The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

Then, on the occasion of a great banquet at which there is excessive drunkenness, praise of lesser JRGV DQG GHILOHPHQW RI JREOHWV WDNHQ IURP 6RORPRQ·V WHPSOH %HOVKD]]DU VHHV D ILQJHU ZULWLQJ something unintelligible on the wall. When Daniel is finally called to interpret it, the message is WKDW %HOVKD]]DU·V DUURJDQFH KDV FRVW KLP KLV OLIH $V LI WR VWDYH RII *RG·V MXGJPHQW %HOVKD]]DU elevated Daniel to the third-highest position in his government. But by the end of the night Belshazzar is dead. 20 What do the mysterious words on the wall say? Daniel was now an old man, SUREDEO\ LQ KLV ODWHU ·V still fearless and forthright. He boldly declared the fingers were sent from God! The interpretation of the words were crystal clear: both king and kingdom had been weighed in the balances and found wanting ² and the kingdom of Babylon was now given to the Medes and Persians. 6. ´7KDW YHU\ QLJKW %HOVKD]]DU NLQJ RI WKH &KDOGHDQV was slain. And Darius the Mede [ fulfilling the writing on the wall ] UHFHLYHG WKH NLQJGRP« µ -31). 7. 'DQLHO :HQW LQ DQG &DPH 2XW RI WKH /LRQV· 'HQ -24). 2QH RI 'DULXV· HDUO\ decisions was to make Daniel one of three principal JRYHUQRUV HYHQ JLYLQJ WKRXJKW ´WR VH tting him over WKH ZKROH UHDOPµ 7KH MHDORXV JRYHUQRUV DQG VDWUDSV UHDOL]LQJ KH GLG all things perfectly and efficiently, FRQFHLYHG D UHOLJLRXV SORW WR GHVWUR\ KLP ´ZKRHYHU SHWLWLRQV DQ\ JRG RU PDQ IRU thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lio QVµ )RROLVKO\ WKH IODWWHUHG king signed the decree, then found to his dismay that Daniel (because of his prayer habits) must be thrown to the ravenous lions! Daniel, of course, knew of the decree, and could easily have circumvented the snare: he could have stopped praying or even prayed quietly in a secluded place for thirty days; however, he would rather be eaten by lions than give up his daily communion with God! Now, however, there was no alternative, Daniel was cast to the lions and a large stone sealed the mouth of the den. The next morning, the anguished, sleep-deprived king rushed to find out what had happened. A bold cry answered his quavering inquiry: ´0\ *RG VHQW +LV DQJHO DQG VKXW WKH OLRQV· PRXWKV VR WKDW WKH\ KDYH QRW KXUW PH ! µ 21 ´>1@ o injury ZKDWHYHU ZDV IRXQG RQ KLP EHFDXVH KH EHOLHYHG LQ KLV *RGµ -23).

Five Royal Proclamations of the True God

The seven great miracles (of the first six chapters) sent one clear message (4:25b):

´7KH 0RVW +LJK UXOHV LQ WKH NLQJGRP RI PHQ DQG JLYHV LW WR ZKRPHYHU +H FKRRVHV µ

20 Smith, p. 1225. 21 'DQLHO XQGRXEWHGO\ NQHZ 3VD ³6DYH 0H IURP WKH OLRQ¶V PRXWK« ´

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