281: Colin Badger – His Roots in the Earth

1
00:00:13,880 –> 00:00:15,600
Welcome to Good Chris Selfie and
Talks.

2
00:00:15,600 –> 00:00:17,320
I’m Levi.
And I’m Chris.

3
00:00:17,560 –> 00:00:19,480
And I’m Brian.
Thank you for joining us this

4
00:00:19,480 –> 00:00:23,080
week on this podcast.
We select One Talk a week to

5
00:00:23,080 –> 00:00:26,200
help us get the Bible in our
Daily News feed.

6
00:00:26,520 –> 00:00:29,120
We post a new episode at the
start of each week with the

7
00:00:29,120 –> 00:00:31,840
short intro beforehand to kind
of set the stage for the talk

8
00:00:31,840 –> 00:00:35,400
you’re about to listen to.
And now, let’s talk more about

9
00:00:35,400 –> 00:00:51,600
this week’s talk.
Hey everyone, it’s Jason

10
00:00:51,600 –> 00:00:53,560
Hensley.
And this week we are going to be

11
00:00:53,560 –> 00:00:56,440
listening to a class by brother
Colin Badger.

12
00:00:56,960 –> 00:01:01,160
Now interestingly, I don’t
actually know where he gave this

13
00:01:01,160 –> 00:01:05,440
class the the site that I found
it on didn’t say it was listed

14
00:01:05,440 –> 00:01:08,600
under miscellaneous talks.
So I don’t know where this

15
00:01:08,600 –> 00:01:12,880
happened, but it is class one of
five in a series called The

16
00:01:12,880 –> 00:01:18,520
Continuity of Babylon.
Now, the reason that I think

17
00:01:18,520 –> 00:01:21,120
it’s really helpful, the reason
that I like this talk so much,

18
00:01:21,560 –> 00:01:25,240
is because I think sometimes
when it comes to Daniel in

19
00:01:25,240 –> 00:01:28,400
Revelation, so not really all
prophecy, but specifically to

20
00:01:28,400 –> 00:01:31,600
those prophecies, which
generally I term those

21
00:01:31,600 –> 00:01:34,800
apocalyptic literature.
When it comes to apocalyptic

22
00:01:34,800 –> 00:01:38,360
literature, like Daniel and
Revelation, we can sometimes get

23
00:01:38,360 –> 00:01:42,200
overwhelmed by all the history
that’s connected to these books.

24
00:01:42,520 –> 00:01:45,520
You can feel like, oh wow,
there’s so much to think about,

25
00:01:45,520 –> 00:01:48,480
so much to learn before I can
tackle these books or understand

26
00:01:48,480 –> 00:01:50,400
them.
And what Brother Collin does

27
00:01:50,400 –> 00:01:53,760
that I think is really helpful,
is this entire class looks at

28
00:01:53,760 –> 00:01:57,120
those books without discussing
the history.

29
00:01:57,600 –> 00:01:59,760
Now, I’m not saying that
discussing the history is bad.

30
00:01:59,760 –> 00:02:04,160
I think we need to do that.
But what he does is he lays a

31
00:02:04,160 –> 00:02:09,160
foundation in the Bible for
seeing how what Daniel talks

32
00:02:09,160 –> 00:02:12,240
about is connected to what
Revelation talks about.

33
00:02:12,520 –> 00:02:16,840
And once we have that framework,
then we are at the point where

34
00:02:16,840 –> 00:02:20,080
we can look at history.
So what I think he does is he

35
00:02:20,080 –> 00:02:23,680
presents to us a really good
introduction to prophecies that

36
00:02:23,680 –> 00:02:27,400
can sometimes feel incredibly
overwhelming.

37
00:02:28,360 –> 00:02:33,280
So as you listen to it, I hope
that you can really focus on all

38
00:02:33,280 –> 00:02:35,440
the biblical links that he
gives.

39
00:02:36,240 –> 00:02:41,760
He shows us that the foundation
of Revelation is in Daniel, and

40
00:02:41,760 –> 00:02:45,680
not just Daniel, but in
Zechariah and Genesis.

41
00:02:45,680 –> 00:02:48,920
Now, there’s one other thing
that I want to bring out, and

42
00:02:48,920 –> 00:02:50,760
this is near the beginning of
his talk.

43
00:02:51,440 –> 00:02:54,160
I just felt like this was a
really good applicable point.

44
00:02:55,280 –> 00:02:59,840
The point is that a lot of times
we try and create a distinction

45
00:03:00,280 –> 00:03:04,520
between what’s devotional
material and what’s expositional

46
00:03:04,520 –> 00:03:07,080
material.
And Brother Collins suggests

47
00:03:07,080 –> 00:03:11,560
that that’s a fake division,
that the Bible doesn’t have a

48
00:03:11,560 –> 00:03:14,720
division between things that are
devotional versus expositional.

49
00:03:15,040 –> 00:03:18,200
And I think sometimes we try to
create this division because we

50
00:03:18,360 –> 00:03:21,600
tend to lean towards a
particular way of understanding

51
00:03:21,600 –> 00:03:23,680
the Bible.
And Brother Collins suggestion

52
00:03:23,680 –> 00:03:28,240
is In fact, the Bible doesn’t
make that distinction, and all

53
00:03:28,240 –> 00:03:31,320
of its material is meant to be
thought about.

54
00:03:32,600 –> 00:03:35,600
We’re supposed to spend time
thinking about it, because as we

55
00:03:35,600 –> 00:03:40,960
think about it, right as we go
deeper, that depth then has the

56
00:03:40,960 –> 00:03:46,280
devotional impact.
That depth causes us to want to

57
00:03:46,280 –> 00:03:48,800
be different people and to think
differently.

58
00:03:49,120 –> 00:03:51,280
So I want to just bring out that
point because I felt like that

59
00:03:51,280 –> 00:03:55,960
was a really powerful point for
our own thinking and for our own

60
00:03:55,960 –> 00:03:58,080
actions.
So here we go.

61
00:03:58,360 –> 00:04:02,160
This is Brother Colin Badger
with his roots in the Earth.

62
00:04:02,680 –> 00:04:07,360
Brothers and sisters, interest
in the subject of Bible prophecy

63
00:04:08,360 –> 00:04:11,680
has been a precious heritage of
the Christadelphian community

64
00:04:12,400 –> 00:04:16,640
since its earliest days.
It was viewed by our earliest

65
00:04:16,640 –> 00:04:21,880
brethren as an integral part of
Bible study, a must for both

66
00:04:21,880 –> 00:04:26,040
private and ecclesial study.
In those early days, lectures,

67
00:04:26,040 –> 00:04:30,120
Bible classes, and even
exhortations reflected what we

68
00:04:30,120 –> 00:04:32,680
could call a prophetic
consciousness.

69
00:04:33,760 –> 00:04:38,920
Bible prophecy fulfilled was
understood and appreciated for

70
00:04:38,920 –> 00:04:43,640
its value of evidence testifying
to the divine inspiration of

71
00:04:43,640 –> 00:04:48,440
Scripture, And prophecy yet to
be fulfilled was viewed as a

72
00:04:48,440 –> 00:04:53,280
subject deserving serious
attention, a subject having an

73
00:04:53,280 –> 00:04:57,040
integrity that raised it far
beyond simply uncertain

74
00:04:57,040 –> 00:05:00,920
speculation.
And that attitude towards Bible

75
00:05:00,920 –> 00:05:04,440
prophecy is very apparent when
one goes back to some of our

76
00:05:04,440 –> 00:05:06,880
earliest magazines and the
earliest literature we

77
00:05:07,040 –> 00:05:11,880
distributed in our community.
The exhortational value that was

78
00:05:11,880 –> 00:05:16,600
understood to result from taking
the subject seriously lay in the

79
00:05:16,600 –> 00:05:21,000
fact that believers were able to
determine generally where they

80
00:05:21,000 –> 00:05:25,960
were along God’s timetable.
There was therefore some

81
00:05:26,000 –> 00:05:31,680
meaning, some reason to present
existence, and one had some

82
00:05:31,800 –> 00:05:36,080
reason for hope that what was
not yet fulfilled would be

83
00:05:36,080 –> 00:05:40,800
fulfilled on the basis of past
fulfillment of prophecy.

84
00:05:42,400 –> 00:05:46,280
It was therefore, for our
earliest brethren, a great sign

85
00:05:46,280 –> 00:05:50,840
of encouragement, a source of
exhortational value, not just,

86
00:05:51,160 –> 00:05:56,280
perhaps, speculation.
Our earliest writings reveal a

87
00:05:56,280 –> 00:06:00,520
definite conviction that God was
still working in the nation’s

88
00:06:00,840 –> 00:06:03,720
and concern about what was going
on in the nation’s therefore

89
00:06:03,720 –> 00:06:09,440
took on a very earnest interest.
All that was understood to give

90
00:06:09,440 –> 00:06:12,440
believers assurance for the
coming Kingdom in the future.

