Category: King James Bible Authority

The Handwriting on the Wall #5

Monday, October 5, 2020

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote” (Daniel 5:5 KJV).

What great Bible truths can we learn from Daniel chapter 5?

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded Jerusalem on three separate occasions between 606 and 586 B.C. The Prophet Daniel, living in the area, was exiled to Babylon in the first invasion (chapter 1). The last attack resulted in Jerusalem’s fall and Solomon’s Temple’s demolition. See 2 Kings chapters 24 and 25, and 2 Chronicles chapter 36. As promised through Jeremiah the Prophet, the Jews would remain in Babylon for 70 years. By the time of Daniel chapter 5, Daniel is still in Babylon—nearly aged 90!

In the context of today’s Scripture, Nebuchadnezzar is long deceased. His grandson, Belshazzar, is King of Babylon, and he is a pagan idolater. What is most offensive to the LORD God, the God of Israel, is the fact Belshazzar has taken the holy vessels from Solomon’s Temple (that his grandfather removed from Jerusalem five decades earlier) and is using them in his raucous, heathen, religious festival! Verses 3 and 4 again: “Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”

It is precisely at this moment that JEHOVAH God intervenes to form the heart of the Bible’s famous “handwriting on the wall” passage: “[5] In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. [6] Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” Some disembodied fingers appear, and write a message on the palace wall! Belshazzar literally goes from partying to trembling….

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The Handwriting on the Wall #4

Sunday, October 4, 2020

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote” (Daniel 5:5 KJV).

What great Bible truths can we learn from Daniel chapter 5?

The chapter concludes: “[25] And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. [26] This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. [27] TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. [28] PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. [29] Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. [30] In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. [31] And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” Now we proceed to expounding this enormous passage.

Daniel chapter 5 is noteworthy because it documents the fall of Babylon. God would have never even bothered to mention it except for the fact it impacts the nation Israel. Remember, in chapter 1, the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews starts, the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecies. “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations” (Jeremiah 25:11,12). “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place” (Jeremiah 29:10). The Jews—specifically the Southern Kingdom (Judah)—would be deported eastward to Babylon for seven decades.

Chapter 5 of Daniel is the termination of those 70 years, for which reason the LORD God intervenes and speaks to King Belshazzar, the last Babylonian monarch….

The Handwriting on the Wall #3

Saturday, October 3, 2020

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote” (Daniel 5:5 KJV).

What great Bible truths can we learn from Daniel chapter 5?

Keep reading: “[17] Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. [18] O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: [19] And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

“[20] But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: [21] And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

“[22] And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; [23] But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: [24] Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.”

Let us now finish the chapter….

The Handwriting on the Wall #2

Friday, October 2, 2020

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote” (Daniel 5:5 KJV).

What great Bible truths can we learn from Daniel chapter 5?

Keep reading: “[10] Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: [11] There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; [12] Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

“[13] Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? [14] I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. [15] And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: [16] And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

The Prophet Daniel now begins his “illuminating” ministry….

The Handwriting on the Wall #1

Thursday, October 1, 2020

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote” (Daniel 5:5 KJV).

What great Bible truths can we learn from Daniel chapter 5?

Let us begin reading the entire chapter: “[1] Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. [2] Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. [3] Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. [4] They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

“[5] In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. [6] Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. [7] The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. [8] Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. [9] Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.”

What will happen next? Let us see….

Bible Q&A #770: “Does ‘neither the Son’ belong in Matthew 24:36?”

Love or Hate?

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish” (Proverbs 12:1 KJV).

The Book of Proverbs is Divine wisdom for Israel as she experiences the deception of the end-times. As we see in today’s Scripture, there are those who are willing to hear that instruction from the LORD God. Moreover, there are those who are not willing to be corrected. May we be like the former and not the latter!

Let us read these other related verses found in Proverbs. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (1:7). “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (12:15). “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke” (13:1). “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured” (13:18). “A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent” (15:5). “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding” (15:32). “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words” (23:9).

Though “fools make a mock at sin” (Proverbs 14:9), their levity is but for a moment. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). In chapter 5 of Proverbs, the rebellious reader, reaping the awful consequences of his foolish decisions, will confess in verses 12 and 13: “How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!”

In the Word of God rightly divided, we see “reproof” and “instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). By listening to it, we can “increase in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). Yet, there is a common proclivity among many to “hate [such] reproof” (today’s Scripture). They are “brutish,” which is descriptive of the stupidity of cattle (the sense of the Hebrew word). So as to avoid being labeled with this pitiful trait, let us read and believe Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “‘As the LORD liveth?’”

The Path of the Wicked

Saturday, September 26, 2020

“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14,15 KJV).

What should we do concerning “the path of the wicked?” How should we respond to “the way of evil men?”

Let us read today’s Scripture in context: “[14] Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. [15] Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. [16] For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. [17] For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. [18] But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. [19] The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.”

