Podcasts about babylonian empire

Are you stuck in a cycle of working hard but feeling empty? Deidre Braley unpacks Haggai’s powerful message to the Israelites—and to us: when we neglect God’s presence, our efforts fall flat. This episode reveals why shifting your priorities to build the Lord’s house first can break cycles of frustration and lead to true fruitfulness. 3 Key Takeaways ✅ Misplaced priorities drain your life.Busyness without God leads to frustration and burnout. ✅ Making space for God invites His blessing.When we shift focus to God—through rest, prayer, and obedience—He promises to be with us. ✅ Fruitfulness flows from God, not just effort.Only God can make our work truly thrive and satisfy. Intersecting Faith & Life Are you busy building your own “house” while neglecting God’s? How can you intentionally make space for God this week—through rest, prayer, or obedience? What’s one step today to reorder your priorities toward Him? Further Reading John 15:1-8 Ecclesiastes 4:6 Isaiah 55

Return of the Man-Child (6)  (audio) David Eells – 4/6/25  We know that in the Gospels, the Lord has shown us that the things that happened in those times are going to happen again around the world. In fact, He gave us these as types and shadows of prophecies which shall come to pass in our days. Praise the Lord! God has hidden so many wonderful things in His Word. Father, we thank You for opening our eyes and bringing us into agreement with You. You say, “How can two walk together except they be agreed?” So, Lord, it is so awesome to see what You are doing so that we can cooperate with You and be used as vessels of Your glory in these coming days. We are just so happy to hear about the great revival You have planned for us that is almost upon us, Lord. We want to be partakers in that and let You use us in it. We thank You so much, Lord, in Jesus' name.  I'd like to go back and talk a little bit more about the John the Baptist ministry because there's much still to cover. (Mat.3:1) And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, (2) Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (3) For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight (or “make a straight path for Him”). John's job was to prepare people for the coming of Jesus, and there is a corporate John the Baptist ministry in our day whose job it is to prepare for the coming of Jesus in the Man-child.  Remember, Jesus said He was coming again on the morning of the third day (Hosea 6:2), which is where we are now. We're at the third millennial day from Jesus, when He came the first time as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth (Hos.6:3). He came as the former rain, and now He is coming as the latter rain in a corporate body of people. We'll return to that text, but first, let's look at this. (Luk.1:12) And Zacharias was troubled when he saw [him,] and fear fell upon him. (13) But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. (14) And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. (15) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.   There is also a fulfillment of that in our time. Remember that Paul spoke about being separated from my mother's womb (Gal.1:15), meaning he was being born out of the Jewish religion. In John's case, it could be taken that way as well, although Luke literally meant “from his (John the Baptist's) mother's womb.” I believe this John the Baptist ministry in our day is going to be the spiritual fulfillment of that corporate body. I believe that they will be anointed from their spiritual “mother's womb”, or, in other words, they are delivered out of their religion. The woman in Revelation 12 who birthed the Man-child and other later seeds represents the Church who brings forth these seeds as they grow up and mature.  Luke goes on to describe what we know to be a great revival that is coming because this John the Baptist ministry is on the verge of coming forth, probably after the next great judgment. Luke continues, And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God (Luk.1:16). Notice that it states “many of the children of Israel,” so this refers to those who were considered to be God's people. However, they were not who they thought they were. Jesus had a great problem with people like that, who believed they were right with God because of their religion. But He said that the Father had sent Him to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). In our day, we have the same situation. There are a lot of lost sheep in Christianity, and the Man-child ministry of our day is going to be sent to them as the fulfillment of that in our day. (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition (referring to Christians), upon whom the ends of the ages are come. It says, “Many of the children of Israel shall He turn unto the Lord their God.” That's a great revival!  (Luk.1:17) And he shall go before his face (that is, Jesus' face, or in our day, it would be the Man-child's face) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children … What He means by that, I believe the Lord showed me, and this is also in Malachi, to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” is that we need the heart that our fathers had. We need to have the diligence and discipleship that our early Church fathers had. God is going to restore what has been lost to the Church for the last 2000 years. He said in Malachi that if He did not do this, He would have to smite the earth with a curse (Mal.4:6). (Luk.1:17) And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient [to walk] in the wisdom of the just … This will be the result of the John the Baptist ministry in our day. People will be seeking righteousness, purity, holiness, and repentance. This was the main message that John had, to “make ready for the Lord” a people prepared for Him. His ministry will be to prepare hearts to recognize Jesus.  Interestingly, most Christians could not recognize Jesus if He walked in the door. That's the whole reason for this repentance. We don't have eyes to see and ears to hear unless we have repented, which is the ministry of John the Baptist, who came to turn the people back to the Lord. If you turn to the Lord, you can hear and you can see; you can recognize someone spiritual. But not if you're dull of hearing and have closed eyes like Jesus talks about when He says, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given (Mat.13:11). He was referring to His own people here who had become blind and hard of hearing, and who did not recognize Jesus. They didn't know the importance of His words and didn't lay any importance on the sanctification that was in those words. Also, it says, This is He that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight (Mat.3:3). In other words, “make a straight path for your connection with the Lord and His coming into your life.”  This is a part of Isaiah. (Isa.40:1) Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. (2) Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. It sounds like that's when John came because this is a prophecy of John, which we'll see when we look at the next verses. They had just come through a time of judgment, and this probably softened them up to be ready to repent when John preached and baptized in the river. He said that they had received double for all their sins. As we read on, we are going to see this again. (Isa.40:3) The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord … The way to the Lord is in the wilderness. It is not in the city; it is not in apostasy; it is not in Babylon.   The way to the Lord is in the wilderness, as Moses told Pharaoh (Exodus 10) because you cannot serve God in Egypt. We have to go into the wilderness to serve God and that's exactly what is going to happen here. We're going into a wilderness where people will once again learn to walk by faith. (Hab.2:4) … But the righteous shall live by his faith. (Heb.10:38) But my righteous one shall live by faith … (Isa.40:3) The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord; make level in the desert a highway for our God. In other words, make a way for His entrance into your life. You have to get all the stones out of the way; you have to remove anything that is between you and God. That's what the John the Baptist ministry is going to be all about.  (Isa.40:4) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (God is saying about this coming time, that when a person is humbled, then they'll be exalted and when a person is exalted, then they'll be humbled.); and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: (Isa.40:5) and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. It was prophesied of John to speak this, and in the letter, Isaiah was referring to the coming of Jesus. But Jesus said He was coming again on the morning of the third day, at the latter rain, and He's going to come in His Man-child company first. His purpose is to fill His whole body with His glory. You know that we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory (2Co.3:18). “Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” is the real Gospel and the people have forgotten that it's the Good News. They've forgotten that the Lord has done this; it is not us. We have faith in Him.  (Isa.40:6) The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. (7) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath (or the “spirit”; it's the same word) of the Lord blewit upon it; surely the people is grass. (8) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. (9) O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! This is prophesied of John the Baptist. “Behold, your God!”   The Lord is coming, folks! This is an exciting thing about the days to come. We're going to see the Lord again. No, not in His first physical body, but it's going to be Him manifested in His people. This is the great joy that God's people are going to have, and this is why no one will make them afraid in the wilderness because God's people are those who do truly desire Him and invite Him into their hearts to truly live, not as religion says, but for the truth.  The next verse speaks of His coming. (Isa.40:10) Behold, the Lord God will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him … (Isa.53:1) … To whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? That was Jesus and it is still Jesus today. Jesus in you is still the arm of the Lord that strengthens His hands to do His work, and He calls us His hands in Isaiah 53:10. (Isa.40:10) Behold, the Lord God will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. Notice that His recompense is before Him. That sounds like what we just read, that Jerusalem has paid double for her sins. It sounds as if judgment is coming before the Lord comes, and I believe that the Lord is showing us exactly that through many revelations, dreams, and visions. We'll return to that topic shortly, but it says, Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth (that is where we are), Say ye to the daughter of Zion (The daughter is born-again Zion, the New Jerusalem.), Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him (Isa.62:11). We can see that in two ways: First, we know that Jesus is coming in the Man-child as the white horse rider (Revelation 6:2) to bring judgment, like Moses came to bring judgment. But, and this is very interesting, it could also mean that there will be judgment before He comes, as we just read in Isaiah 40:2. (Isa.40:11) He will feed his flock like a shepherd (Ezekiel 34 refers to that – that He will shepherd His own sheep, His own flock.), he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, [and] will gently lead those that have their young. That sounds great, doesn't it? Praise the Lord! Glory to God! John the Baptist isn't such a bad guy. He's going to bring the beginning of a massive world revival.  (Mat.3:4) Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan. That sounds like a revival exactly as Luke 1 prophesied of John, that there would be a great move of repentance in God's people. What would cause God's people to repent like this? I believe, according to Isaiah 26, that one of the main things that moves God's people toward repentance is judgment. A very shaking judgment is coming, not only to America, but also to the world, and I believe that this may be the beginning of a John the Baptist ministry, which many will listen to. Something has to happen for God's people to listen and it is spoken about in Isaiah. (Isa.26:8) Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee. So I think God is going to catch people's attention with judgment and then He's going to bring the John the Baptist ministry, which will have a message of repentance.  (Mat.3:5) Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan; (6) and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Notice that “Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan went out unto him, and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Mat.3:7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: (9) and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. We see here that there were two kinds of people who came to the John the Baptist revival. Those who were worthy and those who were not worthy. So, according to Jesus, even those who were actually sons of their father, the devil (John 8:44), were coming out there to that revival.  Now, it just so happens that we received a revelation that really fits this John the Baptist revival, the repentant burning up of the wood, hay, and stubble, and the two kinds of people there. Kendall Remmick received this on February 7, 2010. My comments are in parentheses.  I was walking down an old, familiar street with a friend whom I never did see in the dream. I knew the person standing next to me was a friend, but I did not know his identity. (It could have been the Lord. Who knows?) The street is the one I used to walk home on every day from school when I was in the first and second grades. (I think he's going to give us a revelation here of the path of immaturity, as you'll realize shortly.) My friend and I walked by one house that had some low evergreen bushes about two feet high, and there was a woman sitting in a chair in the midst of the bushes. She was pregnant and had her hands on either side of her stomach in anticipation of giving birth. In appearance, she was actually a silhouette of a woman, yet still three-dimensional. Inside the silhouette was black darkness, like deep space with no stars. Staring at her was like looking at a portal into darkness. (This is talking about the apostate, immature Church in whom is the absence of God's light. It is space, a vacuum, the absence of many things, but especially God's light. The Church is in bad shape, andi it's not the glorious Church that it's soon to become. God has a plan and He is going to tell you about that here.)  When we walked past her, either my friend or I said, “She's about to give birth to twins.” (The interpretation that came to me as I read this is that the twins represent the end-time Jacobs and Esaus born to the immature Church. Remember Jacob and Esau wrestled in the womb, And the children struggled together within her (Gen.25:22), and they were opposites, weren't they? Jacob is the father of the 12 patriarchs, just as Jesus was the “father” of the 12 patriarch apostles. In our day, the endtime Man-child will be used to raise up the patriarch apostles to the end-time Church. So there are parallels there and history always repeats, so we should expect this. Esau represents those who have sold their birthright, as Paul said in Hebrews 12:16. These two types will be separated at birth, and Esau will persecute Jacob, who is a type of the Man-child. Jacob was the father of the 12 patriarchs, and the Man-child will also raise up the patriarchs in our day. These two different types are being born to this Church, very similar to what we saw in Matthew 3. Some sold their birthright because they were sons of Abraham, and there is the true seed of promise.)  At this point, we looked away and continued to walk forward a few steps. I then stopped and noticed that I had a very small lawnmower in my right hand. The woman who was in the small hedge was behind us now, and the yard had grown very big. The grass needed to be mowed, but it wasn't green. It was golden yellow-brown, like wheat. And I realized that we were there to mow the lawn. (Now we're back to what we just read: (Isa.40:6) The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass … So the yard of the woman, who represents the Church, has a large, grassy lawn, which represents lots of flesh. (Isa.40:6) The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. (7) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath (or the “spirit”; it's the same word) of the Lord bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. (8) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. This is truly going to be a revival because of the Spirit of God breathing upon the flesh, withering it up. This is a part of the John the Baptist revelation of Isaiah 40. This is what we need in preparation for the coming of the Lord into our lives in a greater way than we have ever known, in the latter rain movement.)  I looked down at the little lawnmower in my hand. The top of it looked like a regular lawnmower, but the bottom side, where the blades were, looked like a house fan with a safety screen on it. (My interpretation is that a corporate John the Baptist ministry will breathe out the winds of the Spirit. That will cut down the flesh of the Church in repentance to prepare for the coming of the Man-child ministry.) I began to laugh and said, “I can't mow this lawn with this little thing. This lawn is huge!” (Meaning that flesh is abundant in the worldwide Church. This is a worldwide John the Baptist ministry coming to a worldwide Church and their job is cutting the grass. I recently had a lady tell me that she saw me mowing her lawn and I said, “That means I'm cutting your flesh.” This should be the work of every minister, to cut down the flesh to make room for the coming of the Lord.)  My friend said, “Well, sit down on the grass.” (I believe that this represents that these ministers are going to be tested. They haven't been anointed yet, so they'll have to be tested. I believe they're being tested right now, that John the Baptists and the future Man-childs are out there right now. The thing is, they haven't been anointed. I don't know if you've ever noticed, but evangelists like John the Baptist can say less and see more people come to an altar or any other form of receiving the Lord. Their message is very simple, but people just seem to flock to them. It's a gift, an anointing that God gives. These people could be preaching away right now, but it's Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zec.4:6). Great revivals come by the Spirit of God. He is going to grant repentance, the Bible says. He can grant it to anybody. He doesn't even need your help to do it. A great revival is going to be just that; it's going to be a lot of people coming to repentance and wondering what happened. There's nothing from the outside you can observe that would tell you why this is happening, but you know that it's a move of God.)  When they set the mower down in the grass, it cut surprisingly well. But we realized that the lawnmower was way too small, so we agreed that we needed to go home and get a bigger lawnmower. (When the anointing comes on the worldwide John the Baptist ministries from Heaven, which is our real home because this world is not our home and we're going back home, the people will be prepared for the coming of the Man-child ministries. (Mat.11:10) This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee. Malachi 3:1 calls him “messenger.”   We once had a brother come and share, and the Lord had been telling me for weeks beforehand that this brother was a John the Baptist, and so when I told Brother Brad to put a banner up on the site to let everyone know he was coming, Brad said that the Lord had spoken to him that this was a John the Baptist. I said, “I know that; the Lord has spoken the same thing to me.” And then, the first thing that the brother said when he opened his mouth was that he was a messenger. I said, “Aha! You just confirmed something for me.” Of course, he didn't know that he was a John the Baptist. A lot of people don't know who they are, but it doesn't matter that you don't know who you are. It matters that you follow the Will of God until you find yourself in the Will of God. Praise the Lord! He can do this!)  When I was writing this, a verse came to me. (Amo.7:2) And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass … (In Daniel 4, the Beast Nebuchadnezzar, who was the head of the Babylonian Empire, had been given over to the mind of a beast and had devoured much flesh. But when he was delivered over to the mind of the beast, he devoured the flesh of the field for seven years, representing the nations that he was conquering. The nations of the Beast were conquered. Why is God raising up the Beast? He's raising up the Beast to cut the grass. He's not raising up just the John the Baptists who preach repentance, but He's also raising up the Beasts that put you on the cross in the first place. People don't want to see the Beast. They don't have any idea what the meaning and the purpose of the Beast is. They don't understand that God raises up the Beast to put His people on the cross; in other words, “to cut the grass,” so that they will humble themselves before God.)  (There's only one escape from the Beast, folks, and people are going to realize that it's going to be the Highway of Holiness. The Beast can't go on the Highway of Holiness. If you're walking holy before the Lord, Isaiah 35 says the Highway of Holiness goes to Zion, the City of God, the holy city, the mountain of God's presence, where also the Beast cannot tread. There is a place of safety from the Beast. God is going to make people understand that and that's why people are going to flock to Zion. We know that the John the Baptist ministry is baptized for the death of the flesh before the Man-child brings the latter rain.)  The lawnmower is the ministry before the latter rain. (He had that right because I had that revelation as I was reading from the top down, and I didn't know he had that there, but the ministry before the latter rain is the John the Baptist ministry. The dry grass is the saints who will die to the flesh. John the Baptist came in the anointing of Elijah, the Bible says. He will also come again in our time, to fulfill this revelation.)  According to Jesus, Elijah comes twice. (Mat.17:10) And his disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? (11) And he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things: (12) but I say unto you, that Elijah is come already (So He said that Elijah was future and that Elijah had come already.), and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. (Mat.17:13) Then understood the disciples that He spake unto them of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was Elijah (spiritually), who had come the first time, and now we have another John the Baptist Elijah that is coming. According to Jesus, he is coming twice.  Our text in Matthew 3 is an interesting revelation of a great revival and wave of repentance. We have had revivals, but a revival always starts with repentance, not just questionable signs and wonders. And for wise people, they are not even questionable. John the Baptist preached against such Babylonish hypocrisy as the Saul leadership, which we saw and understood must die before the David leadership could come.  I was talking with a brother one time about the John the Baptist ministry or evangelists in general, about how different they were, in that they generally stuck with the basics. The brother told me that the Lord had been telling him to get back to the basics, and I recognized that was what the Lord had taught me about evangelists or John the Baptist-type ministries. They're speaking to a people who do not have eyes to see or ears to hear, but through the preaching of repentance God is going to give them eyes and ears. They need to get the basics first in order to come into the Kingdom. The John the Baptists and evangelists both are speaking to people who are not yet fully manifested coming into the Kingdom, and also to apostate ministries, to bring them to repentance. You cannot bring a deep word; in fact, a deep word will just hinder their work.  John the Baptist had a real simple message of repentance, which is more than just crying at an altar. It is changing your mind, turning, going the other way. The Bible says, For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, [a repentance] which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death (2Co.7:10). That means you might repent, but you'll regret it and go right back where you came from. The sorrow of the world is that way, but real repentance changes a person. It does not matter if you cry or not. Repentance is not necessarily crying; it's changing your mind enough to where you reject your old way of thinking, which is the main problem.  Another text in Matthew 11 speaks about John the Baptist's simple ministry, and perhaps he didn't yet understand a few things. It seems very plain here. (Mat.11:1) And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities. (2) Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples (3) and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? Now, why did he say that? It may be that Jesus was not living up to expectations, not that Jesus wasn't already doing great work. Maybe in John's eyes He wasn't living up to the expectations of what they thought the Messiah was going to bring. I'm referring to the religious crowd of his day; they didn't expect Him to come this way or act this way. John likely had some of that in him because he asked the question through his disciples, “Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?”   (Mat.11:4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see: (5) the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them. (6) And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me. Well, that was a mild reproof for John, to tell John, “You shouldn't stumble; don't stumble in Me.” Jesus was the “stone of stumbling” (Romans 9:33) and people did stumble over Jesus. But He warned John not to stumble over Him because there was a big difference between their ministries. John preached repentance and Jesus was an enigmatic teacher of the deep things of God. He had deep revelations of these things. We never had any sign that John ever went beyond the basic preaching of faith and repentance, which is what is needed to prepare the way for the coming of the teaching. People are not even interested in that unless they have changed their mind and turned to God. We hear many times of people who, after repenting and turning to God, ask Him to lead them to truth, and God did that for them. He led them to truth because they had repented and truly became a disciple, but they needed some “food.”  The important thing is that when John is through with you, you're ready for Jesus. That is what's coming in our day. When an evangelist is through with you, you're ready for a teacher. So God is laying the foundation, and He always does a very good job of that. (Mat.11:7) And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? (8) But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft [raiment]? Behold, they that wear soft [raiment] are in king's houses. John was not a fancy person at all, was he? He certainly did not eat fancy food. (Mat.11:9) But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is a great prophet. (10) This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee. As we'll see a little further down in the text, John was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, according to Jesus, not because he spoke a lot of great things, but because of the anointing and the preparation and the job that he had to do. Once again, God is choosing a people through whom He is going to do a great work. Many of God's people are going to turn to God through this ministry, a worldwide ministry.  (Mat.11:11) Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. In Jesus' day, John came at the end of the Old Covenant and was an Old Covenant prophet who was, at that time, preparing for a New Covenant; it was the old order preparing for the new order. The old and new orders are slightly different in our day but still have to follow according to the pattern. The old order in our day is the former rain ministry, and I know not many people have even come into that. This is really sad because, if you just read the Bible and pay attention to it, not getting distracted by religion, you cannot help but realize that you're supposed to be filled with God's Holy Spirit.  I believe the John the Baptist ministries that are coming in our day are going to fulfill being in the end of an old order, to prepare the way for the coming of a new order, which is the Man-child ministry. The John the Baptist in our day is going to come as the greatest prophet of the former rain and be a great ministry, bringing in multitudes of people. He will have the gifts of the former rain and be a former rain prophet, but the Man-child ministry is coming with the latter rain. That's the anointing that will fall upon the Man-child. The anointing that fell upon Jesus was the former rain, but the latter rain will fall upon the Man-child. We know that Jesus said He was coming again after two days on the morning of the third day, as the latter rain (Hosea 6:2-3).  So you see, Jesus is coming again, but this time He's coming as the new order for our day. He came as the new order for His day last time, and He's coming as the new order this time, as well, but He's coming after a John the Baptist ministry, which will be the greatest of the old order former rain. We know that the prophecy says that the rain will come, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month] (Joe.2:23). We see that there's a revival coming and it's going to be a revival of the former rain and the latter rain. The latter rain is going to supersede the former rain, and John the Baptist said just that. (Joh.3:30) He must increase, but I must decrease. In other words, “Don't get your eyes on me too long, boys, because there is coming One whose shoe latchets, I am not worthy to undo” (John 1:27). So John's disciples started getting the revelation of Who Jesus was, and they started following Him. John freely admitted that he was not the Messiah, but that the One Who was coming was greater.  (Mat.11:12) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. How much more is this going to be true in the coming revival? Why do we have to take the Kingdom by force? Because there is a whole army standing against you, one over which you have been given authority. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. He gives us authority, but we have to fight a spiritual warfare to take the Kingdom of Heaven. It has been given, but you still have to take it with your “sword” (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). When God sent the children of Israel to take the Promised Land, they had to take it with their sword. God said, “You go in there with your sword, and I will be with you.” Basically, that's where we are today. We have to take the Kingdom with our sword. Why? Because there's a second heaven before the third Heaven.  We dwell in the first heaven, but the second heaven is filled with the principalities, powers, and world-rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) that do everything they can to keep us from reaching the third Heaven. We don't take the Kingdom from God; we're taking it from these spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places] (Eph.6:12). By the way, Paul was a type of the Man-child who entered the third Heaven. He said that he fought the good fight and finished the race (2 Timothy 4:7). We are fighting a fight to take the Kingdom of God, but we must take it here. People think that you don't enter the Kingdom on Earth, but you do. (Luk.17:20) And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God cometh, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: (21) neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you. So He says, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force (Mat.11:12). Remember the authority that the Lord gave you. You have a right to everything that the Lord says is yours in this Book, but that doesn't mean you're going to get it if you don't take up your sword and fight. For everything that God has given you, you may have to fight. Don't expect God to just lay it in your hand. You may have to speak faith, act faith, and repent to receive it.  (Luk.17:13) For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. (14) And if ye are willing to receive [it,] this is Elijah, that is to come. (15) He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Praise the Lord! And so it is, we are about to enter into more of the Kingdom than we have ever experienced, or anybody has experienced, except the Lord. We're going to enter into it right here. And for some people to receive the former rain, repent of their sins, and become true disciples, it's going to be because of John's ministry. Then the Man-child ministry shall come, which is the latter rain. During the first 3½ years of Jesus' ministry, He was the only One Who had the former rain. When He was baptized by John in the river, He came up and the Spirit of God came upon Him; that was the former rain. At the end of His 3½-year ministry, He breathed on His disciples and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Joh.20:22).   Their former rain came out of Jesus and in our day, it's a perfect parallel because the John the Baptist ministry in our day is going to have the former rain, while the Man-child ministry in whom Jesus lives is going to have the latter rain for the first 3½ years. At the end of that time, they're going to pass on their mantle to their disciples. Why didn't the disciples need it during the first 3½ years? It's because they were being trained under Jesus' authority. He said that He would send them “another Comforter” (Greek: Paraclete; John 14:16). Jesus was also a Paraclete, meaning “One who stands beside and helps.” But the Holy Spirit was also a Paraclete, and Jesus went away in order to send the Holy Spirit, Who would manifest Him in those disciples.  So for the first 3½ years, Jesus' disciples were given authority by Him to go and do the things that they would do. They needed the other Paraclete when Jesus left in order to continue with the anointing and the power. Jesus was the only One Who had the former rain for the first 3½ years, but He imparted that mantle to them, as Elijah had done to Elisha (2 Kings 2:13), who turned and faced 42 youths who were mauled by two bears (2 Kings 2:23-24). The bears were the Beast, and the 42 youths represented the 42 months of the last 3½ years. We're seeing the parallel there of passing on this anointing, this mantle. Elijah passed his mantle to Elisha, who went out and performed more miracles than Elijah ever did. So did the disciples of Jesus; they went out and did greater works than Jesus (John 14:12) because they were multiplied. This was Jesus in all of them, going out and performing the same works that Jesus was doing, so it was multiplied into many greater works.  This is going to be repeated again and the reason this revival is going to spread all over the world is because of a geometric progression, or the “stadium effect” we've spoken of before. The stadium effect is a circle inside a circle inside a circle, and each circle that receives the words spoken in the center passes it on to a larger circle. Everyone who receives the Word passes it on to more than one person, creating a progressively larger circle. Geometric progression is going to turn the world upside-down in these coming days, just as it did for these disciples. The Man-child ministry is going to teach under the latter rain for the first 3½ years and will impart that to the disciples, who are going to go on in the second 3½ years to raise up the five-fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11), and so on and so forth.  We saw in Acts 16 that Jesus was still with them in Spirit, just as Moses went halfway through the wilderness and had to put a veil on his face because there was a glorified man underneath. Then Moses went with the Israelites the rest of the way through the wilderness, which represents the last 3½ years of the Tribulation. We know that the wilderness is, according to Revelation 12 and 17, the first and second 3½ years of the Tribulation. So, every Man-child type in Scripture adds more and more detail to the final revelation. Praise God! He's going to do an awesome miracle, an awesome revival, that will start with John the Baptist and be carried on through Jesus and the Two Witnesses because they're the ones who were trained by Jesus. He sent them out two-by-two, in every place that He was about to go. Where is He going? The whole world, For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man (Mat.24:27). That anointing will be passed from these ministries throughout the Church in this way and Jesus is going to raise up a body in His image. He will raise up the body of Christ.  We have been calling ourselves the body of Christ for a long time, but Jesus lives in the body of Christ, and He ministers from the body of Christ, so we're going to really see the body of Christ in the earth. Jesus will be famous from here on out. For the last 2000 years, His name has been small among the nations, but not so from here onward. The Lord is going to manifest His glory in this earth and people will fear the name of the Lord. They are either going to love Him or fear Him, but He is coming again, though not in the way the Pharisees and the Sadducees think. He didn't come the last time the way they thought He would, either. Once again, God has hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes (Mat.11:25). Praise God!   The Lord has a great plan to once again hide these things from the Pharisees and the Sadducees of our day. They will not understand it; they will not believe it; they cannot see Him, and they do not know Him. But, as Jesus said, those who come as a child to the Kingdom of God will do awesome wonders in the power of God, like He did through those ignorant fishermen. They were like babes to the great theologians who looked down on them, but these were the true believers, the true people of God. And in our day, it's going to be God coming in simplicity through John the Baptist. You couldn't imagine John the Baptist in a suit and tie in the wilderness, could you? He was a simple man here for a very important purpose, and I will guarantee you that's exactly what is going to happen. Praise God!   Thank You, Lord, for doing a mighty work. Amen!   The things God has spoken in Matthew are prophetic of something to come in the future. The prophet Isaiah also said the same thing: (Isa.7:14) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign (The Hebrew word there is uwth, meaning “a sign of something to come.”): behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Jesus' birth to the virgin Mary was for a sign and we've discovered that Jesus' ministry was a sign of the coming Man-child ministry. When we look in the Gospels, we can also see a prophetic word about the coming days. Our study has reached the part where Jesus was anointed of the Holy Spirit, so we'll continue there. (Mat.3:16) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; (17) and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. This, too, is a prophecy of the things to come. As you know, Jesus spoke to us in John 16 and said that He was going to come again as a baby born to a woman, “a woman when she is in travail” (John 16:21). When we look all the way through the Bible, we come to Revelation 12:2 and there's the woman in travail with the Man-child.  After the sign that Jesus gave us here in Matthew, we know the Man-child is a corporate body coming forth in our day. It's interesting that everything that happened in the former rain is going to happen in the latter rain and this Spirit of God falling upon Jesus at this particular time was the outpouring of the former rain of the Holy Spirit that Joel prophesied would restore all things to the people of God (Joel 2:23). The former rain was given to Jesus first, who taught His disciples for 3½ years and then breathed on them, saying, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Joh.20:22). Ten days later, a mighty, rushing wind came into their presence and baptized all of them in the Holy Spirit and they received the former rain.   But Jesus had it first and was the One Who breathed it on the disciples. Paul said that Jesus is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Col.1:18). And He is going to have the preeminence this time, as well. Many people leave Him out of their Manchild theology, but the point is that it is the Lord Who is coming to do this. The Lord came with the former rain, and He is the One coming with the latter rain, although He's coming in a different body. It is still Him coming to do it. He came in the body of the Son of David, the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).  I know people want to make that the “seed of God,” but That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Joh.3:6). Jesus was declared to be of the seed of David according to the flesh (Rom.1:3), but declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness (4). God was the Father of the spiritual man Jesus, the Son of God, Who came from Heaven, and it was Mary's seed that was the son of David. Jesus said, a body didst thou prepare for me (Heb.10:5), and that body was from man. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Once again, the Lord is going to take on a human body in these days and the body gets no credit; it is the Lord Who gets the credit.   But the Lord is coming to start the latter rain and though you've heard this before, I'll share it with you again briefly. (Hos.6:2) After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. (3) And let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. “He will come unto us … as the latter rain that watereth the earth.” This is referring to the epiphany of Jesus, not the parousia of Jesus. The parousia is the physical coming of Jesus, but this latter rain is the epiphany of Jesus coming in His body. The first-fruits who are going to receive this blessing are called the Man-child ministry and it's on the morning of the “third day,” exactly what we see here in the text. It is Jesus who is coming to anoint His people and to, once again, sit upon the throne of David, as Luke 1:32 tells us; Jesus sat upon the throne of David.  The Bible also tells us, by the way, that the Man-child is going to be caught up unto God, and unto his throne (Rev.12:5). A lot of people do not realize that the throne the Man-child is caught up to is not some throne up in Heaven, way out yonder. It's the Kingdom of Heaven here. The “throne” that Jesus was caught up to is that He was given the throne of David to rule over Israel and He even came in the triumphal procession into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9; John 12:13), where it was quoted, Behold, thy King cometh … (Mat.21:5; Joh.12:15). Of course, He wasn't treated like a King, was He? He was a King Who was born of the seed of David and was to sit on David's throne and rule Israel. The Bible tells us, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king (Jer.23:5), and that David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel (Jer.33:17). So, once again, the Man-child is caught up to the throne, but I want to tell you Who rules on that throne: it is not the Man-child; it is Jesus! Jesus is coming as the latter rain to rule.  Here's another verse that pertains to this: (2Ch.9:8) Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God. He's talking about the throne of David. We are still talking about flesh, aren't we? Who is that Spirit in David? Paul spoke about the Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets and that Spirit of Christ was pointing toward the suffering of Christ in our day. So, who was in David who manifested that righteousness and goodness? It was Christ. He has always been on the throne; nobody else is going to sit on the throne. Oh, yes, there will be fleshly bodies that rule, just like there are in the Church today. There's the five-fold ministry that God raised up, and those are now our leaders in the Church. They rule, yet they really only have a gift that comes from the Lord, and it's the Lord manifested in them to Whom we are submitting. Paul said, Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ (1Co.11:1). In other words, “Follow me as I follow the Lord.”  The latter rain is in complete parallel to the former rain and the Lord is coming to rule in a body, to raise up the whole Church into His Image, the glory of God. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. That's the Gospel! I believe that the Man-child is the first-fruits in our day to reach sun glory. There is “star glory,” there is “moon glory,” and there is “sun glory,” the three glories that Paul spoke about in 1 Corinthians 15:40-41. He said that we grow through each of them in stages to come to maturity in Christ, Who is sun glory  Notice that one of the key words spoken in the verses that we looked at from Hosea 6:3 is “rain.” (Hos.6:3) He will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. This “rain” keys in on quite a few verses, especially in the Old Testament. Those verses give us little clues as to what's going to happen in the latter rain, not only for the Church, but also in the Tribulation, because the latter rain happens in the Tribulation, which is “on the morning of the third day,” the third thousand years from when Jesus came.   Now let's look at Micah 5. The chapter starts out speaking about Jesus. (Mic.5:2) But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel (that was Jesus); whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (3) Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth (That's the woman bringing forth the Man-child in Revelation 12. He has given them up, but they are going to come back.): then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. However, the children of Israel in the New Testament are not those who are circumcised in flesh but circumcised in heart. That's what Paul tells us in Romans 2:28-29. His brethren are going to come back to the children of Israel, the ones who are grafted into the olive tree. As the Bible tells us, they're going to be grafted again back into their own olive tree that they were broken off from because of unbelief (Romans 11:23).   This is what He's referring to right here, but the wonderful thing, the thing that excites me, is this: (Mic.5:4) And he shall stand, and shall feed [his flock] in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. This is the Lord coming as the latter rain, at the time that the woman brings forth the Man-child, and it says He is going to feed His flock. That excites me! The Lord is coming, folks! I love to think about His coming. He's coming to feed us and minister to us. The Lord is angry with the shepherds and what they have done unto His flock, as He tells you all through the Old Testament.  Some key verses that refer to the latter rain begin a little further down. (Mic.5:7) And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass (There it is again, “showers upon the grass.”), that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men. Wow! They are not dependent on this world, are they? People who love the latter rain are just carried by it. Without the Spirit of God, it is such a struggle to live and do His work and to minister as He called us to minister. It's a struggle without the Word of God. He makes it easy. We're supposed to give Him our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30). It's Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zec.4:6). It will get done by God's Spirit. We have now wasted almost 2000 years and made very little progress, as far as Christianity being born in the earth, as Isaiah 26 tells us. In just a very short time, the anointing of God is going to do its work. The Lord Jesus is coming with that anointing to sit once more on the throne of David and rule over His born-again people.  (Mic.5:8) And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples (We are spread throughout the world among the beasts of the field, the Beast being the nations of lost mankind.), as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he go through, treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and there is none to deliver. (9) Let thy hand be lifted up above thine adversaries, and let all thine enemies be cut off. He is referring to the Lord here, the Lord in His people. The Lord stands and feeds His flock, and the Lord raises up “seven shepherds, and eight principal men,” or “princes among men,” as stated in Micah 5:5. The seven shepherds are like the apostle John, who was also caught up to the throne as a type of the Man-child, but he gave a revelation of the end time to seven angels, who were then to bring it to the Church. The word “angel” is the same word as “messenger,” and it's used in the New Testament for not only heavenly-type angels or messengers but also earthly ministers. John is giving his revelation to seven ministers, who go forth to the seven churches. This is what Jesus did. He raised up disciples to go forth to the 12 tribes because He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. John raised up seven ministers to go forth and bring the message of the end time to the seven churches. Here in this text, we see the same thing. We see the seven princes among men, and the eighth is Jesus in the midst.  We also see here that they are going to be used to bring judgment in the earth, that they will be like a lion and not like lambs. Jesus came as a Lamb and He sent out His sheep to be lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3), but now He is saying they will be like lions. Not only are they going to bring the Gospel, but they are also going to bring judgment, like the Two Witnesses company brought judgment upon the earth. The Two Witnesses represent the disciples of Jesus because Jesus sent them forth two-by-two, corporately, to the places He was supposed to go, and the same thing is going to happen to the Man-child ministers: they are going to send forth witnesses, two-by-two, and they are going to speak judgments. It is like Revelation 11 on the earth and upon the wicked. No, it's not going to be like a lamb this time. It's going to be the Lamb and the Lion this time.   There is judgment coming with the latter rain movement because the end is near. All nations are going to persecute the saints, but God is not going to leave them defenseless. He is raising up a Man-child ministry, who is raising up a Two Witness ministry, which is raising up a five-fold ministry. Remember the disciples that Jesus sent out ordained a five-fold ministry to lead and guide the Church. This is what we're referring to that will happen again in our day. The Spirit that is upon Jesus, the mantle that is upon Him, He put upon His disciples, and they put it upon the five-fold ministry, and so on. This same thing is going to happen. The anointing that is upon Jesus coming as the latter rain is going to be put upon His disciples, etc. This anointing is the latter rain. It's the power of the Holy Spirit.  There's another way that God speaks about coming judgment. (Rev.6:1) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals (the first seal), and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. (2) And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown (this is the crown of David): and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. Notice that he had a bow but no arrows, and this is the first judgment. I have shared before that this is not really referring to the Antichrist, nor literally Christ. It's referring to the Man-child ministry, which is coming with judgment. Moses was the Man-child ministry in his day and he loosed all of the “horses” of judgment in his day. All of them followed his ministry. All of the judgments that fell upon Egypt came right out of Moses' mouth, and this is the same thing that's about to happen, according to type and shadow. The Man-child is the first judgment and because of his ministry, all those other horse judgments and the other seals are loosed upon the earth. This white horse rider is none other than the Lord in His Man-child.  We can see the same thing here: (Zec.10:1) Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain (We need to be praying for that now because it is very near.), [even of] the Lord that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. There are ‘the showers' on the grass again. Peter said, All flesh is as grass (1Pe.1:24), and yet, the Lord said that He was going to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (Acts 2:17). That refers to the Church because that is “all flesh,” men and women out of all nations. He is pouring out His rain upon the “grass of the field,” which Jesus said was the world (Matthew 13:38). This gives you the timing that we are talking about in the latter rain; this is a prophecy of our time. If we go back one chapter, we read, For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim (Zec.9:13). What does Judah represent? Well, Jerusalem the Bride came from Judah, and David was from Jerusalem, and David ruled over the Bride in Jerusalem over the rest of Israel. He says, “I have filled the bow with Ephraim,” and the name “Ephraim” means “the fullness of nations.” That refers to what we just studied in Revelation; it's a different parable, but it means the same thing. A remnant of Jacob or Israel was going to be used by God and was going to receive the anointing of the Man-child through the seven shepherds, who went to the churches, etc.  So how is this going to spread all over the world in just seven short years? It will be like a geometric progression, starting with a 144,000-member Man-child, first-fruits people with an anointing. And that anointing is nothing to belittle; look at the miracles that Jesus did. And then consider the miracles that Jesus is going to do because The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former (Hag.2:9). The miracles of the Man-child through the Two Witnesses, through the five-fold ministry, and through the Church will spread very quickly. God is doing a quick work here, for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short (Rom.9:28) in righteousness. He will fill His bow with Ephraim. Notice also that the Man-child who rode upon the white horse had a bow, but he did not have any arrows. He had already sent forth His arrows.   The Bible says that our children are our arrows. (Psa.127:4) As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. Jesus called His disciples “children” (John 21:5) and He sent them forth. He drew the bow and sent them forth as His arrows to bring His anointed, His works, and His ministry all around the world. The exact same thing is going to happen again. (Zec.9:13) For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion (the Bride), against thy sons, O Greece (the Beast at that particular time), and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. Anytime one of the Beasts (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, etc.) is mentioned in the Bible, it's a type and a shadow of the end time. Well, He says He would stir up sons, so there's a war preparing to happen here.  Let's see what He says about this white horse rider. (Zec.10:1) Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain, [even of] the Lord that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. (2) For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain. He's referring to the ministry that is there when the Man-child comes. It's the same as the ministry that was there when Jesus came. They were into a lot of falsehood – a lot of false prophets, false shepherds – and they had dealt corruptly. The Lord was judging them, but He did not judge them like He is about to judge this time because it is the Lion who is coming this time. (Zec.10:2) For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain: therefore they go their way like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. Remember, the Lord is mourning because there is not a shepherd in Israel. They are like sheep scattered without a shepherd. Of course, they had shepherds, but God was not calling them “shepherds” and that's the problem. So the Lord sent His Own right arm, the Lord Jesus.  (Zec.10:3) Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the he-goats; for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his goodly horse in the battle. You know, all those horses in Revelation 6 represent the harnessing of the flesh to do work. They were all judgments, but God was using different flesh to bring each kind of judgment. The kind of flesh that the Man-child is riding here is talking about Judah. David's authority was first received by the Bride because the capital city was Zion, which represents the Bride, and David was king in Zion.   The house of Judah will be “his goodly horse in the battle.” (Zec.10:4) From him shall come forth the corner-stone (which we know has happened), from him the nail (which we also know has happened), from him the battle bow … (And we know that happened. He sent forth Judah and Ephraim as the arrows. Judah is once again going to be in leadership, including the Lord Himself, Who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. They will raise up the whole Church and that's what Ephraim represents as the “fullness of nations.”), from him every ruler together. (Zec.10:5) And they shall be as mighty men, treading down [their enemies] in the mire of the streets in the battle … A lot of people do not know the authority God has given His people, especially in a time when grace is being taken from some. There is going to come a time during the Tribulation period when nobody else will repent. In fact, God will turn away from the Gentiles and He will turn to the remnant of the Jews that He is going to bring in, like He said He was going to do, back in Romans 11.  Once again, this white horse rider is going to bring judgment in the earth, like Moses did with the judgments he brought. (Zec.10:5) And they shall be as mighty men, treading down [their enemies] in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them … That's another meaning of “Immanuel.” Remember the sign that the woman would conceive and bring forth a son and they would call His name “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14)? Once again, “God is with us” because the Man-child is going to be born to the woman and God is going to be with us again. This is not saying that men will be God. It's saying that God is coming to do His works. If that offends anyone out there listening, the Bible says through Paul, Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate (2Co.13:5). To the extent that you are bearing the fruit of Jesus, 30-, 60- and 100-fold, as in the Parable of the Sower, to that extent Jesus lives in you. We're just talking about Him coming in maturity in some people first in order to lead the rest into the same maturity. It's still Jesus, and He is still the Son of God. He is still God. (Zec.10:5) And they shall be as mighty men, treading down [their enemies] in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them; and the riders on horses shall be confounded. Now, what is this referring to? God is leading the horsemen, yes, but they don't have any effect upon God's people. If you remember, in the Exodus, the judgments that fell upon Egypt, God separated His people in Goshen from those judgments (Exodus 8:22). So the riders on horses will be confounded in one aspect and that is concerning God's people because they are under the Passover; they are not under the curse.  (Zec.10:6) And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back (Back from where? Bring them back from Babylon, back from bondage. They were the first ones to come out of bondage and build the city of God.); for I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. (7) And [they of] Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yea, t

