BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST
Daniel 5:1 ¶ Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 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. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of 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. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister 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 was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the 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 chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 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. 9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
Daniel 5:10 ¶ 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 for ever: 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.
This is not just a history lesson from an ancient time. It is a situation of which we have been constantly warned! It was revealed as far back as in Isaiah’s ancient prophesy.
Isaiah 21:2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. 4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. 5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
Isaiah 22:12 And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: (That’s what the Lord called for. But this is what He received), 13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. 14 And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
And our Lord Jesus warned us that this should reoccur immediately before his return! Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, (“over indulgence to the point of sickness and nausea”), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
There was, and shall again be, a total absence of all consideration of God, and a total presence of the desire of self satisfaction. THAT is the condition of America today! For this is the attitude revealed by our actions; let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.
And the Holy Spirit, through the writings of the Apostles, continued to warn us of this. Romans 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
1 Corinthians 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
And we must take notice of the two similar Babylonian names listed in our text. The very first word mentioned in this chapter is “Belshazzar.” He was the present king of Babylon. His name means, “BEL protect the king.” That word, “BEL” refers to the heathen god, Baal. We find it in Jeremiah’s writings. Jeremiah 50:2 Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach (Belshazzar’s father was named “Evilmerodach”- see Jeremiah 52:31), is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces. 51:44 And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
And the other name, which was assigned to Daniel by Nebuchadnezzar is “Belteshazzar.” This name means, “Baal’s prince.”
In these two characters we have typified that which is born of the flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit. John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
For Belshazzar, the king, was only born of the flesh, and therefore could only be guided by fleshly, or natural instincts. But Daniel, or Belteshazzar, was also born of the Spirit. And we have this order listed for us in Paul’s First Corinthian letter. He is writing of the two Adams. The first Adam, made of the dust of the earth. And then he speaks of the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. But in this order we can see all mankind. He is first born of woman, or “born of the flesh,” and then of those who are also “born of the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
Our two characters have similar names. But Daniel is not known of this Babylonian court. He is not invited to this orgy. Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
The spiritual man has been raised up by the spiritual resurrection of regeneration, and seeks heavenly, or spiritual matters. Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, (that is, raised up into spiritual life), seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
The Daniels of this world are not drunk with wine, but filled with the Spirit. So his mind was on spiritual things. Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
This spiritual man could therefore read the writings upon the wall. For he had the unction, or anointing of the Holy Spirit and knew all things. 1John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
All true believers, born of the second birth, receive an understanding along with receiving Christ. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Belshazzar’s spiritual death brought on physical death. And that brings on eternal death. Daniel 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. Both he, and his kingdom were finished that very night. Daniel 5:25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
And in that very night God did give his kingdom over to the Medes and Persians. Daniel 5:31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. But Daniel lived on many more years. Daniel 1:21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. He not only continued to the first year of Cyrus, he continued on into his reign. Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
The reason it records that Daniel lived unto the first year of king Cyrus, (Daniel 1:21), is because that is the period in history which marks the command to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. And the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ upon earth is measured from that event. Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Daniel’s prophesy extends from the first Gentile kingdom unto the spiritual kingdom of Christ. He foretells of the Babylonian, then the Mede and Persian, then the Greek, and then the Roman kingdoms. Then he sees the spiritual kingdom of Christ which shall be an everlasting kingdom. Daniel 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
And from there the Apostle John takes up the prophesy from Christ’s kingdom throughout the eternal ages. Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
And the apostles saw that Christ began to reign from his accomplished redemption on the cross. He is THE presently reigning Lord! Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
1 Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Pastor Gene Breed
January 01, 2020