MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

Daniel 5:25
“This is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

Daniel 5:26
“Here is what these words mean:
Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

Daniel 5:27
Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Daniel 5:28
Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

These words were written by a God-sent hand on a wall that everyone in king Belshazzar’s party could see. These words were written in a language that no one in that party or kingdom could read. It must have been written in a language that God revealed to Daniel. Since no one could read, no one could interpret and get the meaning.

Daniel read these words and translated them into Aramaic that we now have – mene mene tekel parsin. The words carry a message of judgment against Belshazzar and his kingdom for defying the God of heaven by showing irreverence when they used the golden cups from the Jerusalem temple.

The words from God mean that God has numbered the days of Belshazzar’s reign and terminated his rule. It’s like saying you had a running contract to serve for a certain period of time, but God has terminated your contract. It was to end later on, but God has decided to end it now.

We are living on a contract given by God. We have a contract to be alive for the glory of God. We have a contract to serve God. We have a contract as parents, as spouses, government officials, pastors, church workers, businessmen, women, etc. Whatever you are engaged in is a contract from God. We need to know that God can decide to terminate our contract prematurely. If we defy God and live contrary to His will, He can terminate our contract. Mene mene means God has reviewed Belshazzar’s contract and terminated it!

We must live in reverence of God who has given us a contract of the life and positions we enjoy. We are what we are because we have a contract from God, so to speak. We should have a good relationship with God, a relationship of total obedience and loyalty, otherwise, we can risk our contract being revised and terminated. Do not play with that contract in relationships, finances, academics, in spiritual life, etc. That contract can be reviewed and terminated!

Tekel means that God weighed Belshazzar and found him short of what was expected. Belshazzar was below average. Belshazzar was found unfit, and unqualified. Belshazzar was incompetent to continue in that position. Tekel means he was audited and he was found guilty and unfit for service.

Tekel means God weighs us. God has expectations. God’s expectations are His will recorded in the Bible. If we are consistently below expectations we may be found unfit to serve in any station in life.

We are expected to forgive those who offend us. If we fail to forgive, we fall below the expectations that God has set for us. We will fail to qualify for God’s forgiveness if we do not meet the expectations of forgiving others. Tekel means God has audited our life and we have not met the irreducible minimum expectations.

Parsin means all that Belshazzar had was being handed over and transferred to an inferior power. A weaker person will be a beneficiary of your effort if you remain unfaithful to God. Parsin means God has the final say on who has power and who doesn’t have it. God of the powerful is the God of the weak and helpless. He steps in and has His way.

Parsin means what we were boasting about has been given to an inferior kingdom. We have nothing to boast about except that we know Christ. Let us be conscious that nothing is permanent. May we be found safe in Christ, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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