Hello
Friends!
Welcome
back
to our Encouraging Concepts Bible
study series focused on the powerfully PROPHETIC picture portrayed in the Old Testament book
of Daniel painted as a panoramic
landscape of World History in FIVE successions “written” in
ardent ADVANCE some 2,600 years ago…
“The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST, PRESENT
& FUTURE!”
The Book of Daniel: Prophecy PAST,
PRESENT & FUTURE (Chapter 5: Verses 10-16)
10 Now the
queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet
house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live forever: let not thy thoughts
trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 11 There is a
man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of
thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was
found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy
father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 Forasmuch
as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of
dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in
the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called,
and he will shew the interpretation. 13 Then was Daniel brought
in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that
Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my
father brought out of Jewry? 14 I have even heard of thee, that
the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and
excellent wisdom is found in thee. 15 And now the wise men, the
astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing,
and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the
interpretation of the thing: 16 And I have heard of thee, that
thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read
the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be
clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the
third ruler in the kingdom – Daniel
5:10-16
OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: The “King Belteshazzar’s” foolish spiritual FRAUDS themselves
“could not read the writing”
writ by the Divine “hand” of
the great “God in heaven”
Himself. And “nor” were they able
to “make known” the
accompanying “interpretation”
set forth. WHY? Perhaps “they” were SUPERNATURALLY blinded
to the actual words themselves. Perhaps “they” were too dreadfully DRUNK to clearly
see the “writing” on the wall.
For whatever reason considered, if these so-called “wise men” could NOT rightly
“read” this INTENSE inscription
“they” certainly could NOT at
all “make known” to their
confounded “king” the CORRECT insightful
“interpretation” he so – DESPERATELY Desired!
Daniel DISSOLVES Doubts!
“Now” at this practical
point in our spectacular “study”
series, this willing woman representing the aged “queen” aptly appears
on this sordid scene and calls ATTENTION to
the now aged “man” of captive
“Jewry” named “Daniel” of whom had ardently administered
such an IMPORTANT role as presiding Prime
Minister Sovereignly “set over” the encompassing ENTIRE reigning
“kingdom” of golden “Babylon” during the “rule” of her late humbled
host…
Now the queen by reason of the
words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen
spake and said, O king, live forever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor
let thy countenance be changed – Daniel 5:10
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: This wonderful woman
is most likely the boisterous “Belshazzar’s”
mourning MOTHER as the woefully widowed dowager
“queen” herself. Or perhaps
she is his GRANDMOTHER and
possibly named Nitocris as the distinct DAUGHTER of the “king
Nebuchadnezzar” himself. Incidentally, the wonton “wives” and the charted “concubines” were ALREADY eagerly
engaged in the ordered ORGY on-going within the belligerent
“banquet house” of horrors.
And since the aged WIFE of the then deceased Monarch
would NEVER have been personally involved
in such a lude LICENTIOUS lair, this particular woman
would HAVE to be someone very stately of
whom by virtue of dictated DIGNITY had
the real RIGHT herself to
“by reason of the words of the king and his
lords” adequately address – Belshazzar’s
BEWILDERMENT!
The
“queen” proceeds to IMMEDIATELY opt
for the typical “O king, live forever”
fluff. And with these apt amenities now out of the way,
she soundly “spake” before
this CORRUPT crowd saying: “let
not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed”
as such. WHY? Because she will
now continue with her carefully CONCERNED counsel as such:
There is a man in thy kingdom, in
whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and
understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom
the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of
the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers – Daniel
5:11
The
FALSE gaudy “gods”
of pagan “Babylon” were NOT at
all Holy. Rather, they were just as VILE and EVIL as these silly so-called spiritualists
in kind. And here the “queen”
rightly REPEATS the wise words: “thy father, the king, I say, thy father”
in kind. WHY? Because she apparently
wanted to EMPHASIZE the powerful point that this
belittling “Belteshazzar” is
indeed RELATED to the “King
Nebuchadnezzar” as such. And the FACT that
this postured predecessor was so IMPRESSED with
this man named “Daniel” of
whom represented the great “God
of heaven” that he was “made”
the mindful “master” over the
“magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and
soothsayers” and set as the OVERSEER of the sordid – Scholars
& Wise Men!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: Have “we”
already HEARD this scenario “spoken”
of in this sound “study”
series? YES! And just WHO was
it that had solemnly “said”
this EXACT exhalation earlier? It was the “King Nebuchadnezzar” himself some 23 years borne
BEFORE this trying “time”
during his own rank RULE
upon the earth…
But at the last Daniel came in
before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in
whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, O
Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the
holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my
dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof… This dream I king
Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation
thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known
unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods
is in thee – Daniel
4:8-9 & 18
Or
perhaps it was soundly “spoken”
some 30 years
later when the torrid “time”
of those surreal “seven years”
had powerfully PASSED as “king Nebuchadnezzar’s” insatiable INSANITY ensued…
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and
extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways
judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase – Daniel 4:37
In
BOTH cases, this bumbling buffoon “Belshazzar” too would have definitely KNOWN of
this magnificent man “Daniel”
as well. WHY? Because his
forerunning fore-father named “Nebuchadnezzar” would have ALSO no doubt – TOLD of Daniel!
God’s SERVANT Summoned!