“He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14 NLT) Like Joseph before him, Daniel had the ability to interpret dreams and visions. This was a valuable skill in Old Testament times, when people placed great importance on dreams and visions. And like Joseph before him, Daniel used his ability to gain favor with a foreign king. Daniel was taken captive when the Babylonians conquered his homeland of Judah. When the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream he couldn’t interpret, Daniel was in the right place at the right time. He impressed the king by telling him exactly what his dream meant. In Daniel 7, however, Daniel himself had a dream that even he couldn’t interpret. Fortunately, there was a heavenly being nearby who was able to explain it to him. Daniel saw four beasts emerging from a churning, windswept sea. The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings. The second beast looked like a bear with three ribs in its mouth. The third beast was like a four-headed leopard with four wings on its back. The fourth beast had ten horns (until another suddenly appeared) and huge iron teeth. Each beast represented a political empire that had—or would—oppress Israel. The first beast represents the Babylonian Empire. The second beast represents the Medo-Persian Empire. The third beast represents the Greek Empire. The fourth beast represents the Roman Empire. Bible scholars have suggested several interesting correlations between Daniel’s vision and actual historical events. That’s a rabbit hole you may want to explore. But for our purposes today, let’s focus on the last part of Daniel’s vision. He saw “someone like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven” (7:13, NLT). This Son of Man is led into God’s presence, where He is given authority over all the nations of the world. People of every nation obey him. His kingdom will never be destroyed. The Son of Man is Christ, who will return in glory to pronounce judgment on the world and usher in His eternal kingdom. Jesus confirmed His role in Daniel’s prophecy during His trial, just before His crucifixion, in Mark 14:61–62. When the high priest asked Jesus if He was the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One, Jesus replied, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven” (NLT). Though these end-times images may seem a little unsettling, there is no reason for believers to worry. Jesus said, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT). What comforting words Jesus speaks to us. If you are a child of God, you don’t have to fear the future. Jesus is going to watch over you. Reflection question: How does knowing that God is in control of history impact the way you respond to the events that are happening in our nation today? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History sometimes has a habit of framing cultures as either heroes or villains, depending on the source. When it comes to Greek sources Herodotus "The Father of History", is kinda the go to when it comes to the period of antiquity. Every story needs a bad guy or a great evil to overcome, and when it comes to Herodotus his history was many times more fiction than fact. For the Greeks it was the vast and powerful Persian Empire coming to snuff out the light of the greek world. Weeeellllll...the Greeks were already doing a decent job of that themselves to be honest. While the first Persian Empire, established by the Acheamenid (Ack-a-men-id) Dynasty was central to the story of Greece "uniting", the Persians were across the Aegean doing some pretty incredible things. Founded by Cyrus the Great the Achaemenid Dynasty became the largest empire in the world during its time. Religious Tolerance, establishment of great road systems to carry trade and culture, the first mail system, a standardized monetary system based on the gold and silver, and a common language just to name a few. We owe a surprising amount of things in our modern world to this Empire. Tune in a find out just who were the Achaemenids and why maybe the Greeks kinda had it coming... Support the show

Has your world ever broken? If it has, what did you do? In 586 BCE, the Babylonian Empire, conquered all of what was left of Israel. Jerusalem, was destroyed, burned to the ground, along with the great temple that King Solomon had built.  It's one thing to read about a death in an obituary. But the book of Lamentations is like going to the funeral and hearing the sobs and songs of an entire people, collectively grieving the death of their capital and their country. When our world breaks, we have this impulse to pull away from others—to bury our feelings rather than be honest about them. When the world breaks, we're still suckers for quick fixes. Easy answers and cheap promises. Instead, the prophet Jeremiah encourages us to lament. To cry out in our moment of great need. Lament is grief shared. We may be tempted to bear life alone, but lament offers another way. We're encouraged to bring it all to God, our only hope for ultimate deliverance and justice, and pray, “We need you, Lord! Come!” 

In this session, we delve into the stories of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, two Babylonian kings who faced God's judgment. We examine Nebuchadnezzar's 7-year humiliation and eventual acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. We discuss Belshazzar's misuse of sacred items from the Jerusalem Temple during a feast, which leads to his downfall and the end of his kingdom. The Babylonian Empire falls and the Medo-Persian Empire rises. Soon, Cyrus king of Persia issues an edict allowing the return of the exiles to the Land of Canaan.Bible ReadingsDaniel 4:28-37Daniel 5:1-312 Chronicles 36:22-23Hebrews 12:5-11Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgOur sessions use various translations including the ESV, BSB, CSB, NASB,...

Send us a textIn the last episode we discussed the rise and fall of the Akkadian Empire and the Ur III Dynasty - The Neo-Sumerian Empire. We begin this episode with the Old Babylonian Period, the eight kingdoms, and the rise and fall of the Babylonian Empire under Hammurabi.Checkout the video version at:https://www.youtube.com/@DWAncientBabylonSupport the showThis Podcast series is available on all major platforms.See more resources, maps, and information at:https://www.dwworldhistory.comOutlines, Maps, and Episode Guides for this series are available for download at:https://www.patreon.com/DWWorldHistory

Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford teach from Daniel 1 and discuss the rise of the Neo-Babylonian empire. Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

Judah is in Exile. After the Babylonian Empire conquers the Southern Kingdom of Judah, many find themselves exiled to Babylon, including a faithful man named Daniel. Despite being in a foreign land, Daniel remains devoted to God and is blessed with wisdom and understanding. When King Nebuchadnezzar has a puzzling dream, Daniel interprets it as a vision of future kingdoms and the ultimate reign of God's kingdom. Daniel also receives a vision of God's future timing for world-shaking events.Suggested Readings:Daniel 2:27-45Daniel 9:20-27Episode Highlights:Daniel's unwavering faith and divine wisdom in BabylonThe interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's statue dream and its significance for world kingdomsThe prophetic revelation of the 70 sevens and God's future timelineGod's sovereignty over human kingdoms and historySupport the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgOur sessions use various translations including the ESV, BSB, CSB, NASB,...

In this session, we explore the historical account of the division of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. We witness the consequences of the rebellion and sin of both kingdoms, leading to their ultimate downfall at the hands of foreign empires. Despite warnings from prophets, the Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC, and later the Kingdom of Judah suffers the same fate at the hands of the Babylonian Empire. However, amidst the devastation, God promises a future restoration and introduces the New Covenant, offering forgiveness and a transformation from within.Suggested Reading:1 Kings 12:25-33Jeremiah 29:4-14Jeremiah 31:31-37Episode HighlightsThe split of the united kingdom after Solomon's deathThe northern kingdom's descent into idolatryThe fall of Israel to Assyria (722 BC)Judah's similar path to destructionGod's promise of the New Covenant through JeremiahSupport the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgOur sessions use various translations including the ESV, BSB, CSB, NASB,...

Welcome to the Christian Bible Study Ministry podcast. In this episode, we delve into the often-overlooked biblical figure of Nimrod and his enduring legacy through the Babylonian Empire. Discover how his leadership led to the creation of the Tower of Babel and the division of languages among humanity. We explore Nimrod's role as a mighty hunter and empire builder, and examine the spiritual implications of his rebellion against God. From the grand cities of Nineveh and Babylon, centers of ancient power and wickedness, to the lessons we can learn from his story, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the significance of Nimrod's actions. Join us as we reflect on the spiritual consequences of disobedience and the importance of remaining faithful to God's commands. Through prayer and reflection, we are reminded of our own struggles with rebellion and the need for daily repentance and humility before the Lord.

In this episode, we delve into the stories of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, two Babylonian kings who faced God's judgment. We examine Nebuchadnezzar's 7-year humiliation and eventual acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. We discuss Belshazzar's misuse of sacred items from the Jerusalem Temple during a feast, which leads to his downfall and the end of his kingdom. The Babylonian Empire falls and the Medo-Persian Empire rises. Soon, Cyrus king of Persia issues an edict allowing the return of the exiles to the Land of Canaan.Readings: Daniel 4:28-37, Daniel 5:1-31, 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Hebrews 12:5-11Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App!Support the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgThis episode primarily uses the ESV Bible translation, but may also use CSB, NASB, and NKJV.Search Tags: bible, beginner, bible verse, god, verse of the day, prayer, jesus, bible study, scripture, learn, bible introduction, introduction, intro to the bible, introduction to the bible, beginner bible, bible overview, how to read the bible, what is the bible about, bible story, bible stories, what is the bible, ...

After defeating Josiah at Megiddo, the pharaoh Necho uses duplicity to consolidate his control over the Levant. Meanwhile, the waxing Babylonian Empire begins to take the place of Assyria. 

This Sunday, we continue our series in the Book of Daniel—Exiles in Babylon! This week we move into chapter 6 of Daniel and one the most famous stories from the whole book—The Lions Den! The Babylonian Empire has come to an end as prophesied in chapter 2 with King Darius the Mede holding court. What leads to Daniel being thrown to the lions is a lesson so applicable to our current day, it's all about two things: the law of the jungle and the politics of cancel culture! Read Daniel 6:1-28 in advance to prepare for the message.

The Fast of Gedaliah  Part 2:  The Poor Man Who Saved a City  -  English only.  Today, Sunday, October 6, 2024, we commemorate the Fast of Gedaliah.  Who was Gedaliah you ask?  It should not be surprising if most people do not recall who Gedaliah was. He could not save Jerusalem from Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty king of the Babylonian Empire.  The Scriptures also speak of another man who DID save a city, yet his story ends in the same way as the story of Gedaliah. No one remembers him either!  This is a rebroadcast of a September 2022 sermon from our archives. 

