From our archives, the Billy Graham classics.
Now today, I want you to turn with me to the 5th chapter of the book of Daniel, the book of Daniel, the 5th chapter of the book of Daniel.
I suppose more than any other book in the Bible this book predicts the future unless it’s the book of Revelation.
And when you read the book of Revelation, always read the book of Daniel the book of Daniel in one hand, the book of Revelation in the other, and then in front of you, the daily newspaper, and they all tie in.
Because Daniel is a book of prophecy.
But the thing that I want to talk about Daniel today is an incident that happened in his life.
That I think bears on what we see happening today in our world.
And in this chapter that we’re take time to read it to you.
I’ll tell it to you. It’s the story of Daniel already in Babylon.
He’d been carried to Babylon from Jerusalem.
Jerusalem had come under the judgment of god, as Jeremiah had predicted.
All the judgments that Jeremiah predicted All the judgments that the prophets predicted have all come true or they’re yet to come true.
This is god’s word. It is an infallible word.
And in many places in the scripture, the Bible predicts that future day of judgment and that future period of judgment that is to come upon the world.
Well, Jerusalem had been judged as Jeremiah had predicted.
He said, unless Jerusalem repents of their sins, they will be judged.
And judgment came And among those that were carried captive away by nebuchanezah, Tababalin, fifteen hundred miles away, with young Daniel and his friends, they were just in their teens, and they were carried over to Babylon.
And Daniel had been one of the young men that had been chosen, especially by nebuchanesa, to be taken to Babylon and trained in his court.
And trained in all the arts and sciences of the Babylonians.
Now when this chapter opens, nebuchanes is dead.
Daniel had been a friend and a prophet and a prime minister for Nevicanessa, the great king.
But now he’s in more or less been forgotten because a young man is now on the throne by the name of Belle Shazza, who was the grandson of never can answer the great king.
Now Babolin at that time was the greatest temple in the world.
It was the most powerful nation in the world. It was the richest nation in the world.
And the Bible pictures Bill Shazoo the king as young, rich, powerful, but at the same time, egotistical, self centered, And the Bible teaches that god hates pride.
And Jesus was to say years later in Matthew 23, and whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased.
If you try to tell how great you are, and leave god out.
Or if you act as though you can solve your own problems and arrange your own life without the help of god, god says I’m going to bring you down.
And then he was a man that was very carefree. He was a playboy.
He loved Eads, and he loved asian. The Bible says, vote to them that are at ease.
We in America are at ease in comparison to the rest of the world.
And so Bell Shazza had just won some military victories.
And his father, who was a great general, was out on the frontiers, leading them from victory to victory.
And so he decided that he wanted to celebrate.
And he decided to have a great feast, and it would be the greatest feast that Babylon had ever seen.
Babble in with all of its glamour, babble in with all of its wealth, babble in with all that it had, he said we’ll have the greatest feast in the history of the world.
So he ordered the finest dances, the finest wines, the best foods, and he sent an invitation to a 1000 of his lords and ladies throughout the empire to come, and in their jewel chariots, they came.
And that evening, as they were feasting and dancing and whining, In the low hanging gardens that nebuchadnezzar had built for his midian wife, one of the 7 wonders of the world, Belle Chazza became in tuck dedicated.
There he was. King of an empire.
Master of a banquet, the center of all attention, dancing the night away.
But the Bible says, be not deceived. God is not mocked.
For whatsoever, a man sew it, that Shelley also read. Belle Chasse, watch out.
Judgment is coming. You’re going too far.
There’s a point beyond which the patience of god will not go.
There’s a line drawn among nations and among individuals and in families and in communities.
Jobe said, they that plow iniquity and so wickedness, reap the same.
Keep on plowing your inequity. Keep on so your wickedness. You’re gonna someday reap it.
Jose said, for they have sunned to the wind and they shall reap a whirlwind, Jeremiah said they’ve sown wheat, but they shall reap thorns.
And so in the middle of this banquet, Belle Chaz is dancing with a beautiful sexy young girl.
And all of a sudden, everyone is quiet. You can hear a pen drop.
His face turns white. The Bible says he begins to tremble.
