The House Built of Wickedness:

Zechariah's Vision of Babylon, Part One

Zechariah's vision of the basket taken by angels to the Land of Shinar speaks of Babylon, the "house built of wickedness," for it will be here where the seed of all wickedness, the Antichrist, will be revealed in these latter days. As Babylon rises again from the ashes, the world is being prepped right now for the rise of the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation period and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The time now is not to "become a better you," but to repent, seek the face of God like never before, search our individual hearts to see if there be any unconfessed sin or wickedness hidden in any crevice, and to make sure our garments are spotless, waiting for our coming King. It's getting late neighbor and the heralding of events in the Middle East (2007) scream at us that something huge is on the horizon and the curtain is about to come down upon the church age. The current events of the Middle East trumpet a LOUD warning that the rapture of the Church could take place at ANY second. With America's continued and unprecedented involvement in Iraq at the present time it serves as a reminder of the prophetic times we live and the prophetic importance of the region our nation finds itself engulfed in. The region of Iraq, known as Babylon, Mesopotamia, and the Land of Shinar is the second most often mentioned place/nation in the Bible.  The word Mesopotamia means "between the two rivers," more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. For America to be involved here at this point in our nation's history is huge and certain to be understood in light of the Scriptural importance of this region that our success or failure may go a long way in determining our very existence.

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: Zech. 5:5-11
    Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. [6] And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. [7] And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. [8] And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. [9] Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. [10] Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? [11] And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

Daniel 2:31-38
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. [32] This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, [33] His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. [34] Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them to pieces. [35] Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. [36] This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. [37] Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. [38] And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
   
Even though our text is from Zechariah, we are actually going to be discussing the second chapter of the book of Daniel in detail in this message which is part of our study on the Prophetic Symbols of Daniel. That study is currently being updated daily and we encourage you to download the lessons in that section to help gain understanding of current events and how they relate to Bible prophecy.

Zechariah was a product of the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people in the sixth century before Christ. Born in Babylon, he returned to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. Zechariah was from a priestly family, and he watched his people begin to rebuild the temple in 536 B.C. The work in Jerusalem languished, however, and God spoke to Zechariah and Haggai and called them to deliver his message to the people: Rebuild the temple! While this was their immediate message, God also gave them a glimpse of His future plans for the nation of Israel. Zechariah had a vision about Babylon on February 15, 519 B.C. where he saw a measuring basket, with a cover, that was said to contain “the iniquity of the people throughout the land.”

The "woman" Zechariah saw was "wickedness" personified, as though all the evil deeds and actions done by humanity were represented by one character. The heavy lead cover was designed to keep the woman, or wickedness, from escaping.  After showing Zechariah this scene, the angel pushed the woman into the basket and shut the lid. Obviously Zechariah was not implying that God had removed all the wickedness from the world. Rather, the vision showed that God had confined, restrained and limited wickedness, keeping it in check so that it would run free in the world. The basket was carried away by two angelic beings to the country of Babylonia, or Babylon – modern day IRAQ. "Wickedness" would be deposited in the land where humanity first rebelled against God, where a rebel named Nimrod ordered his followers to build a tower that hoped would reach God. Later, Babylon was the city that had threatened God’s land of promise and sacked and burned Jerusalem.  Wickedness, said the angel, "would again reside in Babylon." But how? Zechariah had been living in the land of Babylon when it fell to the Medes-Persians.
 
Zechariah’s vision shows that the “house” of Babylon will rise again “when it is ready.” The time and place have not been right for thousands of years, but when God’s prophetic plan is ready, Babylon will be rebuilt and wickedness will again reign from the plain of Babylon. The city where humanity’s rebellion against God began will be the site where that rebellion will return to take up residence in the personage of the Antichrist. That rebellion was deeply rooted in Iraq for nearly 30 years through the late Sadaam Hussein, but he is not the root of the same rebellion Zechariah prophesied about. There is one coming who will arise from this region who WILL be the personification of wickedness known as the "Antichrist," who will rule from Babylon and then set up an apostate image in Israel's Temple to be worshipped as god.
 
