Chapter 13, Final Countdown, Belshazzar: Posted March 17th 2018.
Daniel 12:6; the question was asked, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders.” The reply,
Daniel 12:11-12, “From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.”
This now leaves us with two more questions that need to be asked, 1. what is, the daily sacrifice that is taken away? 2. When this daily sacrifice was taken away, how serious was it concerning the LORD?
Daniel 1:1, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem and besieged it.”
Daniel 1:2, “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his (pagan) god-”
How sacred were these vessels that were stolen from the temple and brought to Babylon?
He (the LORD) alone is worthy to be honored and glorified. So, these sacred vessels used in the temple to worship the LORD were now in the house of the gods of Shinar. Scriptures reveal to us that the Most-High God is a jealous God, because He alone is to be worshiped.
King Nebuchadnezzar carried (the sacred vessels) into the land of Shinar to the house of their god in 598 B.C.
The story now moves forward in history 59 years, bringing us to Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson Belshazzar who ruled until September 27, in the year 539 B.C.
This day was to be Belshazzar last days on earth. Why? because he would use the sacred utensils of God for a drunken orgy.
Daniel 5:3-4, “Then they (the servants) brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king (Belshazzar), 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.”
Daniel 5:5, “In the same hour (while banqueting) came forth 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.” When he saw this,
Daniel 5:6, When the king saw this, his countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” In other words, he was scared out of his wits.
Daniel 5:7, “The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans,…” Remember, the magicians and soothsayers of Babylon and the Chaldeans, especially the Chaldeans were the most intelligent and the most gifted of the Babylonians.
Daniel 5:7-8, “Whosoever shall read this writing, and show 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.”
Daniel 5:8-9, “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. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, (In other words, he began to sweat.)”
Daniel 5:10-11, “Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spoke and said, O king, live for-ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:”
Over the years, Daniel had proved to the kings of Babylon how the God of Israel was far superior then any of their pagan gods, Yet, they could not remove themselves from these pagan idols made of gold, silver, iron and wood.
Daniel 5:11, “There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father (Nebuchadnezzar’s) light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the god was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar your (grand) father, the king, I say, your (grand) father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;”
Daniel 5:12, speaking of Daniel, “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, and he will show the interpretation.”
So, Daniel is brought in before the king and reveals the message to him.
Daniel 5:22, “And thou his (grand) son, (Now, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart —;”
Daniel 5:23, “But has lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house (from the Temple in Jerusalem) before thee, and you, and your lords, their wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine in them; and you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the (One True) God the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:”
Daniel 5:24, “Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
Daniel 5:26, “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered your kingdom and finished it.”
Because the word is spoken twice. It has been emphasized. God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.”
Daniel 5:27, “TEKEL; You art (have been) weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”
Daniel 5:27, “…weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.”
For Belshazzar and his kingdom, it was over. So, “MENE, MENE—God hath numbered your kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL—You’ve been weighed in the balances and you don’t measure up.”
Daniel 5:28, “PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and the Persians.”
As the king and his guests were in this huge banquet hall in Babylon; where, the Euphrates River flowed right through the center of the city. Unbeknown to the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians had diverted the water away so that the Euphrates going under the wall had dried up, and their armies walked in on dry ground and completely surprised and conquered the Babylonians. They had been defeated before sunrise. In that same night Belshazzar was slain.”
This would bring in the Medio Persian empire, and introduce us to their king, Cyrus the Great.
So, the two questions,
1. What was the daily sacrifice that is taken away?
It was the sacred vessels of God. Once the vessels had been taken from the temple, there would be five things missing. They would be the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, the Urim and Thummin, the sacred fire, and God’s Divine presence. Therefore, any sin offerings made from that time forward would have been null and void, having no value.
2. When the vessels were removed from the temple, then brought to Babylon and placed in the house of their gods, and some 59 years latter used by king Belshazzar as he did, how serious was this final insult and offence to the LORD?
It was so egregious, it cost Belshazzar his kingdom and his life.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com