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Daniel 5, The Fall of Babylon

The date was October 12, 539 BC. The Medo-Persian armies were camped outside the city of Babylon, having already conquered all of the Babylonian empire except the city itself. And Belshazzar, being the brilliant person that he was, decided that this would be a really great time to throw one wild bash of a drunken party - and mock God while he was at it.

Nebuchadnezzar was one of those rare leaders whose brilliance defined an age. But those who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar had nothing of his ability to rule. In general they were incompetent, ineffectual, weak and unimpressive rulers. Since the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon had fallen far from it’s golden age. Now Nabonidus and Belshazzar, father and son, shared the throne of Babylon as co-regents. This explains Belshazzar’s statement in verse 7 about making whoever could interpret the handwriting on the wall “the third ruler in the kingdom�?

Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion in chapter 4 was real and deep. All indications are that Nebuchadnezzar fully turned away from the worship of the gods of Babylon and devoted himself wholly to the worship of the One True God of Israel. Accordingly the services of the Babylonian gods, which were largely dependent on state support, fell into decay. Nabonidus, who was at this time the first ruler of Babylon, set his heart on restoring the gods of Babylon to their former glory, and so that he might devoted himself wholly to the restoration of the worship of these gods, especially the worship of the moon god, he entrusted the kingdom to his son Belshazzar, making him the second ruler of Babylon. Having entrusted the kingdom to his son Belshazzar, Nabonidus left the city of Babylon and traveled throughout the kingdom and devoted himself avidly to the restoration of the worship of the Babylonian gods.

Meanwhile, Cyrus the Great had begun his rise to power. Having welded the Medes and the Persians into a united kingdom, he then proceeded to conquer Lydia. And now having defeated the armies of Nabonidus some 50 miles north of Babylon without a fight, his armies surrounded the walls of Babylon.

The empire was lost. Armies were at the gate. But why worry? The walls of Babylon were strong. Its storehouses were filled with food. The Euphrates flowed with water. Babylon was undefeatable. As undefeatable as the Titanic was unsinkable.

Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been 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 and iron, wood and stone.

God is very patient with people and with nations. This is clear from his dealings with Nebuchadnezzar. (And sometimes we mere mortals get frustrated by just how longsuffering He is toward the wicked. The wicked of course being those other guys we’re not so fond of.) Yet there comes a time when God must, so to speak, ring down the curtain if there is no response to His entreaties. There is a limit even to God’s forbearance. God worked long with Babylon. For over 30 years God struggled to win the heart, mind and soul of Nebuchadnezzar - and He did.

Jesus once said that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.�?Upon hearing that the disciples asked, “Who then can be saved?�?Jesus�?answer was that “with God, all things are possible,�?meaning that by the power of God even the rich can be saved. (Matthew 19:24-26). And Nebuchadnezzar is proof. Here is a man who had it all. Wealth, power, fame - the whole world did his bidding. And yet by the power of God this "rich man" found salvation and entrance into the kingdom of God.

But Nebuchadnezzar was the exception rather than the rule. Those who followed him to the throne did not heed the lessons that Nebuchadnezzar had learned, and stubbornly walked in defiance of God.

On this night in the course of their drunken feast in honor of their pagan gods, Belshazzar called for the sacred temple vessels that were used in the worship of the God of Israel, that they might mock Him as they praised and worship the gods of Babylon. The spirit that inspired Belshazzar was the same spirit that in more ancient times inspired the Philistines, who after they had captured the Ark of the Covenant, placed it in their temple at the foot of their god Dagon, thinking to exalt the power and glory of Dagon over the God of Israel. However instead of bringing glory to Dagon, it brought disaster to the people.

The mingling of paganism with Christianity is an abomination that God deals with very severely. And for good reason. This mingling of righteousness with unrighteousness is one of Satan’s most effective devices for deceiving and ensnaring the people.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." 17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."

Daniel 5:5 In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." 8 Now all the king's wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.

Once again the wise men of Babylon are discredited. In Daniel 2 they could not make known the king’s dream, but they boasted that if only the king would tell them the dream they could give him the meaning. And so God gave them a chance to prove their point. In Daniel 4 God gave another dream to the king and made certain that Nebuchadnezzar told it this time. But the wise men of Babylon failed once again. Even after they were told the dream they could not interpret it. Now, to their total discredit, God literally spells it out for them, writes it on the wall, and they still didn't get it.

The wisdom of the wise men of Babylon is the same that is today being repackaged by the devil in bright new packages and being sold to the public as New Age wisdom. But this New Age wisdom so popular with so many today is, however, still just as incapable, just as incompetent, just as powerless, just as bankrupt as it was in Daniel’s day. And those who turn to it to solve their problems and to unravel the mysteries of life will find just as Nebuchadnezzar did and just as Belshazzar did that it has no answers. They will discover that the New Age religion is just an empty shell - a lot of pretence, a lot of glitter and glitz, a lot of empty promises, -- but no power, no answers, no wisdom.

Daniel 5:10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And 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, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 "Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation." 13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 "I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 "Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 "And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. 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."

“The third ruler in the kingdom.�?/FONT> Remember, Belshazzar ruled as second ruler, co-regent with his father Nabonidus. This offer would make Daniel king of Babylon, third in power after Nabonidus and Belshazzar.

Daniel was now an old man probably well into his 80's, and possibly living in retirement. To most of the current leadership of Babylon he was ancient history. However, there was one who did remember Daniel, the queen. Not one of Belshazzar’s wives, but rather the queen mother, possibly Nitocris, either the wife or daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, (it is not clear which), and quite possibly a convert along with Nebuchadnezzar to the worship of the God of Israel - which may be the reason she was not invited to the party. An indication of her power is the fact that she was allowed to approach the king without the king’s permission. (See Esther 4:11).