Every day that passes brings us closer to the end times, and every day the eyes of the world focus more closely on events in the Middle East and Mesopotamia. One key element in God’s program of end-time events will be the reestablishment of Babylon as a world power, when wickedness will again occupy “the city of man.” Babylon was the HEAD OF GOLD on Daniel's image and as such speaks to us today of the late hour we live.

Prophecy is history written beforehand and because of such it it’s more difficult to interpret because it’s before the fact, not after the fact. When seeking to understand prophetic symbols and passages, the Bible’s plain, simple statements should be taken literally where it’s possible. This prophecy of Zechariah cannot be understood unless first one understands Daniel's writings and especially the events of Daniel chapter 2 where the dream of a heathen king outlined the program of God for the period of Gentile supremacy and chastisement of Israel. The Tribulation is actually a microcosm of the setting of Daniel's prophecies - the power of the world during the time of its committal into the hands of the Gentiles and Israel's chastisement on account of their sin. I want to state something here I stated in a previous journal. Those left behind to face the Great Tribulation are not left behind because they are Jew or Gentile, but because they are LOST. National Israel as we define her in this study comprise those who have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior but who are by heritage, Jewish. They will represent the nation in type during the Great Tribulation which God will ultimately redeem back to Himself, something He has sought to do ever since the nation was dispersed in A.D. 70 following Israel's rejection of her Messiah some 40 years prior. It is interesting to note as we rewrite this study in the fall of 2007 that Israel has just completed her first ever 40-year cycle of possessing Jerusalem as its capital after its capture during the 1967 Six-Day War. That is significant because it represents the first time Israel has been in possession of such for an entire generation SINCE the dispersion in A.D. 70.
 
Daniel as no other prophet was shown the future of nations and empires and the most comprehensive picture of world history from the time he wrote these prophecies all the way through to the physical Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This great prophet was given a very broad and full revelation of what Christ would term in the gospels, "the time of the Gentiles," (Luke 21:24) as well as a chronological prophecy of Israel's history stretching from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the second advent of Christ. Daniel's book is certainly a book full of historical importance as it relates to world history and future events, but it's main focus as all prophecy really is, remains the nation of Israel. Daniel pinpointed the rise of the Antichrist, the location of his empire, “the seat of the beast,” as well as so many of the particulars leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. We cannot understand Revelation and the Great Tribulation period unless you understand Daniel’s prophetic chapters, the role of Israel in Bible prophecy, and the world empires that will be involved in this horrific time of darkness that is soon to descend on planet Earth.
 
Daniel was so exact in his arguments as the Holy Spirit directed him that some so-called scholars felt that Daniel did not really write the book that bears his name. They were especially pointing to the first 34 verses in the 11th chapter, which characterizes world happenings (as they relate to Israel) from Daniel’s day to the birth of Christ. These happenings were so minutely described that many felt no one could have written them before the fact, that surely someone had written them after the fact. We know Daniel DID write these prophecies before the fact. We also realize that Daniel could not possibly have done it within himself. The Holy Spirit moved upon him, just as He did upon all the Old Testament prophets.
 
2 Peter 1:21
    For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
 
Daniel’s writings concern world empires as they pertain to ISRAEL or as other nations relate to Israel. There is little information given to the dispersion of the nation that took place in 70 AD and continued for the most part till 1948 when Israel became a nation once again. MUCH is given however in Daniel’s writings about Israel’s role in the last days. May of 1948 was the beginning we believe of the clock ticking again as we rush toward the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and Armageddon.
 
The Image Of Nebuchadnezzar
 
Daniel 2:1
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
 
In the second chapter of Daniel we see an image that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. In the dream the king saw five different materials that represented five great world empires. These empires all had one thing in common in that they each persecuted Israel in one form or another. There are actually eight world kingdoms that have persecuted or will persecute Israel in the future; five are mentioned in Daniel 2 while two of the eight, Egypt and Assyria, preceded the time of Daniel's writings. It's important to keep the number eight in mind as one will see in a future study of Revelation 17 and how both Daniel and John pinpointed the coming Antichrist's location from which he would spring. 

