Topical Bible: Temple: Solomon's: Vessels of, Used by Belshazzar

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The vessels of Solomon's Temple hold significant historical and theological importance within the biblical narrative. These sacred items, crafted for the worship and service of Yahweh, were originally housed in the First Temple, constructed by King Solomon in Jerusalem. The vessels included various items such as gold and silver cups, bowls, and other utensils used in the rituals and ceremonies of the Temple.

Historical Context

Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was completed in the 10th century BC and served as the central place of worship for the Israelites. The vessels within the Temple were consecrated for use in the worship of God, symbolizing the holiness and sanctity of the Temple services. These items were crafted with great care and were considered sacred, as they were used in the offerings and sacrifices prescribed by the Mosaic Law.

The Babylonian Exile and the Desecration of the Vessels

In 586 BC, the Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar, besieged Jerusalem, leading to the destruction of Solomon's Temple. During this conquest, the Babylonians seized the sacred vessels and took them to Babylon. The vessels were placed in the treasury of the Babylonian gods, signifying the subjugation of the God of Israel to the Babylonian deities.

Belshazzar's Feast

The vessels of Solomon's Temple reappear in the biblical narrative during the reign of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon. In the Book of Daniel, chapter 5, Belshazzar holds a great feast for a thousand of his nobles. In a display of arrogance and sacrilege, he orders the sacred vessels to be brought out so that he, his nobles, wives, and concubines might drink from them. This act of desecration is recorded in Daniel 5:2-3 : "Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them."

Divine Judgment

The use of these sacred vessels in a profane manner provoked divine judgment. As the revelry continued, a mysterious hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall of the banquet hall. The message, interpreted by the prophet Daniel, foretold the imminent downfall of Belshazzar's kingdom. Daniel 5:26-28 states: "This is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians."

That very night, Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, fulfilling the prophecy and demonstrating the sovereignty of God over the nations. The misuse of the Temple vessels by Belshazzar serves as a powerful reminder of the holiness of God and the consequences of defiling what is sacred.

Nave's Topical Index

Daniel 5:2,3
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.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Return of the Exiles
... to these and many other voluntary offerings were added "the vessels of the ... and carried
out His purpose for Israel, the temple built by Solomon would not ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 45 the return of.htm

The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
... they have; they even hold the golden vessels to their ... the Feast of the Consecration
of the Temple came to ... two places in a conflict before the reign of Solomon. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xiii the journey of the.htm

The Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgment:
... know ye not that your body is the temple of the ... of which the members of the body
are used this way ... members, the purchase of his blood, the vessels and temples ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the resurrection of the dead.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... been very properly observed that the words used by the ... You read in Solomon's
Ecclesiastes of a time when desires ... Lord, and to inquire in his temple' (Psalm 27: ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... Truly the light is good (saith Solomon) and a ... hath been shed, what cruelty hath been
used, and what ... descended from the pinnacle of the temple, as afterwards he ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm