Daniel 5 God’s Judgment on Babylon

Jeremiah 50, 51

Historical/cultural settingTIMELINETIMELINE

• 70 years have passed since the events of chapter 1.• Nebuchadnezzar himself had died in 562 B.C. • According to Berosus, Nebuchadnezzar died after a

reign of 43 years • He was followed by his son Evil-Merodach for 2 years. • He was assassinated by Neriglisar and reigned for 4

years. • His son Laborosoarchod, a child, reigned for nine

months.• Nabonidus reigned for seventeen years. • Nabonidus flees Babylon going to Borsippa but was

forced to surrender to Cyrus. Nabonidus was allowed to live in Carmania until the time of his death, but he was not allowed to come to Babylonia.

The PartyThe Party • Historians noted that it had enough supplies

to last 20 years if besieged.• The party for thousands itself is normal for

that culture. Persian monarchs frequently were known to dine daily with 15,000 people.

• "Robert Kildewey's excavations at Babylon have uncovered just such a large banqueting hall with walls of white plaster." This is mentioned to emphasize the minute accuracy of everything mentioned in this chapter.

Historical/cultural setting

Historical/cultural settingLanguage barrierLanguage barrier

•The queen states that Belshazzar is Nebuchadnezzar’s son.

•That is impossible seeing that history records Nabonitius as his father.

•Babylonians had no word to describe grandson, or grandfather so the term ‘son’ is used relationally speaking.

People of story:BelshazzarBelshazzar

• Before the Nabonitius Chronicle was discovered conservative scholars were ridiculed for believing what the Bible said.

• The critics claimed that the writer of the book must be a fictitious character created by a 2nd century Maccabean author.

• As time would tell, the recently discovered clay cylinder revealed that Belshazzar, Nabonitus’ son, (probably step-son) was co-regent with his father as he ruled the city and his father ruled the country.

People of story:Wives and concubinesWives and concubines

• Skeptics want to tell us that Daniel was not an eyewitness to this event but some person, living 200 years after the fact during the times of the Greeks made up this story.

• However history shows that the Greeks did not permit this social grace of the wives and concubines eating with the men.

• It was however permissible in ancient Babylon and Persia (Herodotus, History, V.18). Again, the Bible is correct because Daniel was a witness!

• Wise menWise men – nothing new here. The kings counselors were inept in their abilities because they refused to seek counsel from YHWH.

People of story:QueenQueen

• The appearance of the queen and her addressing the king without being solicited to do so attest, "...The remarkable accuracy of this chapter.

• In Babylonia, the queen-mother held the highest rank in the royal house." The queen who appeared in this scene could not have been the king's wife, for the "wives and concubines" of the revelers were already present.

• Keil and Leupold both consider her to be a wife of Nebuchadnezzar and the mother of Belshazzar.

• She had not attended the banquet. This would be understandable if she was elderly and the widow of Nebuchadnezzar.

• Her address is courteous, “O king, live for ever,” but directly to the point. Like a mother, she told her son in effect to pull himself together because there must be some solution to his problem.

People of story:• Daniel Daniel – is now an old man and a senior statesman in Babylon but

was not called upon as he once was. • Belshazzar's promise to make Daniel the "third ruler" in the

kingdom, indicates that Belshazzar himself was the "second ruler" in the kingdom, under his father, the true king, Nabonidus. Thus the Book of Daniel fits the true facts of history perfectly.

• Darius the MeadDarius the Mead - Of course, the critics are certain that there never was such a king as Darius.

• We believe, just as is the case with Belshazzar, that the passage stands without any support whatever from secular history. Truth revealed in God's Word needs no outside support.

• Many ancient kings had more than one name; and it is possible that Darius was another name for Cyrus whom the secular historians identify as the ruler who captured Babylon. Culver concluded that Darius was a sub-king under Cyrus. "Some authorities have identified Darius with Gobryas (of which the name may be a corruption), who is said to have commanded the attacking army at the siege of Babylon, and as viceroy of Cyrus to have taken over the government of the city, appointing governors, etc."

