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BABYLONIAN CITIZENS OF ZION

 

 GENESIS 10:1 “Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 10:6 And the sons of Ham;Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, andCanaan. 10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah;Sheba, and Dedan. 10:8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.  10:10And the beginning of his kingdom wasBabel, and Erech, andAccad, and Calneh, in thelandofShinar.”

Babylon, In the Semitic Tongue, ‘Babilu,’ meaning “The gate of God” was the second greatest Black empire to rule the world.

Babylonbegan before recorded history at the time of theTowerofBabelby Nimrod.  Nimrod a grandson of Ham was its first leader.  He was a hunter of great strength and power, one who could match Samson in his physical prowess, and far exceeding that Hebrew judge in intellectual genius.  This Nimrod decided he would protect his people from another flood, by establishing a tower that reached into heaven.

After the destruction of the earth by a universal flood, Nimrod gathered the descendants of Noah.  Under the leadership of this great Black monarch, men of Color, Caucasoid and Semitic origin banded together to build the highest tower the world had ever known. Babelwas the beginning of thekingdomofBabylon.

This great hunter Nimrod, according to the historian Josephus:

 

          “Persuaded the citizens who he ruled to worship him as God and to look to his strength to guide them and not Yahweh who had just destroyed the world with a flood. He said he would revenge Himself on God, he would build a tower  that would stretch high into the heavens, into the very presence of God so that should Yahweh decide to destroy the world with another flood, he and His people would not be affected..”[1]

God, on recognizing that the sons of men were about to accomplish their task, intervened.  He confounded their language which was universal at that time.  They could no longer understand each other, so they were forced to migrate into different people, grouped according their language.  Thus began a multitude of nations, and Nimrod’s purpose was defeated.

It is reported that Nimrod saw himself as the son of Baal.  He was aware of the promise God made to put enmity between the serpent and the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15.  Every generation since Eve diligently looked for the birth of the man child.  This child was to restore the relationship between the children of Adam and the Triune Godhead that created them.

Nimrod developed a society that would challenge even one in 20th CenturyAmerica.  He built a city that was enduring with a tremendous list of Kings.  For nearly 2,000 yearsBabylonwas to the capital of an extensive empire calledBabylonia.  Its first documented king was Sargon of Akkad.  He was one of the most powerful kings to ever rule any nation.  Sargon,

 

“Dreamt of an empire that would stretch from Anatoliato the Nilevalley, where there would be no national differences, only citizens with the same rules, the same statue and the same rights, who would look submissively toward his glorious capital”[2]

Sargon was the most famous of the early kings ofBabylonia.  He ruled for 56 years conquering many neighboring countries, and was responsible for addingSumerorMesopotamiato the Babylonian kingdom.  After Sargon came Naram Sin, who conquered a large part ofWestern Asia, establishingBabylon’s power inPalestineand even stretching its arm into the Siniatic peninsula.

Hammurabi was the next most famous king ofBabylon.  He came to the throne right after the Patriarch Abraham was called out ofUrof the Chaldees, one of the cities ofBabylon.  Under him, the first golden age ofBabylonbegan.  Hammarabi was a genius politician who loved scholarly and literary pursuit.  His most enduring legacy was a code of laws fashioned after the Ten Commandments.  These laws were found carved on a column atSusain the palace of the Assyrians.  The Assyrians were the leaders ofBabylonuntil Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, set his people free.

According to the Seventh day Adventist Bible Commentary, Nebuchadnezzar came to the throne in 605 BC.  His father, Nabopolassar, was founder of the new Chaldean dynasty inBabylonia.  It was this dynasty which restored Black rule after the foreign rulers were overthrown. 

Nabopolassar was appointed by the Assyrians as governor ofBabylon.  In 626 he revolted and joined the Medes and Persians in a war againstAssyriawhich resulted in the destruction of the Assyrian capital ofNinevehin 612 BC.  After driving the last Assyrians into northwesternMesopotamia, Nabopolassar left military operations in the hands of his son Nebuchadnezzar.  Nebuchadnezzar then dispersed the Assyrians, pushed their Egyptian allies out ofSyria, and was about to invadeEgyptitself when he received news of his father’s death.  He then returned home toBabylonto assume the throne of is people.

