enemies. Weren’t their walls strong? Didn’t they have provisions sufficient for twenty years?2
The last night of that proud nation’s existence had come, but the rulers and people were, sadly, unaware of it. They were too busy partying – some dancing, some drinking. Unknown to them, Heaven had weighed both people and king in the scales of God’s judgement and found them wanting.
Little do the Babylonians think, as they see that evening sun sink behind the western wall of Babylon, that they will not see it rise the next morning. This is a good reason to take Jesus seriously when He says: ‘And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness….and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.’ Luke 21:34,35.
A large hall has been excavated by modern archaeologist among the ruins of Babylon, 173 feet long and 57 feet wide. Its walls were covered with a white plaster, and it was probably here that this feast took place.
Doubtless this feast was in honour of the victory the heathen gods of Babylon gained over the God of Heaven (so they thought) when Judah was conquered years before. The king gets drunk and wickedly calls for the sacred vessels which were crafted for the worship of the holy God of Heaven (see 1 Chronicles 28:10-19). Such defiance and blasphemy don’t go unpunished! Before the king can lift the sacred vessel to his lips to drink the wine, he sees something that makes him turn pale and tremble with fear.
Daniel 5 Commentary: A Hand Writes On The Wall
The loud laughing is hushed. Men and women are trembling with a terror they have never known before. They watch a hand slowly writing mysterious characters on the wall. Each thinks of the evil in his own life. They seem to be arraigned before the judgment bar of the eternal God, whose power they have defied. Where but a few moments before there were hilarity and blasphemous joking, now there are trembling hands, and cries of fear. ‘When God makes men fear, they cannot hide the intensity of their terror.’ Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 524.
The king is the most terrified of them all. Above all others, he was responsible for this rebellion against God which that night had reached its height in Babylon. In the presence of the unseen Watcher, whose name has been blasphemed, the king is paralysed with fear.
The queen here mentioned is the queen mother, perhaps a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. The ancient heathen historians gave her name as Nicotris. She is acquainted with the old prophet, whom the younger generation have dismissed from office, probably with sneers, saying they will not be guided by such a foolish and superstitious old man! They are too wise to entertain belief in a living God of Heaven!
Daniel 5 Commentary: Daniel Is Called In.
Daniel is hastily called, very likely from his sleep, for he would have had no part in such drunken pleasure parties. Calm, sober, and self-possessed, he appears quietly before the drunken king and his dazzlingly dressed, proud, drunken nobles.
The king, despite his trembling and fear, pretends to be calm, not wishing to appear before his nobles as really worried by the mysterious message on the walls. Though Daniel was once the prime minister of the empire, chief of the wisemen, the vain-headed young king speaks of him as one of the conquered captives out of Jewry. The wise old prophet remains silent before the foolish king.
Now the king changes his tone, and begins to praise Daniel! He realizes that a man of God, not a despised captive, stands before him. Daniel wishes it plainly understood that he cares nothing for the rewards the king has offered, for he is not moved by the selfish motives of the heathen wise men. He offers no words of flattery, no vain wish that the king will live forever, for he well knows that in a few hours the proud monarch of Babylon will be dead, together with his empire.
Daniel’s words are straightforward and strong. The story he tells about Nebuchadnezzar, grandfather of Belshazzar, is not new to the youthful king. His conscience smites him as he remembers the well-known events that had once been the talk of the whole Babylonian empire. God had offered great light and wonderful opportunities to the Babylonian kings, and the youthful Belshazzar cannot plead ignorance. Proud and boastful, he has rejected the light of heaven. ‘We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed’, said the Lord (Jeremiah 51:9). The finger of God’s judgement has touched proud Babylon, and it is about to fall.
Daniel, long accustomed to obeying the voice of God, has no difficulty reading the language of Heaven which baffled the wicked king. But the king quickly grasps God’s imagery of the scales of justice and judgement – of being weighed in the balance. Their heathen belief was that the gods weighed the good deeds of men over against their bad deeds. Whichever deeds prevailed, so the man was judged.3
Daniel 5 Commentary: Cyrus Overthrows Kingdom of Bablylon
Even as Daniel is speaking, the soldiers of Cyrus are quietly entering the city on the dry riverbed. No one has seen the waters of the River Euphrates go down, admitting the army of the besiegers. The king sits, trembling with horror.
Daniel leaves the banquet hall in majesty and honour. All is now quiet, save for the sobs and moans of weeping people. Suddenly the shout of invaders is heard, and the rude Persian soldiers, sword in hand, break in to slay the king. They seem as numerous as caterpillars (Jeremiah 51:14). Fighting erupts all over the city. Posts run from station to station announcing that the city is taken (Jeremiah 51:31). Hand to hand, the Babylonians fight desperately of their ruined empire. But, wearied with sleeplessness and drunkenness, they give up the struggle, and perish by the Medo-Persian sword.
As the sun rises over the eastern walls of the city, great Babylon is no longer the queen of empires. The head of gold has been succeeded by the breast and arms of silver.
Daniel was probably personally acquainted with Cyrus, for his life was spared. He had accepted the gifts of of Belshazzar, being made the third ruler in the kingdom, with the purpose of being better able to help his own people when the Persians took over the kingdom.
Nations are today repeating the sad mistakes that led the fall of ancient Babylon. The next great global event could usher in the everlasting Kingdom of God. The nations are now mustering for the final battle, while the call goes from Heaven, to God’s people still in modern, spiritual Babylon: ‘Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance…’ Jeremiah 51:6; Revelation 18:1-4. The place of refuge is found in obedience to the commandments of God through the faith of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:6-12).
Daniel 5 Bible Study: Did Belshazzar Really Exist?
Footnotes.
For many years people who did not trust the Bible said the Book of Daniel could not be true because they could not find the name ‘Belshazzar’ in records of the ancient past. But discoveries in archeology (the study of ancient records unearthed from the past) have now proved that there was indeed a king of Babylon by that name. In 1924 a translation of an ancient Babylon text written in clay was published which says that Nabonidus ‘entrusted the kingship’ to his eldest son, Belshazzar. Once again the Bible is wonderfully upheld by history. We can trust it.
God’s people living in Babylon at this time were called by the prophets to flee out of that city to save their lives (Jeremiah 51:6,45,46; Isaiah 13:16). Similarly today, God calls to His honest-hearted people who are still in spiritual Babylon to come out, so they can avoid the awful fall of modern Babylon. (See Revelation 18:1-4.)
The same idea prevails today in erroneous teaching. Many think that they can accumulate merit by a life of good deeds done in human strength.
A place in Heaven, or release from purgatory, then becomes a reward based upon human works. But if we must depend upon our own works for salvation, we will all be weighed in the balances and indeed be found wanting. Our only hope is to trust in Jesus, the Son of God, as our only Saviour, that His righteousness can be imputed to us. Then when He steps in the divine scale for us, we shall not be found wanting, in Him.
Click here for the next study – Daniel 6 Commentary: Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Related Posts:
Daniel Chapter 9 Commentary: Daniel 9 Predicts Jesus’ Coming
Prophecies of Daniel Chapter 10: Why Prayer Often Seems Unanswered
Daniel Chapter 3 Commentary: Fiery Furnace (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)
Prophecy of Daniel 2 Commentary (Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream) Part 2
Prophecies of Daniel Chapter 5 Video
Below is a video presenting a bible study of Daniel chapter 5.
Please share this Prophecies of Daniel chapter 5 commentary with friends and family.
