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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