The Writing on the Wall
During a feast mocking God with temple vessels, a mysterious hand writes on the wall. Daniel interprets the message: God has numbered Belshazzar's kingdom and brought it to an end. That very night, the prophecy is fulfilled.
Daniel 5:1-31
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The Story
King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 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.
This was not mere feasting—it was deliberate sacrilege, mocking the God of heaven by using His holy vessels for drunken revelry and praising gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
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. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
The king summoned his enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. '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.'
But none of the king's wise men could read the writing or tell the king what it meant. King Belshazzar became even more terrified, and his nobles were baffled.
The queen, hearing the voices, came into the banquet hall. 'There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him,' she said. '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. This man Daniel has a keen mind and knowledge and understanding. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.'
So Daniel was brought before the king. Belshazzar said, 'Are you Daniel? I have heard that you can give interpretations and 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.'
Daniel answered, '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.'
Then Daniel gave a sermon to the king: 'O Belshazzar, you knew all this about Nebuchadnezzar. You knew how God humbled him when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride. But you have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from His temple brought to you, and you drank wine from them while praising gods of silver and gold. But you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your life and all your ways.'
Then Daniel read the inscription: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.'
The interpretation: 'MENE means God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. TEKEL means you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. PERES means your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.'
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.
That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.
The hand had written judgment, and judgment came swiftly. The kingdom that Daniel had prophesied would succeed Babylon—the chest and arms of silver in Nebuchadnezzar's dream—had arrived.
Mysterious Fingers Write a Message
Kids Version
Years after the fiery furnace, there was a new king named Belshazzar. He threw a HUGE party with a thousand guests. There was lots of food and wine everywhere.
Then the king had a very bad idea. He said, 'Bring me those special gold and silver cups that came from God's temple in Jerusalem!' These were HOLY cups, meant only for worshiping God. But the king wanted to use them for his party!
He and his guests drank wine from God's holy cups. They made toasts to fake gods made of gold, silver, and wood. They were making fun of the real God!
Suddenly, everyone got very quiet. They saw something SCARY. Floating in the air was a HAND—just a hand, with no body! And the hand was WRITING on the wall with its finger!
The king's face turned white. His knees started shaking. He was so scared!
'Someone read that writing!' the king shouted. 'I'll give gold and fancy clothes to whoever can tell me what it says!'
All his wise men came. But NONE of them could read the strange words on the wall.
Then the queen mother remembered Daniel. 'There's a man who can help! His name is Daniel. God gives him special wisdom!'
They brought in Daniel. He was an old man now, but he still loved God.
The king said, 'If you can read this, I'll make you an important ruler!'
Daniel said, 'You can keep your gifts. But I'll tell you what it means. You used God's holy cups for your party. You praised fake gods. You did not honor the true God who gave you everything. So God sent this message.'
Daniel read the words: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.'
'Here's what it means,' Daniel said. 'MENE means God has counted the days of your kingdom, and it's ending. TEKEL means you've been weighed, and you're not good enough. PARSIN means your kingdom will be divided and given to other people.'
That very NIGHT, everything Daniel said came true! Enemy soldiers came into the city. The king died, and a new king took over.
The mysterious writing was God's warning. When we disrespect God, there are consequences. We should always honor God and treat holy things with respect!
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Scripture — Daniel 5:1-31 (KJV)
1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2Belshazzar, 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. father: or, grandfather taken: Cald. brought forth
3Then 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.
4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. countenance: Cald. brightnesses was changed: Cald. changed it joints: or, girdles: Cald. bindings, or, knots
7The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. aloud: Cald. with might scarlet: or, purple
8Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. countenance: Cald. brightnesses
10Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; father: or, grandfather
12Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. interpreting: or, of an interpreter dissolving: or, of a dissolver doubts: Cald. knots
13Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? father: or, grandfather
14I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. make interpretations: Cald. interpret, etc
17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. rewards: or, fee
18O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew ; and whom he would he kept alive ; and whom he would he set up ; and whom he would he put down .
20But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: in pride: or, to deal proudly deposed: Cald. made to come down
21And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. his heart: or, he made his heart equal, etc
22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23But 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 thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. being: Cald. he as the son of, etc about: or, now
Memory Verse
“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.”
— Daniel 5:1 (KJV)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of “The Writing on the Wall” in the Bible?
During a feast mocking God with temple vessels, a mysterious hand writes on the wall. Daniel interprets the message: God has numbered Belshazzar's kingdom and brought it to an end. That very night, the prophecy is fulfilled. This story is found in Daniel 5:1-31.
Where is “The Writing on the Wall” found in the Bible?
“The Writing on the Wall” is found in Daniel 5:1-31, in the book of Daniel.
What can children learn from “The Writing on the Wall”?
This story teaches children about Pride comes before the fall, God's judgment, Accountability, Prophecy fulfilled. A new king used God's special cups for a wild party and made fun of God. Suddenly, mysterious fingers appeared and wrote on the wall! Only Daniel could read it. The message said the king's kingdom was finished. That same night, it happened!