Belshazzar took a gamble.  The country was at war with the Medes and Persians and his father was away from Babylon fighting.  So Belshazzar was only acting king.

They had an annual feast and Belshazzar decided that the feast should still be held.  The city seemed well protected with high walls, guards and lookout places.  Also the river Euphrates ran through the city with gates at the entrance and exit dipping down into the water.  The city was on a sort of hairpin bend for the river.

The annual celebrations proceeded with entertainment , food and drink.  To make the feast more interesting Belshazzar ordered that they use the cups and vessels which had been captured from the Jerusalem Temple and were now kept somewhere in Babylon.

This was an insult to God.  God replied by sending a hand to write on the wall of the banqueting room.  It read " Mene, mene, tekel, uparsin".

Belshazzar was terrified and called for wise men and astrologers to interpret the words which appeared on the wall.  But they could not.  Then the Queen Mother suggested they call in Daniel.  They seemed to have forgotten all that Daniel had done for Nebuchadnezzar (chapters2&4).  Belshazzar ignored Nebuchadnezzah's eventual repentance and was using articles from God's Temple.

Daniel interpreted the handwriting.  "Mene"(in Chaldean language) meant numbered.  This meant that God had numbered Belshazzar's kingdom and his life and would end them.  Let us remember that God numbers our days as well and will end them at some time.  Are we ready to meet Him?  "Tekel" stands for weighed, this means that God had weighed Belshazzar's life in His scales and it did not meet with God's requirements.  This too applies to us all.  How do we solve it?  We take Jesus Christ into the scales with us.  We repent and turn to Him and receive the benefit of His sacrifice on the Cross, because He has kept all God's laws and therefore balances the scales. Have you done that?  "U" simply means and, "Parsin" = divided.  This shows that Babylon will be divided between the Medes and the Persians. 

There is a division coming for all mankind.  At the Day of Judgement(Revelations Chap 20) all who have rejected God's Word in whatever way they have known it will not be entering Heaven but will face an Eternity without God.  In John 5 verse24 Jesus said " Whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned but has already passed from death unto life.

How did the enemy capture Babylon?  At night they constructed a channel at the back of the city and therefore diverted the course of the river Euphrates.  So the river bed ran dry enabling the Medo Persian army to march under the city gates and capture Babylon.  Belshazzar died that night.  This happened around BC 470.

 

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