The Burros are back in the studio to continue their study titled, A Man Greatly Beloved- A Study of the Book of Daniel. In this episode we read and breakdown what is going on in Chapter 1. After Nebuchadnezzar begins his first siege on Jerusalem, he takes the noble children back to Babylon to be trained in their customs. Daniel and three others are immediately put to the test regarding the foods they are required to eat and the outcome sets Daniel up to be a leader in the Babylonian Empire. Thanks for listening!If you'd like to become a patron and support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: www.patreon.com/theburrosofbereaIf you'd like to learn more about us, please visit our website at: www.burrosofberea.comGo check out the sponsor of this episode's webpage! www.supplychainsolutions3pl.comWe appreciate your support and the support of our sponsors!

In this episode of History 102, Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg are joined by Bismarck Analysis's Samo Burja (podcast host: Live Players) to uncover the hidden threads connecting ancient Babylon to Silicon Valley. Did you know that 2,500 years ago, people complained about information overload just like we do today? Or that some civilizations saw 70% of their population enslaved? Rudyard and Samo peel back the layers of history, revealing: The shocking similarities between ancient Athens and the Taliban Why California might be birthing new religions as we speak How deforestation toppled empires (and why it matters now) From psychedelic Greek philosophers to the eerie parallels between Polish-Lithuanian and Cambodian history, this episode is a mind-bending tour of humanity's greatest triumphs and strangest quirks.

Today we continue our study of Acts, covering Acts 1:6-11. Here's the question we'll answer as we look at the text: Does God favor one nation over another?--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --This is an important question in today's world:Issue of immigrationChristian nations vs. Muslim nations, etc.It was a question on the minds of the disciples in Acts 1Jesus had just spent 3 yrs with themAlmost exclusively did ministry among IsraelitesMatthew 15:21-24 (NLT) 21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God's lost sheep—the people of Israel.”Note three things:Jesus was silent!?Disciples wanted him to send her awayJesus was sent to help only IsraelJesus ends up healing the daughterBut it was the exception, not the ruleSeems nationalistic, right?!The point: disciples thought God favored IsraelVery nationalistic in their ideologyThe “Chosen ones”Deuteronomy 7:6 (NLT) For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.Seems like American Christians todayWe are the new chosen onesWe have the only true GodWe have a better ideologyWe are God's favoritesBut what does the Bible say about this?Let's warm up with a history lesson on Israel:Theocracy First King - SaulUnited Monarchy (c. 1000–930 BCE)King David (c. 1010–970 BCE) : David united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital.King Solomon (c. 970–930 BCE) : Solomon, David's son, built the First Temple in Jerusalem. After his death, the kingdom split into two.Divided Monarchy (c. 930–722 BCE for Israel, c. 930–586 BCE for Judah)Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom) : Fell to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE.Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom) : Continued until it fell to the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE.Assyrian Rule (c. 722–605 BCE)- The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, leading to the exile of many Israelites.Babylonian Rule (c. 605–539 BCE)- The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE, initiating the Babylonian Captivity.Persian Rule (c. 539–332 BCE)- Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and allowed the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the Temple (Second Temple...

Today we continue our study of Acts, covering Acts 1:6-11. Here's the question we'll answer as we look at the text: Does God favor one nation over another?--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --This is an important question in today's world:Issue of immigrationChristian nations vs. Muslim nations, etc.It was a question on the minds of the disciples in Acts 1Jesus had just spent 3 yrs with themAlmost exclusively did ministry among IsraelitesMatthew 15:21-24 (NLT) 21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God's lost sheep—the people of Israel.”Note three things:Jesus was silent!?Disciples wanted him to send her awayJesus was sent to help only IsraelJesus ends up healing the daughterBut it was the exception, not the ruleSeems nationalistic, right?!The point: disciples thought God favored IsraelVery nationalistic in their ideologyThe “Chosen ones”Deuteronomy 7:6 (NLT) For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.Seems like American Christians todayWe are the new chosen onesWe have the only true GodWe have a better ideologyWe are God's favoritesBut what does the Bible say about this?Let's warm up with a history lesson on Israel:Theocracy First King - SaulUnited Monarchy (c. 1000–930 BCE)King David (c. 1010–970 BCE) : David united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital.King Solomon (c. 970–930 BCE) : Solomon, David's son, built the First Temple in Jerusalem. After his death, the kingdom split into two.Divided Monarchy (c. 930–722 BCE for Israel, c. 930–586 BCE for Judah)Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom) : Fell to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE.Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom) : Continued until it fell to the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE.Assyrian Rule (c. 722–605 BCE)- The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, leading to the exile of many Israelites.Babylonian Rule (c. 605–539 BCE)- The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE, initiating the Babylonian Captivity.Persian Rule (c. 539–332 BCE)- Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and allowed the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the Temple (Second Temple...

Lesson 14 – Daniel 5 DANIEL Week 14, Chapter 5 We spent almost our entire time together last week dealing with only a couple of issues. First, the transition from Daniel chapter 4 and the long 43-year reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, to chapter 5 and the final days of the Babylonian Empire under another Babylonian […] The post Lesson 14 – Daniel 5 appeared first on Torah Class.

4/21/24 - Britton Carter | Daniel 5 | Nations rise and fall all the time. Daniel 5 recounts the fall of the greatest empire on the planet at the time--the Babylonian Empire--and the rise of the next great empire--the Persians. In Daniel 5, we learn that the rise and fall of nations is the handiwork of God. For more information and for service times, visit fforinfo.com

Tiziana Severse is back with a brand new study titled, Look to the Stars; Astrology in the Bible! As with all things NFTU discusses there is none more thornier than Astrology. Is the Christian supposed to recognize the use of Astrology in the Bible and tap dance lightly around it? Are they supposed to avoid it altogether? Should a Christian dabble with their horoscopes? Where did all of this studying of the stars come from? Well, Tiziana is doing a deep dive into the stargazers and readers of the past in other cultures that surrounded the Hebrew people. The book of Daniel shows how the Babylonian Empire had been working on the understanding of the stars for over 1500 years before Daniel is kidnapped and brought into their fold. It's a wild ride from one major empire to another! We hope you enjoy this and thanks for listening!If you'd like to become a patron of this podcast, please visit: www.patreon.com/theburrosofberea. If you'd like to learn more about us, please visit our website at: www.burrosofberea.com. If you'd like to learn more about our sponsor and their products, please visit their website at: www.carolinacases.net. Much love!

Episode 255 – Archeology and the Bible – Part 10 – The Forest and the Trees Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: After he said this, Jesus … made some mud … he rubbed the mud on the man's eyes and told him, “Go and wash your face in the Pool of Siloam.” … the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing. The Gospel of John, Chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, Good News Translation ******** VK: Hello and welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m Victoria K. This is our 10th and final episode in our series on archeology and the Bible. This is not our final episode because we have exhausted the pool of archeological findings that support the trustworthiness of the Bible. You could do a radio show or podcast every day for the rest of your life and never cover all of that evidence. Instead, in our series we have discussed just a few of the thousands of archeological discoveries that support the accuracy of the Bible’s text. But we hope the examples that we have cited will inspire listeners to do some further exploration on their own. RD Fierro is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books and he is in the studio today as we wrap up this series. RD, we could go on for months or years talking about all of the archeological evidence that demonstrates that the history contained in the Bible is reliable. So, why limit this series to 10 episodes? RD: Well, before we get started I’d also like to welcome everyone to this episode of Anchored by Truth. And, if this is your first time being with us, we’d encourage to you to check out – not only the earlier episodes in this series but all of our previous series because Anchored by Truth is the only radio show that we know of that focuses exclusively on demonstrating the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of scripture. And that’s why we do series like this one on archeology and the Bible. But archeology is only one of the disciplines that support the accuracy of the Bible. While most people don’t realize it because of the Biblically hostile culture in which we live physics, chemistry, biology, geology, paleontology, and many other scientific disciplines – as well as basic logic and reason – support the fact that the Bible is the inspired revelation of an almighty God. In fact, you really can’t have a truly coherent worldview without acknowledging that the Bible is God’s inerrant word. And that’s our purpose – to help people develop not only that awareness but also be able to cogently explain why this is true. VK: That’s a big statement. I don’t think many people in the world, especially in the western world, would accept the fact that we must accept the truth of the Bible to form a coherent worldview. RD: It’s a big statement but that doesn’t mean that it’s not true. And in the future we are going to do a series on why forming a coherent worldview necessitates a Biblical worldview. But for today’s wrap up we’re just adding one more piece to the assembly of that much larger puzzle. VK: What you’re saying is that building a coherent worldview – a truly coherent worldview – isn’t something that can be done in a few minutes, hours, or days – or even months. Building a truly coherent worldview and seeing how and where the Bible fits in takes years. You must build a coherent worldview just as you would assemble a jigsaw puzzle - one piece at a time. But each piece that you put into place enables you to see the larger picture or pattern more clearly. And that’s what we try to do with these series. We keep adding pieces to the larger picture – one episode at a time and one series at a time. This series on archeology is just one piece of evidence that demonstrates the historical reliability of the Bible. It’s just one piece but it is an important piece. RD: Yes. At Anchored by Truth and Crystal Sea Books our basic formulation for how we can be sure that the Bible is the inspired word of God is centered around four lines of evidence: reliable history, remarkable unity, fulfilled prophecy, and redeemed destinies. So, in this series we have pointed out a number of specific examples of archeological discoveries that have demonstrated that the Bible’s historical record is true. VK: We’ve talked about the fact that the rediscovery of the city of Nineveh in the mid-19th century confirmed portions of the book of Jonah that were doubted by secular scholars. We’ve talked about the evidence that supports the historicity of the Biblical records contained in both the Old and New Testaments with respect to the city of Jericho. We discussed the fact that the Bible not only gets the big details of history right – such as the names of empires, emperors, cities, and nations – but also smaller details. We talked about how the book of Jeremiah even accurately preserved the name of one of the king of Babylon’s court officers. That’s the kind of historical detail that is easily lost in the sweep of history but the Bible kept it and it’s been validated by archeology. RD: Yes. And we could have offered many, many more examples. At the start of today’s episode we used a quote from the gospel of John where Jesus restored sight to a blind man. As a part of the process Jesus told the blind man to wash his face in the pool of Siloam. Jesus named the pool he wanted the man to wash in. So, obviously this pool was well known in Jesus’ day. Well, in 2004 a crew digging a sewer line in Jerusalem uncovered some well-dressed stone steps that were covered by more than 10 feet of soil that had washed into a valley. Further exploration revealed that the steps led into a stone-lined pool that was not far from a tunnel that in Old Testament times had brought water into Jerusalem. VK: This water tunnel is called Hezekiah’s tunnel because it was built by the Old Testament king of Judah named Hezekiah as part of his preparations to withstand a siege by the Assyrians. The tunnel itself is mentioned 2 Kings, chapter 20, verse 20 and 2 Chronicles, chapter 32, verse 30. We have a friend who actually walked through the tunnel when he visited the Holy Land. The tunnel was finalized around 701 BC although portions of it may have existed earlier. RD: Right. Subsequent excavations at the pool revealed coins that the pool dated from around the first century BC and other coins revealed that the pool was still in use during the time of the Jewish revolt against the Romans which lasted from 66 AD to 70 AD. In other words, the pool would have been in use during Jesus’ earthly ministry around 30 to 33 AD. So, Hezekiah’s tunnel and the pool at Siloam are just two more examples of archeological discoveries that are entirely consistent with the Bible record. VK: And there are countless others that we could cite. Bible critics used to doubt the existence of the greatest king of Israel during the Old Testament period: King David. Due to the Bible’s description of him, he almost seemed to be legendary – a sort of Old Testament King Arthur. But in 1993 a fragment of an ancient stone tablet was found that mentions the “House of David.” This fragment was dated from the late-9th century BC which means it dated about 150 years after the time that David was king of Israel. The fragment also mentions other names of kings that are named in the Bible. Scholars are agreed that 150 years is not enough time for true legends to form so the fragment pointed clearly to the existence of a king named David whose dynastic succession was still in existence at the time the fragment was prepared. Again, this is a clear example of archeology supporting the Bible. So, with all the examples that are available that support the Bible’s records why do you think that so many critics continue to resist the idea that the Bible’s history is accurate? RD: Well, that’s actually the major subject I wanted to tackle today as we finish our series on archeology and the Bible. We began talking about this last time. It’s somewhat amazing to me how many people will dismiss the reliability of the Bible’s text and then proceed to rely on it as if it were true. VK: Can you give us an example of what you’re thinking about? RD: Sure. Last year a friend of mine read James Michener’s book called The Source. He wanted me to read it. So, he got me a copy. The back cover of the version he got me says this: “Michener vividly re-creates life in an ancient city and traces the profound history of the Jewish people – from the persecution of the early Hebrews, the rise of Christianity, and the Crusades to the founding of Israel and the modern conflict in the Middle East.” The hero of Michener’s book is an archeologist named Cullinane. Michener has this to say about his hero: “He was the crop-headed type of new scholar, solidly trained and not given to nonsense.” VK: In other words Michener’s archeologist isn’t one of those silly people who accept the Bible as being reliable and true. RD: Right. In one incident Michener writes this: “On his departure from Chicago, loaded with gear, [Cullinane] had been asked by a newspaperman if he expected to dig up any records which would prove that the Bible was true. Cullinane replied, ‘No, we’re not out to help God steady the ark.’” VK: But then you said that 25 pages after his hero dismissed the Bible’s truth the hero is then finding artifacts and uses the Bible to give them context and meaning as well as citing details about history that come to us from the Bible. RD: Exactly. Michener does exactly what so many people do – and not just with respect to archeology. They openly contend that the Bible’s text is untrustworthy but then proceed to rely on the truth of the Bible’s reports. VK: For instance, the back cover talks about “the profound history of the Jewish people” and “the persecution of the early Hebrews.” But we could ask Michener, what constitutes a Hebrew or a Jew? Someone might reply that a Jew is a descendant of the patriarch Abraham. RD: And that would be partially true. The Jewish people are descendants of Abraham. But there are a lot of other people in the world today who also trace their ancestry to Abraham. For example, many of the modern day Arabic tribes see Abraham’s first born son, Ishmael, as their ancestor. And Abraham had a number of other sons. Genesis, chapter 25, verses 1 through 5 says this: “Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.” VK: So, the point is that a lot of tribes and national groups were descended from Abraham. Well, then as a further qualification we might say that the Jewish people are descended through Abraham’s son Isaac. RD: And that would also be partially true. But Isaac and Rebecca had two sons, Esau and Jacob (who was later renamed Israel by God). And Jacob wasn’t the only one who founded a nation that persisted for hundreds of years. Esau was the ancestor of the Edomites who are mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, often as an enemy of Israel and Judah. After the southern kingdom of Judah was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar the Edomites moved into some of the vacant territory into the region of the former city of Hebron. The Greeks and the Romans called this region Idumea. And the Idumeans were present in the time of Jesus. Herod the Great was the son of an Edomite father and a Jewish mother. So, just because someone was descended from Isaac wouldn’t make them a Jew. VK: In other words, to be considered Jewish someone would have to be descended not only from Abraham and Isaac but also Jacob. And we learn from the book of Genesis that Jacob – who was later renamed Israel by God – was indeed the father of the 12 men who gave rise to the 12 tribes of Israel. But I think I see where you’re going. The back cover of Michener’s book says that it is going to discuss the “profound history of the Jewish people” but how would you even know where that history begins if you eliminate the Bible or if you discount the accuracy of the Bible’s reports? RD: Exactly. Michener’s hero discounts that he will find anything that will be relevant to the Bible’s truth but then must presume that truth in order to even make sense of a great many of the artifacts he unearths. And that’s what a great many people these days do. They tell us the Bible is a dry well for truth but then return to that well many, many times when they need to fill in the gaps of what they see in the earth. I was watching a public television documentary recently about the history of writing and the alphabet. In general, it was very informative. But part of the narrative said that human beings had been around for 300,000 years but writing had only been around for the last 5,000 years. VK: But even that period of human existence of 300,000 years isn’t agreed upon by secular scientists. Many discussions of the history of humanity have our specific species dating back as much as 800,000 or even a million years ago. And our “near ancestors” are sometimes dated to as much as 2 and a half or 3 million years ago. RD: Correct. Secular science wants to find a long period for human existence but is forced to acknowledge that common attributes that mark human civilizations like building and writing can only be dated to thousands of years ago. Even if we accept secular science’s dating of the oldest ruins on earth they only date to about 10,000 years before Christ. VK: And as we have discussed in other episodes in this series those dates are assigned not measured. There is no way to directly measure an ancient date. And the assigned dates are all dependent on a set of unprovable assumptions. RD: Right, but notice something. The observable evidence is all entirely consistent with a Biblical time period. The Biblical time period says that the earth is roughly 6,200 years old and the flood of Noah occurred about 1,500 years after creation. I’m using round numbers here for the sake of simplicity. This means that the oldest human structures or trees (which are the longest living land plants) would be just shy of 5,000 years old. This time period is entirely consistent with observations that we make about the world as we see it today. VK: And for anyone who wants to go deeper into more of the problems with deep time and uniformitarianism they can go to our website, crystalseabooks.com, and locate our series on “10 facts every Christian needs to know.” In that series we have a lengthier discussion than we can undertake today about the scientific problems with the secular ideas about deep time. RD: Yes. So, one of the big ideas we want people to remember as we close out this series on the Bible and archeology is that the observations we can make today through available evidence are consistent with the Bible’s reported time frames. But when you start using secular conventions of millions and billions of years you run into some real issues. VK: Such as “where are all the dead human bodies?” If human beings have been around for hundreds of thousands of years, or more, where are all the bones of the people who supposedly existed during that period? There are extraordinary fossils of very small creatures that supposedly died millions of years ago and we see their remains but we find very few, if any, human remains. And those that are supposedly human, or pre-human, have numerous problems with the identifying the skeletons as being truly human. RD: Right. And it’s not as though secular scientists aren’t aware of the problems that arise with their time frames and alternative explanations. They are. But in order to resist the obvious conclusion that evidence from human and natural history is entirely consistent with the Bible they have to find reasons to disagree with what the Bible is telling us. VK: And some scientists have become willing to admit that they do so. Harvard evolutionary biologist and geneticist Richard Lewontin wrote: “We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failures to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.” RD: Lewontin said the quiet part out loud. Science does not require a materialistic explanation but secular scientists do. And, sadly, they are aided in their quest to cast doubt on the Bible’s records by liberal so-called theologians who bring an anti-supernatural bias to the Bible. There have been a number of groups who have supposedly wanted to find the “authentic Jesus” or “the real history” behind the Bible’s plain declarations. So, they admit that the city of Jericho existed and that the walls fell but they must doubt the dating of when the walls collapsed. They admit that there was a dynastic succession of kings in the southern kingdom of Judah but then dispute who was the founder of the succession despite the Bible’s record of the life of King David. They admit that the book of Daniel reports accurately the succession of empires that controlled the Middle East in Biblical times but claim that the book of Daniel must have written 400 years after the date that it was. VK: And, as you said, they do all of this because they must resist the conclusions that are inescapable if the Bible is what it says it is – the Word of an almighty God. Because that word of God doesn’t just contain statements about history, culture, and nations it also contains ethical and moral prescriptions. The Bible is a unique book in human history and human experience. As some people have noted, “most of the time people judge books. The Bible is a book that judges people.” RD: Yes. Archeological findings provide a great deal of support for the accuracy of the Bible’s historical records. Thus, any fair evaluation of the Bible must be that it is a generally reliable historical record. But this generally reliable historical record goes on to record not just ordinary history but also an extraordinary, redemptive history. The Bible records God’s superintendence of redemptive history including His direct intervention at times to keep His plan on track. God’s superintendence and intervention is an anathema to modern man that wants to believe that man is the penultimate actor in the universe. And God’s presence in the universe means there is an ultimate Judge who will one day hold all people accountable for their lives and actions. VK: This is why so many people resist the obvious conclusion that the Bible contains a reliable record of the history it chooses to report. If the Bible is trustworthy when it comes to history it is likely also trustworthy when it comes to its enduring ethical pronouncements and its warnings about the consequences for ignoring or disobeying God. The same God that brought down the walls of Jericho, also brought down the Babylonian Empire. He also destroyed the city of Nineveh so completely it was lost to history for almost 2,000 years and He allowed the city of Jerusalem to be destroyed for rejecting His Messiah. RD: Yes. Our God is a God of mercy and salvation but He is also a God of justice and holiness and we see evidence of all of His attributes in human history especially the history of Israel and the Middle East. Michener’s fictional hero wants to study the history of the Jews but he doesn’t want to learn anything from that history. Like so many today Michener’s hero thinks that the horned-altar he finds in the mound he is excavating is just another ancient relic. He fails to recognize that among the God of Israel was not the same as the gods of the surrounding cultures. Michener’s hero has failed to make a critical distinction – between the One True God of the Bible and the false gods invented by men to avoid acknowledging the True God. The Bible is a single story about creation, fall, and redemption. Archeological discoveries affirm the accuracy of many of the events in that redemptive history. But redemption would be irrelevant and unnecessary if the fall had not occurred. And that is what is so dangerous about us not preparing ourselves to effectively advocate for the One who provides redemption – because the effects of the fall will one day sweep away everyone who has not turned to the God of salvation. VK: And that is why we all need to study the Bible and study enough about the Bible’s settings and history to help our friends and family. Archeology helps us do that. And there a lot of good resources that can give us a good, basic understanding of how archeology helps reinforce our confidence in the Bible. We should know enough to be able to help our kids and grandkids understand and avoid the pushback from a world that doesn’t want them to live a life of saving faith. Knowing a little bit about archeology can help with this greater goal. God has given us ample evidence His word is true. He expects us to exercise our minds and wills to become familiar with the evidence and to incorporate into our lives and faith. As we close, today let’s listen to a prayer of adoration for our Creator God. God not only created everything that exists, He also maintains it by His infinite power. As the Apostle Paul said to the Athenians “in [God] we live and move and have our being.” Surely, such a God is always worthy of adoration of Him. ---- PRAYER OF ADORATION OF THE CREATOR VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the Good News Translation) The Gospel of John, Chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, Good News Translation

