THE WISE SHALL THE STUDY OF DANIEL ... - Creation Revelationcreationrevelation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/... · 3/12/2016 · BABYLON’S FOES At this time, Babylon was being

1

THE STUDY OF DANIELTHE WISE SHALL

UNDERSTAND

THE STUDY OF DANIEL

ROBERT W. TOZIER

WWW.CREATIONREVELATION.ORG

Creation Revelation

2

Robert & Mary Tozier


[email protected]

At Sunrise Southern Baptist Church

Las Vegas, NV

3

The Wise Shall Understand

Dan 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made

white, and tried; but the wicked shall do

wickedly: and none of the wicked shall

understand; but the wise shall understand.

4

The Wise Shall

Understand

The Study of Daniel

Lesson 12

5

Opening Prayer

6

THE PARTY

Daniel 5:1-17

7

RULERS OF

BABYLON

8

RULERS OF BABYLON We now move ahead in time to the ruler

Belshazzar.

With Belshazzar, the critics found a way to

destroy the historicity of the book of

Daniel.

Some have questioned the composition

dating of certain Scriptures because they

say, "prophecy is not possible.”

This is the case with Daniel.

9

RULERS OF BABYLON Fortunately, there are valid arguments also

against such biased positions, including

findings found in archaeology or the

evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

These skeptics jumped on the book of

Daniel, "It was in error, no such king as

Belshazzar existed in Babylon."

Archaeology now shows that, contrary to

unbelieving critics, the Bible account is

accurate.

10

RULERS OF BABYLON Documents discovered In the 1920s

revealed that Belshazzar was the son of

King Nabonidus.

In Daniel 5:2, 11, 13, 18, and 22, Belshazzar

is referred to as being the “son”

("grandson") of Nebuchadnezzar; since

there have been several intervening kings,

we will discuss this seeming contradiction

later.

11

RULERS OF BABYLON After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, about

562BC, Evil-merodach reigned about two

years and was assassinated by Neriglisar

who reigned about four years.

Neriglisar was followed by his son

Laborosoarchod who reigned nine months

until beaten to death by conspirators who

appointed Nabonidus to the throne.

This is verified by 2 Kings 25:

12

RULERS OF BABYLON2KI 25:27 And it came to pass in the seven

and thirtieth year of the captivity of

Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth

month, on the seven and twentieth day of

the month, that Evilmerodach king of

Babylon in the year that he began to reign

did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of

Judah out of prison;

28 And he spake kindly to him, and set his

throne above the throne of the kings that

were with him in Babylon; (Continued)

13

RULERS OF BABYLON29 And changed his prison garments: and

he did eat bread continually before him all

the days of his life.

30 And his allowance was a continual

allowance given him of the king, a daily rate

for every day, all the days of his life.

14

RULERS OF BABYLON History is somewhat confused regarding

these kings, but it is certain that several

rulers ruled between the death of

Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus, who

ruled from 556-539BC.

Nabonidus came to power by murdering

his predecessor, Labashi-Marduk

(Laosoar-chad or Laborosoarchod).

Nabonidus’ son was Belshazzar, as is

revealed in the previously mentioned

discovered documents.

15

RULERS OF BABYLON

16

RULERS OF BABYLON Nabonidus engaged an army of the Medes

and Persians led by Cyrus and was

defeated.

He then went into hiding in Borsippa (Iraq

– southeast of Babylon; modern Birs

Nimrud) while his son Belshazzar, serving

as co-regent, stayed in Babylon.

Nabonidus was forced to surrender to

Cyrus and was then made to live in

Carmania (Kerman Province – Iran) until

the time of his death.

17

RULERS OF BABYLON Belshazzar was made co-regent in 555 (or

553?) BC.

He never became a sole ruler, as he was

slain at the fall of Babylon in 539BC, while

Nabonidus was still living.

We see in Daniel 5:29 that Belshazzar

made Daniel the third ruler in Babylon,

because Belshazzar himself was the

second ruler after his father Nabonidus.

Thus, history records that Nabonidus was

ruler in Babylon.

18

RULERS OF BABYLON Nabonidus was the son of the high priest of

the temple of the moon-god in Haran.

Nabonidus worshiped the moon god

Nanna/Sin, since his mother was a priestess

of the moon god.

