The Hand Writing on the Wall at Belshazzar's Feastby Danial
5:26Daniel 5:26
This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Mene means God had numbered the kingdom and brought it to its end, setting its limit and appointed time and finishing its course. The sentence was spoken in the midst of Belshazzar's wine-drinking revelry with his lords, when he profaned the vessels consecrated to God, and a bloodless hand traced the doom on the palace wall that very night when the kingdom was taken and passed into other hands. The judgment came because Belshazzar knew how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar and held his life in His hand, yet would not humble himself but remained proud and defiant, until guilt reached its full measure and crossed the limits of forbearance. The numbering hand represents God's constant record in the books of heaven, where every action, motive and character is registered and weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and will appear in judgment in its true character. The writing therefore warns that secret sin is seen by the unseen Watcher and that the sudden end of Babylon pictures the end of the world, requiring accountability, repentance and readiness without delay before it is forever too late.
Mene Word and Feast
MENE means God had numbered the kingdom and brought it to its end, having counted it out and set its limit and appointed time and finished its course. The numbering declared the judgment of God upon the king and his kingdom, marking Babylon as finished and its fall as near. The sentence was given during Belshazzar's feast with his thousand lords and princes, in wine-drinking revelry with music and dancing. There he profaned the golden vessels consecrated to Jehovah by drinking from them while praising gods of gold and silver, blaspheming and forgetting God and making light of what God had chosen as sacred.
In the midst of the feasting and sacrilegious mirth a bloodless hand traced mysterious characters of doom upon the palace wall. The terrified king and his courtiers were filled with dread at the sight, their consciences awakened as they recognized the words condemned them. The servant of the Most High then declared their meaning as the end of the kingdom. While the guests feasted and profaned sacred things, God was present and aware of every action and dishonoring sentiment.
The numbering was carried out that very night of feasting and revelry. The Medes and Persians took the kingdom, Belshazzar fell and his body was slain, and the kingdom passed into other hands. Babylon was thus swept with destruction until the great city by the river becomes pools of water, reeds, scrub and broken ruins of towers, walls and columns. That sudden finish in an hour of feasting and revelry came after Babylon perverted the light given through Daniel, read prophecy by an idolatrous mind, and exalted itself and its kingdom in idolatry.
Cause and Execution of Judgment
MENE means God had counted out Belshazzar's kingdom and brought its time and course to its appointed end, and that sentence fell because he knew how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar and then restored him and shown that He rules over kingdoms. Though he possessed that heaven-sent light he did not humble himself, learn the lesson, or learn the truth, but disregarded it and forfeited the benefits obedience could have brought. He failed to honor the God who held his life and ways in His hand, failed to obey God, defied the Lord, profaned the sacred temple vessels in his feast, and praised idols. The announcement that the kingdom was numbered and finished was therefore judgment on a ruler who knew the warning from Nebuchadnezzar's history yet would not heed it, and it was carried out when the Medes and Persians took the kingdom that very night.
Belshazzar remained proud and defiant, and pride and pleasure kept him from obeying God. In prosperity Babylon's rulers regarded themselves as independent of God and ascribed the honor and glory of their kingdom to human achievement. They forgot God, disobeyed His law, and acted as though possessing all wisdom and able to proceed without God, reckoning wrongly and reaping the consequences of folly. That rejection brought humiliation and the penalty of transgression.
Babylon's decline came through the unwise rule of Nebuchadnezzar's successors and was gradual but sure. The finish came in an hour of feasting and revelry after Babylon perverted the light God gave through Daniel, read prophecy by its own idolatrous mind, and exalted itself and its kingdom in idolatry. God had set a limit to Belshazzar's kingdom, and the message announced its imminent loss after his guilt had reached its measure. Its evil works came to their full measure in the palace performance on the night of the sacrilegious feast, when a messenger from heaven watched his every movement.
When the measure was full and presumption and defiance crossed the limits of God's forbearance, he was no longer to be protected and shielded by God and the restraining power was no longer to ward off evil. He was to fall, his body was to be slain, and his kingdom was to pass into other hands amid feasting and disregard for God. Wine had beclouded reason and taken away self-control and reverence, leading him in wine-drinking revelry with music and dancing and blasphemy to forget God, dishonor Him, and profane Him by drinking from the vessels consecrated to Jehovah while praising gods of gold and silver. In that hour of mad revelry the certain writing of God was traced by a bloodless hand upon the palace wall, declaring Wanting, fearfully wanting, and revealing the true condition.
The verse thus shows the literal fulfillment of divine prophecy in the history of nations. Babylon was shattered and broken and passed away, swept with destruction until the great city by the river becomes pools of water, reeds, scrub and broken ruins of towers, walls and columns, falling during a night of feasting and revelry. Its fall illustrates that nations which reject God, forget Him, credit human achievement, and disobey His law face humiliation and the penalty of transgression.
