BIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 8
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
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Biblical Empires -- Part 8
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
BIBLE prophecy tracks the progression of World Empires (from the Babylon times to the modern times). The Bible recounts the rise and fall of mighty kingdoms and vast empires, primarily through the lens of their relationship to biblical Israel and Judah.
[a]www.ucg.org%2Fbeyond-today[/a]
*Charles V - 1530 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Seventh of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Fourth of seven heads of the Beast (REVELATION 17:1 - 6)
Charles was the last Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned by the Pope.
Charles was also Lord of the Netherlands (starting in 1506) and the first king of Spain (starting in 1516). He was of the house of Hapsburg, who produced all the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors from 1438 to 1740 A.D. Charles ruled as Emperor from 1519 to 1556. It was during his reign that the Hapsburg Dynasty, for the first and only time, achieved the status of a true world empire.
Charles is best known for his role in opposing the Protestant Reformation. The Society of Jesus (Jesuits), formed initially to peacefully combat Protestantism, was started during his reign.
*NAPOLEON (Bonaparte) - 1805 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Eighth of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Fifth of seven heads of the Beast (REVELATION 17:1 - 6)
Napoleon was crowned King of Italy by the Pope in 1805, a title which he held until 1814 A.D.
In 1806 the Holy Roman Empire formally dissolved when the last Emperor abdicated following his defeat at the hands of Napoleon and the French. Napoleon reorganized most of the empire into the Confederation of the Rhine, which eventually was composed of 9 kings and 28 princes. The confederation collapsed in 1813 after Napoleon's failed attempt to conquer Russia.
*OTTO VON BISMARK - 1871 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Ninth of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Sixth of seven heads of the Beast (REVELATION 17:1 - 6)
3. The 'one is' king that will come after five have fallen (REVELATION 17:1
The five kings/kingdoms that fell before Bismarck's rule were Justinian, Charlemagne, Otto the Great, Charles V, and Napoleon. After a series of short wars, Otto was able in 1871 to unify numerous German states into a powerful Empire. He was the first Imperial Chancellor of the Empire from 1871 to 1890. Otto created a "balance of power" in Europe that preserved the peace in the region from 1871 until 1914 (World War I).
*BENITO MUSSLINI, ADOLF HITLER - 1929 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Tenth of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Seventh of seven heads of the Beast (REVELATION 17:1 - 6)
3. The 'other that has not yet come' king (REVELATION 17:1
Represents the European empire (kingdom) created by Hitler and Mussolini. In 1938 it became one of the wealthiest empires (by the size of GDP) in modern times.
Mussolini was Prime Minister of Italy from 1922 to 1943. Hitler was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945. Supporters of Mussolini's attempt to create an Italian empire called it the New Roman Empire. Interestingly, in 1917 the British Security Service (MI5) paid Mussolini £100 a week to help him get started in politics.
In 1929 the Lateran treaties were signed by Mussolini and the Vatican. The treaties established the independence of Vatican City within Italy and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. The treaties also included a legal provision whereby the Italian government would protect the honor and dignity of the Pope by prosecuting offenders.
The term "Third Reich," meaning the third German empire, is often used to refer to Germany during its years under Nazi control. The Nazis considered the first Reich to be the Holy Roman Empire from 962 to 1806 A.D., and the Second Reich to be the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 A.D.
*FINAL WORLD EMPIRE/iWorld Empire/Government (THE NEW WORLD ORDER/NEW WORLD ORDER)
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Ten Toes of iron, clay destroyed by God's kingdom (DANIEL 2:41 - 44).
2. King that will kill Christians and fight Jesus (DANIEL 8:23 - 25).
3. Beast with seven heads, ten horns who rule the earth (REVELATION 13:1 - 8).
4. Beast with two horns like lamb but speaks like a dragon (REVELATION 13:11).
5. Eighth head that is Beast "that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth" (REVELATION 17:11).
6. Ten horns (kings) that will give their power to Beast (REVELATION 17:12 - 14)
The full meaning of these prophecies has yet to occur.
BIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 7
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
... View MoreBIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 7
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
BIBLE prophecy tracks the progression of World Empires (from the Babylon times to the modern times). The Bible recounts the rise and fall of mighty kingdoms and vast empires, primarily through the lens of their relationship to biblical Israel and Judah.
[a]www.ucg.org%2Fbeyond-today[/a]
*THE HERULI - 476 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Second of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Second of three horns "plucked up" due to a little horn (Daniel 7:8, 2
The kingdom was overthrown at the behest of the Papacy.
Under Odoacer (who became the first barbarian King of Italy) the Heruli deposed the last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D. In 508 their short-lived empire came to an end when they were destroyed by the Lombards.
*THE OSTROGOTHS - 493 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Third of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Third of three horns "plucked up" due to a little horn (DANIEL 7:8, 2
The kingdom was overthrown at the behest of the Papacy.
In 493 A.D. Theodoric the Great became the first king of the Ostrogothic kingdom and replaced Odoacer as ruler of Italy. The Ostrogoths considered themselves upholders of the direct line of Roman traditions. In 535 A.D. the Byzantine emperor Justinian attacked the Ostrogoths and started what would become the nineteen year long Gothic War. In 554 the Ostrogothic empire finally fell.
*ROMAN EMPIRE PARTIAL RESTORATIONS - 527 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Fourth of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. First of seven heads of scarlet Beast rode by the great religious whore (REVELATION 17:1-6).
Under Byzantine emperor Justinian I the Eastern empire conquered many of the lands lost by the Western Empire when it collapsed in 476.
Justinian, who reigned 527 to 565 B.C., was the first Eastern Roman (Byzantine) king who sought to reclaim the glory of Rome through conquering lands lost by the Western Empire.
As a "Christian" emperor Justinian considered it his divine duty to restore Rome's kingdom to its ancient boundaries. During his reign he fought many wars (Iberian, Vandalic, Gothic, Moorish, etc.) and did conquer many territories formerly controlled by the West (Italy, Africa, southern Hispania, etc.).
Although he considered himself "priest and king" over the Empire, Justinian officially recognized the Roman See (office of the pope) as the highest ecclesiastical authority.
*CHARLEMAGNE - 800 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Fifth of ten horns related to Rome's empire (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Second of seven heads of the Beast (REVELATION 17:1 - 6)
Charlemagne (Charles the Great), crowned by the Pope, was the first Roman Emperor in Western Europe since the fall of the empire in 476 A.D.
Charlemagne was king of the Franks (starting in 768 A.D.) and the Lombards (starting in 774 A.D.) before becoming Emperor. In 799 A.D. Pope Leo III was mistreated by the Romans who tried to put out his eyes and tear out his tongue. After escaping and fleeing to Charlemagne the Pope requested his position be restored. Charlemagne traveled to Rome, then entered it with the Pope in November 800 A.D. A synod was held on December 1 and the charges against Leo pronounced false.
On Christmas Day in 800, during Mass, the Pope crowned
Charlemagne as Emperor of the Romans. This was the first time in history a Pope crowned a Roman Emperor. Charlemagne became the papacy's chief protector. He would ultimately unite most of Christian Europe under his rule.
*OTTO THE GREAT - A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Sixth of ten horns (DANIEL 7:24)
2. Third of seven heads of the Beast (REVELATION 17:1 - 6)
In 962 A.D. Otto the Great, in Rome, was crowned the first "Holy" Roman Emperor by the Pope.
Otto the Great was king of Germany and Duke of Saxony (starting in 936) and the king of Italy (starting in 961) before becoming Emperor. He is considered the founder of the Holy Roman Empire.
Otto considered himself the protector of the Church in part due to his belief he had the "divine right" to rule. He strengthens ecclesiastical authorities such as bishops and abbots at the expense of the secular nobility.
BIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 6
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
... View MoreBIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 6
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
BIBLE prophecy tracks the progression of World Empires (from the Babylon times to the modern times). The Bible recounts the rise and fall of mighty kingdoms and vast empires, primarily through the lens of their relationship to biblical Israel and Judah.
