Summary of Daniel 5:13-31
So, King Belshazzar called Daniel before him to interpret the writing on the wall. Daniel turned down all rewards and interpreted the message. He told him that his father was given greatness but was prideful, so he was humbled. He did not learn from his father’s experience, so God is sending him a punishment.
The inscription was: mene, mene, tekel, parsin, which meant that God has numbered his days of reign. His kingdom will be given to the Medes and the Persians. That very night, King Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at age 62.
BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 3: Daniel 5:13-31
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 3: Daniel 5:13-31
Great lesson on how God determines outcomes. He also holds those who should know better (aka Belshazzar) to a higher standard.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 5, Day 3: Daniel 5:13-31
Daniel knew that Belshazzar should have known not to mess with God, based on his father, King Nebuchadnezzar’s, experience. He was without excuse.
Each of the words on the wall stood for a short sentence.
END NOTES SUMMARIZED
Daniel 5:13-31 describes the solemn delivery of a divine, final judgment against a blasphemous king and its immediate, violent fulfillment.
The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:
- Daniel’s Rebuke of Willful Pride: Before interpreting the words, Daniel boldly rebukes King Belshazzar. He highlights that the king’s sin was far worse than Nebuchadnezzar’s, because he knew the story of his predecessor’s humbling yet chose to act with even greater, defiant arrogance. This establishes the theme of accountability for known truth.
- The Divine Verdict: The words on the wall—MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN—are interpreted as a final legal verdict from the court of heaven:
- MENE: God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.
- TEKEL: You have been weighed on the scales of justice and found morally and spiritually deficient.
- PARSIN: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
- The Swift and Irreversible Judgment: Unlike the warning dream given to Nebuchadnezzar, this message contains no offer of repentance. It is a final sentence. The prophecy’s fulfillment “that very night” with Belshazzar’s death reveals the terrifying swiftness and finality of God’s judgment when a line of defiant blasphemy is crossed.
In essence, the passage demonstrates that God is a righteous judge who holds leaders accountable. While He can be patient, His judgment against those who know the truth and willfully mock Him can be sudden, absolute, and historically precise.
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