July 5: DANIEL 5’s BEHIND-THE-SCENES REPORT

At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, And the cry is heard among the nations. Jeremiah 50:46

Behind the scenes of historical Babylon’s sudden and decisive fall was the work of Almighty God. His divine hand had also been behind the taking into captivity seventy years earlier of His professed people, due to their stubborn refusal to follow His plan—not only for their salvation, but to bring the message of salvation to the other nations. The lessons that they repeatedly pushed aside in favor of worldliness would not be learned any other way. Midway through the seventy years came the encouragement of this famous divine declaration: “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “Plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)

Daniel chapter 5 is often entitled The Handwriting on The Wall. It has become a cliché, a way of saying that something tragic was/is/will be unavoidable. However, the soul who seeks to align himself with the Lord is readily equipped in His word to avoid the worst tragedy of all: that of eternal loss of life.

The story of Babylon’s rapid fall is an amazing one. It presents a picture of God’s plan to lead His people back to Him. Some 150 years beforehand, the Spirit of God spoke through Isaiah the prophet: Who says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd. And he shall perform all My pleasure…” (Isaiah 44:28a)  This Persian by the name of Cyrus was named by God long before he was born. As Commander of the combined armies of Media and Persia, he dug multiple trenches to drain the River Euphrates into an old, dry lakebed. Who says of the deep, “Be dry!” (v.27a). The capital city of Babylon straddled the Great River. During the riotous party given by Belshazzar, the army of Cyrus stepped easily under the city walls. Unbelievably, the iron gates were open and unguarded (perhaps the guards were hanging around the party). Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut (45:1).

One runner will run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on all sides (Jeremiah 51:31). The Hebrew prophets spoke repeatedly about the fall of Babylon. In the very hour that Belshazzar was slain, the great empire of Babylon ceased to exist.

That night they slew him on his father’s throne,

The deed unnoticed and the hand unknown:

Crownless and scepterless Belshazzar lay,

A robe of purple ’round a form of clay.

Edwin Arnold