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Daniel

Chapter 5

{Note: From Chapter 2:4b through Chapter 7, Daniel is writing in the Chaldean language.}

{'Party' of the New King as His Castle is Surrounded by Invading Army}
1a~~Belshazzar, the king,
  {he is actually the king-regent at this time for his father
  Nabonidus}
made/held {`abad} a great feast for a thousand of his nobles,
  {`abad - Peal Chaldean intensive stem - indicates that he is bored
  and trapped and is filled with mental attitude sins and boredom}.

1b~~And he was 'drinking heavily' {sh@thah} wine
in the presence of the thousand.

{Note: Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC. The Chaldean Empire staggered and eventually collapsed. His son Amel-Marduk ruled for a while but was so detrimental to the nation, his brother-in-law, Neriglissar, had him killed and took control. He ruled briefly and was succeeded by his son Labashi-Marduk who was assassinated after nine months. In 556 BC a noble, Nabonidus came to the throne. Nabonidus retired to the country and appointed his son Belshazzar to rule as his king-regent in his place. At the time of this party, in early 539BC, General Gobryas, a Persian commander under Cyrus, defeated the Chaldeans at Opis and Sippar. Only the double-walled city of Babylon remained to be captured.}

{Note: For many years, 'humans' considered Belshazzar to be a 'myth'. Then in 1856, the British archeologist, Sir H. C. Rawlinson translated cuneiform inscriptions naming Belshazzar as the eldest son of Nabonidus.}

2~~While Belshazzar relished the wine,
  {under the influence of the 'rosy glow of too much alcohol'}
he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar, his grandfather
  {'ab - Chaldean for father and grandfather - here it is his
  grandfather}
had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem . . .
in order that the king, and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines,
might drink from them.

{Note: The items of the temple are portrayed by the articles of furniture and other items in the temple. They were used to teach doctrine before doctrine was committed to writing. This act of theft and blasphemy was a great affront not only to God, but to the THINKING of God. This now was the first time that they used this booty. As a result, the Chaldeans would be destroyed off the face of the earth.}

3~~Then they brought the gold vessels
that were taken out of the temple,
the house of 'Elahh/God
which was in Jerusalem.

And the king, and his princes/nobles,
his wives, and his concubines,
drank from them.

4~~They drank the wine
and 'praised with singing'
the 'elahh/gods of gold, and of silver,
of bronze, iron, wood, and of stone.

{Note: RBT says there were four gods worshiped here. Bel/Marduk was the chief of the Chaldean pantheon of gods. Next was Nebo - the god of education. Third, would be Nergal - the god of war. And, fourth would be Ishtar - the goddess of love.}

5a~~Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged
and began 'a permanent recording'
opposite the lampstand
on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace.

5b~~And the king 'saw and perceived'
the back of the hand that did the writing.

6~~Then the king's face changed/'grew pale',
and his thoughts agitated/troubled/alarmed him
and his hip joints went slack,
and his knees began knocking together.

{Verses 7-8: Chaldean State Department's Reaction}
7~~The king called aloud to bring in
'the astrologers'/'his CIA' {'ashshaph}
the Chaldeans/'Priests of the Babylonians' {Kasdiy},
and the soothsayers {g@zar -pagan counterpart to prophets}.

And the king spoke,
and said to the wise {men} of Babylon,
  {the king is insecure and depending on 'people'}
"Any man who can read this inscription
and explain its interpretation to me
will be clothed with purple,
  {means will be made part of nobility}
and have a necklace of gold around his neck,
  {this is an indication of his rank}
and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom."
  {the first is the king's father, Nabonidus, now living retired in Arabia
  - next came Belshazzar, the king-regent, then this man would be
  third}

8~~Then all the king's wise men came in,
but they could not read the inscription
or make known its interpretation to the king.
  {they understood the words, but just not the meaning}

9~~Then King Belshazzar extremely troubled/alarmed himself . . .
  {no divine viewpoint, no frame of reference, only mental attitude
  sins - he did this all by himself, to himself - Chaldean Ithpeal
  reflexive stem}
and his face grew even paler,
and his nobles 'had completely had it'/'were perplexed'.

10a~~The queen entered
the 'hall for drinking and carousing'
because of the words of the king and his nobles.

