The answer is: Belshazzar

Daniel 5:6 - Belshazzar’s knees knocked together as he was overcome with terror, a physical manifestation of the intense fear he experienced in response to the writing on the wall.

Ah, let’s dive into the intriguing tale of Belshazzar! Picture this: a lavish banquet, bubbling goblets of wine, and suddenly, a disembodied hand appears, scrawling a cryptic message on the wall. No wonder Belshazzar's knees were knocking together—talk about a horrifying curtain call!

Belshazzar was the last king of Babylon, and his dramatic encounter gives us a fascinating snapshot of ancient attitudes towards power and the divine. The phrase "the writing is on the wall" has become a popular expression even in modern parlance, meaning that an ominous prediction is unfolding—this moment in history is Frederick Dickens without his fine miniseries effect!

The trembling knees reveal not just physical fright, but the psychological facade crumbling away. Belshazzar’s fear represented the collision between human arrogance and the realization of higher authority or divine judgment. Even in his opulent palace, surrounded by revelry, he could not escape the cosmic weight bearing down upon him.

Curiously enough, Babylonian rituals, with their grand idols and mystic interpretations, form a backdrop for understanding panic in the face of divine intervention. Just imagine if someone attended that party with a decoder ring—would the outcome change? Alas, interpreting divine will is no trivial pursuit and history is paved with stories of leaders who ignored that writing. Belshazzar teaches us to remain humble before the inevitable moments of reckoning that every soul will face. So, instead of knocking knees, why not have a heart tuned to wisdom and warning?