September 11th, 2023

 DANIEL 5 STUDY GUIDE

BELSHAZZAR THE KING MADE A GREAT FEAST TO A THOUSAND OF HIS LORDS, AND DRANK WINE BEFORE THE THOUSAND.
BELSHAZZAR, WHILES HE TASTED THE WINE, COMMANDED TO BRING THE GOLDEN AND SILVER VESSELS WHICH HIS FATHER NEBUCHADNEZZAR HAD TAKEN OUT OF THE TEMPLE WHICH WAS IN JERUSALEM; THAT THE KING, AND HIS PRINCES, HIS WIVES, AND HIS CONCUBINES, MIGHT DRINK THEREIN.
THEN THEY BROUGHT THE GOLDEN VESSELS THAT WERE TAKEN OU TOF THE TEMPLE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD WHICH WAS AT JERUSALEM; AND THE KING AND HIS PRINCES, HIS WIVES, AND HIS CONCUBINES, DRANK IN THEM.
THEY DRANK WINE, AND PRAISED THE GODS OF GOLD, AND OF SILVER, OF BRASS, OF IRON, OF WOOD, AND OF STONE.

Through previous chapters the revelation is given of the Lord humbling the King Nebuchadnezzar; the spirit of pride and arrogance managed to also grasp a hold of his son Belshazzar.
It was a common thing to commune and fellowship with those within the kingdom and often celebrate the luxuries that accompany victory in battle.

Belshazzar invited about a thousand of the princes of the kingdom to a great feast, and while preparing for such a festive celebration, He commanded that the gold and silver vessels that were taken out of the temple of Jerusalem when his father took captives; and that they would be used in service to his guests.

One thing we cannot do is take what is blessed, sanctified, and Holy to use in a way that is unholy and abominable. Those vessels had been dedicated unto the Lord by the forefathers and were considered Holy unto God.

Not only did they take the vessels, but they used them to partake in fellowships while giving praise and honor unto other gods. They began to praise the gods of silver and gold which is an abomination in the sight of God. Such wickedness moved the spirit of God to take action immediately.

In the same hour came fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the King spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
Consider for a moment the vessels that are within the house of God which he hath sanctified unto himself. He has many types of vessels. Consider the symbolism of a vessel as something more than just a thing to supp with, but a being used to show forth the glory of God in some sort of way.

Romans 9:21-28

HATH NOT THE POTTER POWER OVER THE CLAY, OF THE SAME LUMP TO MAKE ONE VESSEL UNTO HONOR, AND TO ANOTHER DISHONOR?
WHAT IF GOD, WILLING TO SHEW his WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, ENDURED WITH MUCH LONGSUFFERING THE VESSELS OF WRATH FITTED FOR DESTRUCTION:
AND THAT HE MIGHT MAKE KNOWN THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY ON THE VESSELS OF MERCY,WHICH HE HAD AFORE PREPARED UNTO GLORY,
EVEN US, WHOM HE HATH CALLED, NOT OF THE JEWS ONLY, BUT ALSO OF THE GENTILES?
AS HE SAITH ALSO IN O'SEE, I WILL CALL THEM MY PEOPLE WHICH WERE NOT MY PEOPLE; AND HER BELOVED, WHICH WS NOT BELOVED.
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WS SAID UNTO THEM, YE ARE NOT MY PEOPLE; THERE SHALL THEY BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF THE LIVING GOD.
ESAIAS ALSO CRIED CONCERNING ISRAEL, THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA, A REMNANT SHALL BE SAVED:
FOR HE WILL FINISH THE WORK AND CUT IT SHORT IN RIGHTEOUSNESS: BECAUSE A SHORT WORK WILL THE LORD MAKE UPON THE EARTH.

So, you see these vessels belonged to God for his purpose whether to make his power known or to show forth the riches of his glory. However, for a short time allotted the Lord allowed his chosen vessels to be dispersed among their enemies.

The Lord begins to reveal himself with the appearance of a man's hand writing on the wall in the midst of all who had accompanied the king. The writing on the wall was the set judgment for th e abominations and idolatry in the sight of God.

FORASMUCH AS AN EXCELLENT SPIRIT, AND KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING, INTERPRETING OF DREAMS, AND SHOWING OF HARD SENTENCES, AND DISSOLVING OF DOUBTS, WERE FOUND IN THE SAME DANIEL, WHOM THE KING NAMED BELTESHAZZAR: NOW LET DANIEL BE CALLED,A ND HE WILL SHEW THE INTERPRETATION.

A writing of judgment can make anyone's countenance change and heart tremble. However, in all of the king's fear, he still went first to the astrologers, soothsayers, and wise men just as his Father did. They could not make known the interpretation of the Lord's holy judgments. Yet, Daniel had a reputation of righteousness and his wisdom of spiritual things had been known to the queen.

