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CHURCH LETTER
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
` Belshazzar the king made a great feast '
The Book of Daniel brings to mind our early Sunday School days when we were thrilled by stories of the `fiery furnace' and `Daniel in the lion's den', where angels delivered them, giving us a sense of a spiritual world. That `age of innocence' was all too short as we moved into the realm of the great historical revelation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great statue. More excitment was to follow as we pieced together historical figues with Scriptural prophecy. The Hebrew Canon of Scripture does not include the Book of Daniel among their prophets but limit it to the `Writings' section, for they consider prophets to be those who lived and spoke in the land of Israel itself, and Daniel was taken into captivity in Babylon in the first wave of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Israel. There he would spend the remainder of his days serving God in interpretation of the great and momentous events that were to come through the worldly powers that affected Israel. Scripture is not a history of the nations of the world but `His-story' of nations as they affect Israel, the apple of God's eye.
There are three dreams recorded in the Book of Daniel - two given to Nebuchadnezzar and one to Daniel, three dreams in all, and the interpretations were given to Daniel by angel messengers. In this Letter our interest lies with the second dream given to Nebuchadnezzar, (chapter 4 through into chapter 5 where we read of Belshazzar's great feast). Great changes were coming to Babylon which would affect God's chosen people Israel who were in exile in that nation. But first to chapter 4 where we find two great proclamations being spoken by Nebuchadnezzar. Verse 1 to verse 3 is the setting of the first part of his proclamation:
" Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations and languages that dwell in all the earth: `Peace be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. 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'. "
This proclamation was given by Nebuchadnezzar in 454 BC at the end of the seven years of `madness' which were revealed earlier in the amazing dream given to the king. In verses 4 to 5 he now recounts it: (4:4-6)
" I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me that they may make known to me the interpretation of the dream. "
In that gathering of his wise men was Daniel, with his Babylonian name of Belteshazzar (which is said to be an abbreviated form of Belat-su-user, meaning `protect O Bel his life') for such was the high regard in which Daniel was held: (4:8)
" But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God) and I told the dream before him, saying:
I saw . . . "
The dream was of a great tree in the middle of the earth which grew until it reached to the heavens, and everything from within it and about it was good with abundant fruit. As he watched an angelic being came down from heaven and cried: (4:14-15)
" Chop down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit . . . Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth . . . . Let his heart be changed from that of a man and let him be given the heart of a beast and let seven years pass by. "
Nebuchadnezzar had no doubt from whence came the dream, for in his proclamation he said:
" This matter is by the demands of the angelic beings and by the decree of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He will. "
And so at last, after the court magicians and soothsayers had failed to interpret the dream Daniel was called, `one in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God and I told him the dream'. Daniel's understandable response was to be `astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him'. Troubled indeed! Daniel, with the interpretation of the dream, was standing before the great king of Babylon, surrounded by his court, magicians and soothsayers! Nebuchadnezzar, whose kingdom stretched from Cilicia in the north, Egypt and Arabia in the south, Cyprus and the great Mediterranean cities in the west and Media and Persia in the east, with Babylon itself described as `the city of gold', was about to hear the disturbing interpretation of his dream: (4:19-20)
" So the king spoke and said, `Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you'. Daniel then spoke . . . `The tree that you saw which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens . . . It is you, O King, who have grown and become strong, for your greatness has grown . . . . and your dominion to the ends of the earth. "
Daniel continued to reveal the dream's meaning, clearly stating that, `This is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king'. Nebuchadnezzar would be driven from his palace to be found dwelling among the beasts of the field, eating grass like beasts of burden. There was a very rare illness known by the ancient Greeks as Lycanthropy whereby men imagined themselves as wolves or other kinds of animals. The Decree which was announced through Daniel told the king that this `madness' would last for seven times (or years) `until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He wills."
