The Battle of the Ages

Theme: The key to understand the future is to understand the past.

Eccl 1:9-10 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which it may be said," See, this is new"? It has already been in ancient times before us. NKJV

Eccl 1:9-10

9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. NLT

This chart below: Understanding God’s Plan for the Ages is a blue print from the beginning of time to the end of time. (p.1)

Throughout this series we will be referring back to this chart.

One thing to keep in mind about Bible Prophecy is that there are a lot of different interpretations. What we will do in this study is give some of the most popular interpretations of bible prophecy.

I.                  The Way of Cain    Jude 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, NKJV

a.     Eve has a son and named him Cain, she said with the Lord’s help I have a man child.

b.    Cain is surely the first son; and since Eve uses an unusual Hebrew verb for the birth and refers to “the help of the LORD” (Gen 4:1), she probably believes Cain is the Messiah promised in 3:15. And why not? God promised restoration through one of her offspring – He just didn’t say it would take thousands of years! In the same way, early Christians expected Jesus’ second within their lifetimes; and they were wrong, too.

c.     Cain believing He’s the man, brings an offering to the Lord, and the Lord rejects His offering.

d.    The Lord rejects Cain’s offering and He becomes furious and murders his brother.

e.     The Lord confronts Cain, but he does not repent instead he becomes obstinate. (Am I my brother’s keeper?) In contrast to Adam and Eve when they sinned. 

f.      Gen 4:17  And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son — Enoch. NKJV

a.     And when Cain had traveled over many countries, he, with his wife, built a city, named Nod, which is a place so called, and there he settled his abode; where also he had children. However, he did not accept of his punishment in order to amendment, but to increase his wickedness; for he only aimed to procure everything that was for his own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be injurious to his neighbors. (Cain lived for pleasure at the expense of others.) He augmented his household substance with much wealth, by rapine and violence; he excited his acquaintance to procure pleasures and spoils by robbery, (Cain gained wealth by taking from others.) and became a great leader of men into wicked courses. He also introduced a change in that way of simplicity wherein men lived before; and was the author of measures and weights. (Cain introduced the concept of money.) And whereas they lived innocently and generously while they knew nothing of such arts, he changed the world into cunning craftiness. He first of all set boundaries about lands: he built a city, (Cain introduced the concept of owning property.) and fortified it with walls, and he compelled his family to come together to it; and called that city Enoch, after the name of his eldest son Enoch. (from Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

g.     Application: This is the start of the world’s system that oppresses people for the sake of personal gratification, which is ruled by Satan.

h.    At this point in time there are two civilizations: Cain’s offspring who are in rebellion to the Lord, and Seth’s offspring who the Bible say’s begin to call on the name of the Lord.

i.       Over time the godly offspring of Seth become so perverted by mixing with Cain’s offspring. Furthermore, during this time the Bible says the Son’s of God take the daughters of men, and the Lord decides to destroy the planet by means of a global flood.

II.               Nimrod a Mighty Hunter before the Lord

a.     Gen 10:8-12 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord." 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city). NKJV

b.    The translation of these verses:

                                                             i.      First, what does the name Nimrod mean? It comes from the Hebrew verb marad, meaning “rebel.” Adding an “n” before the “m” it becomes an infinitive construct, “Nimrod.” (see Kautzsch 1910: 137 2b, also BDB 1962: 597). The meaning then is “The Rebel.” Thus “Nimrod” may not be the character's name at all. It is more likely a derisive term of a type, a representative, of a system that is epitomized in rebellion against the Creator, the one true God. Rebellion began soon after the Flood as civilizations were restored. At that time this person became very prominent. (The name Nimrod means the rebel.)

b.     Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it was through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. (Nimrod taught that it was by one’s own effort happiness was achieved not through God.) He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. (We will come back to this.) He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers! (Nimrod plotted to take revenge on God by killing Him.) (from Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

c.      The Tower of Babel

                                                             i.      Genesis 11:1-9

                                                           ii.      Nimrod was the founder of the Tower of Babel

                                                        iii.      Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. The One World Order

                                                        iv.      The One World Order really is not that new is it?

                                                           v.      What was their purpose for building the tower? They built it to defy God and if necessary attack and try to destroy Him.

                                                        vi.      You might be saying that sounds too farfetched. I bring to your attention a place called Armageddon.

III.           The World’s System

a.     He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power.

b.    This is what human government does. Here is the thing, who or whatever you depend on controls you.

                                                             i.      Example; if you depend on the government to take care of you and meet your needs who controls you?

                                                          ii.      Example; if you depend on God to meet your needs who controls you?

c.     "Pure communism" in the Marxian sense refers to a classless, stateless and oppression-free society where decisions on what to produce and what policies to pursue are made democratically, allowing every member of society to participate in the decision-making process in both the political and economic spheres of life.

                                                             i.      This sounds good, but the problem is that humanity is fallen, and no matter what the philosophy one group of people will always try to oppress another group.

                                                          ii.      How many people did Stalin have killed? 20 million

                                                       iii.      How many people did Chairman Mao have killed? A conservative estimate is 50 million.

d.    Those are communist countries Pastor this is the United States we are different.

                                                             i.      The trails of tears, the forced removal of 20,000 Indians were 4,000 died of starvation and disease.

                                                          ii.      The practice of slavery in America.

                                                       iii.      The President is going to lift the ban on human stem cell research tomorrow. One group of people destroying another group for their own benefit. 

e.     All governments eventually turn into tyrannies.

                                                             i.       Gun control-Why would a government want to take away private citizens constitutional right to own a fire arm.

1.    In America there are 90 million people who lawfully own firearms.

2.    The majority of crimes committed with guns are not legally registered or bought.

3.    So why take them away. Well if you want to oppress 90 million people you better get rid of their guns first.

4.    If you want to control a population you have to make sure they depend on you and not God.

f.      The World’s system is always one group of people oppressing another group for their own benefit.

IV.           Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2

a.     The statue represents the human governments until Jesus comes and sets up His eternal government.

Conclusion:

·       Praise God, believers in Jesus Christ are looking for a city whose maker is the Lord.

·       As Christians we know that humanity is incapable of setting up a perfect government. That will only happen on planet earth when Jesus come back to establish His everlasting kingdom.