Belshazzar was a prince of Babylon and the final ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire before its downfall to the Medes and Persians. Although the Book of Daniel refers to him as the “son of Nebuchadnezzar,” this does not mean he was Nebuchadnezzar’s biological son. Instead, he was the son of Nabonidus, the last official king of Babylon. In ancient times, the term “son” was often used to mean “descendant” or “successor,” which explains why Belshazzar was linked to Nebuchadnezzar in the biblical account.
Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled Babylon with absolute authority, Nabonidus was an unusual king. He spent much of his reign away from the city, possibly due to political or religious reasons. Historical records suggest that he was more interested in worshiping the moon god Sin than in maintaining the traditional Babylonian religious practices centered on the worship of Marduk. Because of this, Nabonidus left the affairs of the kingdom in the hands of his son, Belshazzar, who ruled as co-regent in his absence.
Since Nabonidus was still officially the king, Belshazzar’s authority was limited. He was not the supreme ruler of Babylon but rather a secondary king who acted as the kingdom’s main leader while his father was away. This explains why, during the events of Daniel, Chapter 5, Belshazzar could only offer Daniel the position of “third ruler in the kingdom” as a reward for interpreting the mysterious writing on the wall. The first ruler was Nabonidus, the second was Belshazzar, and the highest available position was third place. This detail confirms both Belshazzar’s historical position and the accuracy of the biblical account.
The Book of Daniel presents Belshazzar as a ruler who was arrogant and dishonored God by using the sacred vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem for his own feast. His reign ended in disaster when the city of Babylon fell in a single night, just as Daniel had prophesied.
The story of Belshazzar’s downfall begins in Daniel, Chapter 5. One night, Belshazzar, the acting king of Babylon, hosted a massive banquet for a thousand of his nobles. In his arrogance and disregard for the God of Israel, he ordered that the gold and silver vessels that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem by his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, be brought to the feast. He and his guests, including his wives and concubines, drank wine from these sacred vessels while praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verses 1-4:
“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”
As they reveled in their celebration, something terrifying happened. Suddenly, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the palace wall near the lampstand. Belshazzar saw the hand and the writing, and he became pale with fear. His legs trembled, and his knees knocked together.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verses 5-6:
“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.”
Overwhelmed with fear, Belshazzar called for the enchanters, astrologers, and wise men of Babylon. He promised that whoever could interpret the writing on the wall would be clothed in purple, given a chain of gold, and made the third ruler in the kingdom. However, despite their best efforts, none of the wise men could read or interpret the inscription.
Hearing the king’s distress, the queen (possibly the queen mother) entered the banquet hall and reminded Belshazzar of Daniel, a man known for his wisdom and ability to interpret mysteries. She urged him to summon Daniel, as he had done in the days of Nebuchadnezzar.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Belshazzar agrees. Daniel is brought before the king, and in an almost formal but undeniably ironic manner, Belshazzar questions him, saying, “Are you that Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah?” The irony in this moment is heavy—just hours earlier, the king had used the sacred vessels from the temple of Judah to toast his own greatness, yet now, faced with the terrifying reality of divine judgment, he finds himself seeking help from a Judean exile. What was supposed to be a demonstration of Babylon’s superiority over Judah has now turned into a desperate plea for understanding from one of its captives.
It is fitting that the God of Judah, the one true God, would send His message directly to the Babylonian king, yet require one of His own people to interpret it. This has been Daniel’s role throughout his years in Babylon—serving as a bridge between God and the rulers of the empire. Time and again, Babylon’s wisest men, enchanters, and astrologers have proven powerless whenever Nebuchadnezzar, and now Belshazzar, have encountered the living God. Despite all their knowledge of omens and dreams, they are always left in the dark when faced with true divine revelation.
God chooses to reveal Himself to the Babylonians in ways they cannot comprehend on their own. It is Daniel, a man faithful and obedient to the Lord, whom God raises up time after time to bring clarity where others find only mystery. By this point in his life, Daniel is an old man, long forgotten by the royal court—except for the queen mother. Yet, when Babylon’s most powerful men fail, it is Daniel whom they must call upon once again.
As Belshazzar stands before him, he admits that his own trusted advisors have failed him. The wisest men of Babylon, the conjurers, and the diviners have all examined the writing, but none could declare its meaning. Now, all his hopes rest on Daniel. He repeats what he has heard—that Daniel possesses a spirit of the gods, along with extraordinary wisdom, insight, and illumination. Belshazzar emphasizes Daniel’s reputation, acknowledging that he has heard of his ability to interpret messages and solve difficult riddles.