[a]www.ucg.org%2Fbeyond-today[/a]
*ROMAN EMPIRE - 27 B.C.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Two Legs of Iron (Daniel 2:33, 40-43)
2. Fourth Beast with teeth of iron and ten horns (Daniel 7:7, 23-24)
The transition of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire highly likely occurred in 27 B.C., when the Senate granted extraordinary powers to Augustus - who many consider to be the first true Roman Emperor.
The greatest extent of the empire occurred with Trajan's conquest of Dacia in 117 A.D., which gave the kingdom control of 2.5 million square miles of territory (6.5 million square kilometers). Rome is considered the third largest and most powerful of the ancient empires (behind the empires of Persia and the Han dynasty). At the time of Jesus it is believed Rome controlled a total population of 60 million people.
In 395 A.D. the united kingdom split into two separate pieces: The Eastern (Byzantine) Empire, which lasted until 1453 A.D. and the Western Empire, which lasted until 476 A.D.
*THE GREAT FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Little horn among ten causing removal of first three (DANIEL 7:8, 20, 24 - 27)
2. Mystery, Babylon the Great, a whore riding a beast (REVELATION 17:1 - 6, 18)
Prophecies represent the Roman Catholic Church and the Papacy, as the "great city" that rules over the kings (kingdoms) of the earth.
The great whore of Revelation 17 did not ride any of the seven prophetic heads (empires) mentioned in Daniel 2 (Babylon, Persia, Greece (four heads) and Rome before its split) nor the first three horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7. It did, however, mount and ride the fourth beast's last seven horns. These last seven horns of Daniel 7 are the same as the seven heads ridden by the great whore in Revelation 17.
The title "Supreme Pontiff" (Pontifex Maximus or "highest office" was first used around 220 A.D. by Tertullian to refer to the head of the Roman church. It wasn't until the 590's A.D. that this title was used in an formal sense to refer to the Pope.
*THE VANDALS - 439 A.D.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. First of ten horns related to Rome's classical empire (DANIEL 7:24)
2. First of three horns "plucked up" due to little horn (DANIEL 7:8, 2
The kingdom was overthrown at the behest of the Papacy.
The Vandals migrated to live in Roman territory around 400 A.D. King Geiseric led the tribe to North Africa in 429. In 439 they created their own kingdom which included parts of Africa that were controlled by Rome plus islands such as Sardinia, Malta and Corsica. They sacked Rome in the year 455.
The Vandals defeated the fleets sent against them from both the Western (460 A.D.) and Eastern (468 A.D.) Roman empires. Their empire collapsed, however, in 534 A.D. when Belisarius (commander of Byzantine Emperor Justinian's army) defeated them at the battle of Hippo.
BIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 5
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
... View MoreBIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 5
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
BIBLE prophecy tracks the progression of World Empires (from the Babylon times to the modern times). The Bible recounts the rise and fall of mighty kingdoms and vast empires, primarily through the lens of their relationship to biblical Israel and Judah.
[a]www.ucg.org%2Fbeyond-today[/a]
*PERSIAN (Medo-Persian) EPIRE - 549 B.C.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Chest and Arms of Silver (DANIEL 2:32, 39)
2. Second Beast like a Bear (DANIEL 7:5)
3. Ram with two horns (DANIEL 8:3-4, 2
Persia is the second beast (prophetic kingdom) to rule the earth. This kingdom actually represents two kings ("ram with two horns" - the king of Media and king of Persia.
Astyages became king of Media in 585 B.C. Cyrus the Great became king of Persia, though not an independent ruler, in 559 B.C. Like his predecessors, Cyrus had to recognize Median dominance over his kingdom ("one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last". In 549 Cyrus overthrew the Medes and King Astyages (who was a family member, possibly Cyrus' grandfather).
The Persian empire is considered the most powerful kingdom of the ancient world. At its height it ruled more than 2.9 million square miles (7.5 million square kilometers) of land that spanned three continents.
