Empires Rise and Fall

Imperial arrogance and idolatry are the legacies of the Tower of Babel, humanity’s first, but certainly not its last attempt, to create a world empire.

Human history is full of tyrants and empires set on subjugating nations and populations, and this has been the case since time immemorial. This sorry situation will reach its climax shortly before Jesus Christ returns, when Satan gathers his earthly forces in his final attempt to annihilate the true people of God. It will be the final act of the war between the World Empire and the Kingdom of God.

This biblical perspective is historical, spiritual, and eschatological. The Bible traces this war through history, provides insights into the larger cosmic battle being waged behind the scenes, and tells us how it will end in the final confrontation between “the Beast from the Sea” and “the Lamb.”

[World Empire Photo by Christine Roy (Montreal) on Unsplash]

For example, the Serpent that beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden is found in the Book of Revelation as “the Ancient Serpent” who wages war on “those who have the Testimony of Jesus.” In the end, the Lamb destroys Satan and his allies, and the men who follow Jesus prevail and reign with Christ - (Revelation 12:1-17; 20:1-10).

This ancient story begins with the Tower of Babel incident. The story of Babel is echoed in the Book of Daniel when the latest ruler of “the Land of Shinar,” Nebuchadnezzar, gathers all nations to pay homage to the great golden image he erected in the Plain of Dura:

• “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to Jerusalem, and he besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God. And he carried them to the land of Shinar to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god” – (Daniel 1:1-2).

• “Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, <…> that you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has established!” – (Daniel 3:3-5).

The Neo-Babylonian Empire was not a new political entity, but the latest version of Satan’s effort to conquer all humanity and destroy the saints, a plan that has been ongoing since the dawn of human civilization.

In the Book of Genesis, God stopped the rulers of Babel from completing “the high tower” in the plain of the land of Shinar by diversifying the single language spoken at the time and dispersing the newly formed linguistic groups. This was the origin of the Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar was its latest king, but by no means the first (or the last) - (Genesis 11:1-9).

Originally, the whole earth was of one language. The descendants of Noah migrated to Mesopotamia and dwelt “in the land of Shinar,” the Hebrew equivalent of ‘Sumer,’ and they began to build a city with a high tower that would “reach the heavens and, thus, make us a name, lest we be scattered across the whole earth.”

In the beginning, God commanded Adam “to multiply, replenish and subdue the earth,” the same command reiterated to Noah after the Flood. Instead of obeying the divine directive, humanity moved to Mesopotamia and built a new civilization “to make a name” for itself. Ever since, ‘Babylon’ has been characterized in the Bible by arrogance and presumption - (Genesis 1:28, 9:1, Isaiah 14:13-14, Jeremiah 32:20, Revelation 17:1).

If humanity became united under one language, the wickedness of human civilization would become boundless. By confounding human languages, God caused the nations to spread across the Earth, and He thwarted the first attempt of mankind to create a centralized imperial government to rule the Earth.

The Bible calls this Mesopotamian city ‘Babel’, the place where “Yahweh confounded the language of all the earth.” The name may be related to the Hebrew word ‘balal’, which means “confusion.” When men began to dwell in Shinar, they built a city with a high tower in the plain to mark their achievements and prevent the dispersal of humanity.

KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR

In the Book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar attempts to reverse God’s judgment against ancient Babel by gathering representatives from every nation to be educated in the language of Babylon, the “tongue” of the World Empire. He also commanded all nations to pay homage to the great image that he erected in the Plain of Dura. Nebuchadnezzar decreed that all peoples, races, and tongues should bow before his image.

The whole Earth would unite under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, or that was the plan. By implementing the universal use of the Babylonian language and the worship of the king’s great golden image, the king would establish his empire forever - (Genesis 11:2, Daniel 3:1-7).

Despite appearances, the Book of Daniel insists from the first paragraph that God reigns over the kingdoms of the world and grants rulership to whomever He pleases. It presents an identifiable ‘Theology of History’:

• “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God” - (Daniel 1:2).

• “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and establishes kings” - (Daniel 2:20-21).

• “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and establishes over it the lowest of men” - (Daniel 4:17).

The Book begins by recounting how Nebuchadnezzar overthrew the king of Judah and removed the golden vessels from the Temple to the “treasure-house of his god in the land of Shinar.” In the king’s mind, this was a tribute to the superiority of his god or gods.

However, the conquest of Judah occurred because God “gave it into the king’s hand.” Nebuchadnezzar was Yahweh’s instrument of judgment on the idolatrous people of Israel.

The subjugation of Judah created a theological dilemma for patriotic members of Israel since the Babylonians had conquered what remained of their kingdom, and the name of their new overlord, Nebuchadnezzar, included the name of the Mesopotamian god ‘Nebo’. From a human perspective, the pagan gods of Babylon had triumphed over the God of Israel.

The latest King of Babel was reversing the ancient decree of Yahweh by seizing the House of God, gathering scattered nations to the ‘Land of Shinar’, and imposing the pagan language of Babylon on all nations.  The tribute of Judah included high-ranking exiles sent to Mesopotamia, where they were educated in the culture and language of Babylon.