The images that were represented on Nebuchadnezzar's image included:

• THE HEAD OF GOLD
  The Babylonian Empire – Third World Empire To Persecute Israel

• THE BREAST AND ARMS OF SILVER
  The Mede-Persian Empire – Fourth World Empire To Persecute Israel

• THE BELLY AND THIGHS OF BRASS
  The Grecian Empire – Fifth World Empire to Persecute Israel

• THE LEGS OF IRON     
  The Great Roman Empire – Sixth World Empire To Persecute Israel

• THE FEET AND TOES OF IRON AND CLAY
  The Revised Roman Empire – Seventh World Empire To Persecute Israel (YET FUTURE)

• THE STONE
  The Kingdom of Heaven on earth under the Messiah (Ninth Kingdom)
   
  *There is an EIGHTH Kingdom, the Revised Grecian Empire, which is basically the Kingdom of the Beast during the Great Tribulation period. We believe this Revised Grecian Empire will be made up primarily of the region of the world known as Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel. We will deal with this eighth kingdom in later chapters. We didn’t list it here because it was not included in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the image? Why? We do not know but Daniel was shown this eighth kingdom in great detail, as was John. *

The important event of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation is introduced by the statement that the dream occurred "in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar," which immediately places importance on what took place in Daniel chapters 1-3 and how the training of Daniel and his companions played a role in the favor Daniel found with the Babylonian king. Let me make a few statements about Daniel here that are important to remember as one studies these all important prophetic visions given to him by the Lord concerning the end times. The personal history of Daniel, one of the greatest of the prophets, and his companions, is given in Daniel 1. His prophecies as stated present one of the most comprehensive panoramas of world history and the destiny of the nation of Israel in ALL the Word of God. it reaches from the time of the Babylonian Empire into the perfect age when God's kingdom shall cover the earth.

Daniel was of the tribe of JUDAH, the same tribe our Lord sprang from, and was of royal descent. (Daniel 1:3) As a youth he was taken to Babylon from Jerusalem in the third year of Jehoiakim's reign, B.C. 606. There in a heathen   land young Daniel retained his integrity and his contact with the God of Israel. Even though he associated with heathen kings, statesmen and politicians, his character and integrity was NEVER impeded or compromised. God bestowed supernatural and divine favor upon Daniel and on three occasions expressed His regard for the Hebrew prophet in the words of angels sent to him with messages. He is called on each of these occasions a man "greatly beloved." The Holy Spirit through Ezekiel classed Daniel with Noah and Job in the matter of righteousness.
 
Ezekiel 14:19
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
 
Daniel's deep consecration and sensitivity to the Spirit of God brought him into a sphere where even angels frequently appeared to him. In a very short time he rose to a high position in the empire, even becoming prime minister. He held this position throughout the entire 70 years of the Babylonian Captivity. My point in stating these things about Daniel is two-fold. One, many so-called theologians and liberal Biblical scholars (they are not scholars but unbelievers) have attacked the credibility of Daniel's prophecies over and over to no avail. To this very hour as we write this in 2007 if one does just a casual search on the internet on the book of Daniel one will find so much unbelief and skepticism concerning Daniel's writings that it will choke a mule. This man was not some novice or some fraud that just decided to make some things up about the latter days. He was HIGHLY FAVORED of the Lord and bestowed a gift that few possessed during his day and few possess today. There has been none greater than Daniel.
 
Secondly, there is a lesson for us in the setting Daniel received these prophecies. Daniel did not receive these prophecies in the safe confines of his home. He received this prophecies in exile under the domination of Babylonian Captivity yet God still spoke to him through angelic visitations. Neighbor, GOD KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE AT no matter the circumstance! God knows who His true prophets are regardless of whether they are in Babylon or they are residing in the safety of their own territory. The circumstances of Babylon did not hinder God from speaking through this mighty anointed prophet. His words speak to us TODAY some 2800 years into the future and we would do well to heed the prophetic nature of Daniel's book and through these prophecies grasp the prophetic nature of the time we live.  I can only surmise but feel confident that Daniel at this very moment is in heaven and being told that the time is upon the Earth that the things given to him centuries back are soon to come to pass! We're living that close to the rapture friend!
 
Babylon’s Past and Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar, who succeeded Nabopolassar as king of Babylon, was a proud and wicked king, with absolute power. Still, God referred to him as "my servant," in Jeremiah 25:9. He was God's servant to the extent that he carried out the judgment of God that was prophesied to come upon Israel. Cyrus was yet another king called, "my servant," who was used by God to carry out the divine plan, yet Cyrus himself was not one who consciously served God.
 