Nebuchadnezzar ruledBabylonsome 4,000 years after Nimrod, yet he continued in the tradition of the founder of his great empire.  Nebuchadnezzar regarded himself as the Messiah, and king of all kings.  It was his plan like Nimrod, to set up a kingdom that would be universal and include all the people of the world, this task he nearly accomplished.  Note the following about Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom.

 

          “The  inhabitants of His kingdom lived in solidly built villas of thirteen or fourteen rooms,  walked on broad well paved streets, divided up the day into twenty four hours of sixty minutes, were able to read and  write and even  had trouble with their tax returns,”[3]

InBabylonia, but most conspicuously inBabylonitself, Nebuchadnezzar engaged in numerous building projects.  He fortifiedBabylonconstructing many temples and the greatHangingGardens.

Nebuchadnezzar took a Midianites woman to be his wife.  This was the Black tribe from which the prophet Moses took his spouse.  These Midianites lived in the beautiful mountains of Midian and loved the natural scenes.  Nebuchadnezzar to keep His lovely Black woman happy built her the beautiful “HangingGardensofBabylon," trees and flowers built on top of a platform 23 feet high, visible from miles around. These hanging gardens were later numbered among theSeven Wonders of the World.  Speaking of Nebuchadnezzar’s achievements, Ellen G. White wrote.

 

          “It was given Nebuchadnezzar lot, after years of patient and wearing labor, to conquer Tyre; Egyptand Judah.  He added nation after nation to the Babylonian realm and added more and more to His fame as the greatest ruler of the age.[4]

It is not surprising that this successful monarch, so ambitious and so proud spirited, should be tempted to turn aside from the path of humility, which alone leads to true greatness. “[5]

The nation ofIsrael, thinkingEgyptwould continued to be great, sided with the African kingdom againstBabylon.  Nebuchadnezzar then marched againstJudah, destroyed their capital and took their sons and daughters captive. Included among these captives was Daniel, author of the book named after him in the Old Testament Scripture.  For 35 years these captives were a witness to Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel especially prayed with and for the king.  This Black king and his Hebrew subject shared a remarkably close relationship.

Through the years of their Babylonian captivity, Daniel and his friends witnessed to Nebuchadnezzar, revealing the principles of the true God.  God worked patiently on the mind of this young Black king, but it would take supernatural intervention to bring him to acknowledge Yahweh as his God.

Daniel was 18 when he was taken into captivity.  By the time Nebuchadnezzar was converted in Chapter 4 of the Book of Daniel, Daniel was 53 years old.  He lived in captivity for 35 years, patiently working on the mind and heart of this king who resisted God’s claim upon his life for many years.

Nebuchadnezzar resisted God for 35 years.  He saw the superiority of Daniel’s wisdom and faithfulness; he was aware that Daniel’s God was superior to his own and had the ability to reveal the future.  His eyes had beheld God in the burning fiery furnace when the three Hebrew boys were thrown there for refusing to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image.  Yet God had to do something drastic to get the attention of Nebuchadnezzar.  Consider the following passage:

 

          DAN 4:5 “I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 4:6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men ofBabylonbefore me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 4:7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.”

Nebuchadnezzar had everything his heart desired.  For him, it was a time of great prosperity and popularity.  He not only lived in the most powerful nation on earth at the time, but he was king of the capital of the world.  Armies marched at his command and cities feared his wrath.  He was rich, powerful and built the greatest city that ever existed up until that time.

Then one day he had a dream that brought fear to his heart, and troubled his life.  He quickly made a decree that the wise men ofBabylonshould be brought to interpret the dream, but they failed him.  He then called for Daniel who had proved himself before, and Daniel revealed to the king the meaning of the dream after consulting with God.

The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar:

 

          “10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.   11  The tree grew,  and was strong, and the height  thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:  12  The  leaves thereof were fair,  and  the fruit  thereof  much,  and in  it was meat  for all:  the beasts of the field  had shadow under it,  and the  fowls of  the heaven dwelt  in the boughs thereof,  and all flesh was fed of it.   13  I saw in the  visions  of my head upon my bed,  and,  behold,  a watcher and an holy one came down  from heaven;   14  He  cried aloud,  and said thus,  Hew down the  tree,  and cut off  his  branches,  shake  off his  leaves,  and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get  away  from  under  it,  and  the  fowls  from  his  branches:  15  Nevertheless leave the  stump of  his roots in the earth,  even with a band of iron and brass, in  the tender grass of the field;  and let it be  wet  with  the dew  of heaven,  and let his  portion be  with the beasts in the grass of the earth:   16  Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a   beast’s  heart be given  unto him;  and let  seven   times pass over him.   17  This matter is by  the decree of the watchers,   and the demand by  the word of the holy  ones:  to   the intent that the living  may know that the most   High ruleth in the kingdom of men,  and  giveth it   to whomsoever he will,  and setteth up over it the  basest of men.” (Daniel 4:10-17)

