What does "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN" signify in Daniel 5:25's context? The Setting: A Feast on the Edge of Judgment Belshazzar throws a spectacular banquet in Babylon, drinking from the holy vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple (Daniel 5:1–4). His revelry is suddenly interrupted: • A mysterious hand writes four Aramaic words on the plaster wall. • Terror grips the king; none of his wise men can read or explain the message (vv. 5–9). • Daniel is summoned, reminded of his God-given insight (vv. 11–16). The Divine Message in Full “Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:25-28) Word-for-Word Breakdown • MENE (“numbered”) – Repeated twice to underline certainty and immediacy. – God has set a fixed limit to Belshazzar’s rule; the count is complete. – Echoes: “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21). • TEKEL (“weighed”) – The king’s life and reign are placed on God’s perfect scales and found lacking. – Parallels: Job 31:6; Proverbs 16:2; Psalm 62:9—only God’s balances reveal true worth. • PARSIN / PERES (“divided,” also sounding like “Persians”) – The empire will be split and handed to the Medes and Persians that very night. – Prophetic alignment: Isaiah 13:17; 21:2 foretold the Medes’ rise against Babylon. Immediate Fulfillment • “That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom” (Daniel 5:30-31). • God’s verdict moves from written sentence to historical fact within hours, proving the reliability of His word. Why the Words Matter • They reveal God’s sovereignty over rulers and nations—He numbers, weighs, and divides at will. • They expose human arrogance: sacred things treated lightly invite swift judgment (Galatians 6:7). • They confirm Scripture’s literal accuracy; what God declares, He performs without delay. Timeless Takeaways • Life is “numbered”: “Teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12). • Hearts are “weighed”: “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart” (Proverbs 21:2). • Kingdoms are “divided” or established by God alone—so trust Him, not earthly power. |
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