What is the meaning of Daniel 5:25?

Mene

“Here is the interpretation of the message: Mene means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.” (Daniel 5:26)

- God keeps exact count of every king’s tenure. Psalm 31:15 reminds us, “My times are in Your hands.”

- Numbering days is not just for rulers. Psalm 90:12 urges every believer, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

- Belshazzar’s clock had run out—an inescapable truth foreshadowed in Acts 17:26, where God “appointed seasons and the boundaries of their lands” for all nations.

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Mene

The repetition seals the verdict.

- In Genesis 41:32 Joseph explained that Pharaoh’s dream came twice because “the matter has been firmly decided by God.”

- Jesus used a similar device—“Truly, truly” (John 3:5)—to underscore certainty.

- By writing Mene twice, the Lord underlined that Belshazzar’s end was fixed and irreversible. No appeal, no delay.

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Tekel

“You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.” (Daniel 5:27)

- Scales picture God’s perfect standard. Proverbs 16:2 says, “All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the motives.”

- Job 31:6 pleaded, “Let God weigh me with accurate scales.” Belshazzar failed that test.

- Revelation 20:12 shows the final weighing when “the dead were judged according to their deeds.” Tekel anticipates that ultimate audit.

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Parsin

“Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:28)

- Isaiah 13:17 predicted, “I will stir up the Medes against them,” while Jeremiah 51:11 spoke of the same invaders. God’s prophecy came to life that very night.

- Division here means loss and transfer. Daniel 2:21 already declared that God “removes kings and establishes them.”

- History records how Darius the Mede walked through Babylon’s undefended gates, proving Scripture’s accuracy.

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summary

Mene: God counts our days. Mene again: the decision is final. Tekel: our lives are weighed against His holy standard. Parsin: what we refuse to surrender, He can redistribute as He wills. Daniel 5:25 is a sober reminder that the Lord of heaven rules kingdoms and hearts alike, numbering, weighing, and apportioning according to His flawless justice.