Dan 5:29 | KingComments | STEP | When Daniel is ready, Belshazzar does what he promised, but it is in pride. He seems not to have been impressed by what he has heard and does not humiliate himself. He keeps the honor to himself. The reward is only for a few hours and concerns only the decorations. In few words and powerfully it says that Belshazzar is slain that same night. In this message of his death, we don’t hear anything about the way it happens. It is simply given as a communication. He who kills him is irrelevant. It is an instrument in God’s hand that performs His judgment (cf. ). He, the king of the Chaldeans, however great and high, is slain. This is also how the last world rulers come to their end. Without any battle being described, without trial, they are thrown into the pool of fire by the Lord Jesus ( ). Non-biblical history tells us that in the night that Belshazzar is killed, Babylon is conquered by Cyrus. To gain access to the city, the Medes and Persians diverted the river that runs around the city and serves as a natural protection. As a result, part of the river has become dry. The dry riverbed has allowed the armies to enter into the city, which they have taken without fighting.

‏ Daniel 5:29

Belshazzar Slain

When Daniel is ready, Belshazzar does what he promised, but it is in pride. He seems not to have been impressed by what he has heard and does not humiliate himself. He keeps the honor to himself. The reward is only for a few hours and concerns only the decorations.

In few words and powerfully it says that Belshazzar is slain that same night. In this message of his death, we don’t hear anything about the way it happens. It is simply given as a communication. He who kills him is irrelevant. It is an instrument in God’s hand that performs His judgment (cf. Dan 8:25). He, the king of the Chaldeans, however great and high, is slain. This is also how the last world rulers come to their end. Without any battle being described, without trial, they are thrown into the pool of fire by the Lord Jesus (Rev 19:19-20).

Non-biblical history tells us that in the night that Belshazzar is killed, Babylon is conquered by Cyrus. To gain access to the city, the Medes and Persians diverted the river that runs around the city and serves as a natural protection. As a result, part of the river has become dry. The dry riverbed has allowed the armies to enter into the city, which they have taken without fighting.