91
00:06:13,560 –> 00:06:16,360
And furthermore, when one looks
at some of our earliest writings

92
00:06:16,360 –> 00:06:18,640
on the subject and what was
written in the Christadelphian

93
00:06:18,640 –> 00:06:22,280
magazine, it wouldn’t seem that
from those early writings that

94
00:06:22,280 –> 00:06:26,680
are marked, distinction was made
between that which was regarded

95
00:06:26,680 –> 00:06:31,120
as exhortational for a disciples
way of life as opposed to

96
00:06:31,120 –> 00:06:34,840
prophetic exposition.
Making a distinction between

97
00:06:34,840 –> 00:06:38,800
those two elements the way it is
sometimes today on our platforms

98
00:06:38,800 –> 00:06:42,200
and in our writings is something
we have inherited in the last 30

99
00:06:42,200 –> 00:06:45,560
or 40 years.
It would seem much more than it

100
00:06:45,560 –> 00:06:47,600
being an attitude way back in
the past.

101
00:06:47,600 –> 00:06:53,040
In our early years, the
polarizing between what is

102
00:06:53,040 –> 00:06:57,480
regarded as exhortational or
devotional as opposed to the

103
00:06:57,480 –> 00:07:01,960
study of prophecy, I believe,
has gone a long ways towards

104
00:07:01,960 –> 00:07:06,240
discouraging a serious
commitment to prophetic Bible

105
00:07:06,240 –> 00:07:09,720
study and exposition.
And that distinction, I think,

106
00:07:09,720 –> 00:07:15,000
is reinforced by the attitude
which divorces prophecy from a

107
00:07:15,000 –> 00:07:18,560
study of the teachings of Jesus.
They’re often regarded, you

108
00:07:18,560 –> 00:07:22,360
know, as as though they were on
two separate planes, the Gospels

109
00:07:22,920 –> 00:07:26,320
or the teachings of Christ as
opposed to prophecy.

110
00:07:27,080 –> 00:07:29,440
As we’ll see, that’s a very
artificial distinction.

111
00:07:30,240 –> 00:07:35,080
In fact, when we turn to the
Gospels, the Olivet prophecy is

112
00:07:35,080 –> 00:07:36,960
contained in three of the
Gospels.

113
00:07:36,960 –> 00:07:41,720
Out of the four, it’s dealt with
as a singular subject in greater

114
00:07:41,720 –> 00:07:45,320
detail than any other subject in
the Gospels.

115
00:07:46,280 –> 00:07:49,520
So it’s a perhaps a question of
perspective that we sometimes

116
00:07:49,680 –> 00:07:53,520
very easily lose.
The teachings of Jesus are not

117
00:07:53,520 –> 00:07:57,400
to be artificially distinguished
from a study of prophecy.

118
00:07:58,160 –> 00:08:02,000
Jesus had a great deal to say
about prophecy, and as we said,

119
00:08:02,000 –> 00:08:05,240
by looking at the proportion of
space that is given to the

120
00:08:05,240 –> 00:08:09,560
Olivet prophecy, one can see the
emphasis that was obviously

121
00:08:09,560 –> 00:08:13,720
being placed on prophecy from
the Lord Himself within the

122
00:08:13,720 –> 00:08:19,400
framework of the Gospel.
When we take a look at our

123
00:08:19,400 –> 00:08:23,240
attitude towards prophecy,
therefore, it perhaps goes a

124
00:08:23,240 –> 00:08:28,640
long ways to explain why we
individually or why we as a

125
00:08:28,640 –> 00:08:31,800
community today, don’t give as
much serious attention to the

126
00:08:31,800 –> 00:08:35,360
subject.
Because various brethren have

127
00:08:35,360 –> 00:08:38,080
disagreed in their expositional
conclusions.

128
00:08:38,440 –> 00:08:41,919
Many of us perhaps have felt
rather despairing and thrown our

129
00:08:41,919 –> 00:08:45,400
hands up and said well, if our
older brethren, or if our more

130
00:08:45,400 –> 00:08:49,000
learned brethren so-called can’t
agree, how can I possibly make

131
00:08:49,000 –> 00:08:52,280
the discernment myself As to
what’s right and what’s wrong,

132
00:08:53,640 –> 00:08:58,240
I’d like just to look at Daniel
Chapter 9 in regards to our

133
00:08:58,240 –> 00:09:03,040
attitude towards Bible prophecy,
especially the books of Daniel

134
00:09:03,040 –> 00:09:07,720
and Revelation, which perhaps
most of us approach with a

135
00:09:07,720 –> 00:09:12,360
certain amount of trepidation.
Daniel Chapter 9.

136
00:09:14,480 –> 00:09:21,720
Daniel tells us in verse 2 in
the first year of his reign I

137
00:09:21,720 –> 00:09:26,760
Daniel understood by books the
number of the years where of the

138
00:09:26,760 –> 00:09:30,160
word of the Lord came to
Jeremiah the prophet, that he

139
00:09:30,160 –> 00:09:33,520
would accomplish 70 years in the
desolations of Jerusalem.

140
00:09:33,520 –> 00:09:38,640
And then Daniel tells us in
verse three I set my face unto

141
00:09:38,640 –> 00:09:46,280
the Lord God to seek by prayer
and supplications, with fasting

142
00:09:46,280 –> 00:09:51,280
and sackcloth and ashes.
It’s rather interesting to note

143
00:09:51,280 –> 00:09:55,080
that perspective from Daniel.
Despite the fact that he was one

144
00:09:55,080 –> 00:09:58,400
of the holy ones in a certain
sense, and despite the fact that

145
00:09:58,400 –> 00:10:01,600
he was gifted with the Holy
Spirit, and although he had

146
00:10:01,600 –> 00:10:05,200
visions and revelations, was
privileged above many of his own

147
00:10:05,200 –> 00:10:10,800
day, he still had to labour over
the books of prophecy.

148
00:10:11,600 –> 00:10:15,400
He had up to this point in verse
two, been applying himself to

149
00:10:15,400 –> 00:10:19,760
the Bible itself.
It was by books that he

150
00:10:19,760 –> 00:10:23,960
understood the number of the
years by which Jeremiah had

151
00:10:23,960 –> 00:10:26,360
indicated the 70 years would
come to an end.

152
00:10:27,320 –> 00:10:30,160
He was dwelling upon the
desolations of Jerusalem.

153
00:10:30,760 –> 00:10:36,120
He wanted further understanding,
and in order to open his mind

154
00:10:36,120 –> 00:10:42,520
and heart to that understanding,
his first step in verse 3, apart

155
00:10:42,520 –> 00:10:46,840
from application to the books
themselves, was to seek God by

156
00:10:46,840 –> 00:10:52,520
prayer and supplication, but
more than that, by fasting, by

157
00:10:52,520 –> 00:10:58,400
sackcloth and by ashes.
How seriously Daniel took the

158
00:10:58,400 –> 00:11:02,000
study of prophecy.
He was concerned not only about

159
00:11:02,000 –> 00:11:05,120
events, he was concerning about
concerned about Bible

160
00:11:05,120 –> 00:11:08,680
chronology.
Where he was in time, Was he

161
00:11:08,680 –> 00:11:10,480
close to the end of the 70
years?

162
00:11:10,760 –> 00:11:14,080
Were the many years still to
elapse, how long would it be

163
00:11:14,080 –> 00:11:17,840
before Jerusalem’s desolation
would be lifted and a new turn

164
00:11:17,840 –> 00:11:21,920
of events take place?
He agonized over that subject,

165
00:11:22,760 –> 00:11:26,760
and it was only by putting
himself in to that subject, with

166
00:11:26,760 –> 00:11:31,440
that kind of fervency that the
Father responded in verse four,

167
00:11:32,080 –> 00:11:34,800
he tells us, I prayed unto the
Lord my God and made my

168
00:11:34,800 –> 00:11:37,000
confession, and we read his
confession.

169
00:11:37,400 –> 00:11:41,080
We’ll move over some of the
details, but then we read of

170
00:11:41,080 –> 00:11:45,320
course that he receives an
answer in this chapter.

171
00:11:45,760 –> 00:11:50,320
He tells us in verse 20, whilst
I was speaking and praying and

172
00:11:50,320 –> 00:11:54,440
confessing my sin and the sin of
my people, Israel, and

173
00:11:54,440 –> 00:11:58,120
presenting my supplication
before the Lord my God for the

174
00:11:58,120 –> 00:12:04,280
holy mountain of my God.
Yeah, whilst I was speaking in

175
00:12:04,280 –> 00:12:07,920
prayer.
Even the man Gabriel, whom I had

176
00:12:07,920 –> 00:12:10,640
seen in the vision at the
beginning, being caused to fly

177
00:12:10,640 –> 00:12:14,840
swiftly, touched me about the
time of the evening oblation,

178
00:12:15,960 –> 00:12:20,920
here in synchronization with the
offering of incense and

179
00:12:20,920 –> 00:12:24,920
sacrifice, as it would have been
back if he had been in his own

180
00:12:24,920 –> 00:12:27,440
land.
In the operation of the temple

181
00:12:27,440 –> 00:12:30,720
service, as the evening
sacrifice was placed on the

182
00:12:30,720 –> 00:12:34,200
altar, and the priest offered
the burning incense sometime

183
00:12:34,200 –> 00:12:38,800
near 6:00 in the evening.
At that time Daniel was found

184
00:12:38,800 –> 00:12:42,320
praying, and at that time he
received an answer from the

185
00:12:42,320 –> 00:12:46,480
Angel Gabriel, the one who was
later on, many years in the

186
00:12:46,480 –> 00:12:50,280
future, to announce a much
greater message to Mary.

187
00:12:51,560 –> 00:12:55,200
You see, brothers and sisters,
that even Daniel had to apply

188
00:12:55,200 –> 00:12:59,600
himself to the books, despite
all the advantages that he had.

