THE DEGENERATE DESPOT'S DEMISE

5:1-31

Daniel 5

by Lane Rogers

I. THE FALL OF A KING AND A KINGDOM _____ DANIEL 5

God destroys kingdoms and preserves the righteous

Daniel. 5:1-9

Comments:

Chapter 4 was the conversion of a king: chapter 5 is the complete fall of a king: chapter 4 the humbling of a proud king: chapter 5 the destruction of a perverse king.

1Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.2When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.3Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.4They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.5Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.6Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.7The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom.

A. Verse 1___ Who is Belshazzar? Liberals have said that chapter 5 is filled with historical inaccuracies and contradictions.

a. In former times they (the liberals) denied that Belshazzar was even a real person.

b. Now we have the discovery of cuneiform tablets with a detailed history of Babylon. The last actual Chaldean king, Nabonidus, "entrusted the kingship to his son Bel-sar-usur (Belshazzar), during his ten year absence from Babylon but returned as the threat from Cyrus grew. Belshazzar thus fulfilled the 'function' of king. Numerous letters and business documents refer to the king's son, Belshazzar, as the chief authority of Babylon: "he was co-regent, and therefore king in his own right though subservient to his father." Olmstead, History of the Persian Empire, p. 38.

(1) Nebuchadnezzar, 605-562 B.C.

(2) Amel-Marduk, 562-556 B.C. Assassinated

(3) Neriglissar, 560-556 B.C. died and son Labashi-Marduk is assassinated a few months later.

(4) Nabonidas, 556-539__17 years. Only he is mentioned in the history of Greeks and Romans. Then a quotation of a Chronicle of Nabonidas is discovered.

"He trusted the Camp to his oldest son, the first born. The troops everywhere in the country he ordered under his command. He let everything go, entrusted the kingship to him and, himself, he started out for a long journey, the military forces of Akkad marching with him; And he himself, took his residence in Tema, the forces of Akkad were also stationed there. He made the town beautiful, built there his palace like the palace of Babylon, he also built walls for the fortification of the town.....Leo Oppenheim, "Babylonian and Assyrian Texts."

Also found in___Historical Texts. In James Pritchard Ancient Near Eastern Texts, pp. 313-314. C.T. Pfeiffer, O.T. History, pp. 457-8.

Where was Nabonidus?______________

From the king's seventh year to at least the eleventh year (549-545), the chronicle regularly begins, "The king was in Tema. The king's son, the nobles, and his solders were in Akkad." (p.38 Almstead).

c. By implication, Daniel said he was second in command. 5:7

If Daniel 5 relates to the occasion when control in Babylon passed from a Chaldean king to a Median (5:30-6:1[5:30-31]) this occasion must be the fall of Babylon to the forces of Cyrus. There are many other accounts of this event and it was the fulfillment in part of Isaiah 13.

d. According to the Cyrus Cylinder: See Below

The Cyrus Cylinder, discovered in 1879 and now in the British Museum, is one of the most famous cuneiform texts, because it was once believed that it confirmed what the Bible says (Isaiah 44.23-45.8; Ezra 1.1-6, 6.1-5; 2 Chronicles 36.22-23): that in 539 BCE, the Persian conqueror Cyrus the Great had allowed the Jews to return from their Babylonian Exile.

Although this information can in fact not be found in the text (only countries east of the Tigris are mentioned), the Cyrus Cylinder remains an interesting document, because it shows that the common elements of Babylonian royal propaganda were also used by the Persian conqueror: for example the restoration of the temples, good care for the gods, and a lengthy titulary (cf. the Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar for a parallel). So, Cyrus presented himself to the conquered nation as a normal ruler. There is no evidence that Cyrus inaugurated a new policy of tolerance.

The document is also interesting because it confirms information from the Nabonidus Chronicle: that, after the battle of Opis, the capture of Babylon itself was peaceful. Sources that indicate that Nabonidus, the last king of Babylonia, was impopular and believed to be mad, such as the Verse Account, are also corroborated by the Cyrus Cylinder.

"Without any battle [Marduk] enabled [Cyrus] to enter his city Babylon sparing Babylon any calamity. He delivered into his hand Nabonidus, the king who did not worship him.....When I [Cyrus] entered Babylon as a friend, I set up my government in the royal palace amidst jubilation and rejoicing....my numerous troops walked around Babylon in peace.

