• Trust in Jehovah—Not in “a Conspiracy!”
    The Watchtower—1987 | September 1

    • Handwriting on the Wall Appears

      6. What ancient world power now comes to mind, and how were Jehovah’s typical people then faring?

      6 To understand, we must look back at the last hours of the third world power of Bible history, Babylon, on the banks of the Euphrates River. Belshazzar was the last ruler over Babylon, which included the site of the Tower of Babel, where almighty God confused the one language of the builders, scattering them. (Genesis 11:1-9) At the time of Babylon’s last hours, Jehovah’s typical people, the Jews, were captive exiles in that pagan land. But their 70 years of captivity were about to come to a close.

      7. (a) Why did King Belshazzar hold a feast for his grandees with full confidence? (b) What took place during the feast, and with what effect on the king?

      7 The united Medes and Persians, who were to make up the fourth world power of Bible history, came against the highly fortified, seemingly impregnable, walled city of Babylon. The Euphrates River flowed through the midst of the city, with quays along its banks onto which two-leaved copper doors of the city walls opened. With full confidence in the security of the city, King Belshazzar held “a big feast for a thousand of his grandees”​—a feast that proved to be his last one. Suddenly, within Belshazzar’s line of vision, there appeared at the wall a moving hand. And it wrote upon the wall the fateful words “MENE, MENE, TEKEL and PARSIN.” (Daniel 5:1, 5, 25) That was on the night of October 5, 539 B.C.E. The words had a stunning impact. King Belshazzar shook with fear. Wait now! Get the wise men​—the magicians and astrologers who had a reputation for being able to explain signs and omens. But the deciphering of the miraculous words, which they were not even able to read, was beyond them. What now was to be done?

      8, 9. (a) As a last resort, what course of action was recommended to the king? (b) How did Daniel interpret the handwriting on the wall? (c) Why did King Belshazzar’s big feast result in such a dire prophecy?

      8 Send for a Jew. What? A Jew? Yes, one of those princes and nobles who had been taken away from Jerusalem in his native land and brought by Emperor Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon to be trained for governmental service. Well, as a last resort, that was the best thing that could be done. Daniel was recommended by the queen mother as being a man of wisdom​—a man who was able to decipher things and to interpret them. (Daniel 5:10-12) We can feel the hush that permeated the banqueting room as Daniel, in compliance with the request of King Belshazzar, proceeded to interpret those mystifying words to the emperor of the third world power of Bible history and his grandees.

      9 Daniel proceeds to say: “Consequently from before him there was being sent the back of a hand, and this very writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL and PARSIN. This is the interpretation of the word: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and has finished it. TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and have been found deficient. PERES,a your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.” (Daniel 5:24-28)