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| 1 Belshazzar the king, made a great feast, to a thousand of his nobles,–and, before the thousand, was drinking, wine. |
Belshazzar the king – Identified with the Nabonidus of secular history whose name appears on ancient tablets. R2497:2
The grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. R3632:3
His name has the same signification as that given to Daniel, Belteshazzar, both signifying "Favored of God." R2497:2
Under whose reign came the collapse which pride, fulness of bread and abundance of idleness always insure and hasten. D24
Made a great feast – A boast in the greatness of Babylon. R2497:5
To renew memories of their great victories of the past. R4901:6
Corresponding to the great denominational union expected soon. R2498:6; HG521:4
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| 2 Belshazzar, gave word, at the flavour of the wine, to bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar his father, had brought forth, out of the temple which was in Jerusalem,–that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, might drink therein. |
The golden – Representing the precious truths of God's Word: also, the Little Flock. R2498:6[R2498]; C96; HG521:4
And silver vessels – Representing the Great Company. R2498[R2498]. R4079:4*; HG521:4
These were profaned by drinking therefrom to the honor of Bel, the god of Babylon. R2497:5
Gold and silver: Divine and natural truths or doctrines. R1483:6
Nebuchadnezzar had taken – In the pillage of Solomon's Temple--a triumph over the Jews. R4901:6
Out of the temple – Solomon's Temple. R4901:6
Might drink therein – Typifying injuries and defilements yet to come. R2498:6
Corresponding in Mystic Babylon to a spirit of boastfulness, of pride, of intoxication with error, apparently drawn from the Divine Word. SM410:3
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| 3 Then brought they the vessels of gold which had been taken out of the temple of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem,–and the king and his nobles, his wives and, his concubines, drank therein: |
Brought the golden vessels – To renew memories of past victories over the Jews and supposedly over their God. R4901:6
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| 4 they drank wine,–and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. |
They drank wine – So mystic Babylon is said to make all nations drunk with the wine, doctrine, which she gives them out of the golden cup which she holds in her hand. HG521:6
Praised the gods – Drinking to Bel, the god of Babylon. R2497:5
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| 5 Immediately, came forth the fingers of the hand of a man, and wrote, over against the chandelier, upon the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king,–and, the king, saw the part of the hand which was writing, |
Wrote...upon...wall – In letters of fire. R4902:1
A message from Jehovah announcing the end of Belshazzar's dominion as a just punishment for his sacrilege. R3633:2
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| 6 Then, as for the king, his bright looks, changed in him, and, his thoughts, terrified him,–and, the joints of his loins, were loosed, and, his knees, smote, one against another. |
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| 7 The king began crying out again, to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers,–the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever it is that shall read this writing, and, the interpretation thereof, shall declare unto me, with purple, shall he be clothed, and have a chain of gold upon his neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shall he have dominion. |
Scarlet and...gold – Some in mystic Babylon, having received honors and robes, are inclined to hide the message now due to Babylon. R2497:6
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| 8 Then were coming in all the wise men of the king,–but, the writing, could they not read, nor, the interpretation, make known to the king. |
Nor make known – Even if they had deciphered the letters and words, they had no interpretation to offer, because, from their standpoint, the true meaning would seem too far from the truth. R2497:5
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| 9 Then, King Belshazzar, was greatly terrified, and, his bright looks, were changed upon him,–and, his nobles, were perplexed. |
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| 10 The queen, by reason of the words of the king and his nobles, into the house of banqueting, entered,–the queen spake and said, O king! for ages, live! Let not thy thoughts, terrify thee, and, as for thy bright looks, let them not be changed. |
The queen – The king's mother. R2497:5, R3633:1
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| 11 There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and, in the days of thy father, light, and intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him,–and, King Nebuchadnezzar thy father, appointed him, chief of the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers,–thy father, O king! |
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| 12 Forasmuch as, a distinguished spirit, and knowledge and intelligence, ability to interpret dreams and solve riddles and unravel knotty points, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let, Daniel, be called, and, the interpretation, will he declare. |
