(dramatic music) - It was the 12th of October,
in the year 539 B.C., just over 3,550 years ago. And it was during the reign of the Babylonian monarch, Belshazzar. And this king, well, he knew how to party, he loved to party, and one night he organised a big party. And what a party it was. The king's lords, his
wives, his concubines, over 1,000 of them, not only drinking wine but drinking it from the sacred vessels that had been part of the ancient
Jewish temple in Jerusalem pillaged decades earlier by his
grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar. Amid all the sacrilege and revelry, an event occurred that
brought all festivities to an immediate halt. A mysterious hand appeared
and in fiery letters, wrote a chilling message on
the wall of the king's palace. If you ever wondered where the phrase, the handwriting on the wall, originated well, here it is. No question, this was strange, and it was shocking. Who wrote this message, and what did it mean? Join me as we investigate
the amazing story of the handwriting on the wall, that rocked an ancient
empire and brought about the demise of its insolent king. (sombre music) King Nebuchadnezzar, the
great warrior-king of Babylon, ruled his kingdom from 605 B.C. He was powerful and he was invincible. He had no peers, he was the
uncontested ruler of world. Soon after he ascended the throne, Nebuchadnezzar went on the warpath. He set out to invade the
walled city of Jerusalem. In fact, historical records and the Bible tell us that this ancient king made three invading trips to Jerusalem. Three times he led his mighty army 1,500 kilometres from Babylon across the Fertile Crescent to Jerusalem. And each time he attacked, he inflicted severe
punishment and tribulation on the city and its inhabitants. On this first trip, in 605 B.C., he took home with him many of
the precious golden vessels that he found in Solomon's
magnificent temple. And in addition, he and
his troops took hostage a selected number of young
people, including Daniel, to be trained in the ways of Babylon. In 597 B.C., just eight years later, Nebuchadnezzar returned to Jerusalem. This time, he took most of
the remaining golden vessels and temple treasure, and about 10,000 prisoners. By this time the Jewish king, Jehoiakim, had abandoned any semblance of rebellion and surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar. But 11 years later, in 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar invaded
a third and final time. This time he completely
destroyed Solomon's temple, just levelled it to the ground, and took most of Jerusalem's
remaining population as captives back to Babylon with him. Now, Nebuchadnezzar's
capital city, Babylon, located near the modern-day
city of Baghdad in Iraq, is situated in a flat desert environment. Although Nebuchadnezzar's
wealth and power were legendary, and he was known as a mighty conqueror, like most husbands, he wanted
to please his wife, Amytis. She came from the mountainous
region to the north. Babylon was flat and dry, desert, and she yearned for the green
gardens of her mountain home. So Nebuchadnezzar arranged to build the beautiful Hanging
Gardens of Babylon for her. These gardens are considered to be one of the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World. King Nebuchadnezzar's power was legendary. He had finally conquered
Egypt and extended his empire. And now his capital city,
Babylon, was the most magnificent and the dominant city of the world. Its population reached about two million. It rose out of the desert plain
with a spectacular skyline. It boasted temples, terraces and palaces. In fact, Nebuchadnezzar
built three luxurious palace complexes in the city and ensured there were massive double and
triple walls for protection. We're told, these walls
were over 100 metres high and 30 metres wide, four chariots abreast could ride on them. Nebuchadnezzar was proud of
the beauty of his palaces, in fact, he was so proud
of all he had achieved and the great city that he'd built, that he ordered his initials to be printed on the building bricks. At this time Babylon was an
advanced and highly developed, innovative, and sophisticated society. Way back in those days,
they knew all about solving quadratic equations, reciprocals,
squares and square roots, cubes and cube roots. They were the world leaders
in numbers, facts and figures. In fact, they were so advanced that some of their system
has come down to us today. They were the ones who came up
with 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 360 degrees in a circle. The Babylonian astronomers
were also the world leaders in the study of the heavenly bodies, the planets and stars. They had carefully recorded eclipses and knew how to interpret
and predict them. And in the area of commerce and economics, they'd introduced bills, promissory notes, receipts, letter of
credit, compound interest, and even a system of checks. But Babylon was also a
leader in some other kinds of knowledge and practises, the dark arts. The occult, magic, pagan
mythology, astrology, divination and sorcery had
