The Noah's Ark and the Evolutionary Science - King Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC)

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Created on Friday, 29 March 2013 00:00

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King Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC)

King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Chaldean (known as the Neo-Babylonian) Empire whose vast military astuteness, conquests and the role in Bible History and Prophecy, are unquestionably, directly recorded in The Bible (see, Daniel 4:4-18). Born somewhere in 630 BC and died around 562 BC at age 68, Nebuchadnezzar, is described by modern day Persians and historians as one of the most powerful monarch of his dynasty. He is best known for the magnificence of his capital, Babylon city's Ishtar Gate. “Nebuchadnezzar restored old religious monuments and improved canals, as other Babylonian kings had done, but Nebuchadnezzar is best known for his legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar's building projects included surrounding his capital city with a double wall 10-mile long with an elaborate entry.”

King Nebuchadnezzar also built a port on the Persian Gulf.” In 597, he captured Jerusalem, deposed King Jehoiakim, and put Zedekiah on the throne, instead. Zedekiah (597-586 BC)- meaning righteousness of Jehovah, was originally called Mattaniah- meaning gift from Jehovah, was the third son of King Josiah of Judah; his mother was Hamutal, so he was a brother of King Jehoahaz and the last king of Judah (2 Kings 23:31, 24:17-18). History has it that many leading Hebrew families were exiled at this time.

Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Cimmerians and Scythians and then turned west, again, conquering Western Syria and destroying Jerusalem in 586. Nebuchadnezzar put down a rebellion under Zedekiah, whom he had installed, and exiled more Jews. The king took the inhabitants of Jerusalem prisoners of war and brought them to Babylon, for which reason this period in Biblical history is referred to as the Babylonian captivity.

"And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; and they built siegeworks against it round about. So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah... Then a breach was made in the city; the king with all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden…. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they captured the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence upon him. They slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and took him to Babylon." (2 Kings 25:1-7). Christians and Moslems find faith in these narratives.

This might serve a symbol of light to those who doubt the works of God. Daniel Chapter 2 v 31-49 talks about the interpretation of the end-time of the king. Our favourite verses are cited from Chapter 2 that states: “43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45. Forasmuchas thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure….”

Wayne Blank writes that Nebuchadnezzar is best known to students of the Bible for his defeat of the southern kingdom of Judah (the northern kingdom of Israel was by then long gone, having been conquered and deported over a century earlier by the Assyrians). “By 586 B.C., the Babylonian forces conquered the land, devastated Jerusalem, looted and burned the original Temple that had been built by Solomon and took the people away into what became known as the "Babylonian Exile." (2 Kings 25:1-17).” Thus as powerful as Nebuchadnezzar was, Blank contends that he did not conquer the Judah of himself. “God didn't just allow it to happen, He actually brought it about.” (2 Chronicles 36:15-20) (further illustration see, www.keyway.ca/htm2002/nebuch.htm)

As in the people of Babel, the people of Judah became extremely corrupt and idolatrous. “They ignored all of the Prophets that God had sent to warn them (2 Chronicles 36:15-16), and they refused to repent. They trusted in themselves, in the city of Jerusalem, even in the physical Temple, rather than in The Lord Himself. So, God, through Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed it all in order to make them realize, in no uncertain terms, that they had turned their backs on Him.” keyway.ca/htm2002/nebuch.htm) In Daniel we learn that troubled King Nebuchadnezzar whose scientists and soothsayers, were on the point of execution due to their inabilities to remember him of his forgotten dream let alone its interpretation, was pleased with the dream interpretation that Daniel gave him, gave him lots of gifts and promoted Daniel to become the governor of Babylon Province.

The King also promoted Daniel’s friends- Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego to high officials in the province of Babylon because he requested this to him. This is consistent to the Biblical story of Joseph and the interpretation of King Pharaoh’s dream: “And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.” (Gen 41: 38-41). In the case of King Nebuchadnezzar his relationship with the men of God was short-lived.

He relied on his human knowledge, forcing his captives, including Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego to worship the golden image that he has set up. His vengeance on his victims was swift so the kingdom fell. “All this came upon the King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house the by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; the kingdom is departed from thee (Dan 5:28-31).

CONCLUSION

In these narratives, the Samaritan Research Group has sought to discover the reality of God through life history of individuals and nations. As the Book of Daniel illustrates, the rise and fall of empires and great men reveal that the promises of God are true and had withstand scientific inventions and political ideologies. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emerging religious tolerance in China, are living truths. The 7-day 24-hr creative puzzle of God must therefore, not be subjected to strict definition of human invention of time clock and calendar that parallels only our geographical contours and hemispheres.

Researched and Compiled By Asante Fordjour for The Samaritan Research Group

Credit JusticeGhana.com