What Does God Teach Us in the Story of the Writing on the Wall?

A bizarre and somewhat disturbing passage happens mid-way through the book of Daniel. During a party, thrown by the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar, a large hand appears and writes four words on the wall. These four words written on the wall declare the end of the Babylonian Empire and the oncoming invasion from the Medo-Persians that very night.

What’s Happening in Daniel 5?

Before diving into the story contained within this passage, readers have to understand the overall historical context of elements within Daniel 5..

First: We have to take a look at the vessels used during the party. Nebuchadnezzar, when he invaded the southern kingdom of Israel, took holy items from the temple (2 Chronicles 36:7). Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, misuses these as party favors. The guests drink from goblets from the temple, getting sinfully drunk from the wine from them. This passage is trying to draw a clear dichotomy between the prosperous reign of Nebuchadnezzar and the foolish one of his grandson.

Second: We have to dive into the historical context of Babylon itself. Babylon was at the height of its prosperity under King Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. With the grandson now in place, and the kingdom not quite up to the usual standard, this exposed Babylon to outside invaders, according to BibleHistory.net. Instead of defending his kingdom, he decides to enjoy every revelry. Encyclopedia Britannica explains that even with famines and economic plunges happening in his career, he goes on blissfully unaware in his celebrations.

With this in mind, it made no tactical or diplomatic sense for Belshazzar to celebrate the days of old and Babylon’s previous conquests with the Persians just outside of the city gate. Furthermore, he commits heinous acts by turning sacred vessels into objects of wrath by getting drunk off of them.

Therefore, when the hand writes on the wall, he should not have been surprised. But yet, he is.

What Do the Four Words Written on the Wall Mean?

A large human hand inscribes four words no one seems to understand. Frightened, Belshazzar summons all the wise men in Babylon to interpret these, but their wisdom falls short. Nebuchadnezzar’s widow (likely), who’d seen Daniel interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s confounding dreams, encourages her grandson to bring in Israel’s prophet to translate the meaning.

They pull Daniel into the party, and Belshazzar tries to bribe him with gifts if he can interpret the meaning of the words correctly (Daniel 5:16).

Unlike Belshazzar’s party guests, Daniel isn’t impressed with riches or gifts, and he refuses to accept anything, but he reveals the meaning of the words anyway:

MENE (Used twice) – Meaning a number or mina (a unit of money). This indicates God has numbered the days of Belshazzar’s reign. One should take note the use of repetition. Any time the Bible repeats something, it’s used to draw a specific emphasis on that word or phrase. The repetition of mene indicates his numbered days in reign will come to a very swift end.

TEKEL – Meaning weighed or shekel (a type of currency). Similar to the Egyptian book of the dead, God has weighed Belshazzar’s heart on a scale and found he fell short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

PARSIN/PERES/UPARSIN (Depending on the translation) – Has similar roots to Persia. This word indicates God would divide the Babylonian kingdom between the kingdoms of Mede and Persia. He fulfills this promise that very night when Darius the Mede takes over Babylon.

Although Belshazzar gifts Daniel with the third-highest position in the kingdom, it’s ultimately worthless. Belshazzar loses everything that night, including his life.

What Does this Bible Story Mean for Us Today?

This passage may be jarring for readers who encounter it. At first glance, it seems as though God gets unreasonably angry at a king for throwing a party, but once readers dive deeper, they can realize the ignorance and insolence of the king toward God, his people, and his kingdom.

Christians may not be ruling over the largest empire in the known world, but we can learn a couple of lessons from Belshazzar and Daniel chapter 5.

Don’t misuse anything sacred. This can range from a gift God has given a believer to His Holy Word, which is sacred. Belshazzar and his guests abused the objects from the temple of God, and thus, invoked the wrath of the Lord.

We don’t know when our hour is coming. This passage has somewhat a similar tone to the parable found in Luke 12:16-21. A man, who realizes he an abundance of crops, makes plans to build even bigger barns, so he can kick back and enjoy every ounce of hedonism and sloth he can get. That very night, God takes his life, and thus, his legacy dissolves. In the same way, Belshazzar engaged in revelry because he thought he had many more years to live. Instead, his life extinguishes that night.

We have to stay vigilant for outside invaders. If Belshazzar had focused his attention more on protecting the borders, rather than having a good portion of the kingdom engage in partying, the story may have played out very differently. Sin will try to creep into our “borders” every single day. If we grow lax in our faith and spiritual discipline, we run the risk of compromising our kingdom.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Peter Dennis