Monthly Archives: January 2020

Multiple Types of the Christ: Jonah

Posted on by
Reply

Jonah tried to run to the far end of his then known world, to Tarshish (Spain), Jon 1:3.

We learn Jonah’s reasons later.

The Ninevites were first of all gentiles, goyim, filth that no Jew would have anything to do with. Also they were vicious and brutal conquerers, absolutely heartless in dealing with conquered peoples. The Northern kingdom Israel was finally destroyed by the Assyrians.

Further God wanted Jonah to preach to them that they must repent or soon be destroyed. Poor Jonah! He was actually afraid that they would repent, and turn, and God would have mercy on them! (Jonah 4.)

But God prevented Jonah’s flight.

In a well know story, God had Jonah swallowed by “a great fish,” Jon 1:17. Much of the description is highly symbolic. Jonah said he called to God, “Out of the belly of Sheol,” Jon 2:2 WEB. Sheol does have associations with the sea, but was he literally in Sheol, the world of the dead. I would have to say no. He says he “went down to the bottoms of the mountains …” Jon 2:6 WEB. Literal? Again I would say no. Still, God heard his prayer and had a perhaps scarred and bleached Jonah go preach to Nineveh … and they repented!

The sign of Jonah, Mtt 12:39

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jon 12:40 WEB

Where Jesus went was the world of the dead, also called Sheol or the abyss (Greek abussos, as in Lk 8:31, Rom 10:7, and Rev 17:8).

What were the key ingredients here?

1. That the gentiles also deserved to have the opportunity for repentance to life. The exaggerated Jewish rejection of all gentiles were very much out of line. As God Himself said,

“Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”
Jon 4:11 WEB

The Jews should have learned better just from this prophet, but they didn’t, and haven’t as a group, even to this day.

2. Jonah was to bring this word of repentance even to the gentiles, as Jesus does in our own day.

3. Jonah was at least symbolically in the world of the dead for three days, but Jesus was literally.

And was Jesus reluctant to leave heaven to suffer so that we might live? Well at least he did pray, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.” Mtt 26:39 WEB

Who could blame Him?

Notice these types are all loosely related

These loose associations of synonyms and descriptions are the key to catching this imagery. There are many more types of the Christ.. For another partial list, consult Naves’s Topical Bible under “Types … ? of the Savior.”

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the Christ: A Branch

Posted on by
Reply

Soon after David’s days things began falling apart. These are of course common things in the political world. Because of Solomon’s sins the kingdom of Israel was split, with David’s heirs getting only a minor share of the split kingdom.

Soon the prophets were forecasting the fall
of David’s kingdom.

All of this was in the face of clear prophecies of David’s kingdom that “your throne shall be established forever,” 2Sam 7:16. It was clear that the Davidic kingdom was slipping. So where were the promises of everlasting rule? Were these false prophecies?

Then came predictions of a revival
of David’s kingdom.

Isaiah talked first of a branch of the Lord.

“In that day, Yahweh’s branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel.”
Isa 4:2 WEB

Jeremiah spoke of a “branch” seemingly from the house of David.

“Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”
Jer 23:5 WEB

Further prophecies spoke of this branch coming as seemingly a tender shoot from the stock (should we say, the stump?) of David, or as stated, from David’s father Jesse.

“There shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.”
Isa 11:1 WEB

Or a few verses later it speaks of if as from the root of the tree itself, as if soon nothing much will be showing above ground.

“It shall happen in that day, that the root of Jesse, who stands for an ensign of the peoples, to him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.”
Isa 11:10 WEB

But when this root takes hold, it will prosper.

“In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the surface of the world with fruit.
Isa 27:6 WEB

And it will bring prosperity to Judah.

“The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.”
Isa 37:31 WEB

It must be commented that Jesus, that branch, has not meant prosperity for Judah so far! Still the prophet says it will come, and it will. This root, this shoot of David, of Jesse, will not be a beautiful or handsome thing after the flesh according to Isaiah.

“For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Isa 53:2 WEB

And he is symbolically called “Joshua”

A high priest named Joshua of Zechariah’s time and his assistants “… are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant, the Branch.” Zech 3:8 WEB. And of course, when the branch came, His name in Hebrew was “Yehoshuah,” or in English, Joshua, or from the Greek, Jesus.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the Christ: Ezekiel

Posted on by
Reply

“Son of man” is frequently found phrase in Scripture for any man, any human being.