permeated their society. The king even had an
elite group of wise men, wizards, magicians and
astrologers, who advised him. Nebuchadnezzar had
desperately sought advice from this group of wise men and seers when he'd been unable
to remember his dream about a giant metal statue, made of gold, silver, brass, and iron. When the wise men couldn't
tell the King his dream, much less interpret it, he angrily ordered them
all to be executed. This execution order included the young Jewish
nobleman, Daniel, and his friends. Daniel requests an audience with the king and tells him there is a God in Heaven who can show him and interpret the dream. Then, under God's guidance, he tells the king his dream and provides the interpretation that outlines the future of the world, right through to the climax of history and the introduction of God's Kingdom that will last forever. Now, about 35 years later, King Nebuchadnezzar has another dream. This time it's about a tree, and he wants to know what it means. So, again, he calls in his wise men, the wizards, astrologers and magicians, and asks them to interpret his dream. Well the same situation happens again, the wise men can't explain
the dream to the king, they fail again. And then Nebuchadnezzar remembers the honest and reliable Hebrew, Daniel. So he summons Daniel and
this is what Daniel says, "While the word was still
in the king's mouth, "a voice fell from heaven,
'King Nebuchadnezzar, "'to you it is spoken, the
kingdom has departed from you!'" It's unbelievable, but
that's exactly what happened. This powerful monarch of
the world-leading empire goes mad just as the dream had predicted. For seven years the king lived
a pathetic, deranged life, eating grass in a field like an animal until he finally responded
to the message from God. "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, "praise and extol and
honour the King of heaven, "all of whose works are truth, "and His ways justice. "And those who walk in pride
He is able to put down." Nebuchadnezzar recognises,
exalts and praises God and resumes his monarchy
until his death in 562 B.C. at the grand old age of 104. After Nebuchadnezzar's
death, his son, Amel-Marduk, but ironically known by
the name, Evil-Merodach, rules the kingdom for two terrible years until he is assassinated
by his own brother-in-law. Then he dies after just
four years on the throne, leaving a young son. Some of the court conspirators got together and killed the young boy king and installed their own
choice on the throne. His name was Nabonidus, a royal prince, but sadly, Nabonidus is
a very ineffectual ruler. In the short time, only 23 years, since the great King
Nebuchadnezzar has died, the golden era for Babylon has faded. And then after about six years as king, Nabonidus decides to
transfer his headquarters out of the city of Babylon to the distant oasis, Tema, in Arabia. Nabonidus then instals
his son, Belshazzar, on the throne in Babylon as
a co-regent, or second king. History reveals that he did not worship the Babylonian patron god, Marduk, but was an avid worshipper
of the Moon god. Now this is unbelievable, the name of this deity,
the Moon god, was Sin. Now, Nabonidus, even though
he was the first king, was living 1,000 kilometres
away from Babylon and for the last 10 years had not even returned once to celebrate the popular
New Year's festival. In addition, Nabonidus
became very unpopular when he forced some of the
high-class citizens of Babylon to work in labour gangs for the state. Many of the Babylonians
became extremely dissatisfied and even joined the enemy,
the growing Medo-Persian army, in a rebellion against Babylon. This caused Nabonidus
to lose military battles against the Persian
general, Cyrus, at Opis, about 180 kilometres away from Babylon and then at Sippar, 80
kilometres north of the city. Historic accounts are very
detailed about these battles and it is recorded that the last battle happened on 10th October, 539 B.C. Just two days later, on
12th October, 539 B.C., the Persian troops are
camped outside the city walls and besiege Babylon itself. Now Belshazzar, son of Nabonidus, and the second king of Babylon, decides that this is a perfect
time to host a huge party. The Bible says, 1,000 people are invited to imbibe and celebrate with him. Let's read what the
Bible says in Daniel 5:1. "Belshazzar the king made a great feast "for a thousand of his lords "and he drank wine in the
presence of the thousand." Amazingly, the Babylonians did not fear the enemy troops outside their walls. They knew that their
city was well fortified. There were those two sets of double walls and there were enough
provisions to last for months. Even water was in good supply. The great Euphrates River flowed through heavily guarded gates right into the city. But on this night, the
gates weren't guarded. Let's read the record of this
night, found in Daniel 5:2-3. "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." The Bible account opens on a Belshazzar who remembers his heritage. The English Bible calls Belshazzar the son of Nebuchadnezzar, but as we have described
