In Service to Babylon
by Philip du Nard
The nations of the world are in bondage to Babylon. The literal city no longer exists but in the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God, Babylon symbolizes the system that the “kings of the earth” have “committed fornication and lived deliciously” with. Revelation 18:9. The same oppressive spirit that was the driving force behind the Babylonian tyranny of ancient times is active in our day.
If we wonder why it is that so many in government seem to be working against the interests of their citizens but instead seem to be beholden to global elites, we may get a clue from v.23 of this same chapter which, speaking to this Babylonian system declares, “for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” Oftentimes even those with the best of intentions get caught up in the propaganda and corruption of this system which is the outworking of Satan’s attempt to bring the world more directly under his control. This, of course, includes our own United States which, with its Constitutional form of government, in the providence of Almighty God, has represented a monkey wrench in the plans of our would be masters.
Let us ever be mindful of the fact that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” Ephesians 6:12. Many err here in imagining that it is simply a political battle that we are faced with. They get frustrated and angry when they come to the realization that they cannot reason with evil spirits and their carnal efforts at deliverance seemingly yield only temporary and token victories.
Revelation 18 apparently focuses primarily on the Babylonian debt money system that the nations of the world are laboring under but certainly, there is a political and religious aspect to this system as well. It is sometimes difficult to dissect the full table of organization of Satan’s kingdom and , like the blind men and the elephant, many may be enlightened with respect to one aspect and deceived with respect to another. In any case, this chapter graphically portrays the sudden and violent end of this well entrenched system when God moves to bring judgment to bear that the rest of us are unable to effect with our pitiful arms of flesh.
But rather than focus on that, let us turn to the example of the prophet Daniel who, as every Bible student knows, was a godly man working in the service of Babylon, and see if we can draw any personal lessons that might help us to conduct ourselves properly in this present evil time.
We must first remember that because of national iniquity, God sold the children of Judah into the hands of the Babylonians for a specified period of time proving His overruling sovereignty even in the worst of times. Jeremiah 25:12.
In Daniel chapter 1, we read of a phase of the Babylonian captivity of Judah in which the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar “spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king." Daniel 1:3-5
This was the strategy. Take the brightest and best of a nation, indoctrinate them with a foreign ideology, put these indoctrinated individuals in positions of influence in the universities and the bureaucracy where they might further the aims of the elite. And, of course, make it profitable for them to comply. Non-compliance would put one at risk of being cancelled in one way or another.
This would be a difficult environment for a godly man such as Daniel to navigate. In the following verses we read, “Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadraxch; and o Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.” Perhaps they were assigned to the prince of eunuchs to control their “toxic masculinity.”
Daniel’s three companions gained immortal fame in the faith hall of fame when, in Daniel chapter three, they refused to bow down to the golden image king Nebuchadnezzar had erected despite the threat against their lives. As every Bible student knows, they were miraculously delivered. It is generally thought that Daniel would have joined them in this heroic stand had he been present at this event.
But in chapter one, we read of Daniel, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” v8. We might speculate that the Levitical dietary laws which were given the the Israel people for health reasons (Exodus 15:26) were involved here but since he also refused the wine, there was probably more to it than that. Daniel as a believer was, in effect saying, “I will render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (Matthew 22:21) and I will submit myself 'to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake' I Peter 2:13 and I will submit myself to the higher powers knowing that the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1) but I’m drawing the line here. I’m retaining some personal autonomy over my body and I’m not going to ingest (or inject as the case may be) this poison into my body that the government says I have to take to keep my job and be able to function in society.” It does not appear that his heroic companions joined him in this stand. If that is the case, Daniel must have felt very lonely and isolated indeed. Then, as now, undoubtedly believers were not always agreed on every point. The king’s meat did not appear to be hurting them or the Babylonians any. Perhaps they recommended he comply and trust God to protect him in this act of compliance, just as the devil tempted Christ to jump off a cliff so the angels would protect him. But Daniel would have felt defiled and perhaps with some justification.
It was a sign of God’s favor that Daniel was able to finagle an exemption from this mandate from one of the bureaucrats as the rest of the chapter reveals.