“God is not a man, that he should lie,
Neither the son of man, that he should repent: …”
Num 23:19 WEB

However the one and only son of God did become a man. He did have “the form (morph?) of God,” Phil 2:6 WEB, and also took on “the form of a servant,” Phil 2:7 WEB (also morph?). He was fully God, and fully man. So he was indeed a “son of man.” So it came to be that one of Jesus favorite descriptions of Himself was as “the Son of Man,” and such is recorded in all four gospels, a total of 84 times.

Ezekiel was, it seems, a forerunner
of “the Son of Man.”

When Ezekiel is called he first sees a glorious vision of God and His covering angels in Ezekiel chapter one. Then the Lord spoke to him.

“He said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”
Ezel 2:1 WEB

In fact, Ezekiel is addressed as a “Son of man” 93 times in the book of Ezekiel, a phrase that does not seem to be applied to any other prophet. Ezekiel sometimes seems to miss the list of types of the Christ.

Nonetheless, there are many parallels between
Ezekiel and Jesus.

Ezekiel was a prophet, and of course Jesus was a prophet. In fact Jesus was the great prophet like Moses of Deuteronomy 18.

Ezekiel was a priest, and Jesus, though he was no priest on earth, became the ultimate high priest of all heaven and earth, Heb 3:1.

Ezekiel was serving as priest and prophet “away from his home,” we might say. He was in exile in Babylon. So Jesus came to serve as a prophet away from His home in heaven.

Both men came to serve as watchmen and as shepherds to the lost sheep of Israel. Both men served in times when Israel defiantly did not want to listen, to heed, to change. Ezekiel was warned that they were a rebellious house, and to not fear them.

“You, son of man, don’t be afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you do dwell among scorpions: don’t be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
Ezek 2:6 WEB

It took stern measures both in Ezekiel’s time and in Jesus’ to get even a few of the Jews to listen.

Both men warned of the fall of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel of Jerusalem’s fall in 586 BC. Jesus of the second scattering the Jews prophesied by Zechariah in Zech 10:9, in 70 AD.

Both pointed to gruesome trials to come, Gog and Magog for Ezekiel, and the abomination of desolation and the end of the world for Jesus.

And both gave us majestic pictures of a new heavens
and a new earth to come.

Yes! All in all, a very profound type of the Christ.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Talking About Heaven, Part III of III

Posted on by
Reply

Most of us want to have a body. Our decaying human body in this world is compared to a tent.

“For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”y
2Cor 5:4 WEB

At times we may be dismayed by our malfunctioning of bodies in this life, but we would not be without a body. The movie pictures of us in heaven as being bodiless spirits drifting here and there are not very satisfying. These bodiless pictures of heaven are from the occult, NOT from Scripture.

When we die,

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. ”
Eccl 12:7 WEB

But Job says he will see his Redeemer
in his flesh!

“26 After my skin is destroyed,
Then in my flesh shall I see God,
27 Whom I, even I, shall see on my side.
My eyes shall see, and not as a stranger. …”
Job 19:26-27 WEB

We will have a body.

“38 But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial.”
1Cor 15:38-40 WEB

“42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.”
1Cor 15:42-43 WEB

“51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
1Cor 15:51-53 WEB

Scripture tells us our body will be like Jesus body, 1Jn 3:2. But we will have a body.

“But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead

“dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
Rom 8:11 WEB

It will be a building as compared to our present
body as a tent.

“For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.”
2Cor 5:1 WEB

It will not rundown or decay. It will not hurt or malfunction.

You wouldn’t want to miss it for the world!

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Talking About Heaven, Part II of III

Posted on by
Reply

As has been discussed, a world dominated by sin and death is falling apart. In physics it is called the Second Law of Thermodynamics, that is to say, things run down, things decay, and fall apart

We are made so that we need rest.

In rest and in sleep, we can repair some of the loss. Even so our ability to repair loss and ruin and decay is limited. If you stick your finger in a fan and knock some of the skin off of your finger, then your body can over time repair that loss of skin, and restore your finger to like new. However, if that fan actually cuts off part of your finger … well … you will never be able to grow back that finger. We do not have that sort of regenerative capability.

And even our senses run down.

In a world dominated by sin and death that is often a good thing. This means if we are surrounded by death and stinking decay, we may at first accurately sense the stink and the filth. It is nauseating, and we can hardly stand it. But if we are forced to stay around the stink, then after a little while our sense of the stinking decay tends to run down. After a little while, it does not bother us quite so bad. In a world dominated by sin and death that can be a good thing, within limits.

