Daniel 5:25-30 - You have been found wanting

5:25-28

We now get the inscription, “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin”. “Mene” can mean numbered or mina (a unit of money). “Tekel” can mean weighed or shekel. “Peres” can mean divided or Persia or a half mina or a half shekel.  Daniel interprets the significance of each of these. Mene means that God has numbered Belshazzar’s days. Tekel means he has been weighed in the scales and found wanting. Peres means his kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. 

5:29,30

Despite the highly unfavourable interpretation Daniel was given the promised rewards, so he was clothed in purple and a gold chain put around his neck. He was also declared to be the third highest ruler in the land. Whether any of this was worth anything is debatable, for that very night Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. However, Dan 6:1,2 does imply that this was actually useful for Daniel. There is much debate about who Darius was, for there is virtually no other historical information on him. We should bare in mind that with ancient history there is often very little information, and to automatically discount the Biblical narrative on the grounds that there is no corroborating data is not justified.