Unseen Watcher
343
Belshazzar had impiously lifted himself up against the God of heaven
and had trusted in his own might, not supposing that any would dare
say, “Why doest thou thus?” but now he realized that he must render
an account of the stewardship entrusted him, and that for his wasted
opportunities and his defiant attitude he could offer no excuse.
In vain the king tried to read the burning letters. But here was a
secret he could not fathom, a power he could neither understand nor
gainsay. In despair he turned to the wise men of his realm for help.
His wild cry rang out in the assembly, calling upon the astrologers,
the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers to read the writing. “Whosoever
shall read this writing,” he promised, “and show me the interpretation
thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his
neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” But of no avail was
his appeal to his trusted advisers, with offers of rich awards. Heavenly
wisdom cannot be bought or sold. “All the king’s wise men ... could
not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation
thereof.” They were no more able to read the mysterious characters
than had been the wise men of a former generation to interpret the
dreams of Nebuchadnezzar.
Then the queen mother remembered Daniel, who, over half a
century before, had made known to King Nebuchadnezzar the dream
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of the great image and its interpretation. “O king, live forever,” she
said. “Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be
changed: there is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the
holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and
wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the
king Nebuchadnezzar ... made master of the magicians, astrologers,
Chaldeans, and soothsayers; forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and
knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing
of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same
Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called,
and he will show the interpretation.
“Then was Daniel brought in before the king.” Making an effort
to regain his composure, Belshazzar said to the prophet: “Art thou
that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom
the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee,
that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding
and excellent wisdom is found in thee. And now the wise men, the