It is the same for many of our very stupid mistakes and slip-ups. At first the shame of how dumb we have been is overwhelming. But fortunately that sense of being so shamefully stupid wears off. Thank God! Imagine how bad it would be if we fully and accurately felt that shame and embarrassment forever! That would be hard to bear. So it is in part a good thing that our senses also run down.

Part of the other side of that of course is when we are trying to fully enjoy something that is good or beautiful. Almost all of us have had times when we came across a song or a piece of music that was so beautiful that we could not get enough of it. We played it, we listened to it over and over and over and seemingly could not get enough of it. Even at our best though, after a while our senses run down, and we can no longer enjoy that music as we once did.

In heaven, in the new universe NOT dominated by
sin and death and decay,

we will be able to perfectly enjoy good things forever. We will be purified from all wickedness and decay forever.

And since things will not run down in this
new universe without sin and death,

we will not need and rest.

“but those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isa 40:28-31 WEB

You would not want to miss it for the world!

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Talking About Heaven, Part I of III

Posted on by
Reply

This present universe is under a curse!

It is because of sin, because of rebellion, against the Lord our God in our present universe. It appears that this rebellion started before before man was created, but it is not clear how long before man was created.

Even matter is temporary.

Now we come to a fundamental law of our universe. The actual “laws” of science are few and far between. Even so, some of what we sometimes call “laws” are only rules that only work within some pretty narrow limits, that is to say they are not really “laws.” But one of the fundamental laws of our universe is what is sometimes called “The Second law of Thermodynamics.” It is also called “Entropy,” or to state it another way: Things run down. In our universe things to go from order to disorder, and the amount of energy available to do any work is steadily diminishing.

One of the astonishing things which came out of the early nuclear work of Madam Curie and others is that sometimes even matter itself disintegrates The atoms themselves are unstable, they disintegrate.. The most unstable of our elements are called “radioactive,” and they steadily loose small particles as they disintegrate to other forms of matter.

Take your room, your house, or your
car or lawnmower.

You do not have to do something to them for them to disintegrate, for them to rundown, for them to slide into disorder and ruin. Just leaven them alone and they will do that on their own. Entropy, things run down.

Even our bodies, even when starting out correctly, over time disintegrate.

The sun, it turns out is a giant hydrogen bomb.

Now how fast does a hydrogen bomb convert matter into energy? I do not know how to express that mathematically, but it is very fast. Realizing that the Sun is such a giant bomb, it would be natural to expect that it is shrinking, and very fast, and it is!

The British Greenwich Observatory and the U. S. Naval Observatory did a 90 year study of the Sun’s diameter, and the result of that study is that the Sun is shrinking at an astonishing six feet per hour! (Eddy and Boornazian, 1979. “Secular decrease in the solar diameter, 1863-1953.” Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 11:437.)

But if the earth was 4 or 5 billion years old, it would mean that the earth would have been inside the sun. We are about 93 million miles from the sun. Run the figures for yourself. This and much other evidence points to a relatively young solar system, and a young earth.

Scripture calls the Second Law of Thermodynamics
the law of sin and death.

And one day, a new universe, called “a new heavens and a new earth,” Isa 65:17, 2Pe 3:13, etc., will be created, which will not be subject to this law.

“that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.”
Rom 8:21 WEB

That will indeed be heaven.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: the Caesars and others.

Posted on by
Reply

The caesars and Rome are definitely in the book of Revelation, and few would bother to deny that. Still, we must realize that Revelation describes what is going on with the early church, and what is going on at the end of this present age. Many an interpretation of Revelation has made a good case for one end of this spectrum or the other, but not both ends of this story.

The caesars did allow themselves to be
set up as “gods.”

The political argument was that Rome needed an empire wide religion, that would give needed political and philosophical unity. The caesars at first accepted such treatment with reluctance, and at times no little embarrassment. Most knew they were not really gods. This was just politics. Domitian was an obnoxious exception in taking all of this very seriously.

Even so, once in place it had to be either enforced or abandoned entirely. So there was persecution of those who refused to appear before the magistrates and offer a pinch of incense on the altar fires, and say “Caesar is Lord.” So far this seems to fit Revelation’s declaration of “things which must happen soon,” Rev 1:1 WEB. However, Jesus also says, “Yes, I come quickly.” Rev 22:20 WEB, and that also is undoubtably true in an eternal perspective.

