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THE ANTICHRIST IS BEING REVEALED… NOW:
PROPHECY IS BECOMING REALITY
06-02-13
(Dan 5:1-4) Belshazzar the king
[of Babylon, co-regent with his father Nabonidus] made a great
feast to a thousand of his lords [this jubulation was
thoroughly enjoyed and participated in by all the leaders (governors) of the
kingdom of Babylon], and [Belshazzar] drank wine
[Heb: wine (as fermented)] before the thousand [i.e.,
essentially, he became stinking drunk]. Belshazzar,
whiles he tasted the wine [(emphasis: really really drunk)],
commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels [the chosen
containers, symbolizing the captive Israelite servants out of whom issued
forth the fruit of “wisdom, knowledge, and understanding” Dan 1:4, for the
benefit of the Babylonian kingdom] which his father Nebuchadnezzar
[his grandfather actually] had taken [stolen] out of
the temple [of Solomon] which was in Jerusalem; that the king,
and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein
[i.e., celebrate the benefits of luxurious comforts, wealth, and
influence derived from the expansion of the Babylonian kingdom throughout
the known world]. Then they brought the golden vessels that
were taken out of the temple of the house of God [the true God’s
people] which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his
wives, and his concubines, drank in them [not only did the
governors drink, but all the people benefited greatly from the servitude of
the Israelites]. They drank wine, and praised the
[pagan] gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of
iron, of wood, and of stone.
1.
Commentary:
In the latter four verses, there are five references to drinking
intoxicating wine out of the stolen vessels from Jerusalem which
numerically, through the writing convention of “repetition,” constitutes
extreme emphasis, i.e., the drinkers were very heavily
intoxicated with illicit joy. The wine which they drank
represented the stolen fruit of the servitude of the captive
Israelites. This action parallels the wealth and success (and
drinking) that certain elected and appointed governing personages are still
experiencing during this economic decline in United States of America,
wealth and success which is a cumulative effect achieved through
several hundred years of responsible laboring efforts by our Christian
forefathers who now find themselves increasingly cast in
disreputable servitude under a governing body of ungodly men, and by
extension, ungodly women.
a.
(Isa 3:12) As for my people, children [immature
persons not under accountability] are their oppressors
[Heb: ones who tax, harass, tyrannize: distress, driver, X raiser of taxes,
taskmasters], and women rule over them
[“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the
man” 1 Tim 2:12]. O my people, they which lead thee
cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
2.
Commentary:
“and praised the gods of…” = The Babylonians had turned their backs
to and altogether rejected the one true God, much like the Egyptians did who
nevertheless benefited greatly from God’s overflowing blessings
upon the leadership of Joseph, and from God’s overflowing blessings
upon the Israelites who were dwelling in the land of Goshen.
a.
(Psa 23:4-6) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death [under the watchful eyes of their Egyptian masters and their
Babylonian masters], I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy
rod [of protection] and thy staff [of correction]
they comfort me. Thou preparest a table [of showbread, upon which
is a wonderful repast] before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil [Holy Spirit blessings];
my cup runneth over [i.e., overflows, to spill abundantly
upon and moisten those about and around me]. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in
the house of the LORD for ever.
