Colin Badger – The Continuity of Babylon – Class 1 – His Roots in the Earth

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This morning’s First Class
entitled Roots and the Earth.

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Let us turn and read together
Daniel Chapter 4, please, to

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call upon a brother Colin who
will lead us in the First Class,

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entitled His Roots in the Earth
for the Colin.

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Brothers and sisters and young
people, brothers and sisters,

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interest in the subject of Bible
prophecy has been a precious

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heritage of the Christadelphian
community since its earliest

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days.
It was viewed by our earliest

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brethren as an integral part of
Bible study, a must for both

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private and ecclesial study.
In those early days, lectures,

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Bible classes and even
exhortations reflected what we

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could call a prophetic
consciousness.

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Bible prophecy fulfilled was
understood and appreciated for

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its value of evidence testifying
to the divine inspiration of

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Scripture and prophecy yet to be
fulfilled was viewed as a

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subject deserving serious
attention, a subject having an

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integrity that raised it far
beyond simply uncertain

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speculation.
And that’s attitude towards

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Bible prophecy is very apparent
when one goes back to some of

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our earliest magazines and the
earliest literature we

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distributed in our community.
The exhortational value that was

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understood to result from taking
the subject seriously lay in the

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fact that believers were able to
determine generally where they

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were along God’s timetable.
There was therefore some

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meaning, some reason to present
existence, and one had some

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reason for hope that what was
not yet fulfilled would be

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fulfilled on the basis of past
fulfillment of prophecy.

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It was therefore, for our
earliest brethren a great sign

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of encouragement, a source of
exhortational value, not just,

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perhaps, speculation.
Our earliest writings reveal a

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definite conviction that God was
still working in the nations and

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concern about what was going on
in the nations therefore took on

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a very earnest interest.
All that was understood to give

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believers assurance for the
coming Kingdom in the future.

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And furthermore, when one looks
at some of our earliest writings

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on the subject and what was
written in the Christadelphian

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magazine, it wouldn’t seem that
from those early writings that

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are marked, distinction was made
between that which was regarded

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as exhortational for a disciples
way of life as opposed to

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prophetic exposition.
Making a distinction between

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those two elements the way it is
sometimes today on our platforms

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and in our writings is something
we have inherited in the last 30

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or 40 years.
It would seem much more than it

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being an attitude way back in
the past.

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In our early years, the
polarizing between what is

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regarded as exhortational or
devotional as opposed to the

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study of prophecy, I believe,
has gone a long ways towards

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discouraging a serious
commitment to prophetic Bible

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study and exposition.
And that distinction, I think,

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is reinforced by the attitude
which divorces prophecy from a

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study of the teachings of Jesus.
They’re often regarded, you

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know, as though they were on two
separate planes, the Gospels or

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the teachings of Christ, as
opposed to prophecy.

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As we’ll see, that’s a very
artificial distinction.

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In fact, when we turn to the
Gospels, the Olivet prophecy is

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contained in three of the
Gospels.

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Out of the four, it’s dealt with
as a singular subject in greater

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detail than any other subject in
the Gospels.

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So it’s a perhaps a question of
perspective that we sometimes

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very easily lose.
The teachings of Jesus are not

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to be artificially distinguished
from a study of prophecy.

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Jesus had a great deal to say
about prophecy, and as we’ve

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said, by looking at the
proportion of space that is

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given to the Olivet prophecy,
one can see the emphasis that

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was obviously being placed on
prophecy from the Lord himself

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within the framework of the
Gospel.

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When we take a look at our
attitude towards prophecy,

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therefore, it perhaps goes a
long ways to explain why we

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individually or why we as a
community today don’t give as

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much serious attention to the
subject.

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Because various brethren have
disagreed in their expositional

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conclusions, Many of us perhaps
have felt rather despairing and

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thrown our hands up and said
well, if our older brethren, or

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if our more learned brethren
so-called, can’t agree, how can

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I possibly make the discernment
myself as to what’s right and

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what’s wrong?
I’d like just to look at Daniel

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Chapter 9 in regards to our
attitude towards Bible prophecy,

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especially the books of Daniel
and Revelation, which perhaps

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most of us approach with a
certain amount of trepidation.

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Daniel Chapter 9.
Daniel tells us in verse two.

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In the first year of his reign I
Daniel understood by books the

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number of the years where of the
word of the Lord came to

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Jeremiah the prophet, that he
would accomplish 70 years in the

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desolations of Jerusalem.
And then Daniel tells us in

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verse three I set my face unto
the Lord God to seek by prayer

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and supplications with fasting
and sackcloth and ashes.

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It’s rather interesting to note
that perspective from Daniel.

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Despite the fact that he was one
of the holy ones in a certain

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sense, and despite the fact that
he was gifted with the Holy

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Spirit, and although he had
visions and revelations, was

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privileged above many of his own
day, he still had to labor over

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the books of prophecy.
He had up to this point in verse

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two, been applying himself to
the Bible itself.

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It was by books that he
understood the number of the

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years by which Jeremiah had
indicated the 70 years would

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come to an end.
He was dwelling upon the

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desolations of Jerusalem.
He wanted further understanding

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and in order to open his mind
and heart to that understanding,

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his first step in verse 3, apart
from application to the books

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themselves, was to seek God by
prayer and supplication, but

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more than that, by fasting, by
sackcloth and by ashes.

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How seriously Daniel took the
study of prophecy.

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He was concerned not only about
events he was concerning about,

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concerned about Bible
chronology.

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Where he was in time.
Was he close to the end of the

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70 years?
Were the many years still to

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elapse?
How long would it be before

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Jerusalem’s desolation would be
lifted and a new turn of events

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take place?
He agonized over that subject,

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and it was only by putting
himself in to that subject, with

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that kind of fervency, that the
Father responded.

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In verse four he tells us I
prayed unto the Lord my God and

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made my confession, and we read
his confession.

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We’ll move over some of the
details.

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But then we read, of course that
he receives an answer in this

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chapter.
He tells us in verse 20, whilst

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I was speaking and praying and
confessing my sin and the sin of

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my people, Israel, and
presenting my supplication

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before the Lord my God for the
holy mountain of my God.

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Yeah, whilst I was speaking in
prayer.

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Even the man Gabriel, whom I had
seen in the vision at the

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beginning, being caused to fly
swiftly, touched me about the

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time of the evening oblation,
here in synchronization with the

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offering of incense and
sacrifice, as it would have been

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back if he had been in his own
land.

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In the operation of the temple
service, as the evening

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sacrifice was placed on the
altar, and the priest offered

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the burning incense sometime
near 6:00 in the evening.

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At that time Daniel was found
praying, and at that time he

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received an answer from the
Angel Gabriel, the one who was

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later on, many years in the
future, to announce a much

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greater message to Mary.
You see, brothers and sisters,

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that even Daniel had to apply
himself to the books, despite

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all the advantages that he had.
And it wasn’t until he had

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agonized over that subject and
applied himself diligently took

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to it.
And it wasn’t until he had taken

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that subject very seriously that
further light and understanding

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was shed on his path.
And surely, brothers and

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sisters, if that was true for
Daniel, as good as a man as he

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was and as close as he was to
God, how much more does it say

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to us that further understanding
will not be had unless we apply

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ourselves diligently to the
subject of Bible prophecy,

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especially to the more difficult
books like Daniel and

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Revelation?
Have we in our own study,

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agonized like Daniel?
Have we applied ourselves with

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the kind of commitment and
seriousness that he took the

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subject?
And like Daniel, being concerned

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not only with the events that
might transpire, but also where

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he was or where he is in time,
in God’s prophetic timetable?