Tablet showing

Nabonidis

worshiping the

moon-god

Nanna/Sin.

19

CONFUSING

RELATIONSHIPS

20

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS There is much confusion regarding the

actual relationship of Belshazzar to

Nabonides and Belshazzar to

Nebuchadnezzar.

The issue is complicated and each

commentator has a different theory.

The statement in Daniel 5:11 that

Belshazzar was the son (grandson) of

Nebuchadnezzar may have been the result

of a political ploy by Nabonidus to

legitimize his claim to the throne.

21

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS Belshazzar may have been the son or

grandson of Nebuchadnezzar only in a

technical sense.

Belshazzar's actual mother supposedly

died in the ninth year of Nabonidus' reign,

therefore it is supposed that the "queen"

spoken of in Daniel 5:10 was actually the

widow of Nebuchadnezzar whom

Nabonidus had married as part of his

scheme to legitimize his throne.

22

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS Accordingly, Nebuchadnezzar's widow, the

queen of Daniel 5:10, was therefore

Belshazzar's stepmother.

Some commentators have even

speculated that Belshazzar was an actual

son of Nebuchadnezzar and was adopted

by Nabonidus to legitimize his claim to the

throne.

23

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS In this case, the queen mentioned in

Daniel 5:10 is thought to actually be the

queen mother, the former wife of

Nebuchadnezzar or of Evil-merodach, and

possibly the mother of Belshazzar.

Walvoord makes a good argument that

she is Belshazzar’s mother.

Whoever she was, she was a wise person.

Her name was Nitocris.

24

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS Adding strength that the queen is

Belshazzar’s mother is her statement in

Daniel 5:11, where she refers to

Belshazzar as the “son” of

Nebuchadnezzar.

“Thy father” – being thought of as “son”

may also refer to grandson or great

grandson, implying descent from

Nebuchadnezzar.

25

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS The manner of the queen’s entrance and

address to Belshazzar plus the reference

to “Nebuchadnezzar thy father” seems to

imply that this queen is the mother of

Belshazzar and the wife of the former King

Nebuchadnezzar, and that Belshazzar is

her son.

26

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS In spite of the documentary archeological

evidence, mentioned earlier, as well as the

internal evidence of Scripture, some

suppose Belshazzar was the son of Evil-

merodach, making Belshazzar the actual

grandson of Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 27:7 seems to support this view.

27

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPSJER 27:6 And now have I given all these

lands unto the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the

king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts

of the field have I given him also to serve

him.

7 And all nations shall serve him, 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.

28

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS Consider also that the word “father” is

used in this culture for grandfathers, great

grandfathers, and important ancestors,

including legal, rather than physical

ancestors.

Belshazzar could have been

Nebuchadnezzar's son, grandson, or great

grandson.

There is no word in Hebrew for

grandfather.

29

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS All-male descendants from a singular head

are called sons whether they be sons,

grandsons, great grandsons, etc..

The reigns of the succeeding kings

between Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus

and Belshazzar certainly make it a

possibility that the queen was the former

wife of Nebuchadnezzar, now the wife of

Nabonidus, and that Belshazzar was her

son, thus making Belshazzar the adopted

son, or stepson of Nabonidus.

30

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS Anything is possible, and all is reasonable

speculation.

Belshazzar refers to Nebuchadnezzar as

his father in Daniel 5:13, and Daniel

speaking to Belshazzar, refers to

Belshazzar as Nebuchadnezzar’s son in

Daniel 5:18, 22.

31

CONFUSING RELATIONSHIPS Again it must be noted that Belshazzar’s

actual relationship, if any, is uncertain.

It may be that he was a “son” of

Nebuchadnezzar only in sense that he

occupied the throne in the line of kings,

not actual descent.

He may have, in fact, been related, but not

as a son, but as a grandson.

No one knows for sure.

32

BABYLON’S

FOES

33

BABYLON’S FOES At this time, Babylon was being besieged

by Cyrus II of Persia, who reigned from

559 to 530BC.

He was the son of King Cambyses I of

Persia and Queen Mandan, daughter of

King Astyages of the Medes.

Cyrus, later Cyrus the Great, led the

combined Medo-Persian army.

At this time Darius ruled the Medes.

34

BABYLON’S FOES No monuments mention Darius, so his

identity is uncertain.

