Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin (Daniel 5:1–31)

 

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin (Daniel 5:1–31)

God loves every person. The evidence is that he has made what he does so plain in all creation that no one can deny it. Not only that, he has made himself known through visions and their interpretations, and above all he has left us his holy word. He spoke to our ancestors through the Law and the Prophets, and in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son (Heb. 1:1–2). God’s word penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, and it is the standard by which good and evil are discerned (Heb. 4:12).

In Daniel chapter 5, God wrote on the wall with his finger. This means that God watches over and judges all things with eyes like blazing fire. To hear, see, and know God’s glory, power, authority, and majesty, yet not believe and instead ignore them, brings disaster. Above all, not receiving the sacrificial love of God, who did not spare his own Son but gave him up, is the shortest road to destruction. But to those who receive the Son, he gives eternal life.

King Belshazzar’s Banquet

1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. (Dan. 5:1–4)

The kingdoms of this world rise and fall. It rests in the hands of the Almighty Creator God. There are reasons and causes for the rise and fall of nations. The Babylonian Empire was the head of gold in the vision King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. It was followed by the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. It seems that outstanding heroes like Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar build and accomplish history. But nothing is accomplished without the hand of the Almighty God.

King Belshazzar took his place as the last king of the empire. This was because he gave no thought at all to the power, authority, and glory that the Almighty God had shown through the former king Nebuchadnezzar. The evidence is that on the day he held the great banquet, he drank wine from the vessels brought from the Jerusalem temple and praised idols. Even today people are ignorant of God’s power, authority, and glory and disregard them, and instead pursue money and idols.

“19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:19–20)

One may think it is perfectly acceptable to live without acknowledging God or paying any attention to Him. But that is by no means so. All things in this world were made according to God’s will and purpose, and people in particular were made according to his image and likeness. Life does not come and go by chance. This means that death is not the end. People were created to honor God and bear the fruit of goodness and righteousness. Therefore God judges each person according to what they have done (Rom. 2:6).

Also, God does not want any of the people he made in his image to be judged and come to destruction (2 Pet. 3:9). That is why the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the godlessness and wickedness of people who suppress the truth by their wickedness (Rom. 1:18). God’s wrath is allowing people to choose wickedness. But following wickedness instead of truth inevitably carries a price. For example, if you steal someone’s property, even if no one saw you, the pangs of conscience cannot be erased.

Therefore, God’s wrath is an expression of his holy love, applying the brakes so that people do not fall into eternal destruction. When David sinned, he groaned in pain as his bones wasted away (Ps. 32:3–4). And he realized and confessed that what God truly desires is a broken and contrite heart (Ps. 51:17). God blesses the poor in spirit with the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3).

The Writing on the Wall

5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. 7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners and said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12 This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” (Dan. 5:5–12)

God’s judgment comes suddenly. Jesus will come again like a thief in the night, when no one knows (Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2). In the parable of the ten virgins, the bridegroom was delayed, and he arrived while everyone was asleep (Matt. 25:5–6).

At the very moment King Belshazzar, together with a multitude of nobles, was drinking from the gold and silver vessels of the temple and praising idols, the finger of God appeared and began to write on the wall. God created and governs and moves all the universe. He leads people to do good and bear the fruit of righteousness according to the purpose and will for which he made them. If people do wickedness instead, he pours out his wrath.

“7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Rom. 2:7–10)

The presence of God is fearful and makes one tremble (Heb. 12:18–21). When the Creator, the Lord God, descended on Mount Sinai, Moses and the people trembled in fear and terror. When the finger of God appeared, from the king down to the nobles, all held their breath and shook with fear. What was even more terrifying was that no scholar, no enchanter, no diviner could know what the writing meant. The mood of the banquet instantly turned into fear, terror, and extreme chaos.

The most important thing in life is how one will stand before the Lord at the time of God’s solemn and just judgment. Will we stand boldly in Christ to meet the God of hosts, or shrink back and tremble in fear? No one is worthy to stand before the Lord, but those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can stand boldly before the throne of God’s grace (Rom. 5:1–2). Because no one knows the day of the Lord’s coming, we must always keep watch with perseverance (Mark 13:32–33).

“36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’ 38 And, ‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I do not take pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’ 39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (Heb. 10:36–39)

Belshazzar Did Not Humble Himself

13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.

22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.” (Dan. 5:13–24)

God’s revelation and will cannot be known through human wisdom. The secret of God refers to the truth that appears from heaven concerning the fall and redemption of humanity. This secret is hidden from the eyes of the world. But to the children of God, it is made known without concealment. This is because God himself opened the eyes of their hearts and let them know the secret of redemption through Christ. To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob he revealed the secret that through their descendant — that is, through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God — he would release people from the power of sin and death and give them the inheritance of the eternal kingdom of heaven.

God let it be known, through Daniel, who had been brought as a captive, what would take place in the future. Furthermore, God reminded them that he is the Ruler of all things, who raises up whom he will raise up, deposes whom he will depose, and establishes and deposes kingdoms. It may seem that in this world heroes and great men rise and sway the affairs of state, but that is by no means so. God — all-knowing, all-powerful, King of kings and Lord of lords — governs and rules everything. Even the devil Satan, who holds power in the air, cannot move so much as a finger without God’s permission.

Before interpreting the writing, Daniel pointed out the king’s unteachable foolishness and pride. Already through the former king Nebuchadnezzar, God had shown through the vision that appeared in the dream that the Almighty God establishes and deposes kingdoms and kings. When the former king did not thank God but made a huge statue and made people bow down to it, and boasted as though the great kingdom was something he had accomplished with his own hands, he fell to the state of living like an animal for seven years, eating grass and being drenched with dew. Daniel rebuked Belshazzar for seeing all this and still not fearing God and humbling himself.

Daniel Reads the Writing

25 “This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin. 26 “Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then, at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. (Dan. 5:25–31)

God watches over all that he has made with his eyes like blazing fire. It is to lead them to salvation. He watches over them and judges between good and evil. It is so that they would bear the fruit of righteousness. For if they bear the fruit of wickedness instead of the fruit of righteousness, they will face severe judgment and come to destruction. God extends his love through his patience. But if one rejects God’s holy love to the very end, one cannot but come to eternal judgment.

There is no sin that cannot receive God’s forgiveness. But those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven (Matt. 12:31–32). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God’s truth. He does not speak on his own; he speaks only what he hears (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit makes us realize that Christ, as the Son of God, sacrificed himself in place of the sins of this world. Therefore, blaspheming the Holy Spirit is rejecting that Christ came as the Son of God.

Jesus Christ bore the sins of this world, bore pain, shame, and insult, and died shedding his blood. Because of that blood, those who believe receive forgiveness of sins and gain eternal life. The saints who have been redeemed in Christ are now able to bear good fruit. The secret of bearing fruit is to abide in Christ. To abide in him is to follow with perseverance the way of the cross that the Lord Jesus Christ walked. It is to forgive and love one another just as Christ has loved us.

“34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34–35)

Amen!
November 15, 2026

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Scripture quotes are from the NIV.