The Persians were the largest empire in ancient history in terms of total land controlled. It is estimated that in 480 B.C. Persia had 50 million people living under its authority - or roughly 44% of the entire world's population. It was during the reign of Cyrus the Great that captive Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem.
*ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S EMPIRE - 336 B.C., and
DIVISION OF HIS KINGDOM - 323 B.C.
1. Represented in Bible prophecy as:
2. Belly, Thighs of Bronze (brass) (DANIEL 2:32, 39)
3. Beast (Leopard) with four Heads (DANIEL 7:6)
4. Male Goat with large horn, four smaller horns (DANIEL 8:5-8, 21-22; 11:3-4).
After Alexander the Great's death (the "broken horn" the "four that stood up in its place" to rule in his Greek empire in his stead were his four generals. This means the empire that Alexander built and its subsequent division into four pieces are counted as the third, fourth, fifth and sixth prophetic kingdoms to rule the earth.
Alexander the Great, born in 356 B.C., was an ancient Greek king whose father was King Philip II of Macedon. Soon after ascending to the throne in 336 B.C. due to his father's assassination Alexander began a military campaign to realize his father's expansion plans.
Alexander's conquests included the Persian Empire, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Egypt and Mesopotamia. The empire's boundaries stretched as far west as the Ionian sea and as far east as the Himalayas and India. Alexander never lost a battle (though many times he was outnumbered) and is considered one of the most successful military commanders in history.
The Greek kingdom, after Alexander's death in 323 B.C., was NOT passed to either of his two sons ("but not among his posterity". Instead, as the prophecies indicated, it was divided up into four separate kingdoms by his generals Ptolemy, Antipater, Seleucus and Antigonus.
BIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 4
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
... View MoreBIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 4
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
BIBLE prophecy tracks the progression of World Empires (from the Babylon times to the modern times). The Bible recounts the rise and fall of mighty kingdoms and vast empires, primarily through the lens of their relationship to biblical Israel and Judah.
[a]www.ucg.org%2Fbeyond-today[/a]
THE TIME PERIOD OF THE BIBLICAL WORLD EMPIRES
World Empires from Babylon to the Beast
God has revealed, in the books of Daniel and Revelation, the world-ruling Gentile (non-Israelite) empires (kingdoms) that would exist from the time of Babylon's empire to the Second Coming of Jesus. This covers a span of more than 2,600 years! Biblical prophecy predicts no less than fifteen empires and the most influential false religious system the devil would create.
The symbolic Bible prophecies that proclaim such events before they happen are the large image of a man dreamed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (DANIEL 2) and Daniel's dream of four great beasts: A lion, bear, leopard and one strong beast with iron teeth and ten horns (DANIEL 7).
Daniel's vision of a ram and a male goat (DANIEL 8) and the apostle John's vision of a woman riding a beast with seven heads and ten horns (REVELATION 17) along with an end time beast that will rule the world just before the Second Coming (REVELATION 13:1 - 8) are also symbolic of end time events.
One simple but profound question generated from Bible prophecy concerns ancient Israel. Why would God allow Gentile nations to dominate the world instead of his chosen people - the Israelites? The Bible records God making a very special promise to the people of Israel just before they crossed the Jordan River to receive their inheritance in the land of milk and honey. He promised to make them high above all the nations IF they keep his commandments (DEUTERONOMY 26:18 - 19).
God promised to make the Israelite nation preeminent in the world IF they obeyed his voice. Over time, however, they increasingly rejected God's way to the point where they refused to have him as their King and instead requested a human king be put over them (1Samuel 8:5 - 7). Eventually, because of their ongoing disregard for God's laws, ten of Israel's tribes were conquered and taken out of the land by the Assyrian empire (723 B.C.).
The remaining tribes (Judah, Benjamin and Levi) lived in Palestine until they too, because of disobedience, were conquered and taken from their inheritance. Because Israel rejected God, he rejected them and gave their promised leadership role in the world to others - the Gentile empires which are listed below.
*BABYLONIAN EMPIREmpire - 612 B.C.
