Daniel chapter five. Daniel chapter five. Daniel, the prophet of the most high, the future of the world, all of it future for Daniel, some of it history for us. It the lessons from the book of Daniel I have taught before focusing on the first six chapters. We focused on the last latter chapters in reference to some studies in prophecy several years back.

But we wanna focus on the book of Daniel beginning at the beginning and throughout, focusing on the prophetic nature of the book and not so much on Daniel himself, but on the prophecies of Daniel and their purpose. The the lessons I'm teaching come are influenced greatly by this book. The book is titled The Handwriting on the Wall And it's written by David Jeremiah with this guy C. C. Carlson that I I don't know.

But I was reading it and, looking for something, a series to do on Sunday evenings and felt like the Lord was leading me in that direction. So this is the direction we're gonna go and the the book is very interesting. The book of Daniel is very interesting and just unbelievable if you do not believe in the God of Daniel. What we read in the book of Daniel just is literally not possible except for God. And so, it is eye opening as we look through it, as to the incredible prophecies and their fulfillment.

The overarching purpose of this study is the prophecies which span centuries beginning with the days of Daniel and ending in days which are yet future to us. In either case, whether past to us or future, the prophecies of Daniel are like the handwriting on the wall in chapter five. Unalterable, unalterable, and sure to happen because they are not the mere musings of a man or soothsayer or palm reader or an astrologer, but the revelation of God himself concerning his creation and his plan to redeem fallen humanity. Look if you would in Daniel chapter five beginning in verse five. Speaking of the Belshazzar, the king of Babylon was having a party, celebrating and while he was celebrating this party, something happened.

Verse five, in the same hour came forth fingers, man's hand and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Okay? So no body, just a hand. That's all he could see. Then the king's countenance was changed.

Well, I would imagine so. He's looking at the wall, there's a hand. Just just a hand up there writing something on the wall. Imagine that might change his countenance. And his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against the other.

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. That was like the list I gave you earlier that Daniel is not. And the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, whosoever shall read the writing and show me the interpretation thereof shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men but they could not read the writing nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar, greatly troubled and his countenance was changed in him and the lords were astonied or astonished.

Things just went from bad to what? Worse. Okay? For Belshazzar because nobody could tell him what those words meant that that hand wrote on the wall. Except for who?

Daniel. Verse 17. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, let thy gifts be to thyself and give thy rewards to another. Yet, I will read the writing under the king and make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor.

And for the majesty that he gave him all people nations and languages trembled and feared 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. But when his heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne and they took his glory from him. And he was driven from the sons of men and his heart was made like the beasts. His dwelling was with the wild asses.

They fed him with grass like oxen. His body was wet with the dew of heaven till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men and that he appointed over it whomsoever he will. Speaking of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar previous, he went mad as Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar what happened if he exalted himself and not the God who put him there. Verse 22. And thou his son, oh, Belshazzar has not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this, has lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven.

They have brought the vessels of his house, the temple in Jerusalem before thee. And thou and thy lords, thy wives, thy concubines have drunk wine in them. And thou has praised the gods of silver and gold and brass, iron, wood and stone which see not nor hear nor know. The God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways thou has not glorified. Then was the part of the hand sent from him and his writing was written.

And this is the writing that was written, mini mini teco eupharsan. This is the interpretation of the thing. Meaning, God has numbered thy kingdom and finished it. Tekel, thou art weighed in the balances and are found wanting. Perez, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

Eupharsan is the plural of Perez. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet and put a chain of gold about his neck and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. And that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Midian took the kingdom being about three score and two years old. The handwriting was on the what?

The handwriting was on the wall. And you may have heard that used as an idiom for, well, if the handwriting's on the wall, then it's just what? It's over. You can't change it, it's done. It's a done deal.

It's gonna happen. And indeed, it did happen. Only hours later, Cyrus led an army under the walls of Babylon on a dry riverbed because he had diverted the Euphrates River, attacked the city, an impenetrable city, but not for God, and slew Belshazzar that very night. The handwriting was on the wall. What God revealed could not be what?

Could not be changed, could not be altered. In the book of Daniel, God chronicles the rise and fall of numerous empires and kings care covering hundreds of years including many details which undeniably came true. They were future to Daniel but many of them are history to us. Now why we who are Christians do not have problems believing in prophecy? Prophecy that is that comes from who?