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And sometimes one hears Today,
of course in our own circles,

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that being overly concerned or
preoccupied with time periods is

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an exercise in futility.
One he often hears that until

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things are fulfilled, one really
is expending one’s time in an

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unnecessary, unfruitful way.
The time hadn’t been expended

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here.
Here, Daniel wanted to know in

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advance, in advance, when these
things would be.

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He wanted to know in advance how
much longer it was.

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Well, that obviously wasn’t an
exercise in futility for Daniel,

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and only by applying himself the
way that he did did he receive

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an answer.
Now in that regard, there’s

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another attitudinal concept I
think we should just mention in

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passing.
The question of time periods,

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which we won’t be laboring today
is an important one, as we can

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see here from Daniel.
And the notion, as we’ve just

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mentioned, it’s often expressed
the notion that says, well, it’s

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not until prophecy has been
fulfilled or the time period has

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elapsed that one can really be
sure about anything in terms of

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the prophetic statements about
time and when certain events

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will be fulfilled.
You know there’s a contradiction

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there with what the Lord
obviously intended in the Olivet

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prophecy.
For he gave the Olivet prophecy

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in such detail in order to warn
his disciples in advance of the

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events.
Had they not understood what

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those events meant, had they not
received the basic concepts

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behind his prophetic statements
in forewarnings, they would not

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have been able to do what Jesus
said they have to do.

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When you see these things, he
told them, then flee from

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Jerusalem.
They had to, in other words,

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understand the basic sequence.
They had to have a basic grasp

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of what He meant by His symbols
and by the way He described

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those events leading up to the
climax.

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So foreknowledge was essential
for those disciples in order to

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flee from Jerusalem at the right
time.

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He told them that when you see
the abomination of desolation

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stand where it ought not, and he
refers them back to Daniel, then

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know that you are to flee.
In other words, he exhorted them

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not only to pay attention to
what he had said, but he

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exhorted them to go back and
read Daniel.

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He exhorted them to have a basic
understanding of that difficult

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book in the section he was
quoting in order to understand

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when they were to flee.
So the Lord expected a certain

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amount of foreknowledge.
He didn’t expect brothers and

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sisters to sit back and say well
until the events are fulfilled.

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I really would not do well to
put a lot of time and effort

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into the study of these points.
That was obviously not the

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Lord’s attitude, nor was it
Daniel’s.

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In our studies this afternoon
and this morning, we want to

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look at what we would regard as
some basic keys to Bible

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prophecy dealing with Daniel and
Revelation.

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I’m sure for all of us, we have
found these two areas very

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difficult and challenging.
Assuming first of all that we

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are convinced of the importance
of Bible prophecy, where perhaps

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might we begin to look at the
subject of Daniel and

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Revelation?
Or perhaps we could say, how do

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we begin?
Well, we are reminded of the old

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saying, the man who didn’t find
the right answers probably

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didn’t ask the right questions.
So I do believe the question of

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where do I begin and how do I
begin would possibly provide the

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kind of keys that are sometimes
eluding us when we want to study

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this very important subject,
asking the right questions

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first, Where do I begin?
How do I begin?

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Well, for our, from our limited
experience, brothers and

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sisters, perhaps we could make
some suggestions throughout this

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day.
First, we do believe that it’s

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valuable to look for the big
picture first in Daniel and in

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Revelation, what are or what is
the big picture?

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And quite often we’ll find that
that deals with in the Book of

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Revelation.
Of course, subjects like God,

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manifestation, that’s a very big
picture, a very important and

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broad one, running right through
the prophecy.

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00:14:37,720 –> 00:14:40,560
But when we’re dealing with the
more difficult parts of the

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00:14:40,560 –> 00:14:44,400
prophetic details, those parts
that are not so easy to

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00:14:44,440 –> 00:14:49,240
understand, they too have a big
picture that can be grasped, as

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00:14:49,240 –> 00:14:51,640
we’ll see.
In other words, getting an

225
00:14:51,640 –> 00:14:56,440
understanding of the plot before
we try to analyze a single event

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00:14:57,440 –> 00:15:01,200
before we are concerned about
what the brass means in the

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00:15:01,200 –> 00:15:04,520
fourth beast, before we’re
concerned about who the frog

228
00:15:04,520 –> 00:15:10,200
like spirits are in Revelation.
To get the overall big picture

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00:15:10,200 –> 00:15:12,520
of that theme is essential
first.

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00:15:13,240 –> 00:15:16,440
We might find that even when we
do get that overall picture,

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00:15:16,440 –> 00:15:20,320
when we grasp the main plot of
what’s being said or done, we

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00:15:20,320 –> 00:15:23,240
might not always be absolutely
sure of some of the small

233
00:15:23,240 –> 00:15:26,640
supporting details.
But if we’ve got the main plot,

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00:15:26,880 –> 00:15:31,240
the big picture in Daniel or in
Revelation, and even though we

235
00:15:31,240 –> 00:15:35,640
might not ever be sure about all
the small details, we’ll know

236
00:15:35,640 –> 00:15:39,040
how they are to at least fit in.
We’ll have an idea as to what

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00:15:39,040 –> 00:15:42,200
pattern they should follow in
fitting into the big picture

238
00:15:44,880 –> 00:15:47,880
when we take a look at Daniel
and Revelation.

239
00:15:49,080 –> 00:15:52,440
Apart from themes such as God
manifestation, the more positive

240
00:15:52,440 –> 00:15:56,640
themes in the difficult
sections, it’s obvious to see

241
00:15:56,920 –> 00:16:02,200
that one very important overall
theme or topic in Daniel and in

242
00:16:02,200 –> 00:16:06,440
Revelation deals with the
beasts, what we could call the

243
00:16:06,440 –> 00:16:11,400
Beast theme.
Secondly, it’s helpful to look

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00:16:11,400 –> 00:16:15,680
for major concepts that tie in
with the big picture.

245
00:16:16,120 –> 00:16:19,600
If one of the big pictures is
the question of the beasts, who

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00:16:19,600 –> 00:16:24,120
they are and what they
represent, are there any major

247
00:16:24,120 –> 00:16:29,800
concepts which are tied to that
overall big picture or theme?

248
00:16:30,320 –> 00:16:33,640
And as we progressed in our
first class this morning, I’m

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00:16:33,640 –> 00:16:38,760
going to try and highlight more
than once how that big theme of

250
00:16:38,760 –> 00:16:42,480
the beasts stands out.
And secondly, how that there is

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00:16:42,480 –> 00:16:47,160
one very basic major concept
which is tied with that theme.