These people were heathens. They had no reverence or fear for the living god. Therefore, was there a breech among them for putting their hands to the holy things of the Most High. The Lord utilizes the opportunity to glorify himself as the true and living God in this situation. Remember that before the Lord renders judgment he sends warning. These breeches didn't take place in ignorance, for Belshazzar had received the prophetic and the warning alongside his Father, Nebuchadnezzar in previous years of his reign.

THEN DANIEL ANSWERED AND SAID BEFORE THE KING, LET THY GIFTS BE TO THYSELF, AND GIVE THY REWARDS TO ANOTHER; YET I WILLL READ THE WRINTING UNTO THE KING, AND MAKE KNOWN TO HIM THE INTERPRETATION.
O THOU KING, THE MOST HIGH GOD GAVE NEBUCHADNEZZAR THY FATHER A KINGDOM, A MAJESTY, AND GLORY,A DN HONOUR:
AND FOR THE MAJESTY THAT HE GAVE HIM, ALL PEOPLE, NATIONS,AND LANGUAGES TREMBLED AND FEARED BEFORE HIM: WHOM HE WOULD HE SLEW, AND WHOM HE WOULD HE KEPT ALIVE; AND WHOM HE WOULD HE SET UP; AND WHOM HE WOULD HE PUT DOWN.
BUT WHEN HIS HEART WAS LIFTED UP,ADN HIS MIND HARDENED WITH PRIDE, HE WAS DEPOSED FROM HIS KINGLY THRONE,AND THEY TOOK HIS GLORY FORM HIM:
AND THOU HIS SON, O BELSHEZZAR, HAST NOT HUMBLED THINE HEART, THOUGH THOU KNEWEST ALL THIS;
AND THIS IS THE WRITING THAT WAS WRITTEN, MENE; GOD HATH NUMBERED THY KINGDOM, AND FINISHED IT.
TEKEL, THOU ART WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES, AND ART FOUND WANTING.
PERES; THY KINGDOM IS DIVIDED, AND GIVEN TO THE MEDES AND PERSIANS.
THEN COMMANDED BELSHAZZAR, AND THEY CLOTHED DANIEL WITH SCARLET, AND PUT A CHAIN OF GOLD ABOUT HIS NECK, AND MADE A PROCLAMATION CONCERNING HIM, THAT HE SHOULD BE THIRD IN THE KINGDOM.
IN THAT NIGHT WAS BELSHAZZAR THE KING OF THE CHALDEANS SLAIN.
AND DARIUS THE MEDIAN TOOK THE KINGDOM, BEING ABOUT THREESCORE AND TWO YEARS OLD.

The Lord has shown that He is the first and the last. He is the one who appoints and ordains the powers and thrones. When pride and arrogance creeps in then the Lord comes and appoints judgment to re-establish holiness and order among his chosen.

He shows us this with King David when he is moved to number the people of the kingdom of God. We also see this with King Asa, and again with King Uzzah. This was an appointed time where the children of Israel had been dispersed into captivity among their adversaries so they could learn to humbles themselves at the mighty hand of God and to know that He is the God that reigns. There is no other god. There is no other Sheppard. Then he shows the children that he will judge their enemies in like manner that they will be judged , if they do not return to him their whole heart. God is no respecter of persons. King Solomon was a man after God's own heart just as King David, his Father was. But when he allowed pride to creep in and foreign Gods to become a snare, the Lord divided the kingdom in the same manner. God is the same. He changeth not.

Just as the Lord did with King David, He numbered the kingdom and finished it. He is the author and the finisher. He will perform His Word. Then He said they were weighed in the balances and were found wanting because he has given his children a spirit that craves and strives for unity and to perfect that which is lacking in the faith. The Lord reminds us that in Christ Jesus there is no separation and when there is a need for separation or a spiritual harvest, which is judgment; we don't do the separation. His reapers, which are his angels are sent to sever the wicked from the just.


The Lord is shoeing the accounts of happenings in the kingdoms of the world so that we may come out form them and take part in the Kingdom of Heaven which is the everlasting kingdom that hs been prepared from the foundations of the worlds for all those who would believe on him with their whole heart.

COLOSSIANS 2:13-15

AND YOU BEING DEAD IN YOUR SINS AND THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH, HATH HE QUICKENED TOGETHER WITH HIM, HAVING FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESSPASSES;
BLOTTING OUT THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES THAT WAS AGAINST US, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO US, AND TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY, NAILING IT TO THE CROSS;
AND HAVING SPOILED PRINCIPALITY AND POWERS, HE MADE A SHOW OF THEM OPENLY, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT.

The writing on the wall is symbolic of the judgment against us for our sin and transgressions against the Lord God. However a relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord quickened us and spoiled those handwriting of ordinances that were written against that were contrary to us. Jesus paid the price with his blood to redeem us and having done so has presented us blameless unto God.