In the fifth chapter of Daniel we read the history of King Belshazzar. It
is very short. Only one chapter tells us all we know about him. One short
sight of his career is all we see. He just seems to burst upon the stage
and then disappears. We are told that he gave a great feast, and at this
feast he had a thousand of his lords, and they were drinking and praising
the gods of silver, of gold, of brass, of iron and of wood, out of the
vessels which had been brought from the Temple at Jerusalem.
As they were drinking out of these vessels of gold and silver from the
house of God--I do not know but it was at the hour of midnight--all at
once came forth the fingers of a man’s hand and began to write upon the
wall of the banquet hall.
The king turns deathly pale, his knees shake together and he trembles
from head to foot. Perhaps if some one had told him the time was coming
when he would be put into the balance and weighed he would have laughed
at him. But he knows the vital hour has come, and that the hand has
written his doom in the words: “Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.”
He calls the wise men of his kingdom, and the man who can interpret
this will be made the third ruler of his realm, and shall be clothed in
scarlet and have a chain about his neck. One after another tried, but the
eyes of no uncircumcised man could make it out. Belshazzar was greatly
troubled. At last one was spoken of who had been able to interpret the
dream of his father, Nebuchadnezzar. He was told if he would send for
Daniel the latter might interpret the writing.
So the prophet was brought in, and he looked upon the handwriting.
He told the king how his father had gone against God, and how he
(Belshazzar) had gone against the Lord of Heaven, and how his reign was
finished. And this was the meaning of the mysterious writing:
“MENE--God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it.
“TEKEL--Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting.
“PERES--Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
The trial is over, the verdict is rendered and the sentence brought out.
That very night the king was hurled from his throne. That very night the
army of Darius came tearing down the streets, and then you might have
heard the clash of arms and shouts of war, and might have seen the king’s
blood mingling with the wine in that banquet hall.