252
00:16:47,720 –> 00:16:51,120
And with those two keys in mind,
I believe a lot of doors will

253
00:16:51,120 –> 00:16:55,120
unlock and it’s helpful to go
through Revelation and Daniel

254
00:16:55,360 –> 00:17:00,120
just trying to unravel that one
basic theme and then look at the

255
00:17:00,120 –> 00:17:03,720
supporting details later.
Well, let’s do that together.

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00:17:03,720 –> 00:17:09,079
First of all, if we were to scan
the Book of Revelation for

257
00:17:09,079 –> 00:17:12,440
striking details, what would
capture our notice first?

258
00:17:14,680 –> 00:17:19,560
Well, in the sections dealing
with prophetic details other

259
00:17:19,560 –> 00:17:23,560
than the scenes of the future
glory in the Kingdom and God

260
00:17:23,560 –> 00:17:28,720
manifestation, which are another
big picture in Revelation, it

261
00:17:28,720 –> 00:17:32,120
should strike us that starting
in about Revelation chapter 12,

262
00:17:34,200 –> 00:17:41,080
we are introduced to a very
important theme, namely that

263
00:17:41,080 –> 00:17:44,440
dealing with the beasts.
As we’ve said, we noticed how

264
00:17:44,440 –> 00:17:48,440
this is presented to us in
Revelation chapter 12.

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00:17:48,920 –> 00:17:53,720
John tells us in verse 3 there
appeared another wonder in

266
00:17:53,720 –> 00:18:00,160
heaven and behold, a great red
dragon having seven heads and 10

267
00:18:00,160 –> 00:18:02,800
horns and seven crowns upon his
heads.

268
00:18:04,160 –> 00:18:07,920
He then performs a number of
very important acts here in

269
00:18:07,920 –> 00:18:11,960
verse 4, so we’re introduced to
a dragon.

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00:18:13,240 –> 00:18:15,400
We progress.
Chapter 13.

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00:18:17,520 –> 00:18:22,040
John tells us that he stood upon
the sand of the sea, and saw a

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00:18:22,040 –> 00:18:25,720
beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and 10 horns,

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00:18:26,040 –> 00:18:30,400
and upon his horns 10 crowns,
and upon his heads the name of

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00:18:30,400 –> 00:18:33,840
blasphemy.
And then he tells us in verse 2,

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00:18:34,240 –> 00:18:38,440
The beast which I saw was like
unto a leopard, and his feet

276
00:18:38,440 –> 00:18:41,560
were as the feet of a bear, and
his mouth is the mouth of a

277
00:18:41,640 –> 00:18:45,560
lion.
And the dragon, the unseen

278
00:18:45,560 –> 00:18:50,240
character here, the dragon gave
him his power and his seat and

279
00:18:50,240 –> 00:18:54,000
great authority.
The dragon hasn’t disappeared.

280
00:18:55,040 –> 00:18:59,160
The dragon here in chapter 13 is
the motivating force for this

281
00:18:59,160 –> 00:19:03,240
new beast that emerges.
The dragon now is camouflaged,

282
00:19:03,400 –> 00:19:07,440
covert, not obvious, but
nevertheless he is the dynamic

283
00:19:07,440 –> 00:19:10,600
power behind this new sea beast
that emerges.

284
00:19:11,600 –> 00:19:15,400
Verse 11 John says I beheld
another beast coming up out of

285
00:19:15,400 –> 00:19:19,720
the earth, and he had two horns
like a lamb, and he spake as a

286
00:19:19,720 –> 00:19:23,040
dragon.
He exercises all the power of

287
00:19:23,040 –> 00:19:27,240
the first beast before him, and
causeth the earth and them which

288
00:19:27,240 –> 00:19:31,120
dwell therein to worship the
first beast whose deadly wound

289
00:19:31,120 –> 00:19:35,840
was healed.
Now we see a link then between

290
00:19:35,840 –> 00:19:37,840
this earth beast and the sea
beast.

291
00:19:38,680 –> 00:19:42,400
And since the sea beast has
motor has had its motive power

292
00:19:42,400 –> 00:19:46,280
from the dragon, we should
suspect the dragon too must be

293
00:19:46,280 –> 00:19:50,080
some force as well.
Still at this time, and we’re

294
00:19:50,080 –> 00:19:53,000
not wrong.
As we progress through the Book

295
00:19:53,000 –> 00:19:57,520
of Revelation beyond chapter 13,
we find that the dragon is alive

296
00:19:57,520 –> 00:20:03,400
and well.
We go to chapter 16 and when the

297
00:20:03,400 –> 00:20:09,400
three unclean spirits in verse
13 are mentioned like frogs,

298
00:20:09,400 –> 00:20:11,320
they come out of the mouth of
the dragon.

299
00:20:12,280 –> 00:20:16,560
The dragon then, is still there,
perhaps covert, not too obvious,

300
00:20:16,960 –> 00:20:21,760
but he is present, and he is
that time still alongside of one

301
00:20:21,760 –> 00:20:25,800
of the other beasts, the beasts
with the false prophet.

302
00:20:26,720 –> 00:20:31,120
As we go further through
revelation into chapter 17, we

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00:20:31,120 –> 00:20:36,720
meet a scarlet colored beast in
verse 3, and we might wonder if

304
00:20:36,720 –> 00:20:39,160
at this point the dragon is
still alive and well.

305
00:20:39,160 –> 00:20:43,200
That was back in chapter 12.
We’re not disappointed, are we?

306
00:20:43,760 –> 00:20:47,760
Because when we go a little
further in Revelation, beyond

307
00:20:47,760 –> 00:20:52,120
this scarlet colored beast, we
discover that indeed, the dragon

308
00:20:52,120 –> 00:20:56,080
is still around.
For the dragon is mentioned as

309
00:20:56,080 –> 00:21:01,240
late on as chapter 20 and verse
two at the time of the

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00:21:01,240 –> 00:21:05,960
Millennium.
You see, then that’s obviously

311
00:21:05,960 –> 00:21:09,320
an important theme.
Whatever those beasts have to do

312
00:21:09,320 –> 00:21:13,080
with, they take up a lot of
space in the Book of Revelation.

313
00:21:13,280 –> 00:21:16,400
At the hinge of the book,
Revelation Chapter 11 is about

314
00:21:16,400 –> 00:21:20,240
the midpoint of the Book of
Revelation, and from there on,

315
00:21:20,320 –> 00:21:24,440
significantly, the second-half
of the Book of Revelation begins

316
00:21:24,440 –> 00:21:26,520
with this dragon and ends with
this dragon.

317
00:21:26,880 –> 00:21:30,280
And in between there are
manifestations of this dragon

318
00:21:30,440 –> 00:21:32,840
through the name of the sea
beast and through the name of

319
00:21:32,840 –> 00:21:36,600
the Earth beast.
And in disguise, the dragon

320
00:21:36,600 –> 00:21:38,880
fuels these beasts with their
power.

321
00:21:39,000 –> 00:21:42,360
He gives them their power.
There is then a kind of

322
00:21:42,360 –> 00:21:45,600
continuity which runs through
the Book of Revelation from

323
00:21:45,600 –> 00:21:49,600
about Chapter 11 to the end,
dealing with that very important

324
00:21:49,600 –> 00:21:53,680
big picture, the beasts.
And then, of course, it’s no

325
00:21:53,680 –> 00:21:57,720
surprise when we analyze
Revelation 13 with those sea

326
00:21:57,720 –> 00:22:00,880
beasts back there again in verse
one.

