THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

7, 8. How was Belshazzar’s feast interrupted, and what effect did this have upon the king?

⁷ “At that moment,” says the inspired account, “the fingers of a man’s hand came forth and were writing in front of the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was beholding the back of the hand that was writing.” (Daniel 5:5) What an awesome sight! A hand appeared out of nowhere, floating in the air near a well-lit section of the wall. Imagine the hush falling over the party as the guests turned to gape at it. The hand began to write a cryptic message upon the plaster.b So ominous, so unforgettable, was this phenomenon that to this day people use the expression “the handwriting on the wall” to suggest a warning of imminent doom.