Next
the “queen” poignantly provides
her slobbering SILLY son “Belshazzar” with yet MORE sage
advice to heed:
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit,
and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard
sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the
king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the
interpretation – Daniel 5:12
In
other words, she equates EVERY possible Noun
and descriptive Adjective to intently INFORM
the corrupt “king” that this
dutiful “Daniel” is equipped
with an “excellent spirit” and
is thus the most intelligent, greatly gifted
and constantly capable man throughout ALL of
the contaminated “kingdom”
realm. And along with the “interpreting of
dreams” in full, “Daniel”
can ALSO solve ridged riddles by the
sound “shewing of hard sentences”
along with direct “dissolving of doubts”
in the apt answering of peculiar problems. Therefore, the
“queen” dully demands
that “they” go out and GET him IN here… NOW!
Then was Daniel brought in before
the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which
art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought
out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in
thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee – Daniel
5:13-14
“Then” finally, the diligent man “Daniel” eagerly ENTERS the
solemn scene! Notice how he NEVER seems to congregate with the
rest of these ridiculous rabble? Rather, he PATIENTLY awaits
his “God given” long awaited mandated
moment to soundly SERVE his soul’s – Sweet
Savior!
Apparently
after “King Nebuchadnezzar”
had died, “Daniel” seems to
have faded away into obscurity. WHY? Because “Belshazzar”
had to actually ask “Daniel”
exactly WHO he was! And although he was “given” the great ruling rank
as the powerful Prime Minister
presiding over “Babylon”
proper, the beguiled “Belshazzar”
paid absolutely NO attention to “Daniel”
and thus did NOT even seem to keenly KNOW of him at all.
However, NOW this deeply demeaned dutiful “Daniel” is covertly – CALLED to COUNSEL!
“And now” the “king” reenacts the fickle FACT that the waning “wise men” and the absurd “astrologers” had avidly “been brought in” on the surreal
scene to absolutely NO avail...
And now the wise men, the
astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this
writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not
shew the interpretation of the thing – Daniel
5:15
Once
AGAIN these foolish FRAUDS themselves once more collectively
“could not shew the interpretation”
of which was “written” by the
Divine “hand” of the great “God in heaven” Himself…
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 – Daniel 5:8
And
“nor” were ANY of
these so-called “wise men” actually
ABLE to meaningfully “make known” the accompanying
intense “interpretation of the thing”
set forth before them – Go FIGURE!
But,
is this “Daniel” actually ABLE to
mindfully “make interpretations”
and decisively “dissolve doubts”
and rightly “read the writing”
inscribed on this woeful “wall”
of sordid SHAME summons? And
IF he actually CAN really do it, he’ll then
be cladly “clothed with scarlet”
and adorned with the ROYAL ruse of a costly “chain
of gold” set abruptly “about”
his noble “neck” as the
trusted “third ruler” elect:
And I have heard of thee, that
thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read
the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be
clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the
third ruler in the kingdom – Daniel 5:16
The
dignified “Daniel” is
definitely NOT at all intimidated by this MANDATED meeting nor is he interested
in being the torrid “third ruler in the
kingdom” itself. And besides, WHO in their right mind would
actually WANT to be the “third
ruler” in a confounded “kingdom”
that is about to be utterly DESTROYED in just a few short hours? – NO Way!
REMNANT REMINDER: Many modern scripture SCOFFERS and
rigorous REJECTORS of the “Lord Jesus
Christ” Himself point DIRECTLY to this particular passage to
pragmatically PROVE that the Holy Writ has indeed made an egregious ERROR here
in its HISTORICAL narrative regarding the “third ruler” noted here
as such. WHY? Because Nabonidus was
the FIRST noble in command and “Belshazzar”
was the co-regent (possibly through marriage) as the SECOND in
command. Therefore, in THIS case, “Daniel”
would indeed become the THIRD in command even though the de facto
nigh Nabonidus was actually the reigning “ruler” rooted in exile
under the “Meads and Persians”
in the proper – Chain of COMMAND!
PROPHETIC PROMISE: Beloved, this valiant
man “Daniel” stood ALONE when
he was a teenager among the “children of the captivity of Judah” and he stood ALONE as
a mature man of whom was “brought
out of Jewry” in kind. This looming land of “Babylon” was NOW their new homeland
of which their Great “God” had righteously
CHOSEN for them as PROPHECIED by the prophet “Isaiah” nearly 100 years BEFORE this fateful
event had finally “taken” place – According TO God’s WORD!
Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah,
Hear the word of the Lord of
hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which
thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon:
nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they
take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon – Isaiah 39:5-7
And
now here AGAIN all these
long YEARS later, “Daniel” is as an octogenarian
in his mid to late 80’s
faithfully FULL of lasting “light
and understanding” and elated “excellent
wisdom” as he rightly “remains”
standing absolutely ALONE
to notedly – NEVER Compromise!
More to
follow… STAY tuned!
In
closing:
REAL REFLECTIONS: The twelve chapters of “Daniel” are powerfully PROMISED prophecies depicting the unfolding
of the HISTORIC events of which will take place leading up to
the literal “time” of the SECOND awaited
physical “coming” of our loving “Lord Jesus Christ” back to the earth:
And in the days
of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever – Daniel 2:44
And
our SERIOUS study of these PROPHECIES will
rightly REVEAL to each student of God's wonderful “Word” that the events FORETOLD
some 2,600 years ago could
possibly be FULFILLED in the seemingly near future…
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"