Represented in Bible prophecy as:
1. Head of Gold (DANIEL 2:32, 38)
2. First Beast like a Lion (DANIEL 7:4)
Babylon was the kingdom that ruled the earth at the time when Nebuchadnezzar dreamed an image of a man.
In 612 B.C. King Nabopolassar of Babylon defeated the Assyrian Empire and sacked its capital city of Nineveh. It was this victory that began Babylon's period as a world empire. The empire's greatest King was Nebuchadnezzar (reigned 605 - 562 B.C.), who conquered the Kingdom of Judah, took the inhabitants as captives to Babylon and, in 586 B.C., burned Jerusalem and destroyed its temple.
The last king of the Babylonian Empire was Belshazzar. God personally informed the king of his downfall, and that of the empire he ruled, when he famously wrote on a wall near him, "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN" (DANIEL 5:25). The prophet Daniel interpreted the meaning for the king which was the following.
MENE: God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.
TEKEL: You are weighed in the balances and found wanting.
PERES: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians (DANIEL 5:26 - 28, HBFV).
Belshazzar was killed on the night he saw the miraculous hand proclaiming his downfall. The mantle of world rulership would now solely go to the Persians (DANIEL 5:31).
BIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 3
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
... View MoreBIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 3
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
BIBLE prophecy tracks the progression of World Empires (from the Babylon times to the modern times). The Bible recounts the rise and fall of mighty kingdoms and vast empires, primarily through the lens of their relationship to biblical Israel and Judah.
[a][a]www.ucg.org%252Fbeyond-today%5B%2Fa%5D[/a]
(continuation) GREECE
Syrian Greek rule would become characterized by cruelty and flagrant disrespect for the religious practices of the Jews at the temple, particularly under Antiochus Epiphanes, leading to a Jewish revolt around 167 B.C. Jewish independence would be short-lived and far from the glorious vision promised in prophecy. Greek grasp on the rest of the empire continued to gradually slip until the Romans rose to power, conquering Jerusalem in 63 B.C.
ROME
Rome was the fourth and final beast of Daniel’s visions, which was “different from the others” (Daniel 7:7). True to the terrifying images Daniel saw, the Roman Empire dominated militarily unlike any empire before it. In addition to their unique organizational and strategic warfare, the Romans also attracted soldiers from every conquered with the possibility of Roman citizenship, which carried substantial social and economic privileges.
Rome’s military supremacy helped with the spread of the gospel in two vital ways. The efficiency of its armies depended on an extensive system of roads, allowing them to travel quickly throughout the empire in response to threats—but also allowed safe and easy travel for the apostles’ preaching efforts. Secondly, the regional peace and stability enjoyed throughout the Roman world, known as the Pax Romana (“Peace of Rome”), made for a receptive environment for the early Church to grow.
The Roman Empire did not end with the fall of Rome in the West in A.D. 476, and neither did it end with the fall of the eastern capital of Constantinople nearly 1,000 years later—or with the end of the Holy Roman Empire a few centuries after that. According to Daniel, the Roman Empire would undergo 10 resurrections, the last seven of them in concert with a false religious power, right up until the time of Jesus Christ’s second coming —in other words, up through our day!
Most recently was Hitler’s Germany. Note that the German honorific title “Kaiser” comes directly from the Roman “Caesar.” At Beyond Today magazine, we recognize the current efforts to create a unified European superstate as significant steps in the process of forming the prophesied final revival of the Roman Empire. This underpins and informs our analysis of unfolding events in Europe.
THE FINAL SUPERPOWER
The vision explained in Daniel 2 ends with a stone striking the statue representing the succession of four great gentile empires starting in Daniel’s day and continuing to the end time. The stone strikes the feet and toes of this image, its final stage, with Daniel revealing: “In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (DANIEL 2:44).
The grand climax of Daniel’s prophecy is the establishment of the Kingdom of God—the true final world superpower that will endure forever. The Rock that struck the statue is none other than Jesus Christ! As we see nations continue to war and conquer, we should remember Christ’s own words in MARK 1:15: “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
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BIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 2
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
... View MoreBIBLE Prophecy
Biblical Empires -- Part 2
What is Prophecy in the Bible?