The liberals treat all of this as very simple.

They say all of this applies to a few of the early caesars, and they give names and dates … However, even the best of these accounts break down upon close examination. Then you are faced with either: discounting their interpretation … OR discounting Revelation as being the Word of the Lord.

Actually there many things missing.

There is much more about Rome and what was missing, in Revealing the Christian Age.
  1. There NEVER WAS any world-wide acknowledgement of the caesars as god, as is clearly pictured of the beast in Rev 13:8. The Romans clearly knew they did NOT rule the entire earth, and they had debates among themselves as to how far it made sense to expand the empire.
  2. They NEVER WAS a “mark” (Rev 13:16) that EVERYONE had to have in order to buy or sell things. Such was imminently expected with so much else going on, but … it NEVER happened. Yet!
  3. The Roman empire did NOT conquer “the saints” as clearly forecast in Rev 13:7. Instead the saints conquered the Roman Empire as clearly forecast in Dan 2:44 and other passages, and this was NOT complete by the end of the first century AD!
  4. Whoever you think was the ultimate beast/caesar was NOT alive to be destroyed by Jesus second coming, as is clearly forecast in 2Thes 2:8 and Rev 19:20.

This is just a short list. Other issues are discussed in Revealing the Christian Age.

So either Revelation is a false prophecy,
a failure in the first century,
OR
The caesars and Rome are merely
types and shadows of
what is yet to come.

The mystery of lawlessness (2Thes 2:7) and Mystery Babylon are Christian Age long entities. All through our age we have had to guard against new attempts at a world-wide antichrist hegemony.

And it hasn’t even discussed two of the main types of the beast: Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the original “abomination of desolation,” both of which are discussed in detail in the books.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: Judas Iscariot

Posted on by
Reply

Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve,

“and one of you is a devil,” Jn 6:70 WEB

The Greek word used here is diabolos. Its basic meaning is to slander or falsely accuse someone, and is often translated as “devil,” meaning the Satan himself or one of his angels (Mtt 25:41). It comes from the Greek word diabello which has the idea of bringing false charges in order to create a quarrel or a fight.

He is one who has rich gifts from God.

Everything good, everything worthwhile, comes from God, Jas 1:17.

“For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”
1Cor 4:7 WEB

The Most Holy God made both you and I, but also all the angels, and everything that exists, and Judas Iscariot, and the man of lawlessness. Whatever good that is in him came from God, and whatever good he has also is from God.

In the case of Judas Iscariot he shared in the blessings of Christ with the rest of the apostles. When the apostles were sent on the limited commission Judas was there. When they returned rejoicing that “even the demons are subject to us,” Lk 10:17 WEB, Judas was there. Power to preach, power to heal, daily needs all covered … it was all there.

But a heart prepared with greed.

In whatever combination of circumstances, Judas had a love of money that was part of his undoing. So when some expensive oinment was poured over Jesus feet, Judas asked.

“5 “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii,a and given to the poor?” 6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.”
Jn 12:5-6 WEB

Characterized by destructive behavior

Oh to have been an actual apostle of Jesus the Christ, to have the opportunity for such a great standing in all eternity. Judas had all of this but was focused on worldly immediate things.

Jesus calls Judas “the son of destruction,” Jn 17:12 WEB, and the man of lawlessness/ the man of sin is also called “the son of destruction,” 2Thes 2:3 WEB (the same Greek word is used in both Scriptures). Both have destructive behavior. They destroy themselves, and bring ruin on many others. If we use Judas as a type of the beast, then there is,

Not quite repentance, but clear remorse, Mtt 27:3.

“4 saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.” 5 He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.”
Mtt 27:4-5 WEB

And eternally cursed.

Terrifying curses are in Psa 69:19-28 of Judas and the others involved. I will only quote a verse.

“Pour out your indignation on them.
Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them”
Psa 69:24

I am inclined to take these verses of the beast also.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: the Man of Lawlessness

Posted on by
Reply

Admittedly the man of lawlessness is not actually a type of the beast. Rather it another description of the beast, and another name for the beast.

There is a variation here between versions
and manuscripts on the name.

Some of our oldest manuscripts show the reading of man of “lawlessness” (anomias). This the preferred reading by most scholars today, and this matches with calling this organization the “mystery of lawlessness” in verse 7. The alternate reading is man of “sin” (hamartia). If we take the reading “man of lawlessness” as being correct, that means this man is characterized by lawlessness, and of course, “Sin is lawlessness,” 1Jn 3:4

A great rebellion must come first.

