RESOLVED

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar in 562 B.C., the Babylonian Empire began to deteriorate. The spiritual lessons Nebuchadnezzar had learned while king were generally not heeded by the monarchs that followed him. Consequently, the stage was set for Babylonia to be conquered by an inferior nation, just as Daniel had predicted many years before (Daniel 2:39). The fifth chapter of the Book of Daniel records the fall of Babylon and the death of the last Babylonian king, Belshazzar. We will discover that the Babylonians’ pride and arrogance led to the defeat of their mighty kingdom and its seemingly impregnable capital. We will also find that this ancient story has some important lessons to teach us about the justice and sovereignty of God and the power of a godly life. (Daniel: God’s Pattern for the Future, Charles Swindoll, page 44)

Before reading Daniel 5, take a moment to still your heart before the Lord and ask Him to open your eyes that you may see wonderful things in His Word!

(Psalm 119:18)

BABYLONIAN KINGS – FROM NEBUCHADNEZZAR TO BELSHAZZAR

• Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605-562 BC (mentioned many times throughout the OT, especially in Jeremiah 21-52 and Daniel 1-5)

• Awel-Marduk reigned from 562-560 BC (mentioned in 2 Kings 25:27; Jeremiah 52:31)

• Nergal-Sharezer reigned from 560-556 BC (mentioned in Jeremiah 39:3, 13)

• Labashi-Marduk reigned in 556 BC (no biblical reference)

• Nabonidus reigned from 556-539 BC (no biblical reference)

• Belshazzar reigned from 550-539 BC (mentioned in Daniel 5, 7, and 8)

Read Daniel 5