Numbered, Weighed, and Judged | Daniel 5:24-31
Because God weighed the life of Christ and found it blameless on our behalf, we can live faithfully.
Daniel 5:23
23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
“Waiting for the Verdict” portrait
God weighs a person’s life and judges accordingly.
The Writing and Interpretation (vv.24-28)
The Aftermath (vv. 29-31)
Daniel 5:24-28
24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered[a] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed[b] in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”[c]
Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin
Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin?
Word on the Wall: Its Unit of Weight:
Mene 1 Mina = 60 Shekels
Tekel 1 Tekel = 1 Shekel
Parsin 1 Peres (1/2 mina) = 30 Shekels
Word on the Wall: Its Unit of Weight: Sounds like the Aramaic Word for:
Mene 1 Mina = 60 Shekels “numbered”
Tekel 1 Tekel = 1 Shekel “weighed”
Parsin 1 Peres (1/2 mina) = 30 Shekels “divided” and “Persia”
Word on the Wall: Its Unit of Weight: Sounds like the Aramaic Word for: Interpretation Daniel Gave to Belshazzar:
Mene 1 Mina = 60 Shekels “numbered” God has numbered the days of the Babylonian kingdom
Tekel 1 Tekel = 1 Shekel “weighed” Belshazzar was weighed by God and found wanting
Parsin 1 Peres (1/2 mina) = 30 Shekels “divided” and “Persia” Babylon would be given to the Medo-Persians
-ESV Expository Commentary
Daniel 2:32
32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,
Daniel 2:39
39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you,
Jeremiah 25:9
9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
Jeremiah 50:9
9 For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.
Jeremiah 50:11
11 “Though you rejoice, though you exult,
O plunderers of my heritage,
though you frolic like a heifer in the pasture,
and neigh like stallions,
Pride will only go so far before meeting the judgement of God.
The Writing and Interpretation (vv.24-28)
The Aftermath (vv. 29-31)
Daniel 5:29-31
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 [a] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
God numbers a person’s days.
God weighs a person’s life.
God will judge accordingly.
Job 14:5
5 Since his days are determined,
and the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
Psalm 90:9-12
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span[a] is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Proverbs 16:2
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.[a]
Job 31:6
6 (Let me be weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)
Revelation 20:11–15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it…the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done…And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
“A man ruined here may still retrieve his fortunes; the bankrupt may start again and yet be rich; the captain who has lost a battle may renew the fight and win the successive victory and begin the campaign anew. But lose the battle of life, and the fight shall be no more. Make bankruptcy in this life’s business, and you have no more trading. This is the business of eternity. Soul, is there anything left undone? Brother, sister, is there anything left undone? For if you lose this case, you are ruined, and that to all eternity. I pray you to look at this day and at all your days, the past and the future, in the light of the day of judgment.” - Charles Spurgeon