This constituted a national catastrophe for the Jewish nation, yet the Book of Daniel declares that it was the Lord who gave all this into the hands of the pagan enemy - (Daniel 1:4).

The Hebrew verb translated as “gave” in the opening sentence of Daniel is applied several more times in the first chapter.  First, God gave the kingdom of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. Second, Daniel was “given favor and sympathy with the prince of the eunuchs.” Third, Yahweh gave Daniel and his companions “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.” And fourth, God gave Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.

The Babylonian king put Daniel and his friends to the test and “found them ten times better than all the scribes and enchanters who were in his realm.” Therefore, the Jewish exiles were promoted to serve in the Babylonian court. Despite the disaster that had befallen Judah, events demonstrated that God was using these lowly exiles to achieve His purposes by directing the course of human history - (Daniel 1:17-20).

THE KING’S DREAM

In Chapter 2 of Daniel, events occur in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar before the completion of Daniel’s Babylonian education. His successful interpretation of the king’s dream was not attributable to his newly acquired knowledge, but to the “discernment in all visions and dreams” that God gave him.

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream that troubled him. He commanded the wise men of Babylon to reveal its contents and meaning, which they were unable to do. Enraged, the king ordered the destruction of all the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel intervened by requesting a time when he could make the interpretation of the dream known to the king, and then he prayed for the revelation of “this mystery.” Yahweh responded by revealing the king’s dream and its interpretation to the Prophet. Daniel responded by praising the God who “removes kings and establishes kings.”

Daniel next revealed the dream and its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, through the Prophet, God showed Nebuchadnezzar “what things must come to pass in subsequent days” - (Daniel 2:19-45).

The king dreamed of a large image with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet, part iron and part clay. Then a stone “cut out without hands” struck the image on its feet and shattered it into pieces, after which the stone became a “great mountain that filled the whole earth.”

The golden head of the image represented King Nebuchadnezzar. The silver breast symbolized an inferior kingdom that would follow him; likewise, the brass belly and thighs. The stone carved without hands symbolized the final kingdom established by God that would “break in pieces and consume all” the preceding regimes. In this, “God has shown the king what things must come to pass after these things” - (Daniel 2:37).

In response, Nebuchadnezzar prostrated himself before Daniel and exalted him to rule over the province of Babylon. He declared that Yahweh was “the God of gods, Lord of kings, and the Revealer of Mysteries.”

Thus, the mighty pagan ruler acknowledged God’s sovereignty over nations, rulers, and history. His own sovereignty was derived from God, and in this way, Yahweh revealed the future of the World Empire. The rise and fall of empires remain under His control.

IMPERIAL HUBRIS

In Chapter 3, the king attempted to implement his dream by “making an image of gold.” The entire image that he “established” on the Plain of Dura was covered with gold, not just its head. Nebuchadnezzar was determined to magnify his achievements and declare to all mankind that his kingdom was an everlasting and glorious realm like no other. Had he not dreamed this? At the command of the king:

• “Then the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had established. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had established. Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, that you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has established; and whoever does not fall down and worship will be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace that same hour” - (Daniel 3:3-5).

The great image represented the absolute sovereignty of the king and empire over all “the peoples, races and tongues.” The Aramaic verb translated as “establish” is the same word used in Chapter 2 for the God who “establishes” kings. Nine times in Chapter 3, the text states that Nebuchadnezzar “established” his image, a Babylonian challenge to the sovereignty of the God of Israel, and a display of the king’s arrogance and presumption.

The attitude of God towards the hubris of Babylon and its king is reflected in the judgment pronouncement of the prophet Isaiah:

• “How are you fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! How are you hewn down to the ground, you who humbled the nations!  And you said in your heart, I will ascend to the heavens! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit upon the mount of the assembly, in the uttermost parts of the north! I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High! Yet you will be brought down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you. They will consider you, saying, Is this the man that made the earth tremble, who terrified kingdoms, who made the world as a desert, and dismantled its cities, who did not free his prisoners to return home?” – (Isaiah 14:12-17).

Some of the Chaldean wise men used the situation to retaliate against the Jews for their earlier failure. Though loyal to the king, the three Jewish exiles chose not to worship the golden image. When Nebuchadnezzar heard this, he gave the three men a choice. To swear allegiance to the image or suffer a fiery death. “Who is the god that will deliver you out of my hand?”

The three exiles were cast into the furnace but miraculously survived its overheated flames. Nebuchadnezzar saw them “walking in the fire” with a fourth figure, one he described as “like a son of the gods. With fear, he summoned the exiles to exit the furnace and addressed them as “the servants of the Most-High God.”

Because the exiles survived the furnace unscathed, Nebuchadnezzar “blessed the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego,” for He had “changed the king’s word” by delivering His servants. The king then issued a decree “to all peoples, nations and tongues” that anyone who spoke against the God of Israel would be slain - (Daniel 3:13-25).