The Finger of God• When God sent the plague of lice

upon ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh's counselor came to him and exclaimed, "This is the finger of God" (Exodus 8:19).

• God gave Moses two tablets of stone written with the finger of God (Exodus 31:18).

• Later, when God came and clothed Himself in human flesh "Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger" (John 8:6).

• That evening in Babylon, God visited Belshazzar's drunken orgy and left the handwriting on the wall for all to see.

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Peres • The simple definition of the words are "a mina, a mina, The simple definition of the words are "a mina, a mina,

a half shekel (Tekel = shekel), and half minas.“a half shekel (Tekel = shekel), and half minas.“• The twice-used term ‘MENE’ informed the king The twice-used term ‘MENE’ informed the king

that God had numbered his kingdom. God that God had numbered his kingdom. God seems to be saying to Belshazzar, “Time’s up.” seems to be saying to Belshazzar, “Time’s up.”

• ‘‘TEKEL’ meant the king had been weighed on TEKEL’ meant the king had been weighed on the scales of divine justice and found deficient. the scales of divine justice and found deficient. The king had given God short measure. The king had given God short measure.

• ‘‘PERES’ "The word means to divide into pieces PERES’ "The word means to divide into pieces or to dissolve the kingdom."or to dissolve the kingdom."

Pride• During World War I President Woodrow Wilson said — "A nation that does

not remember what it was yesterday does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are about a futile thing if we do not know where we came from nor what we've been about."

perversion

promiscuity

presumption• Belshazzar was convinced that Babylon was indestructible.

• “Concubines" These were women who were kept for the purpose of sexual gratification or additional procreation.

• Because they had no absolutes it naturally followed that they had no restraints.

A Time To Remember• The Rhode Island charter of 1683 says, "We submit our

persons, our lives, and our estates to the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords and to all those most perfect and most absolute laws given to us in His Holy Word."

• Maryland's charter reminds its citizens that it was "formed by a pious zeal to extend the Christian Gospel."

• Delaware's charter states that it was "formed for the further propagation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

• And Connecticut was established, in the words of its charter, "to preserve the purity of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

• “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Rev. 2:5).

Reality Check              1940 1990

1. Talking out of turn 1. Drug abuse

2. Chewing gum              2. Alcohol abuse   

3. Making noise 3. Pregnancy

4. Running in the Halls 4. Suicide

5. Cutting in Line 5. Rape

6. Dress-code violations 6. Robbery

7. Littering 7. Assault   

No RestraintCarl Wilson in his book, Our Dance Has Turned to Death, chronicles the pattern of decline in both the Greek and Roman cultures. He says men ceased to lead their families in spiritual and moral development. They neglected their wives and children in pursuit of material wealth and power. Men became so preoccupied with business ventures they ignored their wives' intimate needs and began to be involved with other women. Marriage laws were changed to make divorce easier. Because male and female role models were not in the home, children developed identity problems. Many children were unwanted, aborted, abandoned, molested, left undisciplined.

Respect• Because Babylon lived with virtually no

moral absolutes it naturally followed that there would be no restraint and thus no respect for anything that was sacred.

Observations• (1) The deadly nature of the sin of pride. Pride is taking personal

credit for what God has given or accomplished. Our culture tells us the great evil, the source of many social ills, is the lack of self-esteem. Could it be that too much self-esteem is another name for pride? When is self-esteem ever described, defended, or advocated in the Scriptures (see Philippians 2:1-11)?

• (2) The inadequacy of secular wisdom. Secular wisdom can never provide the answers for the all-important, spiritual and eternal issues of life (Isaiah 55:8, 9; Romans 11:33-36; see also 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:6-16).Christians are turning to secular wisdom for truth, guidance, and direction, when the Book of Daniel turns us to divine revelation. It is time to get back to the Book!

• (3) Seeing the hand of God in history. Daniel’s account differs greatly from the secular accounts of the historians. Secular accounts would focus on diverting of the river which passed under or through the walls of Babylon, while the Bible focuses on divine judgment. The city fell because this was God’s judgment on a wicked nation and a wicked king.

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