Heavenly Record and Warning
The God defied at the feast was present as an unseen witness, with a messenger from heaven watching every movement, aware of every action and word and dishonoring sentiment, making a history to testify against the revelers to the close of time. While Belshazzar and his princes and thousand lords profaned the golden vessels consecrated to Jehovah and praised gods of gold and silver in sacrilegious mirth and wine-drinking revelry, God had not forgotten them though they had forgotten Him. In the midst of that feasting a bloodless hand traced mysterious characters of doom upon the palace wall, filling the terrified king and courtiers with dread as the servant of the Most High declared the end of the kingdom.
That hand represents God's constant record in the books of heaven, where every word and transaction and plan and secret motive is registered, every denial of self and every grasping, covetous spirit noted. A holy Watcher notes every word and action of life, and every motive and character and life and soul is weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, in the balances of infinite justice and truth, by perfect justice and truth. Each person's course stands on record before God, and words and acts pass to the books of final account where the record will stand when the books are opened and appear in judgment in its true character, when the great Judge searches to see whose names are written there.
The same bloodless hand that wrote the doom on Belshazzar's wall later rent the temple veil when Christ died. That rending declared the Jewish nation unchurched and opened a new and living way to God for all people, without a priest or ruler.
The same hand keeps a faithful record of every act of injustice or oppression committed against God's people. Those who trace words of calumny and falsehood against the servants of Christ are witnessed by God and will be punished, for their slanderous touch profanes not soulless vessels but characters purchased by Christ's blood.
The numbering teaches personal accountability, for people are accountable for their actions. Failures in God-given duties are seen and recorded, and those who neglect them will be found wanting. Those who act as though possessing all wisdom and able to proceed without God reckon wrongly and reap the consequences of folly.
The writing means wanting, fearfully wanting, revealing the true condition. Belshazzar's ability to read the writing intelligently illustrates how the Spirit reveals the full meaning of the law, bringing conviction and awakening the sinner to seek mercy in Jesus. Pleading in behalf of the guilty covers that writing on the wall.
The handwriting warns that judgment is coming on reckless people who ignore sin and warning and fail to see their peril until the message is clear, when it is too late to repent. Churches and institutions that do not recognize their danger need to be roused. The sudden numbering and finishing of the kingdom at an hour of feasting and reveling pictures how it will be at the end of the world, when students of the Word will not say the Lord delays His coming nor that all things remain as from the beginning of creation, but like the wise virgins with oil in their vessels with their lamps will be prepared to go forth to meet the Bridegroom.
Secret sin is seen by God in the very place where men think no eye sees. The same witnessing God now watches hidden impurity of soul and body, while Christ is coming and His judgments are abroad in the earth and the Judge stands before the door. Every case must pass in solemn review before Him, with the terror of awakened consciences recognizing condemnation. This requires thorough revival and confession and repentance and cleansing of hands and forsaking of sin without delay, before it is forever too late to enter paradise.
Mene means God had numbered the kingdom and brought it to its end, setting its limit and appointed time and finishing its course.
The sentence was spoken in the midst of Belshazzar's wine-drinking revelry with his lords, when he profaned the vessels consecrated to God, and a bloodless hand traced the doom on the palace wall that very night when the kingdom was taken and passed into other hands.
The judgment came because Belshazzar knew how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar and held his life in His hand, yet would not humble himself but remained proud and defiant, until guilt reached its full measure and crossed the limits of forbearance.
The numbering hand represents God's constant record in the books of heaven, where every action, motive and character is registered and weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and will appear in judgment in its true character.
The writing therefore warns that secret sin is seen by the unseen Watcher and that the sudden end of Babylon pictures the end of the world, requiring accountability, repentance and readiness without delay before it is forever too late.
Mene Word and Feast
MENE means God had numbered the kingdom and brought it to its end, having counted it out and set its limit and appointed time and finished its course. The numbering declared the judgment of God upon the king and his kingdom, marking Babylon as finished and its fall as near. The sentence was given during Belshazzar's feast with his thousand lords and princes, in wine-drinking revelry with music and dancing. There he profaned the golden vessels consecrated to Jehovah by drinking from them while praising gods of gold and silver, blaspheming and forgetting God and making light of what God had chosen as sacred.
In the midst of the feasting and sacrilegious mirth a bloodless hand traced mysterious characters of doom upon the palace wall. The terrified king and his courtiers were filled with dread at the sight, their consciences awakened as they recognized the words condemned them. The servant of the Most High then declared their meaning as the end of the kingdom. While the guests feasted and profaned sacred things, God was present and aware of every action and dishonoring sentiment.
The numbering was carried out that very night of feasting and revelry. The Medes and Persians took the kingdom, Belshazzar fell and his body was slain, and the kingdom passed into other hands. Babylon was thus swept with destruction until the great city by the river becomes pools of water, reeds, scrub and broken ruins of towers, walls and columns. That sudden finish in an hour of feasting and revelry came after Babylon perverted the light given through Daniel, read prophecy by an idolatrous mind, and exalted itself and its kingdom in idolatry.
Cause and Execution of Judgment
MENE means God had counted out Belshazzar's kingdom and brought its time and course to its appointed end, and that sentence fell because he knew how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar and then restored him and shown that He rules over kingdoms. Though he possessed that heaven-sent light he did not humble himself, learn the lesson, or learn the truth, but disregarded it and forfeited the benefits obedience could have brought. He failed to honor the God who held his life and ways in His hand, failed to obey God, defied the Lord, profaned the sacred temple vessels in his feast, and praised idols. The announcement that the kingdom was numbered and finished was therefore judgment on a ruler who knew the warning from Nebuchadnezzar's history yet would not heed it, and it was carried out when the Medes and Persians took the kingdom that very night.