The Greek word is apostasia, and is actually a very strong word for a rebellion or a “defection” or desertion of one’s obligations to someone or thing. Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford, 1889, a lexicon of Classical Greek, lists the primary reading as “1. a defection, revolt.” It is a word for what we would call a political revolution, or an attempt to overthrow. Implied in both Revelation and 2Thessalonian 2 is that this is a world-wide phenomena that takes in “all” of the lost of this world, 2Thes 2:10-11, Rev 13:8.

In English this word apostasia has been watered down in some of the older Greek dictionaries, translations and commentaries. This word is much stronger than just “falling away,” or a “departure.” It has the idea in context of shaking your fist in the face of God. The newer dictionaries/lexicons are going back to the old Classical definition, and the watering down was never justified.

There is going to be a world-wide rebellion against God and against all law and order before the man of lawlessness comes. This has to happen BEFORE the the second coming of Christ, 2Thes 2:2-3.

This man is against the worship of ANYTHING or
ANYONE except himself.

“he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.”
2Thes 2:4 WEB

He is brought to power by a “mystery of lawlessness”
that has been working since the
first century, 2Thes 2:7.

See the previous posts about the mystery religions. So this is a multi-melenia struggle to seat this servant of Satan (Rev 13:2-3) as the true “god” of this world.

There is someone or thing who is restraining this mystery, to keep it from having success, until just the right time, 2Thes 2:6.

“even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
2Thes 2:9 WEB

God also helps this man succeed, so that all
who “didn’t believe the truth but had
pleasure in unrighteousness,”
would be lost.
2The 2:12

“Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie;”
2Thes 2:11 WEB

This man is destroyed by the Second
Coming of Christ.
2Thes 2:8, Rev 19:20.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Multiple Types of the beast: Kings of Babylon

Posted on by
Reply

The word “Mystery” in Mystery Babylon seem to indicate her secret or semi-secret nature. The beast and Mystery Babylon seem to work together to suppress Christianity. The beast at the last turns on Babylon the Great and destroys her (Revelation 18), within history because it is the will of God that he do this.

Now Mystery Babylon the Great has no problem
with false gods,

Further it is no exaggeration to say that she loves dictatorships. It is the beast organization (of Rev 13:1-2, and Rev 17:7) that “carries” Mystery Babylon the Great (Rev 17:7) to success.

Now the great harlot sits on seven mountains that are also seven kings, Rev 17:9-10. The beast is one of those seven kings on which the harlot sits, one of the main supports of Babylon the Great. You might say he is one the kings of Mystery Babylon the Great, but he secretly hates the Great Harlot who organizes all the wars and conflicts of this age.

“In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Rev 18:24 WEB

Clearly Ancient Babylon is a model for Mystery
Babylon the Great.

Both are associated with great power and with great luxury. As Mystery Babylon the Great (working with the beast who has a mortal wound that is healed) overcomes Christianity; so also ancient Babylon conquered the people of God of ancient times: Israel and Judah. There are other points of similarity between the ancient and the entity of Revelation.

Both ancient Babylon and Mystery Babylon the Great are known for their immorality.

Both seem impossible to overcome. Ancient Babylon had great walls and great armies, and plenty of money. Mystery Babylon is seated on a beast with seven heads and ten horns. The beast is one of those seven heads, and those ten horns seems to indicate ten rulers. Also she is seated on “many waters” Rev 17:1, which is “peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages,” Rev 17:15.

Both fall because of their overwhelming immorality.

But back to the Kings of Babylon.

They both employ God’s people in their work. In ancient times it included Daniel and those with him. God’s people are warned to come out of her or they will go down with her (Jer 51:6 and Rev 18:4).

Once again the superiority of God’s ways are clearly demonstrated to the kings of Babylon, through Daniel, and Meshak, Shadrach, and Abednego and others.

Like the other types, the King of Babylon comes
close to complete repentance.

Nebuchadnezzar actually praises God when he writes about what happened to him in Daniel chapter 4. Read his abject confession there. But at the last, repentance doesn’t last, and the kings of Babylon must go down to defeat. So the King of Babylon is pictured as entering the world of dead as almost alive, though deprived of all strength in Isaiah 14, and maggots are his bed and worms are his covering, Isa 14:11.

It seems that the kings of ancient Babylon are types of the beast of Revelation, and this short essay only touches the surface.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901