327
00:22:01,560 –> 00:22:06,640
Or the sea beast, rather.
With our ear to the Old

328
00:22:06,640 –> 00:22:11,320
Testaments, we can tell that we
have seen parts of this beast

329
00:22:11,320 –> 00:22:13,880
before, or even though now he’s
a bit of a conglomerate.

330
00:22:15,000 –> 00:22:18,200
For we recognize that in this
beast he comes out of the sea in

331
00:22:18,200 –> 00:22:22,640
verse one and a very important
link with Daniel Seven, that

332
00:22:22,640 –> 00:22:28,280
this beast has associations with
a leopard, a bear, a lion, and

333
00:22:28,280 –> 00:22:30,000
then of course the dragon
itself.

334
00:22:30,840 –> 00:22:34,080
When we go back to Daniel
chapter seven, we find most of

335
00:22:34,080 –> 00:22:37,600
those parts.
We also discover that in Daniel

336
00:22:37,600 –> 00:22:42,320
Chapter 7, before those fourth
beasts, 4 beasts emerge, they

337
00:22:42,320 –> 00:22:45,520
too come out of a watery grave
or a watery bed.

338
00:22:46,040 –> 00:22:48,160
They come out of a kind of
watery abyss.

339
00:22:48,160 –> 00:22:51,880
In Daniel 7, verse one, the wind
strives over the ocean.

340
00:22:52,120 –> 00:22:56,400
The waves are tossing, and over
that horrid, brooding scene

341
00:22:56,760 –> 00:23:00,400
emerges the first beast that
Daniel sees in Chapter 7.

342
00:23:01,000 –> 00:23:04,840
Then from the same watery source
emerges the second beast, and so

343
00:23:04,840 –> 00:23:08,520
on to the 4th beast.
So then there’s a link here,

344
00:23:08,520 –> 00:23:12,560
isn’t there?
Daniel sees these beasts emerge

345
00:23:12,600 –> 00:23:15,840
out of a watery sea.
John sees the same.

346
00:23:16,160 –> 00:23:19,920
John sees parts of Daniel’s
beasts in a conglomerate form in

347
00:23:19,920 –> 00:23:23,880
chapter 13.
There’s a link, then, with

348
00:23:23,880 –> 00:23:28,600
Daniel and Revelation.
The theme of the beasts is one

349
00:23:28,600 –> 00:23:30,960
that bridges both Old and New
Testament.

350
00:23:31,080 –> 00:23:35,600
Therefore, the theme of the
beast takes up a fair portion of

351
00:23:35,600 –> 00:23:40,000
space in the book of Daniel.
It does likewise in Revelation,

352
00:23:40,640 –> 00:23:44,640
and on that basis we can be sure
that we’re onto a very important

353
00:23:44,640 –> 00:23:47,440
topic.
It’s a major big picture,

354
00:23:48,520 –> 00:23:51,800
surely, if we understood
basically what that theme is all

355
00:23:51,800 –> 00:23:55,200
about and what those beasts
basically represent.

356
00:23:56,040 –> 00:23:58,280
And although we, as we’ve said,
may not be sure of all the

357
00:23:58,280 –> 00:24:01,520
supporting details like the
frog, like spirits and who they

358
00:24:01,520 –> 00:24:05,080
are, we’ll understand roughly
what pattern they must fit into.

359
00:24:05,080 –> 00:24:10,320
And I think in our Bible study
with this topic, it’s extremely

360
00:24:10,360 –> 00:24:14,160
helpful and less frustrating to
approach Daniel and Revelation

361
00:24:14,160 –> 00:24:17,040
this way.
Keep going back to these two

362
00:24:17,040 –> 00:24:22,600
books with big or major themes
or pictures in mind and tackle

363
00:24:22,600 –> 00:24:26,400
them as a unit, as a major theme
from Revelation and Daniel

364
00:24:26,400 –> 00:24:28,800
together.
Then going back and perhaps

365
00:24:28,800 –> 00:24:32,320
looking at another important
theme and seeing how they tie in

366
00:24:32,960 –> 00:24:36,360
rather than trying to solve all
the small details at once.

367
00:24:37,360 –> 00:24:39,880
There was something else that
should strike us in Revelation

368
00:24:41,280 –> 00:24:42,880
just going back there
momentarily.

369
00:24:45,000 –> 00:24:50,680
And it’s this that there is
mention of an important city

370
00:24:51,680 –> 00:24:55,640
tied in with these beasts.
And what is that important city

371
00:24:55,640 –> 00:25:00,080
that ties in with these beasts?
Well, we don’t have to look very

372
00:25:00,080 –> 00:25:03,560
far.
When we get as far as Revelation

373
00:25:03,560 –> 00:25:11,880
17, we’re introduced to the name
Babylon, Verse 5, tying in with

374
00:25:11,880 –> 00:25:16,320
these beasts.
Babylon connected somehow with

375
00:25:16,320 –> 00:25:19,160
this woman and with the beast
system.

376
00:25:20,440 –> 00:25:25,520
If we go back to Revelation 16
just after mentioning the dragon

377
00:25:25,520 –> 00:25:29,160
and the beast and the false
prophet in verse 13 of

378
00:25:29,160 –> 00:25:33,040
Revelation 16, and after
mentioning Armageddon and verse

379
00:25:33,040 –> 00:25:39,160
16, we have mentioned in verse
19 of the Great City and great

380
00:25:39,320 –> 00:25:44,440
Babylon brings to our attention
again the Old Testament

381
00:25:44,440 –> 00:25:50,720
connections and threads.
We see then that this is

382
00:25:50,720 –> 00:25:55,160
important to understand.
Not only do we see the links

383
00:25:55,160 –> 00:25:57,800
here throughout Revelation with
one another, but we see how they

384
00:25:57,800 –> 00:26:02,920
throw threads back into Daniel.
And it’s curious, isn’t it, in

385
00:26:02,920 –> 00:26:06,760
trying to piece the picture
together that this question of

386
00:26:06,760 –> 00:26:12,000
the beasts found in Daniel and
in Revelation has associated

387
00:26:12,000 –> 00:26:16,200
with it the name Babylon?
And it’s a curious thing, isn’t

388
00:26:16,200 –> 00:26:20,320
it, That in Daniel, the only
other book really that has this

389
00:26:20,320 –> 00:26:24,440
link with the beasts, Daniel was
in Babylon.

390
00:26:25,320 –> 00:26:27,800
He was in Babylon when he saw
these beasts.

391
00:26:29,200 –> 00:26:32,880
Now there’s another link.
Here we find in Revelation the

392
00:26:32,880 –> 00:26:35,960
beasts in conjunction with the
name Babylon.

393
00:26:36,680 –> 00:26:39,960
In the Old Testament, we’re
drawn into the book of Daniel

394
00:26:39,960 –> 00:26:42,560
where we see the clearest link
with these beasts.

