Thursday, July 14, 2016
The Babylonian Kings
The New Babylonian Empire ..called ( Neo.Babylonian)
..from 625-539 BC
This new Babylonian empire broke the power of Assyria,
that powerful nation, and in it’s sweep westward destroyed Judah and conquered
Egypt. The kings of Babylon were:
Nabopolassar (625-605), he was the father of
Nebuchadnezzar. He threw off and broke
the yoke of Assyria in 625 BC and
established the independence of Babylon. He conquered Nineveh in 612 BC with
the help of Cyaxares the Mede.
Nebuchadnezzer became the commander of his father’s armies
and in 605BC became coregent with his father. He was thought to be very young
at this time. He is known as the “crown prince”, for everyone knew he was
destined for the throne.
Nebuchadnezzer: sometimes called (Nebuchadrezzer) ruled from (605-562),
was the greastest of all the Babylonian kings,
and is famed as one of the mightiest monarchs to ever live. Daniel was
advisor to Nebuchadnezzer, he was a genius and the real builder of this new
empire. Nebuchanezzer ruled 44 of Babylons 70 years of power.
In 605 BC, he broke the power of Egypt in the famous battle of Carchemish,
taking Jerusalem the same year deporting a number of persons including Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah ( 1:1,6).
In 586 B.C. he conquered Palestine as they rebelled
against him and took Jehoiachin and many captives to Babylon, including the
prophet Ezekiel. Johoiachin would never see his homeland again.
In 586 B. C. he came again, this time burning
Jerusalem and taking more captives. It sounds incredible, but he besieged the
city of Tyre for 13 years (585-573 B.C.
Nebuchanezzer was truly “God’s servant” and subdued
many kingdoms just as Jeremiah and Ezekiel had prophersized.
In 582 B.C. he invaded and plundered Ammon, Moab,
Edom, and Lebanon, and in 581, he took even more captives from Judah. His last
exploit seems to have been in 572 when he invaded and plundered Egypt.
Nebuchanezzer died in 562 B.C.
Daniel exerted a powerful influence on the Monarch;
and three times Nebuchadnezzer called the God of Daniel…”God” (2:47; 3:29;
4:34).
In Daniel 4 he tells his own story of his dream of a
tree. This chapter is a public writing of state papers by Nebuchadnezzer. He
wanted the world to know about what happened to him and how he came to know the
true and living God! Listen to what he
says after going through a
seven year sickness of what some calls “insanity”. Because
he would not humble himself…God had to humble him, we do not want this to
happen to us in any form. The word says..”humble yourselves under the mighty
power of God.:(1 Peter 5:6)
“At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and
splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles
sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than
before.
Now I Nebuchadnezzer, praise and exalt and glorify the
God of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.
And those who walk in pride, He is able to humble.” Daniel 4: 36-37. (NIV)
After the death of the great Monarch, Babylon begins
to decline in power. His son Evil-Merodac ruled (562-560), Neriglissar
(559-556), Labash-Marduk (558) and Nabonidus (556-539 B.C.)
Nabonidus’s son, Belshazzar was co-regent with end in the concluding years of his
reign., and was the second most powerful person in Babylon. For the story of
the handwriting on the wall Belshazzar could not offer Daniel but the THREE
place..because he was co-regent with his father Nobonidus, ( Daniel 5:7). Read
the entire 5th chapter to learn about the handwriting on the wall
and the fall of Babylon.
The city of Babylon and it Babylonian Empire fell to
the Medes and PERSIANS in 539B.C. The
glory days for Babylon are over, the Supremency passed to Persia and would last
until the coming of Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.
It is interesting to note that the Babylonian empire
lasted 70 years. Coinciding with Judah’s 70 years of captivity..exactly. The
year Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered Babylon (539) was the same year he
allowed and authorized the return of the Jews to their homeland.
We will see Babylon oppressing God’s people again in
the New Testament, as the embodiment of the forces of evil that oppose God.
(Rev. 17.)
I will continue more writings and teaching at a later
time. God Bless!
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