(3213) Fall of King Sancheirev of Ashur (3228) Delegation from Babylon visits King Chizkiyahu, at the behest of Berodach Baladan (3316) King Yoshiyahu. (3319) Rise of Nevuchnezzer and Babylonian Empire, conquered Ashur. (3320) Nevuchnezzer conquers Israel. (3321) Yirmiyahu gives the official prophecy. (3327) Golus Cheresh VeHamsger. Exile of King Yechonyah (and Mordechai). (3338) Destruction of the Beis Hamikdash by Nevuchnezzer. (3364) King Evil Merodach becomes King of Babylon. (3386) King Belshazzar becomes King of Babylon. (3389) Belshatzar, calculated 70 years (45 + 23 + 2) from the Rise of his grandfather Nevuchnezzer in the year (3319), makes a feast. End of Babylonian Empire. (3390) Daniel makes a calculation of 70 years, then recalculates. (3391) Koresh calculation of 70 years. Orders rebuilding of Beis Hamikdash. (3392) Achashverosh becomes King of the Persian Empire. (3395) Achashverosh's party and his calculation of 70 years. (3408) 70 years from destruction. Rebuilding of Beis Hamikdash by Daryovesh II son of King Achashverosh and Queen Esther. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/torah-heroes/support

With the Clouds of Heaven Daniel 7:1-28 by William Klock The seventh chapter of Daniel begins this way: In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.   It's finally Daniel's turn to dream.  The storyteller rolls back the clock about a decade to the first year of Belshazzar, which would have been about 550 BC.  The implied audience, remember, is the faithful Jews living in Judah in the early 160s BC, during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes.  The purpose of the book of Daniel was to encourage them and to exhort them to stand firm for the Lord, to stand firm for his law, even as this pagan king was making it illegal for them to live according to the law and to worship the Lord, even as many of their fellow Jews were caving in to the pressure and apostatizing.  The book of Daniel points them back to their ancestors who lived during the Babylonian exile and had their own struggles to remain faithful to the Lord.  The story is told through their eyes to encourage the current generation. We also need to understand that the book of Daniel now shifts its genre from tales about Daniel and his friends in the Babylonian court to apocalyptic visions.  There are four visions.  This first one in Chapter 7, a second in Chapter 8, a third in Chapter 9, and a fourth spanning Chapters 10-12.  In Greek, an apokalypsis is a revelation, an unveiling, of something.  It's related to prophecy, but it usually has—at least in the Bible—it usually has to do with current events and is God's way of pulling the curtain back to show that current events aren't just random or haphazard, but that he's at work behind them.  Biblical apocalyptic encourages the faithful to stand firm and to trust in the Lord knowing that even as evil seems like it's out of control, it's not.  God is sovereign and he—and his faithful people—will win the day.  It reminds us that God is king and that he will vindicate his people for their faith. And, as we saw with Revelation, one of the defining characteristics of apocalyptic literature is that it communicates through symbols.  And that can make it difficult for us.  The symbolism would have been obvious to the original hearers, but because it's very context dependent—things like culture and history, worldview and mythology and things like that—it can be very hard for us to understand.  One of the hard things for us, one of the things that gets lost in translation is the visceral reaction this symbolism would have created in the original audience.  For us it's just something to decode: this means that.  For them, the imagery would stir up emotions.  This wasn't about events thousands of years ago.  This was about what they were experiencing.  It was about their world, their not-too-distant past, and their not-too-distant future.  It was about the present affliction, the present persecution, the present pressures that confronted them.  Think of the feelings you might have as you watch the evening news: fear, dread, sadness, elation.  Those sorts of feelings were connected with this imagery.  The timing of this vision, at the beginning of Belshazzar's co-regency, means that Daniel's vision would coincide with big news.  For millennia the Assyrian empire had dominated the Near East.  The Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus and Belshazzar was the last incarnation of Assyria.  To the north was the Median Empire and to the east the Persian.  Cyrus the Great, the Persian emperor was on the move, gobbling up parts of Media and Babylon.  In 550 BC the Medes fell to the Persians.  Now Babylon was in Cyrus' sights.  Here were Daniel and his people, bystanders in the middle of turbulent times.  We can imagine Daniel hearing the most recent news of the fall of the Medes, going to bed, tossing and turning, finally falling into restless sleep, and dreaming.  Let's continue with verse 2: Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.' After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.  (Daniel 7:2-8) In his vision, Daniel stands by the great sea.  In the Old Testament the “great sea” always means the Mediterranean.  It was the centre of the ancient world.  Imagine Daniel standing in a place jutting out into the sea, a place the Rock of Andromeda at Joppa.  The waters rage and the winds blow.  It's not an ordinary wind.  The winds rage from north and south, east and west all at the same time and the sea churns violently around him.  For all the ancient Near Eastern peoples, the sea represented chaos.  Genesis opens with the sea—formless and void—representing the chaos of the uncreated world into which the Lord speaks, separating the waters, raising dry land, bringing the order needed for humans to live and to flourish.  Now, in his dream, Daniel sees the sea raging.  Chaos threatens the order of God's good creation.  As we look at our own current events, it's not very hard to image what Daniel felt.  Turn on the news or look on the Web and so often it seems like chaos and evil are tearing the world apart.  In so many places humans languish when they should be flourishing, all because of war and corruption, because of poverty and greed and sickness.  Sometimes it seems like chaos has won the day. And who's at the heart of the chaos?  Daniel sees four ferocious beasts emerge from the sea.  The beasts are symbolic and it's hard to be certain exactly how all the symbolism here works.  A lot of it seems to come from the Old Testament prophets, but it could also be coming from the mythology and the symbols of the various peoples and empires that are symbolized.  Some of it is eerily similar to the symbolism of the Babylonian books Daniel would have studied in learning about divination and the symbolism of dreams.  What we do know—because Daniel is told in verse 17—is that these beasts represent four empires.   We know from what has preceded and what follows in Daniel that the sequence of empires begins with Assyria, of which Babylon was the last incarnation.  So a regal lion with the wings of an eagle emerges from the sea representing the greatness of Babylon.  Its wings are plucked off and it is set on two feet, which reminds us of Nebuchadnezzar in Chapter 4, ranging in the wilderness like a wild animal, but eventually restored to humanity and kingship by the Lord. From this point there's disagreement on how to interpret the symbolism and that's because of our distance from the original context.  We just can't be sure what the symbolism means and it then becomes very easy to look through history and cherry pick things that match the symbolism and squeeze it into our modern interpretations.  I'll just note that the rabbis and Christians for most of our history interpreted these four empires as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.  That was mostly because in the days of the rabbis and early Christians, Rome was the great global power and because Rome so often stood opposed to both the Jews and Christians.  Rome fell, but Byzantium—the eastern Roman empire—remained until the 15th Century.  And there were successors to Rome in the West.  In 800 Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans and it wasn't until 1806 that the Holy Roman Empire finally came to an end.  But as the years went by, connecting Daniel's fourth beast to Rome became more difficult, and since the early 19th Century folks have had to work especially hard to hold on to that interpretation, whether identifying the beast with the papacy or with the European Union—and those schemes have consistently ended up falling apart. History gives us a better basis for interpreting Daniel's beasts.  We know now that at the time Daniel was written there was a common scheme across the Ancient Near East for describing the succession of empires.  The four great empires were Assyria, the Medes, the Persians, and the Greek Macedonians.  In fact, as the Romans replaced the Greeks in the centuries that followed, they were added to the scheme as a fifth empire. So following this common pattern, the bear represents the Medes.  As in Nebuchadnezzar's statue, it was clearly inferior to the Babylonians.  The three ribs in its mouth may be a reference to Jeremiah 51:27-29, which describes the three nations that joined with the Medes in their attack on Babylon.  And the four-winged, four-headed leopard then represents the Persians.  The swiftness with which the Persians conquered the four corners of the earth contrasts with the ponderous bear imagery of the Medes.  But Daniel's vision really isn't very interested in the second and third kingdoms.  The focus of his dream is on the fourth.  This is the kingdom that raged and threatened the people of God at the time the book was written. And the fourth kingdom is different.  As we'll see in a bit, the first three beasts, despite appearances, were all under control.  But this fourth beast, it does what it wants to do—or at least, that's how it thinks of itself.  The imagery of the great beast, exceedingly strong, and stamping into oblivion what was left after breaking things apart with its iron teeth or tusks, suggests an elephant—a good image of Alexander's unstoppable army that conquered the territory of the other three empires.  The ten horns are fitting symbols of the ten kingdoms that arose from Alexander's empire after his death.[1]  But out of those horns there came up one king in particular, who was a menace to the people of God.  The little horn is, again, a fitting image of Antiochus Epiphanes.  He tried to abolish the law and the worship of the God of Israel.  He was the one who claimed divinity for himself.  He was the cause of all their woes. But then, in the midst of the chaos, as the sea churns and these ferocious beasts rage across the earth, a new image appears—a bit like Dad coming home to find his unruly children tearing apart the house.  Look at verses 9 and 10: “As I looked, thrones were placed,          and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow,          and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames;          its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued          and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him,          and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment,          and the books were opened.   The beasts are brought to heel as the God of Israel takes his seat as judge.  The one who tamed chaos in the first place established earthly kings to preserve his order and to promote human flourishing.  These kings have done the opposite and now what at first seemed like wild and ferocious beasts stand pitifully before the judgement seat of the Most High God, his fiery throne, and before the heavenly hosts.  Then verses 11 and 12: “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.   Even as he stands before the Most High, that blasphemous little horn continues to speak.  The other beasts, for all their raging, served the Living God—as we've seen in the first six chapters.  They all, in some way and in the end, acknowledged him.  The Lord of history raised them up to serve his purposes.  But this horn on the fourth beast rages against the sovereign God and is judged: killed, destroyed, and burned to oblivion.  The vision gave hope to the faithful living under his reign of terror. But that's not all there is to it.  Daniel has a second vision and this one's not just about the bringing down of wicked rulers; this one is about the raising up of a righteous one.  As St. Paul writes in Romans, creation waits with eager longing for the sons of God to be revealed.  It's not enough to judge the wicked.  Creation longs for its rightful stewards.  Look at verses 13 and 14: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven          there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days          and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion          and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages          should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion,          which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one          that shall not be destroyed.   History will not continue as a reign of terror and blasphemy, nor will it merely end in judgement.  In place of the raging kings represented by ferocious beasts, Daniel now sees one “like a son of man”.  In the beginning the Lord created human beings to rule his creation with goodness and wisdom as his stewards and that's what this new figure like a son of man represents.  After the Lord has judged the wicked empires of the world, this son of man arrives riding on the clouds—that's a dramatic image of the Lord's war chariot.  He is presented before the Ancient of Day, before the Most High God, and to him is given glory and an everlasting dominion—ultimately a kingdom that will not be destroyed. But what does this all mean?  The dream continues as one of the heavenly host explains the symbolism to Daniel in verses 15-27: “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.'   “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.   “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,          which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth,          and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,          and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones,          and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High,          and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,          and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand          for a time, times, and half a time. But the court shall sit in judgment,          and his dominion shall be taken away,          to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion          and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven                   shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,          and all dominions shall serve and obey him.' This is the hope of the saints.  The blasphemous little monster will put himself in the place of God.  He will torment the faithful.  He will have power and authority and, to all appearances, it will seem like his reign will last forever—or longer than those other kingdoms, at any rate.  A time, times—and that would go in sequence: four times and eight times and sixteen times and so on.  But no.  It's a time and times and suddenly a half.  That might be a reference to the roughly three-and-a-half years Antiochus Epiphanes terrorized Judah, but it's more likely the idea that his power is cut short at its height.  The Lord will give him enough rope to hang himself.  And his kingdom will be given to the saints, to the holy ones of the Most High—and his dominion, his kingdom will go on forever and ever. It's an image of the world set to rights.  Chaos is finally, once and for all given order in by the Lord, and human beings are restored to their rightful place, to serve before the Lord as his stewards—as priests and kings.  This is why the Jews saw the son of man here as a symbolic representative of Israel.  They were the people elect and set apart by the Lord, a people made holy to be a light to the nations—a people who, in living with the Lord in their midst—gave the world a glimpse of what creation was supposed to be like and who pointed forward to the day when it really would be set to rights and men and women would finally serve the Lord as the stewards and rulers of his creation. The chapter ends in verse 28: “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart.” This is the end of the first vision, but there's more to come.  This vision sets the scene and gives us the setting and timeframe for the visions that will follow.  But then—and I guess I'm jumping ahead to the end of Daniel—we realise as Christians that even as Daniel's visions end, it's not really the end of the matter.  The Lord did indeed bring down the evil Antiochus IV.  The Lord did indeed vindicate his people.  A new king would take the throne in Judah.  But as is so often the case with Old Testament prophecy, even though we see it obviously fulfilled in the events of those days, it's fulfilled in a way that leaves things open to a final and greater fulfilment.  Judah was only free for a century and then Pompey came, conquered Jerusalem for Rome, and deposed the Hasmonean dynasty.  And the people would wait again for the Lord to deliver them. It was in those dark days that Jesus was born and began his ministry and it shouldn't surprise us in the least that he took for himself this title from Daniel, son of man.  He was the embodiment of the humanity we forsook in the garden and the embodiment of the Israel that Israel could never manage to be.  In him, God became the first man to be what we were created to be.  And as our representative, he broke the bonds of sin by letting evil do its worst.  The chaos and the vicious beasts of fallen, sinful, rebellious humanity rose up around him and did their worst, they killed him, and they buried him in the earth, and for three days evil thought it had triumphed.  But on the third day, God vindicated his son, raising him from death.  And as Jesus rose from his grave, so Jesus also rose to take his throne.  The son of man has been given dominion and glory and his kingdom and as the good news of his death and resurrection goes out, the peoples, nations, and languages are being brought to him in faith, to serve him and to give him glory.  And in that, we see the people of God, the new Israel, the church empowered by word and Spirit, coming on the clouds—riding the Lord's war chariot, equipped with the gospel—the good news of Jesus, crucified, risen, and enthroned in glory.  And there, Brothers and Sisters, we ought to find hope and inspiration to stand firm in faith even as the seas rage today, as new beasts emerge from the dark waters, even as they speak vain and blasphemous things.  Jesus has won the decisive battle.  He now sends out: Onward!  Christian soldiers.  And on we go, taking up our crosses into the world, knowing that the one who humbled himself on the cross and who conquered by his blood not only stands with us, but has filled us with his own Spirit and now goes on before us. Let's pray again our Collect: Almighty God, consider the heartfelt desires of your servants, we pray, and stretch out the right hand of your majesty to defend us against all our enemies, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.   [1] Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucia, Macedon, Pergamum, Pontus, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Armenia, Parthia, and Bactria.