189
00:13:00,360 –> 00:13:03,400
And it wasn’t until he had
agonized over that subject and

190
00:13:03,400 –> 00:13:05,760
applied himself diligently took
to it.

191
00:13:06,520 –> 00:13:10,120
And it wasn’t until he had taken
that subject very seriously that

192
00:13:10,120 –> 00:13:12,720
further light and understanding
was shed on his path.

193
00:13:13,640 –> 00:13:16,080
And surely, brothers and
sisters, if that was true for

194
00:13:16,080 –> 00:13:22,080
Daniel, as good as a man as he
was, and as close as he was to

195
00:13:22,080 –> 00:13:27,240
God, how much more does it say
to us that further understanding

196
00:13:27,800 –> 00:13:31,560
will not be had unless we apply
ourselves diligently to the

197
00:13:31,560 –> 00:13:34,960
subject of Bible prophecy,
especially to the more difficult

198
00:13:34,960 –> 00:13:36,960
books like Daniel and
Revelation?

199
00:13:37,880 –> 00:13:41,200
Have we, in our own study,
agonized like Daniel?

200
00:13:41,480 –> 00:13:44,520
Have we applied ourselves with
the kind of commitment and

201
00:13:44,520 –> 00:13:46,280
seriousness that he took the
subject?

202
00:13:47,160 –> 00:13:51,000
And, like Daniel, being
concerned not only with the

203
00:13:51,000 –> 00:13:56,200
events that might transpire, but
also where he was or where he is

204
00:13:56,200 –> 00:13:58,680
in time in God’s prophetic
timetable?

205
00:13:59,440 –> 00:14:02,640
And sometimes one hears today,
of course in our own circles,

206
00:14:02,960 –> 00:14:07,760
that being overly concerned or
preoccupied with time periods is

207
00:14:07,800 –> 00:14:11,240
an exercise in futility.
One, he often hears that until

208
00:14:11,240 –> 00:14:14,440
things are fulfilled, one really
is expending one’s time in an

209
00:14:14,440 –> 00:14:18,440
unnecessary, unfruitful way.
The time hadn’t been expended

210
00:14:18,440 –> 00:14:21,160
here.
Here, Daniel wanted to know in

211
00:14:21,160 –> 00:14:25,280
advance, in advance, when these
things would be.

212
00:14:25,600 –> 00:14:29,120
He wanted to know in advance how
much longer it was.

213
00:14:29,880 –> 00:14:33,080
So that obviously wasn’t an
exercise in futility for Daniel,

214
00:14:33,640 –> 00:14:37,120
and only by applying himself the
way that he did did he receive

215
00:14:37,280 –> 00:14:40,160
an answer.
Now in that regard, there’s

216
00:14:40,160 –> 00:14:43,680
another attitudinal concept.
I think we should just mention

217
00:14:43,680 –> 00:14:46,920
in passing.
The question of time periods,

218
00:14:47,320 –> 00:14:51,080
which we won’t be laboring today
is an important one, as we can

219
00:14:51,080 –> 00:14:54,200
see here from Daniel.
And the notion, as we’ve just

220
00:14:54,200 –> 00:14:57,720
mentioned, it’s often expressed
the notion that says, well, it’s

221
00:14:57,720 –> 00:15:00,680
not until prophecy has been
fulfilled or the time period has

222
00:15:00,680 –> 00:15:03,480
elapsed that one can really be
sure about anything.

223
00:15:03,920 –> 00:15:06,680
In terms of the prophetic
statements about time and when

224
00:15:06,680 –> 00:15:09,280
certain events will be
fulfilled, you know there’s a

225
00:15:09,280 –> 00:15:12,640
contradiction there with what
the Lord obviously intended in

226
00:15:12,640 –> 00:15:16,680
the Olivet prophecy.
For he gave the Olivet prophecy

227
00:15:17,240 –> 00:15:21,880
in such detail in order to warn
his disciples in advance of the

228
00:15:21,880 –> 00:15:24,600
events.
Had they not understood what

229
00:15:24,600 –> 00:15:28,600
those events meant, had they not
received the basic concepts

230
00:15:28,600 –> 00:15:32,520
behind his prophetic statements
in forewarnings, they would not

231
00:15:32,600 –> 00:15:34,840
have been able to do what Jesus
said they have to do.

232
00:15:35,440 –> 00:15:39,560
When you see these things, he
told them, then flee from

233
00:15:39,560 –> 00:15:42,000
Jerusalem.
They had to, in other words,

234
00:15:42,040 –> 00:15:46,800
understand the basic sequence.
They had to have a basic grasp

235
00:15:46,800 –> 00:15:51,040
of what he meant by his symbols,
and by the way he described

236
00:15:51,040 –> 00:15:53,080
those events leading up to the
climax.

237
00:15:53,720 –> 00:15:57,680
So foreknowledge was essential
for those disciples in order to

238
00:15:57,680 –> 00:15:59,920
flee from Jerusalem at the right
time.

239
00:16:00,680 –> 00:16:04,080
He told them that when you see
the abomination of desolation

240
00:16:04,080 –> 00:16:08,880
stand where it ought not, and he
refers them back to Daniel, then

241
00:16:08,920 –> 00:16:12,680
know that you are to flee.
In other words, he exhorted them

242
00:16:12,680 –> 00:16:15,400
not only to pay attention to
what he had said, but he

243
00:16:15,400 –> 00:16:17,120
exhorted them to go back and
read Daniel.

244
00:16:17,800 –> 00:16:21,000
He exhorted them to have a basic
understanding of that difficult

245
00:16:21,000 –> 00:16:25,000
book in the section he was
quoting, in order to understand

246
00:16:25,000 –> 00:16:30,120
when they were to flee.
So the Lord expected a certain

247
00:16:30,120 –> 00:16:33,440
amount of foreknowledge.
He didn’t expect brothers and

248
00:16:33,440 –> 00:16:35,800
sisters to sit back and say,
well until the events are

249
00:16:35,800 –> 00:16:38,760
fulfilled.
I really would not do well to

250
00:16:38,880 –> 00:16:41,520
put a lot of time and effort
into the study of these points.

251
00:16:42,000 –> 00:16:44,960
That was obviously not the
Lord’s attitude, nor was it

252
00:16:44,960 –> 00:16:48,960
Daniel’s.
In our studies this afternoon

253
00:16:48,960 –> 00:16:52,280
and this morning, we want to
look at what we would regard as

254
00:16:52,280 –> 00:16:56,160
some basic keys to Bible
prophecy dealing with Daniel and

255
00:16:56,160 –> 00:16:59,280
Revelation.
I’m sure for all of us, we have

256
00:16:59,280 –> 00:17:02,240
found these two areas very
difficult and challenging.

257
00:17:03,400 –> 00:17:06,599
Assuming first of all that we
are convinced of the importance

258
00:17:06,599 –> 00:17:11,960
of Bible prophecy, where perhaps
might we begin to look at the

259
00:17:11,960 –> 00:17:16,040
subject of Daniel in Revelation?
Or perhaps we could say, how do

260
00:17:16,040 –> 00:17:20,319
we begin?
Well, we are reminded of the old

261
00:17:20,319 –> 00:17:24,839
saying, the man who didn’t find
the right answers probably

262
00:17:24,839 –> 00:17:29,920
didn’t ask the right questions.
So I do believe the question of

263
00:17:29,920 –> 00:17:35,360
where do I begin and how do I
begin would possibly provide the

264
00:17:35,360 –> 00:17:39,600
kind of keys that are sometimes
eluding us when we want to study

265
00:17:39,600 –> 00:17:43,520
this very important subject,
asking the right questions

266
00:17:43,520 –> 00:17:45,640
first.
Where do I begin?

267
00:17:45,800 –> 00:17:49,080
How do I begin?
Well, for our from our limited

268
00:17:49,080 –> 00:17:51,960
experience, brothers and
sisters, perhaps we could make

269
00:17:51,960 –> 00:17:53,880
some suggestions throughout this
day.

270
00:17:54,840 –> 00:17:58,840
First, we do believe that it’s
valuable to look for the big

271
00:17:58,840 –> 00:18:03,960
picture first in Daniel and in
Revelation, what are or what is

272
00:18:04,160 –> 00:18:08,000
the big picture?
And quite often we’ll find that

273
00:18:08,000 –> 00:18:10,760
that deals with in the Book of
Revelation.

274
00:18:10,760 –> 00:18:14,080
Of course, subjects like God,
manifestation, that’s a very big

275
00:18:14,080 –> 00:18:17,160
picture, a very important and
broad 1 running right through

276
00:18:17,160 –> 00:18:19,880
the prophecy.
But when we’re dealing with the

277
00:18:19,880 –> 00:18:24,160
more difficult parts of the
prophetic details, those parts

278
00:18:24,160 –> 00:18:27,840
that are not so easy to
understand, they too have a big

279
00:18:27,960 –> 00:18:30,640
picture that can be grasped, as
we’ll see.

280
00:18:31,480 –> 00:18:34,640
In other words, getting an
understanding of the plot before

281
00:18:34,640 –> 00:18:39,960
we try to analyze a single
event, before we are concerned

282
00:18:39,960 –> 00:18:43,880
about what the brass means in
the fourth beast, before we’re

283
00:18:43,880 –> 00:18:47,280
concerned about who the frog
like spirits are in Revelation.