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| 13 Then, Daniel, was brought in before the king,–the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art, thou, that Daniel, that is of the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? |
Daniel – At this time about 90 years of age. R3632:3, R2497:5
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| 14 Then, I have heard concerning thee, that, the spirit of the gods, is in thee,–and, light and intelligence and distinguished wisdom, are found in thee. |
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| 15 Now, therefore, have been brought in before me, the wise men, the magicians, that, this writing, they might read, and, the interpretation thereof, might make known unto me,–but they were not able, the interpretation of the thing, to declare. |
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| 16 I, however, have heard concerning thee, that thou art able, interpretations, to unfold, and, knotty points, to unravel,–Now, if thou be able, the writing, to read, and, the interpretation thereof, to make known unto me, with purple, shalt thou be clothed, and, a chain of gold, shalt thou have upon thy neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shalt thou have dominion. |
A chain of gold – As an insignia of rank. R2497:6
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| 17 Then spake Daniel, and said before the king, As for thy gifts, thine own let them remain, and, thy presents, on another, bestow,–howbeit, the writing, will I read to the king, and, the interpretation thereof, will I make known to him. |
Gifts be to thyself – Had Daniel accepted them he would have felt obligated to the king to such an extent that it might have warped his judgment or weakened his expression of the Lord's message. R2497:6
Rewards to another – Daniel renounced all claim to these gifts as a reward. R2497:6, R3633:2
Those who would be mouthpieces of the Lord should serve without stipulation of compensation. R2497:6
Thus many of the Lord's true servants in mystic Babylon are hindered by having received robes and honors and are inclined to hide or cover the message now due. They are bound by the chains of gold around their necks. R2497:6
The interpretation – The secret evidently lay in the manner in which the letters were arranged, the characters themselves being Chaldaic. R4902:1
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| 18 As for thee, O king, the Most High God, gave, kingship and greatness and honour and majesty, unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father; |
O thou king – The aged prophet displayed gentleness as well as fearlessness in the delivery of his message. R2498:1
God gave Nebuchadnezzar – Though his father, Nabopolassar. is recorded by history as the founder of new Babylonia, the "Times of the Gentiles" could not begin while God's typical kingdom in Israel remained--until the days of Zedekiah. R2497:1
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| 19 and, for the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, races and tongues, used to tremble and to withdraw falteringly from 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. |
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| 20 But, when uplifted was his heart and, his spirit, became obstinate so as to act arrogantly, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and, his dignity, took they from him; |
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| 21 And, from among the sons of men, was he driven, and, his heart, to a wild beast's, became equal, and, with the wild asses, was his dwelling, and, grass–like oxen, they suffered him to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, his body, was drenched–until that he came to know that the Most High God, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, whomsoever he pleaseth, he setteth up over it. |
Till he knew – King Belshazzar, knowing this, should have humbled himself and been reverential toward Jehovah God. R3633:2
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| 22 And yet, thou, his son, O Belshazzar! hast not humbled thy heart, though, all this, thou knewest; |
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| 23 but, against the Lord of the heavens, hast uplifted thyself, and, the vessels of his house, have they brought before thee, and, thou, and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have been drinking, wine, therein, and, gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which see not nor hear nor know, hast thou praised,–whereas, God, in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, him, hast thou not glorified. |
Lifted up thyself – Belshazzar boasted of his fortress and declared that the gods of Babylon were superior to all others. R3633:1
Vessels of his house – To profane them in the worship and glorification of idols. R2498:1, R3633:1
Nations which have dealt unjustly with the Jews or have persecuted spiritual Israelites have been punished. R3633:5
In whose hand – Power. R2498:1
Thy breath is – The God of all life has full power to control your course. R2498:1
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| 24 Then was there put forth from before him the part of the hand,–and, this writing, was inscribed: |
