Belshazzar was the last king to sit on the throne of the Babylonian empire, reigning during its final days. He is eternally remembered in scripture for his great feast, his profane defiance of the Almighty God, and the terrifying, instantaneous judgment delivered against him—the chilling episode of the “handwriting on the wall.” His life is recorded primarily in the Book of Daniel, serving as a pivotal moment in the history of prophetic fulfillment.
The Feast and the Sacrilege
Belshazzar’s single, famous act was a great feast held for a thousand of his lords. In a display of arrogant power and willful impiety, the king commanded that the sacred vessels taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem be brought forth:
“Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.” (Daniel 5:2-3, KJV).
This act of sacrilege—using the vessels dedicated to the worship of the Lord God of Israel to toast to pagan idols—was the ultimate act of defiance that provoked immediate divine wrath.
The Handwriting on the Wall
During the height of this blasphemous feast, the immediate and visible judgment of God appeared: a disembodied hand wrote a cryptic message on the wall. Belshazzar was terrified, and the prophet Daniel was called to interpret the decree. Daniel first condemned the king for failing to learn from the humility of his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar:
“And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them… and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:” (Daniel 5:22-23, KJV).
The interpretation of the handwriting was the final verdict: “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
The Prophetic Fulfillment
Daniel interpreted the words as the immediate end of Belshazzar’s reign:
- MENE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
- TEKEL: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
- PERES (the singular form of UPHARSIN): Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
The judgment was instant and absolute:
“In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” (Daniel 5:30-31, KJV).
Belshazzar stands forever as a monumental witness to the fact that God’s prophetic word is unalterable, and that the pride of man, when lifted up against the Lord, will be swiftly and utterly brought low.