That comes from God. An all knowing God, a sovereign God, not bound by the constraints of time and space. Though that's not a problem for us, there are many among us who do have a problem with that. They just can't believe that Daniel could foretell the rise and fall of four world empires hundreds of years in advance along with tons of details as to what happened in some of those empires before they happened because they do not believe in the God, the sovereign Lord who gave them. They cannot accept that one could rightfully predict future events on such a grand scale as we see in Daniel for the laws of physics and biology would not allow it.

And indeed, they wouldn't. There's no way that we could predict the future like this. It isn't possible for who? For men. But it is possible for who?

For God. It is possible for God. They would indeed be right. It was not it would not be possible if it were not for such a God as is revealed in scripture and in his son Jesus Christ. So as a result, they read Daniel and they call into question the veracity of the book and many other portions of scripture not because of its inaccuracy, but ironically they call into question Daniel's prophecy because of its what?

Because of its accuracy. How in the world can this really be prophecy? How could Daniel know all this? Certainly, something is wrong here because this just can't this just can't happen. So they must search for ways to try to discredit Daniel and the scripture.

Their first line of attack is to assert that someone claiming to be Daniel in the court of Nebuchadnezzar wrote this book. Now, wrote this book around May. So Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon in May. Daniel was taken captive with others around June as a young man or as a teenager. And so, at least midway through his life, this would put this around 05/1950 BC before the rise of the Persian Empire, before the rise of the Greek Empire, before the rise of the Roman Empire, Daniel would have written the book of Daniel.

However, because Daniel tells us about all of those empires and many details concerning their rulers and events that took place, the skeptics claim that this book was not written in May. They claim it was written at the earliest in January, hundreds of years later. Why? Well, because many of the events Daniel wrote about had happened occurred between May and January. Not all of them, but many of them, just as Daniel had predicted.

So because they are predisposed to not believe that anybody could do this, they have to they have to believe falsely that the book wasn't written by Daniel, was written by somebody else in January and the things he's writing about are not prophecy, but what? But history. Why? Because of the accuracy of the prophecies written by Daniel. They just can't believe it.

If you begin with this can't be true, then you must conclude it was written as history. And make this in making this assertion, they actually admit that there is no way to explain away what Daniel wrote as inaccurate. That's why they have to go to this because they don't have another good option. The Babylonian Empire Daniel served in was followed by the Medo Persian Empire which was followed by the Greek Empire which made way for the Roman Empire. Only the Babylonian and the Medo Persian Empires existed in Daniel's day.

The Greek Empire did spring into power seemingly overnight under the leadership of one incredible military leader as Daniel foretold. His name was Alexander the Great. Greece then later divided into four parts as Daniel foretold. The king of one part, the Seleucids, one of Alexander's generals, that part exactly as Daniel foretold, one of the kings from that part of the kingdom defiled the temple in Jerusalem which was then over overthrown by some men later called the Maccabees around January. Why do they wanna date Daniel after January?

Because Daniel chronicles that event that was clearly fulfilled at that time in history. He also wrote the king of Persia who would later send back the Jews to Jerusalem to rebuild after seventy years of captivity. He foretold the Roman Empire and how it divided into two parts long before its demise. The Messiah showed up in Israel as predicted in Daniel chapter nine at the time predicted by Daniel. And the list goes on and on and on.

These are just a few. Of the things Daniel predicted, hundreds of years in advance that came true. However, the only reason to believe that Daniel didn't write this in May is because you just simply refuse to believe in the God of Daniel. And there are some problems besides that with this assertion. For instance, Ezekiel.

Ezekiel was a contemporary of Daniel. He wrote the book preceding Daniel in your Bible. He was also taken captive, relocated by the Babylonians. Ezekiel fourteen twelve, Ezekiel writes this, the word of the Lord came again to me saying, son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out my hand upon it and will break the staff of the bread thereof and will send famine upon it and will cut off man and beast from it. That though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls for their righteousness saith the Lord God.

Daniel mentioned I mean, Ezekiel mentions who? Daniel. His contemporary right here in the book of Ezekiel just before or around the time Jerusalem was destroyed in May. Daniel had already made a name for himself in Babylon that had already got back to who? Ezekiel.

Only a couple decades later. In Ezekiel 28 in verse three, Ezekiel mentions Daniel again. In verse three of Ezekiel 28, he says, behold, thou art wiser than Daniel. There is no secret that they can hide from thee. Of course, the thee is God.

Of course, God is wiser than Daniel. But why didn't Ezekiel write, but thou art wiser than who would you put in there? Solomon? But instead, Ezekiel wrote who? Daniel.

Where is no other Daniel in scripture until we get to Daniel? So who is Ezekiel referring to? He's referring to the wisdom of his contemporary in the house of Nebuchadnezzar. So Ezekiel bears witness to a man named Daniel who had already risen to some fame in Ezekiel's day. If you discredit Daniel, you must also discredit who?

Ezekiel. Because Ezekiel said he existed and he was something special even in his day. Furthermore, Daniel's description of the times of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius are amazingly accurate and revealed to be so more and more with each archaeological discovery. One must conclude that Daniel actually lived where? In Babylon in May.

Because discovery after discovery, they just keep finding out that the things that Daniel described actually, what? Existed. They existed as Daniel describes them in the city of Babylon concerning the kings of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and Darius. Why is Daniel so accurate in his description of these things and the events and how things worked in the city? Well, there's one easy conclusion.

He lived there. He lived there. And therefore, his description of those things is accurate. And as archaeologists continue to dig, they're gonna continue only to find out that the Daniel of the Bible is the Daniel who lived in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, who wrote a book that miraculously and incredibly foretold the next five, six hundred years of human history, Amazingly. David Jeremiah mentions three attempts made in the past to discredit the accuracy of Daniel and paint certain aspects as purely fictitious.

So first of all, they try to claim, Daniel didn't live then, he lived after. Why? Because, well, everything he prophesied came true. They try that. And then, of course, when they fail at that, well, they try nitpicking.

Okay. Well, there's this this this thing mentioned that really didn't happen this way or or that didn't happen that way. Just to try to distract people and get them to think that there are contradictions in what he had to say. Let's look at three of them. Okay?

Three of those. Number one complaint by the critics. The practice as recorded in Daniel one one and two of Nebuchadnezzar taking precious mementos from his conquest to store them in his temple. Critics claim that there is no indication that this was the practice of Babylonian kings. They claimed let's let's look at Daniel one one and two real quick.

Daniel one one and two. The critics claim, because of course the critics are the elites and they are the professionals and they are always right. They claimed in Daniel one one and two, in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon into Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand with part of the vessels of the house, that would be the house of God, that would be the temple, which he carried in the land of Shinar to the house of his God and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his God. So the first thing critics latched on to was they didn't have any reason to believe that this was the practice of Babylonian kings.

Therefore Daniel's just making this up. Guess what? Since then, archaeologists have discovered several different things that indicate, you know something, not only did Babylonian kings do this, but who in particular did this? A man by the name of Nebuchadnezzar was in the habit of taking things from the houses, temples of other kingdoms and putting them in his temple as mementos to his military conquests. They didn't think that that was true.

They found out they were what? They were wrong and who was right? Daniel. Second was the mention in Daniel one three of a man named Ashpenaz. Look in verse three.

And the king spake unto Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs that he should bring certain of the children of Israel and the king's seed and of the princes. K? This man, the master of the eunuchs, overseer of a certain group of servants in the house of Nebuchadnezzar is named, his name is given, Ashpenaz. The critics claim there was no evidence of such a person. No person ever lived named Ashpenaz.

We haven't seen that name. Now, let me ask you, would that mean that a man named Ashpenaz had never lived? Well, that's kinda silly. I mean, are you gonna know the name of every citizen of the city of Babylon two twenty five hundred years ago? I don't think so.

Does that prove anything? The answer is no. If we never found anybody with the name of Ashpenaz, it would by no means prove that he didn't live. However, you know something? After the critics made that claim about a hundred years ago, they dug up a pillar and then they dug up another relic and another relic.

Guess whose name those relics mention out of the desert sands of Iraq? A man named Ashpenaz. A man named Ashpenaz and one of the writings reads this, Ashpenaz, master of the eunuchs in the time of Nebuchadnezzar. They better quit while they're ahead because we only continue to verify that God is right and the critics are wrong. Then there was the problem of king Belshazzar.

