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.
Belshazzar literally saw "the writing on the wall," but this phrase has been handed down proverbially to indicate an understanding of what's about to go down or seeing how things are going to play out. However, in its original context, it actually meant the opposite. Belshazzar and his party pals saw the writing, but they did not see what it foretold. They saw it written down, but they didn't understand what had been written. They knew enough to know that they needed to know more, but they certainly did not know what was about to go down or have a clear idea of what was about to happen.
Daniel 5:8-9
Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
The writing on the wall mystified them. They were stupefied. They could see that there was something worth knowing and could see that it was a sign of something to come, but couldn't decipher what it was or place it's meaning anywhere. They could see the sign, but they couldn't read it. It was clear that it was a signpost, but it was unclear as to what pointed to. It was in a different language and they couldn't make heads or tails of it.
So they reached out to someone else for help.
Daniel 5:17
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Daniel had access to the same writing on the wall that they had all seen, but he had something none of them had -- access to the One who wrote it. He not only saw the signs; he could read them. He knew how to read the world around him because He knew the One who made the world around Him by the Word of His power.
We need God's help to understand our times and to decipher our days.
1 Chronicles 12:32
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
These two hundred men were exceptional. Many can see the signs, but few can interpret the times.
Esther 1:13
Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king.
In interesting times, anyone can see the signs, but few know how to read them. The wise work hard to study the compass of chronology. The discerning decipher the days, how we got here, where it's going, and what we can do about it.
Once Belshazzar heard the message from Daniel, he understood the message, but he didn't get the message. He understood what the sign meant, but he didn't act upon it. He didn't repent of its prediction. He heard it and was contented to be in the know. He was happy to be a hearer of the word without being a doer of it. Wisdom is doing what you know; it doesn't merely read the signs, it responds to them by doing what they say.
Luke 12:54-57
And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
By God's grace, we can read the times; and by His strength, we ought to act. It is not enough to merely see the writing on the wall. Seeing the writing on the wall was the last thing Belshazzar ever did. We must see the signs, seek wisdom to read the times, and act in accordance with God's revelation, so that we might share in His great commission.
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