Daniel's Vision of the Ram and the Goat

After Daniel's vision in chapter 7, he was very disturbed. He really had no one to talk to about what he had seen, if he had tried to tell anyone they would not have understood. That was not the end of the visions that God wanted to show Daniel. God was giving Daniel insight into the end time events, which would not be understood by anyone in Daniel's time, but only during the end times would people understand their meaning. In Daniel chapter 8, Daniel receives another vision.

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8 In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. ² In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susain the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. ³ I looked up,and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. ⁴ I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great.

⁵ As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground.⁶ It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at it in great rage. ⁷ I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against it; the goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it, and none could rescue the ram from its power. ⁸ The goat became very great, but at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
⁹ Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. ¹⁰ It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. ¹¹ It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the Lord; it took away the daily sacrifice from the Lord, and his sanctuary was thrown down. ¹² Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people^[a] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
¹³ Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled —the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?”
¹⁴ He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”

The Interpretation of the Vision

¹⁵ While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. ¹⁶ And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,”^[b] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
¹⁸ While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
¹⁹ He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath,because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.^[c] 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. ²¹ The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. ²² The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. ²⁵ He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
²⁶ “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
²⁷ I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

Daniel's second vision came two years after his first vision. In his vision, Daniel is in Susain, the province of Elam. This was the winter residence of the kings of Persia. It was thought that Daniel was living here and not in Babylon since Belshazzar did not have a good relationship with Daniel. This palace overlooked the U'lai river and is located in the southwestern corner of modern day Iran. In the vision Daniel sees a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The ram had long horns, but one was longer than the other and grew later. The ram was undefeated and no one could stand against him.  This ram represents Medea Persia.   The two horns represent the two sides of the Medea Persian empire, Cyrus overthrew his grandfather, Astyages the king of the Medes and Persia, the younger kingdom rose up later. This was also represented by the Bear raised up on one side in Daniel's last vision.                                                                                           Then Daniel sees a goat with one large horn came from the west and he seems to cross the earth without touching the ground.  The goat represents Greece, which was located west of Persia. The horn represents Alexander the Great, who was represented by the leopard in Daniel's first vision. The goat crosses the earth without seeming to touch the ground represents the speed with which Alexander the Great was able to conquer the world during this time.   The goat furiously attacks the ram and breaks its horns, Greece and Persia had a long history of conflict, and when Alexander came to power he went out to defeat the Persians. Greece defeated Persia and became great under Alexander, but at age 33 he died and his kingdom was broken into four pieces. This is the meaning of the large broken horn and the four horns that grew up in its place.        Out of one of the horns rises a small horn. It grows in power to the south and east toward the Beautiful Land, which is Israel.  This little horn represents Antiochus Epiphanes who outlawed judaism and demanded to be worshiped as a god four times a year. He defiles the Temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar. Daniel hears a voice asking how long the sacrilege in the Temple will be allowed to continue, the answer is 2300 mornings and evenings. This period coincides with the time that the corrupt high priest Jason began to neglect the daily sacrifices until the Temple was cleansed after the Jews returned to Israel.  This little horn foreshadows the coming of the Antichrist which Daniel will talk more about in later chapters.  Daniel is confused by the vision, and then he sees the angel Gabriel standing before him. A voice commands Gabriel to tell Daniel the meaning of the vision, we can assume that it is God. Gabriel tells Daniel that the vision he had been shown was about the end times. He tells Daniel that the ram represents Medea Persia and the goat is Greece, with the large horn representing its first king and the four horns that rise up replacing the first.  Now Gabriel refers to a king that will rise up in the latter period. This can't be a reference to Antiochus, but to the Antichrist. He will rise up, but not under his own power, we know that Satan will give him the power. He will be destroyed, but not by man, Messiah will destroy him. Gabriel tells him that this vision is for the distant future.                                 Daniel is quite overwhelmed by this vision and was in bed exhausted for many days. After he recovered he got up and continued on the king's business. The vision was too overwhelming for Daniel to think about. 

Daniel's Dream

The first six chapters of Daniel gave you a background of what was going on at that time and who Daniel was. Not only as a person, but why God chose him to reveal visions of the end times. Daniel was faithful to God even though it could have cost him his life. He put his faith in God to keep him safe among the Babylonians and then the Medo-Persians. His life is an example of what true faith really is. As we start the last chapters of Daniel we will be shown visions that tie in to the visions that John was given in the book of Revelation. Daniel is  told to write them down and seal the vision until the time of the end. No one would be able to understand Daniel's vision until the time of the end, at this time men would be given understanding. I do believe that we are living in the end times and that all these visions will be played out after Jesus comes to rapture His Church.

Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts

7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visionspassed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.

² Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. ³ Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
⁴ “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
⁵ “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
⁶ “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
⁷ “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a littleone, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
⁹ “As I looked,

“thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days took his seat. 
His clothing was as white as snow; 
    the hair of his head was white like wool. 
His throne was flaming with fire,
    and its wheels were all ablaze.
¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing,
    coming out from before him. 
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
    and the books were opened.