Because over on the wall, an armless hand, starts writing, And everyone sat there trembling wondering what this was, what strange thing this wants.
And Bill Chasser tried to read it. He couldn’t read the message.
So he said, let’s call their astrologists and the suits sayers and the Caldians.
Let’s call the magicians. Let’s call all the people that can read this type of thing.
And they came in. They couldn’t read it. Belle Chasseff was even more afraid.
The writing was getting lighter all the time and more brilliant. People were frightened.
And his mother heard about it, and his mother incidentally was not at the party, but she came in.
And she said, son, is this I hear about a strange writing?
And he pointed over to the wall. She said I know a man that can read that writing.
His name is Daniel. He’s a great prophet. He helped your grandfather interpret dreams.
He was prime minister under your grandfather. He’s been living in sort of semi retirement.
Perhaps you don’t know him. Daniel was not at the party. But they sent for it.
And he came in, and belt Chester said, Daniel, You see that writing?
If you’ll read that writing, I’ll make you the 3rd rule in the empire.
I’ll put a goal chain of authority around your neck, and I’ll put royal robes on you.
And you’ll be a member of the royal fan.
Next to me, Daniel looked at the writing, and he recognized it immediately.
That was his father’s handwriting. That was god the father’s handwriting and he had studied god and lived with god all these years.
And he knew that that was god’s writing. He said, Belchesa, I can read the writing.
But keep your gifts. I don’t want them. Give your gifts to somebody else.
You see Belle Chazza Oking?
You have lifted yourself up against the lord of heaven.
And they have brought the vessels of god’s holy house before thee, and you and your lords and your wives and your concubines have drunk lion in them.
And god is offended. And thou hast praise the gods of gold and silver and brass and iron and wood and stone that see not and hear not and know not And the god in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, thou has not glorified.
Yes, Bell Shazza. I’ll read it.
God had given Bell Shazza everything he had, even the ability to laugh, His food, his drink, his power, his riches, everything, had come from god, but he hadn’t thanked the lord for Daniel said, alright.
Here’s the writing. Many, many, teccal, you farson. This is the interpretation.
Meany, God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.
Belcha has or you’re finished. Your last day has been spent on this earth.
Tickle. You have been weighed in the balances of god and found warning.
Paris, thy kingdom is divided and given to the medes and the Persians.
And while they win, the banquet unknown, Unknown to the Babylonians, the great rate Euphrates River was being changed in its course and the meadow Persian arm is slipped under on the dry riverbed.
And that night, Babylon fell to the Meeds and the Persians. Belle Chasser was killed.
Daniel remained and became prime minister in the next empire.
Both empires respected him for his wisdom and his faith in his purpose and his godleties.
Is god writing on the wall of America? Tonight.
The word many also re means remembered. God remembers god remembers our sins.
God sees our pornography.
He sees our obscene films, and he sees these new films that coming out, making fun of Jesus Christ.
He sees our lying and our cheating and our corruption.
That goes all the way through our society?
He sees it all, and the scripture says, be sure your sin will find you out.
But he remembers something else too. It’s not too late.
God remembers to forget.
When any group of people, any nation, will repent of their sins and turn to the lord.
He’ll forgive their sins and heal the land. That’s the promise of the lord.
Secondly, he says thou art weighed in the balances and found warning.
The scripture says, doubtest weigh the paths of the just.
The lord says, by the lord, actions await.
All the ways of a man are clear in his own eyes, but the lord weigh at the spirit.
The nation, the world tonight is being weighed.
You are being weighed in the balances of god.
Our sins are great in the eyes of the lord.
And we’re being weighed in his balances and many thinking leaders believe that the handwriting is already on the wall and the judgment is already beginning to take place.
But god weighs us as individuals. What’s he going to weigh us by?
What’s on the other side of the scales? You see, here’s the scales.
Here’s you, and here’s what god weighs you by. First, he’ll weigh you by the 10 commandments.
How do you stand up with the 10 commandments?
Vowth shall have no other gods before me?
Vowth shall not take the name of the lord by god in vain, God shall not commit adultery, vow shall not steal, vow shall not lie, vow shall not murder, All of these are taken into 10 commandments.
And the Bible says if we offend in one point, we are guilty of all.
