KEYS OF THE KINGDOM STUDY GUIDES

Daniel Five • “Flesh or Spirit…Which Will Lead?”

The king’s name, Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1) was the “uncorrupted” form of the same name.
INTRODUCTION However we will find that the man with the uncorrupted name (the king), had a corrupt
We have discovered five practical keys for Christian living: heart, while the man with the corrupted name had an uncorrupt heart (Daniel)!

Key #1 Giving my heart to God Read Galatians 5:19,22

Key #2 Staying connected to Him 3. What two types of people does the Bible describe in this passage?
Key #3 Increasing faith by prophecy study Note: Those who live according to the flesh, or those who live according to the Spirit.

Key #4 Memorizing and claiming God’s promises

Read Daniel 5:1-9
Key #5 Asking for and living in the Spirit
4. Was Belshazzar a man of the flesh, or a man of the Spirit? (Daniel 5:1-4) What
In today’s lesson we will discover yet another key: about Daniel? (Daniel 1:1-8)
Key #6 Acting immediately on truth Man of the Flesh Man of the Spirit
In Daniel 4 we saw how Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan monarch came to accept the a. Desired rich foods a. Ate simple foods
Lord. After his death, the kingdom began to crumble. About 541 B.C. Nebuchad- b. Drank alcohol b. Would not drink alcohol
nezzar’s son, Nabonadius, took the throne along with his son Belshazzar. Bel-
shazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, was proud, headstrong and cruel. Un- c. Sacrilegious c. Had given His heart to God
der his leadership Babylon would fall. d. Morally impure d. Morally pure (a eunuch)
e. Denied prophetic history e. Upheld prophetic history
Read Isaiah 45:1-3
Note: Daniel was only 17 years old in Daniel chapter one when it was shown he was a
1. What Bible prophet foresaw the destruction of Babylon? man of the Spirit. Belshazzar, who was 15 years old, was revealed in Daniel five to be a
Note: Isaiah wrote this description of the fall of Babylon 150 years prior to its actual man of the flesh.
fall. Archeologists have discovered Nebuchadnezzar’s original plan for the defense of
5. What happened as a result of Belshazzar’s mixing of worship and idolatry? (vs.
the city. Here is what he wrote:
5)
“In order that no pillaging robber might enter, I closed the entrance of the river. It’s
gratings of iron I set with hinges. . . It was along this street known as Ibar Shaboo 6. Whose hand did he see? What does the Bible indicate God wrote with His fin-
(which means ‘the enemy shall never pass’) that the images of Babylon’s gods were ger? (Exodus 31:18; John 8:6-8)
carried at New Years Day.” Note: The law of God is never at variance with His Spirit. In Galatians 5 the Bible lists
Even though such precautions were taken, the city would fall just as Isaiah predicted. the works of the flesh (vs. 19-21). The context makes it clear that these acts are against
The Cyrus cylinder, an ancient record of the fall of Babylon, tells us that the Persians God’s law. As we studied Daniel 4, we discovered that God pours out His Spirit on those
diverted the Euphrates River and were thus able to march through the gates into the who obey Him (Acts 5:32).
city. The city the Babylonians thought could never be destroyed fell on the day of the
7. What was Belshazzar’s reaction? Who did he call for? Was this wise? (vs. 6-9)
‘Full Moon’, October 12, 539 B.C. It is of more than passing interest to note that just
five day’s prior, on October 7th; the Hebrews had celebrated the Day of Judg- Note: Ultimately when people live in the flesh they have no peace. Unfortunately when
ment (Yom Kippur). God had indeed brought the judgment Isaiah had predicted. faced with a crisis, people of the flesh normally turn to other people of the flesh who can
offer them no help. Fleshly friends & counselors ultimately cause those who consult them
2. What can Daniel’s Babylonian name (Belteshazzar), and the king’s name, with more problems and leave them feeling just like this king: ‘greatly troubled’.
(Belshazzar), teach us?
Note: Daniel had been named Belteshazzar by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 5:12). The
consonant “t” corrupted the name in a way that would identify Daniel as a captive.
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Read Daniel 5:10-13
8. What did the queen grandmother suggest?
Note: She directed the king to God’s prophet Daniel. She recognized that Daniel was
filled with the Spirit of God and that he was a true prophet. The Bible indicates that
God’s people need to be able to differentiate between false and true prophets (1 Thes-
salonians 5:20,21). One of the best ways to do this is by testing what the prophet says
by what God has already revealed (Isaiah 8:20). As we understand these principles
we can be assured of true prosperity (2 Chronicles 20:20).
9. How did the king treat Daniel?
Note: It is possible that the king had been named after Daniel whose Babylonian
name was Belteshazzar. His grandfather must have been quite grateful, as Daniel had
apparently watched over his kingdom when he had been forced from his throne (see
Daniel 4). If we keep this in mind we can see that identifying Daniel as ‘one of the
captives’ from Judah is most rude.
Read Daniel 5:14-16
10. What fleshly promise did the young king make to Daniel if he could explain
the writing on the wall?
Note: The promise of material goods, money, and high position are often used to ma-
nipulate people in the world. It was in this manner that the devil would tempt Christ,
even though He was the ruler of the world. (See Matthew 4) Though the king seems
to be offering great gifts and advancement, we notice that he still reserves the highest
position for himself. This is another indication of the fleshly nature of his promises
and plans.
Read Daniel 5:17
11. Are people of the Spirit motivated by such fleshly tactics?
Note: Things of the flesh do not motivate people of the spirit. They desire the fruits of
the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle-
ness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Read Daniel 5:18-21
12. What was the lesson that the king needed to learn from history?
Note: Unless conquered, pride will cause those who indulge it to fall every time. The
young king was making the same mistake his grandfather had made. He was lifting
himself up instead of God. He was about to lose not only his kingdom, but also his
life.
Read Daniel 5:22,23
13. Was there any excuse for the king’s life in the flesh?
Keys of the Kingdom Study Guides • Daniel 5
Note: The king knew the history God’s prophet had rehearsed. He had no excuse for his
life in the flesh or for His disregard of the Most High God. While God is merciful and
longsuffering, once we know the truth we are held accountable. (Read Jeremiah 51:9;
Hosea 4:6-10; James 4:17; Acts 17:30)
Read Daniel 5:24-29
14. What was the king’s final act?
Note: After having the handwriting explained, the king’s last act is to clothe God’s mes-
senger with useless externals and titles. His commitment to the trappings of the flesh was
maintained to the end.
15. Both Daniel (Belteshazzar) and the king Belshazzar were in Babylon at the time
of the attack by the Persians. What can we learn through comparing what hap-
pened to each of them?
Read Daniel 5:30
16. What happened to king Belshazzar?
Read Daniel 6:1,2
17. What happened to Belteshazzar (Daniel)?
Note: According to the Bible, every person that has ever lived must face the judgment of
God. (Romans 14:10) There will only be two groups: those that stand like Daniel, and
those that do not, like Belshazzar.
Read Psalm 91
18. What Psalm would have brought special courage to Daniel?
Note: This entire Psalm would have given special courage to Daniel. Certainly he saw
thousands fall all around him during the destruction of Babylon. But even though he was
clothed in the royal apparel issued by the king’s decree, he was unharmed. God’s angels
protected Daniel and they will protect all that live according to the spirit and have victory
over the flesh.
This Lesson’s Key
Act immediately on truth that has been revealed to you.
Let Us Summarize
Daniel chapter five again shows us keys of the kingdom in relation to the battle be-
tween being of the flesh, or of the Spirit. We see in Belshazzar and in Belteshazzar
the contrast of comparison between being a man of the flesh and being a man of the
Spirit. We see God showing us the importance of immediately acting upon His
truths.
Page 3 Keys of the Kingdom Study Guides • Daniel 5