(Dan 5:5-9) In the same hour came forth
fingers of a man's hand [an incomplete hand because Jesus, who was
in effect the Hand of God, had not yet appeared] [footnote #1], and
wrote over against the candlestick [an exact quote also
appearing in Numbers 8:2 & 8:3 referencing the golden candlestick (the Holy
Spirit) of the tabernacle/temple] upon the plaster of the wall
of the king's palace [upon man’s totally inadequate substitute for
the Lord God’s table of showbread in the tabernacle/temple]: and the
king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
Then the king's countenance [Heb: cheerfulness: brightness]
was changed [i.e., became suddenly darker], and his
thoughts troubled [Heb: terrified] him, so
that the joints of his loins were loosed [i.e., he wet himself],
and his knees smote one against another [in terror for he
instinctively knew that he was facing the judgment of God, and was about to
be found “wanting”]. The king cried aloud [loudly and
very urgently] to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and
the soothsayers. And the king spake [in a shaking voice], and said to
the wise men of Babylon, [PROPHECY:] Whosoever shall read this
writing [“divers kinds of tongues” 1 Cor 12:10], and show me
the interpretation thereof [“the interpretation of tongues” 1 Cor
12:10], shall be clothed with scarlet [in type and
shadow, clothed with the ultimate sacrifice, clothed with the shed blood of
the Lamb of God, i.e., pointing to we who are saved and born-again],
and have a chain of gold about his neck [the “gold” signifying
God-given authority through being partakers with Him of the fullness of His
love, and the “chain of gold” signifying us being bound to God with the
loving authority of “kings and priests” Rev 1:9; 5:10, forever], and
shall be the third ruler [after Nabonidus and Belshazzar] [(some
interesting but as yet unspeakable scenarios present themselves here)]
in the kingdom [of God]. Then came in all the king's wise
men: but they could not read the writing, nor make
known to the king the interpretation thereof [Why not? Because they
were not imputed for righteousness, saved, born-again]. Then was king
Belshazzar greatly troubled [Heb: terrified], and his
countenance was changed in him [the second time mention] [footnote
#2].
1.
Commentary:
“fingers of a man’s hand” = is perhaps a reference to the, at that time,
incompleted “Hand Ministry” of the Lord which is fully described in
Ephesians 4:11,12 and present now, but then lacked apostles
(Gk: sent ones [from and by Jesus] with miraculous powers) who
represent the “thumb” of the hand.
a.
(Eph 4:11,12) And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
2.
Commentary:
“Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled [Heb: terrified],
and his countenance was changed in him” v.9, whereas previously “Then
the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him”
v.6 = Belshazzar, was then the king (interestingly, the “co-regent”) of the
known world, and “the god of this world” 2 Cor 4:4, and the
antichrist in whom Satan dwelt, as was his grandfather
Nebuchadnezzar also the antichrist before him. This
verse 9 is the second mention that his “countenance was changed in him” and
now the word “greatly” has been added to indicate a much “darker”
more severe change. All of the negative connotations of “darkness,” when
opposed to the light and brightness of God, may be applied here to
Belshazzar for he stinks of the swill of evil. Yes, Belshazzar’s appearance
was “superficially” and dramatically changing, an astonishing change
that even his lords (who had previously been deceived - Democrats?) could
now see (understand); it was however a change that was exposing the true
countenance (nature) of “that man of sin… that he might be revealed in his
time” [see footnote] before God and man.
a.
(2 Th 2:3-6) Let no man deceive you by any means
[for “God shall send them (send to unbelievers) strong delusion
(through a man), that they should believe a lie” v.11]: for that day
shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man
of sin be revealed, the son of perdition [Gk: ruin or loss:
damnation, destruction, waste]; Who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped [having the ultimate
narcisstic personality]; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God
[i.e., his own heart], showing himself [to himself
and all others] that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was
yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth
[holds the antichrist back – the Holy Spirit] that he might
be revealed [Gk: to take off the cover, i.e. disclosed]
in his time.
3.
Commentary:
But that visible change was merely an outward manifestation of the much more
significant “internal” change of self-realization and
concurrent self-actualization. The appearance of this man whose
background was shrouded in darkness became even darker (first mention v.6),
and then even darker (second mention v.9) through rapid successive
revelations of the light, brightness, and glory of God
revealing Himself to Belshazzar in judgment (“the king saw” v.5),
thus peeling away forever and revealing the “void; and darkness” (Gen
1:2) of Belshazzar unto himself and unto his lords. Then Belshazzar
was “slain” and undoubedly cast into the “outer darkness” (Mat 22:13) from
whence he figuratively came, and his kingdom taken away that same “night”
(v.30) by a deliverer, by a type and shadow of
Jesus Christ (whose bright Light indeed does shine) named Darius the Median,
thus foreshadowing and ushering in the thousand year Millennial reign of the
New Testament. And who currently might be, appears to be, the
antichrist, and perhaps the last one?
Amen
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