THE REVELATION OF DANIEL

The Revelation of Daniel Chapter 5

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

A Warning for Us Today

Belshazzar means prince of Bel. The indiscernible dual language of writing of immediate judgment is in answer to the final assize (writ of judgement) for the blasphemous drinking of wine from the cups that were once dedicated unto the Temple worship of God. This speaks as well to that future Cup of Remembrance of the Lord’s shed blood and broken body partaken of in Holy Communion. “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (judgment) to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” [1 Corinthians 11:29]

All the soothsayers, magicians, and wise men of ancient Babylon could not rightly interpret the writings of God. The history of that event is the prophecy (foreshadow) of the “wise” in modern day Christendom (gathered in the courts of Mystery Babylon) to rightly interpret and understand the Word of God.

The “princes of Bel” in Christendom take the things and doctrines of God and degrade them, and make mockery of them. Our earliest forefathers would be appalled at the drunken and sensuous messages of modern Christendom. “ …the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” [Revelation 17:2] Mystery Babylon is that great religious whore, arrayed in all the finery of this World. Whose golden cup of abominations and filthiness these “princes of Bel” have been seduced to drink, rather than to wholeheartedly drink from the selfless Cup of our Lord. They are therefore incapable of right interpretations of the Word of God.

There is a greater revealer of the revelations of God than Solomon or Daniel set before us, Jesus Christ. Whose Words are continually “transliterated” but are not translatable by the multitude of Christian diviners. They, being drunk with the wine of her cup, and lustfully engaged in the spiritual orgy of the mysterious Babylonian Mistress, are impotent to discern the truth from the Word. [Revelation 17]

Eager to please and align themselves with her offerings of granduer (like those offered by Belshazzar to the interpreter of the words) they then, worse than the wise of old, presumptuously and boldly step forward, declaring the interpretation of what they confess to read (but do not understand). That they may please their sensuous benefactors and remain in their good stead. They are those esteemed wise sages who parrot what others before them have said. “O Christian, be not frightened by His Word, “Ye shall not surely die…” Mene, Mene, Tekel, U-pharsin means,God has numbered your enemies’ kingdom and finished it…surely God will destroy your enemies before your eyes…. Your kingdom is sure, hath not God written: “And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar…..my servant…and all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son….” [Jeremiah 27:7a]

Today’s hireling ministers of God’s Word are like the deceiving prophets that the prophet Jeremiah withstood and wrote of. Those who stood before king Zedekiah, who read and misinterpreted God’s Written Holy Word’s promised assurances to Israel, at the cost of His warnings, and preached an erroneous victorious and materialistic “peace and safety” message that historically cost many in Judah their inheritance. The like message being that of the misappropriation of the promises God, out of the timing of God. Which has/will cost many a Christian their place in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ. These men reason and minister God’s character and salvation plan merely in the half truths of eternal security, without differentiating the great loss set forth in Scripture of the Kingdom warnings. They leave out, “…it is also written…” wherein each Christian, will be weighed in the balance and if having been found wanting, will suffer the severe consequence, even the cutting off from the Kingdom. [Ephesians 5:6]

These are those wolves in sheep’s clothing that preach doctrines of demons, who have pervaded Christendom. They drink of that cup unworthily and dishonor its sanctity, and teach others to do so. These are those the prophets Jude and Peter spoke of who twist the scriptures. “…some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” [2 Peter 3:16] (See also the even more fearful Word of Revelation 22:19)

It is then just for those who have known His witness (of one kind or another of which we will presently speak), but selfishly refuse to reason with God. They leave reason to pride, and are like unto the seed sown on the wayside; the stony, or thorny soil of Mark 4:3-7. They do the lukewarm works of the Laodiceans. They are blind and drunk in the pursuit of sensual materialism, therefore unable to reason His Word. [Revelation 3:13-18]

Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar’s example, but he ignored it. It is a great offense to God that we not humble ourselves to His Word and promptings, especially when aware of such holy severe examples to others. As this is today clearly set before us in Scripture and being then self-diluted, these will not be found with any weight of worth. Those Scriptural warnings of great loss are numerous for those who are sober enough to interpret by the Spirit. But for the inebriated Christian drunk in his prideful presumption, it is impossible to “…rightly divide the word of truth.”

WRITTEN OR SPOKEN OVER AND BEFORE ALL MEN, SINCE MAN’S CREATION, GOD HAS SET THIS STANDARD: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live…” [Deuteronomy 30:19]

Man has no excuse, regardless if He has not heard with his own ear or read with his own eye the “Word” of God, because within every man He has put witness of His existence. And by that consciousness, he intuitively knows right from wrong. Additionally, all visible creation declares Him. [Romans 1:18-21, Psalm 19] “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art….” [Romans 2:1]

As with Belshazzar, God but needs to give an indiscernible sign directed from the heavens to turn his own latent guilty thoughts in upon himself, as they are sufficient to affright the most hardened sinner. The Bible stories are more than sufficient unto this task for those so open to the fearful prospect of eternal death without God’s Atonement. Sufficient in Scripture also is the instruction in the necessity of righteousness after regeneration. It is in the preaching of the Gospel that righteousness is fully revealed. And it is by it that man may grow in knowledge from mere justifying faith to glory-filled faith. [Romans 1:17] It is to this end that He declares Himself and deals mercifully with man… that He may have many sons. [Hebrews1]

That God judges according to light given or light available is a sure Scriptural principle seen in Romans 2:12-16. “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing — one another) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

And see Luke 12:43-48: “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.”

