251 - Belshazzar's feast

Kathleen's thoughts

Jeremiah 51: 36 - 58
Daniel 5: 1-31, 1: 21,11: 1
Isaiah 44: 28

Help for Israel
Babylon's fate Babylon must fall because of the slain of Israel, even as the slain of all the earth fell because of Babylon.

God's message Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens and fortify her tall fortresses destroyers will come against her from Me. This is the Lord's declaration.

complete destruction of Babylon This is what the Lord of Hosts says...Babylon's thick wall will be totally demolished, and her high gates consumed by fire. The peoples will have laboured for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire.

Jeremiah wrote on one scroll about all the disaster that would come to Babylon; all these words were written against Babylon.
Jeremiah told Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. You must say, Lord, You have threatened to cut off this place so that no one will live in it man or beast indeed, it will remain desolate forever. When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River. Then say, In the same way, Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I am bringing on her. They will grow weary.
The words of Jeremiah end here.

Persia the world power
Belshazzar's feast He used the gold vessels from the temple which was taken from the house of God  in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver bronze iron, wood, and stone.

The handwriting on the wall At that moment the fingers of a man's hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king;s palace wall next to the lamp stand. As the king watched the hand that was writing, his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together, The king called out to bring in the mediums, Chaldean's, and astrologers. He said to the wise men of Babylon.  Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.
So these wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make known its interpretation to him. Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified his face turned pale, and his nobles were bewildered.
Then his wife came in because of the noise... May the king live forever" she said. Don't let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.
Then she told him about Daniel. he has an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and perception, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.
Belshazzar calls for Daniel
Daniel's interpretation Then Daniel answered the king. "You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him.
Your Majesty the Most High God gave sovereignty, greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar. Because of the greatness
he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him.
But you as his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this...Instead you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, Iron, wood, and stone which do not see or hear or understand.
But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life.
Therefore He sent the hand, and this writing that was inscribed.

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

This is the interpretation of the message:

MENE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end,

TEKEL means that you have been weighted in the balance and found deficient.

PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 

Darius takes over
Reigns of Cyrus and Darius. Who says to Cyrus; My shepherd, he will fulfil all My pleasure and say to Jerusalem: She will be rebuilt, and of the temple; it's foundation will be laid

Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. In the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to strengthen and protect him.

For thought and contemplation

There are three occasions in Scripture when God wrote with His finger a special message to me, Can you thing of them? One of course, is found here in the story of Belshazzar's feast. The other two can be found in Exodus 31:18 and John 8:6

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws on their hearts, and I will write them on their minds, He adds; I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts. Hebrew 10: 16-17

Blessings
Kathleen.