Now, we read from Daniel five about Belshazzar, the king who followed his followed Nebuchadnezzar. The historians claim that during the time which Daniel wrote, the king was a guy named Nabonidus and not Belshazzar. That was until a discovery was made that made it clear that there are actually two kings in the kingdom of Babylon, co regents, this was not terribly uncommon. This happened several times in Israel and Judah. Two kings, both called king, one Nabonidus, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, and the other Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus.

Belshazzar, as it turns out, reigned as king in the city of Babylon. Nabonidus, his father and co regent, ruled from another city and another area of the kingdom of Babylon. As it turns out, it was discovered that Belshazzar, the king who ruled in the city of Babylon was slain by the Persians and the Medes. Nabonidus who lived in another city was not slain, but Belshazzar was just as Daniel said. Daniel was right all along.

Why? Well, simply put because Daniel what? He lived there. Daniel really was a man who lived in the city of Babylon. He knew who the king was.

He spoke with them and he saw him die. He was there. He is right. He didn't live in January or January. He lived in May.

In the the Dead Sea Scrolls that were found about a hundred years ago, years ago, those Dead Sea Scrolls contain portions of a copy of the book of what? Daniel. Along with every other book of the Old Testament except Esther. When were those copies made? Between January.

Some of them predated or right around the time the copies that are there, the time of the Maccabees. Daniel was not written then. Daniel, like the other books of the Bible, was written long before. Notice Daniel five seven. Look back at Daniel five seven if you would.

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers and the Chaldeans and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, whosoever shall read this writing and shall show me the interpretation of shall be closed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck and he shall be the what? Third ruler. Why would Belshazzar say third ruler? Why wouldn't he make him the what?

The second ruler? Well, there's an easy answer to that question. Now, we know. Why? Because Nabonidus is one, Belshazzar is two, all Belshazzar has to offer is three.

And so in verse 29, then commanded Belshazzar and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, put a chain about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. However, that was not long lived because it was later that night that the kingdom was overthrown. So Daniel was only the third ruler for a few hours before Darius took over after Cyrus conquered the city. Guess what? Daniel was right, is accurate.

There's no reason except for disbelief to accept that Daniel is who he said he was and that he wrote not about history but about what? About the future prophecy. Finally, we have the testimony of Christ. Christ in Matthew twenty four fifteen verifies the genuineness, the authenticity of Daniel when he says, and when thou four shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place, whoso readeth let him understand. And then Jesus goes on.

Jesus verifies for us that Daniel was not someone else. He was not a phony. He was not a fake. He was a true prophet, lived in the day that he lived and prophesied of things that only who could know. Only God could know.

Because it is impossible for men to foretell hundreds of years with detail of things yet to come. The theme in the book of Daniel is not the wisdom and greatness of Daniel. But as Daniel reminds us throughout the book, the wisdom, majesty, and sovereign power of the most high God. That is what the book of Daniel is about. Turn if you would back to Daniel with me and we'll look at a few passages before we wrap up.

Daniel chapter two verses 20 through 23. So Daniel two twenty through 23. Daniel is brought before Nebuchadnezzar to tell him the dream and the interpretation thereof. This is what Daniel has to say. Verse 20, blessed be the name of God forever and ever.

For wisdom and might are his. He changes times and seasons. Now that's quite a statement. Daniel is saying the God he serves can change his can change times, can change the future. He's in control of it.

He changes times and seasons. He removeth kings and setth up kings. He giveth wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things. He knoweth what is in the darkness and light dwelleth with him.

That is the words of Daniel before he gives the interpretation. Look if you would in verse twenty seven and twenty eight. Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, the secret which the king has demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, musicians, the soothsayers show unto the king. Why can't they? Because they're just what?

They're just men. And those men do not have a line to who? To God. But Daniel did, verse 28, but there is a God in heaven that reveal his secrets and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. And then he goes on to tell him.

And what he told him came true. The head of gold, the arms of silver, the waist of bronze, legs of iron, they all happened as Daniel foretold, as Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Verse 36 through 38, this is the dream. We will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings.

Why? For the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And where wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven hath he, that is the God of heaven, given unto thine hand and hath made me ruler over them all, thou art this head of gold. Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was not the largest. That would be Rome.

It didn't last the longest. That would be Rome. But he was the head of gold. Why? Because no king after him held the power, the dictatorial power that Nebuchadnezzar had.

