boxcar
12-17-2003, 06:30 PM
As most of you know, Iraq is part of what used to be the ancient Kingdom of Babylon. In its day, this kingdom was a world power and its kings conquered many nations, including the divided Jewish nation. Without doubt the most famous (or infamous, depending on your outlook) king of the Babylonians was Nebuchadnezzar. Because this particular king was exceedingly proud, pompous, haughty, defiant and arrogant, the O.T. prophet Daniel (a Jewish captive who was promoted by the king to chief ruler and prefect in all of Bayblon) prophsied to Nebuchadnezzar that God would bring him down low until he came to his senses and recognized and acknowledged that it is God who is ultimately the sovereign ruler over all his creation. The prophecy, of course, was fulfilled, for we read in the Book of Daniel of its fulfillment:
Dan 4:29-33
29 "Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' 31 "While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes.' 33 "Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.
NAS
An earlier O.T. prophet (Isaiah) prophesized against the King of Babylon. While this prophet doesn't name the king he has in mind, nonetheless I have to think that it was none other than Nebuchadnezzar due to his notoriety and his prominent place in ancient history generally, but biblical history in particular. When I read this portion of scripture, I can't help but think how the prophecy could just as easily apply to Saddam Hussein, who certainly shared all the negative characteristics of his ancient ancestor. -- and then some.
But what makes Isaiah's prophecy even more intriguing is that it becomes obvious toward the middle of it that the prophet also had in mind another "world ruler" -- a ruler not of this world, though. I'm referring to Satan who Jesus called the "ruler of this world" (cf. Jn 12:31; 16:11)., that is to say, of this largely religious but AntiChrist(ian) "world order". This prophecy, therefore, has a dual application -- a dual fulfillment. Insofar as a temporal, literal Babylonian king is concerned, the prophecy was fulfilled when the Medes-Persians conquered Babylon. But insofar as eternal consequences are concerned with respect to Satan , the prophecy won't find it's fulfillment until the end of this age ("the last day") when all God's creation will be judged upon Christ's second advent. Let's now examine the irony in this prophecy as it pertains to Saddam Hussein in the temporal realm:
Isa 14:3-11
3 And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved, 4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased! 5 "The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,The scepter of rulers 6 Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. 7 "The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;They break forth into shouts of joy. 8 "Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.' 9 "Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. 10 "They will all respond and say to you, 'Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us. 11'Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you, And worms are your covering.'
This language speaks graphically to Saddam's situation, and how he was captured, etc. He was once greatly feared and even repsected by radical Arabs all over the world, but now even Hamas disowns him because they discovered what a coward he was, after all!
But it's this next verse that tips us off that Isaiah had more than just a mere human king in mind when he penned this passage; for no human being was ever cast down out of heaven; but we learn from other portions of scripture that atan was after he led the rebellion against God. Here is Saddam's and Satan's ultimate end:
Isa 14:12-21
12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. 16 "Those who see you will gaze at you,They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble,Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities,Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?' 18 "All the kings of the nations lie in glory,Each in his own tomb. 19 "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch,Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword,Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a trampled corpse. 20 "You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. 21 "Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities."
NAS
Don't be misled by the terms "man" or "sons", as Satan is sometimes referred to in scripture as a "man", and all haters of God and his Christ are referred to as Satan's "offspring" or "sons". Jesus, for example, told the corrupt religious leaders of his day that their "father" (spiritually speaking) was the devil (Jn. 8:44).
This just demonstrates that the more things change, the more they remain the same. World leaders come and they go, and their rising and fall is all part of a sovereign God's grand design that will eventually culminate with the end of the age.
Boxcar
Dan 4:29-33
29 "Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 "The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' 31 "While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes.' 33 "Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.
NAS
An earlier O.T. prophet (Isaiah) prophesized against the King of Babylon. While this prophet doesn't name the king he has in mind, nonetheless I have to think that it was none other than Nebuchadnezzar due to his notoriety and his prominent place in ancient history generally, but biblical history in particular. When I read this portion of scripture, I can't help but think how the prophecy could just as easily apply to Saddam Hussein, who certainly shared all the negative characteristics of his ancient ancestor. -- and then some.
But what makes Isaiah's prophecy even more intriguing is that it becomes obvious toward the middle of it that the prophet also had in mind another "world ruler" -- a ruler not of this world, though. I'm referring to Satan who Jesus called the "ruler of this world" (cf. Jn 12:31; 16:11)., that is to say, of this largely religious but AntiChrist(ian) "world order". This prophecy, therefore, has a dual application -- a dual fulfillment. Insofar as a temporal, literal Babylonian king is concerned, the prophecy was fulfilled when the Medes-Persians conquered Babylon. But insofar as eternal consequences are concerned with respect to Satan , the prophecy won't find it's fulfillment until the end of this age ("the last day") when all God's creation will be judged upon Christ's second advent. Let's now examine the irony in this prophecy as it pertains to Saddam Hussein in the temporal realm:
Isa 14:3-11
3 And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved, 4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased! 5 "The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,The scepter of rulers 6 Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. 7 "The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;They break forth into shouts of joy. 8 "Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.' 9 "Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. 10 "They will all respond and say to you, 'Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us. 11'Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you, And worms are your covering.'
This language speaks graphically to Saddam's situation, and how he was captured, etc. He was once greatly feared and even repsected by radical Arabs all over the world, but now even Hamas disowns him because they discovered what a coward he was, after all!
But it's this next verse that tips us off that Isaiah had more than just a mere human king in mind when he penned this passage; for no human being was ever cast down out of heaven; but we learn from other portions of scripture that atan was after he led the rebellion against God. Here is Saddam's and Satan's ultimate end:
Isa 14:12-21
12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. 16 "Those who see you will gaze at you,They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble,Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities,Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?' 18 "All the kings of the nations lie in glory,Each in his own tomb. 19 "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch,Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword,Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a trampled corpse. 20 "You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. 21 "Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities."
NAS
Don't be misled by the terms "man" or "sons", as Satan is sometimes referred to in scripture as a "man", and all haters of God and his Christ are referred to as Satan's "offspring" or "sons". Jesus, for example, told the corrupt religious leaders of his day that their "father" (spiritually speaking) was the devil (Jn. 8:44).
This just demonstrates that the more things change, the more they remain the same. World leaders come and they go, and their rising and fall is all part of a sovereign God's grand design that will eventually culminate with the end of the age.
Boxcar