The Meaning of the Dream

 

          “24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is  the decree of the most High, which is come upon my  lord the king:  25  That they shall drive  thee from men,  and thy  dwelling  shall be with the  beasts of the  field,  and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with  the dew of heaven,  and  seven  times shall pass over thee,  till thou know that the  most High ruleth  in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.  26  And whereas they commanded to leave the stump   of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto   thee, after that thou shalt have known that the   heavens do rule.  27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee,   and   break   off   thy   sins   by   righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility.”(Daniel 4:24-27)

It is unfortunate that God must sometimes use catastrophe to cause men to come to their senses.  Nebuchadnezzar was on a course to eternal ruin, and God realize unless he did something drastic, the great king would not be saved.  God therefore caused a disease the doctors call Lycanthropy to come upon Him.  According to the medical dictionary, it is temporary insanity that comes suddenly and is completely reversible, and sometimes goes away as quickly as it comes.(Mark Finley, Lectures on Daniel 4)

Daniel loved Nebuchadnezzar.  He loved the king that had destroyed his homeland and kept him enslaved for 35 years.  Daniel pleaded with him, “Nebuchadnezzar, change you course -- accept God today and He will spare you.”

I think the attitude of Daniel toward his oppressor is an attitude all men and women of African descent must take toward the race that enslaved us and still oppresses us today.  Hate will only destroy us.  Love is the most powerful force in the universe and it has the ability to heal many wounds and bind many broken relationships.

Despite Daniel’s love for him, Nebuchadnezzar was too proud to admit that all he had accomplished was because the God of Israel had allowed it.  Twelve months later he walked out of his palace and looked at all the luxury and glory he had acquired.

Picture this massive Black genius, who stands almost like a giant, surveying the extensive golden empire he now ruled.  He thinks of his ancestry, the great Black kings that had ruled before him.  He reflects on the massive libraries of Sargon discovered by archaeologists, and the great laws of Hammarabi laid down during the time of Abraham.

Before Nebuchadnezzar walked the Black people ofBabylon, proud of their heritage and achievement in writing and literature.  They won some tremendous battles, only 50 years beforeBabylonhad been under the influence of the Assyrians when Nebuchadnezzar and his father destroyed the City ofNineveh.  Now the only great threat to his empire was his Black brothers inEgyptandPhoenicia.

There was rest around the nation ofBabylon. Its massive walls according to the historian Herodotus was 85 feet thick and 340 feet High.  Chariots could be seen traveling the massive structure which stood on theEuphrateswhich flowed through its midst and divided it into two almost equal parts. (As quoted by Mark Finley in Lectures on Daniel 4)

Standing before Nebuchadnezzar was the magnificent hanging gardens.  They were loaded with golden ornaments and trinkets.  These gardens are named among theSeven Wonders of the World, monuments which like the Ziggurats of Egypt depicted the intellectual genius of the Black race who were the architects and builders of these massive structures.

Babylonwas the largest of all ancient capitals with its walls, according to the historian Herodotus, stretching for fifty-five miles.  The city had 53 temples, 955 sanctuaries and 384 altars all in a 14 mile radius.  The following words were discovered by archaeologists while excavatingBabylon

 

“O Babylon, whosoever beholds thee is filled with rejoicing,

Whosoever dwells inBabylonincreases his life,

Whosoever speaks evil of Babylonis like one who kills his own mother.  Babylon is like a sweet date palm, whose fruit is lovely to behold.”[6]

When the innerpalaceofNebuchadnezzarwas discovered by archaeologists, they found statues and inscriptions ofBabylon’s glorious past, all there to use the words of Nebuchadnezzar, for all men to behold his greatness.

The following words were discovered whenBabylonwas excavated:

 

          “I have madeBabylonthe Holy city, the glory of the great God’s more prominent than before.....No king among all kings has ever created, no earlier king has ever build, what I have magnificently build...