in this messy royal line, Belshazzar was not his son, but rather a successor, a grandson, which is how the original
Aramaic word can be translated. It is, in fact, pointed out
seven times in the chapter. In defiance, Belshazzar
orders his servants to bring to him the sacred vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken
from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wants to commemorate the victory of Babylon over Jerusalem, the triumph of the god of
Babylon over the God of Israel. Let's read what's recorded in Daniel 5:4. "They drank wine, and praised
the gods of gold and silver, "bronze and iron, wood and stone." Notice that these are the same metals as those on the great statue
in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and they are listed in the same order. Through this gesture,
this intoxicated monarch is deliberately and publicly showing contempt and scorn for the predictions that Babylon would come to an end one day. Suddenly, the party crowd goes silent. They are stunned, as they
watch a hand appears, it comes out of nowhere, and begins writing in
fiery letters on the wall. The people watch in awe as the handwriting slowly makes words. But nobody can read the message and so nobody knows what it means. However, even in their drunken state, they know that these words
of fire, mean trouble. A feeling of fear and trepidation sweeps over the party crowd. Terrified, the defiant king goes pale and his knees knock together. Immediately, Belshazzar cries out for the Babylonian wise men, astrologers and magicians of the kingdom, and in his desperation, makes
this extravagant promise. "Whoever reads this writing, "and tells me its interpretation, "shall be clothed with purple "and have a chain of gold around his neck, "and he shall be the third
ruler in the kingdom." Remember, Belshazzar is only the second ruler of the
kingdom after his father. So, in desperation, he offers
the highest position he can, third ruler, to anyone
who can read and interpret the handwriting, but no one can. Now Belshazzar is greatly troubled as he stares at the fiery words. His suppressed memories
haunt and disturb him. And then the queen mother
enters the banquet, she encourages Belshazzar
to remember that his father, grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar,
believed in God and to consult the old prophet, Daniel. "There is a man in your kingdom "in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. "And in the days of your father, "light and understanding and wisdom, "like the wisdom of the
gods, were found in him, "and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, "your father the king, made
him chief of the magicians, "astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. "Inasmuch as an excellent
spirit, knowledge, understanding, "interpreting dreams, solving riddles, "and explaining enigmas
were found in this Daniel, "whom the king named Belteshazzar, "now let Daniel be called, "and he will give the interpretation." Daniel, an old man now, is still standing for his faith in God. He enters the courtyard
and walks up to the king. Belshazzar is shaken and begs Daniel to read the fiery words. He offers the aged prophet
the riches and gifts that the third person in the
kingdom would be entitled to. What was Daniel's response to the king? Well, Daniel's usual tact and respect is replaced by his stern answer. "Then Daniel answered,
and said to the king, "'Let your gifts be for yourself, "'and give your rewards to another, "'yet I will read the writing to the king "'and make known to him
the interpretation.'" And then Daniel, in front
of those 1,000 people, told the king how his
predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had to learn the hard way that the God of Heaven ruled over everything and
everyone, including kings. He reminded Belshazzar that Nebuchadnezzar had gone mad for seven years before he learnt that lesson. "But you his son, Belshazzar, "have not humbled your heart,
although you knew all this. "And you have lifted yourself
up against the Lord of heaven. "They have brought the vessels
of His house before you, "and you and your lords, "your wives and your concubines, "have drunk wine from them. "And you have praised the
gods of silver and gold, "bronze and iron, wood and stone, "which do not see or hear or know, "and the God who holds
your breath in His hand "and owns all your ways,
you have not glorified." And then Daniel reads and interprets the handwriting on the wall. "This is the interpretation of each word. "MENE: God has numbered your
kingdom, and finished it. "TEKEL: You have been
weighed in the balances, "and found wanting. "PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, "and given to the Medes and Persians." That very night, 12th October, 539 B.C., while Belshazzar and his friends partied, the enemy attacked. The ancient historians,
Herodotus and Xenophon, record that the river was
low after the hot summer, and the invaders cleverly
lowered it further by diverting some of the water. The Persian soldiers waded