According to the Babylonian Chronicle, See Below:

Cuneiform tablet mentioning the capture of Jerusalem in 597 (text; British Museum)

The Assyrian and Babylonian chronicles are historiographical texts from ancient Mesopotamia. Although they contain references to the earliest times, they deal especially with the second half of the second and the entire first millennium down to the first century BCE (cf. this table). On this page, you will find

links to translations of all known chronicles; they are meant as a first introduction and for ready reference, but it is advisable not to quote them without consulting a printed edition, because many readings are still uncertain;
new editions of the chronicles of the Seleucid and Parthian period; several of them have not been published before.

The main editions are:

A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (1975 =ABC);
I. Finkel & R.J. van der Spek, Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistic Period (= BCHP);
Jean-Jacques Glassner, Chroniques Mésopotamiennes (1993) (translated as Mesopotamian Chronicles, 2004) ( = CM);
C. B.F. Walker, "Babylonian Chronicle 25: A Chronicle of the Kassite and Isin Dynasties", in G. van Driel e.a. (eds.): Zikir Šumim: Assyriological Studies Presented to F.R. Kraus on the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday (1982)

(Here to the Main Website)

In the last year of Nabonidus's reign the New Year Festival was properly observed and the gods of other cities were brought into Babylon. "In the month of Teshrit" while Cyrus was attacking the Babylonian army at Opis on the Tigris, the people of Babylonia revolted but he [Nabonidus] slew some of the people. On the 14th day Sippar was taken without battle and Nabonidus fled. On the 16th day [12 October] Ugbaru, Governor of Gutium and the troops of Cyrus entered Babylon without a battle. Afterwards Nabonidus was arrested when he returned to Babylon. Religious ceremonies were not interrupted. On the 3rd day of Marcheswan [29 October] Cyrus proclaimed peace to Babylon. Gubaru his governor appointed local governors in Babylon. On the night of the 11th of Marcheswan (6 November) Ugbaru died. The king's son was killed.

e. According to Berossus:

Berossus

Berossus (Akkadian Bêl-re'ušunu): Babylonian priest, who wrote a Greek history of Babylonia in the first half of the third century BCE.

The Babylonian History or Babyloniaka of Berossus is dedicated to the Seleucid king Antiochus I Soter, who ruled from 281 to 261 BCE. If we are to believe the Christian author Tatian (died c.120 CE), the Babylonian History was published in Antiochus' third year, 278 BCE (Speech to the Greeks, 36). The same author states that Berossus was born during the reign of the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great, who held court in Babylon in the spring of 323.

Berossus, who is called Bêl-re'ušunu in cuneiform documents, was a very important official: he was šatammu, head of the temple organization, between 258 and 253 BCE. This office gave him access to the archives of the Esagila, the temple of the Babylonian supreme god Marduk. Using cuneiform texts like the Babylonian chronicles (for the composition of some he must have been responsible) he wrote his three books of Babylonian history. They are unfortunately only known from quotations by later authors (e.g., Flavius Josephus).

Still, we can reconstruct the Babylonian history. After some topographical remarks, Berossus told us first how a mysterious creature called Oannes -half fish, half man- came from the sea and showed mankind writing, farming and the arts. The first book also contained a description of the epic struggle between the gods, culminating in the victory of Marduk (text). In the second book, ten legendary kings are mentioned that have ruled before the Great Flood; the Flood itself was the climax of the second book. After this story, Berossus treated several kings and sages, until he had reached the reign of Nabû-nâsir (747-734). The final book is the only one that may be called 'historical' in our sense of the word: several Assyrian, Babylonian and Achaemenid rulers were mentioned - all from a Babylonian perspective. The death of Alexander on 11 June 323 BCE seems to have been the last event mentioned by Berossus.

"When Nabonidus perceived [Cyrus] was coming to attack him, he met him with his forces and joined him in battle. Nabonidus was beaten and fled with a few of his troops and was shut up in the city of Borsippus. Thereupon, Cyrus took Babylon and gave the order that the outer wall of the city be demolished because the city had proved very troublesome to him, and cost him a great deal of pains to take it. Nabonidus surrendered and was exiled to Carmania. (See Josephus, C. Ap. 1:51-53)

f. According to Herodutus___1.90-91

Herodotus of Halicarnassus

Herodotus. Bust in the Agora Museum, Athens (Greece). Photo Marco Prins.

The Greek researcher and storyteller Herodotus of Halicarnassus (fifth century BCE) was the world's first historian. In The Histories, he describes the expansion of the Achaemenid empire under its kings Cyrus the Great, Cambyses and Darius I the Great, culminating in king Xerxes' expedition in 480 BCE against the Greeks, which met with disaster in the naval engagement at Salamis and the battles at Plataea and Mycale. Herodotus' remarkable book also contains excellent ethnographic descriptions of the peoples that the Persians have conquered, fairy tales, gossip, legends, and a very humanitarian morale. (A summary with some historical comments can be found here.)

