Daniel 5:1-6 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the Temple of the House of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
This story could well be a prophesy of what is happening in America today. The King took vessels from the Temple of God and used them to drink wine and have a wild party. In doing this they made a mockery of God which never goes unanswered.
As we read on we see how a hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall of the king’s palace. Instantly, the party was over! Immediately the king’s countenance changed. He was so deeply troubled, his hips became loose and his knees knocked together. He was scared to death!
Has the Church in America made light of the Gospel of Christ and the Word of God? Have we used the Temple of God for parties and ungodly activities? Have we discounted the warnings of God and continued to live life in the world while claiming to be the Body of Christ?
The “writing on the wall” of Belshazzar’s palace said: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHAR-SIN. No one understood it or could interpret it, so they called for Daniel. In Verse 26-28 we read the interpretation: This is the interpretation of the thing. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Please note that God repeated the first word (MENE) twice. Whenever God repeats Himself, He is making a point of emphasis. Each word has meaning and together they form a message. MENE means "numbered." TEKEL means "weighed." UPHAR-SIN is the same word for PHARSIN which is the plural of PERES, which means "division."
In modern-day English the message may go something like this: Listen up! Your days are numbered; I repeat, NUMBERED! I the Lord your God have evaluated you and found you to be lacking. Therefore, you will be divided and given over to others.
The writing is on the wall, my friends. How many have even noticed it? How many are heeding the warning? How many are just ignoring it and going on as usual with all their worldly activities, fun, and games in the Temple of God? Is this in reference only to the buildings we call “church?” NO! 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the Temple of God that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Every born-again believer in Jesus Christ is the Temple of God. What’s going on in His Temple? The writing is on the wall. It’s time to heed the writing, WAKE UP, and hear the Lord.
Just to bring the matter home.....THAT NIGHT Belshazzar was slain; dead. THAT NIGHT!
God is about to......turn the tide
Awaken you sleepers! Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