Nobody challenged Nebuchadnezzar. He was dictator of dictators. Not exactly a good thing because for much of his reign, he was the wicked, most wicked of dictators. But nonetheless, there was one higher than Nebuchadnezzar. Who was that?

The most high God, the God of Daniel. And he could take out Nebuchadnezzar with the snap of his fingers. And for seven years he did in Daniel chapter four. In Daniel chapter three, who is it that intervenes and overrules Nebuchadnezzar when he throws the three Hebrew friends of Daniel into the fiery pit? The God of heaven overrules.

Nebuchadnezzar heats up the fire what? Seven times hotter, he throws them in. The man he had throw them threw them in died because the fire was so hot. But the men thrown into the fire, they didn't die. They came out unscathed because of the most high God that they served.

Look if you would in Daniel four. Daniel chapter four verses one through three. Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all the people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you. This is Nebuchadnezzar writing. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath hath wrought toward me and how great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and his dominion is from generation to generation. Not so with Nebuchadnezzar, he died. But God's kingdom, it's forever. And even Nebuchadnezzar had to acknowledge that after God took away his mind and God took away his throne and then returned it to him as God had foretold through the mouth of who? Daniel.

Verse thirty four and thirty five after Nebuchadnezzar's ordeal, he writes, at the end of days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes into heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high. And I praised and honored him that liveth forever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, that that also included who? Nebuchadnezzar. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou?

Nebuchadnezzar found out the hard way. But again, this is a continuing story of the book of Daniel. Who rules and reigns? Not men, God. Daniel five eighteen.

O thou king, this is Daniel talking to Belshazzar. The most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor. What's Daniel doing? He's reminding Belshazzar that there is one higher than him. And if Belshazzar is determined to raise his fist before the God of heaven, then the handwriting is on the what?

Is on the wall. And his kingdom is found wanting. And in ours, his kingdom and his life came to an end. Daniel six twenty five through 27, we have the words of King Darius of the Medes who ruled in Babylon after Cyrus led the army to conquer it. Verse 25, then king Darius wrote unto all the people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you.

I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble in fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and steadfast and forever. And his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lion. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus, the Persian. In closing, I want to read a little bit from this book by David Jeremiah.

He writes, what Daniel will teach us if we allow him is that the kingdoms of this world are passing away and the kingdom of heaven is coming to pass. As I see this old world reeling and rocking on its axis, I am motivated, more motivated than ever to proclaim what God has prophesied especially through his prophet Daniel. Christians should be the calmest people on earth. We have no right to run around this world in frenzied activity, staying up and walking the floor at night wondering what is going to happen. God in heaven rules the kingdoms of men.

Daniel came to Babylon as a teenager and stayed until he was past 80. Through all those years of captivity, he was a leading official in three kingdoms. As he walked the halls of the palaces, he could watch how God worked in the lives of kings. Daniel was there to see the ruthless Nebuchadnezzar at work. This man possessed the cumulative cruelty of Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and Hussein.

He was the dictator, a dictator of the first order. We get a clue about him when we read all the people nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death and those he wanted to spare, he spared. This was a man who put away those who didn't like, he didn't like and promoted those he liked. He ruled his kingdom on the basis of whim.

One man did not fear him. He watched as God brought the king to his knees literally and figuratively. Ditto for Belshazzar and Darius to follow. Daniel was the man behind the scenes watching God at work in the halls of the leaders of nations. During all the troubles of the nation, from the king's insanity to the murder of his successors, the whirling intrigues, the plots and persecutions, Daniel stood like an iron pillar in a hurricane because the sovereign God of the universe was also the sovereign God of his life.

And that is what the book of Daniel is all about. The most high God rules in heaven and in earth. And he is my Lord, my savior, and my friend. Come what may, that won't change. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for all that you have done for us. Thank you for sending your son. Thank you for being the most high God who rules in the affairs of men. Thank you, Lord, that you do have a plan. Thank you, Lord, that we are privileged to be part of that.

We pray Lord that we would acknowledge, that we would trust in the power and the love and the care of the God who knows us. And that we would invite your presence in our lives. We would invite your help, your mercy, and your grace for it is there for us. And we need not fear. We need not cower before the rulers of this world or those who mock your name.

That we can stand strong as David before Goliath, as Daniel before these three rulers, trusting in the God who is above all. In Jesus' name we do pray. Amen.