However, the last king of the Medes was

Cyaxares II, who formed an alliance with

Cyrus his nephew and led a part of the

armies of the confederate kingdoms to

battle, defeating areas to the north and

south before engaging Babylon – this may

account for why so many Babylonian

officials were in the capital city at this

time.

35

BABYLON’S FOES According to Herodotus, Cyaxares II’s age

agrees with that of Darius, 62 years, as

given in Daniel 5:31.

Therefore, Darius may indeed be Cyaxares

II.

However, recent research seems to

indicate that Darius may be the same as

Gobryas, or Gubaru, who, according to

ancient records, led the siege against

Babylon as leader of the allied armies.

36

BABYLON’S FOES Gubaru was born in 601BC, and Daniel

gives Darius’ age as 62 years in 539BC

when Babylon fell – so, Gubaru is of the

right age to be the Darius of Daniel.

Because both names show up in an

ancient record, some, believe that

Gobyras and Gubaru are two different

individuals, and that Gubaru is our Darius

who corresponds to Cyaxares II as ruler

over Babylon, while Gobyras was the

General of Cyrus’ army.

37

BABYLON’S FOES Josephus claims that Darius had another

name.

Herodotus indicated that Darius was a title

rather than a name.

Darius means “holder of the scepter.”

Cyrus appointed Darius as ruler or king

over Babylon at the end of the conquest.

Even though he was not independent of

the Medo-Persian Empire, he ruled

Babylon as a king.

38

BABYLON’S FOES In any event, two years later he would die

and Cyrus would replace him as king of

the New World Order of the Medo-Persian

Empire.

Secure in his fortifications, Belshazzar

decided to throw a party.

39

THE PARTY

40

THE PARTY Belshazzar was an evil ruler who killed

one of his nobles during a hunting

expedition because the man succeeded in

killing game before Belshazzar.

On another occasion he castrated a man

simply because one of the king's

concubines praised him as handsome.

Belshazzar is now planning a party for his

friends.

It was a very large party.

41

THE PARTY

42

THE PARTYDAN 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great

feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank

wine before the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine,

commanded to bring the golden and silver

vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar

had taken out of the temple which was in

Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his

wives, and his concubines, might drink

therein.

(Continued)

43

THE PARTY3 Then they brought the golden vessels that

were taken out of the temple of the house of

God which was at Jerusalem; and the king,

and his princes, his wives, and his

concubines, drank in them.

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of

gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood,

and of stone.

44

THE PARTY Belshazzar was secure in the knowledge that

Babylon could not fall because of the vast

strength of its fortifications, such as walls up

to 400 feet high and almost 90 feet thick.

The walled city had a circumference of 17

miles.

The Euphrates River flowed through the city.

He therefore, gave a party in defiance of the

circumstances of the siege of Babylon now

underway.

45

THE PARTY Persian monarchs were known to dine

daily with as many as 15,000 people.

Ashusnasirpal II gave a feast to 69,574

guests when he dedicated his new capital

city of Calah (Nimrud) in 879BC.

Alexander had a marriage feast with

10,000 guests.

Belshazzar gave a feast and invited

thousands of his lords and their wives.

46

THE PARTY He also invited his concubines, probably

for the purpose of engaging in a sexual

orgy.

While this party was underway, the people

whom God had foretold in Daniel chapter 2

would succeed Babylon as a world power

were outside the very gates of the city.

47

THE PARTY Belshazzar now began to act in drunken

defiance to God and, together with his

guests and concubines, they drank from

the vessels of Solomon's temple.

He openly mocked God.

Since Belshazzar understood that the

prophecy of Daniel chapter 2 indicated

that Babylon would be succeeded by the

Medo-Persian Empire, he wanted to show

his utter contempt of the very idea.

48

THE PARTY This was done by profaning the sacred

vessels of God’s house.

He relied on the impregnable defenses of

the city rather than the sure security of the

Holy God.

Nebuchadnezzar never

Did any of that.

49

THE PARTY He used the vessels of God's own house to

praise the false gods of Babylon.

Drinking to excess after dinner was a

custom at such feasts.

This drunken party may foreshadow the

condition of the Gentile world just before

Christ's return.

The condition of the world today can

certainly be compared to the drunken and

blasphemous party given by Belshazzar on

that fateful night of debauchery.

