Ah, the power of the written word. Did you know that this phrase comes from the Bible? This phrase, which we use to tell that something’s sure to happen, comes from Daniel, one of the latest books of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. Today’s RefDesk.com quote of the day puts a new spin on it. Here’s an excerpt from Bible Babel that explains the phrase’s biblical roots:
“According to the postexilic books of Esther and Daniel, those Babylonians were quite the partyers, and we all know (if not firsthand) that strong drink can make a person do stupid things. Dan 5:1–31 tells how King Belshazzar, deep in his cups with a crowd of rowdy revelers, decided that drinking out of the sacred vessels pillaged from the Jerusalem temple sounded like a good idea. When they then toasted the greatness of their idol gods, a human hand emerged out of thin air and began to write on the wall in front of them. Utterly terrified by the apparition, and by the words, which even his magicians could not decipher, Belshazzar called in the Jewish exile Daniel to see what he could make of it. After chastising Belshazzar for his haughtiness, Daniel translated with ease the writing on the wall, mene mene tekel parsin (Aramaic words for specific denominations of weight or currency), as meaning that God would soon end Belshazzar’s rule and kingdom, that the king himself was judged to be a light-weight, and that his kingdom would be divided between the Medes and the Persians. Today, “the writing is on the wall” still sounds the ominous note of a done deal—a fait accompli” (112-113).
Ralph Hodgson observed, “The handwriting on the wall may be a forgery.” Makes me think of that pastor in Florida, Terry Jones, so certain that God wanted him to burn Qur’ans… then changed his mind. Hmmm.
A key part of the OT story of the “writing on the wall” seems to be about judgment. The Hebrew meaning of the name “Daniel,” is “God is my judge” is fitting, but it is Daniel’s interpretation of the writing that really points at “judgment” as the topic.
Daniel 5:26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Daniel 5:27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
Daniel 5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Being numbered or weighed is a kind of judgment. Spiritual judgment in the bible is an impartial judgment. It isn’t colored by opinion, emotional thinking or some history of animosity, it is a pure judgment like counting or weighing, the result is what it is. Here are words to Cain, that, to my ear, sound like they are teaching of the impartial nature of heavenly judgment:
Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Cain tilled the earth, this earthly thinking did not get the respect that Abel’s sheep (spiritual thinking) did, but there is no animosity, only the assurance that when you get it right you will be accepted.
The moment of birth of the bible’s best known example of spiritual consciousness, Jesus, is appropriately accompanied by a numbering. Luke uses one form of OT metaphor and has the birth of the Christ consciousness happen simultaneously with a census, a numbering/judgment. Mary and Joseph went to be taxed and exactly while they were there, Jesus was born. Matthew chooses a different, but also traditional metaphor to write of the same spiritual awakening. Matthew says that a virgin (meaning wisdom) is with child and further indicates that a spiritual awakening is meant by having Joseph “raised from sleep” by an angel. Isaiah 7:14 is about this same sort of spiritual awakening. Isaiah says “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ” Immanuel means something like “God with us” very appropriate for a spiritually awakened mind.
Another well known numbering or census in the bible is David’s numbering of Israel. David’s numbering of Israel is recorded in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21. David has been fighting the Philistines, they represent earthly thinking. In the Chronicles version he has just had a significant victory over a giant (representing earthly thinking or evil). The six toes on each foot indicate an earthly understanding and the six fingers on each hand indication earthly behavior. David just had battled these things and won, but the text makes it pretty clear that he has done something wrong. How can a significant victory of spiritual thinking over material thinking get him into trouble?
This verse in Chronicles (similar to 2Samuel 24:3) speaks of the spiritual increase and of the harm to Israel (our spiritual aspect):
1Chronicles 21:3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
Joab’s comment, “…making his people a hundred times so many more…” is talking about a substantial increase in spiritual thinking. But what is the problem with numbering Israel? Imagine that you are trying to become a less material in your thinking and you have been giving money and some of your time to a homeless shelter. You are trying to stop your mind from attaching such importance to your own desires by working to develop the habit of looking at the needs of others. Very good, just the sort of thing we should do, but suppose on the way home from the shelter you begin to try and determine just how good of a person you are, you think of everybody you know and consider if any of them is doing as much selfless work as you are. You have just undermined some of your spiritual progress. This is the sort of thinking that David’s numbering must represent. (Note, Israel in the bible is not a race or ethnic group, it is our spiritual nature or something along those lines.) David’s numbering of Israel, is pride in how spiritual he has become. It is our nature to think that way. We will all make that error on our own spiritual path. This story of David is the bible’s way of teaching us to correct that error when we find ourselves making it.
2 Samuel tells of Israel being smote by the LORD because of the numbering. The following verse sort of sums up the situation.
2Samuel 24:17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
Sheep represent spiritual thinking. Just as trying to see how much more charitable we are than the average person is harmful, but does not necessarily undo the charitable habits we may be developing, the sheep here don’t need to die. The point is that a different level of thinking, where the pride in his accomplishments came from, is the part that is receiving spiritual harm.
The judgment of the writing on the wall is, a divided kingdom instead of the oneness of spiritual perfection. Our spiritual nature has not tamed our earthly nature and achieved a peaceful reconciliation. The wolf is not yet dwelling or feeding with the lamb. Esau is not yet reconciled with Jacob.
We are truly blessed to have been given the chance to have the Bible to guide us with on all our religious afflictions. Although I must say I don’t live a lot about the new and improve ones but I see to it I’m always keeping my faith alive.
I haven’t read all the writings in the bible but I have read verses and some parables in it and I can say that the old testament is quite confusing. As for the writings on the wall, every time I read/heard this phrase, the first thing that comes in my mind is the historical writings on caves.
Chester Stanford