BIBLE prophecy tracks the progression of World Empires (from the Babylon times to the modern times). The Bible recounts the rise and fall of mighty kingdoms and vast empires, primarily through the lens of their relationship to biblical Israel and Judah.
www.ucg.org/beyond-today
ASSYRIA
The Assyrian Empire, situated northeast of the land of Israel in what is largely modern-day Iraq, served as “the rod of [God’s] anger” (ISAIAH 10:5) against the kingdom of Israel. Assyria’s destruction and deportation of Israel came at the height of its reign as a world superpower. By all historical accounts, the Assyrians were vicious and merciless conquerors. Later the Assyrians invaded Judah, carrying many of its people away captive and putting Jerusalem under siege, though God devastated the Assyrian forces and delivered Jerusalem. Assyria went on to conquer Egypt, setting the trend for future empires invading from the north. With Israel and Judah being diminished in power after Solomon’s death, their lands were repeatedly invaded from both north and south as other powers followed the major trade and travel routes through Israel. The Bible plainly states that God was the source of Assyria’s meteoric rise in power to fulfill the purpose of punishing Israel. Yet God would also bring judgment on the Assyrians, their subjects rising up against them—particularly the Chaldeans of Babylon.
BABYLON
Situated southeast of Assyria, Babylon emerged as the next instrument of God’s punishment—against both Assyria and the kingdom of Judah. After the Assyrian invasion was thwarted, Judah continued as a kingdom for more than a century with only intermittent worship of God. In the end, Judah’s disobedience brought defeat and exile at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in about 587 B.C. God used the prophet Daniel, one of the captives of Judah taken to Babylon, to unveil a roadmap for the next several thousand years of Bible prophecy regarding gentile kingdoms. Daniel 2 and 7 prophesy, in remarkable detail and accuracy, the fall of Babylon to Persia, the fall of Persia to Greece, the fall of Greece to Rome, numerous revivals of the Roman Empire, and their eventual demise at the coming of the final superpower—the Kingdom of God, to be established on earth at Jesus Christ’s return. Major elements of Babylonian religion and culture continued on in various respects through each of these kingdoms. Thus, the last end-time human superpower is also referred to as Babylon (Revelation 17:3-6). Sadly, many of ancient Babylon’s false religious practices still permeate Christianity today.
Babylon, like Assyria before it, was defeated and destroyed because of its pride against God. In a show of God’s judgment, the Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon in a single night (DANIEL 5:30-31).
PERSIA
The Persian Empire, centered in what is today Iran, was distinctively tolerant of the religions of its subjects. Babylon was an instrument of punishment against God’s people, but Persia’s purpose was to provide relief and allow for a degree of restoration of Jewish worship. The exiles of Judah, forcibly removed to Babylon, were permitted by special decrees from three different Persian kings to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.
God was looking far ahead in His use of the Persian Empire. To fulfill messianic prophecies through Jesus Christ, the people of Judah needed to be resettled in the land of Israel. The Persian Empire repositioned Judah for the coming of the Messiah, but the Greek and Roman empires paved the way for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
GREECE
The Macedonian king Alexander the Great took over the rule of Greece and stormed through the world with unheard of speed and efficiency, overthrowing and engulfing Persia in a span of only 10 years. While Babylon and Persia sought political control and wealth, neither imposed cultural domination as Alexander’s Hellenistic Empire did.
Greek became the common language of the known world, and continued as such well into the Roman period. The universality of Greek allowed for the rapid spread of the gospel both in spoken and written word. The New Testament was written and preserved in Greek.
When Alexander died, his empire was eventually split into four parts, with two of these most prominent. The Seleucid Dynasty ruled over Greater Syria, including the lands of Assyria, Babylon and Persia. And the Ptolemaic Dynasty—the Greek pharaohs—ruled over Egypt. These alternately dominated the resettled Jews in the Holy Land.
“Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to al... View More“Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:14-17
055 #wordofgod
King Constantine was the one, who change GOD's Sabbath Day in the BOOK OF GENESIS, OF THE HOLY BIBLE, to Sunday, which is the 1st of the week. The calendar can even attest to the fact that, Sunday is ... View MoreKing Constantine was the one, who change GOD's Sabbath Day in the BOOK OF GENESIS, OF THE HOLY BIBLE, to Sunday, which is the 1st of the week. The calendar can even attest to the fact that, Sunday is the first day of the week. Those who stayed faithful to what GOD has proclaimed to make the 7th day HOLY, as, it was on the 7th day that the Living GOD Almighty, rested from all His creations; that is why He commanded us to make the "7th-Day HOLY".
THE ORIGIN OF SUN WORSHIP, TRINITY, BABYLON, AND, SUNDAY WORHSIP
Satan's church had its beginning at Babylon with the construction of the Tower of Babel on the plain of Shinar by the River Euphrates many generations after the deluge. At the time of the construction of Babylon at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-4), mankind had multiplied and spoken one language. Cush who was the son of Ham and grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:1, 6), helped to plan with his son Nimrod, a blueprint by which to rule the world of humanity through a wicked counterfeit religion. Nimrod was the originator of sun worship and founder of Babylon. A Bible translation called the Targum says, “Nimrod became a mighty man of sin, a murderer of innocent men, and a rebel before the Lord.”
The beginning of Nimrod's evil plan had its origin at Babel which was later known as Babylon. This city of Babylon with a tower “whose top may reach unto heaven” was built by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10; 11:4). Tower of BabelThey called the tower “Babel, the gate to heaven,” but God called it what it was which was, “Babel, confusion,” for there God confused the language of the people which forced them to scatter. This heaven defying group of people wanted one government to rule the world and one religion to sway the hearts of mankind. This was Satan's attempt to defy God and His authority and the ring leader of his scheme was Nimrod. But God came down and stopped this world wide rebellion at Babel, in defiance of His command for mankind to replenish the earth (Genesis 9:1) by confusing their language into many languages so they could not understand one another's speech. Mankind discontinued the building of Babel and were scattered to different parts of the world (Genesis 11:8-9).
Nimrod had a plan to weld together and strengthen this evil religious system and so he married his own mother who was Semiramis. She was the first deified queen of Babylon and Nimrod was the first deified king. Semiramis was as wicked as her son Nimrod, and as much sold out to Satan and devil worship as did he. Incest was used here as a basis to unite this newly false religious system. Nimrod and his mother/wife would be greatly used by Satan in the following centuries to send countless millions and even billions of souls to hell.
Satan's plan was to develop a counterfeit, opposition system of religion to attract worship away from the true God of Heaven. This false system had its sacrificial plan just as God had a plan of sacrifice. But Satan's pagan worship required the offering up of human beings, which was often the sons and daughters of the worshipers. A counterfeit holy day was instituted in honor of the sun god, (Sun-day) and this was designed by Satan to rob God of his peculiar authority as the Creator of the universe as designated by His Holy day the Sabbath.
Have you noticed how occult symbols are typically reversed? Example: The occult symbol for a cross is an inverted cross. Most have never noticed that God uses the 6:1 principle. That is, you have 6 of something normal and then on the 7th something special happens. Example: God created the world in 6 days and the 7th is a special day of rest and worship. Crops were grown for 6 years and the 7th year the land was rested. Slaves were kept for 6 years and were to be set free on the 7th year. There are 6 weeks from Passover to the 7th week being Pentecost. There are 6 months from Passover to the 7th month being the Day of Atonement. Bible chronologists say we are currently approaching the end of 6000 years since creation and if Christ returns at the end of 6000 years, we will then have the 7000th year being the 1000 year millennial reign. (See Revelation 20:1-15) So 6000 years + 1000 years (millennium) = 7000 years. None of this is by chance and is God's plan. Observe the days of the week below.
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The Tower of Babel
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Remy ParrottFounder