Spiritual understanding of Daniel 5
What does Babylon represent?
-nation that God uses to take His people into captivity
-harlot christianity, end time harlot of God
-mentioned in many OT books and Revelation
How about Belshazzar?
-head of Babylon at the end, prior to Jesus' second coming
Quickly review Dan 5:1-2
Drinking Wine -
Eph 5:18
And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled (cram, fill to the top)with the Spirit;
***The implication is that those (spiritually) drunken with wine ARE NOT filled with the spirit.
1Th 5:4-8
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: 5 for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that are drunken are drunken in the night.
Sons of the night. These aren't unbelievers.
Spiritually in darkness/night
"That day" comes as a thief
Not watching
Spiritually Sleeping
Drunken
*Do these apply to Belshazzar and Babylon in a physical way?
***And they refer to spiritual Babylon the same way!
Quickly review Dan 5:3
Gold/Silver vessels
2Ti 2:20
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.
Which are honorable? Dishonorable?
Is it possible this is a metaphor describing the "sons of the light/day" vs "sons of the darkness/night" from 1 Thes 5?
Quickly review Dan 5:4
Babylon Worships the creation instead of creator
Praised the gods of gold, silver, brass, wood, stone? Significance?
Similar pattern here:
Rom 1:18 kjv
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Vessels of dishonor OR son's of darkness "who hold truth" unrighteously
Rom 1:20-22
20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: 21 because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
These son's of darkness OR vessels of dishonor know God, but don't glorify him as God.
Think: they praised the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.
Rom 1:25 for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature (creation) rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Exchanged truth for a lie.
Rom 1:26-27
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.
God gave them up. Had to have them in order to give them up.
****Fools. One byproduct results in homosexuality…Any evidence of this today??
Here is the similar process spoken a different way.
Babylon has exchanged the truth of God for a lie...
Rev 9:13-14
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates.
What is at the great river Euphrates?
Babylon
Now watch this…
Rev 9:15-16
15 And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men. 16 And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.
***So the angels of the Euphrates are loosed and kill a third part of man (spiritual parable). The army of Horsemen are 10,000 x 10,000 (= 100,000,00).
Horsemen?
Psa 147:10
He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man.
Isa 31:3
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit: and when Jehovah shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall stumble, and he that is helped shall fall, and they all shall be consumed together.
Horses represent the fleshly works of Babylon that God allows to hijack and infiltrate his church and spiritually kill many of His people.
Rev 9:17-18
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.
Rev 9:19
19 For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they hurt.
***Power of the horse are in their mouth?
-Fleshly works of Babylon that are done in their own strength
***Tails??
Isa 9:15
The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
Rev 9:20-21
20 And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Babylon is specifically mentioned in verse 20. They worship idols of:
Gold
Silver
Brass
Stone
Wood
Demons
In Dan 5:5, when his gold/silver vessels are filled with the wine of Babylon,drank from AND the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone are praised,...what does God do?
-intervenes, hand writes on wall, judgement
The spiritual pattern seems to be:
**When His "vessels of honor" or "sons of the light/day" begin to be dishonored by idolatrous Babylon, God doesn't take kindly and reacts.
Example:
This is spoken to his disciples in Mark 13.
Mar 13:20-21
20 And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect's sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days.21 And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe it not:
Why?
-His people can/will be deceived.
Mar 13:22
for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.
Where are these in this example?
Gold/silver vessels
-the elect
Filled with wine of Babylon
-may be led astray
Others gods
-false Christ's, false prophets with signs and wonders
Reaction from God
-shortens the day (judgement is initiated early?)
-cuts the day short
Why were the days shortened??
***His vessels of honor are important to Him!!
Let's talk about God's response in Dan 5:5
Dan 5:5
5 In the same hour came forth the 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.
Finger
-first instance of finger is:
Exo 8:19
Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.
Luk 11:20
But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.
Hand - physical hand, power
Man Hand Finger - 3 places
2Sa 21:20
And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.
1Ch 20:6 (same verse)
Dan 5:5
Candlestick - light, to shine, lampstand
Rev 1:13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.
(Fingers of God via a man illuminated by the candlestick (people of God) which pronounce judgement on God's harlot people)
***Either Jesus OR Jesus "in His people"***
***Remember the man in Luke 6:6-8 with the withered hand.
What day of the week did Jesus heal him?
What did Jesus tell the man to do after He healed him? "Rise up and stand forth in the midst"
Quickly review Dan 5:6-7a
Purple
Dan 5:7b...Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
In NT, purple is mentioned 5x's:
Mar 15:15-18
17 And they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it on him;
Mar 15:19-20
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the purple, and put on him his garments. And they lead him out to crucify him.
Where was Jesus crucified?
Rev 11:8
And their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
The great city = Babylon
Rev 18:10
Luk 16:19
(Rich man and Lazarus)
Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day:
Rev 17:4
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, (Harlot)
Rev 18:12
merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;
(Merchants of Babylon)
Pattern
Jesus was crucified in spiritual Babylon of the OT as a lamb.
Seems the NT people follow the same path to spiritual Babylon. But when Jesus comes, it will be as a lion.
***Now do you see why Daniel didn't want to be clothed in purple?
-It represents the harlot Babylon!
#########
Dan 5: Natural vs Spiritual
8 points of comparison
Natural - Captive to Babylon
Dan 1:1-2
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.
Spiritual
Rev 17:5-6
5 and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.
Many waters
Natural
Jer 51:12-13
12 Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set the watchmen, prepare the ambushes; for Jehovah hath both purposed and done that which he spake concerning the inhabitants of Babylon. 13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy covetousness.
The Euphrates river
Spiritual
Rev 17:1
And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters;
Many waters?
Rev 17:15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
River
Natural
Jer 46:10
For that day is a day of the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour and be satiate, and shall drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Spiritual
Rev 16:12
And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising.
Euphrates River dried up
Who came from the east when natural Babylon dried up?
Darius the Mede
Who comes from the east when spiritual Babylon dries up?
Sun rising in East
(Eze 46:1)
Harlot
Natural
Dan 2:37-38
37 Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; 38 and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold.
Spiritual
Rev 17:18
And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
The great city
Natural
Dan 4:30
The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
Spiritual
Rev 18:10
standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Destruction time frame
Natural
Dan 4:33
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
Dan 5:30-31
30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
Spiritual
Rev 18:10
standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Come out from her, my people
Natural
Jer 51:44-45
44 And I will execute judgment upon Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall. 45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and save yourselves every man from the fierce anger of Jehovah.
Spiritual
Rev 18:4-5
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Stone cast into the river/sea
Natural
Jer 51:63-64
63 And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates: 64 and thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again because of the evil that I will bring upon her; and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
Spiritual
Rev 18:21
And a strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.
Why a millstone?
-it is used to grind
Matt 18:6; Luke 17:2
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