PART 7 THE HANDWRITING UPON THE WALL

TEXT- DANIEL 5:1-31

INTRODUCTION

HERE IN CHAPTER FIVE WE ONCE AGAIN FIND DANIEL RECORDING THE EVENTS THAT OCCUR.

THIS CHAPTER TELLS US ABOUT THE STORY OF BELSHAZZAR WHO WAS ONE OF KINGS OF BABYLON.

DURING THIS TIME OF BABYLON'S HISTORY THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO KINGS REIGNING OVER THE BABYLONIAN KINGDOM.

BELSHAZZAR BEGAN HIS REIGN IN 553 BC AND REIGNED UNTIL 539 BC.

HIS FATHER NABONIDUS WAS ALSO KING AT THIS TIME.

BELSHAZZAR WAS NABONIDUS' OLDEST SON AND HIS MOTHER'S NAME WAS NITOCRIS WHO WAS THE DAUGHTER OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

THIS WOULD MAKE BELSHAZZAR THE GRANDSON OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

FOR MANY YEARS MANY LIBERAL SCHOLARS TAUGHT THAT THE BOOK OF DANIEL WAS HISTORICALLY WRONG IN THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE OF THE MENTION OF BELSHAZZAR BEING KING OF BABYLON.

THROUGH ANCIENT HISTORY KNOWN AT THAT TIME, NABONIDUS WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO WAS KNOWN TO BE KING OF BABYLON., AND THE EXISTENCE OF BELSHAZZAR WAS LITERALY UNKNOWN FROM ANCIENT ARCHEOLOGICAL RECORDS.

NOW HOWEVER IT IS KNOWN THROUGH RECENT FINDINGS THAT THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION CONCERNING BELSHAZZAR IS CORRECT.

THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS OF HERODOTUS AND XENOPHON WHO WROTE IN THE 4TH AND 5TH CENTURIES BC RECORD THAT BELSHAZZAR WAS COREGENT WITH HIS FATHER NABONIDUS.

ALSO THROUGH HISTORICAL RECORDS WE ARE TOLD HOW AND WHEN BABYLON WAS OVER THROWN.

IN THE YEAR 539 BC BABYLON WAS CAPTURED BY THE MEDO-PERSIANS.

THIS WOULD MEAN THAT APPROXIMATELY 32 YEARS HAD PASSED BETWEEN CHAPTERS 4 AND 5.

THE HISTORIAN JOSEPHUS SAYS THAT AFTER NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DEATH (562 BC) 48 YEARS PASSED UNTIL BELSHAZZAR TOOK THE THRONE.

IF THESE RECORDS ARE CORRECT, THIS WOULD MAKE DANIEL ANYWHERE BETWEEN 81 TO 88 YEARS OLD.