284
00:18:47,960 –> 00:18:52,880
To get the overall big picture
of that theme is essential

285
00:18:52,880 –> 00:18:55,560
first.
We might find that even when we

286
00:18:55,560 –> 00:18:59,240
do get that overall picture,
when we grasp the main plot of

287
00:18:59,240 –> 00:19:02,880
what’s being said or done, we
might not always be absolutely

288
00:19:02,880 –> 00:19:05,320
sure of some of the small
supporting details.

289
00:19:06,000 –> 00:19:10,240
But if we’ve got the main plot,
the big picture, in Daniel or in

290
00:19:10,240 –> 00:19:13,960
Revelation, then even though we
might not ever be sure about all

291
00:19:13,960 –> 00:19:18,200
the small details, we’ll know
how they are to at least fit in.

292
00:19:18,600 –> 00:19:21,440
We’ll have an idea as to what
pattern they should follow in

293
00:19:21,440 –> 00:19:27,640
fitting into the big picture.
When we take a look at Daniel

294
00:19:27,760 –> 00:19:31,600
and Revelation, apart from
themes such as God

295
00:19:31,600 –> 00:19:35,560
manifestation, the more positive
themes in the difficult

296
00:19:35,560 –> 00:19:40,160
sections, it’s obvious to see
that one very important overall

297
00:19:40,280 –> 00:19:44,920
theme or topic in Daniel and in
Revelation deals with the

298
00:19:44,920 –> 00:19:49,560
beasts, what we could call the
Beast theme A.

299
00:19:49,560 –> 00:19:55,520
Secondly, it’s helpful to look
for major concepts that tie in

300
00:19:55,520 –> 00:19:59,280
with the big picture, if one of
the big pictures is the question

301
00:19:59,280 –> 00:20:02,320
of the beasts, who they are and
what they represent.

302
00:20:03,680 –> 00:20:08,640
Are there any major concepts
which are tied to that overall

303
00:20:08,640 –> 00:20:12,760
big picture or theme?
And as we progressed in our

304
00:20:12,760 –> 00:20:17,120
first class this morning, I’m
going to try and highlight more

305
00:20:17,120 –> 00:20:21,240
than once how that big theme of
the beasts stands out.

306
00:20:21,680 –> 00:20:26,160
And secondly, how that there is
one very basic major concept

307
00:20:26,160 –> 00:20:30,240
which is tied with that theme.
And with those two keys in mind,

308
00:20:30,240 –> 00:20:34,560
I believe a lot of doors will
unlock and it’s helpful to go

309
00:20:34,560 –> 00:20:38,880
through Revelation and Daniel
just trying to unravel that one

310
00:20:38,920 –> 00:20:42,320
basic theme and then look at the
supporting details later.

311
00:20:43,280 –> 00:20:46,680
Well, let’s do that together.
First of all, if we were to scan

312
00:20:46,680 –> 00:20:51,760
the Book of Revelation for
striking details, what would

313
00:20:51,760 –> 00:20:56,960
capture our notice first?
Well, in the sections dealing

314
00:20:56,960 –> 00:21:02,560
with prophetic details other
than the scenes of the future

315
00:21:02,560 –> 00:21:06,680
glory in the Kingdom and God
manifestation, which are another

316
00:21:06,680 –> 00:21:10,920
big picture in Revelation, it
should strike us that starting

317
00:21:10,920 –> 00:21:18,400
in about Revelation chapter 12,
we are introduced to a very

318
00:21:18,400 –> 00:21:23,120
important theme, namely that
dealing with the beasts.

319
00:21:23,240 –> 00:21:27,680
As we’ve said, we noticed how
this is presented to us in

320
00:21:27,680 –> 00:21:33,200
Revelation chapter 12.
John tells us in verse 3 there

321
00:21:33,200 –> 00:21:37,760
appeared another wonder in
heaven and behold, a great red

322
00:21:37,840 –> 00:21:43,160
dragon having seven heads and 10
horns and seven crowns upon his

323
00:21:43,160 –> 00:21:46,800
heads.
He then performs a number of

324
00:21:46,800 –> 00:21:52,160
very important acts here in
verse 4, so we’re introduced to

325
00:21:52,160 –> 00:21:54,960
a dragon.
We progress.

326
00:21:55,080 –> 00:22:00,520
Chapter 13.
John tells us that he stood upon

327
00:22:00,520 –> 00:22:04,640
the sand of the sea, and saw a
beast rise up out of the sea,

328
00:22:04,640 –> 00:22:09,240
having seven heads and 10 horns,
and upon his horns 10 crowns,

329
00:22:09,720 –> 00:22:12,000
and upon his head’s the name of
blasphemy.

330
00:22:13,040 –> 00:22:17,280
And then he tells us in verse 2,
The beast which I saw was like

331
00:22:17,280 –> 00:22:21,280
unto a leopard, and his feet
were as the feet of a bear, and

332
00:22:21,280 –> 00:22:23,120
his mouth is the mouth of a
lion.

333
00:22:23,800 –> 00:22:29,000
And the dragon, the unseen
character here, the dragon gave

334
00:22:29,000 –> 00:22:32,280
him his power and his seat and
great authority.

335
00:22:33,360 –> 00:22:38,400
The dragon hasn’t disappeared.
The dragon here in chapter 13 is

336
00:22:38,400 –> 00:22:41,480
the motivating force for this
new beast that emerges.

337
00:22:42,080 –> 00:22:46,480
The dragon now is camouflaged,
covert, not obvious, but

338
00:22:46,480 –> 00:22:50,560
nevertheless he is the dynamic
power behind this new sea beast

339
00:22:50,600 –> 00:22:53,240
that emerges.
Verse 11.

340
00:22:53,760 –> 00:22:57,960
John says I beheld another beast
coming up out of the earth, and

341
00:22:57,960 –> 00:23:01,200
he had two horns like a lamb,
and he spake as a dragon.

342
00:23:02,000 –> 00:23:06,520
He exercises all the power of
the first beast before him, and

343
00:23:06,520 –> 00:23:09,520
causeth the earth and them which
dwell therein, to worship the

344
00:23:09,520 –> 00:23:12,720
first beast whose deadly wound
was healed.

345
00:23:14,000 –> 00:23:18,280
Now we see a link then, between
this earth beast and the sea

346
00:23:18,280 –> 00:23:21,520
beast.
And since the sea beast has has

347
00:23:21,800 –> 00:23:25,880
had its motive power from the
dragon, we should suspect the

348
00:23:25,880 –> 00:23:28,360
dragon too must be some force as
well.

349
00:23:28,360 –> 00:23:31,680
Still at this time, and we’re
not wrong.

350
00:23:32,120 –> 00:23:36,280
As we progress through the Book
of Revelation beyond chapter 13,

351
00:23:36,600 –> 00:23:38,960
we find that the dragon is alive
and well.

352
00:23:39,680 –> 00:23:45,720
We go to chapter 16, and when
the three unclean spirits in

353
00:23:45,720 –> 00:23:51,080
verse 13 are mentioned, like
frogs, they come out of the

354
00:23:51,080 –> 00:23:55,160
mouth of the dragon.
The dragon then is still there,

355
00:23:55,280 –> 00:24:00,360
perhaps covert, not too obvious,
but he is present and he is that

356
00:24:00,360 –> 00:24:05,160
time still alongside of one of
the other beasts, the beasts

357
00:24:05,600 –> 00:24:08,800
with the false prophet.
As we go further through

358
00:24:08,800 –> 00:24:13,800
revelation into chapter 17, we
meet a scarlet colored beast in

359
00:24:13,800 –> 00:24:18,920
verse 3, and we might wonder if
at this point the dragon is

360
00:24:18,920 –> 00:24:21,560
still alive and well.
That was back in chapter 12.

361
00:24:22,760 –> 00:24:24,040
But we’re not disappointed, are
we?

362
00:24:24,600 –> 00:24:28,600
Because when we go a little
further in Revelation, beyond

363
00:24:28,600 –> 00:24:33,000
this scarlet colored beast, we
discover that indeed, the dragon

364
00:24:33,000 –> 00:24:36,920
is still around.
For the dragon is mentioned as

365
00:24:36,920 –> 00:24:42,120
late on as chapter 20 and verse
two at the time of the

366
00:24:42,120 –> 00:24:46,800
Millennium.
You see, then that’s obviously

367
00:24:46,800 –> 00:24:50,160
an important theme.
Whatever those beasts have to do

368
00:24:50,160 –> 00:24:53,960
with, they take up a lot of
space in the Book of Revelation.

369
00:24:54,120 –> 00:24:57,240
At the hinge of the book,
Revelation Chapter 11 is about

370
00:24:57,240 –> 00:25:01,080
the midpoint of the Book of
Revelation, and from there on,

371
00:25:01,200 –> 00:25:05,280
significantly, the second-half
of the Book of Revelation begins

372
00:25:05,280 –> 00:25:07,360
with this dragon and ends with
this dragon.

373
00:25:07,720 –> 00:25:11,120
And in between there are
manifestations of this dragon

374
00:25:11,320 –> 00:25:13,680
through the name of the sea
beast and through the name of

375
00:25:13,680 –> 00:25:17,440
the Earth beast.
And in disguise, the dragon

376
00:25:17,440 –> 00:25:19,760
fuels these beasts with their
power.