          All my valuable works, the beautification of the sanctuaries, of the great God’s which I undertook more than my royal ancestors, I wrote in a document  and put it down for coming generations... May the way of my life be long may I rejoice in offspring, May my offspring rule over the Black headed people into all eternity, may the mention of my name be proclaim for good at all future times.”[7]

Nebuchadnezzar saw before him the massive 90 feet Golden Statue he had build, his armies posted on the walls, his beautiful Black women bathing by the pool and his children in the garden.  This caused his heart to be lifted up.  It was then that this tower of a Black man, this descendant of Ham, brother of the burnt face Sons of Cush, raised his outstretched arms, dressed in his regal robe, his Babylonian gown reaching down to his feet, his massive crown with golden diadems, rubies and pearls resting smugly on his kinky hair now turning gray, ascribes all his greatness to himself, and declares:

         

          “Is not this greatBabylonI have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30)

Immediately God intervened and commanded to the Angel Gabriel:

         

          “Take his kingdom; drive him from the haunts of men.  Make him dwell with the beast of the field; let his hair grow like that of an eagle feather and his nails like the claws of a bird.  Let Him eat grass as an ox for seven years, until he understands the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men.  Teach this towering Black giant what all men, Black and white must learn through the centuries to come; the most High God rules in the courts of men,  He sets up Kings, takes down Kings, and gives a kingdom to whomever he chooses.”

Nebuchadnezzar was taken from the throne.  For seven years he lost his mind.  Like an animal he wondered upon the earth until he came to his senses, recognizing God has a claim on the life of every man, and he holds us accountable for our actions.  Nebuchadnezzar then said:

         

“DAN 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.”

When seven years had past and the end had come, Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and recognized the true God.  He prayerfully looked to heaven and God elevated him from the condition of brute beast and restored him to the image of God.

The God of the Bible is still in the business of restoring men today.  Listen to the words of the Bible.

         

2 Corinthians5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The Bible is clear that God is still taking men who are behaving like beast and recreating them in His image.  Murderers, pimps, and prostitutes it makes no difference.  God has the power to make them new.  He alone can remove from men the hungriness they feel for the substance that dries up their bodies and destroys their brain.  He can take away the loneliness that causes us to give our bodies to one who is neither husband nor wife, desecrating His holy temple.  He can give peace in the midst of a troubled world and bring us to our senses just as he did for Nebuchadnezzar, if only we would recognize Him as king of their lives.

This proud Black man whose desire was that his descendants always rule over his people, came to his senses and recognized himself no more as King of Kings, but a subject of Yahweh.  Every Black person must come to that point in his life where he realizes that without God he is lost.

This was the realization of our ancestors as they suffered on the slave ships in conditions inhumane and disgraceful.  Our women were raped by the slave masters.  They found no place to run or hide, yet they found comfort in the shadow of His wings and would sing.

 

“Ain’t got long to be here, bound for the Promised Land.

Ain't got long to be here, a got a ticket in my hand.

And when I look around and see troubles all around,

Ain’t got time to pay no mind, for I ain’t got long to stay.”

And when the sun scorched their Black skins, and the half-dressed mothers walked with their babies on their backs.  When they found no time for rest or refreshment in the cotton fields or on the plantations, when their feet grew hardened and sore, from its bareness upon the hot ground, they sang:

 

“I’ve got a shoe you got a shoe

All of God’s children got a shoe.

When I get to heaven I am going to put on my shoe, I am going to walk all over God’s heaven.”

This can still be our song if we place our trust in God.

Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses, and one author writes.

         

“The once proud monarch became a humble child of God; the tyrannical overbearing ruler, a wise and compassionate king.  He, who had defied and blasphemed the God of heaven, now acknowledges the power of the Most High and earnestly sought to promote the fear of Yahweh and the happiness of His subjects.  Under the rebuke of Him who is king of kings and Lord of lords. Nebuchadnezzar had learned at last the lesson which all rulers need to learn.”[8] 

Finally, the great Black king surrendered to Yahweh.  After his death his empire deteriorated.  Twenty-three years later while Nabonidus partied, enjoying wine, women, and song like so many of our African brothers today, Cyrus the Persian took overBabylonwithout a fight.  The second greatest Black empire had ended. Babylonwas no more ruled by Black men.  But the Bible says, the people ofBabylonwould be numbered as citizens of the kingdom, they will be there inZion, “Black Citizens of Zion.”