50

THE PARTY

51

THE PARTY Daniel will later write the following

concerning the end-time Antichrist:

DAN 11:38 But in his estate shall he honour

the God of forces: and a god whom his

fathers knew not shall he honour with gold,

and silver, and with precious stones, and

pleasant things.

We see similar blasphemies in Revelation

chapter 13:

52

THE PARTYREV 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the

sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,

having seven heads and ten horns, and upon

his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the

name of blasphemy….

5 And there was given unto him a mouth

speaking great things and blasphemies; and

power was given unto him to continue forty

and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy

against God, to blaspheme his name, and his

tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

53

WRITING ON THE

WALL

54

WRITING ON THE WALLDAN 5:5 In the same hour came forth fingers

of a man's hand, and wrote over against the

candlestick upon 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 was changed,

and his thoughts troubled him, so that the

joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees

smote one against another.

(Continued)

55

WRITING ON THE WALL7 The king cried aloud to bring in the

astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the

soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to

the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall

read this writing, and shew me the

interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with

scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his

neck, and shall be the third ruler in the

kingdom.(Continued)

56

WRITING ON THE WALL8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but

they could not read the writing, nor make

known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled,

and his countenance was changed in him, and

his lords were astonied.

10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of

the king and his lords, came into the banquet

house: and the queen spake and said, O king,

live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee,

nor let thy countenance be changed:

57

WRITING ON THE WALL If you challenge God he will eventually

respond by demonstrating His

sovereignty.

On that night God responded within the

hour to Belshazzar's sacrilegious event

and shook Belshazzar to his core.

Belshazzar's drunken stupor left him - it

was literally a sobering experience.

The color drained from his face and his

knees began to knock.

58

WRITING ON THE WALL Belshazzar immediately called for the wise

men.

The astrologers were the magicians, the

Chaldeans were a broad class of scholars,

and the soothsayers were what we would

think of today as astrologers.

59

WRITING ON THE WALL He offered whoever could decipher the

vision scarlet clothing, a gold chain for his

neck, only worn by permission of the king,

and finally the position of “third ruler.”

Since Belshazzar was only co-regent

(second ruler under Nabonidus), the next

highest position was third ruler.

60

WRITING ON THE WALL So the Queen spoke:

DAN 5:11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in

whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in

the days of thy father light and

understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom

of the gods, was found in him; whom the

king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I

say, thy father, made master of the

magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and

soothsayers;

(Continued)

61

WRITING ON THE WALL12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and

knowledge, and understanding, interpreting

of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences,

and dissolving of doubts, were found in the

same Daniel, whom the king named

Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and

he will shew the interpretation.

62

WRITING ON THE WALL It seems that Daniel had been retired from

service for some time now.

The queen remembered the prior service

of Daniel as interpreter of

Nebuchadnezzar's dreams.

The Queen also related that

Nebuchadnezzar had made Daniel master

over the wise men of Babylon.

63

WRITING ON THE WALLDAN 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before

the king. And the king spake and said unto

Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the

children of the captivity of Judah, whom the

king my father brought out of Jewry?

14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of

the gods is in thee, and that light and

understanding and excellent wisdom is

found in thee.

(Continued)

64

WRITING ON THE WALL15 And now the wise men, the astrologers,

have been brought in before me, that they

should read this writing, and make known

unto me the interpretation thereof: but they

could not shew the interpretation of the thing:

16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst

make interpretations, and dissolve doubts:

now if thou canst read the writing, and make

known to me the interpretation thereof, thou

shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain

of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third

ruler in the kingdom. (Continued)

65

WRITING ON THE WALL17 Then Daniel answered and said before the

king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy

rewards to another; yet I will read the writing

unto the king, and make known to him the

interpretation.

66

WRITING ON THE WALL Belshazzar’s promised rewards to Daniel

will not be worth anything before the night

is over.

Daniel rejected all this flattery and gifts.

Daniel is not seeking a reward.

In the next lesson we will learn the

prophecy of the handwriting and

interpretation.

God will have the last say over

blasphemers.

67

End of The Study of Daniel

Lesson 12

68

Closing Prayer

Creation Revelation

69

Robert & Mary Tozier


[email protected]

At Sunrise Southern Baptist Church

Las Vegas, NV