Tag: bsf answers lesson 5 day 2

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Daniel 5:1-12

King Belshazzar of Babylon gave a royal banquet. Here, he drank from the gold goblets that Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Suddenly, writing appeared on the wall. The King was scared and wanted to know what it would mean, promising the interpreter to be promoted to the 3rd highest ruler in the kingdom.

The queen or queen mother told him to call for Daniel, who was the chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners in his father’s time. He could interpret it.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

3) King Belshazzar of Babylon was King Nebuchadnezzar’s son. He was a pagan, but revered his gods and wanted to celebrate them. He is an arrogant, indulgent king whose spiritual life is defined by active blasphemy. He deliberately defiles God’s sacred vessels to worship lifeless idols, showing contempt for true divinity. His instant terror at the supernatural writing reveals his proud bravado was a fragile facade, spiritually bankrupt before true power.
4) Suddenly, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace.
5a) She showed him respect and then told him not to be afraid, for Daniel could interpret dreams as he did under King Nebuchadnezzar. She told her husband to call him to explain the riddle.
b) She began with respect. She offered a solution based on past successes. She was calm and cool-headed.
6) King Nebuchadnezzar learned that God in Heaven was above all other gods and should be respected.  He should have learned that God humbles the proud. Therefore, King Belshazzar should not have defiled the gold goblets from the temple. He should expect judgment.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

It’s funny to me how all these pagan kings still worshipped the pagan gods after our Lord in Heaven proved to them their falsehood.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 2: Daniel 5:1-12

Nebuchadnezzar ruled for 43 years. His son, Belshazzar, became king after several other failed kingships. The secular record does not have a ruler named Belshazzar. Therefore, Bible scholars believe that Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus, the last recorded ruler of Babylon from 556-539 BC. Nabonidus ruled from afar, so some believe Belshazzar to be the ruler in Babylon at this time. The term “father” was common for “ancestor” or “predecessor.”

King Belshazzar committed sacrilege against God. He was trying to bolster his people since they were under attack.

When the writing on the wall appeared, King Belshazzar was terrified. He probably knew he had committed sacrilege and would now pay the price.

In addition, King Belshazzar saw the very hand of God. That, in itself, is terrifying. God’s actions in Scripture are often symbolized by His hand (Psalm 37:24; 95:4; Isaiah 5:25)

King Belshazzar was technically 2nd in command since he was a stand-in for the real king at the time.

The woman could have been the King’s mother. She knew Daniel had “the spirit of the holy gods,” which was often used by Nebuchadnezzar to describe Daniel (Daniel 4:8-9, 18).

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Daniel 5:1-12 sets a scene of peak arrogance and blasphemy, which is met by a terrifying divine intervention, once again proving the bankruptcy of worldly wisdom.

The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:

  • The Blasphemous Feast: King Belshazzar’s drunken decision to use the sacred vessels from God’s Temple in Jerusalem to praise his own lifeless idols is a deliberate act of contempt. It represents a new level of hubris, actively mocking the God of Israel, unlike Nebuchadnezzar, whose sin was primarily self-glorifying pride.
  • The Writing on the Wall: The sudden appearance of a disembodied hand writing a cryptic message is God’s immediate and terrifying response. This supernatural judgment intrudes directly into the pagan feast, shattering the king’s arrogance and filling him with mortal fear.
  • The Failure of Worldly Wisdom: For the third time in the book, the most brilliant minds of Babylon are rendered completely powerless before a divine revelation. They cannot read or interpret the message, reinforcing the theme that human wisdom and religion have no access to the secrets of God.
  • The Remembrance of God’s Prophet: The queen mother’s recollection of Daniel serves as the turning point. It highlights that God’s true servant is only sought out as a last resort, when all human systems have failed, setting the stage for Daniel to once again speak with divine authority.

In essence, this passage illustrates that there is a line of blasphemy that, when crossed, invites immediate and terrifying judgment. It is a prelude that silences all other voices to make way for the one true word from God.

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BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 5, Day 2: Revelation 2:12-17

by atozmom, posted in BSF Revelation: The Hope 2024/2025

Summary of Revelation 2:12-17

Jesus now addresses the church in Pergamum. He praises them for remaining true to his name. Yet, some of them follow Balaam’s teaching, are sexually immoral, and eat sacrificial food. Some of them also believe in the teaching of the Nicolaitans. He asks them to repent. Jesus says that those who follow him will receive hidden manna and a white stone with a new name.

BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 5, Day 2: Revelation 2:12-17

3) Jesus told them, “You remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me.”

4a) Balaam’s teaching led some to commit sexual sins and eat food sacrificed to idols. Balaam was a false prophet. He betrayed Israel and led them astray by using the Moabites to entice the Israelites with prostitution and idolatry. He made the Israelites curse themselves.

b) The sword of his mouth. This weapon represents His word.

c) God’s word can explain things to you, such as what is sin and what is not sin. God’s word offers examples of others who lived in sin and the consequences. God’s word exposes the evil of sin and helps us to see our evil ways.

5) Those who are victorious will receive, “I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” Jesus’ provisions are critical in my life since it’s all from him. We each get a new name with the Lord once we are saved. Jesus offers eternal life. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 5, Day 2: Revelation 2:12-17

Again, I love how Jesus warns us and tells us of what we are doing wrong so that we can correct it and live like him!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Revelation: The Hope Lesson 5, Day 2: Revelation 2:12-17

Pergamum was a political capital noted for its great learning centers and culture. It also had many temples to the Roman gods and temples to the Roman emperor. It was a city known for its healing since there was a medical school there. Therefore, many people suffering from medical conditions would come here looking for healing.

We saw in Revelation 1:16 that a double-edged sword came from Jesus’ mouth. Now, we see here that Jesus holds this sword. In Hebrews 4:12, the word of God is like a two-edged sword.

Jesus repeats to every church in Revelation that he knows their works. He knows ours, too.

Jesus says Pergamum has much evil there.

There are many people not named in the Bible. Here, Antipas is named and praised for being a faithful martyr but this is all that we know of him. Remember, a martyr is a witness, as much as one who gave up their life for their beliefs.

Balaam could not curse Israel directly, so he used others to turn them to sin. Great read HERE

Sexual immorality was rampant in the Roman Empire, and no one found fault with it. In fact, if you weren’t sexually immoral, you were the oddball.

As we mentioned previously, Bible scholars believe the Nicolaitans approved of immorality, too.

Essentially, the Christians of Pergumum were too tolerant of these other teachings.

Jesus tells 5 of the 7 churches in Revelation to repent. Repent, or face Jesus’ judgment (the double-edged sword). In this instance, Jesus’ weapon is his Word.

Manna is God’s provision. (John 6:41)

A white stone was a blessing in this instance. In ancient times, white stones were used for many things: as part of a census, a sign of acquittal in a trial, they were used for tickets, or for showing friendship.

A new name refers to “a new you” that is forged when you accept Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior. Here, this is the assurance of a ticket to heaven!

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