Prologue

Herodotus of Halicarnassus hereby publishes the results of his inquiries, hoping to do two things: to preserve the memory of the past by putting on record the astonishing achievements both of the Greek and the non-Greek peoples; and more particularly, to show how the two races came into conflict.

These are the confident opening lines of Herodotus' Histories, and the Greeks who heard them must have been surprised. Preserving the memory of the past by putting on record certain astonishing achievements was not unusual, but the bards who had been singing legendary tales had been less pretentious. Even the great poet Homer had started his Iliad in a more modest way:

Sing, goddess, the wrath of Peleus' son Achilles, that brought endless harm upon the Greeks. Many brave men did it send down to the Underworld, and many heroes did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures. In this way, the counsels of Zeus were fulfilled, from the day on which Agamemnon -king of men- and great Achilles first fell out with one another. And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel?

The similarity between these two prologues is obvious: we are about to hear a tale about a terrible conflict and the speaker wants us to understand how the two sides came into conflict. The difference is striking, too: Homer invites a goddess to relate the story; Herodotus does not need divine aid. Who was this man, who so proudly gave his personal opinion about the past?

"Cyrus brought his siege of Babylon to a successful conclusion by temporarily diverting the course of the Euphrates during a nocturnal festival (probably Belshazzar's feast).

Back to verse 1___What we have here are examples of self indulgence, sacrilege and blasphemy: there was nothing wrong with the banquet but a great many things were wrong with where it led. It is Belshazzar's attitude toward God that is identified as his sin (22-23). Belshazzar's "father" (may have been the grandfather) had captured the Holy Vessels (4:34).

Historical accuracies, unknown to historians in the centuries before are everywhere in Daniel 5.

a. Feast for 1000 lords: Athenaeus (2nd, 3rd century poet) says a Persian King fed daily 15,000 servants___the book of Esther

b. Wives and concubines were present which was the custom.

c. Wine and revelry was the custom.

B. Verses 2-4_____The "drinking" of wine was probably after the meal. After the wine begin to have an inebriating effect, the debauched monarch ordered the holy vessels of the Jewish Temple brought in so that they might be used in the revelry. Using these "holy vessels" Belshazzar drank toasts to the idols. As shown in verses 22ff, Belshazzar should have known better. He was guilty of pride and insolence. There was a marked degeneracy in the moral and rational fiber of the Babylonian leadership. There may have been as many as 15,000 people at this banquet. The pronouncement of judgment is immediate just as judgment took place on Nebuchadnezzar (4:28).

C. Verses 5-7_____ Just as the feast began to swing, a human hand appeared and with the fingers began to inscribe some words on the white plaster in the banquet hall. The royal table set on the dais close to the back wall. That portion of the great hall, (about 50'x 150') was lit with a candelabrum, the light of which reflected on the plastered wall behind the royal seat. This is known because of archaeological excavations in ancient Babylonian court. The sight of this hand was clearly seen by the king. The color drained from his face leaving him ghost white. His knees were knocking together so loud that they were heard by all those around him. The king screams, "summon my wise men." Belshazzar promises any one of these wise men a place of preeminence in the kingdom if one of them can decipher the writing on the wall.

THE TURMOIL CONTINUES 5:8-16

"8Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.9Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.10The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.11"There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners.12"This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation."

Daniel Interprets Handwriting on the Wall

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?14"Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.15"Just now the wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the message.16"But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom."

A. Verses 8-9___"Then came in all the wise men" ___the original language indicates that the wise men did not all come in at once but were coming along. After they were all assembled, it was found that not a one of them could help. Now the king is filled with consternation. There was a complete failure of his "brain trust." The king is alarmed and as he looked at the faces of his "wise men" he knew they were perplexed.

B. Verses 10-12___ THE QUEEN CAME AND SAID, THERE IS A MAN____This no doubt was the "Queen Mother," the widow of Nebuchadnezzar since she was familiar with the events of the past. Queen Mothers of the ancient near east were extremely powerful women, even more so than the reigning queen. She entered the banquet hall of her own accord without getting permission from anyone. We don't know why she was absent to begin with. It has been suggested that she was protesting the behavior of the playboy king, but what ever the reason she is now on the scene and trying to restore some order. She probably received word from someone in the court that the situation in the banquet hall was out of control. She speaks to Belshazzar of Daniel (there is a man), as if Belshazzar should have remembered the prophet. She informs the emperor that Daniel had a very close and significant relationship with Nebuchadnezzar. She informs the king that the "spirits of the holy god" reside with Daniel. The Queen's advice is that Daniel be summoned to solve this problem.