¹¹ “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking.I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ¹² (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a]coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

During the first year of Belshazzar Daniel had a dream. Chronologically this came before the events in Daniel 5. When he awoke, Daniel wrote down what he had seen in the dream. Daniel saw four different beasts come up out of the sea. As we had discussed in Revelation, the sea represented the gentile nations. 
The first beast was a lion that had eagles wings. The lion represented Babylon and the wings represented the speed in which Nebuchadnezzar conquered his kingdom. The wings are ripped off and the lion is made to stand on two feet and is given the mind of a man. We see this fulfilled in Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is arrogant; because of his arrogance God strikes him with insanity and he lives like an animal for seven years. At the end of that time, Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself before God and gives God praise and is restored to his throne. 
The second beast looked like a Bear and had three ribs in its teeth. The bear represents Medo-Persia. It is told to "get up and eat its fill of flesh". The three ribs may represent the nations that were conquered by the Bear; Egypt, Lydia and Babylon. 
The third beast is a leopard with four wings and four heads and was given authority to rule. This beast represents Greece under Alexander the Great. The wings represent speed and Alexander conquered the known world in seven years. After Alexander died, the kingdom was divided into four parts represented by the four heads of the leopard. 
The fourth beast was not identified with any animal, but was described as powerful and terrifying with iron teeth that devoured its victims. This beast is Rome and the iron teeth represent its cruelty. The ten horns represent ten kings that will arise out of the Roman empire, which possibly represent kings that will arise out of the revived Roman Empire. The little horn represents a man that will rise up through the revived Roman Empire and destroy three of the other horns or kings. He is represented by a little horn because he is not the ruler of a kingdom as the other horns are, but he rises up among them and usurps three of the kings. This little horn is the Antichrist that will arise from obscurity and control the world. 
At this point while Daniel is contemplating the little horn his attention is drawn to the heavenly throne room. God takes His seat on a fiery throne representing judgment. God is clothed in white with white hair representing holiness and purity and wisdom. Thousands attended him, probably angels and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him waiting to be judged.  The beast was slain and its body thrown into the fire, this could mean that the revived Roman Empire led by the Antichrist was destroyed and the Antichrist was thrown into the fire. The other rulers of the revived Roman Empire are allowed to live for a period of time. 
Then Daniel sees Jesus described as one like the son of man approach God. He is given authority over all the nations, his dominion will be everlasting and his kingdom will never be destroyed. 

The Interpretation of the Dream

¹⁵ “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. ¹⁶ I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.
“So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷ ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. ¹⁸ But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’
¹⁹ “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. ²⁰ I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.²¹ As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, ²² until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
²³ “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. ²⁴ The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. ²⁵ He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.^[b]
26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. ²⁷ Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’
²⁸ “This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts,and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”



After Daniel's vision he was troubled. He approached an angel? possibly and asked for clarification of his vision. The angel? tells him that the four beasts represent four kings that will arise but after these the holy people will receive their kingdom and possess it forever. Daniel is most concerned about the fourth beast because it was so different than the others. He saw the little horn waging war against God's people until the time of judgment. The angel tells Daniel that the fourth beast will conquer the whole world and the ten horns are ten kings that will arise out of this kingdom. At a later time another king that is different than the first ten will arise and subdue three kings. He will speak against God and persecute God's people. This will be allowed for a time, times and half a time which is commonly thought to represent three and a half years of 1260 days. This would be the period after the Antichrist is killed and rises indwelt by Satan; he enters the holy of Holies and proclaims himself God. After this the second half of the Tribulation will occur or the Great Tribulation that will last 1260 days. After this time power will be taken from him by God and the holy people of God will have an everlasting kingdom. 
Daniel was deeply troubled but kept this knowledge to himself. I can empathize with Daniel, he must have been in shock knowing the horrors that would come. He had to have some measure of reassurance that in the end God would prevail and God's people would live in his everlasting kingdom.

Daniel in the Lions Den

In Daniel 6 we read one of the most famous stories in the Bible, Daniel in the Lions den. This is a story of jealousy and faith. Some men were jealous of Daniel's position of authority and through trickery and manipulation caused Daniel to be sentenced to death, but through his faith in God he was saved.

6 ^[a]It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,² with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. ³ Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.⁴ At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

In the first part of this chapter we see that Daniel was a truly honest and hardworking man. He was doing such a good job that he was going to be promoted to be in charge of the entire kingdom. The other men that were ruling the kingdom were jealous of Daniel and tried to find ways to discredit him, but they could not find anything that Daniel had done that was dishonest. They decided that the only way to get to Daniel was through the laws of the God that Daniel worshipped. 

⁶ So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! ⁷ The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. ⁸ Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”⁹ So King Darius put the decree in writing.


The jealous men went in to King Darius and appealed to his ego. They told Darius that they wanted him to pass a decree that for the next 30 days, no one was to worship anyone other than Darius. So Darius agreed and passed a decree. Many ancient societies would worship their rulers as beings that had been appointed by their gods. According to the laws of the Medes and Persians the Kings decree was unbreakable, even by the King himself. 


¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. ¹¹ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. ¹² So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”
The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”
¹³ Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” ¹⁴ When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed;he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
¹⁵ Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
¹⁶ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”


When Daniel heard about the decree, he did not try to hide his worship of God. He prayed according to his daily custom three times a day before an open window that was oriented towards Jerusalem. Now the jealous men were pleased that their trap worked. They immediately went to the King and reported that Daniel was breaking the King's own law. Darius was upset that he had been tricked into making that decree and tried to find a way to save Daniel. The jealous rulers reminded the King that the decree could not be changed according to the laws of the Medes and Persians. Darius knew he had been tricked and there was nothing he could do about it, so he gave the order for Daniel to be thrown into the lions' den. The King tells Daniel that he hopes that Daniel's God will rescue him.


¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. ¹⁸ Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
¹⁹ At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.²⁰ When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
²¹ Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! ²² My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
²³ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
²⁴ At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!

²⁶ “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God 
    and he endures forever; 
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
    his dominion will never end. 
²⁷ He rescues and he saves; 
    he performs signs and wonders 
    in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”

²⁸ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus^[b] the Persian.

A stone was placed over the lions' den so Daniel could not escape. Darius was distraught and did not eat and could not sleep. At the first light of dawn he hurried to the lions' den and called to Daniel asking him if his God had saved him. Daniel answered the king that his God had sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions because Daniel had faith in Him and was found innocent. Darius was overjoyed and had Daniel removed from the lions' den and had the jealous men who had accused Daniel thrown to the lions along with their wives and children. You may think it is harsh to kill the families who did nothing, but in ancient times families were killed so no one would be able to rise up and take revenge against the King for the killing of their fathers. 

Then Darius issued another decree that all people in his kingdom must revere the God of Daniel who had rescued Daniel from the lions. Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and Cyrus. He trusted in God and was rewarded.

The Writing on the Wall

Daniel 5 takes place after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar became king after Nebuchadnezzar's death.. Nebuchadnezzar was not the direct father of Belshazzar. Either he was his grandfather through his mother’s side, or he was his father in the sense of having previously occupied the throne Belshazzar now sat on. Either usage of the term father was accepted in ancient times. Belshazzar was co-regent with his father Nabonidus and he ruled Babylon from 553 B.C. to 539  B.C. when Darius the Mede conquers Babylon. 

5 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. ² While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father^[a] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. ³ So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

⁵ Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. ⁶ His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weakand his knees were knocking.
⁷ The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers^[b] and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck,and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
⁸ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. ⁹ So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
¹⁰ The queen,^[c] hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. ¹² He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means. ”

King Belshazzar was having a banquet for his nobles, he orders the gold and silver goblets that were taken from the temple in Jerusalem to be brought in for all to drink from. He praised his gods of wood and stone and mocked the true God. This sacrilege would not go unnoticed or unpunished by God. As they continued on with their revelry, a hand appears and writes on the wall. The King is stunned and frightened. He summons the astrologers and wise men to interpret the meaning of the writing. No one could read and interpret it. The Queen enters the banquet hall and informs that king that there is a man in the kingdom that Nebuchadnezzar had appointed the chief of all the wise men, he was able to interpret dreams and explain riddles. Daniel would be able to explain the writing.




¹³ So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? ¹⁴ I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. ¹⁵ The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. ¹⁶ Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
¹⁷ Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
¹⁸ “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. ¹⁹ Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. ²⁰ But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. ²¹ He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
²² “But you, Belshazzar, his son,^[d] have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. ²³ Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wivesand your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.²⁴ Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
²⁵ “This is the inscription that was written:

mene, mene, tekel, parsin

²⁶ “Here is what these words mean:

Mene^[e]: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

²⁷ Tekel^[f]: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

²⁸ Peres^[g]: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians,^[h] was slain, ³¹ and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.<sup>[i]


Daniel is summoned to Belshazzar. Belshazzar asks Daniel if he can interpret the writing on the wall, and if he could he would be clothed in purple with a gold chain around his neck and be the third highest ruler in the kingdom.  Daniel told Belshazzar that he did not want his gifts, but he would interpret the writing for him.  First he tells Belshazzar that Nebuchadnezzar had incredible power and sovereignty in the land, but when he became arrogant he was stripped of his power until he acknowledged God was sovereign.  Then he turns to Belshazzar and tells him that even though he knew all this, he had not humbled himself before God. Instead he had blasphemed against God by using the goblets from the temple and praising false gods. The hand had written MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. Then Daniel interpreted the meaning of the words. Mene means that God had numbered the days of his reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means that he had been weighed on a scale and found wanting. Peres means that the kingdom will be divided between the Medes and Persians.  Belshazzar fulfilled his promise to Daniel and robed him in purple with gold chains and made him third highest ruler in Babylon.  That night the promise was fulfilled, Belshazzar was slain and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.</sup>