The Handwriting on the Wall
King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of them. When he tasted the wine he commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple of Jerusalem be brought; so that the king, his lords, his wives, and his concubines could drink from them.
The vessels were brought in and they all drank wine from them and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. The king saw the hand as it wrote and the king’s color changed and his thoughts alarmed him. His limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
The king loudly called for the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers, and declared to them that whoever could read the writing and explain its interpretation would be clothed in purple, receive a gold chain around their neck, and be the third ruler in the kingdom.
All of the king’s wise men went in, but none could read the writing or make known its meaning.
Then the queen went in and told him of a man in the kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. She told him how in the days of his father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods was in the man, and Nebuchadnezzar had made him the chief of the wise men.
He was excellent in spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems. His name was Daniel. He was to be called to show the interpretation.
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
Then Daniel was brought in before the king to read the writing on the wall and make known its interpretation. The king told him how he would receive the gifts if he could, but Daniel told him to keep his gifts and give the rewards to another. Nevertheless, he would read the writing and interpret it.
Daniel began explaining that the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar’s father, kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 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.
When his heart was hardened so he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him. He was driven out to live like a beast until he knew that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.
However, Belshazzar had not humbled his heart even though he knew all of that. He had still lifted himself against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his house had been brought to him so they could worship false idols instead of the God in whose hand was his breath, and who in all ways, he had not honored.
The hand was sent and inscribed: “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.”
“This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought to it an end; TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” -Daniel 5:25-28
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.
That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom. He was about sixty-two years old.
Daniel and the Lions’ Den
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps to be throughout the kingdom. Over the satraps there were three presidents and Daniel was one of them, to who the satraps would give account. Daniel was distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. The king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
The presidents and satraps sought to find a complaint against Daniel, but they could not find one or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. They knew they would find no complaint against Daniel unless it was in connection with the law of his God.
They all decided and discussed with the king that he should make an ordinance and enforce an injunction that whoever made petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to the king, would be cast into the den of lions. King Darius signed the document and injunction.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks to God, as he had done previously.
The men that had the king sign the petition went and tattled to him about Daniel so that he would be punished. So the king commanded, and Daniel was taken and cast into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet so nothing would be changed concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him and sleep fled him. At break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. When he got close to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” -Daniel 6:21
The king was very happy and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den and no harm was brought to him because he had trusted in God. The king commanded, and those men who maliciously accused Daniel, were brought and cast into the den of lions along with their wives and children. Before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
Then King Darius wrote to all the people, nations, and languages that dwelled in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
-Daniel 6:25-27
Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions. He wrote down the dream and declared that he saw the four winds of heaven and they were stirring up the great sea. Four great beasts came up out of the sea, all different from each other.
*Beast was the insignia or symbol of many Gentile nations.
The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as he looked, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man. The mind of a man was given to it.
*The lion with eagle’s wings is a cherub, symbolizing the Neo-Babylonian empire
The second one was like a bear. It was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’
*The bear raised up on one of its sides, refers to the superior status of the Persians in the Medo-Persian federation. The three ribs may represent the three principal conquests: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.
The third was like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
*The leopard with four wings represents the speedy conquests of Alexander the Great, and the four heads correspond to the four main divisions into which his empire fell after his untimely death.
The fourth beast was terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Daniel considered the horns, and behold, there came among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. In that horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
*The fourth, unnamed, beast, with its irresistible power and surpassing all its predecessors, points to the Roman empire. Its ten horns correspond to the ten toes mentioned previously, and are indicative of the comprehensiveness of the beast’s sphere of authority. The little horn was the antichrist, or a world of power sharing in characteristics of the antichrist.
The Ancient of Days Reigns
As Daniel looked, he saw that thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days (God) took his seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and went out before him. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court sat in judgment and the books were opened.
Daniel looked because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. As he looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. For the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
In the night vision, Daniel saw with the clouds of heaven there came on like a son of man. He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. He was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages would serve him. His dominion was everlasting and his kingdom would not be destroyed.
*This is the first reference to the Messiah as the Son of Man, a title that Jesus applied to himself. He will be enthroned as ruler over the whole earth (previously misruled by the four kingdoms of men), and is kingdom “will never be destroyed,” whether on earth or in heaven.
Daniel’s Vision Interpreted
Daniel was very anxious and the visions had alarmed him. He wondered the interpretation of his dream…
The four great beasts were four kings who would arise out of the earth, but the saints of the Most High would receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever. Daniel desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from the rest.
This beast would be a fourth kingdom on earth, which would be different from all the kingdoms. It would devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, there would be ten kings that would come out of that kingdom. Each would be different than the other and put down three kings.
He would speak words against the Most High, would wear out the saints of the Most High, and would think to change the times and the law. They would be given into his hand. But the court would sit in judgment, and his dominion would be taken away to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
The kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven would be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. Their kingdom would be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions would serve and obey them.
As for Daniel, he was very alarmed at his thoughts, but he kept the matter in his heart.