As before, praise and acknowledgment of God were heard on the lips of the powerful pagan ruler, who also acknowledged the three Jewish exiles to be the servants of “the Most-High God.” Once more, the ruler of the latest incarnation of the World Empire acknowledged the sovereignty of the God of Israel.

Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and thus, the sovereignty of Yahweh over historical events was demonstrated once more. The presumptions and pretensions of the world’s most powerful political machine could not thwart His purposes.

Similarly, Chapter 4 of Daniel begins and ends with Nebuchadnezzar as the sole ruler of the Empire, and he once again acknowledged the sovereignty of God:

• “Blessed is the Most-High who lives forever! I praise and honor the One whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation. Before Him, all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and according to his own pleasure, He deals with the Host of Heaven and the inhabitants of the earth.”

History remembers Nebuchadnezzar as a great builder and conqueror who established an empire that stretched from the Persian Gulf to the gates of Egypt, a realm mightier than any of its predecessors. In contrast, Scripture remembers him as an instrument employed by Yahweh to achieve His ends, despite the plans of the Babylonian king.

PERSIA TAKES CENTER STAGE

Chapter 5 begins on the last evening of the Babylonian Empire before its conquest by the kingdom of “the Medes and Persians.” The last king of Babylon, Belshazzar, gave a feast in which his party drank wine from the vessels that had been removed by Nebuchadnezzar from Yahweh’s Temple, all while “praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.”

In that same hour, a hand began to write on the wall. Disturbed, Belshazzar summoned the enchanters, soothsayers, stargazers, and “the wise men of Babylon” to interpret the writing, but none of them could do so.

As before, Daniel was summoned to interpret the writing: ‘Mene, Mene Tekel Upharsin.’ The clause represents Aramaic words associated with monetary weights – ‘Mene’, the equivalent of the Hebrew “talent,” ‘Tekel’, from the Jewish shekel, and ‘Peres’, from ‘upharsin’, for “half-pieces,” the “half-mina.” The last term provides a double wordplay – First, on the name “Persia,” the political power about to overthrow Babylon, and second, on the Aramaic verb for “divide,” which is from the consonantal stem p-r-s. The Aramaic phrase signified that:

• “God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end” (‘mene’), “you are weighed in the balances and found wanting” (‘tekel’), and “your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (‘peres’) – (Daniel 5:25-28).

Thus, the sovereignty of Yahweh was on display as imperial sovereignty was transferred from Babylon to “the Medes and Persians.” That night, the armies of the Medes and Persians captured the city and killed Belshazzar.

Through the words of the Jewish exile, Daniel, the God of Israel deposed a king and cast down his empire while causing another realm of even greater magnitude and glory to assume the imperial role.

The Book of Daniel demonstrates that Yahweh rules over history. The plans, intentions, and dictates of even the most powerful ruler cannot thwart His purposes, and the defeat of His people by a pagan power is no barrier to His redemptive plans.

In the Book of Revelation, Satan infiltrates humanity and afflicts the Church through the machinations of the final version of the World Empire, the Beast from the Sea. It will prosecute its great war against the saints, those who have “the faith and testimony of Jesus.” Five kingdoms have come and gone already, one was standing in John’s time, presumably the Roman Empire, but a “seventh” and most terrible empire will appear on the Earth before the end - (Revelation 12:17, 13:7-10, 17:9-14).

The Beast from the Sea will be “the seventh, but also an eighth” since it will be of the same lineage as its forbears, but also something distinct from them, presumably something far worse. This final kingdom will combine all the characteristics of Daniel’s four beasts from the sea, the lion, bear, leopard, and the monstrous beast with ten horns and seven heads, into one final beastly system.

The preferred weapon of the Beast is economic control. No one “could buy or sell” without the mark of the Beast, and like King Nebuchadnezzar, the Beast from the Sea will require all nations and peoples to give homage to its image. Any man who refuses to comply will be put under economic sanction or even be killed - (Revelation 11:7, 12:17, 13:1, 13:7, 13:1-18, 17:9-14).

Today, another incarnation of the World Empire is striding across the planet. Only time will tell if this latest version is the imperial power that will execute the Dragon’s final effort to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ or fall like its predecessors.

Regardless, we must take care to give our allegiance to Jesus and his Kingdom alone. Otherwise, we may find ourselves bearing the imperial mark of the Beast, and consequently, our name will be erased from the Lamb’s Book of Life.

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SEE ALSO:

• Venerating the Beast - (The Empire's propagandists encourage men and women to give allegiance to Caesar and to venerate his image, namely, the Beast from the Sea)

• Jesus is the True Emperor - (Jesus, the Slain Lamb, is the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth, the King of Kings who now reigns over all the nations of the Earth)

• Lamb or Beast? - (Humanity is divided into two and only two groups – the followers of the Lamb and the subjects of the Beast)

• Les empires Montent et Descendent - (L'arrogance impériale et l'idolâtrie sont les héritages de la Tour de Babel, la première tentative de l'humanité, mais certainement pas sa dernière, de créer un empire mondial)