Episode 250 – Archeology and the Bible – Part 6 – Names We Know 2 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: … [in] the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. … the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer …and all the other officials … of Babylon. . Jeremiah, Chapter 39, verses 1 through 3, New International Version ******** VK: Hello and welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m Victoria K. This is the 6th episode in our series on archeology and the Bible. At Anchored by Truth we think most people understand that archeology is generally relevant to the study of the Bible - but they have a limited understanding of what the relationship is. But if we take the Bible seriously – which we definitely do at Anchored by Truth - we all need to know a little bit about archeology. That’s because archeological explorations and finds have supplied an abundance of evidence that confirms that the history contained in the Bible is real history. That’s why we decided to do this series. Despite the fact that popular culture has tried to dismiss the long-standing relationship between the Bible and archeology the truth is that archeology as a whole has done much to provide evidence of the Bible’s trustworthiness. To help us continue to explore this topic, in the studio today we have RD Fierro. RD is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books RD, throughout this series you have pointed out that despite the skepticism we often hear many scholars, including ones who aren’t Christian, have used the Bible as a source document when planning or conducting archeological explorations. In fact, the Bible’s history has regularly been shown to be accurate even when doubted, right? RD: Right. And during our most recent episodes of Anchored by Truth we have been covering specific examples of times secular history doubted what the Bible reported but archeology proved that the Bible’s report was right. Today we are going to continue in that same vein and provide another example of an archeological find that shows that the Bible not only gets the “big things” right but is also accurate in details that most people wouldn’t even consider are significant. VK: Well, perhaps we should start by briefly discussing one of the specific criticisms that is frequently hurled at the Bible – the idea that many of the books of the Bible weren’t actually written by the person whose name is associated with that particular book. This would include books like Daniel and Jeremiah but it extends to the first five books of the Bible which are historically attributed to Moses. RD: One of lines of evidence that the Bible is the inspired word of God is that the Bible contains a large body of fulfilled prophecy. We have provided a lot of examples of successful prophecies in many of our different series on Anchored by Truth. We have talked about the fact that the prophet Isaiah provided the name of the Persian king who would conquer the Babylonian Empire about 200 years before that happened in history. VK: For anyone who wants to verify that prophecy for themselves they can go chapters 44 and 45 of the book of Isaiah. For example, Isaiah, chapter 45, verses 1 through 3 say, “This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. This is what the LORD says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” RD: Yes. A simple internet search of the question “who conquered Babylon” will bring up the name “Cyrus” or, as he is often called, “Cyrus the Great.” Isaiah is the first of the so-called “Major Prophets” and prophesied from approximately the years 740 BC to about 700 BC. So, the latest his prophesy about a coming conquering king named Cyrus can be dated is 700 BC. But Babylon didn’t fall to Cyrus until 539 BC. So, Isaiah’s prophecy predates the fulfillment by 170 to 200 years. VK: And since that we can’t successfully predict who will win the next election, Super Bowl, or World Series, a successful prophesy given 200 years before the event is pretty compelling evidence of supernatural inspiration and insight. RD: Right. Another example of a successful prophesy given hundreds of years ahead of time is found in the book of Daniel, who is the last of the Major Prophets. In chapters 2, 7, and 8 of his book Daniel prophesied about a series of empires that would control what was, for the ancient Hebrews, the known world – essentially to us eastern Europe, north Africa, the Mideast, and western Asia. Daniel prophesied that a series of 4 empires would dominate that territory. We now know from history that those empires were the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Greeks, and the Romans. Rome conquered Palestine and Jerusalem around 63 BC but Daniel had given his prophecy around 540 BC – almost 500 years earlier. VK: Again, none of us know what the price of gas will be next month much less next year. We don’t know what level the stock market will be at in a year and we can’t even be sure what the weather will be like two days from now. So, for a human, unaided by God, to successfully predict a major military and political event 500 years in the future is simply impossible. But what is impossible for people is possible for God. But it is possible only for God. That’s one of the big reasons we can be sure the Bible was inspired by God. God inspired His writers to record things hundreds of years before they would happen. And that then becomes strong evidence that while a human hand pushed a pen or stylus the information was coming straight from a divine Being. RD: Yes. These are just two examples of the hundreds that could be cited to illustrate that the Bible writers were given supernatural inspiration by God Almighty. And this evidence is so compelling that the critics of the Bible must find a way to discount the evidence. The most common way they do that is to assert that the books weren’t written when they were. To discredit the prophecy the critics must turn the prophecy into history. So, the critics will claim that the book of Daniel was not written in the 6th century BC but rather the 1st or 2nd century BC. And they claim that while portions of the book of Isaiah were written in the 8th century BC they claim that other parts were written much later such as the 5th or even 4th century BC. By doing so, they claim that rather than the books containing successfully fulfilled prophesies all the books were doing was presenting historical events as prophecy. VK: That calls to mind the medieval notion that it was possible to turn iron into gold. It was called alchemy. But, in this case, the critics want to turn the golden evidence of fulfilled prophecy into the common element of recent history – a sort of reverse alchemy. The critics can plainly see the implications of a book that contains prophecies given hundreds of years before the events prophesied. Human beings can’t do that. Only God could. So, to get rid of the evidence they turn the evidence into something else. Re-date the book and “poof” – prophesy becomes history. RD: Yes. So, that’s one of the most common forms of criticism that’s hurled against the Bible. The books of the Bible weren’t written when claimed. It’s a pernicious form of criticism because the critic doesn’t deny the content of the book – just claims the book doesn’t mean what we thing because it’s been “misdated.” VK: But one of the ways the Bible defends itself against such criticism is that it frequently contains language or details that wouldn’t have been used or known to a later writer. And that detail or language has now been confirmed by archeology. For instance, with respect to the false assertion that the book of Daniel was written in the 1st or 2nd century BC Biblical Scholar Dr. Gleason Archer in his Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties has written this: “… it seems that a second century date for the Hebrew chapters of Daniel is no longer tenable on linguistic grounds. In view of the markedly later development in the areas of syntax, word-order, morphology, vocabulary, spelling, and word-usage, there is absolutely no possibility of regarding Daniel as contemporary [with the sectarian documents][of the second century BC…] The complete absence of Greek loan-words apart from musical instruments … point unmistakably to a time of composition prior to the Alexandrian conquest.” RD: What Dr. Archer is saying is that, just as today, language changes through time. We know longer use phrases like “Daddy-O” or “23 skidoo” … VK: “23 skidoo” … really? RD: Really. “23 skidoo” was an American slang phrase that appeared early in the 20th century. It was often used to mean “I’m leaving quickly.” According to the Wikipedia entry “23 skidoo” was actually the conjoining of two earlier expressions, “‘twenty-three’ (1899) and ‘skidoo’ (1901), both of which, independently and separately, referred to leaving, being kicked out, or the end of something.” The point is that language changes through time. “23 skidoo” is slang from over 100 years ago. If someone sees it in a document we can have high confidence about roughly when that document might have been prepared. The same thing is true about ancient languages. They changed through time. In the case of the language used in the book of Daniel it does not resemble the language used by the Jews in the 1st or 2nd century BC. And we can have high confidence about that in large measure because of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. VK: The point is that the language of the book of Daniel defeats the critics’ attempts to date it at a time when its prophecy would have become history. And today we are going to cite an example where a name in the text of the book of Jeremiah defeats the critics’ attempt to turn its successful prophecies into history. Remember, our opening scripture came from the book of Jeremiah. RD: Exactly. So, let’s set the stage so we know what is going on – both in scripture and in history. VK: Jeremiah is the 2nd of the Major Prophets. Jeremiah wrote during a period starting in 626 BC and lasting until about 586 BC. He is sometimes called the “weeping prophet” because he had the sad task of warning the people in Judah and Jerusalem that they were going to be destroyed by the Babylonians because of their idolatry. Jeremiah did not want to see them destroyed but he faithfully reported that because the people would not give up their idolatry they were going to suffer. He made a number of famous prophecies. He not only prophesied that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed but he also prophesied that the captivity of the exiled Jews was going to last 70 years. RD: And he was proven accurate on both counts. Nebuchadnezzar, the most famous of the Babylonians kings, destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC and sent most of the people into exile around Babylon. Only the poorest were permitted to remain in their homeland. Jeremiah was also right about how long the Jews would remain in exile. The first time Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem was 597 BC but before that Jerusalem had become a vassal state of Babylon. Many scholars date the start of the 70 years to 605 BC when Judah first swore allegiance to Babylon. Cyrus defeated Babylon in 539 BC but it took a little while before the exiled Jews were able to begin their return to their homeland. So, all told, the exile of the Jews in Babylon lasted about 70 years. VK: But a skeptic might say that these two prophecies were not really prophetic. Nebuchadnezzar began his control of Judah during Jeremiah’s lifetime and so the prophecy that Nebuchadnezzar would one day destroy Jerusalem might have just been an educated guess. Or a skeptic might assert that the writer of Jeremiah just wrote about the destruction of Jerusalem after it happened. While the book of Jeremiah does contain information about when various prophecies were given it’s not impossible that the writer might have deliberately misdated the material to appear prophetic even if it were not. RD: But, that would still leave a successful prophecy about the length of the period of exile. Chronologically, the book of Jeremiah ends right after the final destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. But Cyrus would not defeat Babylon for almost another 50 years. So, even if the critic asserts that the writer of Jeremiah was writing history when it came to the fall of Jerusalem the writer would have no way of knowing if or when that period of Babylonian captivity would end. VK: So, to get around that possibility the critic would say that a later editor of the book of Jeremiah just added that detail after the period of the exile ended. That, in fact, is a very common line of criticism with respect to many of the books in the Old Testament. Many critics assert that many books of the Old Testament, including the first 5 books, were not written until after the period of the Babylonian captivity and the Jews had returned to their homeland – sometime in the late 6th century BC or early to mid 5th century. The assertion is that the returned Jews were trying to create a sort of noble history for themselves because the whole nation was in such desperate condition. The critics assert that the returned Jews either just outright fabricated books such as Genesis at that time - or they took earlier works and just added a bunch of details to give them the appearance of supernatural inspiration. And one way they supposedly did that was to put prophecies in the books that were really historical events that had affected the Israelites. The idea is that by doing so the national or religious authorities could fool their population into believing their holy books contained prophecies that had been fulfilled. The general idea is that these pious fictions would have inspired the Jews, who were then in a pretty sad state at that time. RD: And that’s where today’s opening scripture becomes relevant. Our opening scripture includes the names of two Babylonian officials who were present at the time the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem. “Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim.” Nebo-Sarsekim is described as being “a chief officer.” VK: Ok. Let’s focus on what’s going on within the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah has been warning the people – probably for decades at this time – that if they don’t give up their idolatry they are going to be punished by being defeated militarily. And Jeremiah even tells them that their defeat will come at the hands of the Babylonians. But the people don’t listen and the defeat comes about. So, Jeremiah is now describing what was happening at the time that the Babylonians broke through the walls of Jerusalem. RD: Right. Now what is interesting, amazing even, about this passage from Jeremiah is that he has gone to the trouble of recording the names of Babylonian officials who weren’t the king or part of the royal family. Now it would not be unusual for a careful and honest historian to record the names of important people who present at a significant event – like the breaching of the walls of your capital city. But why would someone who was making up or editing a book to somehow give it the air of supernatural inspiration do that? VK: I suppose someone would say that adding the names of officials would increase the level of credibility to the account they were concocting. Good fiction writers always want to make their fiction believable. RD: Someone – a critic – trying to cast doubt on the book might say that. But let’s explore that idea for a second. Let’s suppose that a religious authority in Israel is trying to somehow add weight to a book that they are creating. So, to add that weight they start throwing in a bunch of details about a dramatic event. It makes little sense that one of the details they would throw in would be the names of a couple of people from the invading army who sat down in a city gate just after the invaders had breached the wall. But even if they did decide to throw in a couple of names how would a writer writing decades after the actual event know which names to toss in? Remember the idea we’re examining is whether it is reasonable to suppose that the book of Jeremiah was written decades after the events that it records – because that’s what it would take for a later writer to have made it seem like Jeremiah knew the length of the Babylonian captivity. VK: Or is just more reasonable to conclude that the book of Jeremiah was written by an eyewitness of the events recorded in the book. An eyewitness could easily know the names of high ranking officials who took part in the capture of the capital city. But details get lost in as time passes by. So, the likelihood that a later religious figure would know which lesser officials happened to be present when Jerusalem fell starts to strain credulity. Which possibility is more likely really comes down to whether the names recorded in Jeremiah are accurate. RD: And thanks to archeology we now have solid evidence that the writer of Jeremiah got the names right. A clay tablet that is in the British Museum contains a receipt issued by a high official of Nebuchadnezzar, who was the King of Babylon that conquered Jerusalem. This tablet is a receipt is for gold donated to a temple in Babylon. The full translation reads: “‘(Regarding) 1.5 minas (0.75 kg) of gold, the property of Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, the chief eunuch, which he sent via Arad-Banitu the eunuch to [the temple] Esangila: Arad-Banitu has delivered [it] to Esangila. In the presence of Bel-usat, son of Alpaya, the royal bodyguard, [and of] Nadin, son of Marduk-zer-ibni. Month XI, day 18, year 10 [of] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.” The tablet is dated to the 10th year of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon (595 BC) or 8 years before the siege of Jerusalem. Many Biblical scholars have now realized that the name mentioned in the tablet is the same name as contained in Jeremiah, chapter 39. VK: And that’s pretty remarkable. As we’ve said frequently during this series one test for whether a historical record is accurate is whether the record gets the names and titles right. And it is one thing for a writer to get the big names right. But it is even better when the writer gets the names of lesser officials right. Everyone remembers Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. But how many people would know who was on their staff. How many would remember the people who were, in essence, just supporting actors. RD: Yet, over and over again, we find that from the Bible that the Bible writers get even the small details right. In this case the Bible describes Nebo-Sarsekim as being a “chief officer” of the king of Babylon. The tablet from the British museum tells us that Nebo-Sarsekim was the “chief eunuch.” That title doesn’t mean anything in our society but in that day the chief eunuch would have been a very important Babylonian official. It would take too much time today to describe why that was true but we can get some idea of his importance and wealth by noting that the tablet indicates he gave gold to the temple that was worth over $50,000 today. VK: And how many people today can afford to give away $50,000? It’s little wonder that someone kept a receipt of the donation. And by the grace of God we now have that receipt as additional evidence that the book of Jeremiah wasn’t written hundreds of years or even decades after the events it records. An eyewitness of the events could record details accurately. A writer at a far distant time wouldn’t have reason to include the names of lesser officials. By that time the relevance and value of such people would have faded into the distant past. RD: Right. The book of Jeremiah contains lessons that would have been important for the people of his day – and for us today. Jeremiah warned his people about the dangers of idolatry. An idol is anything we value more than God and lots of us have things that we value more than our relationship with God. Jeremiah was a genuine prophet of God and we can be sure of that because prophecies he passed along to his people came true. And today we’ve only mentioned a couple of those. There are a great many more that time precludes us from discussing in these brief episodes. At Anchored by Truth our purpose is to help people understand that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Archeological finds like the tablet we’ve talked about point to that fact. The history in the Bible is reliable and the Bible contains a large body of fulfilled prophecies. Human beings can write accurate history but only a supernatural God can provide knowledge to His people of events that won’t occur for decades or centuries. VK: And that is what we are illustrating in this episode and in this series. Archeological discoveries have repeatedly supported the history contained in the Bible. And that accurate history tells us that the Biblical authors were eyewitnesses to most of the history they record. So, the times indicated by their place in history tells us their prophecies were given far before their fulfillment. This sounds like a great time to pray. Today let’s listen to a prayer that our children who are in school and many of them facing tests. Most of us have put such tests far behind us but it always appropriate for us to help the next generation as they walk the path behind us. It is also appropriate for us to ensure that just as we care about their formal education we also take care to pass along our faith in our Lord Christ Jesus. ---- PRAYER FOR TAKING A TEST (RANNI) VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New International Version) Jeremiah, Chapter 39, verses 1 through 3, New International Version New archaeological find affirms Old Testament historicity (creation.com)

At the end of the Babylonian Empire, Daniel was given a vision of what was to follow. The vision was puzzling to him so the Archangel Gabriel was dispatched to help him understand. Competent Bible scholars differ on the scope of that vision.