Seven years were prescrbed for this madness: Seven is the `sacred number' in Hebraic understanding which indicates `spiritual perfection', the hall-mark of the work of the Holy Spirit revealing the Word of God which is fixed and eternal for those who understand - as eventually did Nebuchadnezzar upon whom this madness was about to fall However, with that dreadful affliction came the assurance to Nebuchadnezzar that once the seven years had passed `you will be fully returned to your kingship over Babylon so that you will know that the heavens do rule'. With this `break-in' the first part of the Proclamation (v 28-34) are seen to be the historical recording of the dream. Verse 34 then opens with Nebuchadnezzar speaking the second part of this great Proclamation: (v 34-36)
" At the end of the time (seven years) I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to Heaven and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honoured Him that lives forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation . . . . At the same time my reason returned, and the glory of my kingdom, my honour and splendour returned to me. My counselors and lords sought me and I was established in my kingdom and my majesty was added to me. "
Now fully delivered from his affliction Nebuchadnezzar was ready for the second part of his Proclamation, this time not in pride of his achievements but with a sense of awe and wonder and acknowledgement of the Most High and only God to whom he was subject - the One Who had dominion and power over all His creation whether they were kings, princes and people, beasts of the field, even nature itself - all were subject to the Most High God. The dream and Daniel's interpretation of it gave this mighty king and ruler of his great Empire understanding that he was brought into being for the purposes of the Most High, and just as Nebuchadnezzar ruled over subjected kings and people, so too he was subject to the One True God! This understanding was needed, for Nebuchnezzar's mighty Empire was about to undergo a great change, and that too was because the Most High had so ordained it!
We mentioned earlier that this Proclamation was issued in BC 454 (as recorded in Nehemiah) where in the king's palace at Shushan King Astyages - or to give him his more familiar royal title, Artaxerxes - would issue his Decree allowing Nehemiah to travel to Jerusalem to begin his great work of rebuilding the gates and walls of Jerusalem. Years later at the appointed time, as recorded in Ezra, `In the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia . . . the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia to make a Proclamation throughout all his kingdom . . . allowing the Jews in exile in Babylon to return to their land'. A time of great change was coming for His people Israel, and the Most High Who has dominion was revealing that - as Paul later wrote - `His gifts and His call are irrevocable'. The LORD's people in captivity in Babylon, were ruled over by Nebuchnezzar, a mighty despotic king who would never allow a diminishing of his power by allowing a one-time rebellious people to return to their land and rebuild the walls of their city and therefore become a threat to his power. Neither would this mighty king allow one of his vassal kings, Artaxerxes, to issue a Decree allowing such a threat to come about until this Nebuchadnezzar had come to a personal understanding that his rule and dominion was also subject to the Most High. So with the full outworking of the interpretation of his dream in BC 454 Nebuchadnezzar's Proclamation acknowledging the Most High's dominion and power over earthly affairs allowed King Artaxerxes to issue his decree without challenge.
For the fulness of that great change to Nebuchadnezzar's empire that was to come we turn the page to chapter 5. Nearly 30 years had passed and Nebuchadnezzar's grandson was on the throne of Babylon, and `Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousand'. This great king was not concerned with the Most High God. Secure in his pride of position, `whilst he tasted the wine he commanded to be brought the golden and silver vases his father (grandfather) had taken out of the Temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines might drink from them'. Belshazzar in his pride, which extended to contempt for the Most High, would now read on the wall of his palace the decree of the Most High for his end, and once more Daniel was the LORD's choice to interpret the writing: (5:18-27 in part)
" O King, the Most High God gave Nebuchanezzar your father (grandfather) a kingdom and majesty, glory and honour . . . . But you, his son (grandson) have not humbled your heart although you have known this. And you have lifted up your heart against the Lord of Heaven . . . . . God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it. You are weighed in the balances and found wanting. "
The record of these events is well known and no doubt relate back to our Sunday School days: (5:30-31)
" That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede came to the kingdom, being sixty-two years old. "
To remove any possible confusion, this `Darius the Mede' was a royal title, given along with others to King Assyages, whose wife Esther gave birth to Cyrus. At the time of the death of Belshazzar Cyrus was co-regent with his father. It was through this Cyrus (another royal title) that the Most High God would issue the Decree releasing the Jewish people from captivity and their return to Jerusalem. Thus in these events we can see the outworking of the great change concerning Israel that came about through great historical persons and the kingdoms of this world. It was spread over many years, and through many persons who had been given great power and authority by the LORD GOD - Nebuchadnezzar; Belshazzar; Artaxerxes, even a Jewish woman named Esther, and Cyrus their son. The LORD GOD, Who has all dominion and authority, also revealed His Will through Daniel, a royal prince of Judah in exile in Babylon. But to leave these interlocking Scriptures at this point would be to ignore or lessen the prophetic content that lays within them, for God's Word is alive and active for those who understand the principles of God that carry over into other Ages and on into their complete fulfillment. Truly all Scripture is God-breathed and is living and active throughout all time and ages!
