This is about a couple of men who thought that they were great kings. Compared to the rest of the world they were. Not only were they proud of themselves, they took great pride in all they had accomplished. The interesting part about this biblical account is that these men were not kings of Israel and Judah. One was Assyrian and the other Babylonian and both were used by God to come against His people because of their disobedience. Jeremiah 50:17 “Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” The king of Assyria destroyed Israel, and the king of Babylon demolished Judah and Jerusalem. Even though the Assyrians were destroying nation after nation, Jerusalem was saved from Sennacherib, king of Assyria. King Sennacherib thought he was a great king and believed himself to be invincible. 2 Chronicles 32:13 “Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me?” He would continue to mock the people and said 2 Kings 18:23 “‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 24 How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’” In his arrogance he wanted to completely destroy Israel from the face of the earth. But God said, Isaiah 10:5 “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! 6 I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. 7 But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations.” Yes, God was using Assyria to come against Israel for their rebellion, but God’s intent was not to destroy them completely. Isaiah 10:12 “When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. 13 For he says: “‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.” After King Hezekiah cried out to God, Isaiah said this, Isaiah 37:21 “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word the Lord has spoken against him: 31 Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. 32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. 35 “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant! 36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. 38 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword” So king Sennacherib found out he was no match for the Almighty God.
God would also use the Babylonians, just as he used the Assyrians. The people were warned over and over again what would happen if they refused to obey God’s word. Habakkuk said Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.” When Jeremiah was called to be a prophet to the nations, God told him, Jeremiah 1:14 “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. 16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made.” It is important for the church to understand that God does not change. It is also important to understand that these enemies would have no power over them if they had remained faithful. Jeremiah 25:1 “The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 2 So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: 3 For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. 8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, 9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. 10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”
Just as the Assyrians were defeated, the Babylonians would also be destroyed, but sadly they would first destroy Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. 20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.”
The prophets not only prophesied about the Babylonians attacking but also about the fall of Babylon. Isaiah 13:19 “Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.” Jeremiah 50:10 “So Babylonia will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,” declares the Lord. 11 “Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance.”18 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. 31 “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. 32 The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up.” Jeremiah 51:24 “Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord.” Nahum 1:2 “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. 7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, 8 but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes”
The amazing part about this account of King Nebuchadnezzar, unlike Sennacherib who was slain, Nebuchadnezzar would come to know he was just a man and not anything like the Almighty God. When talking about pride, Ezekiel said, Ezekiel 28:1 “In the pride of your heart you say, I am a god; but you are a mere mortal and not a god.” In Daniel we see the account of King Nebuchadnezzar and his admission that God is Sovereign. He had a dream and Daniel 2:2 “summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. 10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.” Now we have a problem as Daniel was part of this group. It is interesting that the king thought this should be possible but when he was told it wasn’t possible, 12 “This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.” The good news is that God gave Daniel the ability to Daniel 1:17 “understand visions and dreams of all kinds,” but he was not arrogant about it. Daniel 2:17 “Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abednego). 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.” Nebuchadnezzar saw what Daniel’s God could do when no other god could do such a thing. Even so, Nebuchadnezzar built himself Daniel 3:1 “an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah refused and were thrown into the fire. Before that happened, they said to king Nebuchadnezzar 17 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” They came out unscathed. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!”
King Nebuchadnezzar would still be proud and have much to learn about God. It is here we see king Nebuchadnezzar submit to God and gain understanding about God’s sovereignty. Every one of us needs to learn this lesson and humble ourselves and submit to God. Job said, Job 42:5 “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” We are all supposed to respond the same way. Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. 1 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.” Here we have a king who is not one of the kings of Israel of Judah, but a king of one of the nations that destroyed Judah. Yes, there is the repentance of Manasseh, king of Judah but this was a Babylonian who was shown mercy. We also saw that mercy when Jonah preached in Nineveh. Jonah 3:4 “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.”
Once again, he has another dream and once again Daniel interprets the dream. It is here where the king gives this amazing account of what took place. He starts off before even telling what happened to him by saying, Daniel 4:1 “To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! 2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.” How many people in the church today can actually say that? Daniel then tells him what the dream meant, what would happen and what he would have to do. Daniel said Daniel 4:24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” We learn that he did not renounce his sins but 29 twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Then immediately everything happened that he dreamed about. But then even though seven times would pass, the king would do as Daniel said and when he raised his eyes toward heaven, his sanity was restored. (Read about the lost son - Luke 15:11-32) King Nebuchadnezzar then said these powerful words. “Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” When Daniel thanked God for giving him understanding of the previous dream the king had, Daniel said, Daniel 2:20 “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.” I am not sure to many people actually believe that God can do what he did with king Nebuchadnezzar.
This account shows us what we are all supposed to do and that is to turn away from our arrogance, thinking that we know better than God and return to His word and submit to Him. Scripture tells us James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Proverbs 6:16 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” Proverbs 26:24 “Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. 25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. 26 Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.” Don’t think for a moment that the arrogant and the proud will get it with it. After we read the account of king Nebuchadnezzar and the account of another king, Darius who saw Daniel saved from the lion’s den and said Daniel 6:26 “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions,”
God shows the future church to Daniel. Like the devastation Assyria and Babylon did to Israel and Judah, the abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church just as Daniel saw and just as Jesus warned us about. Israel and Judah were defeated because they rebelled against God by refusing to listen to His word. Because of their rebellion, God allowed their enemies to leave them desolate. The church has done the same, even though we were told all this would happen and now is also desolate. Jesus said Matthew 24:4 “Watch out that no one deceives you. 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.”
These days are even worse than the attacks of the Assyrian and Babylonians, as the abomination that causes desolation effects million upon millions of people all over the world and most don’t even know they are in the worst deception and delusion of their life. Many will and have died thinking all was well with their souls. The church can’t say it wasn’t warned about these attacks. Paul warned us when he said Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” That started while Paul was alive. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
The deception and delusion is falsely thought to be something that will happen way off in the future. Some even believe they will be raptured away before all this were to happen, which is a doctrine of demons. The church has done exactly as Israel and Judah did, which is why the abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church already. The refusal to obey God’s word and turn from wickedness is rebellion and why truth has been thrown down. Like the lost son and king Nebuchadnezzar, the church needs to come to its senses. Luke 15:17 “When he came to his senses,” he said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Daniel 4:34 “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.” When king Manasseh came to his senses, 2 Chronicles 33:12 “In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.” If the church doesn’t come to its senses, there will be eternal consequences. Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” As Ezekiel said Ezekiel 18:31 “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
1 Peter 5:5 “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” We also pray, Lamentations 5:4 “Remember, Lord, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace. 5 Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! 17 Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim 18 for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it. 9 You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. 20 Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? 21 Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old 22 unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.” 2 Samuel 7:22 “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you.” Psalm 141:8 “But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.”
