Last Day Warnings About Magicians

The word magician is found in only three books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus and Daniel. When these texts are examined and studied on a spiritual level new insights to previously explained prophecies are more clearly seen. The word magician provides a link between prophecies, showing how one reinforces the interpretation of another.

Certain words teach simple lessons by reading the texts in the Bible in the order written. In this example the first text clearly states, magicians can not interpret the word of God. They are not given any power or knowledge to interpret dreams or prophesies.

KJV Genesis 41:8. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

KJV Genesis 41:24. And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.  25. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

The magicians are spiritually blind. “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.” KJV John 12:40, Isaiah 42:18-20.

It’s clear to see, the Lord never gives up on any of these people, no matter what level of mysticism they practice. God wants them to hear and understand.

KJV Isaiah 29:18. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. 19. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20. For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off: 21. That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

The question is, what is a magician? Many Christians think a magician is easy to spot. They often think magicians walk around in long robes and pointy hats. At times they may carry a large staff and work with a crystal ball. Christians think magicians teach the signs of astrology and perform magic spells. Many think, as long as we stay away from such people fitting this description they are safe. Most people may have their own idea of a physical description of a magician, but do they know the spiritual description?

The Bible teaches on two levels, the physical and spiritual. The physical level is the easiest to understand and is accepted and utilized by most teachers. Spiritual interpretations require much more work, thought, prayer and can only be ascertained through the Holy Spirit.

In my opinion, the most important rule to understand a spiritual interpretation is to begin a study with no preconceived ideas. When a study is lead by the Holy Spirit, one can ever determine the path a spiritual study will take. Prior knowledge of the scriptures should not be considered an advantage when conducting a spiritually based study. William Miller makes this clear in his fifth rule of interpretation.

Scripture must be its own expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If I depend on a teacher to expound to me, and he should guess at its meaning, or desire to have it so on account of his sectarian creed, or to be thought wise, then his guessing, desire, creed, or wisdom, is my rule, and not the Bible. Proof, Ps. 19:7-11; 119:97-105: Matt. 23:8-10; 1 Cor. 2:12-16; Eze. 34:18, 19; Luke 11:52; Matt. 2:7,8.

This rule is also explained in other texts.

KJV Ephesians 6:12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

KJV Isaiah 55:7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

All the knowledge obtained through years of study, handed down through generations was of no use to the magicians who counseled Pharaoh. Even when their lives were at stake the most educated leaders of Babylon could not provide an answer for king Nebuchadnezzar. Within these stories lies a spiritual lesson, in modern times magicians, astrologers, sorcerers take on many forms. The Bible reveals all of these forms on a spiritual level, making it plain, exactly how this class of teachers will attempt to mislead the church in the last days.

The Bible gives us two major signs revealing the last days, a series of events disrupting economic conditions, and the decline of the spiritual condition of the world.

KJV Matthew 24:24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25. Behold, I have told you before.

This study will examine details associated with the word magician. This word will show a series of texts used to explain the deceptions this class has used and deceptions they are using to mislead people.

KJV Exodus 7:11. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

Magicians have the ability to imitate some wonders of God. In this case they were able to perform some of the same curses God placed upon Egypt. Revelation shows this same situation will exist in the last days.

KJV Revelation 13:11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

The power of the beast in Revelation can be explained by studying the deceptions used by magicians. To understand these deceptions we need to locate additional texts to explain the spiritual implications. These deceptions indicate the fact modern day magicians will look more like God’s representatives than we care to admit, as indicated by the symbol of a lamb, which often represents Christ and His followers.

KJV John 1:36. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

A lamb can also represent a follower of Christ.

KJV John 21:15. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

These deceptions may come from people appearing to be followers of Christ. How do we tell the difference? Prove everything from the Bible. Every claim must be proved by scripture. This is why additional details describing these deceptions can only be found by comparing scripture with scripture. William Miller explains this in the forth rule of interpretation.

To understand doctrine, bring all the Scriptures together on the subject you wish to know; then let every word have its proper influence; and, if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in error. Proof, Isa. 28:7-29; 35:8; Prov. 19:27; Luke 24:27, 44, 45; Rom. 16:26; James 5:19; 2 Pet. 1:19, 20.

