Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Daniel Chapter 5
Metaphysically Interpreting Daniel 5:1-5
5:1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
5:2Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom. 5:3Then 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 lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. 5:4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5:5In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
March 19, 1933: Dan. 5:1-4
The writer of the Proverbs considered the drunkard a man of woe and sorrow, full of wounds and complaints. But the man who is intemperate in thought, speech, or general conduct, be his taste in food, and drink ever so ascetic, is nevertheless setting a fuse in his life that will disrupt his peace and his ultimate success in the achievement of his desires.
The word "spirit" has to do with breath and by implication, with aspiration. Alcoholic liquors, strangely enough, have had the words "spirits" and "spirituous" applied to them, but the inspiration that follows indulgence in them is of a decidedly inferior type. The effects of alcoholic indulgence are too well-known to need further analysis or description, and no good can come from dwelling on this negative aspect of the subject; for its only possible reaction is that of fear. What we need is not fear of liquor, but distaste for it and love of the living water of spiritual understanding. Whoever drinks of understanding has no more thirst for lesser satisfactions; for understanding remains in him, so that he knows what is for his own good. Also, he can pass on good to others by willing it actively for them, whenever they enter the range of his thought. The whole question resolves itself into one of a change of will; the lower self-will for the higher will of God.
America now stands at the crossroads. Whether she will take the "high" road or the "low" road depends on the number of citizens found in her who respond only to the higher will.
UNITY magazine.
[TruthUnity editor's note: Prohibition ended with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, on December 5, 1933.]
August 20, 1939: Dan. 5:1-5
From the viewpoint of Truth what is the meaning of the name Belshazzar? Belshazzar (prince of Bel) means mere sense judgment or instinct.
To what extent is man his brother's keeper in matters pertaining to abstinence or indulgence? Everyone has a responsibility to others in this regard. Each one is morally bound so as to conduct himself as an individual, that his practice faithfully expresses his highest ideal as a citizen, a neighbor, and a brother.
To what do the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem refer? They refer to the various avenues of expression in the body. The mere creature of instinct sensualizes these avenues, instead of recognizing them as consecrated to the Lord, or higher self.
Metaphysically Interpreting Daniel 5:13-31
5:13Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, who art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 5:14I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee. 5:15And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. 5:16But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
5:17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 5:18O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty: 5:19and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, 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 raised up, and whom he would he put down. 5:20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 5:21and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts', and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will. 5:22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this, 5:23but 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 from 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.
5:24Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed. 5:25And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 5:26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end; 5:27TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 5:28PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
5:29Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
5:30In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. 5:31And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
April 9, 1916: Dan. 5:17-30
Wisdom divine! who lolls the price,
Of Wisdom's costly merchandise?
Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross compared to her.
What phases of judgment are represented by characters in this lesson? Darnel represents spiritual judgment; Nebuchadnezzar, soul judgment, and Belshazzar, sense judgment.
What type of people does Nebuchadnezzar represent? Emotional ones who give themselves up to desires of the soul without wisdom and good judgment
Who is Belshazzar? The son of Nebuchadnezzar; the result of ignoring Divbe Wisdom and Justice.
April 9, 1916: Dan. 5:17-30
This is a lesson on judgment. Daniel represents spiritual judgment; Nebuchadnezzar, progressive soul judgment; and Belshazzar, mere sense judgment,or instinct These all derive their existence from the Most High, and are given in their turn the power to guide the consciousness.
In order that we properly bring out and express the Principle of Being, it is necessary that we have free rein and unhampered power. Although we may do the wrong thing, it is better than inaction, because only through the use of our powers can we ever develop character.
The Hebrew meaning of Nebuchadnezzar is, "Tears and groans of judgment." He represents the emotional child of Nature, who wants to fulfill all desires of the soul, whether they be good for it or not. The world is full of these Nebuchadnezzar people. We call them "psychics." They are loath to stand on their own judgment in any matter. When decision is required of them, they fly to some oracle. It may be a friend whose good advice they ask, or a medium, or even the toss of a penny or the shuffle of a deck of cards. They are willful and rule arbitrarily. Refusing to bring forth their own good judgment, they become mendacious and tyrannical. The ultimate of this sort of action is a return to the animal instinct plane of consciousness, as described in verse 21.
It is really a very dangerous thing to neglect the development of judgment. If we go to our friends for advice, we are weakened. If we act without judgment, we fall short in our efforts; and if we trust to oracles and luck, we become demoralized and animalized.
Belshazzar is the "son," or bringing forth of this attempt to rule the consciousness without appealing to God for right judgment. He is a mere animal. He has no reverence or respect for holy things. He sensualizes all the "vessels " of the Lord and materializes everything. These vessels of the Lord are the various avenues of expression in the body. Instead of realizing their spiritual significance and use, he reduces them to a material base and artificial stimulant (wine).
There is an end to all this. The Divine Law weighs such a one in the balance and he is found wanting; the kingdom is then taken away. Compared with the civilization of the Babylonians, Cyrus was a barbarian; consequently his capture of the kingdom represents the return of man to a state of barbarism.
- UNITY magazine
July 16, 1922: Dan. 5:17-28
What is the theme of this lesson? The theme of this lesson is judgment. Daniel, the prophet, represents spiritual judgment; Nebuchadnezzar, soul judgment, and Belshazzar, the fruit of soul judgment in its attempt to rule the consciousness without the aid of divine judgment.
When judgment is influenced by the emotions, what results? Degeneration results. When the feelings and emotions rule, a coarsening of soul texture results, and becomes sensual and animal.
When intellectual pride is dominant, and when judgment is not tempered by compassion and kindliness, what is the effect on judgment? It becomes willful. This results in judgment's being deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory is taken from him. In this state of consciousness, the soul has no aspiration above the animal plane.
