( Public Domain ). Their all-powerful self-reliance showed their lack of faith in God. Article Images Copyright , 5 Deadly Mistakes Belshazzar Made that Christians Should Avoid. whom the king my father brought from Jewry?" 5. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. He sacked entire nations, took the Israelites into a 70-year captivity, de-throned kings from their thrones and that just tips the iceberg. Asimovs Guide to the Bible: The Old Testament by Isaac Asimov. Although Belshazzar was not wholly bad - he rewarded the prophet Daniel, for instance - he did not fear and respect God. The Greek form is used both for the Hebrew "Belshasar," or less accurately, (ib. He ordered the people of Babylon to bow down and worship a golden statue he created. God saw the people of Babylon building this kingdom, represented by a tall tower. "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". The story of the fabled Tower of Babel from the Book of Genesis has come to inspire artists throughout history and to symbolize the idea of human ambition. Nebuchadnezzar ruled well, but this didn't phase the Persians. Cyrus the Great. You do not need to fear or worry about the future! Nabonidus supposedly goes into exile in 550 BC, which leaves his eldest son in charge. 10). Finally, the statement that Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar shows conclusively that the historical data of the Biblical author were at fault. The statue was destroyed by a rock, which then turned into a mountain filling the whole earth. Although there is no parallel account in the inscriptions, it certainly seems significant that both Herodotus and Xenophon allude to a feast at this time. Daniel promptly interprets the meaning of these enigmatic words which have puzzled all of the kings other astrologers and sages: 5:26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Satan will finally be defeated. 1. Babylons brutality toward Israel would be met with their own destruction by Persia and King Cyrus. LIVE AN HONORABLE LIFE. Ive heard that Belshazzar was accidentally killed by his own guards. In addition to Nabunaid II, Belshazzar seems to have had another brother named Nebuchadnezzar, since the two Babylonian rebels against Darius Hystaspis both assumed the name of Nebuchadnezzar the son of Nabunaid (see the Behistun Inscription, I, 85, 89, 95). One was dated in the third year of the king Marduk-sar-uzur. It takes some serious gall to throw a party when the kingdom of Persia knocks at your door. Daniel 8:1. ( fluenta / Adobe Stock) Belshazzar became regent of Babylon in 549 when his father left for Tema so he was presumably already an adult at this time. Dear Wu, you did not answer the question which your title poses.I am left hanging,however if you wish me to answer the question, I would be most happy tooffer my best assesment. Thank you! Nabodinus appears to have let his son do most of the ruling of the kingdom while Nabodinus himself focused on other things, so Belshazzar was a kind of de facto ruler, but never officially king. Isaiah prophesied about the fall of Babylon in Isaiah 47. Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods. Read More. He should've taken this as a warning sign to take his kingship seriously, be sparing with his supplies, and fortify his defenses against the Persian army. 3 The Destruction Of The Earth Hasn't Happened. ", Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at JerusalemThey drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.. In the last verse we are told that Belshazzar was slain in that same night, and that his power passed to Darius the Mede. The event at Belshazzars feast occurs when Daniel is an old man. In 1854 Sir Henry Rawlinson found an inscription of Nabonidus which referred to his eldest son. Even more exciting and controversial is the proposal that this king ordered the construction of the Tower of Babel, but not by that name. I guess until next discussion this is my only explanation, so Goodbye Everyone. The writing on the wall is then revealed to us: 5:25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. He will be richly rewarded: 5:16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 5:30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. Babylon of the Old Testament and the New Testament shared a common downfall. Belshazzar's story is a sobering reminder to not let our pride overtake us and to use the gifts God has given us well. While it is historically possible that Belsharuur may have been coregent, it is clear that the writer of Daniel could not have thought this, as he would hardly have given him the unqualified title "king of Babylon" without further elucidation; compare chap. Yet more gold: the author of Daniel is hammering home the fact that Belshazzars kingdom is one that prizes material riches over religious observance. How can we avoid this mistake:All sin and fall short of the glory of God. Even Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzars father (in actual fact not his father, but well put that to one side for the moment), acknowledged this mans godlike understanding and wisdom. They had no need for God and His provision. The country of Iraq is present-day Babylon. We'll explore the person of Belshazzar, what Babylon looks like before him, and his most deadly mistakes that made the greatest Empire in the world at the time fall. Coworker? v. and viii. That such a festival really took