{Note: RBT says the queen is Belshazzar's mother Nitocris. She was the wife of King Nabonidus. RBT says that she also is a believer.}

10b~~The queen spoke and said,
"O king, live forever!

'Stop worrying'/'Do not let your thoughts alarm you'
and 'stop looking like a fool'/'your face be pale."

{Testimony of One Believer About Another}
11a~~"There is a man in your kingdom
in whom is The Holy Spirit of 'Elahh/God.

{Note: Daniel has been living in obscurity for 23 years now. That is difficult for many people, but not Daniel.}

11b~~And in the days of your grandfather

illumination/understanding/Light
  {n@hiyr - Chaldean word for being 'enlightened' - having the
  reflected glory of God in your soul}

insight/'frame of reverence'
  {sokl@thanuw - refers to the right lobe - the frame of reference -
  norms and standards in the soul - in Daniel's case having divine
  viewpoint in his soul from the intake of bible doctrine},

and wisdom
  {chokmah - same as the Hebrew and epignosis in the Greek -
  Divine Viewpoint cycling in the right lobe and being applied to
  experience},

like the wisdom/chokmah of the 'Elahh/Godhead
  {Divine Viewpoint of God}

was developed/'obtained himself' {sh@kach} in him.
  {sh@kach - means to find - here it is in the Chaldean Ithpeal
  reflexive - he obtained this viewpoint himself meaning GAP - the
  daily and consistent intake of the word resulted in this divine
  viewpoint being in himself}

11c~~And, King Nebuchadnezzar, your grandfather,
your grandfather the king
  {the current king Nabonidus is now retired in Arabia},
appointed him chief
of the 'the scribes'/'his administrators' {chartom},
'the astrologers'/'his CIA' {'ashshaph}
the Chaldeans/'Priests of the Babylonians' {Kasdiy},
and the soothsayers {g@zar -pagan counterpart to prophets}."

12~~"This was because

'an extraordinary'/'the Greatest' Spirit,

knowledge
  {manda` - this is process of the inhale of divine viewpoint
  and the exhale of divine viewpoint to experience}

and insight/'frame of reverence' {sokl@thanuw}

'communicating with accuracy' dreams
  {p@shar - Pael stem participle}

explanations of 'hard sentences'/enigmas,
  {this involves years of study of the Word and the ability to then
  teach it accurately to others}

and solving of difficult problems
  {sh@re' - means to untie or unloose or release and therefore to
  solve problems}

were developed/'obtained himself' {sh@kach}
in this Daniel . . .
in whom the king {Nebuchadnezzar} named Belteshazzar.

Now let Daniel be summoned,
and he will declare the interpretation."

13~~Then Daniel was brought in before the king { Belshazzar}.

The king spoke and said to Daniel,
"Are you that Daniel,
who is the one of the exiles from Judah,
whom my grandfather the king brought from Judah?"

14a~~"Now I have heard about you . . .
that the "Spirit of the 'Elahh/Gods" is in you.
  {RBT says this is the Chaldean version of God the Holy Spirit}

14b~~And that illumination/understanding/Light {n@hiyr}
insight/'frame of reverence' {sokl@thanuw},
and wisdom {chokmah}
have been developed/'obtained himself' {sh@kach} in you."

15~~"Just now the wise {men} {State Department} . . .
'the astrologers'/'his CIA' {'ashshaph}
were brought in before me
that they might read this inscription
and make its interpretation known to me,
but they could not declare the interpretation of the message."

{Note: The principle is the soulish/natural man can not understand the things of God.}

16~~"And I personally have heard about you . . .
that you are able to give interpretations
and solve difficult problems.

Now if you are able to read the inscription
and make its interpretation known to me,
you will be clothed with purple {nobility}
and {wear} a necklace of gold around your neck . . .
  {badge of authority and rank}
even you will have authority as the third {ruler} in the kingdom."

17~~Then Daniel answered and said before the king,
"Keep your gifts for yourself,
  {idiom: literally we would say nicely
  'take your gifts and stuff them . . .'}
or give your rewards to another,
however, I will read the inscription to the king
and cause to make known the interpretation to him."

{Note: Daniel is doing his job as unto the Lord, not for material rewards!}

Continued