Daniel 5:30

The starry skies and romantic flavor of the evening is lost on King Belshazzar, of course, as this vintage photograph depicts his last night on earth, or rather on top of the Earth. This evening scene also available in black paired with: tan, mauve and blue.

Description of Photograph:  taken from the old Silent Film, "Intolerance" and paired with the following "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two." Daniel 5:30 (NIV)

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Daniel 5:30 in tan and black.

Daniel 5:30 in mauve and black.

Daniel 5:30 in blue and darker blue.

Belshazzar's End:

• No Second Chance 
• The Handwriting On The Wall
• The Difference Between Stewardship and Ownership
• Handwriting on the Wall

Belshazzer, The Condemned King

King Belshazzer seen here gripping one of his many drunken wives while he swears to give away a third of his kingdom to the man who can interpret the message written in code above his throne. A hand appeared out of nowhere a wrote the inscription, ""Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin!" One of King Belshazzer's wives claims that the elderly prophet Daniel can interpret the writing.

 

Description of Photograph:  taken from the old Silent Film, "Intolerance" and paired with the following "Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." Daniel 5:7

"Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.  His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking."

"The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 

"Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled." 

"The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. ¹² He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” Daniel 5 1-12

Daniel 5:7 in mauve.

Tan version of Daniel 5:7.

Blue version of Daniel 5:7.

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1 Timothy 6:9

Every version of this scripture comes in matching color palette designed for the scriptures from Daniel 5. However, these would look nice completely on their own within the context of an article about a different topic.

Description of the Illuminated Scriptures: scripture from the Book of 1 Timothy 6:9 "People who want to get rich all into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plange men into ruin and destruction." (NIV), a fancy scalloped frame surrounds the verse, the outside border if transparent so that the framed scripture will blend with a wide variety of page colors.

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Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin!

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parson" not the phrase you
want to hear from the Lord.

Description of Photograph:  taken from the old Silent Film, "Intolerance" and paired with the following "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin!" from "And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. Daniel 5:25 (ESV)

       "The writing on the wall", or "the hand writing on the wall", or "the writing is on the wall" or "Mene Mene", is an idiom implying that there is evidence of an impending disaster. The event may be seen as difficult to avert. The expression refers originally to Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel, in which a disembodied hand, writes an enigmatic message on the palace wall of Babylon.

       In the Daniel 5, a disembodied hand is witnessed writing on the wall at Belshazzar's feast in the palace of Babylon. The event occurs while those at the feast profane the sacred vessels that were pillaged from the Jerusalem Temple. The words that appear on the palace wall are "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." The prophet Daniel is summoned to interpret the message, which, as he explains, means the imminent end of the Babylonian kingdom. That night, Belshazzar is killed and the Medo-Persians sack the capital city.

The Meaning From Daniel 5:26-28

• "Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 
• Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 
• Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

The fact that the phrase "Mene" is written twice means that the event will happen soon.

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"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin!" in four colors:
tan, blue, mauve and grey monochromatic colors.

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin!" colorized in four
 tones for use on your webpages.

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin!" in greyscale too.

       "A painter of fantastical and catastrophic events, Martin was a master scenographer and a Victorian celebrity. In this Old Testament episode, set in a dizzy vision of Babylon, a blaspheming king gets some bad news."

Matthew 4:7

This verse is printed on a "shield" motif in colors complimentary to many of the illustrations for the Life of Daniel here at our little blog. These colors come in tan, blue, mauve and grey.

Description of the Illuminated Scriptures: scripture from the Gospel of Matthew "Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Matthew 4:7 (NIV)

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The blue version of Matthew 4:7.

The grey version of Matthew 4:7.

The mauve version of Matthew 4:7.

In The Courts of Belshazzar

The illustrated scripture above in tan and brown tones. Click on the
smaller versions below to download larger versions.

Description of Photograph: taken from the old Silent Film, "Intolerance" and paired with the following scripture "Then 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 princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them." Daniel 5:3 (KJB) This is one riotous party both in the film's set and also according to scripture, too. An amazing menagerie on exhibition; it representing the idol worship of ancient Persia in the story of Israel's captivity under Babylon.

Intolerance is a 1916 epic silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and considered one of the great masterpieces of the Silent Era. The three-and-a-half hour epic intercuts four parallel storylines, each separated by several centuries: (1) a contemporary melodrama of crime and redemption, (2) a Judean story: Christ's mission and death, (3) a French story: the events surrounding the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572, and (4) a Babylonian story: the fall of the Babylonian Empire to Persia in 539 BC. Each story had its own distinctive color tint in the original print. The scenes are linked by shots of a figure representing Eternal Motherhood, rocking a cradle. Read more . . .

Visit the following links to see this old classic, silent film:

• Intolerance at the Internet Movie Database
• Intolerance at SilentEra
• Intolerance at AllMovie
• Intolerance is available for free download at the Internet Archive
• Detailed plot summary and discussion of the film at Filmsite.org
• Period poster of the film
• Intolerance HD on YouTube
• Silent Era 
• Silent Film Festival

The same illustration in blue.

The illustration in greys.

The illustrated scripture from Daniel in mauve.

Another Moody Bible Institute Filmstrip from 1955.

