Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Saturday, November 8, Daniel 5, part 4

Chapter 5: "The FIVE-fingered "HAND" writing on the Wall: Babylon HANDED over."

"That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom being about thirty-two years old." (31)

Historically it is said that this "Darius" was most likely Ugbaru, governor of Gutinum, one of the servants of the vast Persian empire ruled by Cyrus. According to the "Nabonidus Chronicle", this guy conquered the city on October 12, 539, and Cyrus entered October 29. According to Daniel 9:1, "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans." This Darius was "made king" over this area, most likely by Cyrus.

This is the unhappy ending of Babylon, and the head of gold in Daniel's vision has just given way to the "chest and arms of silver" (Daniel 2). We'll get a more thorough vision of this in the later chapters. In 7 we'll see them both portrayed as the first two of four "beasts". Babylon is a lion with eagle's wings, and Mede/Persian is a bear raised on one side because the Persians are the greater of the two. More on that when we get there.

What I can't get out of my mind is that, according to the "chronicle", Cyrus comes later to claim the kingdom. It makes me think of Christ coming after the Tribulation to claim His kingdom, and to rule on David's throne for 1000 years. It's not a good analogy, because Christ Himself conquered death and already won the war. He was both the "Ugbaru" and "Cyrus". But in His mercy He has allowed two millennia to pass for the purpose of calling a people to Himself, a Bride that will rule with Him forever.

I first heard it put by Alistair Begg, that the situation is like a chess match, where everyone knows that the battle has been won, far before all the moves are made. It's just a matter of "playing it out", but there is no doubt, many moves before, that defeat is sure and imminent.

So, in the meantime, the devil wants to make it as miserable for God's people as he can while awaiting his sure doom.

There are some who think that they will save the whole world before Christ comes and then He will claim His Kingdom, which is more analogous to what we see Darius the Mede doing for Cyrus. This "post-millennial" view was prevalent after the Civil War, as a great revival and missionary push was made throughout the world. That is, until World War I and World War II. And the Boxer Rebellion. And the Bolshevik revolution, etc. etc.

This is also a warning not to take "Christian Nationalism" to an extreme. Of course, we as believers have been given the great gift in America to vote and kind of determine our fate with the leaders for whom we vote, but the Scripture points to a great destruction. The ultimate "unanimous" vote of the world will bring us the Antichrist. There will be an image made then as well, and it will "come to life", so to speak. Maybe AI at its finest. The whole world will fall for it, and this will bring about the ultimate blasphemy against God. Then God will pour out His wrath upon the whole world. And if you read Revelation 5 on, you'll see that it is the Lamb who opens those seals of doom. No poetry there.

And when all is finished, He will return with His Bride behind Him, riding on white horses. He will set his feet on the Mount of Olives as predicted by Zechariah, one of the two post-exilic prophets, who prophesied during the rebuilding of the Temple in Ezra—the building that was permitted by a letter from Cyrus the King—who is now on his way to set foot in his newly conquered Babylon, just one of the many lands he has been permitted by God's holy will to conquer.

And all of this is done to bring God's underlying plan for Israel into effect, stated in Isaiah 2: (It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established"… and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." (2a, 3a).

This temple was a forerunner of the one prophesied in exact detail by Ezekiel (40-48). God used Cyrus to commence the forerunner, made more elaborate by Herod the Great (so called). And this one was prophesied by Christ to be destroyed. It never reached the measurements of Ezekiel, because that one is yet to come. And even that will not compare to the final "Kingdom" in Revelation 21, where God brings New Jerusalem down to earth, and no temple will be needed, for the Trinity will be Present forever with us. Hallelujah!

But back to the present. God has brought His people, still mostly blinded, back to their land. And it will take a final tribulation, and 144,000 of their own people—tribes designated specifically in Revelation 7 so you will have no doubt of God's pinpoint accuracy—to open the eyes of His people, and bring one last call for salvation to the world that will be undergoing the awful wrath of God.

And I believe that Scripture points that this seven-year period belongs to the Jews: the 70th "seven" prophesied by Daniel in the 9th chapter. In the meantime, the Church will continue to go as it has since its inception, great suffering and tribulation while proclaiming the Gospel to this wicked world, but the preaching will be given back to the nation Israel when the fig tree's leaves are fully ripened.

Count on it. Are you ready?

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*ESV used unless noted*

Memory Helps:

Chapter 5: The FIVE-fingered "HAND" writing on the Wall: Babylon HANDED over.

We can add a few subtitles: