The Book of Daniel - part 6
Belshazzar, the Fool
Belshazzar in History
Nabonidus Cylinder - found in 1881 - now at the British Museum
Belshazzar for many years was thought to be fictitious. Even today, some scholars continue to mock Daniel’s story. The last king of Babylon, they argue, was Nabonidus. It is quite true that Nabonidus took the throne from Nebuchadnezzar’s heir, Evilmerodach. However, Evilmerodach’s reign was cut short by Nabonidus. Belshazzar happens to be Nabonidus’ eldest son, evidence of which was found in 1881 in the form of this cylinder. This cylinder is the first of 37 texts that attest to Belshazzar’s existence.
Nabonidus calls Belshazzar his son. Now, in our passage Daniel calls Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar’s father. How do we reconcile the two? There are several options, but I will give you the two most probable. First, ‘father’ and ‘son’ in the Ancient Near East had many meanings, ranging from immediate family relationships to successors and predecessors of monarchy. Daniel may simply be referring to Belshazzar’s predecessor. Second, and more probable, is that after Nabonidus took the throne from Nebuchadnezzar’s actual son, he took the son’s family as well.
Likewise, many are quick to point out that Nabonidus is the king who falls under Cyrus, not Belshazzar. Thus, Belshazzar is never actually king to begin with. However, that is easily dismissed, because Nabonidus does make Belshazzar co-regent over Babylon. Nabonidus spent about 10 years away from Babylon rebuilding temples to the regional moon god. During this time, Belshazzar was named co-regent over the city of Babylon. Therefore, it makes sense for the Jews, as well as the rest of the city’s inhabitants, to look at Belshazzar as king.
Regardless how we attempt to reconcile the apparent discrepancy, we should note how archeology continues to support the biblical narrative. In the past, some have made the foolish statement that science does not support the Bible, however as archeological excavations continue, the Bible is proven reliable time and time again.
This story is textbook evidence for the reliability of Scripture.
Belshazzar’s Foolishness : 1-4
King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father[a] had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God 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, iron, wood, and stone.
Daniel 5:1-4
The first sign of foolishness is the celebration itself. Now, many have noted how the frolicking and drinking led to the king bringing in the sacred Jewish ceremonial vessels and toasting to Babylonian gods. This act of blasphemy is certainly the culmination of Balshazzar’s foolishness, however before that act even happens, he has already made a series of foolish mistakes.
The first is the celebration itself. Cyrus, the Persian king, was at the city gates when Belshazzar calls this feast. In fact, according to some records, his father and co-regent, had already suffered a loss of territory by Cyrus. One version has that Nabonidus had been killed, and so Belshazzar is celebrating his coronation as the sole, official king of Babylon. Consider this foolishness. Belshazzar’s kingdom is getting ready to fall, the invading army is at the doorstep, and he decides to celebrate his coronation. One commentator noted he may be attempting to alleviate the city’s fears, because they believed their walls and stockpile of food would allow them to endure Cyrus’ siege. Regardless, a siege is not time for celebration.
The second is how he celebrates. He brings the vessels from the Temple into this party in order to toast to the myriad of gods. Consider: he has profaned the sacred items from the Temple of God in order to toast his allegiance to false gods. He does not honor the true God as Nebuchadnezzar learned to do.
You have probably heard the famous line, “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Here, we see a textbook case. Had Belshazzar studied the stories of his predecessor, he would know the God to whom those vessels and his kingdom belong. Instead, he makes his allegiance false gods of material wealth. Ultimately, Belshazzar’s folly boils down to one statement:
Belshazzar’s folly is celebrating his wealth rather than the God who gave him that wealth.
Belshazzar is Visited : 5-16
5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared[b] to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.
10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. 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, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods[e] is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. 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.”
Daniel 5:5-16
And now you know the source of the phrase, “the writing is on the wall”. This mysterious hand appears and brings Belshazzar to his knees shaking. He calls for his expert advisors to help. There is a parallel with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream reaction, which only emphasizes his failure to learn from the previous generation.
The queen enters the scene with good news, there is one in the kingdom who will be able to read the writing. She calms his fears explaining Daniel’s ability.
The lesson is fairly clear. Belshazzar, in his foolish life, has not learned from previous generations. Now, regardless how we reconcile Daniel’s statement “Nebuchadnezzar, your father the king”, Belshazzar’s education would have undoubtedly included learning about the kings of the past. Perhaps as his queen explained who Daniel was, his memory returned to him.
Note, in verse 14, there is a subtle change in the description of Daniel. In verse 11, the queen states there is a man in the kingdom “in whom is the spirit of the holy gods”, whereas in 14, Belshazzar states “the spirit of the gods is in you”. Notice the absence of an important adjective.
Even in his crisis, he refuses to acknowledge the holiness of God. He stubbornly refuses to accept a power greater than his own.
Belshazzar’s destruction comes because of his refusal to acknowledge the supremacy of God.
Belshazzar is Weighed : 17-23
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, 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 kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in 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, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
Daniel 5:17-23
Daniel casts aside the king’s gifts. He has been given much in his tenure, and these gifts would be superfluous. Likewise, Daniel has probably already understood the message. Being “third highest in the kingdom” means very little when the kingdom is about to fall.