[Unreadable question, which may be the same as for August 4, 1929] [Man …] and wives, and concubines; he praises as his [and] gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, and no longer sees or hears or knows Spirit as God.
[Here is the question and answer from August 4, 1929: WEEKLY UNITY:]
When man loses sight of his spiritual ideals and thinks only of the pleasures of sense, what is the effect upon the body? The body consciousness (Belshazzar) materializes all its functions and uses them to gratify its sense desires, as described in verse 23: Man then may be said to drink the wine of life in the holy vessels (bodily functions) with his lords, and wives, and concubines; he worships gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone, and no longer sees or hears or knows Spirit as God.
What is the final decree of spiritual judgment for this state of consciousness? Division of the kingdom, which, in man’s consciousness is the separation of soul and body.
Who is the best authority for the meaning of “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upherin”? Ferrar Fenton is the best authority. He says that this should be literally interpreted: “Decided! Decided! Weighed; - Ahoy! Persians!”
August 4, 1929: Dan. 5:17-28
What is the theme of this lesson? The theme of this lesson is judgment. Daniel, the prophet, represents spiritual judgment; Nebuchadnezzar denotes soul judgment, and Belshazzar typifies the fruit of soul judgment's attempt to rule the consciousness without the aid of divine judgment. These all derive their existence from the Most High, and are given, in their turn, the power to guide the consciousness.
[Unreadable question.] [Something and] power are necessary that we may bring out the principle of [?] within us and may express it properly. Although we may sometimes do the wrong thing, that is better than inaction, because only by the use of our powers can we develop character.
When judgment is influenced by the emotions, what results? When judgment is influenced by the emotions, degeneration results. When the feelings and emotions rule, a coarsening of soul texture results, and man becomes sensual and animal.
When intellectual pride is dominant and when judgment is not tempered by compassion and kindliness, what is the effect on judgment? When intellectual pride is dominant and when judgment is not tempered by compassion and kindliness, man becomes willful. This results in judgment's being deposed from its kingly throne and its glory is taken from it. In this state of consciousness, the soul has no aspiration above the animal plane.
When man loses sight of his spiritual ideals and thinks only of the pleasures of sense, what is the effect upon the body? The body consciousness (Belshazzar) materializes all its functions and uses them to gratify its sense desires, as described in verse 23: Man then may be said to drink the wine of life in the holy vessels (bodily functions) with his lords, and wives, and concubines; he worships gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone, and no longer sees or hears or knows Spirit as God.
What is the final decree of spiritual judgment for this state of consciousness? The final decree is the division of the kingdom. This division, in man’s consciousness, is the separation of soul and body. Divine law weighs in the balance the individual who has thought and acted unwisely, and he is found wanting; his kingdom is then taken away from him.
October 27, 1935: Dan. 5:17-28
What does Belshazzar represent in this lesson? A king always represents some function of the will. Belshazzar represents the sense will or lowest degree of will, amounting to instinct or animalism.
Give the metaphysical meaning of Nebuchadnezzar and of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar represents progressive soul judgment, and Daniel spiritual judgment.
Of what is Babylon a symbol? Babylon stands for confustion, usually of the senses, though it symbolizes mental confusion also.
Daniel was a captive in Babylon. What does this fact signify? Spiritual judgment (Daniel) is held captive by the lower sense judgment of the arbitrary will, and cannot express itself fully in man's life and affairs.
With what does spiritual judgment deal? The faculty of spiritual judgment is concerned entirely with principles, and has nothing to do with personality. "Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give they rewards to another."
What does the phrase "the handwriting on the wall" mean? It means now, as it meant in Belshazzar's day, a clear warning that the effect of some cause already set in motion is about to become manifest.
What is good judgment in matters of food and drink? Moderation in eating and abstinence from intoxicants in drinking is the rule of reason and good judgment. The choice of the right food and drink is the work of spiritual judgment.
What is meant by "the vessels" of the Lord? These are the various avenues that are intended to express spiritual truth in the body. Sense judgment (Belshazzar) desecrates these avenues by putting them to unworthy uses.
What do the Medes and Persians represent? They represent the middle land or psychic realm. When man gives free rein to sense judgment it ends in confusion, and he sometimes turns for guidance to the psychic realm. This step leaves him in a worse state than before. His only safety is in putting spiritual judgment (Daniel) in control of his life.
August 20, 1939: Dan. 5:17
How is man able to clear up the befuddled state of mind induced by intoxication, so as to know truth from hallucination? The clear, penetrating insight of Spirit (Daniel) is equal to this task. The name Daniel means “judgment of God”, and therefore represents spiritual judgment, which sees the substance back of the shadow.
August 2[?], 1939: Dan. 5:25-28
Were the words "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin" mysterious and unknown terms at the time the man's hand traced them for Belshazzar to read? On the contrary they were Aramaic words in common use in the markets of Babylon in the time of Belshazzar, having to do with coin weights, so that he must have known their ordinary meaning. What troubled him was the mystic meaning of the words, or why they should have appeared suddenly before him as he drank from the sacred golden cups.
How was Daniel able to apply to Belshazzar's kingdom a message composed of words relating to coinage? Spiritual judgment penetrates to the inner meaning of every symbol. In countries that do not mint money, gold and silver are weighed and measured. Gold, the most precious metal then known, was also a symbol of spiritual man, whose value in the sight of God is beyond estimation. "The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold." Knowing that Cyrus the Persian was even then before the gates of the city, Daniel had no difficulty in interpreting the handwriting on the wall in timely fashion, assuming that he had had no part in composing the script in the first place.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 10-23-2013
