Israel & the King of Babylon CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In this lesson, we deal with two different subjects. So half way through our study, we will switch topics from God’s mercy on Israel to the prophetic destruction of the King of Babylon.
Israel
The Lord will have mercy on Jacob – v.1 – Lev 26:44-45; Ps 102:13 following a severe chastisement in the Tribulation.
The Lord will choose Israel – v.1 – Deut 7:6, 14:2; Zech 1:17, 2:12 – in the Tribulation it is going to look like the Lord will forsake Israel – however, he made a covenant with them that he would choose them to be the leading nation of the world and that he would rule from there – he intends to keep that covenant and he will.
When He does these two things:
Israel will possess their own land – v.1 – Gen 15:18; Deut 11:22-25; Ezek 47:13-21 – others will possess land among them – however, these strangers will be subject to Israel; they will not be living under their own rule.
Gentiles shall join them – v.2 – Ezek 47:22-23; Is 60:4-5, 11; Zech 8:22-23 – as the saying goes, “If you can’t beat them, join them.”
Gentiles shall serve them – v.2 – Is 66:20; Is 49:22-23; Is 60:11-12, 14-18.
Israel shall rest – v.3 – Heb 4:5-11; Jer 30:7-11 – they will rest in the millennial reign of Jesus, something that they didn’t get to do when they entered the promised land – they will rest from sorrow [Deut 28:65], fear [Deut 28:67], and bondage [Deut 28:68].
The King of Babylon
This is a proverb about the devil although it is addressed to the King of Babylon [Comp Ezek 28 and Matt 16:23]. The King of Babylon is a good representative of the devil:
- He ate grass like an ox [Dan 4:32] and the devil was the anointed cherub [Ezek 28:14, Ezek 10:14; Ezek 1:10; Ex 32:4]
- He persecuted the Jews [Rev 12]
- He made an image and required worship [Dan 3, Rev 13]
- The image was 60×6 [Dan 3; Rev 13:18]
- He is a dragon [Jer 51:34; Rev 12:9]
- He is a lion [Jer 50:17; 1 Pet 5:8]
- He was a world ruler [Dan 4:30-32; 2 Cor 4:4; Lk 4:6; Eph 6:12]
Notice in v.5 the “staff of the wicked” and the “scepter of the rulers” – there is one main ruler over other rulers [scepter] – you find this same set up in Rev 17:12.
As a Christian, if you hold out any hope that these world rulers are going to do anything but oppress [v.4] and make themselves richer [v.4] and smite the people [v.6] and raise up angry dictators [v.6] you are terribly deceived. Look what Herod did in Matt 2:16; look what Pharaoh did in Ex 5:6-21; and look what the devil does in Rev 12:12!!
Listen, after Jesus comes and destroys these wicked kings then the earth will finally have rest and be quiet – v.7 – the whole earth will sing [v.8, Ps 148].
Notice that the King of Babylon gets thrown into hell [when the devil ends up in the bottomless pit (Rev 20)] – this king turns out to be the devil incarnate – and notice when he arrives in hell [v.9] that the chief ones and all the kings of the nations receive him – just think about that for a while – kings are generally wicked – like Paul said, “not many noble,” [1 Cor 1:26].
They are shocked that this great, powerful ruler whom no man could oppose [Rev 13:4] turned out to be as weak as they are [v.10]. When his body is laid to rest in his grave the worms get him [Job 19:26a] and in hell he becomes a worm [Mk 9:44-48]
To be continued…