Commitment Questions “If you have made mistakes, you certainly gain a victory if you see these mistakes and
regard them as beacons of warning. Thus you turn defeat into victory, disappointing the
1. Do you desire to be Spirit-filled and have victory over the flesh? enemy and honoring your Redeemer.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 33
2. Do you desire to live up to the truth that God has shown you?

Suggested Memory Text

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while
you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not
know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, than you
may become sons of light.’” John 12:35,36

Next Time
In Daniel six we will study what has become a favorite children’s story: Daniel in
the lion’s den. You will be surprised at the deeper significance of the parallels in
the story with what is revealed in Revelation. This story develops further the
picture of the end of time symbolically portrayed in Daniel three. In addition, you
will add to your understanding of the keys of the kingdom.

For Further Study

To have victory over the flesh you must realize:
f. Psalm 51:5; 58:3 - We are all born with a sinful human nature
g. Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23 - We have all gone astray / sinned
h. John 3:3,6 - Our only hope is to be born of the Spirit
i. Romans 8:13 - The Spirit if followed will kill the flesh
j. Colossians 3:1-4 - Victory comes setting our minds on things above
k. Isaiah 45:22 - We must look to Jesus
l. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - As we behold Him, we change
m. Hebrews 2:16-18 - He knows what we are going through and can help
n. Romans 13:14 - We must make no provision for the flesh
o. Galatians 5:24 - The flesh with it’s passions and desires must die
p. Romans 6:13 - We must get busy doing God’s work
q. 1 John 1:7 - It is through community that we have continued victory
r. Psalm 119:11 - Scripture memory gives power for victory
s. 2 Cor. 10:3-5 - The Spirit can even change thoughts and imaginations