Isaiah 45:1
Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

Jeremiah 25:9
Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

Daniel placed the time of Nebuchadnezzar's first siege of Jerusalem in Jehoiakim's third year (BC 606), while Jeremiah 25:1-9 speaks of the time as the following year. This is not a contradiction, for Daniel was speaking of the time Nebuchadnezzar started out from Babylon, while Jeremiah referred to the actual arrival at Jerusalem. After starting for Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar was delayed by an encounter with Pharoahnecho, king of Egypt. The Babylonian King overwhelmingly defeated the Egyptian at the battle of Carchemish on the west bank of the river Euphrates. This is referred to in Jeremiah 46:1-26. Nebuchadnezzar then marched against Jerusalem, put down all resistance, and conquered King Jehoiakim. But when word came of the death of his father, Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar released Jehoiakim's, restored him to his throne, and returned to be crowned king of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar did not return from his military exploits empty-handed. Before he left Jerusalem, he plundered the temple of God, taking "part of the vessels of the house of God." There he "carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god." (Daniel 1:2) It was then that he ordered Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring as prisoners, "certain of the children of Israel, and the king's seed, and of the princes." (Daniel 1:3). Although there may have been others, only Daniel and the three Hebrew children - Hananah, Mishael, and Azariah are named.

About eight years later the second deportation took place in 598 B.C. when at this time the captives included the prophet Ezekiel and godly name named Mordecai (Esther 2:5-6). Thus we see that Daniel and Ezekiel were both prophets at the time of the exile, and God used each of them to comfort and warn and to instruct His captive people. This second siege of Jerusalem carried out by Nebuchadnezzar saw the capture of Jeconiah the king, his wives, his mother, all the warriors, carpenters and smiths, and only the poorest of the people left behind. (Jeremiah 24:1-10)

In his third and final siege of Jerusalem, which took place in 588 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar burned the temple and completely destroyed the city, leaving it in ruins. His cruelty is revealed in his inhuman treatment of Jewish captives. The fiery furnace, the lions den, and the instruments of torture used in blinding Zedekiah and other captives were only a few of the evidences of this heathen monarch's inhumanity to his fellow man. Daniel referred to Nebuchadnezzar as the "basest of men," meaning that Daniel recognized Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument of judgment to the disobedient children of Israel.

The City of Babylon

The ancient city of Babylon was located about 50 miles south of modern Baghdad and at the time of Daniel's prophecies was both the political and religious capital of Babylonia, and of the Empire and civilization based upon it. The decline of the Assyrian Empire enabled Nabopolassar, a Chaldeans, to recover the city and found a new dynasty in 626 B.C. His work of restoring the city was ably continued by his successors, especially his son, Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylonia, whose boast was of the great city he rebuilt.
 
2 Kings 24:1
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

Daniel 4:30
The king spoke, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

It was to Babylon that the victorious Babylonian army brought the Jewish captives after the wars against Judah. Among these was Jehoiakim, whose captivity there is confirmed by inscriptions found in the ruins of Babylon itself. The plunder from the Temple of Jerusalem, brought with the blinded king Zedekiah, was stored in the main temple of the city, probably that of the god Marduk.
 
2 Kings 25:7-13
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon. [8] And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: [9] And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire. [10] And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. [11] Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away. [12] But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. [13] And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.

2 Chron. 36:7
Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

It was against this scene that an unknown Psalmist dramatized the heartache of the Jewish people:
 
Psalm 137:1-9
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. [2] We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. [3] For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. [4] How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? [5] If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. [6] If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. [7] Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. [8] O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. [9] Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

God had faithfully warned Israel of coming judgment through the pre-exilic prophets of Obadiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk. These prophets were faithful to rebuke Israel for its sin and idolatry and imploring the nation to return to the God of their fathers. The more the prophets warned, the more Israel rebelled and rejected the Word of the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar had risen to great power and was striving for world supremacy. Because of Nebuchadnezzar's efforts and conquests, Babylon quickly became the commercial and financial center for all Mesopotamia, the center of a geographical “X” that linked the Orient with the Mediterranean and Egypt with Persia.  The city became noted not only for its quest and victories but its great strength and beauty which had been restored by Nebuchadnezzar. He renovated the city throughout, constructing  magnificent walls and gates and surrounding the city with several lines of fortification. He then constructed a new palace, on the grounds of which he formed the celebrated hanging gardens which the Greeks numbered among the seven wonders of the world. Babylon’s cultural heritage produced the source for all modern divination, astronomy, astrology, accounting and private commercial law.
 
