Belshazzar’s feast (1-4)
VERSE [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. [3] 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.
5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
“made a great feast … drank wine” – what comes to mind when you think of feast? Celebration, etc. What is wine in the Bible? False doctrine. How to know this? Is 28:9.
Wine is from grapes, this could be used to make drinks or juice. Wine is fermented or corrupted or impure juice. Jesus said eat My flesh and drink My blood. This means to take part of Christ’s life or teaching. Pure wine can be the pure teaching of Christ. Fermented is the teaching that became false.
Therefore the wine represents the false teaching or false doctrine. Notice the keyword, they are having a great celebration in drinking false teachings. Why are they celebrating or having a feast?
The History (Historical Interpretation) – Persians outside of Babylon at this time to conquer Babylon. Do you have a feast when you’re in war? Why did Belshazzar decide to have a feast? He knew enemies were outside ready to attack, he had no armies out there. He thought his kingdom is so strong that nothing could conquer and take over the kingdom to destroy. What do you call this?
sufficiency. This was already dealt with in chapter 4. This is the connection b/w 4 and 5. Self-sufficiency and Pride was the problem in 4 and the same is the problem now in 5. The reason he had a great feast is because he is saying that he is a king and nothing will destroy him—this is seen in Rev 18 (I am a queen and sit as one, I will not see any sorrow)
“drank wine” – What kind of false doctrine is this? It will lead you to think of Peace and Safety and not being aware of the danger, not expecting destruction is coming or near—this is also self-sufficiency because they think no trouble will come. This is the message at the end of time that the worldlings will give
“thousand of his lords” – Leaders of his kingdom come together for this feast.
End Time Application: Leaders of the world come together. The destruction is the destruction of the world. They heard the 3AM and were told about the end, but they say nothing will come and
destroy this world.
5:2 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.
Parallel to Rev 14, 2nd angel’s msg. Babylon made the nations drink of her wine.
“tasted the wine” – shows that Belshazzar had not fully lost control. If he had been fully drunk, his
sin would have only been one of drunkenness. But because he was conscientious of what he was doing and fully understood the implications of what he was about to do – God punished him for defiling His treasures. Tells us he is drinking but perhaps not yet fully drunken. Why take the vessels of Jerusalem? They had plenty of their own cups. He is trying to defy the God of heaven.
Most likely Belshazzar heard about the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar. The king gave the letter to everybody. Everybody knew about the 7 years of being like a beast. Yet Belshazzar did not even then learn the lesson, he wanted to dishonor God
What helped him to do this? Wine Why is this mentioned again?
Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Fall of Babylon in Daniel 5. Why does she fall? Spiritual wine for spiritual Babylon. Wine for literal Babylon. It is the same. True reason is that his heart did not acknowledge the true God in heaven
“wine”
Isa 29:9-13 [9] Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. [10] For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he
covered. [11] And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
[12] And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. [13] ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Contextually, wine = precepts of man. Can’t understand the words of a book that is sealed (Daniel, the only book in the Bible that was sealed), BECAUSE of the precepts of man (Matt 15:1-9).
Teaching for doctrine the commandments of man. Conclusion: wine of Babylon = false doctrines, taking place where we are usurping the commandments of God with the commandments of man.
Here is another way too explain wine is false doctrine (Dan 1:5). The king nourished the captives with wine. Paul says that a good minister is one that nourishes himself on the words of faith and good doctrine (1 Tim 4:6). Therefore, to nourish yourself with wine is to nourish yourself with false doctrine (opposite of good doctrine).
Application: Babylon or the woman is sitting on waters just as physical Babylon was sitting on the river Euphrates.
“commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels … taken out of the temple” – Holy vessels of the sanctuary are used to pour Babylonian wine. This is a mixing of holy cup with unholy wine.
What made God destroy Babylon? Mixing of holy and unholy. This is the wine which will lead people to mix church and state at the end of time because of false doctrine. They will call the unholy day (Sunday) as the holy Sabbath. This is mark of the beast—mixture of holy and unholy put
together. This is the characteristic of Mt 24:15.
Destruction is coming when you see this (abomination of desolation standing in holy place). Note:
We are seeing the Second Angel’s Message in Daniel chapter five.
5:3 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.
Ancient Babylon vs. Spiritual Babylon
Ancient Babylon Spiritual Babylon
Is a city Is a city (Rev 14:8, Rev 18:1-4)
Supported by water Supported by water (Rev 17:1, Rev 16:12) King is celebrating with feast, debauchery Rev 18:5-7
Drunk with wine Drunk with wine (Rev 17:2)
5:4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
How many things are mentioned? 6 things. This number belongs to Babylon.
Note: They use holy cup to pour impure, unholy wine and use this to celebrate or praise other gods.
This is the exact characteristic of the mark of the beast. They use holy Sabbath name to call a day which is not holy and to worship the image of the beast. This is the same characteristic as Daniel 5 Mixture of holy and unholy in their feasting. In the future, the Sunday law will bring about a mixture of holy and unholy. EGW calls this national apostasy which will ultimately lead to national ruling.
This mixing caused the fall of Babylon.
Application: In the last days, there will be a mixture of holy and unholy. Sun worship taking the place of Sabbath of God. Primary doctrines of Babylon: Sun worship and Immortality of the soul.
5T 451 By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.
As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation's iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return. The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress which prophets have described as the time of Jacob's trouble. The cries of the faithful, persecuted ones ascend to heaven. And as the blood of Abel cried from the ground, there are voices also crying to God from martyrs' graves, from the sepulchers of the sea, from mountain caverns, from convent vaults:
"How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"
GC 588 Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss
to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.”