170 – Handwriting on the Wall
Daniel 5:1-31 & 9:1-27
King Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. He decided to have a feast with a thousand Babylonian nobles. He sent for the golden cups the Babylon army had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. They were used to drink in honor of their many gods.
Suddenly … the fingers of a man’s hand appeared near a wall that was well lit by lamps. As Belshazzar watched, the fingers started writing on the wall. This made the king so terrified that he shook with fear.
When the hand was done writing, it disappeared. Belshazzar read the words on the wall, but didn’t know what they meant. He sent for his counselors and said, “If you can interpret what these words mean, I’ll give you great riches and make you the third ruler over Babylon!”
They looked at the writing but weren’t able to understand what it meant. This made Belshazzar even more terrified.
The queen mother said, “Don’t be afraid. There’s one counselor you haven’t called. His name is Daniel, and he’s a man filled with the spirit of the holy gods. Your grandfather always called on him whenever he had a problem he couldn’t solve. He’ll tell you what this means.”
Belshazzar called for Daniel and said, “I know you have the spirit of the gods in you. If you can tell me what this means, I’ll give you great riches and make you the third highest ruler in Babylon.”
Daniel didn’t hesitate. “You may keep your gifts and titles. I’ll read the writing and tell you what it means.
“The Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar this empire and made him the most powerful man on earth. Yet he humbled himself before God and acknowledged that he was Lord of all.
“You know this, yet you’re proud and defy the Lord God. You used the golden cups from the Temple of God to praise false gods. You mock the God who holds your life in His hands. Therefore, He has sent you this message: NUMBERED, NUMBERED, WEIGHED, and DIVIDED.
“Here is the interpretation:
NUMBERED – God has numbered the days of your kingdom. Your time is up!
WEIGHED – You were weighed on a scale to determine your worth. You’re worth very little!
DIVIDED – Your kingdom is no longer yours. It’s been divided between the Medes and Persians.”
Immediately, Belshazzar called his servants and told them to put fine clothes on Daniel and expensive jewelry around his neck. He proclaimed Daniel to be the third highest ruler in Babylon.
That very night, the army of the Medes and Persians came into the city, killed Belshazzar, and took over the kingdom. Daniel became a respected counselor in the Persian court.
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Years later, Daniel was reading how Jeremiah said the city of Jerusalem would lie in ruins for seventy years. Daniel prayed and asked God what was going to happen after that. God sent him an angel to explain what would happen.
The angel said, “An order will be given to rebuild Jerusalem. That order will begin a special 490-year period for your people. After the first 483 years, Messiah will come. He’ll be killed, and Jerusalem will be destroyed again. The last seven years will begin when an evil ruler makes a 7-year peace agreement with Israel.”
By telling Daniel this, God showed Israel what would happen before he set up his kingdom on earth.
