III. The Handwriting On The Wall.

III. The “Handwriting On The Wall.”
When someone says, I hope they can see the “handwriting on the wall,” it usually means that something bad is on the horizon. This was definitely true for Belshazzar.
20 years pass between Daniel, Chapter 4, and Daniel, Chapter 5. Nebuchadnezzar has passed off the scene (approximately 561B.C.), having been succeeded by a son, who reigned just a few years and then was assassinated by his own brother-in-law. (It seems that being in succession to the throne in those days was a dangerous thing!) The next two rulers occupied the throne for a very brief time; and, the second of those was Nabonidus. He was actually Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law and was married to the widow of one of the previous kings.
“Nabonidus was king of the Babylonian empire at this time. According to history, Nabonidus; through his worship of the moon god, Sîn; when the supreme god of the Babylonians was Marduk, created religious tension. That is why he lived throughout 10 of the 17 years that he ruled, at an Arab desert oasis called Tema, which was a vast distance from Babylon. In Babylon he left his son Belshazzar, to rule on his behalf. This explains why Daniel was made “the third ruler in the kingdom.” (Daniel 5:7; Daniel 5:29) While the events of Daniel, Chapter Five, are taking place, Nabonidus has been a captive of the Medes and Persians for four months.” (Russell, R.)