Introduction

Let us turn to Daniel, Chapter 5. The narrative is compelling, distilled into a single sentence: God bestows kingdoms upon whom He wills. In the preceding chapters of Daniel, we encounter straightforward and engaging narratives. The ultimate summation of these stories is that God reigns supreme in the realms of men.

It is imperative to understand that all human authority originates from God. Indeed, it is a grave matter when individuals fail to recognise their own limitations. Thus, in the initial chapters, God orchestrates extraordinary events, such as King Nebuchadnezzar's forgotten dream, which Daniel later interprets. Subsequent to this, Nebuchadnezzar experiences another dream, duly interpreted by Daniel. Subsequently, Nebuchadnezzar, in his hubris, erects a golden image. Repeatedly, it is demonstrated that his decrees are subordinate to the will of God. Ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God, summarising his realization thus:

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways justice: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. (Daniel 4:37)

Pride constitutes a form of folly, a failure to recognise one's inherent limitations. This represents a profound tragedy in human existence. Consequently, throughout the early chapters, we reiterate that God exercises dominion over human kingdoms. Surely, if we submit to God and His authority, what cause have we for fear? Brothers and sisters, cast aside all apprehension, for God reigns in the kingdoms of men.

In our study of Old Testament history, we glean profound insights from Genesis. The prevalent ignorance of humanity stems from a failure to acknowledge God's sovereignty and to honour Him accordingly. Some, upon acquiring modest wealth, develop an inflated sense of self-importance, their very deportment altered by this hubris.

Consider, for instance, Esau's approach to Jacob with four hundred men, intending to slay him. Esau, emboldened by his contingent of soldiers, exceeding even Abraham's 318, advances upon Jacob. Yet, upon encountering Jacob, he dismounts and embraces him in tearful reconciliation. One might inquire, what transpired within Esau's mind? Did he forget his initial intent? In truth, he did.

As he retraces his steps with his four hundred men, his retinue likely pondered the transformation in Esau's demeanour. Master, they might have asked, did you not come to slay Jacob? Esau might have retorted, Did I? What then brings these four hundred men here? Of course, this is speculative, absent from the biblical record. Esau's own motivations eluded him, leaving him perplexed by his own actions. What then is man capable of? What grounds have we for arrogance? Thus, the initial chapters of Daniel, in sum, reaffirm God's dominion over human kingdoms.

Man Must Recognise His Own Limitations

In chapter 5 of Daniel, we encounter the narrative of Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, hosting a grand banquet for a thousand dignitaries, a veritable feast fit for emperors. Amid this revelry, he neglects his own mortality, disregards the lessons of his father's life, and overlooks God's sovereignty.

In an act of sacrilege, he orders the retrieval of the vessels plundered from the Temple in Jerusalem, using them for libations alongside his courtiers and consorts, in praise of idols fashioned from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Suddenly, a disembodied hand appears, inscribing cryptic words upon the wall. This supernatural event instills terror in Belshazzar, his countenance paling, his limbs weakened, his knees knocking.

He proclaims that whosoever can interpret the inscription shall be elevated to the third highest position in the kingdom. Yet, none can decipher the script. Finally, Daniel is summoned to interpret the message of divine judgment. Daniel rebukes Belshazzar, saying, Did you not learn from your father's experiences? Why then do you persist in such arrogance? What is the purpose of your pride? Consequently, his kingdom is seized, his life forfeited, his realm ceded to the Medes and Persians. Darius the Mede, at the age of sixty-two, assumes control of Belshazzar's kingdom.

O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in 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, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honoured. Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; PERES (synonymous with PARSIN), your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5:18-28)

Upon reflection on this narrative, several key insights emerge.

God Reigns Supreme in the Realms of Men

In my leading of prayers, I often emphasise the need for individuals to recognise their own limitations. Man must acknowledge God's dominion over human kingdoms. Man must recognise that all authority originates from God. Man must recognise the fleeting nature of life. Refrain from delusions of grandeur. Pressuring the church, dismantling the temples of God, plundering sacred vessels—what is accomplished by such actions?

Do you not recognise that you are merely a vessel in God's hands? It was through the Israelites' abandonment of God that Nebuchadnezzar served as an instrument in the destruction of Judah and Israel. Surely, this does not imply that Nebuchadnear's god surpassed the God of Israel. Indeed, Nebuchadnezzar eventually realised that he was but a vessel in God's hands. By the time we reach chapter 5 of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar has passed, yet Daniel remains.

Present-day individuals exhibit a peculiar fondness for flattery, for grand pronouncements of longevity. Where is the substance in such exaltations? Was not the reign of Qin Shi Huang, for all his power, cut short in his fifties? It is crucial to grasp these fundamental truths: first, that God reigns supreme over human kingdoms; second, that each of us is merely human. If we fully comprehend these truths, recognising that all authority stems from God, and that we are but instruments in His hands, we shall understand that arrogance is folly. Indeed, what grounds have we for pride?

In earlier years, a friend recounted a family narrative to me during his visit to Singapore, a narrative not dissimilar to To Live. His grandfather, a scion of wealth, presided over nearly half a county. However, the Sino-Japanese War brought ruin upon his house.