The part of the hand – The warning hand of divine providence. D42
Sent from him – It was recognized as being of superhuman origin. R3633:1
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| 25 And this is the writing which was inscribed, M'ne, M'ne, T'kel, u-Pharsin. |
MENE, MENE – Mene was repeated twice, probably for the sake of emphasis--Numbered! Numbered!--the limit of the time of your dominion has expired. R2498:2
TEKEL – Short weight, lacking. R2498:2
The Babylonian kingdom had retrograded from the original type. R4902:1
Mystic Babylon falls for a similar reason. R2498:4; SM411:T, HG521:3
In this day of his presence our Lord is judging the nations and weighing them in the balance. R5989:1[R5989:6]
At that very time Cyrus' army of retribution was investing the city. R3633:3
UPHARSIN – Broken or crushed into pieces, destroyed. R2498:2; HG520:1
Similarly the hand of providence now foretells the impending doom of ecclesiasticism. D42, D76, D97; F592
A type of the fall of antitypical Babylon at the hands of the antitypical Cyrus, Christ. R4901:6
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| 26 This, is the interpretation of the thing,–M'ne [="Reckoned-up"], God hath reckoned up thy reign, and ended it: |
Numbered – The days of your rule have been numbered by God. SM411:T, HG713:4
Finished it – The limit of the time of your dominion has expired. HG520:1
The spirit of the world has so fully taken possession of the ecclesiastical powers of Christendom that reformation of the systems is impossible and individuals can only escape by a prompt and timely withdrawal. D42
We should not look for light where little remains but the fading reflections of a former glory. R5993:6
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| 27 T'kel [="Weighed"],–thou art weighed in the balances, and found wanting; |
Thou art weighed – God does actually balance and weigh the conduct of people. While grace is the basis of his dealing, it is dispensed according to certain principles. R3633:4
Judgment is being laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet. (Isa. 28:17) R5989:1
In the balances – Both the heathen and the masses of Christendom take up the golden rule and the law of love wherewith to measure the doctrines, institutions, policy and general course of Christendom. D97
Found wanting – Later Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome would be given a trial. Each of these has proven its insufficiency--its inability to bring the blessings of Messiah's reign. R4902:1
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| 28 P'res [="Snatched-away"],–snatched away is thy kingdom, and given to the Medes and Persians. |
PERES – Of which Upharsin is the plural. Nothing in the word signifies Medes and Persians, but Daniel knew the prophecy and that they were already besieging the city. R2498:2
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| 29 Then Belshazzar, gave word, that they should clothe Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold upon his neck,–and should make a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler over the kingdom. |
Third ruler – After the government was transferred to the hands of Cyrus, the honored Jew, Daniel, found in a position of trust, was made an officer in the new government of Medo-Persia. R3633:3
It is to Belshazzar's credit that he so honored Daniel. R3633:3, R2498:2
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| 30 In that night, was slain–Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans. |
In that night – Thus did great Babylon fall suddenly--"in one hour." (Rev. 18:19) R2498:3
Soon--quickly--great Babylon will be cast as a mighty millstone into the sea. HG713:4
Slain – So far from destroying all the rulers of Babylon, including Daniel, Darius apparently spared all but the king alive, and gave Daniel a very high position in the empire. R2501:1
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| 31 And, Darius the Mede, received the kingdom,–when about sixty-two years of age. |
Darius the Median – It would appear that Cyrus was in some respects the chief, yet that Darius was the representative of authority in Babylon for a time, and that upon his death Cyrus became sole emperor. R2509:3
He may have been Cyrus the Mede. R3638:3
Typifying The Christ in the time of trouble in the end of the Gospel age. R2498:4; HG520:6
Took the kingdom – The River Euphrates flowed through the center of Babylon under enormous gates of brass. Cyrus diverted its waters and marched his troops under the gates into the city. R2498:2, R509:6*, R3632:6; PD51/62; SM410:3; HG520:2
As literal Babylon sat upon the literal River Euphrates, mystic Babylon is said to sit upon the waters, peoples. As the literal city was captured by the diversion of the waters, so symbolic Babylon will fall by the diversion of the symbolic Euphrates: "And the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." (Rev. 16:12) R2498:4, R510:1*; HG520:5
"Without fighting," as the tablets declare. R2498:3
So complete was the destruction of that great city that even its site was forgotten and was for a long time uncertain. D25
The wonderful prophecies which speak of the fall of Babylon (Isa. 14:22; Jer. 50 & 51) were not wholly fulfilled by Cyrus the Persian. R2498:3[R2498:5]
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