In our last two messages from this series, I asked us to consider this important question: “What would we, as believers, do if our country ever came under siege by a foreign nation that did not believe in God or His Son, Jesus Christ?” In the most recent of our previous messages, we learned some of the signs to look for in knowing when captivity is right around the corner. Today we will discover that Babylon, just like Israel, was in danger of judgment and being overrun by a foreign nation; and we will dig deeper into the reason why a country falls from God’s grace, thereby causing Him to lift His hedge of protection. The warning signs that we will identify from Daniel chapter five will help us in knowing if America is in danger of God’s judgment.
The Leaders Disrespected the Lord (vv. 1-4)
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
We read here how Belshazzar (son of Nebuchadnezzar, v. 18) and all his royal court were carrying on without a care in the world, completely ignorant of impending judgment on Babylon. Isaiah testified of the day when Israel was on the verge of judgment by Assyria, saying, “In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, [the people responded with] joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: [saying] ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’” (Isaiah 22:12-13). And today here in America, as God is calling for repentance, people are going about their lives completely self-focused and oblivious to the possibility of judgment on our nation.
In verse 2, we read that “Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken . . . [so] that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.” For what purpose were the gold and silver vessels meant to be used? They were fashioned by King Solomon’s craftsmen to be utilized by the priests in the Jerusalem temple in the worship of Almighty God (2 Chronicles 4:19-22). They weren’t meant for common use, especially in drunken parties. W. A. Criswell tells us that Belshazzar declared, “These Jews are [now] assimilated . . . Let’s defame and damn their God! And that’s the way he did it. He took those sacred vessels, and he poured and parceled them out to his paramours and his mistresses and his concubines. And the thousand lords did the same.”(1)
King Belshazzar and his royal court profaned the articles of God. This leads me to ask, “How are we profaning and disrespecting God here in America?” Jonathan Cahn (author of The Harbinger), in speaking about America’s “departure from God and His ways,” tells us that “on June 25, 1962, America took its first major step in removing prayer and God from its national life when the Supreme Court ruled prayer in public schools illegal. Many see this date as a marker of the decline of America – not only spiritually and morally, but as an entire civilization.”(2) Cahn also says that since then, “America has offered up nearly 55 million of its children to abortion since it was legalized in 1973; [and] its media and culture continues its descent toward vulgarity, sexual immorality and godlessness.”(3)
We also read here that Belshazzar and his royal court used the articles of God to offer toasts to other gods, in order to praise them (v. 4); and so, I must ask, “How are we worshiping other gods here in America; and in what ways are we mixing the sacred with the secular?” In our materialistic culture, it’s obvious that we’re worshiping other gods; specifically the gods of self and money. Paul warned young Timothy, “In the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money . . . [and] lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2a, 4b). It’s also obvious that we’ve combined the sacred and secular. For example, the same Supreme Court that banned public prayer in schools, opens each session with prayer, “having a form of godliness but denying it’s power” (2 Timothy 3:5a), as Paul declared.
Any nation that has only a form of godliness definitely lacks the Lord’s power, as God will withdraw His backing and favor. The leaders in Babylon disrespected the Lord, and as a result, judgment was waiting around the corner.
He Responded by Sending a Sign (vv. 5-8)
5 In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.
If you have ever heard the old saying, “He saw the writing on the wall,” keep in mind that this is where it originates. The writing on the wall was a sign. God will respond to those who mock and disrespect Him by sending them a sign, or a harbinger. Sometimes He will send multiple harbingers. So, why does the Lord do this? Jonathan Cahn says, “The purpose of the [Lord’s] harbingers is not to condemn a nation to judgment, but to warn it to the aim of salvation, redemption and revival.”(4) The Lord sent an eerie disembodied hand to Belshazzar and his royal court as a warning of impending judgment; with the hope that the king would set the nation of Babylon back on the right course, and begin acknowledging the Lord’s guidance once again.