There was but one message given by God through a dream to a despotic king and interpreted by a captive `voice' of the Most High God. The message was one of judgement, which would lead to restoration of the LORD's people Israel. But first would come the humbling of a great power. Next, through another rising power within that kingdom, a Decree was issued giving authority for Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the gates and walls of a Greater Kingdom of Jerusalem, then in ruins. This was followed by judgement on a king who dis-avowed the knowedge of his father (grandfather) which came by one raised up not only for judgement but for restoration. In all Scripture this Divine principle of One who came to offer salvation can be seen, Who, although rejected, will return with Judgement and Restoration for His people and rule with Equity and Justice. We now move into our contemporary times in order to see this Divine principle alive and working just as powerfully as in the time of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, for we too stand at a time of great change wherein the same revelation is seen of Judgement and Restoration for God's people Israel.
First we see in the great `empire' of the West that which the American historian, Francis Fukuyama, wrote in his book `The End of History'. These words were taken from Hegal, a 19th century philosopher, who saw in Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Jena in 1806 a victory for the ideals of the French Revolution of Liberty and Equality which would spread universally over the kingdoms of the world - surely `the end of history' of worldly power
and the vanguard of humanitarian freedom. Although Fukuyama was not extolling the virtues of the French Revolution, he was seeing in the establishment of universal Free Trade Capitalism the end of history in mankind's search for universal freedom and wealth, but little did Fukuyama, Hegal and others see the corruption that lies in any worldly power! This world power - as in Nebuchadnezzar's days - also needs to know that all dominions and power belong to the Most High God and is given, for a season, to whom He choses for His purpose in establishing His Universal Kingdom under His Son!
A vassal king in Nebuchadnezzar's Empire was the means through which the outworking of judgement came. Today many look to `Brexit' for the release of Great Britain from the tyranny of Europe and the means of restoring it to its Judaeo/Christian heritage. But within the principle of God's Will we need to look beyond that and to a Greater Restoration. In Nebuchadnezzar's time Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the gates and walls of Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the collapse of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. Within these times came the humbling of the great king so that he might see the Most High as Supreme King over all creation. However it was soon forgotten, but King Xerxes' decree had been issued and the work allowed by that Decree went quietly ahead as the walls and gates of Jerusalem were rebuilt. The Jews had begun to return to the Land of Promise!
King Belshazzar in his power ignored the past and openly defied and blasphemed the Most High God, only to find that a greater power had been raised up which brought to an end his great kingdom, for Cyrus entered the city `that very night'! The West, the heart of the global empire of Capitalist Free Trade, has also ignored the warnings of coming Judgement. The great Financial crash of the 1980's was followed by the great Banking crash of 2007, leading to `seven years' of welfare, jobs and commerce cutbacks, which are with us today. `Brexit' will merely be the trigger of the collapse of the modern `Belshazzar's' great empire. But, as we have seem, all such great historical moves are within the LORD's purpose of Judgement on worldly kingdoms, for One greater than Cyrus is at the gates of modern Babylon and `one very night' our Cyrus will come!
The beginning of the end of Belshazzar's kingdom began with a vassal king of that great empire issuing a Decree at the same time as the end of the great king Nebuchadnezzar's proclamation, which allowed Nehemiah to return to begin the restoration of His people who were living in captivity. Are God's people today - as in Nehemiah's time - asking as `cupbearers' to The King:
" If it pleases the King, and if Your servant has found favour in Your sight, will You send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried that I may rebuild it."
Selah
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