place on the eve of the capture of Babylon is not improbable. Nabonidus doesn't really appear to do anything of importance during his short reign over Babylon. Thus, this First Babylonian Empire was short-lived and it soon fell under the dominion of foreigners, including the Hittites, the Kassites, and the Assyrians. This king acted just as arrogantly and did not glorify God for the abundance given to Babylon. The Neo-Babylonian Empire reached its zenith during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II , who succeeded Nabopolassar in around 605 BC. The following important differences between Belsharusur and the Belshazzar of Daniel are patent. That the city of Babylon alone was sometimes at least governed by an official called king is highly probable, since the father of Nergal-har-ucur is certainly, and the father of Nabunaid I is probably, called king of Babylon, in both of which cases, the city, or at most the province, of Babylon must have been meant, since we know to a certainty all of the kings who had been ruling over the empire of Babylon since 626 BC, when Nabopolassar became king, and the names of neither of these fathers of kings is found among them. The three Babylonian kings are often mentioned together as forming a succession of impious and tyrannous monarchs who oppressed Israel and were therefore foredoomed to disgrace and destruction. i. Battle of ArmageddonTribulationSigns of the End TimesThe Four Horsemen of the ApocalypseThe Seventh Seal OpenedWhat Is the Death Angel? Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, is one of the most iconic figures in history. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. This same son of the king is most probably mentioned again in the same chronicle as having died in the night in which Babylon was captured by Gobryas of Gutium. In one of these contract tablets, dated in the July after the defeat of the army of Nabonidus, we find him paying tithes for his sister to the temple of the sun-god at Sippara. And no city is impenetrable. In the passage, "As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him" (Amos v. 19), the lion represents Nebuchadnezzar, and the bear, equally ferocious if not equally courageous, is Belshazzar (Esther R., Introduction). Intense rivalry between England and Spain during the reign of Elizabeth I led Philip II of Spain to prepare an armada to invade England. Ive enjoyed digging into these stories from the Bible in more depth. "Jeremiah must be wrong," argued Belshazzar, "for the limit has been reached, and since the Jews have not yet returned to their land, they probably will not return any more." God ensured that their enemies would be defeated, and the Israelites were protected by Him if they remained faithful. would have had no force if the king were referring to an ancestor. 2. In the Book of Isaiah, a story similar to that found in the Cyrus Cylinder is told. Now we come to the famous incident with the writing on the wall. The ancient civilization of Greece is a historical period that has long been a subject of fascination and intrigue. The interpretation of the kings dream by the prophet Daniel was that the statue represents four successive kingdoms, the first of which being the Neo-Babylonian Empire, all of which would be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. Perhaps, for the former, he'd grown annoyed that Nebuchadnezzar has a change of heart about Yahweh in Daniel 3 and Daniel 4. He had a sister also named Ina-esagilaremat, and a second named probably Ukabu'shai'-na. ( Public Domain ). viii., where there is no mention of any overruler. Belshazzar never acknowledged or honored the one true God for all his prosperity. It is interesting to observe in this connection that in the Chaldean legend given by Abdnus, of doubtful date, the last king of Babylon is spoken of as a son of Nebuchadnezzar (compare Schrader, in "Jahrbcher fr Protest. A Visual Tour (Video), Wootz Damascus Steel: The Mysterious Metal that Was Used in Deadly Blades, 10 Jaw-dropping Engineering Marvels of the Inca Empire, Gold, Salt, and Islam: The Story of Koumbi Saleh, The Ingenious Methods behind the Incas Intricate Stone Walls (Video), What Did Ancient Greece Really Look Like? This will appear plainly from an examination of the list of the last kings of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar, 604-561; Amel-Marduk (Evil-merodach), 561-559; Nergalsharuur (Neriglissar), 559-555; Labashi-Marduk, 555, reigned only nine months; Nabonidus, 555-538; Cyrus captures Babylon, 538. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is honoring God with your mind and your actions. An angel comes down from heaven and calls out: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen! Obviously, a famine is not the time to be throwing a feast, and yet he does so anyway. 