377
00:25:19,840 –> 00:25:23,200
He gives them their power.
There is then a kind of

378
00:25:23,200 –> 00:25:26,440
continuity which runs through
the Book of Revelation from

379
00:25:26,440 –> 00:25:30,440
about Chapter 11 to the end,
dealing with that very important

380
00:25:30,440 –> 00:25:34,560
big picture, the beasts.
And then, of course, it’s no

381
00:25:34,560 –> 00:25:38,560
surprise when we analyze
Revelation 13 with those sea

382
00:25:38,560 –> 00:25:41,720
beasts back there again in verse
one.

383
00:25:42,400 –> 00:25:47,480
Or the sea beast, rather.
With our ear to the Old

384
00:25:47,480 –> 00:25:52,160
Testaments, we can tell that we
have seen parts of this beast

385
00:25:52,160 –> 00:25:54,720
before, or even though now he’s
a bit of a conglomerate.

386
00:25:55,800 –> 00:25:59,000
For we recognize that in this
beast he comes out of the sea in

387
00:25:59,000 –> 00:26:03,440
verse one and a very important
link with Daniel Seven, that

388
00:26:03,440 –> 00:26:09,120
this beast has associations with
a leopard, a bear, a lion, and

389
00:26:09,120 –> 00:26:10,840
then of course the dragon
itself.

390
00:26:11,720 –> 00:26:14,920
When we go back to Daniel
chapter seven, we find most of

391
00:26:14,920 –> 00:26:18,440
those parts.
We also discover that in Daniel

392
00:26:18,440 –> 00:26:23,160
Chapter 7, before those fourth
beasts, 4 beasts emerge, they

393
00:26:23,160 –> 00:26:26,360
too come out of a watery grave
or a watery bed.

394
00:26:26,880 –> 00:26:29,000
They come out of a kind of
watery abyss.

395
00:26:29,000 –> 00:26:32,720
In Daniel 7, verse one, the wind
strives over the ocean.

396
00:26:32,920 –> 00:26:37,240
The waves are tossing, and over
that horrid, brooding scene

397
00:26:37,600 –> 00:26:41,280
emerges the first beast that
Daniel sees in Chapter 7.

398
00:26:41,840 –> 00:26:45,720
Then from the same watery source
emerges the second beast, and so

399
00:26:45,720 –> 00:26:49,360
on to the 4th beast.
So then there’s a link here,

400
00:26:49,360 –> 00:26:53,400
isn’t there?
Daniel sees these beasts emerge

401
00:26:53,400 –> 00:26:56,680
out of a watery sea.
John sees the same.

402
00:26:57,040 –> 00:27:00,800
John sees parts of Daniel’s
beasts in a conglomerate form in

403
00:27:00,800 –> 00:27:04,720
chapter 13.
There’s a link, then, with

404
00:27:04,720 –> 00:27:09,440
Daniel and Revelation.
The theme of the beasts is one

405
00:27:09,440 –> 00:27:11,800
that bridges both Old and New
Testament.

406
00:27:11,920 –> 00:27:16,400
Therefore, the theme of the
beast takes up a fair portion of

407
00:27:16,400 –> 00:27:20,840
space in the book of Daniel.
It does likewise in Revelation,

408
00:27:21,480 –> 00:27:25,480
and on that basis we can be sure
that we’re onto a very important

409
00:27:25,480 –> 00:27:28,320
topic.
It’s a major big picture,

410
00:27:29,360 –> 00:27:32,640
surely, if we understood
basically what that theme is all

411
00:27:32,640 –> 00:27:36,040
about and what those beasts
basically represent.

412
00:27:36,880 –> 00:27:39,120
And although we, as we’ve said,
may not be sure of all the

413
00:27:39,120 –> 00:27:42,360
supporting details like the
frog, like spirits and who they

414
00:27:42,360 –> 00:27:45,920
are, we’ll understand roughly
what pattern they must fit into.

415
00:27:45,920 –> 00:27:51,160
And I think in our Bible study
with this topic, it’s extremely

416
00:27:51,200 –> 00:27:55,000
helpful and less frustrating to
approach Daniel and Revelation

417
00:27:55,000 –> 00:27:57,880
this way.
Keep going back to these two

418
00:27:57,880 –> 00:28:03,440
books with big or major themes
or pictures in mind and tackle

419
00:28:03,440 –> 00:28:07,240
them as a unit, as a major theme
from Revelation and Daniel

420
00:28:07,240 –> 00:28:09,640
together.
Then going back and perhaps

421
00:28:09,640 –> 00:28:13,240
looking at another important
theme and seeing how they tie in

422
00:28:13,800 –> 00:28:17,200
rather than trying to solve all
the small details at once.

423
00:28:18,200 –> 00:28:20,760
There was something else that
should strike us in Revelation

424
00:28:22,120 –> 00:28:23,720
just going back there
momentarily.

425
00:28:25,880 –> 00:28:31,520
And it’s this that there is
mention of an important city

426
00:28:32,520 –> 00:28:36,520
tied in with these beasts.
And what is that important city

427
00:28:36,520 –> 00:28:40,960
that ties in with these beasts?
Well, we don’t have to look very

428
00:28:40,960 –> 00:28:43,800
far.
When we get to as far as

429
00:28:43,800 –> 00:28:51,280
Revelation 17, we’re introduced
to the name Babylon, Verse 5,

430
00:28:52,160 –> 00:28:57,160
tying in with these beasts.
Babylon connected somehow with

431
00:28:57,160 –> 00:29:00,040
this woman and with the beast
system.

432
00:29:01,320 –> 00:29:06,360
If we go back to Revelation 16
just after mentioning the dragon

433
00:29:06,360 –> 00:29:10,000
and the beast and the false
prophet in verse 13 of

434
00:29:10,000 –> 00:29:13,920
Revelation 16, and after
mentioning Armageddon and verse

435
00:29:13,920 –> 00:29:20,000
16, we have mentioned in verse
19 of the Great City and great

436
00:29:20,160 –> 00:29:25,280
Babylon brings to our attention
again the Old Testament

437
00:29:25,280 –> 00:29:31,560
connections and threads.
We see then that this is

438
00:29:31,560 –> 00:29:36,000
important to understand.
Not only do we see the links

439
00:29:36,000 –> 00:29:38,640
here throughout Revelation with
one another, but we see how they

440
00:29:38,640 –> 00:29:43,360
throw threads back into Daniel.
And it’s curious, isn’t it?

441
00:29:43,600 –> 00:29:47,600
And trying to piece the picture
together that this question of

442
00:29:47,600 –> 00:29:52,840
the beasts found in Daniel and
in Revelation has associated

443
00:29:52,840 –> 00:29:57,040
with it the name Babylon.
And it’s a curious thing, isn’t

444
00:29:57,040 –> 00:30:01,160
it, That in Daniel, the only
other book really that has this

445
00:30:01,160 –> 00:30:05,320
link with the beasts, Daniel was
in Babylon.

446
00:30:06,160 –> 00:30:08,680
He was in Babylon when he saw
these beasts.

447
00:30:10,040 –> 00:30:13,760
Now there’s another link.
Here we find in Revelation the

448
00:30:13,760 –> 00:30:16,840
beasts in conjunction with the
name Babylon.

449
00:30:17,560 –> 00:30:20,840
In the Old Testament, we’re
drawn into the book of Daniel

450
00:30:20,840 –> 00:30:23,440
where we see the clearest link
with these beasts.

451
00:30:23,840 –> 00:30:26,600
And lo and behold, Daniel is in
Babylon.

452
00:30:27,040 –> 00:30:29,480
And Babylon figures very
prominently through most of the

453
00:30:29,480 –> 00:30:32,640
book of Daniel.
Surely that’s no coincidence.

454
00:30:33,440 –> 00:30:37,040
What’s Revelation telling us?
Surely it’s telling us that

455
00:30:37,040 –> 00:30:39,200
we’ve got to go back to the Book
of Daniel.

456
00:30:40,000 –> 00:30:43,520
And furthermore, it’s telling us
that whatever we make of this

457
00:30:43,520 –> 00:30:47,400
beast system found throughout
Revelation and Daniel, whatever

458
00:30:47,400 –> 00:30:51,600
we make of it, we’ve got to keep
in mind the word Babylon.

459
00:30:52,000 –> 00:30:56,440
It’s inseparable from the beast
system somehow, in some Mystic

460
00:30:56,440 –> 00:31:00,040
way, perhaps.
Now, looking at this theme from

461
00:31:00,040 –> 00:31:04,280
this kind of approach makes it a
lot simpler, and it helps to put

462
00:31:04,280 –> 00:31:07,360
the pieces together 1 by 1 as
they belong together.

463
00:31:07,920 –> 00:31:09,760
So that’s the procedure we’re
going to follow.

464
00:31:10,520 –> 00:31:14,200
How in the world is Babylon
still present in the Book of

465
00:31:14,200 –> 00:31:17,440
Revelation at the time of the
end, next to Armageddon?

466
00:31:18,520 –> 00:31:21,080
Well, without doing a lot of
Bible study at that point, we

467
00:31:21,080 –> 00:31:25,040
can at least conclude this.
However, Babylon is present at

468
00:31:25,040 –> 00:31:27,800
the time of Armageddon or at the
time of the Lord’s return.

469
00:31:27,800 –> 00:31:31,200
It can’t be literal.
That is, it can’t be the old

470
00:31:31,200 –> 00:31:35,680
political empire that is now
disintegrated and gone somehow.

