Monday, January 11, 2010
Genesis 11:9
Monday, January 11, 2010 |
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
The extended reading for our devotional today is as up-to-date, prophetically, as it could be. I will explain that in greater detail in a moment.
First let's look at how the stage was being set for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled some 4,500 years ago as recorded in Genesis 11.
Historically, this passage plays out after the world-wide flood as recorded in Genesis 6, 7 and 8. After the flood, God told Noah and his three sons, and their wives, to be fruitful, multiply and "re-people" the earth, Genesis 9:1.
Remember, after the flood there were only eight souls on the earth. Genesis 10 is a record of these eight souls being obedient to God, at least in the beginning.
Genesis 10:6 is a record of the grandson of Noah, the son of Ham, Cush. We can trace Cush and his son, verse 8, who was named Nimrod, a great-grandson of Noah. Notice that Nimrod established himself as a "king" in his "kingdom" that he started in the "land of Shinar", verse 10.
In fact, Nimrod went to Babel in Shinar and built a great city, Genesis 11:4. This act was in total contradiction of what God had told Nimrod's great-grandfather to do, to "re-people" the earth.
As we study more on the person of Nimrod we find out that he also started a religion, as signified by the building of a "tower who's top may reach into heaven", verse 4. The "tower" representing "religion".
The Trinity, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the "let us" of verse 7, came down to inspect Nimrod's disobedience and said that because the people were all speaking one language they were able to do evil. The Trinity then"confounded their language that they may not understand one another's speech", verse 7.
Through that act, God scattered all the people of Babylon abroad and across the world as He had commanded them to do years before, verse 8. Notice that verse 9 says "the Lord scattered them abroad, upon the face of 'all' the earth."
Now back to the prophetic scenario laid out in this passage. Nimrod set up a "one world government" in Babylon, his kingdom, with one leader, himself, as king. He also established a "one world religion," by building the tower.
I say "one world" because at the time, Babylon had the entire population of the world. Both Nimrod's "one world government" and "one world religion" were a prototype for the "one world religion" of Revelation 17 and the "one world government" of Revelation 18.
By the way, Biblical Babylon is modern-day Iraq. The literal city of Babylon will be the headquarters for the Antichrist in the last days when this false messiah sets up a "one world economic, political, governmental system" in Babylon, modern-day Iraq.
With all that is happening today in Iraq, the stage is being set for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled, seemingly in the very near future.
PRAYER THOT: Lord, as I watch the fulfillment of Bible prophecy unfolding today, help me to tell others of the future and how to prepare for the future that will be played out in world history.
For further study - Genesis 11:1-9
The extended reading for our devotional today is as up-to-date, prophetically, as it could be. I will explain that in greater detail in a moment.
First let's look at how the stage was being set for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled some 4,500 years ago as recorded in Genesis 11.
Historically, this passage plays out after the world-wide flood as recorded in Genesis 6, 7 and 8. After the flood, God told Noah and his three sons, and their wives, to be fruitful, multiply and "re-people" the earth, Genesis 9:1.
Remember, after the flood there were only eight souls on the earth. Genesis 10 is a record of these eight souls being obedient to God, at least in the beginning.
Genesis 10:6 is a record of the grandson of Noah, the son of Ham, Cush. We can trace Cush and his son, verse 8, who was named Nimrod, a great-grandson of Noah. Notice that Nimrod established himself as a "king" in his "kingdom" that he started in the "land of Shinar", verse 10.
In fact, Nimrod went to Babel in Shinar and built a great city, Genesis 11:4. This act was in total contradiction of what God had told Nimrod's great-grandfather to do, to "re-people" the earth.
As we study more on the person of Nimrod we find out that he also started a religion, as signified by the building of a "tower who's top may reach into heaven", verse 4. The "tower" representing "religion".
The Trinity, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the "let us" of verse 7, came down to inspect Nimrod's disobedience and said that because the people were all speaking one language they were able to do evil. The Trinity then"confounded their language that they may not understand one another's speech", verse 7.
Through that act, God scattered all the people of Babylon abroad and across the world as He had commanded them to do years before, verse 8. Notice that verse 9 says "the Lord scattered them abroad, upon the face of 'all' the earth."
Now back to the prophetic scenario laid out in this passage. Nimrod set up a "one world government" in Babylon, his kingdom, with one leader, himself, as king. He also established a "one world religion," by building the tower.
I say "one world" because at the time, Babylon had the entire population of the world. Both Nimrod's "one world government" and "one world religion" were a prototype for the "one world religion" of Revelation 17 and the "one world government" of Revelation 18.
By the way, Biblical Babylon is modern-day Iraq. The literal city of Babylon will be the headquarters for the Antichrist in the last days when this false messiah sets up a "one world economic, political, governmental system" in Babylon, modern-day Iraq.
With all that is happening today in Iraq, the stage is being set for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled, seemingly in the very near future.
PRAYER THOT: Lord, as I watch the fulfillment of Bible prophecy unfolding today, help me to tell others of the future and how to prepare for the future that will be played out in world history.