C. Verses 13-16__Are you Daniel, I have heard of you, and can you give interpretations?

The text may actually read "so you are the Daniel I have heard about." Belshazzar may have even heard of Daniel long before this but had never taken the trouble to consult him. It is noteworthy, that despite all of Belshazzar's indifference, he remembered his grandfather's military history. The remainder of Belshazzar's speech repeats the words of the Queen Mother, with the exception of the promise of being promoted the the 3rd ruler of the kingdom.

17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.18"O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.19"Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.20"But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.21"He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.22"Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,23but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.

A. Verse 17-19__You can keep your gifts____I don't think that Daniel is being insolent but just stating that he will interpret the writing on the wall without being paid. He is not at all like the "wise men" of Babylon who will say anything the king wants to hear.

The next step is to lay the groundwork to reach the "proud potentate." This man needs to repent. Daniel prepares the king's heart by reminding him that his predecessor (Nebuchadnezzar) came to the throne and its subsequent greatness by the power of the Most High God. It is Daniel's God who installs and removes kings and kingdoms (Psa. 115:15-16; Acts 17:26; Ezek. 29:18-20; Jer. 25:9; Isa. 10:5ff). God put the entire world under the power of Nebuchadnezzar.

B. Verses 20-21__ But when his heart was lifted up__Daniel now reminds Belshazzar of the chastening his grandfather received from the Most High God. If Nebuchadnezzar deserved what he got, how much more do you, Belshazzar, deserve the chastening rod.

C. Verses 22-23___You knew all of this yet___There is no questioning the theology of this verse. Even pagan kings are held responsible to moral standards of YHWH. All men are accountable to learn moral and religious lessons from history. By means of events in nature and history God reveals His existence and His character (in a limited way). History has a great deal to say about God and His rule. Where are the nations of the past that practiced human sacrifice? Where are the idol worshiping nations? Have those nations who worship idols progressed as the rest of the world? In summary, You knew, you ignored, you exalted yourself, you desecrated, you committed idolatry, you disregarded.

The Tragedy____Verses 24-31 (100 Shekel Kingdom and a 1 Shekel King, see Picture)

24"Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25"Now this is the inscription that was written out: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.'

26"This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE'--God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.

27" 'TEKEL'--you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

28" 'PERES'--your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians."

29Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.30That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.31So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.

A. VERSES 24-28__This is the writing that was Inscribed___

1. Mene___ancient language and probably some original form of Aramaic. Mene__means "to number." It means not only "to count" but also to "fix a limit." It speaks of expiration.

2. Tekel __means to "weigh." God has put Belshazzar on the scales to see if he measures up to God's standards.

3. Peres: Pharsin in the plural form is perses; u is the conjunction. It means to break and divide. The word Peres is an illusion to Persian and it means that the kingdom will be broken up and given to the Medes and Persians.

It is in this cryptic message that Belshazzar is told he has been weighed and found wanting. He is a 1 shekel king in a 100 shekel kingdom. Belshazzar's sins have exceeded those of Nebuchadnezzar and because of that he must pay. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar whose kingdom was removed "for a little while" Belshazzar will lose the kingdom and pay with his life. Belshazzar was killed, by whom we are not told, but in the end, it was YHWH who brought him down.

IN SUMMARY

Worldly empires are demonstrated to be subject to the God of the Judean exiles. The impression encouraged by Belshazzar at the beginning of this story is that Nebuchadnezzar was lord of history and the God of Jerusalem was powerless. That impression is changed by the end of this story. YHWH brings calamity to the conquerors He once used (cf. Isa. 10: Jer 25). See Isa.13 for the fall of Babylon.

As the portent came while Belshazzar was committing his act of idolatry, the end came that very night. Cyrus was already outside the walls diverting the water.

Both chap. 4 and chap. 5 tell of a portent and a personal calamity, but one is a story with a happy ending the other a tragedy. One reveals divine mercy while the other reveals divine judgment. Psalm 2 speaks of "God laughing" when nations assert themselves against Him and His purpose. He knows they always fall into the pit they dug. Hearing God's laughter is important for the Belshazzar's of this world. It is important for the subjects of the Belshazzar's of this world to avoid the same pitfalls as their leaders. Can you hear God laughing today???

Lane Rogers 08/28/09