Daniel recounts the story of Nebuchadnezzar to emphasize his point. Belshazzar has been reckless and foolish during his reign. Even now, the Persian army is on its way, perhaps even right outside the gates, and Belshazzar is in the midst of a drunken orgy.
Verse 22 is the most condemning, “And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.” According to Daniel, Belshazzar had been taught about Nebuchadnezzar, but has chosen pride rather than humility.
Pride prevents us from learning the lessons of previous generations, and pride is what leads to our own destruction.
Friends, do not harden your heart to the lessons of the past. Each generation offers its own lessons for the next, but time and time again, we fall victim to foolish pride. The younger refuse to acknowledge the wisdom of the elder, while the elder repeats the mistakes of previous generations who failed to rightly discipline and teach the younger. These current “Millennial vs Boomer” arguments are just symptoms of pride. Each side believes they know better, when the truth is: God has laid out how we should treat one another. The older are to lead and empower the younger. But, read that again, the older are to lead and empower the younger. They are not “lord their authority” (Matt 20:25-28) over the younger, but help them to grow in discipline and instruction (Eph 6:4). The younger are to be examples of speech, love, faith, and purity (1 Tim 4:12).
Maturity and wisdom come when we humble ourselves and recognize our own faults.
Belshazzar is Judged : 24-31
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 gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Daniel 5:24-31
After Daniel’s condemnation of Belshazzar’s folly, he gives the inscription and meaning. The four words are relatively simple Aramaic words:
Mene - numbered, or reckoned
Tekel - weighed, or lacking
Parsin - divided, also a wordplay with Persia
Some commentators note the words would have been recognized, but their meaning obscured. Perhaps, or perhaps Daniel translated the words written. In either case, the emphasis here is on the clarity with which Daniel gives the message.
Belshazzar’s life has been found wanting—it is a wasted life.
Notice, God has numbered Belshazzar’s life twice. God has numbered the days of Belshazzar’s reign, but as we see in the next word, He has also numbered, or reckoned, the quality of this reign. Both Belshazzar’s quantity and quality is lacking. In fact, history will forget Belshazzar even existed as a king for the next 2,400 years. The only evidence until the 19th century AD will be this story which is simply a cautionary tale for those who refuse to learn from the past.
Had we any doubt of Belshazzar’s lack of character, we can simply look at verse 29. Now, we could give him the benefit of the doubt and say the king is simply following through with his promise. Or, we could once again look at the reality of the time and note: the Persians are at the gates, a proclamation from God has been made the kingdom will fall, Belshazzar has lived his life in defiance of God’s Sovereignty, and now, as he witnesses the power and wisdom of God, he gives Daniel perishable trinkets.
Even at the end, Belshazzar refuses to repent.
Thus, that very night, Belshazzar was killed, and Darius the Mede receives the kingdom.
A cautionary tale
Earlier I labeled this story a cautionary tale. For many Christians, we read this story and are reminded of God’s greatness and how He works over world kingdoms—and rightly so. However, we must also remember this story is a court tale. It would be passed around nobility as a means to inform others about the past. In the spirit of learning from cautionary tales, I want to propose these lessons:
Learn from the mistakes of others, and you won’t have to make them yourself.
Belshazzar had no excuse for ignorance. He knew the stories. He had access to good teachers. Some commentators even argue he was alive and in a lower office when Nebuchadnezzar went insane. He should have known better. Likewise, we all should know better. God has granted us His Word, His Son, and His Spirit, if we will only listen and learn.
Don’t just celebrate what you have, but pay respect to the One who gave it to you.
The Lord is good to us. He has blessed us with abundance, especially those of us in this country. Even now, when many are fretting being cooped up in their homes under quarantine, consider what is in your house—food, shelter, hot water, internet access, numerous communication tools, and every manner of comfort and entertainment unimagined by previous generations. Do not fall victim to the pride that comes with wealth. Remember all that we have comes from the Giver of Good Gifts, the Father of Heaven and Earth. Pay Him the respect He deserves.
The Lord will not be mocked.
Belshazzar mocked the Lord when he brought in the sacred vessels. He used the holy things of God’s Temple to toast idols of wealth. There are many today who continue to mock the Lord and His people, but let the warning be clear, the Lord will not let it go unpunished. The time before their destruction is not the Lord being unaware of their crimes. It is a time of grace, allowing time for the unrepentant to come to their senses. If you have spent your life mocking the things of God, know that this time of peace for you will pass, and judgement and destruction is on its way. Repent now, while there is still time.
Don’t waste your life.
Likewise, don’t waste the time you have. Belshazzar spent his life in frivolous pursuits. What will be the lasting impact of your life? How will generations from now remember you? Scripture tells us to number our days, because this life is fleeting. Store up treasures in Heaven by turning to Jesus Christ and living as He has designed you to live. Then, you will find eternal value in what you do and what you leave behind.
Repent from your pride while you still can.
A time is coming when your story will with “And that very night, he died.” We don’t know when that day is. All we know is Jesus came for us, to save us, and to give us eternal life. Each of us are given a number of days on this earth. During the time, we can spend it running far from God, or we can spend it running to Him. For those who continue to run away from the Lord, they will spend eternity separated from Him. For those who turn and run to God, they will spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
The choice is clear. Today, while there is still time, turn from your sin. Stop wasting your life on things with no eternal value. Look full in the face of Jesus, ask Him for forgiveness and eternal life.