During the war, his grandparents embraced Christianity, neglecting their estate. Consequently, tenant farmers seized their lands, with one particularly astute tenant acquiring the lion's share, becoming a local magnate. Eventually, all that remained to his grandfather was a small, dilapidated dwelling. Then came liberation and the targeting of landlords. Neighbours spoke on his behalf, saying: How can he be considered a landlord? He is impoverished, possessing only a small, dilapidated house! Thus, his grandfather was spared, classified as a middle peasant. The tenant who had appropriated his lands, now owning nearly half the county, was apprehended and executed.

Do you see the irony in this tale? In truth, God reigns in the kingdoms of men. His grandfather, perhaps driven by an inexplicable impulse, unwittingly escaped calamity! Later, his father became a preacher and befriended another preacher. This individual was arrested on one occasion due to his vocation and faced a death sentence. As the secretary raised his pen to sign the order, a messenger rushed in, exclaiming: Disaster! A great flood is imminent! The secretary turned his attention to the flood, leaving the order unsigned.

Days later, the secretary remembered the order, only to be interrupted by another messenger: Your mother has passed away! Return home immediately! Upon arriving home, he found his mother deceased. Some time later, as he prepared to sign the order, a group burst in and arrested him, marking the onset of the Cultural Revolution.

Within the confines of the prison, the fallen dignitary began to question his sanity, pondering: Surely, there is a God! The prison guards, witnessing his distress, concluded that he had been driven mad. In the same cell was the very preacher whose death sentence he had been prepared to sign. Eventually, the Cultural Revolution ended, and they were both released.

What is the moral of this tale? Man must recognise his own limitations. Even with authority in hand, one cannot surpass God. Remember that all authority originates from God.

Ignorance of God is Foolishness

Belshazzar's arrogance and folly were on full display, did you know that? This person was easily flattered. Too much flattery made him lose sight of who he was, thinking he was so great. Belshazzar was like that. As a result, he held a feast with a thousand nobles, filled with talent, civil and military officials were able to fight and conquer, unifying a piece of Eurasia. The thousand officials held a banquet, surely celebrating something. In the midst of their revelry, they became carried away, playing around, making a mess, and talking nonsense. Doing this is actually very dangerous.

Brothers and sisters, thankfully you are not King Belshazzar. If you were King Belshazzar, it would be easy to become arrogant! You might think, Look at my subordinates, capable in both civil and military affairs, conquering east and west, ruling the Babylonian Empire. The Babylonian Empire was the most powerful empire at that time, roughly during the Spring and Autumn period in China. Belshazzar lost sight of who he was and forgot about his father, Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, he brought out the vessels from the temple and drank from them.

Drinking there would have been bad enough, but he used these cups to praise gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. This truly provoked God's wrath! Idol worship truly provokes God's wrath. Why do strange things happen after idol worship? It is not because the demons behind the idols are powerful, but because our God curses such people.

So he began to speak arrogantly. At that moment, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. The king saw the hand that wrote, and his color changed; his thoughts alarmed him, his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. Wouldn't you be scared? No one in the entire Babylonian kingdom could understand the words. This troubled Belshazzar greatly. The folly of King Belshazzar was on full display here. I tell you what foolishness is: not knowing God is foolishness, not knowing that God reigns in this world is foolishness.

Once, Khrushchev went to the United States and said, Our astronauts have been to space, and when they opened their eyes, they saw no God. In fact, space is only about two or three hundred kilometers from the ground, so that can't be considered significant. He thought it was extraordinary. Later, Khrushchev was also removed from power. A president once said, In the backyard of our house, there is a frog in a well. One day, it jumped out of the well and became very excited next to the well. Then, without seeing Khrushchev, it (the frog) said, There is no Khrushchev in this world at all. Everyone laughed upon hearing this, feeling that Khrushchev was arrogant and ignorant.

Today, there are many ignorant people. It is very dangerous for people to speak arrogantly. When a person is born and when a person dies is not up to them. A person's thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, a person simply cannot decide that. People should be willing to humble themselves and submit to God when they know these things. So it is a sad thing when people do not know.

It’s a tragedy when some people don't know they are children of God. He feels that his boss is very powerful, and he is scared of the boss. How can you feel motivated to work? You must know that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. One must not be arrogant, one must know that one is a person, and one needs this God. Knowing that you have this God, you must not be humble. So one must know that one has the image of God in oneself, and that one is merely a person, and one needs this God who created all things in the universe. So when we are united with this God, we can live out the highest realm, so people should not be arrogant or humble, these are very important concepts.

As a result, King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar was his father, forgot all the stories he had experienced. So brothers and sisters, it is very tragic if you can't see through things. If you don't understand in your understanding, if your astronauts go to space and think you're amazing, that's far from it. What is the earth? It is just a speck of dust in the solar system. The solar system is just a speck of dust in the Milky Way.

People think they are great, but what is that? People just don't know how powerful our God is. God can resurrect a person even after four days of death. People must know that there are too many things that people cannot do, so people need God. When people have God, they know their place, so people should not speak arrogantly.

