Belshazzar

's feast, or the story of the writing on the wall (chapter 5 in the Book of Daniel), tells how Belshazzar holds a great feast and drinks from the vessels that had been looted in the destruction of the First Temple. A hand appears and writes on the wall.

Who said the handwriting is on the wall?

The phrase comes from the Book of Daniel, in which the Persian king Belshazaar and his court see a disembodied hand appear during a feast and write on a wall, “Mene, Mene, Tekel u-Pharsin.” His seers unable to decipher the words, the king summons Daniel, who, keeping his interpretation streak intact: [see “feet of clay ...

What does it mean to see the handwriting on the wall?

Definition of see/read the writing/handwriting on the wall

: to be aware that something bad will probably happen soon No one told him he was going to be fired, but he could see the writing on the wall.