King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 17 notes
1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
Did the hand wield a pen 🖋 and ink? Just wondering how it was done, and this writing was done strategically at an angle for the king 👑 to see.
I thought GOD did not care about these vessels and had abandoned even the temple and its precious stones to make a statement that morality supersedes external acts of devotion... but apparently he did very much care about them, but in order of preference.
6Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
The watchers constantly have their eyes 👀 on what is happening in the earth 🌎.
Nothing escapes their watch... I believe they work with reporters 🗺 who give them constant updates...
They knew what was happening and had plans of their own.
7The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew 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.
I can just imagine the scene.
The gods have spoken in writing, and there was no one who understood what it meant.
Hence this warning or message would not be understood to be heeded.
The king knew it was no light message, for the gods did not send a man but came in themselves and wrote... It must indeed be that important for God himself to write it.
This is frightening... Their end had come, maybe, for the gods to have chosen this manner of communication.
8Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
Is it not interesting that the solving of mysteries is what brought promotion every single time?
It was almost like a set up. That which looks like a challenge, a difficulty, was the setup for Daniel and his friends' upliftment.
9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
10Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
Oh Daniel... His track record was unbeatable.
THY father made master of the magicians 🧝♂️... Does that mean he had been demoted, probably because of politics and a new 👑?
He was in the midst of magic 🧝♂️, sorcery and enchantment 🧙♀️, yet he wasn't hurt.
He dominated them and was their master. This was this Daniel of old; how much more we of the new covenant?
It seems apparently that at this time, Daniel had likely been demoted by this time.
But his gift was making room for him.
He was made master of the magicians etc., but now it had been taken from him. A new king had come, and likely he had brought in his own people. But Daniel's gift could not be hidden. He had to be called upon because of his gift.
12Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing 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 shew the interpretation.
13Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
It is worth noting that Daniel maintained his name, even though a whole king Nebuchadnezzar changed it.
Even here in this passage he is called Daniel by Belshazzar instead of Belteshazzar.
He was being called Daniel, never Belteshazzar; he somehow kept his name.
14I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
When foolish children inherit the throne... He hadn't even heard of Daniel nor knew him.
A man of such wisdom and calibre was not known nor among the courtiers of the king 👑.
Obviously, looking at his revelries, he had no acquaintance with the wise in heart ♥.
How can you miss Daniel... Only a fool would.
15And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
How could such a man with such wisdom not be part of the king's counsel? Obviously some mischievous elements had successfully dropped him from the reins of power, much to the hurt of the kingdom.
16And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
What good was such a reward to a kingdom about to be ousted? Indeed, he risked being beheaded or killed when the new rulers took the helm of power.
18O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
This chapter in chronological order should come in chapters 7 to 8 thereabout, but because its content connects with chapter 4, it seems the writers, in keeping with the story line, put this chapter after chapter 4.
This is seen because Belshazzar was grandson of Nebuchadnezzar — according to Dake's and pagan history (will have to cross check that).
22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
The last straw that broke the camel's back seems to be this insolent act against the very GOD who humbled his father and made him a beast.
The least he could have done was to show some respect to such a GOD, whiles keeping his own gods of iron and bronze, yet he looted the house of GOD without fear.
Maybe, and yes, indeed God's time for his kingdom was up, to be deposed, but HE wanted to take full advantage to send a message to the sons of men. Who knows, maybe GOD would have pardoned him from death if he had some regard for him.
24Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
God is interesting: the hand appears and writes not tenses or sentences or phrases, but, like spiritual things often are, it came in patterns with gaps, thus requiring the spirit of wisdom to interpret.
So the writing goes like
Numbered... numbered
Weighed
Divided
Even if the writing could be read, it will still require interpretation, but here is where it was in a strange dialect, and that was the first barrier needed interpreting, then the meaning of the words as it relates to the kingdom.
28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.