into the now knee-deep stream. When they came to the mighty river gates, they found them unguarded and open, just as the prophecy in Isaiah
predicted 200 years before. Cyrus took the city of
Babylon with scarcely a fight. And that very night, King Belshazzar lost his life and his kingdom. No wonder when Daniel first
stepped before the drunken king, he didn't bother with the usual niceties and greeting for the king, "Oh, King, live forever." As Daniel read the writing on the wall, he knew that the king was doomed, that the king was going to
die in just a short time. And that's exactly what happened. Here's the Bible account, "That very night Belshazzar, "king of the Chaldeans, was slain. "And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, "being about sixty-two years old." The kingdom of Babylon came
to an end that very night. Belshazzar was the last of
the Babylonian monarchs. A new king, Darius the
Mede, ascends the throne. Darius the Mede, ruled the
city for just over a year until his death and then, Cyrus the Great, became the king of the Medes and Persians just as Bible prophecy had predicted. The head of gold truly had been toppled just as had been predicted in
King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great metal image
so many years before when Daniel had told Nebuchadnezzar that God was giving him a
glimpse into the future. In fact, God was showing him the broad sweep of history right down to the climax
of earth's history. The image represented the
future succession of empires, from Babylon to Medo-Persia
to Greece to Rome, and then to the time of modern Europe. That stone represented the kingdom of God, which will never be destroyed. This is one of the most remarkable
prophecies in the Bible. It covers thousands of
years of world history, and it pictures the
succession of world empires with amazing accuracy. Amazingly, even though Daniel
the prophet was an old man, he became a trusted
advisor to first Darius and then Cyrus the Medo-Persian kings. And he did it by proclaiming his faith, by standing true to his values. He did it by showing people
around him that God has answers. (gentle music) There's a lesson here for us in the writing on the wall. In a sense, the handwriting
on the wall is still there, even though those flaming
letters have faded. And today they are still saying, turn to God, turn to God
while there is still time. There is no better time
to make this choice. There is no point waiting until tomorrow. The day for choosing God, is right now. The writing on the wall is a reminder that we
need to live our life with the knowledge that
God is watching what we do. Now for some, that will
produce sudden fear, for others, it will provide comfort, for most, it may not change anything. The question is, that if God was to write
something on your wall, what would it be? Would it be, "Well done, you
good and faithful servant"? Would it be, "Depart from
me, I never knew you"? Maybe it would be,
"I've given you so much, "I wish you would spend more time with me, "and do more for me." One day, the writing will be on the wall, and we will give an account
of the decisions we made and the life we lived. Sometimes we can feel
overwhelmed when struggling with the challenges of life in
a hostile and secular world. But God has the answers to the deepest problems
of the human heart. Why not choose to believe and trust in God just like Daniel did? If you'd like to get closer to God, then I'd like to recommend
the free gift we have for all our "Incredible
Journey" viewers today. It's the booklet "Armageddon, The Final
Battle for Your Heart." This booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely free. I guarantee there are no costs
or obligations whatsoever. So make the most of this
wonderful opportunity to receive the free gift
we have for you today. - [Man] Phone or text us at 0436 333 555 in Australia or 020 422 2042 in New Zealand or visit our website TiJ.tv to request today's free offer and we'll send it to you
totally free of charge and with no obligation. So don't delay, call or text
0436 333 555 in Australia or 020 422 2042 in New Zealand or visit our website to
request today's offer. Write to us at GPO Box 274, Sydney, New
South Wales, 2001, Australia or PO Box 76673, Manukau,
Auckland, 2241, New Zealand. Don't delay, call or text us now. - If you've enjoyed today's
journey to ancient Babylon and our reflections on the
handwriting on the wall, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another
of life's journeys together. Until then, let's pray
to the God of Daniel, who controls the future and
who has a plan for our lives. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us
the example of Daniel and how he kept his faith
in the courts of Babylon. When we feel pressured or challenged to keep our faith strong, help us to keep our eyes on you. We want to find meaning
and stability in our lives. We know you are the
answer to life's problems and we want to learn to
trust you completely. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. (dramatic music)