395
00:26:42,960 –> 00:26:45,760
And lo and behold, Daniel is in
Babylon.

396
00:26:46,160 –> 00:26:48,640
And Babylon figures very
prominently through most of the

397
00:26:48,640 –> 00:26:51,800
book of Daniel.
Surely that’s no coincidence.

398
00:26:52,720 –> 00:26:56,240
What’s Revelation telling us?
Surely it’s telling us that

399
00:26:56,240 –> 00:26:58,320
we’ve got to go back to the Book
of Daniel.

400
00:26:59,160 –> 00:27:02,680
And furthermore, it’s telling us
that whatever we make of this

401
00:27:02,680 –> 00:27:06,560
beast system found throughout
Revelation and Daniel, whatever

402
00:27:06,560 –> 00:27:10,720
we make of it, we’ve got to keep
in mind the word Babylon.

403
00:27:11,160 –> 00:27:15,600
It’s inseparable from the beast
system somehow, in some Mystic

404
00:27:15,600 –> 00:27:19,200
way, perhaps.
Now, looking at this theme from

405
00:27:19,200 –> 00:27:23,440
this kind of approach makes it a
lot simpler, and it helps to put

406
00:27:23,440 –> 00:27:26,520
the pieces together 1 by 1 as
they belong together.

407
00:27:27,080 –> 00:27:28,880
So that’s the procedure we’re
going to follow.

408
00:27:29,680 –> 00:27:33,320
How in the world is Babylon
still present in the Book of

409
00:27:33,320 –> 00:27:36,600
Revelation at the time of the
end, next to Armageddon?

410
00:27:37,680 –> 00:27:40,240
Well, without doing a lot of
Bible study at that point, we

411
00:27:40,240 –> 00:27:44,200
can at least conclude this.
However, Babylon is present at

412
00:27:44,200 –> 00:27:46,960
the time of Armageddon or at the
time of the Lord’s return.

413
00:27:46,960 –> 00:27:50,360
It can’t be literal.
That is, it can’t be the old

414
00:27:50,360 –> 00:27:54,840
political empire that is now
disintegrated and gone somehow.

415
00:27:54,840 –> 00:27:58,720
We would be right to conclude
Babylon has lived on past the

416
00:27:58,720 –> 00:28:03,760
time of Daniel and it’s still in
some power or form present as an

417
00:28:03,760 –> 00:28:06,160
antagonistic force when Christ
returns.

418
00:28:07,080 –> 00:28:11,960
That’s a very important concept
to understand that supports the

419
00:28:11,960 –> 00:28:15,200
main big idea.
The big idea is the B system

420
00:28:15,640 –> 00:28:21,000
supporting concept Babylon.
But Babylon not political so

421
00:28:21,000 –> 00:28:24,200
much.
Babylon, not as the old empire

422
00:28:24,240 –> 00:28:27,960
under Nebuchadnezzar, but
Babylon still somehow present in

423
00:28:27,960 –> 00:28:30,280
the earth.
How present in the earth?

424
00:28:30,800 –> 00:28:32,960
In what form is it present still
in the earth?

425
00:28:33,520 –> 00:28:35,840
Well, we’ll explore that more
when we look at Revelation in

426
00:28:35,840 –> 00:28:38,480
our last class, where we’ll
devote all our attention to the

427
00:28:38,480 –> 00:28:42,400
Book of Revelation in this area.
But you see, that’s an important

428
00:28:42,400 –> 00:28:45,520
concept.
Babylon still present when

429
00:28:45,520 –> 00:28:49,040
Christ returns.
Babylon tied in with the beasts.

430
00:28:49,920 –> 00:28:53,880
Now if we pursue that just a
little bit further, let’s go

431
00:28:53,880 –> 00:28:57,520
back into the Old Testament.
Now we’re working on a

432
00:28:57,520 –> 00:29:01,440
supporting concept.
Back we go into the Old

433
00:29:01,440 –> 00:29:03,920
Testament with this question of
Babylon.

434
00:29:04,440 –> 00:29:08,000
Let me ask you a question as we
go back here.

435
00:29:08,800 –> 00:29:15,280
What is the first Gentile
Kingdom or power mentioned in

436
00:29:15,280 –> 00:29:19,280
the Old Testament?
The first Gentile power or

437
00:29:19,280 –> 00:29:23,640
Kingdom.
In fact, we could even make it

438
00:29:23,640 –> 00:29:26,000
even less qualified.
What is the first Kingdom

439
00:29:26,400 –> 00:29:30,680
mentioned in the Old Testament?
Well, it’s not surprising to

440
00:29:30,680 –> 00:29:34,120
notice as we go back to Genesis
chapter 10.

441
00:29:35,480 –> 00:29:43,560
The Bible tells us that the very
first Kingdom organized power

442
00:29:44,160 –> 00:29:49,040
under man’s direction is none
other than Babylon, and it comes

443
00:29:49,040 –> 00:29:53,880
under several names.
In Genesis chapter 10 we read

444
00:29:53,880 –> 00:30:01,480
down in verse five, first of
Genesis 10, the mention of the

445
00:30:01,480 –> 00:30:06,000
word Gentile, Very important.
Prelude verse five of Genesis

446
00:30:06,000 –> 00:30:09,480
10.
By these were the Isles of the

447
00:30:09,480 –> 00:30:14,680
Gentiles divided in their lands.
Interesting.

448
00:30:14,840 –> 00:30:18,480
Probably one of the first
references to the term Gentiles,

449
00:30:19,160 –> 00:30:24,640
and in this conjunction we read
down in verse 10 and the

450
00:30:24,640 –> 00:30:34,400
beginning of his Kingdom was
Babylon Margin Babylon first

451
00:30:34,400 –> 00:30:37,520
mention of a Kingdom, first
reference to the word Kingdom

452
00:30:37,520 –> 00:30:41,400
period in the Old Testament, if
you check the concordance Now in

453
00:30:41,400 –> 00:30:44,400
a certain sense a Kingdom had
already existed before then,

454
00:30:45,480 –> 00:30:49,400
insofar as God through Samuel
told the people of his day.

455
00:30:49,400 –> 00:30:53,960
God was king over his people.
But it’s never spelled out that

456
00:30:53,960 –> 00:30:57,160
way directly until we get to the
time of Samuel.

457
00:30:57,160 –> 00:30:59,840
And there are hints also in the
Law of Moses that that was only

458
00:30:59,840 –> 00:31:02,920
so from the beginning.
But this is the first reference

459
00:31:02,920 –> 00:31:07,320
to Kingdom Babylon.
Furthermore, it is synonymous

460
00:31:07,320 –> 00:31:09,880
with the land of Shinar.
Keep that in mind.

461
00:31:10,200 –> 00:31:14,120
The land of Shinar.
Now let me ask another question.

462
00:31:15,160 –> 00:31:18,920
That’s the first reference to a
Kingdom, especially here.

463
00:31:18,920 –> 00:31:21,240
Now a gentile Kingdom in the Old
Testament.

464
00:31:21,840 –> 00:31:24,840
What’s the 1st Kingdom mentioned
in the New Testament?

465
00:31:26,240 –> 00:31:30,120
The first dominion or power
mentioned in the New Testament?

