“"This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin."”
Daniel 5:25
Summary
In Daniel chapter 5, King Belshazzar of Babylon holds a grand feast, using the sacred vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple to praise the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Suddenly, a disembodied hand appears, writing mysterious words on the wall. Terrified, Belshazzar summons his wise men, but they fail to interpret the writing. At the queen’s suggestion, Daniel is called. Daniel rebukes Belshazzar for his arrogance and failure to honor the true God, despite knowing the fate of Nebuchadnezzar, his predecessor. He interprets the writing, "Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin," explaining that God has numbered Belshazzar's kingdom, weighed it and found it wanting, and declared it divided and given to the Medes and Persians. That very night, Belshazzar is slain, and Darius the Mede receives the kingdom.