A Kingdom's Last Supper: Belshazzar's Feast and the Writing on the Wall
The annals of history are replete with tales of rise and fall, but few convey the swift, divine judgment as vividly as the story of Belshazzar's feast. Recorded in the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel, this dramatic account serves as a profound warning against pride, blasphemy, and the rejection of God's revealed truth. It is a narrative that speaks of ultimate sovereignty, where the hand of God intervenes directly in the affairs of men, bringing an end to a proud monarch's reign in a single, terrifying night.
The Blasphemous Feast
King Belshazzar, co-regent with his father Nabonidus, was in the midst of a grand feast in Babylon. Thousands of his lords, wives, and concubines were gathered, indulging in revelry. In an act of unparalleled hubris and sacrilege, Belshazzar commanded that the golden and silver vessels, which his forefather Nebuchadnezzar had plundered from the house of God in Jerusalem, be brought forth. These sacred vessels, consecrated for the worship of the Most High God, were then profaned by being used for drinking wine, while the king and his company praised "gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone." This was not merely an act of drunken folly, but a deliberate affront to the God of Israel, a direct challenge to His holiness and power. The consequences were immediate and terrifying.
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 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. 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. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
The mirth quickly turned to terror as "in the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote."
The King's Terror and the Queen's Counsel
The sight of the disembodied hand writing on the wall instantly shattered Belshazzar's arrogance. His countenance changed, his thoughts troubled him, and his knees smote one against another. In a panic, he cried aloud for his astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, promising rich rewards and high office to anyone who could read the writing and interpret it. However, the wisdom of Babylon's most learned men proved utterly useless against the divine inscription. They could not decipher the words, nor could they provide any solace to the terrified king.
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
It was at this critical juncture that the queen mother, likely Nebuchadnezzar's widow or daughter, entered the banqueting house. She, remembering the extraordinary wisdom and understanding of Daniel, who had served her late husband, advised Belshazzar to send for him. She reminded the king that "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."
Daniel Before the King
Daniel, now an old man, was brought before the trembling king. Belshazzar, desperate for answers, reiterated his offer of lavish rewards. But Daniel, whose integrity and devotion to God remained unwavering through decades of service, courteously refused the promised gifts, declaring, "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." Before revealing the meaning, Daniel delivered a powerful and scathing rebuke to Belshazzar. He recounted the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar, how God had stripped him of his pride and kingdom until he acknowledged the Most High God's sovereignty. Daniel then sharply contrasted Belshazzar's behavior with that of his predecessor:
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Daniel's words served as a stark reminder that Belshazzar had witnessed God's judgment on pride in his own family history, yet had chosen to ignore it and even surpassed it in his blasphemy. His sin was not one of ignorance, but of willful rebellion against known truth.
The Interpretation: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin"
With the stage set, Daniel proceeded to interpret the mysterious words that had so terrified the king. The inscription, divinely written, was a sentence of judgment against Belshazzar and his kingdom.
- The words were: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Daniel's interpretation was precise and devastating:
- MENE: "God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it." This signified that the days of Belshazzar's reign and the Babylonian Empire were counted and brought to a close by divine decree.
- TEKEL: "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." Belshazzar's character, his actions, and his heart had been measured against God's standards, and he had fallen short. His pride and blasphemy tipped the scales against him.
- PERES (the singular form of Upharsin, with "U" meaning "and," and "pharsin" being the plural of "Peres"): "Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." This declared the imminent downfall of Babylon and its partition between the invading powers.
This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
The fulfillment was immediate and absolute. That very night, while the feast was still underway, the city of Babylon fell. The Medes and Persians, under Darius the Mede, captured the city, reportedly by diverting the Euphrates river and entering through the dried riverbed. Belshazzar himself was slain.
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility
The story of Belshazzar's feast powerfully illustrates several core biblical truths.
This account underscores that while God is patient, there comes a point when judgment is swift and final for those who stubbornly persist in rebellion.
Lessons for Today
The writing on the wall for Belshazzar serves as an enduring warning for all generations, including our own.
- Beware of Pride: In a world that often glorifies self-exaltation, the story reminds us that true wisdom begins with humility before God. Our achievements, wealth, and power are ultimately gifts from Him, and should never lead to arrogance or forgetting our dependence on Him.
- Respect the Sacred: While we no longer have physical temple vessels, the principle remains. We must guard against profaning God's name, His word, His church, or anything that bears His holy imprint. A casual or contemptuous attitude toward spiritual things invites divine displeasure.
- Acknowledge God's Sovereignty: Like Belshazzar, we can easily become consumed by our own kingdoms, forgetting that God holds our very breath in His hand (Daniel 5:23). The Lord is King, and His kingdom is eternal. We are accountable to Him.
- Learn from Past Judgments: The Bible is filled with accounts of God's dealings with humanity. We are called to heed these lessons, to repent of our sins, and to turn to the Lord before our own "day of reckoning" arrives.
The message of "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin" continues to echo through time, a solemn reminder that every life and every nation is weighed in the balances of God, and those found wanting will face His just judgment.
Conclusion: The Unseen Hand of Judgment
Belshazzar's feast stands as a stark and powerful testament to the swiftness and certainty of divine judgment when human pride and blasphemy reach their apex. It is a terrifying display of God's absolute control over earthly kingdoms and the destiny of individuals. The hand that wrote on the wall was not merely a random apparition; it was the visible manifestation of God's righteous verdict against a king who had defied Him. The fall of Babylon that night was not a mere military conquest, but the execution of a divine sentence. For all who read this account, the message is clear: God sees, God weighs, and God judges. Let us therefore humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt us in due time (1 Peter 5:6).