The chapter concludes with the fulfillment of the prophecy: That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. The prophecy's fulfillment occurs with dramatic immediacy: that very night, while Belshazzar celebrates and the writing has just been interpreted, the king is killed and his kingdom conquered. Darius the Mede's receipt of the kingdom represents the transition from Babylonian to Median-Persian rule. The narrative arc moves from Belshazzar's blasphemous defiance through his terror at the supernatural writing to his immediate judgment and death. The chapter's theological message is stark: human power that mocks God's authority will be swiftly judged and destroyed. Belshazzar's fate contrasts with Nebuchadnezzar's: while Nebuchadnezzar was humbled, learned his lesson, and was restored, Belshazzar faces judgment and death without repentance.

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