At this moment, the king’s words can be interpreted in two ways. Perhaps he is attempting to flatter Daniel, hoping to secure his cooperation. Or perhaps he is simply expressing the desperation of a man who has run out of options. Either way, his words are true—Daniel’s reputation as a man of God is both powerful and undeniable.
As before, Belshazzar tries to secure Daniel’s assistance with an extravagant reward. He offers him the highest honors Babylon can bestow: to be clothed in purple, the color of royalty, to wear a gold necklace as a sign of power, and to be made third ruler in the kingdom. This reward itself reveals just how desperate the king is—he is not merely offering gold or gifts, but real authority, second only to himself and his absent father, Nabonidus.
Yet, despite all his promises and rewards, what Belshazzar does not yet understand is that no amount of wealth or power can change what has already been decided. The words on the wall are not a mystery to be solved—they are a judgment already passed. What has been written has been sealed by the hand of God, and no king, no matter how mighty, can alter its decree.
Daniel, standing before Belshazzar in the midst of the lavish feast, does not show the slightest interest in the rewards the king has offered. His answer is swift and resolute.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verse 17:
“Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.”
Daniel refuses the king’s gifts outright. He has no need for royal robes, gold chains, or high positions in a kingdom that is already doomed. However, he will interpret the writing—not as a service to Belshazzar, but as a declaration of God’s righteous judgment. But before he does, Daniel begins with a rebuke, not only for Belshazzar’s blasphemy but also for his failure to learn from the past.
Daniel reminds Belshazzar of his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon who had been given absolute power, wealth, and dominion over the nations by the Most High God. But Nebuchadnezzar, in his pride, became arrogant and believed that his success was his own doing. As a result, God humbled him, driving him away from his throne to live like a beast of the field. For seven years, Nebuchadnezzar wandered in madness, eating grass like an ox, until he finally acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of men and gives them to whomever He chooses. Only after that did God restore him.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verses 18-21:
“O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.”
Then, Daniel turns his focus to Belshazzar. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, who repented and honored God in the end, Belshazzar has done the opposite. He knew all that had happened to Nebuchadnezzar, yet he has not humbled himself. Instead, he has lifted himself up in defiance against the Lord of Heaven. He has desecrated the sacred vessels from God’s temple, drinking from them and worshiping lifeless idols—gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which can neither see, hear, nor understand.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verses 22-23:
“And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.”
Daniel exposes the weight of Belshazzar’s sin—he has defied the very God who holds his life in His hands. And because of this, God has sent the writing on the wall.
Daniel now reads the inscription aloud:
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verse 25:
“And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”
He then delivers the interpretation:
- MENE – “God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.” The time of Babylon’s rule is over. God has counted its days, and its end has come.
- TEKEL – “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” Belshazzar has been tested by God’s righteous standard, and he has failed. His rule has been weighed, and it is insufficient.
- PERES (UPHARSIN) – “Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” The mighty Babylonian empire is about to be conquered, and its power will be given to new rulers.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verses 26-28:
“This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Belshazzar, in what appears to be a moment of obligation or perhaps denial, still keeps his word. He orders Daniel to be clothed in purple, adorned with a gold chain, and proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. But this is a hollow honor, for Daniel already knows that Babylon will not survive the night.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verse 29:
“Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
That very night, the prophecy is fulfilled. The Medes and Persians have already breached Babylon’s defenses. They have diverted the Euphrates River, allowing their army to enter the city undetected through the dried riverbed. The mighty walls of Babylon, which were thought to be impenetrable, have become useless. As the city falls into chaos, Belshazzar is slain. His reign ends in a single night, and with him, the Neo-Babylonian Empire comes to an abrupt and irreversible end.
Daniel, Chapter 5, Verses 30-31:
“In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.”
The story of Belshazzar serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of arrogance, defiance, and disregard for God. While Nebuchadnezzar was given time to repent, Belshazzar’s judgment came suddenly and without opportunity for redemption. Babylon, the once-glorious empire, fell in a single night—not by the strength of men alone, but by the decree of the Most High God.
Meanwhile, Daniel, a faithful servant of the Lord, remains untouched by the fall of the kingdom. Though kings rise and fall, Daniel continues to stand, for he serves a God whose dominion is everlasting and whose kingdom shall never be destroyed.