Episode 249 – Archeology and the Bible – Part 5 – Names We Know Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: [Belshazzar] called in his advisors, who claimed they could talk with the spirits of the dead and understand the meanings found in the stars. [Belshazzar] told them, “The man who can read this writing … will become the third most powerful man in my kingdom. Daniel, Chapter 5, verse 7, Contemporary English Version ******** VK: Hi! I’m Victoria K and I want to welcome you to Anchored by Truth. Anchored by Truth is brought to you by Crystal Sea Books because we have a passion for wanting everyone to reawaken to the life giving truth that is found only in the pages of the Bible. The Bible is the only book in the world that provides God’s special revelation to mankind and contains the good news of salvation that is available through Christ Jesus. Today we are going to continue our series that we are calling “Archeology and the Bible.” The Bible is a book that is firmly set in place and time. It contains a significant amount of history and, despite the doubts of some critics the history contained in the Bible is accurate and reliable. And one way the reliability of the Bible’s history has been demonstrated is through archeological finds and artifacts. So, to help us continue our discussion today in the studio we have RD Fierro, who is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, can you give us a brief summary of the points that we have made thus far in our “Archeology and the Bible” series? RD: Sure. But before I do that I would also like to say “hi” to everyone and welcome them to Anchored by Truth. As you mentioned our passion at Crystal Sea Books is to help people either connect or reconnect with the Bible as an essential part of their life. Until relatively recently, for hundreds of years in fact, people have recognized the Bible as being of immeasurable value for both life and success. President Theodore Roosevelt once said that “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” What Roosevelt recognized is that the Bible is a unique book. The Bible imparts not only knowledge but wisdom. VK: And that is a point that is often missing in our technologically obsessed culture. We have more facts and data at our fingerprints, literally in our pockets and purses, than any generation in history. Yet, as important as some of that information may be it does surprisingly little to contribute to wisdom. In fact, in some cases it seems like the more information we can command the less wisdom we choose to absorb. RD: Sadly, I agree with you. Our smart phones can tell us every address on the planet and how to get to them but they do precious little to helping us get the most important place in all of creation: heaven. VK: And what good would it do us to have visited every amazing site or attraction on earth if we don’t ensure that we are steadily on course for heaven as we travel this world’s highways and byways? RD: Exactly. As that quote from Teddy Roosevelt tells us the way we can be really smart with our “smart phones” is to use them to give us immediate access to the Bible. But no one is going to be motivated to read the Bible, whether it is on their phone, their computer, or on paper, if they aren’t convinced that the Bible has important things to say. And for them to be convinced of that they must believe the Bible is true. VK: I saw a yard sign the other day that said “Read banned books.” Ironically, the book most banned in today’s culture is the Bible. It’s not permitted in government run schools and it’s excluded from a lot of government buildings. At one time Bethesda Naval Hospital wanted to keep visitors from bringing Bibles into the hospital as part of comforting wounded soldiers. A lot of social service programs are prohibited from mentioning the Bible as part of treating people with substance abuse or mental health problems. I doubt the person who had the sign in their yard realizes that in putting that sign up they are actually encouraging Bible readership. RD: Right. But as an old boss of mine used to say, “it’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” So, the candle we want to light is simply the one that stands in front of an open Bible. And that’s the reason we wanted to take a few episodes of Anchored by Truth and talk about archeology. There have been a great many archeological finds that have confirmed the accuracy of the history contained in the Bible even when that history had been doubted by the secular world. And we’ve covered a number of specific examples in the first four episodes of this series. Today we want to provide a couple more examples of instances where secular historians doubted names contained in the Bible but those names have now been confirmed. VK: In our last episode we talked about the fact that when a historian gets names and titles right it increases our confidence that the historian is reporting history accurately. And in our last episode we showed that the Bible not only gets the names and titles of major historical figures right, but is also accurate with less prominent people and government officials. We are going to continue that theme today. Where do you want to start? RD: Let’s take a look at one of the best known stories in the Bible – the handwriting on the wall. Even though the story is well known most people know very little about the principle human player in the story – Belshazzar. VK: We heard about Belshazzar [BELL-SHAZ-ZAR] in our opening scripture. He was a Babylonian ruler who was reigning in Babylon at the time the Babylonians fell to the combined army of the Medes and the Persians who were being led by the Persian king, Cyrus. This story is found in the book of Daniel chapter 5. Belshazzar was hosting a banquet for nobles and royal officials and all of them were getting drunk. At one point in the festivities the king ordered his servants to bring out the sacred vessels that had been brought to Babylon when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem. The Babylonians took all the gold and silver serving cups and vessels from the temple and carried them back to Babylon. There they put them in the royal treasury. On this occasion the king appears to have wanted to remind everyone of the glorious history of the Babylonian Empire so he commanded the vessels to be brought out for use in their drunken revel. RD: Yes. So, most people know the next part of the story. As Belshazzar and the Babylonians are committing sacrilege with the temple treasures a giant man’s hand appears in their midst and begins writing on the wall. The hand writes four words but no one knows how to interpret them. So, Belshazzar announces that if they can find anyone who can read the words and interpret them, Belshazzar will make that person the 3rd most important person in the Empire. It’s very important to note that Belshazzar didn’t offer to make them the 2nd most important person in the Empire but the 3rd most important. VK: That is a strange detail. Why make someone the 3rd most important person in a kingdom? That just seems like a very strange way to offer a reward. RD: And from archeology we now know why Belshazzar framed his offer that way. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For many years secular historians thought that this story from the book of Daniel got the name of the king wrong and therefore that the story was just fictional. That’s because it was well known from history that the last king of Babylon, before they were conquered, was Nabonidus. Historians were somewhat uncertain as to how Nabonidus ascended to the throne of Babylon. He wasn’t in the lineage of the Babylonian royal family. He seems to have some kind of a prominent career before he became king and many scholars believe he had married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar who is the most famous Babylonian king and is prominently featured in the early part of the book of Daniel. One thing that does seem to be clear is that Nabonidus’ elevation to being the king was as a big a surprise to him as it was to others. Notwithstanding his unlikely ascension to the throne Nabonidus was well known enough to have history remember his name. The same thing was not true for his son Belshazzar. Secular history forgot about Belshazzar for centuries but the Bible never did. VK: And for anyone who hasn’t read the book of Daniel, or read it in a while, we’d recommend picking it up tonight. Daniel is the 4th of the Major Prophets but also the shortest. The entire book is only 12 chapters and the book is easy to read. The first 6 chapters are history and contain some of the best known stories in the Bible like Daniel in the lion’s den, the 3 Hebrews thrown in the fiery furnace, and the handwriting on the wall. The last 6 chapters are all prophetic and they contain an unparalleled demonstration that Daniel was given accurate prophetic information about events hundreds of years into the future. You think Daniel is one of the most important books of the Old Testament, don’t you? RD: I do. All the books of the Bible are important, but not all books are equally consumable by modern readers. And while I hate to start ranking books of the Bible I would highly recommend that everyone become very familiar with the books of Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, and Daniel from the Old Testament. Naturally, they should read the entire Old Testament, but if anyone hasn’t spent much time with the Old Testament I’d suggest they really become familiar with those books. VK: But let’s get back to Belshazzar and archeology. RD: Yes, let’s. So, until the 19th century so far as secular history was concerned Belshazzar didn’t exist. But in 1854, four clay cylinders with identical inscriptions were excavated from the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. These clay cylinders were subsequently named the Nabonidus Cylinders. These Nabonidus Cylinders contained Nabonidus’ prayer to the moon god for “Belshazzar, the eldest son—my offspring.” Thus, in 1854 Belshazzar’s existence was confirmed—as Nabonidus’ firstborn son and heir to his throne. VK: But the confirmation of the Biblical account didn’t end there did it? RD: Nope. In 1882, a translation of another ancient cuneiform text, the Nabonidus Chronicle, was published. We learned from the Nabonidus Chronicle that Nabonidus was a mostly absentee king. He spent 10 years of his 17-year reign living in Tema, Arabia which was 450 miles away from Babylon. The king left Belshazzar in charge during his frequent absences from Babylon. And we know that Nabonidus was accustomed to putting Belshazzar in charge of Babylon during his absence. There’s a Persian account of Nabonidus, published in 1924, that stated that, as “he started out for a long journey”, Nabonidus “entrusted the kingship” to “his oldest (son), the firstborn.” Furthermore, there are other ancient cuneiform texts found in the early 1900s which also mention Belshazzar, including a tablet from Erech in which both he and his father were jointly invoked in an oath, suggesting they both had royal authority. So, Belshazzar was used to functioning in the role of a king for years while his father was away. Not only do the Nabonidus Chronicles refer to Belshazzar as “the crown prince” they also explain that Nabonidus was away from Babylon when it fell. Two days before the handwriting appeared on the wall Nabonidus had fled from the Persians when they defeated him at Sippar. The engagement is sometimes called the battle of Opis. So, Belshazzar was the highest authority in Babylon at the time of Babylon’s capture just as Chapter 5 of Daniel describes. VK: That detail about the war between the Babylonians and the Medes and Persians isn’t in the Bible but it does help us to better understand the events of Chapter 5 of Daniel, doesn’t it? Belshazzar’s father had just suffered a major defeat and he undoubtedly knew that Cyrus was headed for Babylon itself. The walls of Babylon were considered to be impregnable so he wouldn’t have thought the city was in real danger. While ancient estimates vary, the walls of Babylon were probably at least 25 feet thick and possibly as much as 80 feet thick. Some ancient reporters said you could drive 2 chariot teams abreast across the top of the walls. Belshazzar’s father probably thought Cyrus would just exhaust himself trying to get past the walls. So, he moved off to a safe distance to recover and rebuild his army. But Babylon wasn’t safe because the almighty God had previously told the Babylonians he would bring about their defeat. And that message was again given to the Babylonians because that’s what the handwriting on the wall said - even though the king and his guests were initially confused about the writing. RD: And the confusion may have been because the language the words were written a language the king and his guests couldn’t read. Some scholars believe the words were not written in Aramaic script but in a non-human script that Daniel was given a special ability to read. But, many scholars believe that the words were most likely written in Aramaic because that was the language used for official Babylonian purposes. But it’s possible that the words, even if they were written in Aramaic, were written without vowels or word separations. If so all the king and the audience might have seen was a string of consonants and they didn’t know how to separate the string into the individual words. At any rate the king didn’t have to wonder too long because once Daniel arrived he immediately read the message. The New Living Translation puts verse 25 of Chapter 5 of Daniel this way, “This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel , and Parsin.” In their ordinary use these words are all monetary weights. VK: But, that word string still might not have made much sense to the king. The God’s Word Translation puts verse 25 of Daniel, Chapter 5 this way: “This is what has been written: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided.” So, even from that translation we can see it was strange message. Even if the king and the guests could read the words it’s no wonder they were confused about what it meant. RD: But, once again, the king didn’t have to wonder too long because in addition to reading the words Daniel also told the king what the words meant. VK: The God’s Word Translation says verses 26 through 28 say, “This is its meaning: Numbered-God has numbered the days of your kingdom and will bring it to an end. Weighed-you have been weighed on a scale and found to be too light. Divided-your kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians." So, the basic message to Belshazzar and his drunken friends was clear. Your time as rulers of your world is over. But there is no way his father could have known this as he was retreating to lick his wounds. His father probably thought the City of Babylon was safe because it always had been. RD: Probably. So, the situation as described in chapter 5 of Daniel makes sense based on what we now know from the Bible and other historical sources. Belshazzar’s father, Nabonidus, had suffered a major defeat at the hands of Cyrus at Sippar. The Babylonian nobles who weren’t with Nabonidus fled into Babylon thinking they were safe behind its impenetrable walls. They were all stressed out at because they knew about the loss to the Persians. So, to relieve their stress Belshazzar decides to have a party and everyone there gets drunk. VK: So, Belshazzar’s father is off recovering. Belshazzar and the Babylonian elites want to forget their troubles by getting drunk. And in the midst of their drunken revelry Belshazzar decides to remind everyone of their former victories by having the servants bring out the temple vessels from the conquest of Jerusalem. Everything looked great – right up until the moment the giant hand appears and tells them the party is over. And it was. History records that the fall of Babylon was sudden and dramatic. Many historians believe that what the Persians did to get past the impregnable walls was to divert the flow of the Euphrates River which ran under the walls and supplied Babylon with water even if a siege was taking place. RD: The Greek historian Xenophon gave an account of the fall of Babylon which also contains many of the elements that are found in the Biblical account. Xenophon says that the attacking Persians found that when the entered the city there was revelry taking place everywhere – so much so that the noise of the attackers was just mixed in with the noise that was already coming from the big party. Xenophon also tells us that the attacking Persians were able to overcome the defenders because they didn’t realize they were under attack until the Persian attack was well underway. And he adds that in all the confusion some of the attacking soldiers were able to get into the palace and kill the king – who from the Biblical account we know was Belshazzar, not his father, Nabonidus. VK: And the fact that the kingly figure who was present in Babylon when the Persians conquered the city was Belshazzar explains that peculiar detail we pointed out earlier. Belshazzar served as king in his father’s absence but Belshazzar was not the king. He was not number one in the kingdom. He was number two. So, when he wanted to offer a reward to someone who could read the handwriting on the wall he couldn’t offer to make that person the number two person in the kingdom. He could only offer to make them number three – which is what he did offer. And the Bible faithfully captured this seemingly odd detail. And as we’ve pointed out, it’s one thing for a historical record to get the big things right. But it’s even more impressive when even the fine details are proven to be accurate. RD: And, over and over again, we find that from the Bible. In this instance, of the handwriting on the wall, the Bible has the big things right. The Persians did suddenly and completely overwhelm the Babylonian defenses. Even the Greek historians recorded that. One reason the Persians were able to do that was frankly because most of the people who should have been defending the city or leading the city’s defense were drunk and incapacitated. Xenophon and the Bible agree on that. And the Babylonian Empire ceased to exist when Babylon fell and the empire was just absorbed into the Medo-Persian Empire which would last for the next 250 years. Those were the big parts of the story. But the Bible story preserved two key smaller parts of the story that were lost to secular history until the archeological finds of the 19th century. VK: Secular history forgot that it was Belshazzar who was killed that night. And, of course, secular history did not record that as Belshazzar was trying to comprehend a miraculous message the best thing he could offer was the third position in the kingdom. RD: Just for a second let’s think back to the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph was able to interpret a dream for the Pharaoh who was ruling Egypt. In response Pharaoh was able to make Joseph the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt. He could do that because Pharaoh was the most powerful man. Pharaoh was number 1. So, he could make Joseph number 2 and he did. Belshazzar was already the 2nd most powerful man in Babylon. So, he could only offer the reward of making someone the 3rd most powerful person. The fact that the story of the handwriting on the wall preserves this seemingly coincidental detail is not only fascinating but it also helps confirm when the book of Daniel was written. VK: How is that? RD: Critics of the book of Daniel like to assert that Daniel was not written in the 6th century BC because that would mean Daniel contains undeniably accurate prophecy. And that would prove it was divinely inspired. That’s something the critics have to prevent. So, they assert Daniel was written in the 1st or 2nd century BC when many of the events Daniel prophesied had already occurred. That way Daniel would have been writing history not prophecy. But, as we have been discussing, in the 1st or 2nd century BC Israel, Egypt, and the Mideast had been under the dominion of the Greeks for 200 years. And by that time there is no way a Hebrew writer would have preserved a detail so insignificant as Belshazzar only offering the 3rd position in the empire as a reward. Someone writing a pious fraud, even if they had known the details of the Babylonian system of governance would have had no use for that detail in their story. To tell the tale of God’s judgment on the Babylonians by means of the Medes and Persians the fiction writer would have gained little to nothing for their narrative by inserting a detail in their story that would only have cast doubt on the story. Think back to the story of Joseph. A fiction writer would have gained more credit for their fiction if they had made Daniel a parallel figure to Joseph than inserting a detail that would have only confused their readers. But a writer writing contemporaneously with the events and writing an accurate history would get the details right. VK: And that is what we wanted to point out in this episode and in this series. Archeological discoveries have repeatedly supported the history contained in the Bible. There are times when secular history loses details, events, kings, and even cities that the Bible preserves. But as archeologists have spent time in the territory described by the Bible quite often records or artifacts come to light that confirm the Bible’s accounts. When that happens we find out the Bible had it right the whole time. Well, This sounds like a great time to pray. Today let’s listen to a prayer that our communities and nations would repent of our departure from the worship of the One True God. The Babylonians would have been far better off to confess their sins to the One True God than mocking Him by drinking from vessels stolen from His temple. They paid a high price for their lack of repentance. Let’s not repeat their mistake. ---- PRAYER OF CORPORATE CONFESSION (MARCUS) VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the Contemporary English Version) Daniel, Chapter 5, verse 7, Contemporary English Version Archaeology Belshazzar (creation.com) Daniel 5 Barnes' Notes (biblehub.com)

They say that "The Old Testament" is a shadow of the "New Testament" or a fortelling of what is to come. Persia Media was attributed to ending the Babylonian Empire in the bible: ”“Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The Lord will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple.“ Jeremiah‬ ‭51‬:‭11‬ ‭ Persia Media (Iran) is in the news today and as these last days unfold it is clear that the (Kabal) wants to go to war with Iran soon. I pray that this message gives you some clarity and courage to disassociate yourself with Mystery Babylon and the Beast and to align yourself with the Most High. “Now when he destroyeth the multitude of the nations that are gathered together, he shall defend his people that remain.” 2 Esdras 13:49 Send a Tithe, Donation, and/or Offerings at: https://leodunson.com/donate/ Cash App $LeoDunson - https://Cash.App/$LeoDunson Become a Member! - https://ministries.leodunson.com/checkout/subscribe “Gods Laws, Commandments, & Statutes” (Book): https://tinyurl.com/33j95pbc “Precept Upon Precept” (Book) on Amazon at: https://tinyurl.com/z2uu46ez Subscribe to support Leo Dunson Ministries to gain access to "Exclusive Content" & Early Release videos: https://ministries.leodunson.com/checkout/subscribe Connect with Leo on https://www.facebook.com/LeoDunsonjr Connect with Leo on https://www.instagram.com/LeoDunson Connect with Leo on https://tiktok.com/LeoDunson #Persia #Iran #Medes #Bible #Israelites #LeoDunson

Belshazzar's feast marked the end of the Babylonian Empire which was succeeded by the Medes and the Persians. Daniel rose to prominence in that empire as well. His success inspired jealousy and intrigue within the government. The other high officials conspired to frame Daniel. That did not go well for them. The king realized what was going on and God delivered Daniel from the lions. Thereupon, the conspirators and their families were fed to the lions.