466
00:31:33,160 –> 00:31:41,800
Matthew Chapter one, more than
just Bible trivia when we ask

467
00:31:41,800 –> 00:31:45,680
those kind of questions provides
a very interesting perspective

468
00:31:45,680 –> 00:31:50,720
at the outset of our study.
Let’s go Matthew chapter one in

469
00:31:50,720 –> 00:31:55,640
a very unlikely place, the
genealogy of our Lord and notice

470
00:31:55,680 –> 00:32:01,600
how we are immediately hit with
the word Babylon in a somewhat

471
00:32:01,600 –> 00:32:04,520
incidental way, but it is
immediate.

472
00:32:04,560 –> 00:32:08,560
In the New Testament we read in
verse 11 Josiah begat.

473
00:32:08,560 –> 00:32:12,640
Jeconiah sent his brethren about
the time they were carried away

474
00:32:12,640 –> 00:32:15,280
to Babylon.
First Kingdom mentioned in the

475
00:32:15,280 –> 00:32:19,280
New Testament, then it’s
mentioned again in verse 12 and

476
00:32:19,280 –> 00:32:23,000
after they were brought to
Babylon then it’s mentioned

477
00:32:23,000 –> 00:32:27,120
twice more in verse 17.
All the generations from Abraham

478
00:32:27,120 –> 00:32:31,000
to David are 14 generations, and
from David until the carrying

479
00:32:31,000 –> 00:32:35,240
away into Babylon are 14
generations, and from the

480
00:32:35,240 –> 00:32:39,360
carrying a way into Babylon onto
Christ are 14 generations.

481
00:32:39,640 –> 00:32:41,400
You see how Babylon is being
used there?

482
00:32:41,720 –> 00:32:45,840
It’s being used as a kind of
marking in the chronology of our

483
00:32:45,840 –> 00:32:48,480
Lord.
It’s a way of marking off the

484
00:32:48,480 –> 00:32:52,000
various genealogies in sections
that have led up to our Lord’s

485
00:32:52,000 –> 00:32:56,680
life and to his birth on earth.
But it is striking that the

486
00:32:56,680 –> 00:33:01,080
first mention of our Kingdom in
the New Testament is Babylon.

487
00:33:01,280 –> 00:33:05,880
Four times in the first book and
the first chapter, Babylon comes

488
00:33:05,880 –> 00:33:09,960
to our view, and Babylon comes
to our view in a very similar

489
00:33:09,960 –> 00:33:15,200
way in Genesis First power that
God draws attention to, that

490
00:33:15,200 –> 00:33:19,240
would be obviously not his
Kingdom, something other than

491
00:33:19,240 –> 00:33:22,320
his area or his domain of
rulership.

492
00:33:23,720 –> 00:33:30,960
Let’s go back to Genesis again.
Back into the life of Abraham.

493
00:33:37,280 –> 00:33:44,000
We noticed that the name Shinar
was given in Genesis 10 as being

494
00:33:44,000 –> 00:33:47,200
synonymous with Babel, or
Babylon in the same basic area.

495
00:33:49,080 –> 00:33:51,680
It comes to our attention
simultaneously.

496
00:33:51,720 –> 00:33:54,720
Shinar does with the name
Babylon.

497
00:33:55,840 –> 00:34:00,280
Now it’s a curious thing that
Shinar shows up again in the

498
00:34:00,280 –> 00:34:04,920
life of Abraham.
This time we discover that there

499
00:34:04,920 –> 00:34:11,000
is and antagonism between the
godly man Abraham and Shinar.

500
00:34:11,400 –> 00:34:14,480
For we read in verse one It came
to pass in the days of Amraphel

501
00:34:14,480 –> 00:34:20,120
king of Shinar Arioch king of Al
Asser Chile, Amur king of Elam

502
00:34:20,120 –> 00:34:25,080
entitled king of Nations, that
these made war with another city

503
00:34:25,080 –> 00:34:28,080
group or a city state as
mentioned in verse 2.

504
00:34:28,760 –> 00:34:35,280
So Genesis chapter 14 introduces
in this stage in Abraham’s life

505
00:34:36,719 –> 00:34:40,719
a war between Abraham and some
of the surrounding Gentile

506
00:34:40,719 –> 00:34:47,360
powers, and he finds himself at
war with Shinar and other

507
00:34:47,360 –> 00:34:50,280
nations that are in conjunction
with Shinar.

508
00:34:51,239 –> 00:34:55,560
And we notice that Shinar is
mentioned first in verse one.

509
00:34:56,840 –> 00:35:01,000
So here, back in the Old
Testament, in a very early

510
00:35:01,000 –> 00:35:08,160
stage, we find a man of God
antagonistic to Shinar.

511
00:35:08,880 –> 00:35:13,400
We find Shinar being associated
with a conglomerate of nations

512
00:35:14,320 –> 00:35:19,520
or cities that are going to go
together and fight against

513
00:35:19,800 –> 00:35:24,840
Abraham, father of the faithful.
You know, there are patterns

514
00:35:24,920 –> 00:35:28,320
here in Genesis on this subject,
and of course many other Bible

515
00:35:28,320 –> 00:35:31,880
subjects which lay a kind of
blueprint down for the rest of

516
00:35:31,880 –> 00:35:36,000
the Bible early on.
Then in the book of Genesis, not

517
00:35:36,000 –> 00:35:39,520
only is Shinar pictured as a
Kingdom antagonistic to God

518
00:35:39,800 –> 00:35:44,320
associated with Gentile might
and ambition, but it is shown

519
00:35:44,320 –> 00:35:48,600
very early on to be gathering
nations around it and going

520
00:35:48,600 –> 00:35:51,800
against a godly man.
Very interesting.

521
00:35:52,960 –> 00:35:56,320
You see, when we look at the
subject of Babylon as it relates

522
00:35:56,320 –> 00:36:00,080
to the beast system, we’re only
looking at it in very general

523
00:36:00,080 –> 00:36:04,760
terms, but it ties in some very
important concepts that are laid

524
00:36:04,760 –> 00:36:07,880
down surprisingly early in the
Bible.

525
00:36:10,240 –> 00:36:15,760
When we come to the Book of
Revelation again in Revelation

526
00:36:15,760 –> 00:36:19,600
chapter 12, in conjunction with
the dragon, one of the beasts,

527
00:36:21,200 –> 00:36:24,920
it’s not surprising therefore to
see that in relationship to that

528
00:36:24,920 –> 00:36:30,080
beast, that dragon in Revelation
12, that we’re told that it’s to

529
00:36:30,080 –> 00:36:33,720
do with the old serpent.
The old serpent.

530
00:36:35,240 –> 00:36:38,480
Interesting.
It’s in conjunction with the

531
00:36:38,480 –> 00:36:42,400
term Satan, which means to be an
adversary or an opponent.