Visit Moody Bible Institute today.

Matthew 7:13-14

Description of Illustration: A wandering soul sits and waits on top of a sign that he, himself, feels must be right. He wears an old straw hat, is unshaven, he holds an old-fashioned suitcase, each sign has a different message, all of which to do not take in account the meaning behind the Proverb, the scripture reads "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

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Luke 18:27

Description of Illustration: two "old-timers" are passing their time, watching the clock, waiting for their break time away from work and counting the minutes until they must time themselves back into work, break room, coffee break, overalls and pocket watch, grandfather clock, knowing expressions, scripture "But he said, What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27 (ESV)
 

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.

Tailpieces in Blue Floral Motifs

"Cast your burden on the LORD and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22

Description of the Illuminated Scriptures: blue floral motifs, scriptures from Psalms and the Gospel of Matthew.

"I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." Psalm 13:5

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

•  Sermon based upon Matthew 11:28, 29, 30 

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.

Tailpieces in Floral Motifs

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Description of Illuminated Scripture: all in red with tailpieces illustrating a floral motif, scriptures from Hebrews, John, The Book of Psalms.

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
 John 14:27

"Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's
 unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him." Psalm 32:10 (NIV)

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
 He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber."
Psalm 121:1-3 (WEB)

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Who is My Brother?

Apache brave print in black, red and white.

Description of Illustration: contemporary prints of an Apache brave, scripture reads "For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:35 (NET)

Apache brave print in shades of burnt orange.

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"First in a series of programs titled "Building a Better Tomorrow" -- showcasing a wide variety of ways that people who volunteer are helping to make the world a better place. Mokahum Ministry Center is located near Cass Lake, Minnesota, and serves as a Native American discipleship training campus. This video tells about Mokahum's purpose and how the facility is being renovated and enhanced with the help of many volunteers, thus enabling that purpose to be realized."

1 Corinthians 13:13

       Shells are often used to symbolize both baptism and confirmation. For those of you who do not know what a confirmation is - it is a profession of faith that Orthodox Christians make in order to make public/testify to an agreement (a covenant) their parents once made with God on the occasion of their infant's baptism. So Orthodox Christians do make individual, public professions of faith just as Protestants do, but they do it in a different order. During confirmation young people also display baptismal banners and decorate their churches with doves representing the Holy Spirit. This celebration also signifies the end of their formal training or schooling in the doctrines of their faith.

Shell reflected in water.

Description of Illustration: an baptismal shell reflected in water and a baptismal shell in teal and white, with the following scripture: "For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body--whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." 1 Corinthians 12:13 In every confirmation ceremony, children are given a list of scripture to choose from in order that one may be read during their public profession. 

• 15 Scriptures frequently read aloud in confirmation of a older child's testimony of faith.
• Scriptures about Confirmation
• Scriptures for Confirmation
• What does the Bible say about Christian confirmation?

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Video Below: "The Jordan River. Israel and Palestine border the river to the west, while Jordan lies to its east. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan takes its name from this river."

Galatians 3:7

The above scripture from Galatians is frequently selected for a Baptism

Description of Illustration: a blue and dusty green shell, white background, white text, scripture "Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham." Galatians 3:7 (NIV)

Pale blue shell reflected
 in water.

"Taking a bath is good for you, whether you have it as an infant or as an adult, the practice is always good. I actually prefer people to bathe often." Kathy Grimm

""I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Matthew 3:11 (quoted by John the baptist) Whoosh, that's even more controversial than water baptism!

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• Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
• What is the purpose of baptism?
• Saved by "grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone made possible by Christ alone"
• Catechism of the Catholic - Baptism an initiation
• What is the pre-Christian history of the baptismal ceremony?

Lamentations 3: 22,23

Turquoise and black illustration for the morning silhouette.

Description of Illustration: A native shepherd watches over his flocks both day and night in the high desert. He sits on his horse silhouetted against the sky above the herd looking down, ever watchful for predators. The silhouette is available in turquoise/black and in red/black. The illustrations include both day and night versions. There are two sets of each, scripture included:

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22,23

Turquoise and black illustration for the evening silhouette.

Red and black illustration for the morning silhouette.

Red and black illustration for the evening silhouette.

Description of Animation: The dusk to dawn animated version of this same illustration of a native American shepherd along with the scripture is also available. It may be made larger if you prefer. Just click on the animated gif to see the largest size.

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.

Long ago, a middle-aged native American woman approached me inside of a online chat room. She asked me if I would remember her people in my ministry. I said yes, and I have never forgotten her request.

Native Proverb

 

Description of Photograph: This is a photograph I that took many years ago but I have published it since 2010. It is a nest made from clay and straw, an egg that has hatched and a butterfly resting on that egg. This is a relatively contemporary Christian symbol for the resurrection and shows up every now and again in a rare print or stained glass window. It is only a 100 years old; therefore, not a very old symbol among Christian believers.

The Native American proverb reads, "Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand."

 

Native proverb in brown.

Native proverb in pale sienna.

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Native proverb with black egg and black background and teal shadows.

Native proverb with black egg and black background and brown shadows.

Native proverb with black egg and black background and orange shadows.