Chapter 5
These early chapters in Daniel do not constitute a history of Babylon; much more would be given if they were. A jump occurs from chapter 4, dealing with Nebuchadnezzar, to chapter 5, dealing with the last king of Babylon and the overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus the Persian.
Chapter 5 describes the impious feast in which Belshazzar, his lords, wives and concubines, a thousand altogether, indulged. Probably partly, or possibly completely drunk, partway through the feast Belshazzar called for the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had removed from the temple during one of his victories over Jerusalem, possibly the final one. The vessels were brought, and desecrated as that drunken crowd drank wine out of them, even as they extolled their heathen gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. No sooner had this orgy commenced than a hand appeared and wrote upon the plaster on the wall, opposite the lamp-stand. This lampstand was probably the one taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and its presence at that feast emphasised the impiety more than ever.
While the king looked at the hand writing, panic seized him. His colour changed, his knees shook, and his limbs gave way. Hastily the king called for all the wise men for them to tell him the meaning of what the hand had written and to interpret it to the king. Great gifts were promised to the one who could do this. Nebuchadnezzar was No. 1 ruler, Belshazzar was No. 2, so the next highest position he could offer was that of No. 3. None could help the king, and this added to his perplexity.
At this juncture the “queen” (probably Nicrotis the queen mother) came into the banqueting hall and reminded Belshazzar that there was in his kingdom “a man in whom resides the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father light and wisdom and understanding were found in him, like the wisdom of the gods. Your father made him chief of the magicians because an excellent spirit, knowledge and understanding to interpret dreams, understand riddles, and solve problems were found in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called and he will shew the interpretation.” (Evidently Belshazzar had removed Daniel from the position he had in Nebuchadnezzar’s time.)
Daniel was called and the king told him the position, that the magicians were unable to help and if he, Daniel, could solve the writing the rewards and the position offered should be his. Daniel replied immediately “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.” Before doing so he first addressed the king and reminded him of the humiliating experience through which Nebuchadnezzar went. (The father of Belshazzar had passed, and Daniel told Belshazzar the result was that Nebuchadnezzar realized that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and sets over it whom He will. Then came the denunciation, “You have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this, but you have lifted yourself against the Lord of Heaven. The vessels of his house have been brought before you and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have drunk wine from them, and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, have you not honoured. Then from his presence this hand was sent, and this is the writing, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
“This is the interpretation:
“MENE God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.
“TEKEL You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.
“UPHARSIN = PERES (Note U = and, PHARSIN is plural, PERES is singular) Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
“Then Belshazzar gave to Daniel the things and honours promised; but that night was Belshazzar was slain and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being sixty-two years old.”
What had happened? Babylon was a tremendous city, about ten miles square. It was surrounded by a great high and wide wall. The river Euphrates ran through the middle of it. That night was a feast to the gods. The Babylonians thought their city was impregnable and they were consequently careless about keeping the necessary watch. Around the city were a series of lakes. Cyrus joined these together with canals and then, on that particular night the river was diverted through these lakes and the soldiers crept up the (comparatively) dry river bed, and before the people knew, the city was taken.
That was the end of the power of Babylon, but it forms a most interesting type of what will happen (and is already happening!) in the last days — those in which we are living now.
Chapter 6
The gold had given place to the silver. Darius set up one hundred and twenty satraps and three presidents over them, and of the three Daniel was made chief. Naturally this aroused the jealousy of the others, and they sought how they might bring about his downfall or, if necessary, his death. But, as the R.S.V. states, “…they could find no ground for complaint, or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him… ” Then they said “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel, unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” (Incidentally, what an example for faithful men and women of all ages to copy!)
They had noticed that three times every day Daniel, with the windows in his upper chamber open towards Jerusalem, made prayer and supplication and thanksgiving to the God of Heaven, so his enemies thought they saw in this the means to overthrow Daniel. Accordingly, with flattery on their lips, they persuaded Darius to sign a decree that no petition should be made to any man or god except to the king for thirty days, and if any transgressed this edict then they should be cast into the den of lions. And they reminded the king that no law of the Medes and Persians could be revoked or set aside. And king Darius signed the decree. Daniel knew of this, but it did not alter his course of action. Thrice daily he continued his prayers as aforetime. Gleefully his enemies went to the king and told him “… that Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no heed to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
Darius realised the trap into which he had fallen. “He was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel, and he laboured until the sun went down to rescue him.” His enemies came to the king and reminded him of the immutability of the laws of the Medes and Persians, leaving the king no alternative but to command that Daniel be cast into the den of lions, saying to him “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you.” There was no way out. Daniel was cast into the lions’ den, and the mouth was closed with a stone which was sealed with the king’s seal. Then Darius spent the night fasting, no diversion was brought to him, and he spent a sleepless night.
As soon as day broke, Darius went with all haste to the lions’ den. “O Daniel, your God, whom you serve continually, has he been able to deliver you from the lions?” Imagine the joy of the king when he heard Daniel reply “Oh king, live for ever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him, and also before you, O king, have I done no wrong.” Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that Daniel should be taken up out of the den, and no kind of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God. Then those who thought to destroy Daniel were themselves cast into the den of lions, but God did not close the lions’ mouths. There is a proverb about those who dig a pit and fall into it! Then the king issued another decree that his subjects should fear and tremble before the God of Daniel, “for he is a living God enduring forever.”
Worth Noting
As in the earlier chapters, angelic oversight, guidance and protection are very evident. The hand which wrote upon the wall could be none other than the hand of an angel. Similarly in chapter 6 Daniel told Darius that “God had sent his angel, and closed the lions’ mouths”. All these incidents confirm very clearly that the present dispensation is under the control of these messengers of God who do His will and fulfil His pleasure.
Daniel’s reliance upon the God of Heaven was of a very high order as, indeed, was that of his three intimate friends. Their faith was a living faith, and they manifested it by their works. It would have been a simple matter for Daniel to either close his window, or alter his times for prayer, or reduce the number, or go to another room, but Daniel’s faith was too robust for that. He knew that God was far more powerful than any combination of his enemies, so he made no change, despite the fact that he knew exactly what his enemies were plotting to do.
How old was Darius at this time? Boutflour in his book “In and about the book of Daniel” suggests that 62 should be 12, and advances reasonable evidence that this could be so. If such were the case we can readily understand that an immature youth would respond to the flatteries of those wicked men who were so keen on Daniel’s destruction.
Some have queried if Daniel was right in occupying the position he did, seeing it is one of our principles to abstain from politics. The comparison, however, is not a sound one, for we can choose, but Daniel could not. He was a captive in Babylon, even if he occupied a privileged position. We need have no misgivings, for the very fact that he prayed three times every day shews us that his attitude and conduct were above criticism, and even his enemies had to admit that if they were to find any loophole it would be “in connection with the law of his God.” The position of Joseph in Egypt was a comparable one, and he too was a faithful and upright man amidst it all.
Many today occupy very responsible positions in the business houses or factories of our lands, and very often they are appointed to those positions because of the integrity of their lives.
Employers can buy brilliance; but they cannot buy reliability, which is just what we can give them. Such positions have their difficulties and dangers, but such can be overcome if the examples of Daniel and Joseph are copied.
Cyrus the Persian was one of the very few whose birth was foretold, with details of the position he would occupy and the work he would do. Isaiah 45: 1-6 gives this in amazing detail, all of which came to pass. It appears to have been an outstanding policy of Cyrus to help captive peoples to return to their own lands. Ezra chapter 1 gives details of how Cyrus discharged the responsibilities which the God of Heaven had placed upon him. It was no light thing to hand over to the returning Israelites all the gold and silver vessels to be used in connection with “…the house he has charged me to build for him at Jerusalem.” The value of all the gold and silver vessels must have been fabulous, the total of gold and silver vessels being five thousand, four hundred and sixty nine. The majority of conquerors would have retained such spoil for their own use.
Cyrus was evidently a faithful and conscientious man, willing to obey the injunctions he had received from the God of Heaven. Was it Daniel who informed Cyrus of the will of the God of Heaven? It could have been. Israel was now being given a new start in life, the seventy years’ captivity now being a thing of the past, although the seventy years’ desolation still had twenty years to run. This explains why the returned captives laid the foundations for the new temple, but then the work lapsed until Zechariah and Haggai roused them up to complete the building twenty years later. This brings the first six chapters to an end. In Chapter 7 the material is totally different, and will require a much more detailed exposition than the chapters hitherto, necessary as they are as a background for much that follows. We shall find there are difficulties. Certain things are “sealed until the time of the end.” God has promised, however, that “the wise shall understand.” Let there then be no presumption as we endeavour to understand the hidden mysteries, but rather the reverse, realising that if it be God’s will we shall understand what he intends shall be understood in these last days.
Being Compassionate