471
00:31:35,680 –> 00:31:39,560
We would be right to conclude
Babylon has lived on past the

472
00:31:39,560 –> 00:31:44,600
time of Daniel and it’s still in
some power or form present as an

473
00:31:44,600 –> 00:31:47,040
antagonistic force when Christ
returns.

474
00:31:47,920 –> 00:31:52,800
That’s a very important concept
to understand that supports the

475
00:31:52,800 –> 00:31:56,040
main big idea.
The big idea is the B system

476
00:31:56,480 –> 00:32:01,840
supporting concept Babylon.
But Babylon not political so

477
00:32:01,840 –> 00:32:05,080
much.
Babylon, not as the old empire

478
00:32:05,080 –> 00:32:08,840
under Nebuchadnezzar, but
Babylon still somehow present in

479
00:32:08,840 –> 00:32:11,200
the earth.
How present in the earth?

480
00:32:11,640 –> 00:32:13,880
In what form is it present still
in the earth?

481
00:32:14,400 –> 00:32:16,720
Well, we’ll explore that more
when we look at Revelation in

482
00:32:16,720 –> 00:32:19,320
our last class, where we’ll
devote all our attention to the

483
00:32:19,320 –> 00:32:23,240
Book of Revelation in this area.
But you see, that’s an important

484
00:32:23,240 –> 00:32:26,400
concept.
Babylon still present when

485
00:32:26,400 –> 00:32:29,880
Christ returns.
Babylon tied in with the beasts.

486
00:32:30,760 –> 00:32:34,760
Now if we pursue that just a
little bit further, let’s go

487
00:32:34,760 –> 00:32:38,400
back into the Old Testament.
Now we’re working on a

488
00:32:38,400 –> 00:32:42,280
supporting concept.
Back we go into the Old

489
00:32:42,280 –> 00:32:44,800
Testament with this question of
Babylon.

490
00:32:45,320 –> 00:32:48,880
Let me ask you a question as we
go back here.

491
00:32:49,680 –> 00:32:56,120
What is the first Gentile
Kingdom or power mentioned in

492
00:32:56,120 –> 00:33:00,160
the Old Testament?
The first Gentile power or

493
00:33:00,160 –> 00:33:04,480
Kingdom.
In fact, we could even make it

494
00:33:04,480 –> 00:33:06,840
even less qualified.
What is the first Kingdom

495
00:33:07,240 –> 00:33:11,560
mentioned in the Old Testament?
Well, it’s not surprising to

496
00:33:11,560 –> 00:33:14,960
notice as we go back to Genesis
chapter 10.

497
00:33:16,320 –> 00:33:24,400
The Bible tells us that the very
first Kingdom organized power

498
00:33:24,920 –> 00:33:29,880
under man’s direction is none
other than Babylon, and it comes

499
00:33:29,880 –> 00:33:34,640
under several names.
In Genesis chapter 10 we read

500
00:33:34,640 –> 00:33:42,280
down in verse five, first of
Genesis 10, the mention of the

501
00:33:42,280 –> 00:33:46,840
word Gentile, Very important.
Prelude verse five of Genesis

502
00:33:46,840 –> 00:33:50,320
10.
By these were the Isles of the

503
00:33:50,320 –> 00:33:55,560
Gentiles divided in their lands.
Interesting.

504
00:33:55,720 –> 00:33:59,320
Probably one of the first
references to the term Gentiles,

505
00:34:00,040 –> 00:34:05,520
and in this conjunction we read
down in verse 10 and the

506
00:34:05,520 –> 00:34:15,280
beginning of his Kingdom was
Babylon Margin Babylon first

507
00:34:15,280 –> 00:34:18,400
mention of a Kingdom, first
reference to the word Kingdom

508
00:34:18,400 –> 00:34:22,239
period in the Old Testament, if
you check the concordance Now in

509
00:34:22,239 –> 00:34:25,280
a certain sense a Kingdom had
already existed before then,

510
00:34:26,320 –> 00:34:30,280
insofar as God through Samuel
told the people of his day.

511
00:34:30,280 –> 00:34:34,800
God was king over his people.
But it’s never spelled out that

512
00:34:34,800 –> 00:34:38,000
way directly until we get to the
time of Samuel.

513
00:34:38,000 –> 00:34:40,679
And there are hints also in the
Law of Moses that that was only

514
00:34:40,679 –> 00:34:43,760
so from the beginning.
But this is the first reference

515
00:34:43,760 –> 00:34:48,159
to Kingdom Babylon.
Furthermore, it is synonymous

516
00:34:48,159 –> 00:34:50,719
with the land of Shinar.
Keep that in mind.

517
00:34:51,040 –> 00:34:54,960
The land of Shinar.
Now let me ask another question.

518
00:34:56,000 –> 00:34:59,760
That’s the first reference to a
Kingdom, especially here.

519
00:34:59,760 –> 00:35:02,080
Now a gentile Kingdom in the Old
Testament.

520
00:35:02,680 –> 00:35:05,680
What’s the 1st Kingdom mentioned
in the New Testament?

521
00:35:07,080 –> 00:35:11,000
The first dominion or power
mentioned in the New Testament?

522
00:35:14,000 –> 00:35:22,640
Matthew Chapter one, more than
just Bible trivia when we ask

523
00:35:22,640 –> 00:35:26,520
those kind of questions provides
a very interesting perspective

524
00:35:26,520 –> 00:35:31,560
at the outset of our study.
Let’s go Matthew chapter one in

525
00:35:31,560 –> 00:35:36,480
a very unlikely place, the
genealogy of our Lord and notice

526
00:35:36,520 –> 00:35:42,440
how we are immediately hit with
the word Babylon in a somewhat

527
00:35:42,440 –> 00:35:45,320
incidental way, but it is
immediate.

528
00:35:45,400 –> 00:35:50,160
In the New Testament we read in
verse 11 Josiah begat Jeconiah

529
00:35:50,160 –> 00:35:53,680
and his brethren about the time
they were carried away to

530
00:35:53,680 –> 00:35:56,160
Babylon.
First Kingdom mentioned in the

531
00:35:56,160 –> 00:36:00,160
New Testament, then it’s
mentioned again in verse 12 and

532
00:36:00,160 –> 00:36:03,880
after they were brought to
Babylon then it’s mentioned

533
00:36:03,880 –> 00:36:08,000
twice more in verse 17.
All the generations from Abraham

534
00:36:08,000 –> 00:36:11,880
to David are 14 generations, and
from David until the carrying

535
00:36:11,880 –> 00:36:16,400
away into Babylon are 14
generations, and from the caring

536
00:36:16,400 –> 00:36:20,160
away into Babylon onto Christ
are 14 generations.

537
00:36:20,480 –> 00:36:22,280
You see how Babylon is being
used there?

538
00:36:22,560 –> 00:36:26,680
It’s being used as a kind of
marking in the chronology of our

539
00:36:26,680 –> 00:36:29,320
Lord.
It’s a way of marking off the

540
00:36:29,320 –> 00:36:32,840
various genealogies in sections
that have led up to our Lord’s

541
00:36:32,840 –> 00:36:37,560
life and to his birth on earth.
But it is striking that the

542
00:36:37,560 –> 00:36:41,920
first mention of a Kingdom in
the New Testament is Babylon.

543
00:36:42,120 –> 00:36:46,720
Four times in the first book and
the first chapter, Babylon comes

544
00:36:46,720 –> 00:36:50,800
to our view, and Babylon comes
to our view in a very similar

545
00:36:50,800 –> 00:36:56,040
way in Genesis First power that
God draws attention to, that

546
00:36:56,040 –> 00:37:00,080
would be obviously not his
Kingdom, something other than

547
00:37:00,080 –> 00:37:03,160
his area or his domain of
rulership.

548
00:37:04,560 –> 00:37:11,800
Let’s go back to Genesis again,
back into the life of Abraham.

549
00:37:18,120 –> 00:37:24,840
We noticed that the name Shinar
was given in Genesis 10 as being

550
00:37:24,840 –> 00:37:28,040
synonymous with Babel or Babylon
in the same basic area.

551
00:37:29,920 –> 00:37:32,560
It comes to our attention
simultaneously.

552
00:37:32,560 –> 00:37:35,560
Shinar does with the name
Babylon.

553
00:37:36,680 –> 00:37:39,960
Now.
It’s a curious thing that Shinar

554
00:37:39,960 –> 00:37:42,080
shows up again in the life of
Abraham.

555
00:37:42,960 –> 00:37:48,760
This time we discover that there
is an antagonism between the

556
00:37:48,760 –> 00:37:53,680
godly man Abraham and Shinar.
For we read in verse one It came

557
00:37:53,680 –> 00:37:58,360
to pass in the days of Amraphel
king of Shinar, Arioch king of

558
00:37:58,360 –> 00:38:02,480
Al Asser Chile, Amur king of
Elam entitled King of Nations.

559
00:38:02,800 –> 00:38:07,960
That these made war with another
city group or a city state as

560
00:38:07,960 –> 00:38:13,440
mentioned in verse 2.
So Genesis chapter 14 introduces

561
00:38:13,440 –> 00:38:19,960
in this stage in Abraham’s life
a war between Abraham and some

562
00:38:19,960 –> 00:38:25,000
of the surrounding Gentile
powers, and he finds himself at

563
00:38:25,000 –> 00:38:30,360
war with Shinar and other
nations that are in conjunction

564
00:38:30,360 –> 00:38:34,280
with Shinar.
And we noticed that Shinar is

565
00:38:34,280 –> 00:38:39,520
mentioned first in verse one.
So here, back in the Old

566
00:38:39,520 –> 00:38:45,040
Testament, in a very early
stage, we find a man of God

567
00:38:46,200 –> 00:38:52,160
antagonistic to Shinar.
We find Shinar being associated

568
00:38:52,160 –> 00:38:57,920
with a conglomerate of nations
or cities that are going to go

569
00:38:57,920 –> 00:39:03,040
together and fight against
Abraham, father of the faithful.