As touching the “the path of the wicked” and “the way of evil men,” the Bible says it four different ways—“NO!” The first exhortation is “avoid it.” In fact, we are told to “pass not by it.” Do not even get close to it and be tempted to travel it! But, just in case you do decide to go down it, Scripture advises again—“turn from it!” Finally, it exhorts us to “pass away.” Stay as far from it as you possibly can. If you make a poor choice and end up on it, recognize the problem and escape it by making a good decision.

In the succeeding verses, the Holy Spirit describes the wicked as not going to sleep until they have done evil! In fact, they cannot sleep until they have contributed to making others sin. They feed on wickedness, and they carelessly drink up violence. In contrast, “[T]he path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Finally, “The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” So, we have two alternatives: the path of spiritual light (God’s Word rightly divided—especially Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon), or the path of darkness (anything and everything else). Our choice!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Who wrote Romans—Paul, or Tertius?”

333’s 3400th – Grace Living and Grace Planning

Sunday, September 20, 2020

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6,7 KJV).

Dear readers, only by God’s grace, we mark 3,400 devotionals!

Saints, with each passing day, we draw closer to our Lord Jesus Christ’s return. Yet, Scripture provides no exact date concerning when our Dispensation of Grace will end. As it has been aptly quantified, “We should live like Christ is coming within the next 10 minutes, but we should plan like He is not coming for the next 10 years.” On one hand, we Christians should be careful how we conduct ourselves, for if He returned in just a few moments, would He find us conformed to this world or transformed by the renewing of our mind? On the other hand, we should not be lethargic as if His arrival is soon, for if He did not come for a long while, we would then be wasting time we could have redeemed for His glory!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2). If you noticed, the will of God is described in a three-fold manner: “good, acceptable, and perfect.” These are degrees of spiritual growth, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding—the Christian moving from making merely “good” decisions, to “acceptable” choices, to “perfect” (mature) decisions.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). These last 3,400 days, we have studied and believed the King James Bible rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15), better acquainting ourselves with God’s present dealings with man. Yet, there is room for much more learning and growth! Whether or not our Lord comes for us soon, onward to devotional #3500! 🙂

Remember, links to all our previous devotionals are archived on the following passage: https://333wordsofgrace.org/master-list-of-devotionals-chronological/.

The Thing Which is Good

Monday, September 7, 2020

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28 KJV).

On this Labor Day, we talk about work, “the thing which is good.”

In this day and age of increasing “government assistance,” people are becoming less and less aware of our hard work being the Lord Jesus’ preferred method of the source of our incomes. While the physically and mentally disabled are obvious exceptions, the God of the Bible expects all of us to contribute labor in order to provide for ourselves. For children and young adults, even being a student in school is work enough!

Observe the doctrine being communicated in today’s Scripture. The grace life does not merely teach us to quit doing bad things, but it also instructs us to start doing good things (Titus 2:11,12). Once a thief trusts the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished crosswork as sufficient payment for his sins, then God expects that thief to quit stealing and find a job so he can provide for his needs!

The God of creation calls work “the thing which is good” (today’s Scripture). Work is not something to be avoided; it is something to be embraced for the Lord’s glory!

When the Lord Jesus Christ put the first man, Adam, on earth, that man had a divine commission. Adam was not to simply loaf around and do nothing: “And the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Adam was to protect that garden, to till its ground, to prepare it for Jesus Christ to come down and dwell in with he and Eve (because of sin, that earthly kingdom over which Jesus Christ will rule is still awaiting fulfillment!).

Saints, may we work to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), and may we work to help those who truly are needy (today’s Scripture). In the words of God the Holy Spirit, that is “good!” 🙂

Lack of Knowledge!

Friday, September 4, 2020

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6 KJV).

Despite living in this prosperous world, one possession is often scarce. What?

Recently, I heard a religious man remark concerning a devastating natural disaster: “I don’t know why bad things happen to good people, but if I make it to Heaven, I am going to ask about it.” This is a disturbing statement for two reasons. Firstly, even as a faithful church member of a “Christian” denomination, he lacks the very answers the Bible has already provided on that subject (Genesis chapter 3, for example!). Secondly—and this makes it most unsettling—he said “if” he would get to Heaven!

Never can we fault church members for being idle. They know how to go through the motions of praying, fasting, kneeling, hand-raising, clapping, singing, confessing, shouting, weeping, dancing, speaking in “tongues,” jumping, giving alms, lighting candles, water baptizing, and so on. Yet, most lack even a basic understanding of Scripture. This was the Jews, over 700 years before Christ. The LORD commented, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). Dutifully offering animal sacrifices, they were unfamiliar with God’s words! Written around the same time was Isaiah 5:13: “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.”

The Hebrew word rendered “knowledge” in today’s Scripture is “da`ath.” It was paired with the negative prefix “beliy” (“without”). The same idea is found in Deuteronomy 4:42—“unawares”—when someone killed his neighbor unintentionally. It is translated “ignorantly” in Deuteronomy 19:4 and “unwittingly” in Joshua 20:3. Just as this manslayer was oblivious to his victim neighbor’s presence, so we can be equally ignorant of Scripture. Unfortunately, that is sometimes deliberate: “Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” (Job 21:14,15; cf. today’s Scripture). May spiritual ignorance—especially purposeful—not be true of us!