Belshazzar remained proud and defiant, and pride and pleasure kept him from obeying God. In prosperity Babylon's rulers regarded themselves as independent of God and ascribed the honor and glory of their kingdom to human achievement. They forgot God, disobeyed His law, and acted as though possessing all wisdom and able to proceed without God, reckoning wrongly and reaping the consequences of folly. That rejection brought humiliation and the penalty of transgression.
Babylon's decline came through the unwise rule of Nebuchadnezzar's successors and was gradual but sure. The finish came in an hour of feasting and revelry after Babylon perverted the light God gave through Daniel, read prophecy by its own idolatrous mind, and exalted itself and its kingdom in idolatry. God had set a limit to Belshazzar's kingdom, and the message announced its imminent loss after his guilt had reached its measure. Its evil works came to their full measure in the palace performance on the night of the sacrilegious feast, when a messenger from heaven watched his every movement.
When the measure was full and presumption and defiance crossed the limits of God's forbearance, he was no longer to be protected and shielded by God and the restraining power was no longer to ward off evil. He was to fall, his body was to be slain, and his kingdom was to pass into other hands amid feasting and disregard for God. Wine had beclouded reason and taken away self-control and reverence, leading him in wine-drinking revelry with music and dancing and blasphemy to forget God, dishonor Him, and profane Him by drinking from the vessels consecrated to Jehovah while praising gods of gold and silver. In that hour of mad revelry the certain writing of God was traced by a bloodless hand upon the palace wall, declaring Wanting, fearfully wanting, and revealing the true condition.
The verse thus shows the literal fulfillment of divine prophecy in the history of nations. Babylon was shattered and broken and passed away, swept with destruction until the great city by the river becomes pools of water, reeds, scrub and broken ruins of towers, walls and columns, falling during a night of feasting and revelry. Its fall illustrates that nations which reject God, forget Him, credit human achievement, and disobey His law face humiliation and the penalty of transgression.
Heavenly Record and Warning
The God defied at the feast was present as an unseen witness, with a messenger from heaven watching every movement, aware of every action and word and dishonoring sentiment, making a history to testify against the revelers to the close of time. While Belshazzar and his princes and thousand lords profaned the golden vessels consecrated to Jehovah and praised gods of gold and silver in sacrilegious mirth and wine-drinking revelry, God had not forgotten them though they had forgotten Him. In the midst of that feasting a bloodless hand traced mysterious characters of doom upon the palace wall, filling the terrified king and courtiers with dread as the servant of the Most High declared the end of the kingdom.
That hand represents God's constant record in the books of heaven, where every word and transaction and plan and secret motive is registered, every denial of self and every grasping, covetous spirit noted. A holy Watcher notes every word and action of life, and every motive and character and life and soul is weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, in the balances of infinite justice and truth, by perfect justice and truth. Each person's course stands on record before God, and words and acts pass to the books of final account where the record will stand when the books are opened and appear in judgment in its true character, when the great Judge searches to see whose names are written there.
The same bloodless hand that wrote the doom on Belshazzar's wall later rent the temple veil when Christ died. That rending declared the Jewish nation unchurched and opened a new and living way to God for all people, without a priest or ruler.
The same hand keeps a faithful record of every act of injustice or oppression committed against God's people. Those who trace words of calumny and falsehood against the servants of Christ are witnessed by God and will be punished, for their slanderous touch profanes not soulless vessels but characters purchased by Christ's blood.
The numbering teaches personal accountability, for people are accountable for their actions. Failures in God-given duties are seen and recorded, and those who neglect them will be found wanting. Those who act as though possessing all wisdom and able to proceed without God reckon wrongly and reap the consequences of folly.
The writing means wanting, fearfully wanting, revealing the true condition. Belshazzar's ability to read the writing intelligently illustrates how the Spirit reveals the full meaning of the law, bringing conviction and awakening the sinner to seek mercy in Jesus. Pleading in behalf of the guilty covers that writing on the wall.
The handwriting warns that judgment is coming on reckless people who ignore sin and warning and fail to see their peril until the message is clear, when it is too late to repent. Churches and institutions that do not recognize their danger need to be roused. The sudden numbering and finishing of the kingdom at an hour of feasting and reveling pictures how it will be at the end of the world, when students of the Word will not say the Lord delays His coming nor that all things remain as from the beginning of creation, but like the wise virgins with oil in their vessels with their lamps will be prepared to go forth to meet the Bridegroom.
Secret sin is seen by God in the very place where men think no eye sees. The same witnessing God now watches hidden impurity of soul and body, while Christ is coming and His judgments are abroad in the earth and the Judge stands before the door. Every case must pass in solemn review before Him, with the terror of awakened consciences recognizing condemnation. This requires thorough revival and confession and repentance and cleansing of hands and forsaking of sin without delay, before it is forever too late to enter paradise.