And so it is to be understood that to the degree man has observed or not observed in the Age and light then available, God will hold that person responsible, as it relates to sonship and glory…or death. So here in the case of Belshazzar, his sin was the more grievous and his judgment more severe in that Daniel said: “O, thou king…..hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven…” [Daniel 5:22-23]

It can be said that sin is sin, but guilt and consequence is proportionate to knowledge/light ignored. Exampled by Scripture: “…it will go easier in the day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah than for Bethsaida and Capernaum.” It should also be understood that righteousness is righteousness, but glory is proportionate to knowledge/light acquired and walked in.

Read Ezekiel 18:23-32

Nebuchadnezzar, when rebuked humbled himself and extolled the Hand and Works of God. Belshazzar, having full knowledge of it, refused its light of guiding truth unto life and died in his blasphemy, ending his own life and the Babylonian Empire. This was prophesied by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 27:7… “And all nations shall serve him (Nebuchadnezzar), and his son and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.” (make Babylon serve them) It was also prophesied in other places as well, such as Jeremiah 51:28,39.

In that festival the thief cometh at night, and Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain. The first Empire of Daniel’s prophecy having run its course, so will this, its last empire of the Antichrist. The Anti-Christ will attempt to change the times and seasons (Daniel 7:27); but he will be standing in the last Gentile Emperor’s shoes, and his final step has been “determined”. [Daniel 9:27 with Revelation 19:20]

The finger of God has written but once, (on Mt. Sinai, when the finger of God wrote the 10 Commandments) on which our Lord expanded. And that for all time written, yet speaks. So the handwriting on the wall has but once been written, but it reveals the eternal principles down through time unto this very moment. This principle being that regardless of the debauchery in this Worldly realm, God’s government rules over all. And God has numbered this World’s days and finished it. He knows exactly how many days, from this present day, until the end of Gentile kingdoms.

And then a man’s heart will be weighed in the balance. Weighed against the light of the Age he lived in, and according to his every deed, in circumstance, motive, emotion & capacity, etc. Jesus Christ will search the reins and hearts of every man. [Revelation 2:23, 20:6, Luke 20:35] It will be determined whether he is found wanting or worthy of the first resurrection out from among the dead (greek), for inheritance as a son in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The heavier weight being used in this Age of mercy and grace, being that it is in this age the brightest of light has shown forth in the Face of The Savior. Equating to the more severe judgment for that Light’s refusal, but greater the reward of glory for walking within it. [Hebrews 10:28,29]

Revelation 2:23

See the example set before us in Daniel 5. Instead of mending our ways and heeding the warnings set before us by our parents, peers and Biblical examples, we think that if God warned them in such ways that He shall finally warn us in like manner. But that would be ignoring the God-given admonitions set out for them in Scripture, ministered to them by His appointed. They do not repent at them and continue to rush head on into irretrievable Judgement.

God intends that we should learn from history and take to heart the lessons of His providence. His word and acts are mercifully written, that we may note them and direct our way by them, and be ultimately welcomed into His presence.  And when people shut their eyes to all that He has shown, set at naught His counsels, and refuse to take the instructions He gives, it is all precisely reckoned up in His books as so much the more against them.

The tilting of the scales of judgment came with the blasphemous disregard of things dedicated to worship in the house of the Lord. Can we not rightly compare this to Paul’s words: “What? Know you not your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” Are we, who are enlightened in the things of God, not taking that which is set apart for the worship of the Lord, and using it for our own sensual enjoyment? And thereby defiling the heavenly utensils of Temple worship? For we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Has He not given us examples for such behavior? Has He not given us ample time to repent? Does He not yet call us to repent, and that before we lose our inheritance rights to the Kingdom? See the following self-examining question from Scripture. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” [1 Corinthians 6:9-10]

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” [1 Corinthians 6:20]

What does Paul mean when he says,“What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith he shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” [1 Corinthians 6:16-17] What is meant is that there is the natural consequence of human marriage. A spiritual law, that God had commenced with Adam and Eve, wherein they became in essence one flesh. Any sin we commit, we are responsible before God individually and if unrepented, we will stand in judgment for that sin. Be it manifest now in this time, in our body or soul in circumstance, or after we pass from this earth. But fornication is a sin that bears upon our body. And being in the case of the married, both bodies may suffer for the sin of the one, (in one way or another) that is to say in this life, not in the next.

Is not Paul declaring a spiritual marriage of the spirit as well in contrast?

But is there not fornication that is of spirit? This would go along with Paul’s statement of the defiling of the spirit, and the saving of the spirit. [1 Corinthians 5:3] It does not follow that it would affect a person’s eternal life any more than does the other, but their eternal reward is lost also. Thus we hear the warning words of “Come out of her my people” seen in Revelation 18:4, where it speaks of coming out of Mystery Babylon.

Taking our soul, the vessel of God, and using it for any sin is an example of the sin of Belshazzar.

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” [Matthew 15:19-20]

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then — said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; — neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” [John 8:41-47]

“As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.” [Acts 21:25]

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but — have pleasure in them that do them. [Romans 1:28-32]

God’s Law

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing — one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” [Romans 2:1-16]

“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” [ 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12]

“But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. [Revelation 2:14-17]

To the Church in Thyatira

“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” [Revelation 2:20-27]

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. [Revelation 17:1-6]

“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment…” [Revelation 18:3-10]