Back around 721 B.C., the northern ten tribes of Israel refused to repent after they were struck by the Assyrians - which was a warning from God. An article from The 700 Club says, “Instead of listening to the alarm, of turning back, and humbling themselves in repentance, they boasted of their resolve, that they would rebuild stronger and better than before. They ignored the warning and rejected the call to return. They defied it. Sadly, their defiance led to the nation’s total destruction years later [by Babylon].”(5) Did you know that the United States has boasted the same way? After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, American leaders vowed to rebuild higher and stronger at Ground Zero.
In Isaiah 9:9-10, the Lord said, “All the people . . . say in pride and arrogance of heart: ‘The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars’.” In this declaration, the northern ten tribes were pronouncing their own judgment, for from these very words God devised nine harbingers; nine signs – which Jonathan Cahn says – the Lord sends time and again as a warning to any nation in danger of judgment; and which Cahn says, “Each of which have reappeared on American soil – marking America as the nation in danger of judgment.”(6) For a detailed account of the nine harbingers, I recommend reading The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn; but for the sake of time, we’re going to move ahead in our Daniel passage to our next set of verses.
God’s Grace Was Unappreciated (vv. 17-22)
17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.”
20 “But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. 22 But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.”
Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar’s father, was initially under God’s favor (v. 18), being used by the Lord as an instrument of judgment on the nation of Israel. However, when he became prideful, he was knocked down, and “deposed from his kingly throne” (v. 20). He was sentenced to temporary judgment, wandering as a madman among the beasts of the field, until he realized that “God rules in the kingdom of men” (v. 21). Though hard to comprehend, Nebuchadnezzar’s temporary bout of insanity was an act of God’s grace. It was a harbinger to caution his son Belshazzar, in order to lead him away from even greater judgment; however, he didn’t heed the warning. Daniel told him, “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this” (v. 22).
The Lord has sent numerous warning signs to America, with the hope that we will lower our pride and acknowledge that “God rules in the kingdom of men” (v. 21); however, like Belshazzar, we as a nation have refused to heed His harbingers, even though we have seen them before our very eyes. You see, God sent our country an unmistakable wake-up call on September 11, 2001, when He allowed the attack on the World Trade Towers. Jonathan Cahn explains it like this:
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was sworn into office as America’s first president. After taking the oath of office, he issued a prophetic warning concerning what would happen if America ever turned away from God – a word that is coming true in our day. After the address, the nation’s first government gathered at an appointed place to pray and to commit the nation’s future into God’s hands. This was America’s dedication ground.
But where was it? It was in the nation’s first capital. But America’s first capital was not Washington, D.C. It was New York City. Where exactly? America was dedicated to God at ground zero! America’s dedication ground is ground zero! The calamity returns to the place where the nation, on its first day, was dedicated to God . . . All around ground zero, every building was either destroyed or ruined – except one. Only one building was virtually untouched: St. Paul’s Chapel, where America was dedicated to God.(7)
Immediately after 9/11, many people began turning back to the Lord. Churches began seeing an increase in attendance, and there was a sense of spiritual hunger and openness among individuals; however, it wasn’t long before all was forgotten, and people began turning away from the Lord again. The Harbinger of 9/11 was an opportunity to repent. God extended to the United States of America His grace and another chance at following Him; however, His grace was unappreciated. When a nation fails to heed God’s initial harbingers, then worse things are yet to come.
A Nation Numbered and Sentenced (vv. 23-31)
23 “And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.”
24 “Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. 25 And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
According to verse 23, the main problem behind their defilement of the temple vessels, was that they had lifted themselves up against the Lord; and this defiance of God was evident through idolatry. I have already pointed out how idolatry is rampant here in America. Idolatry is defined as, “Excessive attachment or veneration for any thing, or that which borders on adoration.”(8) Therefore, an idol doesn’t have to be a wood, stone or metal image, but something to which we devote the majority of our time, adoration, or resources. This devotion to idols that we see here in America signifies that our country has indeed lifted itself up against the Lord; and as a result, we have seen the writing on the wall. So, what does the writing on the wall mean, and what does it tell us?