God’s promise is that the upright “shall not be ashamed in the evil time” Psalm 37:19 and it is my hope that the example of Daniel will shed a little light on our individual paths as we await God’s deliverance from Babylon and various Babylonian mandates.
by Philip du Nard
The nations of the world are in bondage to Babylon. The literal city no longer exists but in the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God, Babylon symbolizes the system that the “kings of the earth” have “committed fornication and lived deliciously” with. Revelation 18:9. The same oppressive spirit that was the driving force behind the Babylonian tyranny of ancient times is active in our day.
If we wonder why it is that so many in government seem to be working against the interests of their citizens but instead seem to be beholden to global elites, we may get a clue from v.23 of this same chapter which, speaking to this Babylonian system declares, “for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” Oftentimes even those with the best of intentions get caught up in the propaganda and corruption of this system which is the outworking of Satan’s attempt to bring the world more directly under his control. This, of course, includes our own United States which, with its Constitutional form of government, in the providence of Almighty God, has represented a monkey wrench in the plans of our would be masters.
Let us ever be mindful of the fact that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” Ephesians 6:12. Many err here in imagining that it is simply a political battle that we are faced with. They get frustrated and angry when they come to the realization that they cannot reason with evil spirits and their carnal efforts at deliverance seemingly yield only temporary and token victories.
Revelation 18 apparently focuses primarily on the Babylonian debt money system that the nations of the world are laboring under but certainly, there is a political and religious aspect to this system as well. It is sometimes difficult to dissect the full table of organization of Satan’s kingdom and , like the blind men and the elephant, many may be enlightened with respect to one aspect and deceived with respect to another. In any case, this chapter graphically portrays the sudden and violent end of this well entrenched system when God moves to bring judgment to bear that the rest of us are unable to effect with our pitiful arms of flesh.
But rather than focus on that, let us turn to the example of the prophet Daniel who, as every Bible student knows, was a godly man working in the service of Babylon, and see if we can draw any personal lessons that might help us to conduct ourselves properly in this present evil time.
We must first remember that because of national iniquity, God sold the children of Judah into the hands of the Babylonians for a specified period of time proving His overruling sovereignty even in the worst of times. Jeremiah 25:12.
In Daniel chapter 1, we read of a phase of the Babylonian captivity of Judah in which the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar “spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king." Daniel 1:3-5
This was the strategy. Take the brightest and best of a nation, indoctrinate them with a foreign ideology, put these indoctrinated individuals in positions of influence in the universities and the bureaucracy where they might further the aims of the elite. And, of course, make it profitable for them to comply. Non-compliance would put one at risk of being cancelled in one way or another.
This would be a difficult environment for a godly man such as Daniel to navigate. In the following verses we read, “Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadraxch; and o Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.” Perhaps they were assigned to the prince of eunuchs to control their “toxic masculinity.”
Daniel’s three companions gained immortal fame in the faith hall of fame when, in Daniel chapter three, they refused to bow down to the golden image king Nebuchadnezzar had erected despite the threat against their lives. As every Bible student knows, they were miraculously delivered. It is generally thought that Daniel would have joined them in this heroic stand had he been present at this event.
But in chapter one, we read of Daniel, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” v8. We might speculate that the Levitical dietary laws which were given the the Israel people for health reasons (Exodus 15:26) were involved here but since he also refused the wine, there was probably more to it than that. Daniel as a believer was, in effect saying, “I will render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (Matthew 22:21) and I will submit myself 'to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake' I Peter 2:13 and I will submit myself to the higher powers knowing that the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1) but I’m drawing the line here. I’m retaining some personal autonomy over my body and I’m not going to ingest (or inject as the case may be) this poison into my body that the government says I have to take to keep my job and be able to function in society.” It does not appear that his heroic companions joined him in this stand. If that is the case, Daniel must have felt very lonely and isolated indeed. Then, as now, undoubtedly believers were not always agreed on every point. The king’s meat did not appear to be hurting them or the Babylonians any. Perhaps they recommended he comply and trust God to protect him in this act of compliance, just as the devil tempted Christ to jump off a cliff so the angels would protect him. But Daniel would have felt defiled and perhaps with some justification.
It was a sign of God’s favor that Daniel was able to finagle an exemption from this mandate from one of the bureaucrats as the rest of the chapter reveals.
God’s promise is that the upright “shall not be ashamed in the evil time” Psalm 37:19 and it is my hope that the example of Daniel will shed a little light on our individual paths as we await God’s deliverance from Babylon and various Babylonian mandates.