Origin of Phrases - T
The writing is on the wall
Meaning: One can see the inevitable result of circumstances.
Example: We are having a downsizing and the writing is on the wall: we'll all be cut loose.
Origin: From the Book of Daniel in the Bible's Old Testament. Belshazzar, the king of Isreal, had stolen from the temple in Jerusalem. At a party where wine was being consumed, the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote on the wall.
The interpretation of the writing was that the King's days were numbered. He had been weighed on the scales and found deficient and his kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians. That same night, Belshazzar was killed.