Chapter 6 God's Judgement

  Chapter 6

God's Judgement

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.(Dan.4:37)

11 Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(Psa.58:11)

Nebuchadnezzar's dream

God revealed His glory and power to Nebuchadnezzar through his first dream and the deliverance of Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. As many people disregard revelations and live without reverence and thankfulness to God, Nebuchadnezzar lived a proud and careless life without any fear of God.

Under these circumstances, God warned him through another dream.

The Dream

10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it, every creature was fed. 13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him. 17 “ ‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the highest is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’ (Dan.4:10-17)

The king saw a tree growing tall and strong in the middle of the earth and reaching up to heaven. Birds fed on the fruits of the tree and wild animals rested under its shadow. The king saw an angel coming down from heaven and saying"

"‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

Meaning of the dream 

As the wise men of Babylon could. not interpret his dream, the king summoned Daniel to his presence. Daniel was stunned when he heard the dream. He understood the meaning and told it to the king. The tall, strong tree represents the king who has become powerful and rich and exalted. The branches of the tree point to the nations in his control, the leaves point to his military strength and the fruits represent the richness of the kingdom. The birds in 'the branches and the wild beasts in the shadow point to the beastly and immoral lifestyle prevailing in the kingdom. As the tree was cut down, Nebuchadnezzar will lose his throne. He will also lose his mental powers and will live like an animal in the forest for seven years, All his servants will be restored to power when he understands that God Almighty rules over his throne and humbles himself

Daniel rightly utilized the opportunity to advise the king to leave his wayward ways and humble himself before God, but the king did not listen to his advice. After twelve months, one day, Nebuchadnezzar was walking in his palace and telling to himself "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" Immediately there was a voice from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee eat grass as oxen, and seven times the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will". The words came to pass immediately. Nebuchadnezzar left the palace as a madman and lived in the forest with animals for'seven times'. After the stipulated time, the king got back his senses when he humbled himself and lifted up his eyes towards heaven. He was restored to his throne. He declared: " Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase"

The feast of Belshazzar:

Nebonidus, Nebuchadnezzar's son by his second wife became king in B.C.555. But as he was leading a leisurely life outside the capital city, his son, Belshazzar was ruling the country in his place. Daniel chapter 5 begins with a great feast and ends in calamity. Belshazzar prepared a great feast for 1000 noblemen of his kingdom. He, his wives and his concubines began to drink wine in the Temple in Jerusalem in front of all people and to praise his gods made of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.At that time, a man's hand appeared and wrote some words on the wall. Belshazzar was frightened. The wise men of Babylon could not read or interpret the writing on the wall. Then Daniel, known to all people as a man with the spirit of God, was brought in and he read the words and interpreted them. The writing was "

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

MENE: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

TEKEL: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

PARSIN: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

Belshazzar was killed in the same night and his kingdom was captured by Medes and Persians. This happened as a fulfillment of the prophecies about Babylon and the Persian king, Cyrus recorded many years earlier.



6 

“Flee from Babylon!

    Run for your lives!

    Do not be destroyed because of her sins.

It is time for the Lord’s vengeance;

    he will repay her what she deserves.

7 

Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand;

    she made the whole earth drunk.

The nations drank her wine;

    therefore they have now gone mad.

8 

Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.

    Wail over her!

Get balm for her pain;

    perhaps she can be healed.(Jeremiah 51:6-8)

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed,

    to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of

to subdue nations before him

    and to strip kings of their armor,

to open doors before him

    so that gates will not be shut:

2 

I will go before you

    and will level the mountains;

I will break down gates of bronze

    and cut through bars of iron.

3 

I will give you hidden treasures,

    riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the Lord,

    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(Isaiah 45:1-3)

Spiritual lessons

The story about Belshazzar contains many spiritual lessons.

1. The feast of Belshazzar stands for the natural man's enmity with God, his tendency for lustful merrymaking, his tendency for lustful merrymaking, his thoughtlessness and unholy character. The story points to the sudden destruction that befalls those who indulge in lustful celebrations. Remember what happened in the days of Lot and Noah. The wrath of God's judgment will certainly fall on those who waste their lives in such lustful ways.

2. Belshazzar did not invite Daniel to his feast. Even if he was invited, he would not have participated in the feast. Children of God should never participate in such drunken feasts.

3. Programs during such feasts are such that they lead the participants to commit more sins,

more drunkenness, more immoral acts and more idolatry. Belshazzar was tempted to use even the holy vessels of the Temple to indulge more in his drunken behavior.

4. The writing on the wall was the judgment of God. Belshazzar lost his balance, the joints of his loins loosened and his knees knocked against each other. All his guest were frightened. Celebration turned into fright. No wicked person will be able to stand in front of the judgment of God.

5. The incident exposed the inadequacy of worldly wisdom. The wise men of Babylon could not understand the writing on the wall. Worldly wise men do not understand the judgment of God. The Scripture says 

5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.(2 Pet.3:5-7)

Man cannot escape from God's judgment by his own merits. God's judgment is that a man who sins will die and He has provided a way of salvation through Jesus Christ.

 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.(John 3:18)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)

Have you received deliverance from condemnation? If not, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.