4 Things You May Not Know About Abraham in the Bible 20 Facts You May Not Know About Moses from the Bible Who Was Mary Magdalene in the Bible? Daniel 5:23 - King Belshazzar worshipped his wealth. Daniel had a reputation of being able to understand dreams and visions, so he was ordered to go before the king to interpret his dreams. Adventist Adventurer Claimed to Have Found Ark of the Covenant Beneath Crucifixion Site. The Cyrus Cylinder says that the people opened their gates for Cyrus and greeted him as a liberator. Rounding back to your question Why did Babylon Fall? Waist of Brass or Bronze Through writing and speaking opportunities, she is passionate about encouraging others in learning more about the Bible and maturing in their faith. Article Images Copyright , What Christians Need to Know about the Fall of Babylon in End Times. The King was sent away for seven years and his kingdom was taken from him. The story of Belshazzar's feast occupies the entire fifth chapter of the Book of Daniel. He is also generally credited with the construction of two major features of Babylon - the Ishtar Gate in 575 BC and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Firstly, he is documented for driving the Jews out of Babylon, capturing the city of Jerusalem in 597 BC, and destroying the First Temple and that city in 587 BC. The petition that the king's son may not incline to sin may also imply that Belshazzar had in some way offended the religious classes, who, as is well known, supervised the preparation of the inscriptions. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. 5. bel-shaz'-ar (belsha'tstsar; Baltasar, Babylonian Bel-shar-usur): According to Daniel 5:30, he was the Chaldean king under whom Babylon was taken by Darius the Mede. By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University). (See NERGAL-SHAREZER.). The problem is, Belshazzar and his court don't praise Yahweh/God . It is a fearful fact that many come to their last hours without being aware or prepared for that certainty. What should we learn from the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? The Controversial Lapedo Child A Neanderthal / Human Hybrid? The author of Daniel simply did not have correct data at hand. 9 [A. V. "a heifer of three years old"]). Lord, God of history, teach us to heed those who have gone before us and give us the strength to live a godly life in the midst of a blasphemous people. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email. As Marduk-sar-uzar was another name for Baal, this Marduk-sar-uzur was found to be the Belshazzar of Scripture. Everyone wanted what Babylon had and could not see the immorality and sin they were indulging in. Besides this, had the author regarded his Belshazzar as Evil-merodach, he would have deliberately passed over in silence the reigns of several Babylonian kings between the death of Evil-merodach and the foreign supremacy. The allusion to the prince in the "Annals of Nabonidus" shows plainly that he remained with the army in northern Babylonia, most probably in the capacity of commander-in-chief, while his father was living in Tema apparently free from the cares of government and applying himself to his favorite study of religious archeology. And we know what they say about pride and falling and he fell hard. Nabonidus, his father, was the son of a nobleman, Nabu-balasu-ib, and was probably a usurper against the older house of Nebuchadnezzar. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Cyrus the Great is said, in the Bible, to have liberated the Jews from theBabylonian captivity. 5:27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. This ruler set the groundwork for the impressive Neo-Babylonian Empire, leaving his son Nebuchadnezzar II with the ideal circumstances to bring Babylonia to the forefront of ancient society. "Entry for 'BELSHAZZAR'". attacked by Sennacherib, Babylon was destroyed by fire. Because his rule was arbitrary and licentious, he was assassinated by Neriglisar after he had reigned only two years. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! 5. xxix. So MENE is thought to relate to the mina, a unit of currency roughly equivalent to the modern pound, while TEKEL is the shekel, or one-fiftieth of a mina. Since the discovery and decipherment of the cuneiform inscriptions, however, "Belshazzar" is now generally admitted to be the Hebrew-Aramaic equivalent of the Babylonian form "Belsharuur" (Bel preserve the king), which has been found in the cuneiform documents as the name of the eldest son of Nabonidus (Nabuna'id), the last native king of Babylon (555-538 B.C.). The author of the Book of Daniel is showing how the Babylonian empire (whose inhabitants dont worship Yahweh, except for the exiled Jews among them) will be swallowed up by a much mightier empire (the Persians). The writing on the wall, Daniel and king Belshazzar, the fall of Babylon bible story. UFO Author Will Lead Exploration of Rendlesham Forest Encounters Site, Debunking the Aryan Race Myth and Separating Fact from Fiction, Mysterious Lake Monster Causes Underwater Eruption (Video), The Black Death and Beyond: Uncovering the Secrets of Plague's Deadly Legacy (Video), The Kings Champion: Medieval Coronation Roles, With a Twist, Digging the Deep Blue: Challenges and Triumphs in Underwater Archaeology, The Roman Empire: A Story of Power, Glory, and Tragedy, The Mongol Onslaught: When Ukraine Fell to the Horde (Video). In the New Years resolutions are a popular practice. Daniel was a prophet who was a part of the Babylonian exile and served King Nebuchadnezzar in his court. 