Based on this rule, the texts containing the word magician will provide a clear definition of the spiritual meaning.

KJV Exodus 7:22. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.

Deceptions will be so convincing rulers will believe them. Once these deceptions are accepted it will be difficult to recognize the truth. It’s simple to see Pharaoh relied upon false gods, appointed priests and magicians to maintain control. On the physical side these facts are easy to see. We can also include the fact, the government of Egypt was controlled by its religion. Pharaoh was a representative of the gods or in some cases was god himself. The head of Egypt’s religion was also the leader of the government.

“Religion was very important to the Ancient Egyptians. Their religion was strongly influenced by tradition, which caused them to resist change. “Egyptians did not question the beliefs which had been handed down to them; they did not desire change in their society. Their main aim throughout their history was to emulate the conditions which they believed had existed at the dawn of creation” (Pg. 81, David, 1988). One of the very strong traditions was that of Divine Kingship. Divine Kingship is the belief that the Pharaoh was not only the King (political ruler) but also a god. The Pharaoh was Horus the falcon god associated with Horus, son of Re the sun god. Later it was believed that at death he became Osiris, or an Osiris, and would help the Egyptians in their afterlife.” http://historylink101.net/egypt_1/religion.htm

This may seem to have spiritual implications but these are merely physical aspects of an interpretation. In this case evidence has been supplied by sources other than the Bible. As indicated by Joseph, spiritual interpretations can only be provided by God and His word.

KJV Exodus 8:7. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. 8. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord. 9. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? 10. And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.

The magicians were able to give the illusion they were able to create frogs, but they were unable to control them. Pharaoh, the religious leader of Egypt went to Moses, God’s representative to destroy the frogs.

This text not only supplies further evidence magicians imitated the actions of God, it is also an acted parable teaching an important lesson and revealing an important description of the deceptions which will be used. In this case the key word is frogs. This is an unusual word not often used in the Bible. This key word leads us to another text in the book of Revelation which means to reveal or make known.

KJV Revelation 16:12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Frogs are used to represent miracles created by devils. The frogs of Revelation are associated with the dragon, beast and false prophet in the fact they are seen coming out of them. These three work together to deceive the world.

This is not a new concept. In 1859 Uriah Smith studied this same connection between Exodus and Revelation.

IN Revelation xvi,13,14, we learn that “spirits of devils” “like frogs” are to be manifested in all the world. And in Isa.viii,19, they are described as “familiar spirits,” or “wizards that peep and that mutter,” and in Isa.xxix,4, the voice of one that hath a familiar spirit is represented as “out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust. . . . thy speech shall whisper out of the dust,” etc. {March 17, 1859 UrSe, ARSH 133.5}

Mark, it is not a voice of clearness, light and wisdom from above; but it is “low out of the dust,” even “earthly, sensual, devilish;” communications that none can understand. All is confusion, mystery and darkness. As the slimy croaking multitude came up from the muddy Nile, and covered the land of Egypt, so have the spirits of devils appeared in all the world; the peeping and muttering is heard from every quarter, and the whole world is fast being turned into one universal frog-pond. {March 17, 1859 UrSe, ARSH 133.6}

God’s ancient people were about to be “delivered from the bondage of corruption” in Egypt, to become a separate people. {March 17, 1859 UrSe, ARSH 133.7}

So now when God hath set his hand the second time to gather the remnant of his people out of modern Egypt and Babylon, the same evidence is manifested that God’s frown is upon the multitude of oppressors. The frog-like spirits have been suffered to go forth, and Babylon is fast becoming their hold and cage. {March 17, 1859 UrSe, ARSH 133.9} Uriah Smith ADVENT REVIEW AND SABBATH HERALD

At this point the image of a magician is beginning to take on a whole new meaning. This new view is not provided by the wisdom of any man, but by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Finding the unexpected is a sign of the Spirit. Your mind may be wandering in many directions as a study progresses. Texts should be coming to mind, pieces should begin falling into place, explaining details never before considered. Aspects which once seemed cloudy can now be clearly understood. If you are not filled with these sensations it may be caused by an unfamiliarity with the scriptures. As a wise teacher once told me, “you need to have the information on the old hard drive upstairs before the Spirit has a chance to work.” In other words, you will always have trouble recognizing spiritual lessons if you have not spent proper time reading the Bible. The Spirit can only influence you with texts you are familiar with. If you have not read a text, it will be difficult for the Holy Spirit to bring it to your memory. To follow a spiritual study your familiarity with the Bible should be to a point you can locate a number of texts by book groups. These major book groups consist of the books of Moses, the first five books, Kings and Chronicles, the books of wisdom, the major prophets, minor prophets, the gospels and the remaining books of the New Testament.

