STUDIES IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL.

September 7, 2021

“BELSHAZZAR’S IMPIOUS FEAST—THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL INTERPRETED BY DANIEL OF THE DOOM OF BABYLON AND ITS KING CONTINUES. JFB”

“Babylon’s cup of guilt was now almost full, and needed but one crowning act of profanity to be added, to make it overflow with vengeance on the transgressor. The messenger of God’s wrath, Cyrus was at the gates of the doomed city”JFB.

  1. Dan. 5:25-28. “And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. “numbered, weighed, and diriders” JFB
  2. “MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom. God hath fixed the number of years of thine empire, and that number is now complete.” JFB God hath. Job 14:14. Is. 13:1-5…17-20; 21:1–10; ch. 47, Jer. 25:11–12; 27:7; ch. 50; 51, Ac. 15:18.
  3. TEKEL; “Thou art weighed in the balances…and art found wanting—too light before God, the weigher of actions (1 Sam. 2:3; Ps. 62:9). Like spurious gold or silver (Jer. 6:30)” JFB Thou. Job 31:6, Ps. 62:9, Jer. 6:30, Eze. 22:18–20 art wanting. Matt. 22:11–12, 1Cor. 3:13.
  4. “PERES—the explanation of ‘dividers’ (v. 25), the active participle plural, “Upharsin,” there being used for the passive participle singular, ‘dividers’ for “divided.” The word “Peres” alludes to the similar word Persia. Thy kingdom is divided—viz., among the Medes and Persians (Maurer); or, severed from thee (Grotius).”JFB. Dan. 6:28; 8:3–4, 20; 9:1. Is. 13:17; 21:2; 45:1, 2.
  5. Dan. 5:29 “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet…” “Daniel did not value these titles and ensigns of honour, yet would not refuse them, because they were tokens of his prince’s good-will…foreseeing how soon they would all wither with him that bestowed them. They were like Jonah’s gourd, which came up in a night and perished in a night…” M. Henry

Dan. 5:30-31.In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.  Is. 21:4–9; 47:9. Je. 51:11, 31, 39, 57. And Darius the Median took the kingdom…” “The transferring of the kingdom into other hands. From the head of gold we now descend to the breast and arms of silver. Darius the Mede took the kingdom in partnership with, and by the consent of, Cyrus, who had conquered it, v. 31... Notice is taken of his age, that he was now sixty-two years old, for which reason Cyrus, who was his nephew, gave him the precedency.” M. Henry. “Let the impenitent be warned that no one tittle of God’s writing in His Word shall fail to come to pass: alike the self-righteous…the formalist, and hypocrite, weighed in the balance of the Gospel, shall be found wanting… Lord, do thou root out the pride of our natural hearts, and clothe us with humility! “So teach us to number our days…”! (Ps. 90:12.) “Receiving a kingdom…(Heb. 12:28.)” JFB