If you’ve broken one commandment one time in your life, it’s the same as breaking all of them.
You say, well, of course, I’ve broken at least 1 or 2 other. Well, then you’re guilty of all.
And that’s the reason the Bible says we’re all guilty.
That’s the reason Jesus said you, that are without sin, pick up the 1st stone and throw it at this woman, taken an adultery.
None of these religious leaders could do it. Because we all have sinned.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of god.
And all are under the judgment of god.
Then not only are we going to be weighed by the 10 commandments, but we’re going to be weighed by the law of love Matthew 22, Jesus said thou shall love the lord by god with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.
This is the 1st and great commandment, and the second is like unto it.
Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments, said Jesus hang all the law and all the teaching of the prophets.
It’s all summed up in love.
Do you love the lord your god, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul?
And do you love your neighbor? Now your neighbor means anybody that’s in need.
Jesus taught that in the parable of the good Samaritan.
Anyone who’s in need, you love that neighbor as much as you love yourself.
That’s what Jesus said. We are going to be weighed by that law.
Thirdly, we are going to be weighed by the person of Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in Psalm 89, for who in the heaven can be compared unto the lord, who among the sons of the mighty can be likened under the lord?
Isaiah said to whom shall be likened me and make me evil or equal compare me that they should be like me.
God says, be ye holy for so I am holy.
If you don’t now Jesus Christ was the only righteous and the only holy man that ever lived.
We call some people in India, holy men. But Jesus was the only truly holy man of history.
And if we don’t live like Jesus and live as good as Jesus is, Then we come short of god’s requirement.
And god’s expectation, will you say, Billy, who in the world can live like Jesus? Nobody?
That’s the reason you all have to say I’m a sinner.
God is going to weigh us by Christ. He’s going to weigh us the 10 commandments.
He’s going to weigh us by the law of love, but he’s also going to weigh you by your works.
Those sins of omission that you weren’t even conscious of.
In Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us, So I was a hung good, and you gave me no meat.
I was thirsty. You didn’t give me anything to drink.
I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in. I was naked and you didn’t clothe me.
I was sick and in prison, and you never came and visited me.
But the people will say, lord, where we where did we see you naked and sick and in prison and thirsty?
Then he answered them this way.
In as much, as you did it, not to one of the least of these, you did it, not to me.
Now that strikes every person in this arena.
And we come short. And then Jesus pronounced judgment.
He said those that are guilty of the sin of omission and these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous under life eternal.
You say, well, Billy, I’m sort of devastated.
How can any of us weigh out? We can’t.
Jesus said in Revelation 3, I know your works that you’re neither hot nor cold.
I would that you were hot or cold.
So then because you’re a lukewarm, I’m going to spew you out of my mouth, he said.
Listen, there are going to be a lot of people that are gonna miss heaven that you think are gonna be there.
And then fifthly, he’s going to weigh us by our opportunities by our opportunities to whom much is given, much shall be required, he said.
Think of living in America.
With all of its advantages, A church on almost every corner, a Bible in almost every hotel room.
1000000 of Bibles available. The gospel by radio and television. Think of living here.
He’s going to judge us for the opportunities we had think of the Christian literature that’s available at Bookstores.
And we don’t take advantage of it.
To whom much is given, much is required.
You say, well, Billy, even on that score, I I can’t make it. No.
But the glory of this whole thing is that there is a gospel And the gospel is good news to people like you who are sitting there saying, well, I’m guilty.
The good news is that god sent his son Jesus Christ to the cross to die for you.
And god took those sins of yours and those failures of yours and laid them on Christ.
He became sin for us.
Now he said, the just the righteous are going to get to heaven, how am I going to get a justness and a righteousness of my own when I don’t have him?
I’m a sinner. I don’t weigh enough to get to heaven.
But on the cross, Christ provided a justness for me.
He provided a righteousness for me that I didn’t have.
And I am acceptable tonight by god, not because I’ve been good or because I’ve read the Bible or because I’ve preached the crowds of people, I’m acceptable because of Christ.
I am accepted into the beloved because of him, and that’s your privileged at this moment.
You can appropriate what Christ did on the cross to you right now, and you can leave here, weighing enough to get to heaven.