Studying will become much easier as you become more familiar with God’s word. As the Spirit influences links between texts they will become much easier to locate. The simple word study is the easiest method to begin a study program. If you conduct Internet searches you can do a simple word study. Using a Bible program, search the key word for texts containing the word. As you read through the texts you will be surprised how much more information the Bible will reveal on every subject.

KJV Exodus 8:18. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 19. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.  20. And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

There are limits to what magicians can do. Although magicians could imitate a number of miracles, they could not imitate lice. Think of the following tricks they were able to perform. The magicians could make snakes and frogs appear. They could turn water into blood, but they could not work a deception with tiny little lice. If they could make much larger creators appear, why would they have trouble with lice? The answer to this can only be found on a spiritual level. This miracle was on such a grand scale the magicians pointed out to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” How did the smallest of all creatures in God’s curses finally open the eyes of the magicians? Is there a lesson in this?

KJV Exodus 9:11. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. 12. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses. 13. And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. 16. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

Once it had become evident the magicians did not posses the powers of God, they could no longer stand before Moses. This was because Moses was a man of God. This is true for all of God’s followers. It was easy for Moses, who had no trouble distinguishing the good guys from the bad, because it was him against them. This illustrates the spiritual lesson, God’s followers will have no trouble recognizing false teachers. Notice verse 16, which explains, God will raise up His servants to show His power to declare His name throughout the world. Leaving Egypt also teaches a number of spiritual lessons. Among them is the fact, many people will feel they are standing alone against the enemy, the magicians who have deceived the world.

This text also shows us many plagues will be upon the heart. This may indicate the plagues or miracles performed in the last days may not be the physical type many are looking for, but more of a spiritual type, working on the heart.

KJV Daniel 1:20

20. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

The wisdom and understanding of God’s followers will eclipse that of the magicians. There will be no comparison. The book of Exodus dealt mainly with providing physical aspects of the magicians. These aspects were arranged along the surface of the text which made them easy to find understand. These physical aspects also lead to texts which raise more questions than answers. As we begin to study the book of Daniel on a spiritual level many of these questions will be answered.

KJV Daniel 2:2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

The magicians admitted they could not provide an interpretation, their powers were limited. This story reveals a very important characteristic found in modern day magicians. Although they admitted they could not reveal the king’s dream, they claimed to have power to interpret dreams. Many people turned to these people for interpretations. The important lesson to learn is the method they used to interpret dreams and other matters. They used their own imaginations. They did not rely on God, if they did they would have been able to accomplish the task. Even when their lives were threatened they could not provide a proper answer. Which brings to mind another text containing a spiritual interpretation.

KJV Revelation 6:16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

In this text, mountains and rocks represent beliefs.

KJV Micah 4:1. But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

KJV Exodus 3:12. And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

KJV Amos 6:1. Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

KJV 1 Corinthians 10:4. And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

KJV Deuteronomy 32:4. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Those who have been deceived will see Jesus coming in the clouds and cry to the mountains and rocks to cover them. As seen in the above texts, these represent their false beliefs. At the final moment of their lives they will plead with the people who had been misleading them to explain their beliefs to Christ, hoping that their man made salvation can some how save them. The book of Daniel explains the difference between God’s people, and those who follow fables.

