Daniel-Late That Night...The Message Came True

By Mary Vee
Daniel 5

From Daniel's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Daniel. I am a prophet of God and am a prisoner in the land of Babylon with many other Jews.

I have been summoned to King Belshazzar's banquet hall. The second I arrived, he motioned for me to approach his chair. 

He showed me strange writing on the wall. He said, "A hand appeared out of nowhere. I don't understand the writing and neither can anyone else. 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. You will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."

I didn't want any of those things, but I was willing to do my job. I prayed and asked God to give me the meaning of the message.

When I understood the message I said to the king, "O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar greatness, glory, and spender. Because of the high position he gave him, everyone in every nation and language dreaded 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. 

"But when his heart became full of pride, he lost his throne and had his glory taken away. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdom's of men and sets in power over them anyone he wishes.

"But you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all of this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you. You and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. These things cannot see or hear or understand. You did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

"Because of these things, God sent the hand that wrote the message on your wall. Here is the meaning of these words: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin

Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
Tekel: You have been found lacking.
Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

King Belshazzar commanded his guards, "Put the purple robe on Daniel and a gold chain around his neck." He turned to me, "Daniel, for giving me the meaning of these words, you are now proclaimed to be the third highest ruler in my kingdom."

Later, the same night, Belshazzar, king of Babylon was killed, just as the message said.


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1. Why was Daniel summoned to the king's banquet?
2. What did Daniel say the king had done wrong?
3. What did the message mean?
4. What did the king give Daniel?

5. What happened late that night?