By the beginning of the 20th century, as Babylon crumbled into the shifting sands of the desert, it seemed unlikely that it would ever rise from the mounds that had entombed it for so long. In 1980, all that existed on the site of the ancient Babylon were dusty ruins, or ruins of ruins. Babylon’s walls, made from clay bricks, were not as strong as the still-imposing stone structures of Egypt. Barely a wall was intact. But during the next 20 years, over 60 million bricks were laid in the reconstruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s fabled city. It is recorded fact that Sadaam Hussein has been seeking to rebuild the southern palace of Nebuchadnezzar, including the Procession Street, a Greek theater, many temples, what was once Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room, and a half-scale model of the Ishtar Gate. Hussein had planned at one time prior to the Gulf War in 1991 to rebuild the hanging gardens, once considered one of the seven wonders of the world: He offered a 1.5 million prize to the Iraqi engineer who could devise a plan to irrigate the gardens using only the technology available in ancient Babylon. And the ziggurat, or “Tower of Babel,” may also once again over the city.

This restoration process of Babylon began in 1978 to save what remained of the city from the destructive effects of local salt deposits, a high water table, and pillaging from local villagers. In part because most young Iraqi men were away at the war with Iran, and in part because native laborers often lacked the required skills, the early reconstruction was done through the hands of over eighteen hundred Egyptian, Sudanese, Chinese, and South Korean laborers.
 
There has been a push by the current Iraqi regime to rebuild Babylon and make it look as much like the old as possible. No one is exactly sure how the ancient city looked like. Many have seen this as nothing more than just a symbol of pride for the Iraqi people during the Iran war of the early 1980s. Others believe Hussein’s goal in rebuilding ancient Babylon is to reestablish Iraq as the cradle of civilization and have the Iraqi people as heirs to the great cultures of Babylon, Nineveh, and Ur, which flourished thousands of years ago between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Since Mr. Hussein will not be around himself to see that rebuilding process, it is not that unlikely to believe that whoever takes over the Iraqi regime following this current conflict with the United States may finish what he is started. Babylon will be rebuilt and it will once again be a commercial center for the world. This time of rebuilding may be a great waste of time and effort because towards the end of the Tribulation God Himself will destroy Babylon “in a day.”
 
In the midst of Nebuchadnezzar's orgy of pride and prosperity, God came to him in a dream. The dream troubled him, even though he could not remember what it was. As was the custom, he called in the wise men, the soothsayers, and astrologers. He demanded that they not only interpret the dream but tell him what it was. In their confusion and consternation, the men explained that "There is none other than can show it before the king, except the gods."
 
Daniel 2:11
And it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
 
Convinced that the wise men of Babylon were not actually so wise after all, the king decreed "that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain."
 
Daniel 2:13
And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
 
Because of God's providence and care for the beloved prophet, Daniel gained enough time to call a prayer meeting with his companions, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. During this prayer meeting, which I am sure was probably a Pentecostal prayer event, Daniel asked God to reveal the secret and save their lives!
 
Daniel 2:19
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
 
The account of the dream as Daniel saw it, is found in Daniel 2:30-35, and in the interpretation is then outlined above.  For the reader to understand the image one must again understand that the story of the Old Testament is primarily a history of God's dealings with the JEWISH nation, certain Gentile nations come into focus in connection with their oppression of an dealings with ISRAEL.  Nebuchadnezzar is recognized as the first king of Gentile dominion after Israel was removed from their land. The head of GOLD represents Nebuchadnezzar's own kingdom, Babylon, the first of the five kingdoms shown by the image. Daniel interprets this part of the image and the interpretation is true:
 
Daniel 2:38
And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
 
BABYLON, seen as the first power on this image was not the first power to oppress Israel. Egypt was the first kingdom to persecute Israel and Assyria, the second. Babylon, which was a city, was located in the Euphrates Valley and in close proximity most scholars feel where the Garden of Eden was originally located. The Scripture says in:
 
Genesis 2:8
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
 
Genesis 2:10
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 
 
Genesis 2:11-14
The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; [12] And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. [13] And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. [14] And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
 
The names of these four rivers are:
 
      

• Pison

• Gihon

• Hiddekel (Which is the modern Tigris)

• Euphrates, which continues to maintain this name even unto this present time.
   
