What is the meaning of Daniel 5:28? PERES “PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:28) • One stark word from the mysterious handwriting spells out God’s verdict. Like the “finger of God” that wrote the tablets in Exodus 31:18, this finger declares judgment—undeniable, unalterable. • The same chapter notes, “the hand was sent from Him” (Daniel 5:24), underscoring divine authorship. • This moment parallels earlier warnings Nebuchadnezzar received in his dream (Daniel 2:31-37) and in the tree vision (Daniel 4:24-25). God had been patient, but His patience had limits. means that your kingdom • The message is personal: “your kingdom.” God addresses Belshazzar directly, affirming that earthly rule is a stewardship granted by Him (Daniel 4:17; Romans 13:1). • Belshazzar’s sacrilegious feast (Daniel 5:2-4) revealed contempt for the God who had loaned him authority. This echoes Saul’s presumption that cost him his throne (1 Samuel 15:26-28). has been divided • “Divided” signals an immediate, irreversible split—no negotiation, no partial loss. Similar verdicts fell on Solomon’s line (1 Kings 11:11-13) and upon nations that opposed Israel (Joel 3:2). • Jesus later affirmed the principle: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand” (Mark 3:24). God Himself enforces that truth here. and given over • The Lord doesn’t merely remove; He reallocates. Daniel had already proclaimed, “He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21). • Centuries earlier God had “given” many lands to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:5-6). Now He gives Babylon away, demonstrating absolute sovereignty over world affairs. to the Medes and Persians • Isaiah, writing 150 years before, foretold that God would “stir up the Medes” against Babylon (Isaiah 13:17). • Jeremiah echoed it (Jeremiah 51:11, 28), and Daniel’s own earlier vision spoke of a silver chest and arms representing “another kingdom inferior” to Babylon (Daniel 2:32, 39). • That very night, “Darius the Mede received the kingdom” (Daniel 5:30-31), fulfilling the prophecy to the letter. summary Daniel 5:28 is the divine verdict delivered in one decisive sentence. God exposes Belshazzar’s pride, removes the kingdom from him, and hands it to the Medo-Persian alliance exactly as foretold. The episode underscores that every throne is on loan from the King of heaven, who rewards righteousness and brings swift justice upon arrogant defiance. |
    |