The Handwriting on the Wall
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Dan. 5:5
the same hour... The hour at the height of the revelry at the feast when idols were praised and the sacred vessels of the true God were desecrated (Dan. 5:2-4). It was the hour to end the 70 years’ captivity and for God to deliver His chosen people so that their nation might be restored (Dan. 9:24-27; Jer. 25:1-38).
came forth fingers... These fingers and hand came out of the total darkness, and came to a lighted area of the wall near the lamp to write. This is where the statement (handwriting on the wall), came from. This is the hand of God. The finger of God had written the Ten Commandments. This is the same finger, but with an entirely different purpose. This judgment is for the eyes of the king.
saw the part... Men saw the hand of God with their own eyes. Thousands saw the handwriting on the wall as visible as any other writing (Dan. 5:7-9, 5:16, 5:24-25).
Babylonian hands had taken God’s vessels (mentioned twice), and held them in contempt to dishonor and challenge Him. Now the hand that controls all men, and which none can restrain, challenged them. God’s answer to their challenge was clear (as we’ll see in verses 23-28).
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