Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. (Daniel 5:1)
What is unusual is that Belshazzar threw this banquet at a time of great crisis since a huge Medo-Persian invasion force had surrounded the city of Babylon. He may have held the banquet in order to boost the morale of his people. Or he might simply have not been very concerned about the invaders outside the walls of the city since it had not fallen to an invading army for 1,000 years because of its extremely strong fortifications. Furthermore, there were huge stockpiles of food that could sustain the capital for several years.
While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. (Daniel 5:2-5)
When the vessels of God (servants of God) are abused, the wrath of God will surely fall
You cannot treat the things of God cheaply. You cannot dishonour the God of heaven and get away for long. The writing is on the wall. The unseen hand has written.
Belshazzar was judged for drinking from vessels that had been consecrated for worship. Do you know that you are a sacred vessel that was made to worship the LORD? Defiling sacred things blasphemes God and in turn brings down the judgement of God.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
If anyone:
This ‘anyone’ could be you or someone that abuses you. God’s judgement is eminent on such a person.
The same people who make light of alcohol would unanimously agree with me that the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ never consumed alcohol because she was a vessel consecrated unto God.
The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. (Daniel 5:10)
In whom is the Spirit of God....Daniel is described in this manner. If people were to describe you how would they describe you?
Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” (Daniel 5:12)
Another name given to the Spirit of God - ‘Excellent Spirit’
Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. (Daniel 5:17)
Daniel refused gifts from a person (Belshazzar )who was already judged....The son of Nebuchadnezzar knew yet did not humble themselves before the LORD. The LORD will hold you accountable for what you know.
That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (Daniel 5:30-31)
How the city actually fell?
Cyrus’ commander Ugbaru who is referred to in the Chronicle as governor of Gutium, diverted the waters of the Euphrates to an old channel dug by a previous ruler which suddenly reduced the water level well below the river-gates. Not too long after that the Persian invaders came wading in at night and clambered up the riverbank before the guards of the city knew what happened.