532
00:36:43,160 –> 00:36:46,200
And here, early on in the life
of Abraham, powers that were

533
00:36:46,200 –> 00:36:50,400
within the orbit of Shinar are
proving themselves to be Satanic

534
00:36:50,400 –> 00:36:55,240
or opposing Abraham and the ways
of God and of course his

535
00:36:55,240 –> 00:36:59,920
relative lot.
Interesting how the Lynx bridge

536
00:37:00,000 –> 00:37:04,280
back and forth from the earliest
book to the last book, and we’re

537
00:37:04,280 –> 00:37:06,400
told that this is the old
serpent.

538
00:37:06,960 –> 00:37:11,240
It’s an old story.
It’s part of a very old plot.

539
00:37:11,520 –> 00:37:13,840
It goes right back into the Old
Testament.

540
00:37:14,320 –> 00:37:16,560
There’s nothing new about this
dragon.

541
00:37:16,680 –> 00:37:21,720
In other words, the dragon is
associated with an old, old

542
00:37:21,760 –> 00:37:26,520
force or source of antagonism.
It’s a diabolical source.

543
00:37:27,000 –> 00:37:29,600
It’s an opposing source, and
it’s old.

544
00:37:30,200 –> 00:37:34,920
So when Revelation sees that or
says that, it’s no surprise to

545
00:37:34,920 –> 00:37:36,520
see how it fits into the
pattern.

546
00:37:36,520 –> 00:37:39,840
We’ve just seen very briefly
here in Genesis 10 and then

547
00:37:39,840 –> 00:37:44,840
again in Genesis chapter 14.
Now, brothers and sisters,

548
00:37:45,200 –> 00:37:49,440
perhaps a certain amount of the
stage has been set to appreciate

549
00:37:49,440 –> 00:37:51,680
the force of what we’re now
going to look at in greater

550
00:37:51,680 –> 00:37:57,920
detail as we look at now the
Beasts and Babylon, Daniel,

551
00:37:57,920 –> 00:38:06,600
Chapter One.
Where does Daniel find its

552
00:38:06,640 –> 00:38:11,920
setting?
Now perhaps we have a quick

553
00:38:11,920 –> 00:38:17,040
answer in our mind, but the term
employee to start with in the

554
00:38:17,040 –> 00:38:19,040
book of Daniel is most
interesting.

555
00:38:19,040 –> 00:38:22,800
Now to know in view of what
we’ve just covered in Genesis.

556
00:38:22,800 –> 00:38:30,880
Just notice in Daniel chapter
one, the very first verse of the

557
00:38:30,880 –> 00:38:37,720
very first chapter Babylon comes
to view in terms of where he is.

558
00:38:37,760 –> 00:38:43,080
And when Daniel tells us in
verse one in the third year of

559
00:38:43,080 –> 00:38:46,040
the reign of Jehoiah king king
of Judah, king Nebuchadnezzar,

560
00:38:46,200 –> 00:38:49,720
king of Babylon unto Jerusalem
and besieged it.

561
00:38:52,000 –> 00:38:57,880
Babylon an act of force, Babylon
antagonistic to the city of God.

562
00:38:58,800 –> 00:39:04,280
Two cities brought in front of
our view, Babylon and Jerusalem.

563
00:39:04,880 –> 00:39:08,080
And what are the two cities that
are brought to view in the Book

564
00:39:08,080 –> 00:39:12,680
of Revelation?
There’s only two Jerusalem and

565
00:39:12,680 –> 00:39:15,720
Babylon.
It’s interesting that Daniel one

566
00:39:15,720 –> 00:39:19,000
and verse one automatically
introduces us to those two

567
00:39:19,000 –> 00:39:22,760
cities in the very first
statement of the book, and

568
00:39:22,760 –> 00:39:26,320
Revelation develops that in
greater detail at a latter time.

569
00:39:26,640 –> 00:39:30,200
More than that though, in verse
two look at what Babylon is now

570
00:39:30,200 –> 00:39:33,600
made synonymous with.
The Lord God gave Jehoiah King,

571
00:39:33,600 –> 00:39:37,320
King of Judah unto his hand with
part of the vessels of the House

572
00:39:37,320 –> 00:39:45,280
of God which he carried into the
land of Shinar, that power which

573
00:39:45,280 –> 00:39:49,720
had organized with itself a
series of cities that challenged

574
00:39:49,840 –> 00:39:52,960
Abraham.
Shinar that was the first of all

575
00:39:52,960 –> 00:39:57,560
kingdoms amongst the Gentiles,
tied in with Babylon.

576
00:39:58,640 –> 00:40:02,800
You see then there’s a kind of
continuity in this whole theme.

577
00:40:03,840 –> 00:40:07,680
There is a continuous thread
that runs right from Genesis 10

578
00:40:08,040 –> 00:40:12,600
through Genesis 11 through
Genesis 14 with Abraham, and now

579
00:40:12,600 –> 00:40:16,080
we’re at the time of the
dispersion and the captivity in

580
00:40:16,080 –> 00:40:19,200
Daniel chapter one.
And Shinar is still there.

581
00:40:19,760 –> 00:40:23,160
And we’re intended to see the
link with Shinar and Babylon as

582
00:40:23,160 –> 00:40:26,680
synonymous terms.
And we’re intended to see that

583
00:40:26,680 –> 00:40:30,640
Babylon is antagonistic to the
city of God, to Jerusalem.

584
00:40:31,080 –> 00:40:34,360
Very important when we turn to
Revelation, the city of

585
00:40:34,360 –> 00:40:37,920
Jerusalem is there, the New
Jerusalem, and Babylon is there

586
00:40:38,640 –> 00:40:41,200
at the great city, and it’s
destroyed.

587
00:40:41,200 –> 00:40:44,960
And Jerusalem lives on.
Important to see how such very

588
00:40:44,960 –> 00:40:49,760
basic, fundamental concepts are
rooted in the Old Testament and

589
00:40:49,760 –> 00:40:51,400
Daniel.
As we’ll see, more and more

590
00:40:51,640 –> 00:40:54,200
provides.
Perhaps the clearest links now

591
00:40:54,200 –> 00:41:04,280
turn to Zachariah Chapter 5A.
Most Curious reference, but it

592
00:41:04,280 –> 00:41:11,120
continues to bring to our
attention the longevity of

593
00:41:11,120 –> 00:41:13,680
Babylon, the longevity of
Shinar.

594
00:41:13,720 –> 00:41:16,240
It isn’t destroyed, it keeps
going.

595
00:41:17,320 –> 00:41:20,440
Notice how this emerges in
Zechariah chapter 5.

596
00:41:24,320 –> 00:41:27,920
First of all, before we look at
chapter 5, let’s remind

597
00:41:27,920 –> 00:41:35,240
ourselves where we are in time.
Zechariah is a prophet with

598
00:41:35,240 –> 00:41:41,200
Haggai that have gone back with
the Jews after the Babylonian

599
00:41:41,200 –> 00:41:44,480
captivity.
After Daniel, Daniel is now way

600
00:41:44,480 –> 00:41:47,640
gone.
Zechariah goes back with the

601
00:41:47,720 –> 00:41:52,120
returning exiles to the city of
Jerusalem, to the land of

602
00:41:52,120 –> 00:41:56,240
Israel, and with Haggai the
prophet Zechariah laborers in

603
00:41:56,240 –> 00:41:59,160
the rebuilding of the temple.
And then later on, of course,

604
00:41:59,160 –> 00:42:04,000
the walls are rebuilt under Ezra
Nehemiah, You know.

