Transcript Notes - St Alfred`s Church

Daniel 5: When the Writing’s
on the Wall
St Alfred’s Church 14 Nov 2010
John Martin 1820 Belshazzar’s feast
Rembrandt c.1635
Cylinder of Nabonidus circa 555 BC
excavated 19th century
Time line of later Babylonian Kings
Nebuchadnezzar – reigned 605 BC to 562 BC
His son Amel-Marduk reigned only two years (562 - 560
BC) and was murdered in 560 BC by
Neriglissar, his brother-in-law, reigned 560 -556 BC
His son Labashi-Marduk became king when still only a
boy and nine months later was murdered in a conspiracy
Nabonidus was chosen as king– ruled 555 to 538 BC.
Belshazzar – son of Nabonidus and co-regent (2nd in
kingdom) ruled in Babylon while Nabonidus set up a
centre of worship to the moon god in Teima in Arabia and
later fought the Persians.
Source: http://www.threemacs.org/docs/Handout-Daniels%20Timeline.pdf
Mene Mene Tekel Parsin
Nouns for coinage or verbs?
Mene – n. mina or v.
numbered
Tekel – n. shekel or v.
weighed
Parsin – n. a half mina (or
Peres - singular of Parsin
- is a v. meaning “divided”
Daniel uses related verbs
Mene relates to the verb
MNH meaning “numbered”
Tekel relates to the verb TKL
meaning “weighed”
Parsin – relates to the verb
PRS meaning “divided”
Paraphrase of nouns – a
dollar, a dollar, 2 cents,
50 cents
Verbs – numbered, numbered,
weighed, divided
Source: http://www.threemacs.org/docs/Handout-Daniels%20Timeline.pdf
Who is sovereign over history?
• Around 710 BC Babylonian envoys visited King
Hezekiah of Jerusalem who showed off his treasures
and Isaiah then prophesies the defeat of Jerusalem by
Babylon and the exile of Judah to Babylon - at least 100
years before it happens. Isaiah 39:1-8 and 2 Kings 20.
• In 605 BC (the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign)
Jeremiah prophesies the destruction of Judah by
Nebuchadnezzar and 70 years’ captivity in Babylon (in
Jer 25:8-11). This is Judah’s punishment for sin not
Judah’s destruction.
Who is sovereign over history?
• In 597 BC, Jeremiah (in Jerusalem) writes to the exiles
in Babylon (Jer 29) that God promises to restore Judah
when 70 years are completed for Babylon.
• Isaiah prophesies (in Isaiah 13) that Babylon will be
destroyed by the Medes (no timing given).
• In Oct 539 BC Babylon falls to an alliance of Medes and
Persians led by Cyrus of Persia who is or who appoints
Darius the Mede as king of Babylon
• In 538 BC a decree of Cyrus permits Jews to return to
Jerusalem.
• So this night in October 539 BC is the judgment of
Babylon and the beginning of the end of the exile of
Judah, all as prophesied. God is in charge!
Source: http://www.threemacs.org/docs/Handout-Daniels%20Timeline.pdf
Daniel
• Faithfully pursued an intimate relationship with
God all his life
• Made himself available to be used all his life
and expected to be used including available to
use spiritual gifts – prophecy, word of wisdom
• Obeyed God first
• Trusted God
Who is sovereign over your history?
We don’t know the future unless God reveals it.
Are we faithful, obedient, trusting and available to serve
like Daniel, no matter what our age or status is or may
become?
1930
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2010
2030
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2090