570
00:39:04,560 –> 00:39:08,080
You know there are patterns here
in Genesis on this subject, and

571
00:39:08,080 –> 00:39:11,040
of course many other Bible
subjects which lay a kind of

572
00:39:11,040 –> 00:39:15,000
blueprint down for the rest of
the Bible early on.

573
00:39:15,000 –> 00:39:18,600
Then in the book of Genesis, not
only is Shinar pictured as a

574
00:39:18,600 –> 00:39:22,680
Kingdom antagonistic to God,
associated with Gentile might

575
00:39:23,000 –> 00:39:27,240
and ambition, but it is shown
very early on to be gathering

576
00:39:27,240 –> 00:39:31,080
nations around it and going
against a godly man.

577
00:39:31,720 –> 00:39:35,040
Very interesting.
You see, when we look at the

578
00:39:35,040 –> 00:39:39,600
subject of Babylon as it relates
to the beast system, we’re only

579
00:39:39,600 –> 00:39:43,200
looking at it in very general
terms, but it ties in some very

580
00:39:43,200 –> 00:39:48,240
important concepts that are laid
down surprisingly early in the

581
00:39:48,240 –> 00:39:52,400
Bible.
When we come to the Book of

582
00:39:52,400 –> 00:39:58,920
Revelation, again in Revelation
chapter 12, in conjunction with

583
00:39:58,920 –> 00:40:03,880
the dragon, one of the beasts.
It’s not surprising, therefore,

584
00:40:03,880 –> 00:40:07,440
to see that in relationship to
that beast, that dragon in

585
00:40:07,440 –> 00:40:11,720
Revelation 12, that we’re told
that it’s to do with the old

586
00:40:11,720 –> 00:40:16,800
serpent.
The old serpent Interesting.

587
00:40:17,720 –> 00:40:21,560
It’s in conjunction with the
term Satan, which means to be an

588
00:40:21,560 –> 00:40:25,400
adversary or an opponent.
And here, early on in the life

589
00:40:25,400 –> 00:40:29,400
of Abraham, powers that were
within the orbit of Shinar are

590
00:40:29,400 –> 00:40:33,560
proving themselves to be satanic
or opposing Abraham and the ways

591
00:40:33,560 –> 00:40:36,720
of God and of course his
relative.

592
00:40:36,760 –> 00:40:40,760
Lot.
Interesting how the Lynx bridge

593
00:40:40,800 –> 00:40:44,120
back and forth from the earliest
book to the last book.

594
00:40:44,800 –> 00:40:47,240
And we’re told that this is the
old serpent.

595
00:40:47,800 –> 00:40:52,080
It’s an old story.
It’s part of a very old plot.

596
00:40:52,360 –> 00:40:54,680
It goes right back into the Old
Testament.

597
00:40:55,160 –> 00:40:57,400
There’s nothing new about this
dragon.

598
00:40:57,480 –> 00:41:02,600
In other words, the dragon is
associated with an old, old

599
00:41:02,640 –> 00:41:07,400
force or source of antagonism.
It’s a diabolical source.

600
00:41:07,720 –> 00:41:10,480
It’s an opposing source, and
it’s old.

601
00:41:11,040 –> 00:41:15,800
So when Revelation sees that or
says that, it’s no surprise to

602
00:41:15,800 –> 00:41:17,360
see how it fits into the
pattern.

603
00:41:17,360 –> 00:41:20,720
We’ve just seen very briefly
here in Genesis 10 and then

604
00:41:20,720 –> 00:41:25,680
again in Genesis Chapter 14.
Now, brothers and sisters,

605
00:41:26,040 –> 00:41:30,280
perhaps a certain amount of the
stage has been set to appreciate

606
00:41:30,280 –> 00:41:32,560
the force of what we’re now
going to look at in greater

607
00:41:32,560 –> 00:41:38,800
detail as we look at now the
beasts and Babylon Daniel

608
00:41:38,800 –> 00:41:47,440
Chapter One.
Where does Daniel find its

609
00:41:47,480 –> 00:41:50,480
setting?
Now?

610
00:41:51,720 –> 00:41:56,360
Perhaps we have a quick answer
in our mind, but the term

611
00:41:56,360 –> 00:41:59,200
employee to start with in the
book of Daniel is most

612
00:41:59,200 –> 00:42:03,120
interesting now to know in view
of what we just covered in

613
00:42:03,120 –> 00:42:07,240
Genesis.
Just notice Daniel chapter one,

614
00:42:09,880 –> 00:42:14,920
the very first verse of the very
first chapter Babylon comes to

615
00:42:14,920 –> 00:42:21,320
view in terms of where he is and
when Daniel tells us in verse

616
00:42:21,320 –> 00:42:25,440
one in the third year of the
reign of Jehoiakim king of

617
00:42:25,440 –> 00:42:29,840
Judah, king Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon unto Jerusalem and

618
00:42:29,840 –> 00:42:35,080
besieged it.
Babylon an act of force.

619
00:42:35,920 –> 00:42:38,720
Babylon antagonistic to the city
of God.

620
00:42:39,680 –> 00:42:42,280
Two cities brought in front of
our view.

621
00:42:42,960 –> 00:42:47,360
Babylon and Jerusalem.
And what are the two cities that

622
00:42:47,360 –> 00:42:49,720
are brought to view in the Book
of Revelation?

623
00:42:50,600 –> 00:42:54,160
There’s only two Jerusalem and
Babylon.

624
00:42:55,000 –> 00:42:58,360
It’s interesting that Daniel one
and verse one automatically

625
00:42:58,360 –> 00:43:01,640
introduces us to those two
cities in the very first

626
00:43:01,640 –> 00:43:05,400
statement of the book, and
Revelation develops that in

627
00:43:05,400 –> 00:43:09,360
greater detail at a latter time.
More than that though, in verse

628
00:43:09,360 –> 00:43:12,120
two, look at what Babylon is now
made synonymous with.

629
00:43:12,800 –> 00:43:16,880
The Lord God gave Jehoiah King,
King of Judah unto his hand with

630
00:43:16,880 –> 00:43:20,600
part of the vessels of the House
of God, which he carried into

631
00:43:20,720 –> 00:43:28,120
the land of Shinar, that power
which had organized with itself

632
00:43:28,120 –> 00:43:31,320
a series of cities that
challenged Abraham.

633
00:43:32,000 –> 00:43:34,800
Shinar, that was the first of
all kingdoms amongst the

634
00:43:34,800 –> 00:43:41,520
Gentiles tied in with Babylon.
You see, then there’s a kind of

635
00:43:41,520 –> 00:43:46,360
continuity in this whole theme.
There is a continuous thread

636
00:43:46,360 –> 00:43:51,000
that runs right from Genesis 10
through Genesis 11 through

637
00:43:51,000 –> 00:43:54,480
Genesis 14 with Abraham, And now
we’re at the time of the

638
00:43:54,480 –> 00:43:59,360
dispersion and the captivity in
Daniel Chapter one, And Shinar

639
00:43:59,360 –> 00:44:02,280
is still there, and we’re
intended to see the link with

640
00:44:02,280 –> 00:44:05,200
Shinar and Babylon as synonymous
terms.

641
00:44:05,720 –> 00:44:09,800
And we’re intended to see that
Babylon is antagonistic to the

642
00:44:09,800 –> 00:44:13,680
city of God, to Jerusalem.
Very important when we turn to

643
00:44:13,680 –> 00:44:16,280
Revelation.
The city of Jerusalem is there,

644
00:44:16,280 –> 00:44:21,200
the New Jerusalem, and Babylon
is there at the great city, and

645
00:44:21,200 –> 00:44:23,400
it’s destroyed.
And Jerusalem lives on.

646
00:44:23,960 –> 00:44:28,200
Important to see how such very
basic, fundamental concepts are

647
00:44:28,200 –> 00:44:31,920
rooted in the Old Testament.
And Daniel’s We’ll see more and

648
00:44:31,920 –> 00:44:34,480
more provides.
Perhaps the clearest links.

649
00:44:34,920 –> 00:44:45,120
Now turn to Zachariah Chapter 5.
A most curious reference, but it

650
00:44:45,120 –> 00:44:51,920
continues to bring to our
attention the longevity of

651
00:44:51,920 –> 00:44:54,520
Babylon, the longevity of
Shinar.

652
00:44:54,560 –> 00:44:57,120
It isn’t destroyed, It keeps
going.

653
00:44:58,040 –> 00:45:01,280
I’ll notice how this emerges in
Zechariah Chapter 5.

