Unleashing the Beast

T HE H ANDWRITING ON A MERICA ' S W ALL / 279

fateful night, the best wine in the world was being drunk from gold chalices. The banquet hall alone was a mile long and over 1,600 feet wide. Lining the walls were huge carved elephants with polished bronze gladiators positioned on their shoulders, silently overlooking the activities. From a golden chain draped from post to post hung thousands of flowers, filling the hall with a natural perfume. In the corner of the hall an orchestra of 35,000 trained musicians entertained. The banquet tables were shaped like horseshoes, and trained peacocks pulled miniature chariots carrying the wine and cheese from table to table. This, according to C. M. Ward, former radio speaker for the Assemblies of God, was the setting in Babylon the night God crashed the king's party. Within seconds, the drunken revelry came to a screeching halt. The thunderous noise of laughing was silenced as a massive hand appeared against the plaster of the banquet hall and began writing the words, "You are weighed in the balance and found wanting. Your kingdom will be divided between the Medes and Persians." The drunken king was unaware that an invading army was sneaking through an underground tunnel and would soon make its move. Before the sun rose in the morning, the city of Babylon would be under the control of the Medes and Persians. The overthrow of Babylon happened within 24 hours. No leader saw it coming except for a prophet named Daniel who could interpret the handwriting on the wall!