Wing enough to have your sins forgiven, weighing enough to live a new life.
Bower weighed in the balances of god. And found warning. Are you found warning?
The last word here is you Farson divided thy kingdom is divided.
God said, Belchez, I’m taking your kingdom away from you. You’re finished. Judgment has come. It’s too late.
Is god going to say that to you? Judgment has come.
It’s too late. I know people that know that and accept that and believe that and just go on merrily dancing their way to hell.
They’re like the mouse that’s been caught in the trap that’s still nibbling at the cheese after being caught.
You’re still nibbling at the devil’s bait.
And you’re already dead as far as eternity is concerned.
I believe this crusade has been held at the right time.
And in the providence of god at the right moment, in the history of many of your lives, people have prayed for you.
People have worked, people have given to make this possible.
And now this is your moment with god to receive him into your heart.
To make sure that you weigh enough. No. I won’t be at the the judgment.
There is therefore now no judgment to them that are in Christ Jesus.
I won’t see you there.
The judgment that I deserved was taken by Jesus Christ at the cross.
And I accepted what he did, even though it looked foolish and looked a little bit ridiculous, for me to come forward that night and say yes to Jesus Christ in front of all those people, I did it.
And I’m going to ask you in just a moment to get up out of your seat and come forward and stand in front of this platform and say by coming, I want Christ in my heart.
And after you’ve come, I’m going to say a word to you and have a prayer with you and give you some literature, and you can go back and join your friends.
But don’t you let this afternoon pass? Until you’ve said yes to Jesus Christ.
Because, you see, you may never have another moment like this.
This may be the last moment that you’ll ever have, and now is the moment.
You get up and come.
With hundreds of people that have come this past week, even thousands, you come and join them.
And say today, I want Christ to forgive my sins. I want to know I’m going to heaven.
I want to weigh enough when I have to be weighed in the great scales of god at the great judgment.
If you come from that top gallery up there, it’ll take you a couple minutes to come.
So come right now quickly from everywhere. Hundreds of you. God is speaking to you.
You may be in the choir. You may be in usher. Whoever you are, you get up and come.
We’re going to wait.
As hundreds are responding to Mr.
Graham’s invitation to make a public commitment to Jesus Christ, you can make that same commitment right where you are.
Just pick up the phone and call the number you see on your screen.
Special friends are waiting to talk with you and pray with you about this most important decision.
As you can see
on television, hundreds of people are coming here in St.
Louis to make their commitment to Jesus Christ, They want to be sure that their sins are forgiven.
They want to know that they weigh enough in the scales of god. No.
I don’t believe it’s too late for America to turn to god.
I believe we could have healing in our country.
I believe we could turn to god and find a whole new atmosphere if we did turn to him.
But can also happen in your life as an individual, and it can happen in your home, and it can happen in your block, and in your community, in your apartment, in wherever you are.
But it must start with somebody.
It could start with you. If you will say yes to Jesus Christ right now.
I hope you make that commitment God help you to make it, and be sure and go to a church next Sunday.
Good evening, and god bless you.
If you just prayed that prayer with my father or if you have any questions about a relationship with Jesus Christ, I would just call that number that is on the screen.
There’ll be someone there to talk with you, pray with you, and answer those questions.
And remember, god loves you.
If you would like to commit your life to Jesus Christ, please call us right now toll free at 1-877-772-4559.
That’s one 877-772-4559.
Or you can write to us at Billy Gray 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Apartment C, Charlotte, North Carolina 28201.
We you can contact us on the web 247@peacewithgod. Tv.
We’ll get the same helps to you that we give everyone who responds at the invitation.
On behalf of Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham evangelistic Association, you for watching, and thank you for your prayers.
You’re invited on a journey of discovery at the Billy Graham Library.
Retrace Billy Graham’s path Humble Farm Boy to International Ambassador of God’s love through multimedia, photos, and memorabilia
but the fruit of the spirit is love. That gives us 2 for nothing.
Tour the restored Graham family home place, browse roots at a book to him and have a meal at the Grand Brothers Dairy Bar.
Enjoy special exhibits, events, and seasonal activities the whole family.
Admission is free, so come walk this journey of discovery at the Billy Graham Library.