I often see some people who speak arrogantly, and they are not reliable. How can people live a good life if they are not reliable? As a result, they got cancer. If you often utter arrogant words, and then get cancer, can you withstand it? Can't resist it, painkillers are not effective, and you can't do anything. You think the medical system is very powerful, but if you are a doctor, you know that it's actually helpless! It is very helpless to be a famous doctor.

This world is very ironic. One of my classmates is an orthopedic expert, and his father is also an orthopedic expert. Later, his father was also paralyzed, helpless. Once people can do something, they become arrogant, which is a tragedy. To know that God reigns in the kingdoms of men, what a wonderful understanding! It is a very serious problem if people are never clear in their understanding in their life.

People become smarter by learning to summarize, conclude, abstract, and sublimate.

Just like King Belshazzar, he still forgot after seeing what his father had experienced. He did not summarize, conclude, abstract, sublimate, or organize. He did not do these things. Everyone should think carefully about these words. I have an elder sister. In my opinion, everything she has done when she was young until now are foolish.

I said: Review what you have done in the past few years. But she said in her heart: What should I review? Am I not smart enough? If you are smart, would you live like today? She just doesn't know how to review and summarize. A few days ago, she asked me that when they were praying, they released something called a silly dragon. When this thing is on a person, the person becomes very stupid. What is stupidity? It is called a lack of clarity in understanding. She said: I also have this silly dragon on me. I often regret what I did. I feel it's right when I do it, but I regret it after I do it. I believe there are such people as I speak.

King Belshazzar probably had the spirit of a silly dragon, becoming arrogant and foolish. It doesn't matter whether this silly dragon is silly or not. What matters is that people’s understanding is not clear. She asked me: How can I start to become clear in my understanding? I said: Haven’t I told you many times? Organize, summarize, abstract, sublimate, and summarize the past, and look back. Everyone knows what the Chinese say, including people who do not know the Bible, A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. We fall into our own pits, but we still don’t gain wisdom; we fall into other people's pits, and we still don’t gain wisdom, that is called foolishness.

King Belshazzar personally saw his father leave the palace, his heart turned into a beast's heart, living with wild donkeys, eating grass like an ox, and being drenched with dew from the sky. But he still did not know that the Most High God rules in the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes. Then his kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians. This is God's judgment on King Belshazzar. How powerful our God is! Our God will surely judge!

So we need to be clear in our understanding. What we need to know most is what? We must know that we must humble ourselves before the Most High God, the Lord of heaven and earth! Never think that you are so great and arrogant. In fact, those in the prisons have been arrogant, and the result is tragedy. It is useless to eat how many pits without gaining a wit.

What do the words written on the wall mean? It means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom to an end. It means putting a period to your days. Do you think you are powerful because you are a king? no! You could use you head anytime and you do not know how you dropped it. In fact, people need to know that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. What can we summarize from this news and history? It is arrogance and foolishness. So many people, one dies today and one dies tomorrow. Even if they are not hunted down and killed, they will not be able to survive when they are old. The problem is that people either don’t live long or people live a long time but are not blessed, and that is all there is to it.

So if we are like King Belshazzar, that is called arrogance and foolishness, which is no classifying, adjusting, abstraction, summary, and sublimation. We must often review our past and often review what others have experienced. If we gain a wit when eating a pit, or see others gain a one after eating a pit, isn’t this a wise man?

If we read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, what can we conclude? No matter how powerful you are, even if you are Guan Yunchang, wouldn't your head be cut off? Zhang Fei and Liu Bei are also very powerful, but what happened in the end? Not so great, Zhang Fei was killed by his subordinates. Then we will be great if we use other people's pit to grow our own knowledge.
King Belshazzar drank and boasted with a thousand ministers. If you want to say how much arrangement there is in these things, there is so much arrangement. As a result, he was killed that night.

This “Mene” means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom to an end. “Tekel” means you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. We put it in the balance of God to weigh it, and we know how much both sides weigh. If people know their measure, this is wisdom and intelligence. Some of our sisters made such a mistake some time ago. I want to stay in the church, but I don’t want to be united with you. I want to get the benefits, but I don’t want to pay the price you paid. How can there be such a thing?

So brothers and sisters, we must often weigh ourselves on God's scales to know whether we weigh half a catty or one kilogram. God wants to give the kingdom to whomever he wants, give the company to whomever he wants, give any wealth to whomever he wants. Because everything in the world belongs to God.

Summary

King Belshazzar didn't even know how he died. Before his death, he put a purple robe on Daniel, put a gold chain on Daniel, and ordered him to be third in the kingdom. Who knows who the second is? Maybe his wife is the second, and Daniel is the third. But this third place can continue, but the first place is gone. The boss is often replaced. That night, King Belshazzar was killed and it came to an end.

People should not be arrogant. No matter who you know, it is not as good as knowing God. Belshazzar is gone, but Daniel is still there. Daniel went through three dynasties and four generations, Babylon, Media, and Persia, all of which were kingdoms served by Daniel. Your kingdom, your wealth, and your authority all come from God! So nothing is worth boasting about, but we can boast about our God. If we have God, we despise everything. In this world, you must live out the glorious image of God. May God bless everyone!