This amazing woman lived to the exceptional age of 107, and was probably an eye witness to some of the events described in the earlier chapters of Daniel, and as soon as she heard of what was happening in the banquet hall she came in. Her first words were to reminded Belshazzar that while the wise men could not read the writing, there was one in the realm that could not only read the writing, but also interpret it. Yes, she remembered Daniel.

At the urging of the queen Daniel was brought in. It is clear that Belshazzar was not too thrilled at the prospect of having to resort to asking a worshiper of the God of Israel to interpret the handwriting for him. Belshazzar’s first words to Daniel was a sneering reminder to Daniel that he was nothing more than a captive from Judah. You can imagine the scene, “You’re Daniel, right, that captive from Judah�?a drunken Belshazzar sneered, as he held up a golden temple cup from which he had just been drinking in praise of his Babylonian gods. “Well I’ll make you a deal. If you can tell me what this writing means, I’ll not only make you rich but also the third ruler of the kingdom.�?/P>

Daniel 5:17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet 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 a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 "And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 "But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 "Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. 22 "But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 "And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

Daniel did not give the king any salutation. There was no “O king, live for ever�?as was the case when Daniel spoke with Nebuchadnezzar. It would have been rather pointless in this case. Daniel was not being discourteous to the king, but he spoke bluntly and to the point. In front of the assembled guests and leaders of the nations, he reminded Belshazzar of the judgment which had fallen on Nebuchadnezzar on account of his pride: of how his mind had become like that of an animal until he confessed that the most high God rules in the kingdom of men. “And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though thou knew all this.�?/FONT>

God is well aware of our weakness.

Psalm 103:14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

God protects us for a time from the consequences of our sinful ways. He provides persuasive evidence to help us choose the way of life. Belshazzar had the example of Nebuchadnezzar before him. He probably grew up hearing the stories. But God also leaves us free to obey him or not as we please. The choice is ours to make. And in the judgment, he permits us to meet the ultimate consequences of our choices, whether good or bad.

Centuries prior to the days of Daniel, Joshua spoke these famous words:

Joshua 24:15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Belshazzar had made his choice. He would serve the gods of the land. God weighed these choices to see how they measured up. In the judgment of October 12, 539 BC, Belshazzar’s choices were found wanting, and God gave up Belshazzar to the consequences of his choices. Belshazzar had known all about Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, but deliberately ignored the lessons that Nebuchadnezzar learned at such great cost.

God allowed Belshazzar to make his own choices, and after a time, when Belshazzar refused every effort of God to save him, God allowed him to face the consequences of his choices. Belshazzar by his own choices declared that he did not want God in his life, and finally the day came when he reached a limit beyond which God could not allow him to pass.

The apostle Paul speaks of how God deals with those who chooses to live as Belshazzar did, and it’s a commentary that could have come straight from today’s newspapers.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 20 . . . . . they are without excuse; 21 for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. . . . . . . .28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. 29 They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them.

Such was the case with Belshazzar, and so it is with our modern society. Scripture says that God is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.�?(Hebrews 13:8). Can we then expect to escape the judgment that fell on Belshazzar and on Babylon 2500 years ago? Daniel reprimanded the alcohol addled king of Babylon for desecrating the sacred vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from the temple in Jerusalem. In desecrating these vessels in the way he did, by drinking alcoholic beverages from them, Belshazzar became guilty of profaning not only the Jerusalem temple, but also his own body temple.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.

God was not abiding within Belshazzar on that October night. Belshazzar’s body was a violated, desecrated and empty temple of God.

Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Of how many of us can God just as justly speak those word regarding our body temples.

Belshazzar’s body temple was desolate because Belshazzar chose to ignore God as much as possible and to use his living temple for unholy purposes. And so God gave him up to his unholy passions.

On October 12, 539 BC, God in an act of judgment decreed that king Belshazzar should be permitted to meet the consequences of his free choices.

Daniel 5:24 "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 commanded, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put about his neck, and proclamation was made concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

The armies of the Medes and the Persians had come from the east to conquer Babylon. That very night Cyrus, the commander of the Medo-Persian armies had the Euphrates river diverted into a new channel so that his armies could march into the city of Babylon via the river bed. And that very night Babylon fell, never to rise again. That very night Belshazzar perished.

As a little side note here: There is some question as to the identity of Darius. Was Darius a sub-commander of the Medo-Persians armies to whom Cyrus gave temporary command (kingship) of Babylon, or was Darius the Babylonian throne name of Cyrus himself. Evidence can be found to support either position, but I lean to the idea that the name “Darius�?was the Babylonian throne name of Cyrus the great, which name by the way means “The Royal One.�?

The use of throne names was a common practice, and there are a number of examples of kings using throne names in the Bible. There is Tielath-pleser who was also known as Pul. Azariah who went by the name of Uzziah. Solomon at times use the name Jedidiah. And Jeoiachin is also called Coniah by Jeremaiah.

Daniel 6:28 which in our English Bibles reads “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.�?/FONT> may also be rightly translated to read “So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius which is the reign of Cyrus the Persian.�?The difference being a question as to whether the word translated “and in�?/FONT> in our English Bibles is a conjunction or an explicative. And the evidence points to it being an explicative. Also Daniel 5:31 tells us that this Darius was about 62 years old at the time, and it is known that that Cyrus was in his early 60’s at the time of his conquest of Babylon.