Today we ask the question - Who put the "Deuteronomic" in the Deuteronomistic Histories? Plus thousands of people die, so all in all a pretty jam packed episode. Our focus is King Josiah, about whom much ink has been spilled, and after him we will briefly look around at the emerging Babylonian Empire, then quickly destroy Jerusalem to finally round out our extended look at biblical history. The first Oldest Stories book, covering Sumer and Akkad, is available for purchase: https://a.co/d/64mxp6w --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/oldeststories/message

Jeremiah pens some of the most beautiful words of hope to his community. But those hope-filled words are smack in the middle of horrors. Pan back even just a few verses, and one can see that Jeremiah is writing from prison, where his people are under siege by the Babylonian Empire, their towns and cities are ravaged, homes and even palaces are in rubble, and the streets are filled with corpses. sigh. What does hope even mean in the context of such devastation and sorrow in Jeremiah's world and in ours? If hope is as puny as mere optimism, it might not mean much. But hope is a fierce practice that only makes sense in the face of the hopeless. As we engage both the expectant Advent of our communal church life, and the joyous cultural festival of Christmas in the wider community, how might we stoke and nurture our practice of hope in a broken and beautiful world?Sermon begins at minute marker 5:00Jeremiah 33.10-18ResourcesBibleWorm podcast: Episode 513 – Hope Against Hope, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.“Why Christmas Is Canceled In Bethlehem,” analysis by Ishaan Tharoor, The Washington Post, November 29, 2023.Cole Arthur Riley, Black Liturgies. “Advent, a season where we make space for grief, longing, sacred darkness, and silence…” Inhale: The world feels dim. Exhale: But we dream in the dark.Jan Richardson, “That Wild Advent Hope,” sent by email November 30, 2023.Image: First Sunday of Advent at SMC 2023, photo by Pastor MeganHymn: VT 236, Creator of the Stars of Night. Words: Conditor alme siderum, 9th c.; trans. John Mason Neale (England), 1851, rev. The Hymnal, 1940, alt., © 1985 Church Pension Fund. Music: Sarum plainsong (England), ca. 9th c. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

In this sermon, Pastor Rich Jensen discusses the book of Daniel and its significance, highlighting themes of God's sovereignty, eschatology, and living as a Christian in a pagan society. It mentions visions and prophecies, including the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the interpretation of the statue. Pastor Jensen discusses the destruction of a statue, the fall of the Babylonian Empire, the rise of the Roman Empire, and the chaos during the time of Christ. The importance of righteousness, endurance, and understanding God's sovereignty is emphasized, encouraging readers to study and learn from the book of Daniel. Understanding the Book of Daniel: Themes and Teachings The Visions and Prophecies of the Book of Daniel Interpreting the Book of Daniel: End Times and God's Sovereignty Lessons from the Book of Daniel: Faithfulness and God's Control The Significance of Daniel's Miracles: Lessons on Standing Firm for Christ The video of this episode can be found here:https://youtu.be/DQubDgVsqN0 Web: http://www.ReformedRookie.com Podcast: https://anchor.fm/reformedrookie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReformedRookie Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYapologist Semper Reformanda! The book of Daniel is a unique and fantastic book in the Bible, filled with mysterious and prophetic visions. It is a perfect follow-up to the study of the book of Hebrews, as it shows the superiority of Jesus Christ and the new covenant. The book of Daniel contains important prophetic and apocalyptic sections that are crucial for understanding eschatology. It refutes erroneous teachings and provides clarity on the end times. Daniel serves as a case study on how a Christian should live in a pagan society, highlighting the Christian's responsibility to authorities in a corrupt society. The recurring theme of death and resurrection is seen throughout the book, paralleling the experiences of Daniel and Joseph. This theme is important for understanding the later visions in the book. The sovereignty of God is the overriding theme of the book, with God's hand moving all things according to His will. The visions and prophecies in Daniel reveal the historical context for the new covenant in Christ. The book concludes with a call to seal up the words until the time of the end, emphasizing the mystery and importance of the prophecies. In summary, the book of Daniel is a mysterious and fantastic book that reveals the sovereignty of God, provides insight into eschatology, and offers guidance on living as a Christian in a pagan society.

In this sermon, Pastor Rich Jensen discusses the book of Daniel and its significance, highlighting themes of God's sovereignty, eschatology, and living as a Christian in a pagan society. It mentions visions and prophecies, including the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the interpretation of the statue. Pastor Jensen discusses the destruction of a statue, the fall of the Babylonian Empire, the rise of the Roman Empire, and the chaos during the time of Christ. The importance of righteousness, endurance, and understanding God's sovereignty is emphasized, encouraging readers to study and learn from the book of Daniel. Understanding the Book of Daniel: Themes and Teachings The Visions and Prophecies of the Book of Daniel Interpreting the Book of Daniel: End Times and God's Sovereignty Lessons from the Book of Daniel: Faithfulness and God's Control The Significance of Daniel's Miracles: Lessons on Standing Firm for Christ The video of this episode can be found here:https://youtu.be/DQubDgVsqN0 Web: www.ReformedRookie.com Podcast: https://anchor.fm/reformedrookie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReformedRookie Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYapologist Semper Reformanda! The book of Daniel is a unique and fantastic book in the Bible, filled with mysterious and prophetic visions. It is a perfect follow-up to the study of the book of Hebrews, as it shows the superiority of Jesus Christ and the new covenant. The book of Daniel contains important prophetic and apocalyptic sections that are crucial for understanding eschatology. It refutes erroneous teachings and provides clarity on the end times. Daniel serves as a case study on how a Christian should live in a pagan society, highlighting the Christian's responsibility to authorities in a corrupt society. The recurring theme of death and resurrection is seen throughout the book, paralleling the experiences of Daniel and Joseph. This theme is important for understanding the later visions in the book. The sovereignty of God is the overriding theme of the book, with God's hand moving all things according to His will. The visions and prophecies in Daniel reveal the historical context for the new covenant in Christ. The book concludes with a call to seal up the words until the time of the end, emphasizing the mystery and importance of the prophecies. In summary, the book of Daniel is a mysterious and fantastic book that reveals the sovereignty of God, provides insight into eschatology, and offers guidance on living as a Christian in a pagan society.

Despite controlling a huge swathe of the Near East for the better part of a century, the Neo-Babylonian Empire is nearly forgotten today, aside from one key act: the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of the kingdom of Judah.Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge. And check out Patrick's new review podcast of the TV series Rome: https://bit.ly/PWromeListen to new episodes 1 week early, to exclusive seasons 1 and 2, and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/tidesofhistorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever been ready for a fight and been disappointed when the other party relented? Nineveh was a massive city in the Babylonian Empire, renowned for its fishing as well as its brutality. While many city-states had their own Kings, Nineveh was part of an empire that had conquered the Israelites- Jonah's people. Jonah reveals later that his “obedience” in going was with ill motives, for he wished to see Nineveh be destroyed, not restored.

As the Babylonian Empire fell into decline, and it's power faded, the Persian Empire stepped in to fill the void that was left - but how did this event directly effect the narrative of the Old Testament, and what other sources are available to learn more about this period? As Babylon's infrastructure deteriorated, with crumbling walls and blocked canals reflecting a spiritual decline, rival powers emerged both within and beyond Babylon. Viewed as the chosen one by the Babylonian gods, Cyrus the Great claimed to liberate the Babylonians, but why was this event so crucial in the creation of a Jewish identity - and beyond the bible, what sources do we have to consolidate this story?In this episode, Tristan welcomes back Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, to examine this important moment in ancient, and biblical, history. Looking at how Persian influences can be observed in certain books of the Bible, with Persian words appearing alongside Hebrew descriptions, and how the narrative of Joseph and the technicolour coat draws parallels with Persian court stories - just how big an influence did Persia have on the Old Testament, and what legacies has it left into the modern day?Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code ANCIENTS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here.For more Ancient's content, subscribe to our Ancient's newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm sure you can tell that this story isn't going to end well for King Belshazzar and the Babylonian Empire. To begin with, being drunk and throwing a party while the city is under siege wasn't a great idea. Arrogance and pride made King Belshazzar do the worst possible thing he could've done. He directly challenged God. The best part of this story is that God responds in a way that leaves the King so scared that he turns pale. In today's message, Pastor Ken will show you why you don't mess with Yahweh.

(Jeremiah 23:1-8) Yearly Theme: “Kindness is… Amended” Series Title: “Kindness through Discipline” June 11th, 2023 Follow along in the Bible App: http://bible.com/events/49091047 As we continue our series today through the book of Jeremiah, entitled “Kindness through Discipline,” we come to a passage of hope. After having warned the leaders and the people of Judah about impending judgment from GOD through the Babylonian Empire’s invasion of the land, GOD gives Jeremiah a word of hope to the people for future generations; a descendant of David who will come and rule with wisdom and do what is right throughout the land. This ruler will be called, “The Lord is our Righteousness,” and on that day Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. Let’s take a closer look today:

King Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful and feared ruler who ruled over the Babylonian Empire. Despite his pride and arrogance, God saw the potential for redemption in him. God humbled Nebuchadnezzar and showed him the error of his ways. Despite his initial resistance, Nebuchadnezzar eventually turned to God and acknowledged His sovereignty. In today's message, Pastor Ken will show you that God's grace and mercy are so vast that even the most unlikely candidates can be transformed.

When do you ordinarily say that God is good? When the circumstances of your life are going well for you. But Habakkuk says it's possible to face disaster and still have a life of sustained joy in the midst of it. Habakkuk has learned that the great Babylonian Empire is going to crush his country. It's an absolute social disaster. What does it mean, then, to rejoice in your suffering? Not for your suffering, but in your suffering?  We're going to learn four things about rejoicing in suffering: 1) what it is, 2) when it happens, 3) how it's done, and 4) why it's possible. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on June 7, 2009. Series: Living by Faith in Troubled Times. Scripture: Habakkuk 3:1-19. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

The little book of Habakkuk tells us how to handle evil times, especially evil times in a culture. In this passage, God is saying to Habakkuk something about the evil Babylonian Empire that is rising up and wreaking havoc everywhere. God shows the rottenness at the heart of the culture and shows what is wrong in that culture.  As God deconstructs what's wrong with the Babylonian culture, he actually gives us two principles for facing evil times wherever we are: 1) with your head, you need to understand the source of the evil that's surrounding you, and 2) with your heart, you need a consolation to help you face the evil. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 17, 2009. Series: Living by Faith in Troubled Times. Scripture: Habakkuk 2:5-20. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Revelation 8:6-13 describe the first four trumpets. Watch for the similarities between these and the plagues of Egypt found in the book of Exodus. Remember that the plagues were directed to the Egyptian gods. A “third” is used in Zechariah but not in the same way as its use in Revelation. The star is called “Wormwood”. This star strikes a third of the water which because “wormwood” leading to the death of those who drink it.

Please be aware the stories, theories, re-enactments and language in this podcast are of an adult nature and can be considered disturbing, frightening and in some cases even offensive.  Listener Discretion is therefore advised.  Welcome heathens welcome to the world of the weird and unexplained.  I'm your host, Nicole Delacroix and together, we will be investigating stories about the things that go bump in the night, frighteningly imagined creatures, supernatural beings and even some unsolved mysteries but I promise all sorts of weirdness.  So, sit back, grab your favorite drink, and prepare to be transported to today's dark Enigma....  And on today's Dark enigma well, we have an interesting listener suggestion, so let's get on with it!  With that said, we will still be playing our drinking game and as you know, the drinking game is only for those of us that are at home and have nowhere else to go tonight.  The choice of libation, as always my darlings, is yours, so choose your poison accordingly… Alright, now for the game part how about every time I say King that will be a single shot and every time I say Babylon, that will be a double shot.  Now that the business end is out of the way we can jump headfirst into today's dark enigma… so grab your best clay tablet and your abacus and we dive into today's offering of That Wild and Crazy Guy – The Last King of Babylon – digging into the reign of Mesopotamia's most eccentric ruler. Nabonidus was the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, reigning from 556-539 BC. He took the throne after the assassination of the boy-king Labashi-Marduk, who was murdered in a conspiracy only nine months after his inauguration. It is not known whether Nabonidus played a role in his death, but he was chosen as the new king soon after.  During many years of his kingship, Nabonidus was absent at the Arabian oasis of Tayma. The reasons for his long absence remain a matter of controversy, with theories ranging from illness, to madness, to an interest in religious archaeology. The fall of an empire in antiquity was usually the result of complex, interconnected factors that lay beyond the scope of any one person's control. Nonetheless, traumatized contemporaries and later historians alike have often laid the fault at the feet of a single individual. The enigmatic Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus seemed destined for just such a fate after the Persian armies of Cyrus the Great marched through Babylon's gates in October 539 B.C. 

In the second episode of our series for Lent 2023, pastors Erica, Sarah, and Steve look at an ancient spiritual practice with roots not only in the past two thousand years of Christian history, but also going even further back to the spiritual life of ancient Israel: fasting from food. Whether it was Daniel and friends' fasting from meat as an act of defiance against the Babylonian Empire, the prophets' reminder not to separate fasting from social justice, or Jesus' teaching to fast without calling attention to ourselves, the Scriptures have plenty of suggestions for what this practice could look like in our lives.  But knowing, too, that our lives are complicated, our schedules are busy, and everyone in a household may not be able or willing to share in the same kind of dietary restrictions, it can be hard to practically observe any kind of fast for very long.  In this week's episode we'll explore some of the spirituality behind fasting, the different ways it can look, and why you might, or might not, choose to let this be a part of your Lenten season this year.

Pride is a blind spot that we often don't recognize in ourselves until it's too late. In Daniel 4-5, God confronts the pride of two powerful kings. It's a story about how He ultimately brought down the Babylonian Empire, but it also shows how He deals with prideful, rebellious people in all times and places. God will always have the final word. Our hope isn't in our circumstances. It's in Him.

In today's episode, the guys discuss how to avoid becoming worldly. They define worldliness as the love of the world and the pleasures within it. A friend of the world is an enemy of God. This, however, is not to say that we should not partake in worldly things such as having a job or being friends with non-believers. We may actively enjoy the things God has given us while still remembering that the earth is a place we are just passing through.  The story of Israel and the exile to Babylon gives a good example of how Christians should and shouldn't live. The four ways the Babylonian Empire assimilated the Jewish exile are exactly how we tend to assimilate into our own culture. These are assimilation through isolation, indoctrination, assimilation and confusion. A major wordly trait Christians should be wary of is that of the wise and worldly man who thinks he can solve all of the world's problems on his own. The whole principle is based on the idea that we were put into the world for a reason, but this does not mean that we are of the world. We must remember that worldliness disgusts the Lord and should feel visceral disgust of our own at the sight of worldly indulgences.  We can push back against the world by committing our heart, mind and soul to better knowing who God is. To know God is to immerse yourself in Him. We must be careful when walking through this world about the things we give our attention to. It all comes down to having a discernible understanding of what is corruptible to you and those around you. As we don't conform to the patterns of this world, but instead allow ourselves to be transformed through God's word, then we are equipped with discernment. Similarly, it is valuable to begin teaching our kids the lesson of discernment at a young age so they may avoid falling into worldliness.    Thanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input! Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

A new poll asked Americans about changes in the US political climate, including whether divisions have worsened and what they expect for the future. The divisions and distrust reflected in these polls are ominous for our future as the “United” States of America. In The Daily Article for September 1, 2022, Jim Denison, PhD, considers the plausibility of another civil war occurring in America, relates a sobering history lesson concerning the fall of the Babylonian Empire, and concludes by quoting Samuel Adams on how to be “the truest friend of the liberty of his country.” Author: Jim Denison, PhD Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe

Pride is a blind spot that we often don't recognize in ourselves until it's too late. In Daniel 4-5, God confronts the pride of two powerful kings. It's a story about how He ultimately brought down the Babylonian Empire, but it also shows how He deals with prideful, rebellious people in all times and places. God will always have the final word. Our hope isn't in our circumstances. It's in Him. Aaron Brockett • Among Lions • Daniel 4-5 CONNECT WITH US! Engage with this message: https://tpcc.org/messages Visit our website: https://tpcc.org We believe in the power of prayer: https://tpcc.org/prayer Instagram: https://instagram.com/traderspointcc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TradersPointCC Facebook: https://facebook.com/TradersPointCC/