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| 1 Belshazzar the king hath made a great feast to a thousand of his great men, and before the thousand he is 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 hath said while tasting the wine to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, that drink with them may the king, and his great men, his wives, and his concubines. |
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 they have brought in the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and drunk with them have the king and his great men, his wives and his concubines; |
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 have drunk wine, and have praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of 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 In that hour come forth have fingers of a man's hand, and they are writing over-against the candlestick, on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king is seeing the extremity of the hand that is 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 the king's countenance hath changed, and his thoughts do trouble him, and the joints of his loins are loosed, and his knees are smiting one against another. |
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| 7 Call doth the king mightily, to bring up the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Answered hath the king, and said to the wise men of Babylon, that, 'Any man who doth read this writing, and its interpretation doth shew me, purple he putteth on, and a bracelet of gold [is] on his neck, and third in the kingdom he doth rule.' |
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 coming up are all the wise men of the king, and they are not able to read the writing, and the interpretation to 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 the king Belshazzar is greatly troubled, and his countenance is changing in him, and his great men are perplexed. |
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| 10 The queen, on account of the words of the king and his great men, to the banquet-house hath come up. Answered hath the queen, and said, 'O king, to the ages live; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor thy countenance 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 understanding, and wisdom as the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him thy father, O king |
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| 12 because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of enigmas, and loosing of knots was found in him, in Daniel, whose name the king made Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and the interpretation he doth show.' |
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| 13 Then Daniel hath been caused to come up before the king; answered hath the king, and said to Daniel, 'Thou art that Daniel who [art] of the sons of the Removed of Judah, whom the king my father brought in out of Judah |
Daniel – At this time about 90 years of age. R3632:3, R2497:5
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| 14 And I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been found in thee. |
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| 15 'And now, caused to come up before me have been the wise men, the enchanters, that this writing they may read, and its interpretation to cause me to know: and they are not able to shew the interpretation of the thing: |
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| 16 and I I have heard of thee, that thou art able to give interpretations, and to loose knots: now, lo thou art able to read the writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know purple thou dost put on, and a bracelet of gold [is] on thy neck, and third in the kingdom thou dost rule.' |
A chain of gold – As an insignia of rank. R2497:6
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| 17 Then hath Daniel answered and said before the king, 'Thy gifts be to thyself, and thy fee to another give; nevertheless, the writing I do read to the king, and the interpretation I cause him to know; |
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 thou, O king, God Most High, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour, gave to 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 because of the greatness that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making low; |
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| 20 and when his heart was high, and his spirit was strong to act proudly, he hath been caused to come down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory they have caused to pass away from him, |
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| 21 and from the sons of men he is driven, and his heart with the beasts hath been like, and with the wild asses [is] his dwelling; the herb like oxen they cause him to eat, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, till that he hath known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He willeth He raiseth 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 thou, his son, Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though all this thou hast known; |
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| 23 and against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand [is] thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured. |
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 from before Him sent is the extremity of the hand, and the writing is noted down; |
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 that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided. |
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: Numbered God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished 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 Weighed Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking. |
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 Divided Divided is thy kingdom, and it hath been 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 hath Belshazzar said, and they have clothed Daniel with purple, and a bracelet of gold [is] on his neck, and they have proclaimed concerning him that he is the third ruler in 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 Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain, |
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 hath received the kingdom, when a son of sixty and two years. |
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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