2007-02-26 - Daniel

Installment 41

This would probably be a good time to give a little historical background to the events leading to the transition between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. Since I don't want this to be too dry, I will give you the "Reader's Digest" version of Dr. McGee's notes on the period.

"At the death of Nebuchadnezzar his only son, Evil-merodach succeeded him at about 561 B.C." ²

"In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month" (2 Kings 25:27).

"Evil-merodach was murdered by Nergal-sharezer who had married one of Nebuchadnezzar's daughters and now replaced him on the throne at about 559 b.c. Nergal-sharezer was succeeded by his young son who reigned only a few months before he was murdered by Nabonidus (the husband of another of Nebuchadnezzar's daughters)." ³

This sounds like an episode of either a soap opera or "Upstairs Downstairs."

"Nabonidus, the last ruler of the Babylonian empire, spent much of his time away from the kingdom on foreign expeditions, and Belshazzar his son remained at Babylon as his co-regent." ⁴

"Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him" (Jeremiah 27:6-7).

Geoff

gkragen@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

² McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol.
³, "Daniel," Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982, p. 556.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.