Politics

THE HAND WRITING ON THE WALL

by Charles (Chuck) Robey
10/08/16
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"He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. " (Isaiah 40:23-24)

The feast was on in the city of Babylon, for the King, Belshazzar had  set  in motion a great feast. Among the invitees were a thousand of his nobles (Daniel 5:1).  However, there probably were a great many in attendance, aside from the king’s nobles, for there were probably a number of servers, guards, wives, concubines, and a host of lower-level officials.

This was not a royal state dinner, but simply a drunken party, as no official protocol was in effect.  King Belshazzar got the party going when he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem.  So as the party proceeded, all were drinking and praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. (Daniel 5:2-4)

King Belshazzar failed to realize it,  but he was celebrating his own funeral, as was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah about fifty years before. (Jeremiah 50:1-3,9)  (Jeremiah 51:11, 28) (Jeremiah 51:53) (Jeremiah 50:24) (Jeremiah 51:36) (Jeremiah 51:39)(Jeremiah 27:6-7)

However, God made a contribution to this feast.  Suddenly the fingers of a man emerged and began writing opposite the lamp stand on the plaster of the palace wall. This caused the King’s face to turn pale, and his body began to shiver and shake. In other words this great and mighty King was scared to death (Daniel 5:5-6).  It wasn't what had been written, as the interpretation was not yet known. It was the sight of a disembodied hand hanging in the air. I'm sure this extraordinary happening probably sobered up a great many of the guests, as well as the King.

Immediately, the King called aloud to all his subordinates, offering a great treasure and a third of his kingdom if anyone could interpret the writing, but none could give a meaning.  This made the King even more perplexed. (Daniel 5:7-8) (Daniel 5:15)

Enter Daniel, on the advice of the Queen. (Daniel 5:10-14)  Daniel responded by telling the King to keep his gifts, that he would read the inscription and give an interpretation. (Daniel 5:16-17)

After reviewing the King’s heritage (Daniel 5:18:21), and rebuking the King’s sin (Daniel 5:22), the unknown message was revealed. "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, meaning:

Mene (numbered) - God had numbered Belshazzar's kingdom and put an end to it. Tekel (weighed) -Belshazzar had been weighed according to God's standards of righteousness and found to come up short. Upharsin (divided or halved) This is a reference to Babylon being divided  between the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5:24-28)

After this interpretation was given, the King clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace around his neck and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the Kingdom (Daniel 5:29).

However as prophesied, that very night King Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain, giving the kingdom to Darius the Mede (Daniel 5:31). The Medo-Perisan army slipped beneath the wall of Babylon, putting King Belshazzar to death, thus fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy.

Is this scenario a parallel of America today? This particular period of history is much like our culture of today (Hosea 8:1-4, 7, 12). Babylon actually began as the city of Babel, the city of Nimrod who attempted to oppose God (Genesis 11:1-9), much like America is doing today.  Like Babylon we have our great architectural structures, our modern technologies, our human secular pride,  our ungodly governments, our unjust laws, our unholy sensual drinking and making merry, our "me" culture, and the list goes on and on.

Can't you just pick any number of American scenes, close your eyes and imagine you are in King Belshazzar's palace, in his great ballroom and having the time of your life?

Is God's "handwriting on the walls" of the stately Washington D.C buildings? Is it on the White House wall?  Is it on Capitol building wall?  Is it on the Supreme Court wall? So, is God's judgment coming or is it already here? Like King Belshazzar, by the time he saw what was coming, God's judgment on his own life, it was too late.  So is it too late for America?  

You see, our society has succumbed to promoting a secular way of life, a great deal  like King Belshazzar.  We have lost or destroyed our Biblical values, as God's values are now mocked in our so-called Christian nation. Unless these social trends are reversed, our country will face the same divine judgment as did ancient Babylon. (Isaiah 3:9) 

What then should we as a nation look for in His judgment? (Luke 21:34-36) Basically, an increase in our nationwide problems such as:

The weakening of our national power, both at home and abroad
Political unrest within all phases of politics
Distrust of government at all levels of the populace
Chaotic, destructive weather patterns, causing loss of property and lives
Increased terrorist threats and activities, in unlikely places
More financial reverses and economic loses
Increased health issues, both physical and mental
Increased crime, riots, demonstrations and violence
Further breakdown of marriage, and the family structure
Increased abortions at all stages of gestation
Increased activity of ungodly courts and judges 
Increased goings-on of the self-centered citizenry’s mindset
Increased complacency of the populace  
Increased degradation in the education process at all levels
The cunning deception of evil versus good
Increased desecration of America's flag and mottos
Increased disdain of America's news media
Increased disregard for America's founding freedom documents
Increased heretical church and religious movement teachings

Conversely, what may America learn from this intervention of God's sovereign power in ancient Babylon?  (1 Cor 10:11) (Romans 15:4)  We must strengthen our relationship with God before it's too late (Isaiah 23:3).  We must humble ourselves, pray and seek God's face (2 Chronicles 7:14).  And we must repent of our national sins (1 John 1:9).

No, it's not too late. However, as a nation, we must act in good faith before God judges us.  Amen!

Author's Postscript (Taken from tomorrowsworld.org)

You might ask, "What does this ancient event have to do with us today?" Discerning minds can draw several important lessons from this historical incident: (1) Pride and arrogance have consequences—Belshazzar despised and defied the God of the Bible—and, as a result, he lost his kingdom and his life. (2) Forgetfulness can be fatal—Belshazzar forgot the lessons his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had learned—that there is a God in heaven who rules in the affairs of men and brings down those who walk in pride (Daniel 4:34–37). (3) Negligence carries a big cost—Belshazzar ignored the signs of the times—he was not watching when he was surrounded by his enemies—and his city was taken by surprise! (4) When Belshazzar finally saw the handwriting on the wall, it was too late—he had crossed the line; he had reached the end of his rope—and God brought him and his kingdom down!

While critics dismiss these accounts as irrelevant to nations in the 21st century, more astute thinkers offer a different perspective. The Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" — in other words, if we fail to learn the lessons of history, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of history! Social critic Os Guinness put it this way, "A generation that fails to read the signs of the times may be forced to read the writing on the wall" (The American Hour, p. 414). Writing five centuries after the fall of Babylon, the Apostle Paul said these events were important because "all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). The Bible clearly reveals that these events were recorded to teach us lessons, so we can avoid making the same mistakes—if we have eyes to see!

But, are there signs of the times today — that are clearly visible — yet are ignored by most?  Have the hours spent on Facebook, watching television, or playing video games blinded us to the significance of what is happening around us? Do we recognize the dangers that are threatening our culture and the future of our nations? Are we aware of warnings that are being sounded?

Please note: It is the intent of this blog to encourage the Christian community to pray, and then vote for the candidate of choice  in America's  upcoming presidential election. As this is our God given responsibility. (Romans 13:1-7)

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