Daniel interpreted the inscription that was written on the wall. If you haven’t already noticed, he chose to translate the word PERES instead of UPHARSIN. The reason why is because PERES is the root word of UPHARSIN.(9) “These words are known Aramaic names of measures of currency: MENE [is] a mina (from the root meaning “to count”), TEKEL [is] a spelling of shekel (from the root meaning “to weigh”), [and] PERES [is] half a mina (from the root meaning “to divide.”(10) According to Daniel, the inscription written on the wall meant that Babylon’s days were numbered; the country was found wanting; and the nation had already been given away to someone else.
Are America’s days numbered, and will our nation fall? Jonathan Cahn says, “Today there is a growing sense among believers . . . that America is in danger of judgment and that its days as the world’s leading superpower are numbered.”(11) Troy Anderson says, “Most Bible prophecy scholars agree that God’s Word is mysteriously silent about the fate of the U.S. They say the Bible refers to at least fifteen specific nations and regional alliances that play roles in the end times; but America is not specifically named.”(12) Cahn adds to this, saying, “The absence of any clear reference to America in end-times prophecy is a warning of America’s fall from its position as head of nations.”(13)
Babylon’s days were indeed numbered, for we read down in verses 30-31, “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old” (vv. 30-31). The identity of Darius the Mede is a matter of debate because of dating discrepancies. He was possibly Darius I, known as “Darius the Great,” who “conquered Babylon and personally commanded the Persian army that took the city in 522 B.C. to put down a rebellion.”(14) The trend we see in Scripture is that God’s judgment usually comes in the form of invasion by another nation. If America is being weighed in the balance, then be forewarned that its demise might not just be economic ruin; but at our weakest moment, another nation could swoop in to take charge; perhaps a nation to whom we are indebted financially.
Time of Reflection
The Lord wants His people to stand up as His messengers, to speak up in order to warn others of their need to repent and turn back to God. If we serve as faithful messengers, then the Lord will promote us, even if we should come under new management. In the very next chapter, in Daniel 6:1-3, we read this: “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.”
Anyone who’s carrying on without a care in the world, serving only themself; and who has lifted themself up against the Lord, is someone who is in danger of judgment and needs to repent and turn to God. Living in defiance to God is called “sin,” and Isaiah said, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). Sin results in eternal separation from God, and it leads to spiritual death. Romans 6:23 declares, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You must turn to God in order to be saved from your sins, and the only way to reach the Lord and receive His forgiveness is to know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
You know Him and receive Him by confessing aloud your faith and trust in Him. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” If you need to confess Jesus Christ for the very first time, then I wish to invite you to come forward and receive Him today.
NOTES
(1) W. A. Criswell, “Drunk Kings,” Criswell Sermon Library: www.wacriswell.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/Search.Transcripts/sermon/290.cfm (Accessed December 12, 2012).
(2) Jonathan Cahn, “America in the Balance,” Charisma (October 2012), p. 15.
(3) Ibid., p. 16.
(4) Ibid., 18.
(5) “Jonathan Cahn: The Harbinger,” The 700 Club: www.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/jonathan_Cahn_010312.aspx (Accessed December 13, 2012).
(6) Ibid.
(7) Cahn, pp. 16, 18.
(8) Noah Webster, “Idolatry,” 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 2002).
(9) Walter Kenaston, “UPHARSIN and PERES,” home.earthlink.net/~walterk12/HIB/Words/vprsin.html (Accessed December 12, 2012).
(10) “The Writing on the Wall,” Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_writing_on_the_wall (Accessed December 3, 2012).
(11) Cahn, p. 16.
(12) Troy Anderson, “America at the End,” Charisma (December 2012), p. 40.
(13) Ibid., p. 36.
(14) “Darius the Mede,” Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_the_Mede (Accessed December 13, 2012).