605
00:42:04,080 –> 00:42:08,440
Zechariah then comes at a time
when Babylon has been destroyed

606
00:42:08,440 –> 00:42:12,600
by Persia, when Zechariah
prophesied.

607
00:42:13,160 –> 00:42:16,360
The ancient power of Babylon has
been destroyed by Cyrus.

608
00:42:17,400 –> 00:42:21,760
Cyrus, by the time Zechariah
prophesied, has already moved

609
00:42:21,760 –> 00:42:25,120
into Babylon.
His forces have fired the city,

610
00:42:25,240 –> 00:42:29,240
destroyed it, and flattened it,
and Cyrus has reigned and gone

611
00:42:29,400 –> 00:42:31,520
by the time Zechariah
prophesied.

612
00:42:31,800 –> 00:42:33,880
The Persians now are ruling the
world.

613
00:42:34,680 –> 00:42:39,600
No longer is there the ancient
city or power of Babylon, but in

614
00:42:39,600 –> 00:42:44,560
Zechariah Chapter 5 there is a
prophecy dealing in a most

615
00:42:44,560 –> 00:42:49,440
peculiar way with our theme.
For we read that the prophet

616
00:42:49,440 –> 00:42:56,880
sees in his vision a vessel, and
he asks what this vessel is.

617
00:42:56,880 –> 00:42:59,040
It’s a measuring container.
Verse six.

618
00:42:59,040 –> 00:43:00,920
What is it?
Says Zechariah.

619
00:43:01,560 –> 00:43:04,760
The Angel says, this is an
ephah, A measuring container

620
00:43:04,760 –> 00:43:09,600
like a big jar that goeth forth.
He say it’s moreover, this is

621
00:43:09,600 –> 00:43:12,920
their resemblance.
Throughout all the earth, behold

622
00:43:12,920 –> 00:43:14,800
there was lifted up a talent of
lead.

623
00:43:14,800 –> 00:43:18,880
That’s the lid.
And this is a woman that sitteth

624
00:43:18,880 –> 00:43:22,080
in the midst of the ether, in
the midst of this measuring jar.

625
00:43:22,480 –> 00:43:24,360
And he said, pointing to the
woman.

626
00:43:24,560 –> 00:43:29,280
This is wickedness, And he cast
it into the midst of the ether,

627
00:43:29,920 –> 00:43:33,000
and he cast the weight of lead
upon the mouth thereof.

628
00:43:33,840 –> 00:43:38,040
Then, says Zechariah, I lifted
up my eyes, and behold, there

629
00:43:38,040 –> 00:43:41,400
came out two women, and the wind
was in their wings, for they had

630
00:43:41,400 –> 00:43:44,240
wings like the wings of a stork.
And they lifted up this

631
00:43:44,240 –> 00:43:47,240
measuring container with a woman
in it between the earth and the

632
00:43:47,240 –> 00:43:50,080
heaven.
Then said I to the Angel that

633
00:43:50,080 –> 00:43:52,800
talked with me, Whither do they
bear the ether?

634
00:43:53,720 –> 00:44:00,160
And he said unto me to build it
in house in the land of Shinar.

635
00:44:01,040 –> 00:44:03,760
Shinar again.
Shinar.

636
00:44:05,200 –> 00:44:08,400
This is at the time when the
Persians have conquered Babylon.

637
00:44:08,680 –> 00:44:11,440
How could Babylon or Shinar
still be in existence?

638
00:44:11,800 –> 00:44:15,760
What a most incredible reference
here in a prophecy that is

639
00:44:15,760 –> 00:44:19,760
virtually celebrating the demise
of Babylon and the rebuilding of

640
00:44:19,760 –> 00:44:22,280
Israel and Jerusalem under the
two prophets.

641
00:44:23,120 –> 00:44:27,760
To see this curious prophecy of
a woman in a measuring container

642
00:44:28,120 –> 00:44:31,880
and the Prophet is told this is
wickedness.

643
00:44:32,320 –> 00:44:35,840
The lid is shut on top of the
jar, it’s picked up by two

644
00:44:35,840 –> 00:44:40,440
unclean storks and it’s carried
off to the land of Shinar.

645
00:44:40,720 –> 00:44:44,520
And look what it says to build
it in a house in the land of

646
00:44:44,520 –> 00:44:46,560
Shinar.
This woman is going to have a

647
00:44:46,560 –> 00:44:51,200
house in Babylon and it shall be
established and set there upon

648
00:44:51,280 –> 00:44:56,040
her own base.
Isn’t that curious?

649
00:44:57,120 –> 00:44:59,600
Do you know that’s the last
reference to Shinar in the Old

650
00:44:59,600 –> 00:45:03,080
Testament?
The very last reference to

651
00:45:03,080 –> 00:45:08,440
Babylon in the Old Testament?
In other words, the question of

652
00:45:08,680 –> 00:45:14,520
Babylon is last mentioned in the
Old Testament in conjunction

653
00:45:14,520 –> 00:45:19,800
with a woman, and in conjunction
with a wicked woman at that, and

654
00:45:19,800 –> 00:45:23,080
in conjunction with something
that can’t be the old literal

655
00:45:23,080 –> 00:45:27,240
power of Babylon, as the Old
Empire was, because this last

656
00:45:27,240 –> 00:45:30,320
reference comes after Babylon’s
demise and the time of the

657
00:45:30,320 –> 00:45:33,480
Persians.
Isn’t that interesting?

658
00:45:33,800 –> 00:45:35,640
And when’s the next time you
meet Babylon?

659
00:45:35,840 –> 00:45:39,080
Matthew chapter one, verse one,
incidentally, in the Lord’s

660
00:45:39,080 –> 00:45:42,120
genealogy.
And when really is the last time

661
00:45:42,120 –> 00:45:44,160
that whole picture of Babylon is
developed?

662
00:45:44,720 –> 00:45:46,760
Well, it comes in the Book of
Revelation, doesn’t it?

663
00:45:47,600 –> 00:45:50,920
And when Babylon is mentioned in
the Book of Revelation, it’s in

664
00:45:50,920 –> 00:45:54,120
conjunction with a woman, and
it’s in conjunction with a

665
00:45:54,120 –> 00:45:58,720
wicked woman at that.
And it’s in conjunction with a

666
00:45:58,760 –> 00:46:01,280
reference to Babylon.
That can’t be the old literal

667
00:46:01,280 –> 00:46:04,240
power of Babylon.
It must be some other

668
00:46:04,240 –> 00:46:07,240
manifestation, some other form
of Babylon.

669
00:46:08,360 –> 00:46:10,720
You see, brothers and sisters,
it’s an intriguing theme, isn’t

670
00:46:10,720 –> 00:46:13,800
it?
The roots go right back into the

671
00:46:13,800 –> 00:46:19,640
Old Testament, and we’ll look at
the prophecy of Daniel and other

672
00:46:19,640 –> 00:46:23,920
prophecies that assist us in
developing this theme in greater

673
00:46:23,920 –> 00:46:26,520
detail as we get into our second
and third talks.