Before reading the writing and interpreting it, Daniel reminded Belshazzar of the experience of Nebuchadnezzar his forefather in ch. 4 (vv. 18-37). Daniel regarded what happened to Nebuchadnezzar as a lesson not only for Nebuchadnezzar but also for all his descendants. Belshazzar should have learned the lesson from Nebuchadnezzar’s experience; however, he did not learn the lesson and suffered as a result.