KJV Daniel 2:26. The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27. Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28. But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 29. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

Daniel makes it clear, the astrologers, magicians and soothsayers could not interpret the dream. Daniel also explained his wisdom was not sufficient to supply the interpretation and his wisdom, when it came to interpreting dreams, was no higher than any other persons. This is a lesson to all who think their wisdom has reached a level in which they feel comfortable enough to rely upon their own memory and imagination. Too many provide an answer without properly considering the question. Too often people provide an answer while never personally consulting the scriptures on the subject being questioned. If given the proper thought and consideration they would have to admit they have never asked God to provide an answer. Answers given today normally come from information handed down from person to person. Too many self professed experts have never turned a page of the Bible, spent hours in prayer or conducted a simple study on the subjects they teach. Daniel gives all the credit to God and by doing so shows us how interpretations are to be formulated. Not by the power, wisdom or imagination of any living man or woman, but by the power of God though His Spirit and His word.

This was the first of three interpretations Daniel was asked to provide. This lesson was so important, God repeated it three times in the book of Daniel. When God repeats something three times, we should pay attention. The second interpretation is found in Daniel chapter 4.

KJV Daniel 4:5. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. 8. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, 9. O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

Daniel chapter 4 is much easier to understand when we realize king Nebuchadnezzar is the author. This is why he refers to Daniel as having the spirit of the holy gods. Although Nebuchadnezzar’s faith was not as great as Daniel’s, God still included his words in the Bible. In this chapter king Nebuchadnezzar records the fact he had asked all the wise men of Babylon to provide an interpretation of a dream. Not a single person could supply an answer. In this case we see Nebuchadnezzar was able to supply a description of the dream.

You could bet your bottom dollar if king Nebuchadnezzar were here today to ask a group of the top 100 Biblical authorities to supply an interpretation, he would most likely receive a number of interesting answers. Their pride would not allow them to admit they did not have the answer. What do you think some of these interpretations may have been? Try this yourself. Search a few of the key words from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream on the Internet to find the spiritual interpretations some of these top authorities claim. Following is a list I found on the Internet.

Tree

• Truth as it is received from the letter of the Word, when it first enters the memory.
• The great and noble
• Denotes the man of the church in whom is the kingdom of the Lord; its fruit, the good of love and of charity

Leaves

• The truths therefrom, which serve for the instruction of the human race.
• Denote the truths.

Fruit

• The good of love and of charity.
• The affection of natural good.
• The truths

Beasts

• Tyrannical kingdoms, wicked men
• Man’s affections–evil affections with the evil, and good affections with the goodPlease note, finding these words on the Internet required more time than it usually takes to conduct a simple word study using the Bible.

Very few of these definitions provided supporting text. There is no way of telling if this is a spiritual interpretation supplied by the Bible or something someone simply made up. At any rate, look at the definition found for each word and compare it to the interpretation provided by Daniel. You can imagine what type of answers king Nebuchadnezzar may have received from today’s scholars.The main portion of this lesson shows that using the imagination of men can provide an answer. It may be accurate to a degree, but in the end the answer is wrong. Look at Satan’s first deception.KJV Genesis 3:1.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Now compare this to God’s exact words.KJV Genesis 2:16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.How much did Satan have to change God’s words to create a lie? These changes lead to the down fall of this world. Without a doubt, changing God’s word was Satan’s first attack. Since that time Satan has convinced a countless number of people, it does not matter how we quote God’s word, as long as the principle is there. Is there a point when the principle disappears and truth is no longer found in a paraphrase of God’s word? Of course there is a line and many have crossed it. The third and last example given in the book of Daniel prophesied of a day this line will be crossed and the consequences resulting from such an error.

KJV Daniel 5:10. 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. 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.

KJV Daniel 5:26. 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.

Not much needs to be said about the situation Daniel walked into that day. For the third time no one but Daniel was able to provide an interpretation. This was the third time the wise men and astrologers failed. This time the queen remembered the knowledge and understanding Daniel possessed, and where his power came from. She knew the wise men and astrologers could not provide an interpretation, it had to be provided by God. The sad fact is, they may have realized this fact, they may have admitted their limitations, but we are not told of a single wise man turning to God. After all these years, not a single person, besides Daniel was able to provide an answer. Not one had turned their heart and mind to God. How many years did these wise men and magicians waste studying the wrong message? History has a way of repeating itself.

Time for a little bit of homework. After reading this study read Isaiah chapter 29. Make note of the similarities to the texts used in this study. Also makes notes of other texts which come to mind, paying close attention to the key words that will lead to other supporting texts, and see if you are able to locate them. Feel free to share what you have found on the comments below.