538), using the sacred vessels of the temple, which Nebuchadnezzer had brought from Jerusalem. In Revelation 17-18, John shares the words of the angel and Babylons downfall. How often do we misuse the gifts of God to engage in sin? Idol worship leads to immorality when you are so consumed with the worship of other gods instead of the one true God. But where does it originate? The people refused to listen, so God allowed Babylon to come into Jerusalem and destroy their homes and the temple of God built by King Solomon (2 Kings 25). And the author of Daniel probably only knew the names of two Babylonian rulers: Nebuchadnezzar (whose name should, more accurately, be rendered as Nebuchadrezzar, after the Babylonian Nab-kudur-usur) and Belshazzar. (Video), about The Greatest Speech in History? But Daniel was included in the canon of Biblical texts, and its stories have consequently become among the best-known in all of the Old Testament. 263, 264). The interpretation of the king's dream by the prophet Daniel was that the statue represents four successive kingdoms, the first of which being the Neo-Babylonian Empire, all of which would be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. As Christians, we should not overlook their prominence, however we cannot be consumed by details of their fulfillment. Assyriens," p. 463), that Belshazzar was governor of Ur; or it is possible that the king, who was noted for his strictness in religious matters, may have attached some special importance to the cult of the moon-god practised in Ur. All rights reserved. He ordered the guards not to let anyone else in, then disguised himself as a normal person in order to fool a would-be attacker and went outside, unfortunately though when he came back the guards failed to recognise him and clobbered him. It was rebuilt by Esarhaddon, and was finally wrested from Assyria around 625 b.c. Cutting Edge Celtic Tech - 2,300-year-old Scissors Still Sharp and Shiny! Send for him, the queen tells him, and he will solve the mystery of the writing on the wall. Putting this together, we might expect Belshazzar to have been 40+ at the fall of Babylon when he was slain (539 BC). Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit Revelation 18:2. See Daniel, Mene, Nebuchadnezzar. This has been disputed. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. The kings who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar II were much less capable than him and had rather short reigns. The idol of comfortRevelation 18:14-17 - Babylon was clothed in luxury and wealth. Think about how much better his reign could've been had he appointed Daniel in an adviser position, and heard from him about what to do as King. The prophet Daniel, interpreting the handwriting on the wall as God's judgment on the king, foretold the imminent destruction of the city. The Jews were taken to live in Babylon for 70 years. But unfortunately, he let that go to his head. He used items stolen from the temple in Jerusalem for his personal parties and desecrated them. How often do we abuse and neglect that which God has given to us? He was the son of Nabonidus by Nitocris, who was the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and the widow of Nergal-sharezer. And the ones who didn't watched their cities burn. xliv.). Babylon served their own gods, and other nations looked to Babylon as a god. In the Ur records Nabonidus prays that his son may live long and piously, although it is not stated why special mention should be made of the prince here. Sure enough, this is what MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN meant for Belshazzar and his kingdom. King Belshazzar was the successor who also defiled God by using items taken from the temple in Jerusalem for personal use. Not exactly the people you want to hear from when God's judgment is at hand. 10 Things You Need to Know about the Number 666, 10 Books of the Bible You Should Read Again and Again, 10 Most Encouraging Bible Verses That Will Uplift Your Heart and Soul, 5 Things That Hurt Relationships with Grandkids, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life Losses, 4 Things You Should Know about Big George Foreman, 8 Ways You Are Belittling Your Husband and What God Says about It, Maybe Money Can Buy Happiness, but Not Joy. Many subjects of the Neo-Assyrian Empire seized this opportunity to revolt. That night the kingdom of the Chaldeans came to an end, and the king was slain ( Daniel 5:30 ). In the Bible, Babylon is first mentioned in Genesis 11. Nabonidus reigned for a total of 17 years and is remembered for his restoration of the regions ancient architectural and cultural traditions, hence earning him the nickname the archaeologist king among modern day historians. The firstborn son of Nabonidus, and coregent of Nabonidus in the last years of the Babylonian Empire. Although it concerns events of the sixth century BC, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, it was clearly written many centuries later: some time in the second century BC is the best guess. 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. But Belshazzar ups the ante by having his people drink from them with a debase purpose. 11 as "Balthasar" (R. V. "Baltasar"). Daniel said he did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.. During Nebuchadnezzar IIs reign, which lasted until around 562 BC, the Neo-Babylonian Empire was in control of Babylonia, Assyria, parts of Asia Minor, Phoenicia, Israel, and northern Arabia. Four years after assuming power, the king named his son Belshazzar coregent and went into exile in Tayma, a city some 160 miles north of Al Hait. Belshazzar's grandfather already committed a serious infraction by taking these from the temple of God. In addition to all this, there is no evidence that Belsharuur was in any way related to Nebuchadnezzar.
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