Babylon’s Last Meal (Daniel 5)

The scarier warning is the one you already understand but choose to ignore. Daniel 5 drops us into Babylon at the exact moment arrogance peaks: Belshazzar throws a lavish feast, parades stolen sacred vessels, and praises lifeless idols while the Medes and Persians surround the city. The walls look unbreakable, the Euphrates still flows, and confidence feels justified right up until a supernatural hand writes across the plaster and the music dies mid-note. 

We trace the history behind the chapter, including the 30-year gap since Daniel 4, Belshazzar’s role as co-regent under Nabonidus, and why Nebuchadnezzar is called his “father” in the family line. When the king’s wise men cannot interpret the message, the queen mother points to Daniel, a man marked by wisdom and the Spirit of God. Daniel refuses the royal rewards, retells Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling, and then confronts Belshazzar with the heart of the matter: you knew the truth and still would not humble yourself before the Lord of heaven. 

The writing becomes a verdict, not a riddle: numbered, weighed, divided. God sets the limit, measures the soul, and transfers what pride tries to keep. The fall of Babylon follows with brutal speed, and the episode closes with timeless truths about God’s sovereignty, delayed judgment, and a standing offer of salvation through faith. If the “handwriting on the wall” idea has ever haunted you, this message gives it biblical clarity and personal urgency. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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Transcript

Setting Up Daniel Chapter 5

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As we begin our study today in the book of Daniel, let me point out that the white space between the end of chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5 actually represents a span of 30 years. So Daniel is now right around 85 years old as chapter 5 begins. There's a new king in Babylon. His name is Belshazzar. Belshazzar's father was King Nabonidus. Now we know from historical accounts that King Nabonidus, well, he didn't like staying in Babylon all that much, and he built a palace over there in Arabia, and he named his son Belshazzar, co-regent, placing him on the throne in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is also referred to as the father of Belshazzar, which was it was typical in their culture. They would often refer to a biological predecessor as their father, much like the Jewish patriarchs referred to Abraham as their father. So in this particular family tree here, you have Nebuchadnezzar, then Nabonidus, his son-in-law, and then Nabonidus's son, Belshazzar. Now, verse one is going to sweep us into a lavish banquet room where a feast is taking place, and let me tell you, the king and all these important officials have no idea that this is going to be their last meal. Verse 1 describes it. Now listen, beloved, we don't need to try to sanitize this scene. This is nothing more than a drunken orgy combined with blasphemy against God. It's quite evident that Belshazzar doesn't share his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar's faith in Daniel's God. In fact, his actions here seem to be a rather deliberate rejection of Daniel's prophecy back in chapter 2, which predicted Babylon's defeat. Apparently, in Belshazzar's mind, Babylon isn't going to fall. It'll never fall. Even though when this feast is taking place, the armies of the Medes and Persians are at this very moment surrounding his city, Babylon. From his perspective, he has fairly good reason to be confident. Historical records tell us that the city's outer wall was 80 feet thick. I mean, they can ride their chariots up there. Inside that wall was a second wall fortified with towers. We also know that the Euphrates River flowed under its walls and through the city. That provided fresh water and fish for food. Huge iron gates were sunk down into that riverbed where the river ran under the city's walls. So Babylon is considered indestructible, and the king is throwing a party even while his city is under siege. But suddenly the laughter, you know, all the reveling is interrupted by a rather shocking sight. Verse five tells us the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the hand as it wrote. Then the king's thoughts alarmed him, his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. Well, this hand is obviously supernatural, and the king immediately caused for Babylon's wise men, and he speaks to them here in verse seven, whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. But as always, these men can't provide an answer. Just then we're told the queen enters the banquet room. This is actually the queen mother, that is the mother of Belshazzar. She was the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. I personally believe from what she says, she's actually a follower, a true believer in the God of Israel. She says here in verse 11, There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the Holy Gods. You could translate this Aramaic term Elah as a singular term with a capital G for God, the Spirit of God, which is why I think it ought to be translated that way. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. Now she describes Daniel here in verse twelve. He has an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams and explain riddles and solve problems. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. Well, the king agrees here with her advice and basically calls Daniel out of retirement, offers him the same deal, royal clothing, you know, gold chain, a nice office with windows, and Daniel he turns it all down. Besides, he knows it isn't going to do much good after dinner, and he proceeds to remind the king and all the nobility gathered here of Nebuchadnezzar's conversion to the true God of heaven. He says here in verse 20, but when Nebuchadnezzar's heart was lifted up so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, until he knew that the most high God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it, whom he will. Now with that Daniel rather courageously points his finger at Belshazzar and says to him here in verse twenty two, You, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you've lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven, you've praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. But the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways you've not honored. And with that Daniel proceeds now to explain or translate the words written on the wall. Now these words here in verse twenty five are in Aramaic. Mene, which is repeated, means number. And Peteras, which is how you would pronounce it, means divide. So the rough meaning is numbered, numbered, weighed, divided. And Daniel expands it now and provides the interpretation here in verse 26. God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. As if Daniel says, You remember those armies out there that have surrounded your city, Belshazzar? Well, they're going to take your kingdom. Now, does Belshazzar take Daniel seriously? Well, he gives Daniel here the robe and and and the chain and the front office. There's no sign of repentance, there's no acknowledgement of Daniel's message, which more than likely means he doesn't believe it's going to happen. But tragically, the very next verse simply tells us here, verse 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed, and Darius the Mead received the kingdom. Well, what had happened here? Well, according to some ancient sources, the Medes and Persians diverted the Euphrates River through an old channel that lowered the water level of the river so it it was only about waist deep. Under cover of darkness, some of the soldiers simply waded through the river. Under the city walls were those iron gates. Well, they were supposed to have been lowered down to the riverbed, but guess what? The Babylonians, in their overconfidence, had not even bothered to lower them into the river. These soldiers surprised the city, unlocked the gates, killed the king, and conquered Babylon in a matter of hours. Let me draw from these events some timeless truths for today. First of all, the truth that God's rule may be invisible, but he still rules. You know, proud kings come and go, but God continues to lead the nations of this world toward his ultimate plan and purpose. Secondly, God's judgments might be delayed, but he still judges. See, this handwriting was on the wall, and it was literally on the wall, judgment was coming. The king didn't want to stop his little party, he didn't want to give up his sin to the very end of his life, and how tragic that is. Third, God's offer might be ignored, but his offer still stands. If Belshazzar had only listened and taken that invitation from Daniel to believe, what about you today, my friend? Do you believe in the Lord of the heavens and earth? Is he your Savior? Is he your Lord today? Let me encourage you today to accept the handwriting of God in his word. Call upon the name of the Lord, and you shall be saved. But let me warn you, you never know, time might be running out. Your next meal could be your last meal. So let me encourage you right now where you are. Call upon the Lord in faith, and you will be saved forever. Well, until we meet again, beloved, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.