  Thus, the beginning of humanity was NOT in Africa, or any place else, as some claim but rather the area we now refer to as "IRAQ." After the fall Babylon is the place where the first organized rebellion against God was instituted, and we speak of the Tower of Babel. This took place shortly after the flood of Genesis 11:1-9. During this approximate 1700 years after the Fall, there definitely had been great rebellion against God, but the Tower of Babel seems to have been the very first organized rebellion.
   
  In fact, this particular rebellion spawned religions, which actually continue in one form or the other even unto this hour. One might say that all the religions of the world go back to this particular time. Catholicism, which has been Satan's efforts to corrupt Christianity, has emulated and adopted many of the early Babylonian practices. This speaks to us of the seriousness of the hour in the current Middle East situation and how it is signaling the soon coming of the Lord of Glory at the Rapture of the Church. Babylon, which was the scene of this event in Daniel's prophecy and the beginning of civilization will also be the scene of events that will bring civilization as we know it to an end. Look at the connections between Iraq (Babylon) to Biblical events:
   
  1. The garden of Eden was in Iraq. (it sure doesn't look much like Paradise on earth today thanks to Saddam).
  2. Mesopotamia which is now Iraq was the cradle of civilization!
  3. Noah built the ark in Iraq.
  4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.
  5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq!
  6. Isaac's wife Rebekkah is from Nahor which is in Iraq.
  7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.
  8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.
  9. Assyria which is in Iraq conquered the ten tribes of Israel.
  10. Amos cried out in Iraq!
  11. Babylon which is in Iraq destroyed Jerusalem.
  12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq!
  13. The 3 Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (that's good news to know that JESUS has been in Iraq too as the 4th person in the fiery furnace!).
  14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq. (which hopefully Saddam will too!).
  15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.
  16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.
  17. The wise men were from Iraq. (Where are the "wise" men today?).
  18. Peter preached in Iraq.
  19. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon which was a city in Iraq!
  
  And you have probably seen this one. Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second?  It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means "between the two rivers," more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The name "Iraq" means "country with deep roots."  Indeed Iraq is a country and region with deep spiritual roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. It is also where our nation is currently neck deep in at the moment and events there WILL affect the future of the United States of America friend, mark this writer's words.
  
  Look at more connections:
        

• Eden was in Iraq -- Genesis 2:10-14.

• Adam & Eve were created in Iraq -- Genesis 2:7-8.

• Satan made his first recorded appearance in Iraq -- Genesis 3:1-6.

•  Nimrod established Babylon & the Tower of Babel was built in Iraq -- Genesis 10:8-97 & 11:1-4.

• The confusion of the languages took place in Iraq -- Genesis 11:5-11.

• Abraham came from a city in Iraq -- Genesis 11:31 & Acts 7:2-4.

• Isaac's bride came from Iraq -- Genesis 24:3-4 &10.

• Jacob spent 20 years in Iraq -- Genesis 27:42-45 & 31:38.

• The first world Empire was in Iraq -- Daniel 1:1-2 & 2:36-38.

• The greatest revival in history was in a city in Iraq -- Jonah 3.

• The events of the book of Esther took place in Iraq -- Esther.

• The book of Nahum was a prophecy against a city in Iraq -- Nahum.

• The book or Revelation has prophecies against Babylon, which was the old name for the nation of Iraq, Revelation 17 and 18.

       No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq. This message will be continued in part two, Babylon, Babel and the United States. I pray you know the Lord today. It's getting late. We write these messages with a heavy heart knowing that there are some who read this who are not. Neighbor, events taking place right now are setting the stage for events that will shake the earth. The ONLY security that is sure in these last days is the SOLID ROCK, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Repent, believe the gospel and be saved today in Jesus name we pray.

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