Memory verse: “And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.” Daniel 5:22.

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, his grandson took the kingdom. The name of the grandson was Belshazzar. History has it all recorded. In Daniel 5:1, we see Daniel’s inscription of what took place. Belshazzar made a great feast for his lords. There were a thousand people in attendance. It must have been a big feast.

1. What did the king command to be brought to the feast? Daniel 5:2 “Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the ____________ and ___________ vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the ____________ which was in _____________; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.”

2. Where did these vessels come from? Daniel 5:3 “then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the ____________of _________ which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drink in them.”

3. What did they use them for? Daniel 5:4 “They __________ _________, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.” They did not use God’s vessels to praise him, but to worship all the gods of Babylon, not the true God.

4. As they were having a great time drinking and partying, what happened? Daniel 5:5. “In the same hour came forth ____________ of a _____________ ___________, and ___________ over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the ____________ of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” A finger of a man’s hand wrote something on the wall.

5. How did the king react to this? Daniel 5:6. “Then the king’s _______________ was ___________, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the ___________ of his ___________ were _____________, and his __________ ___________ one against another.”

6. The king was afraid and cried aloud. What did he want? Daniel 5:7. “The king cried aloud to ____________ in the ____________, the ____________, and the _____________. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, whosoever shall _________ __________ _________, and _________ me the __________________ thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

7. He was doing just as Nebuchadnezzar did when he had his dream. Could the king’s wise men tell him what the handwriting on the wall said? Daniel 5:8. “Then came in all the king’s wise man: but they ____________ ________ _________ the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.”

8. Word must have gotten to the queen about what had happened, and she came to the banquet house. Read verses 9, 10, 11. What did she tell the king? Daniel 5:12. “Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the ____________ ____________, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will _____________ the ________________.”

9. Daniel was call to the banquet house. Read verse 13-16. The king asked Daniel to give him the interpretation. What did Daniel say, in Daniel 5:17? “Then Daniel answered and said before the king, let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet ________ ________ _________ the ___________ unto the king, and ____________ ____________ to him the __________________.” Daniel said, I will read the words and tell you what they mean, but give the rewards to some one else. He went on to tell the king in verses 18-21 how great Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was and how he had let pride cause him to forget God. The one who had made him what he was; and how he had spent seven years out in the fields with the beast, until his heart was humbled.

10. Whom did Daniel tell king Belshazzar he had lifted himself up against? Daniel 5:23. “But hast lifted up thyself against the _________ of ___________; 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 _________ __________, nor hear, nor know: and the _____________ in whose hand thy __________ is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:” Belshazzar had lifted up his heart against the God of heaven.

11. What were the words that the hand wrote on the wall? Daniel 5:25. “And this is the writing that was written, _________, ___________, tekel, ____________.”

What Do These Words Mean?

Mene = “This is the interpretation of the thing: mene; _________ hath ___________ thy __________, and ____________ it.” Daniel 5:26.

Tekel = “Tekel; thou art __________ in the _______________, and art _____________ ____________." Daniel 5:27.

Peres = “Peres; thy ____________ is ___________, and given to the ___________ and ____________.” Daniel 5:28.

12. What did the king do for Daniel for telling him the interpretation? Daniel 5:29. “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they ____________ Daniel with _____________, and put a _________ of ___________ about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the ____________ ___________ in the ____________.”

13. How soon did the kingdom fall? Daniel 5:30. “In ____________ ___________ was Belshazzar the ____________ of the Chaldeans ______________.” The Medes and Persians came into Babylon that same night and overthrew Babylon. How quickly God can take down and set up when the time is right! From 605 B.C. to 539 B.C. the great golden kingdom of Babylon (the head of the image) had reigned. Now in 539 B.C. it came to an end.

14. Who was the king of the new kingdom? Daniel 5:31. “And __________ the ________ took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” Belshazzar and his lords had vaunted themselves against the God of heaven. History tells us what happened. Cyrus the Persian dried up the river Euphrates that flowed under the walls of the city of Babylon. They dug a channel and diverted the water. The gates of the river were left unlocked, so the army marched through the riverbed right into the city while they were drinking and having a great feast. They took the city with little resistance. Darius the Mede was made king. The kingdom of Medes and Persians began in 539 B.C. God used Daniel to bring to this king how his pride must be humbled before the true God of heaven, how each of us should humble our hearts and be thankful to God for what he has done for us. The overthrow of ancient Babylon is used in the book of Revelation as an illustration of the swift judgment that will befall apostate Christianity. The name of Babylon is used in Revelation to symbolize false doctrine. It is Christ Himself who will come from the east, dry up the Euphrates, and deliver His people. Read Revelation 16:12; 17:1-5; and 18:8-24.