654
00:45:05,160 –> 00:45:08,760
First of all, before we look at
Chapter 5, let’s remind

655
00:45:08,760 –> 00:45:16,120
ourselves where we are in time.
Zechariah is a prophet with

656
00:45:16,120 –> 00:45:22,080
Haggai that have gone back with
the Jews after the Babylonian

657
00:45:22,080 –> 00:45:25,360
captivity.
After Daniel, Daniel is now way

658
00:45:25,360 –> 00:45:28,520
gone.
Zechariah goes back with the

659
00:45:28,600 –> 00:45:33,000
returning exiles to the city of
Jerusalem, to the land of

660
00:45:33,000 –> 00:45:37,120
Israel, and with Haggai the
prophet Zechariah laborers in

661
00:45:37,120 –> 00:45:40,040
the rebuilding of the Temple.
And then later on, of course,

662
00:45:40,040 –> 00:45:41,720
the walls are rebuilt under
Ezra.

663
00:45:41,720 –> 00:45:47,800
Nehemiah, you know.
Zechariah then comes at a time

664
00:45:47,800 –> 00:45:52,680
when Babylon has been destroyed
by Persia, when Zechariah

665
00:45:52,680 –> 00:45:55,720
prophesied.
The ancient power of Babylon has

666
00:45:55,720 –> 00:46:00,480
been destroyed by Cyrus.
Cyrus, by the time Zechariah

667
00:46:00,720 –> 00:46:03,440
prophesied, has already moved
into Babylon.

668
00:46:04,080 –> 00:46:07,520
His forces have fired the city,
destroyed it, and flattened it,

669
00:46:07,800 –> 00:46:11,560
and Cyrus has reigned and gone.
By the time Zechariah

670
00:46:11,640 –> 00:46:14,760
prophecies, the Persians now are
ruling the world.

671
00:46:15,520 –> 00:46:18,480
No longer is it the ancient city
or power of Babylon.

672
00:46:19,120 –> 00:46:25,400
But in Zechariah chapter 5 there
is a prophecy dealing in a most

673
00:46:25,400 –> 00:46:30,280
peculiar way with our theme.
For we read that the prophet

674
00:46:30,280 –> 00:46:37,720
sees in his vision a vessel and
he asks what this vessel is.

675
00:46:37,720 –> 00:46:39,920
It’s a measuring container.
Verse six.

676
00:46:39,920 –> 00:46:41,800
What is it?
Says Zechariah?

677
00:46:42,400 –> 00:46:46,000
The Angel says this is an ephah,
A measuring container like a big

678
00:46:46,000 –> 00:46:50,440
jar that goeth forth.
He say it’s moreover this is

679
00:46:50,440 –> 00:46:53,760
their resemblance.
Throughout all the earth, behold

680
00:46:53,760 –> 00:46:55,680
there was lifted up a talent of
lead.

681
00:46:55,680 –> 00:46:59,600
That’s the lid.
And this is a woman that sitteth

682
00:46:59,600 –> 00:47:02,960
in the midst of the ether, in
the midst of this measuring jar.

683
00:47:03,320 –> 00:47:05,240
And he said, pointing to the
woman.

684
00:47:05,400 –> 00:47:10,240
This is wickedness, and he cast
it into the midst of the ether,

685
00:47:10,760 –> 00:47:13,880
and he cast the weight of lead
upon the mouth thereof.

686
00:47:14,680 –> 00:47:18,920
Then, says Zechariah, I lifted
up my eyes, and behold, there

687
00:47:18,920 –> 00:47:22,280
came out two women, and the wind
was in their wings, for they had

688
00:47:22,280 –> 00:47:25,120
wings like the wings of a stork.
And they lifted up this

689
00:47:25,120 –> 00:47:28,120
measuring container with a woman
in it between the earth and the

690
00:47:28,120 –> 00:47:30,960
heaven.
Then said I to the Angel that

691
00:47:30,960 –> 00:47:33,680
talked with me, Whither do they
bear the ether?

692
00:47:34,600 –> 00:47:41,040
And he said unto me to build it
in house in the land of Shinar.

693
00:47:41,920 –> 00:47:44,640
Shinar again.
Shinar.

694
00:47:45,960 –> 00:47:49,280
This is at the time when the
Persians have conquered Babylon.

695
00:47:49,640 –> 00:47:52,280
Pocket Babylon or Shinar still
be in existence.

696
00:47:52,640 –> 00:47:56,600
What a most incredible reference
here in a prophecy that is

697
00:47:56,600 –> 00:48:00,600
virtually celebrating the demise
of Babylon and the rebuilding of

698
00:48:00,600 –> 00:48:03,120
Israel and Jerusalem under the
two prophets.

699
00:48:03,960 –> 00:48:08,600
To see this curious prophecy of
a woman in a measuring container

700
00:48:08,960 –> 00:48:12,720
and the Prophet is told this is
wickedness.

701
00:48:13,160 –> 00:48:16,680
The lid is shut on top of the
jar, it’s picked up by two

702
00:48:16,680 –> 00:48:21,320
unclean storks and it’s carried
off to the land of Shinar.

703
00:48:21,560 –> 00:48:25,360
And look what it says to build
it in a house in the land of

704
00:48:25,360 –> 00:48:27,400
Shinar.
This woman is going to have a

705
00:48:27,400 –> 00:48:32,040
house in Babylon and it shall be
established and set there upon

706
00:48:32,120 –> 00:48:36,880
her own base.
Isn’t that curious?

707
00:48:37,960 –> 00:48:40,480
Do you know that’s the last
reference to Shinar in the Old

708
00:48:40,480 –> 00:48:43,960
Testament?
The very last reference to

709
00:48:43,960 –> 00:48:49,440
Babylon in the Old Testament?
In other words, the question of

710
00:48:49,480 –> 00:48:55,400
Babylon is last mentioned in the
Old Testament in conjunction

711
00:48:55,400 –> 00:49:00,640
with a woman, and in conjunction
with a wicked woman at that, and

712
00:49:00,640 –> 00:49:03,920
in conjunction with something
that can’t be the old literal

713
00:49:03,920 –> 00:49:08,080
power of Babylon, as the Old
Empire was, because this last

714
00:49:08,080 –> 00:49:11,160
reference comes after Babylon’s
demise and the time of the

715
00:49:11,160 –> 00:49:14,320
Persians.
Isn’t that interesting?

716
00:49:14,640 –> 00:49:16,520
And when’s the next time you
meet Babylon?

717
00:49:16,680 –> 00:49:19,920
Matthew chapter one, verse one,
incidentally, in the Lord’s

718
00:49:19,920 –> 00:49:22,960
genealogy.
And when really is the last time

719
00:49:22,960 –> 00:49:25,000
that whole picture of Babylon is
developed?

720
00:49:25,560 –> 00:49:27,640
Well, it comes in the Book of
Revelation, doesn’t it?

721
00:49:28,440 –> 00:49:31,800
And when Babylon is mentioned in
the Book of Revelation, it’s in

722
00:49:31,800 –> 00:49:34,960
conjunction with a woman, and
it’s in conjunction with a

723
00:49:34,960 –> 00:49:39,640
wicked woman at that.
And it’s in conjunction with a

724
00:49:39,640 –> 00:49:42,160
reference to Babylon.
That can’t be the old literal

725
00:49:42,160 –> 00:49:45,120
power of Babylon.
It must be some other

726
00:49:45,120 –> 00:49:48,120
manifestation, some other form
of Babylon.

727
00:49:49,240 –> 00:49:51,600
You see, brothers and sisters,
it’s an intriguing theme, isn’t

728
00:49:51,600 –> 00:49:54,680
it?
The roots go right back into the

729
00:49:54,680 –> 00:50:00,520
Old Testament, and we’ll look at
the prophecy of Daniel and other

730
00:50:00,520 –> 00:50:04,760
prophecies that assist us in
developing this theme in greater

731
00:50:04,760 –> 00:50:07,280
detail as we get into our second
and third talks.

732
00:50:20,320 –> 00:50:22,400
Thank you for listening to the
good ’cause Adelphian Talks

733
00:50:22,400 –> 00:50:25,000
Podcast.
We hope this talk helped you in

734
00:50:25,000 –> 00:50:26,520
your walk and brightened your
day.

735
00:50:27,760 –> 00:50:29,720
If you would like to hear more,
please subscribe for new

736
00:50:29,720 –> 00:50:32,240
episodes.
We are on all major podcast

737
00:50:32,240 –> 00:50:36,320
platforms and also on YouTube.
If you enjoyed this particular

738
00:50:36,320 –> 00:50:38,800
talk, please share it with
someone else who you think might

739
00:50:38,800 –> 00:50:41,560
enjoy it too.
For show notes on the talk you

740
00:50:41,560 –> 00:50:45,640
just listened to, visit
[email protected]

741
00:50:45,920 –> 00:50:48,440
or check out the Show Notes
section of your podcast player.

742
00:50:49,720 –> 00:50:52,200
Please share your thoughts on
the talk from this week on our

743
00:50:52,200 –> 00:50:54,480
Facebook or Instagram pages
where we are at.

744
00:50:54,480 –> 00:50:57,400
Good Christ Adelphian talks.
Or leave a comment on our

745
00:50:57,400 –> 00:50:59,760
YouTube channel where these
talks are posted as well.

746
00:51:00,160 –> 00:51:02,760
If you enjoy listening to the
talks that we post and here one

747
00:51:02,760 –> 00:51:05,000
that you think we should share,
please tell us about it.

748
00:51:05,560 –> 00:51:08,600
You can send a suggestion using
the Contact Us tab on our

749
00:51:08,600 –> 00:51:11,600
website or message us on any of
our social media accounts.

750
00:51:12,240 –> 00:51:15,120
Thank you for listening.
God bless and talk to you next

751
00:51:15,120 –> 00:51:15,320
week.