LESSON 4 THE NATIONS PART ONE
The lesson this week begins with Nimrod and his rebellion. Nimrod is the founder of Babylon. Gen 10:10)
The modern Bible translations which favor the idea that Nimrod "founded" Nineveh is debatable.
The older translations seem much more probably that Asshur (descendant of Shem 10:22) had fled to the land of Assyria. (10:11) Assyria was named after him as he and his family first settled there to escape the corruption building in the land of Shinar under Nimrod's influence. But Asshur's territory was later conquered by Nimrod's armies who took over the city and made it another center of his empire. (Micah 5:6)

I lean to the latter interpretation as it fits the very spirit of Nimrod's rebellion. The spirit of domination, with force and war attempting to stamp out righteousness and bring all under the control of the ambitious self seeking tyrant.

We need to go back further to see where that spirit of rebellion came from and how it revealed itself even before Nimrod came along.

It began in an environment of perfect peace and happiness. The mystery of rebellion started in Lucifer's heart. Though the highest honored created being, dissatisfaction began to grow in his heart, he wanted to be like God, not in holiness, but in power, with everyone bowing before him. (See Isaiah 14:12-14) The spirit of rebellion is self exaltation, even to the point of exalting self and it's wishes above the Creator of all things. Self exaltation does not easily tolerate opposition.

Next we see Cain and Abel. (Genesis 4) Cain brings an offering of his own choosing, an offering that basically said, "Lord, I don't need You to come and shed your blood for me, I can produce my own fruits. The spirit of rebellion was in him. He felt resentment against God for locking them out of the Garden of Eden and the tree of life. He did not see the horror of sin.
But the "horror of sin" soon displayed itself. Cain was very angry when God accepted the offering of Abel. Even when God, Himself pleaded with him (Gen. 4:6,7) his anger only increased. He invites Abel to go for a walk with him in the field. Abel did not try to force Cain to obey God?s command. It was Cain, inspired by Satan and filled with wrath, who used force. Furious because he could not compel Abel to disobey God and because God had accepted Abel's offering and refused his, which did not recognize the Saviour, Cain killed his brother.

Next we see two different nations forming. Cain goes out and starts building cities. (4:17) A third son of Adam and Eve, Seth, leads out in the worship of God. (4:26) The worshippers of God are pushed back into the hilly country, while Cain's descendants continue building their cities and empire.

Soon the Bible presents a very sad state of affairs. The worshippers of God have almost vanished, while the empire of Cain is strong and powerful.

Why?
1. Evil has it's allurements. Deceptive allurements. The young people from Seth's nation, see more excitment and pleasures in Cain's kingdom, and start to participate and mingle. Slowly they are drawn deeper and deeper into Cain's kingdom.
The descendants of Seth might have preserved their integrity before God, and they might have exerted a saving influence upon the inhabitants of the Noachic world. But instead they "adapted" being more tolerant and affirming and accepting of the wickedness of Cain's empire.

2. The violence -- there were wars. Wars between Cain's empire, and Seth's nation. Cain's descendants despised everything that reminded them of God's commandments and plan. They were a powerful, intelligent, resourceful race, they felt no need or desire for God. And like their father, Cain, they hated those who were true to God.

After the flood, memory as to what things were like before the flood was still vividly remembered by the sons of Noah, who could recite their memories to their descendants for several centuries and many generations. Ham seems to have been the one most resentful that the sophisticated (though evil) culture had been destroyed by the flood. It was Ham's descendants who were the most prominent with an aim to re-establish the old culture in defiance to God's commands.
It didn't take long for the world to form into two main nations -- the followers of God, and the followers of Nimrod (grandson of Ham). The aim was to hold all the people under one government. The tower was to maintain this unity. The tower was built in direct challenge against God's promises and commands.(11:4)

The Bible says Asshur (Son of Shem) went to the land which received his name (Assyria) but it also indicates that Nimrod took control of that area to further his kingdom. The aim was to conquer the world and subjugate all people under his rule.

Splitting the groups into many nations was actually God's way of stopping evil from once again taking over the whole world.
By giving them many languages, He dispersed them over the world. Though the nations fought each other, being divided their power over the whole earth was limited.

That's how the world was divided into many nations.

Soon after the world was divided into many nations, God called Abraham to leave his homeland and family and travel to an unknown land that God would show him. God promised to bless Abraham, make him a great nation, and that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him.

In stark contrast to the rebellious nature of the supporters of Babel, stands Abraham.

When God called him to leave his homeland and journey to an unknown place, Abraham obeyed, he left all the comforts of relatives and home and the way of life he was accustomed to, and headed out not even knowing where he was going, or what lay before him. (Hebrews 11:8).

God?s purpose in calling Abraham was :
1. To keep alive the truth of God's plan of salvation
2. To be the path through which God would work out His covenant plan to redeem mankind.
3. To have a nation that could be a light to world.

We should carefully consider the items included in the calling of Abraham and the kind of things brought about through such a calling.

God wants to gain a group of people on earth who long to be part of His kingdom and to be His people. This means that God wants a people who will demonstrate His authority and His will being done on earth as it is done in heaven. This was God's goal in calling Abraham. The goal to have a nation that was different from the rebellious nations around them. It is also His goal in calling us to be His people.

Abraham's faith in God's promise, even when human reasoning could not understand, demonstrates what faith actually looks like. It's more than intellectual ascent. It is believing and stepping out in faith to obey simply because God said it and we trust His Word.

Through Abraham's seed would come the Messiah. The Jewish nation had been preserved as a witness that Christ was to be born of the seed of Abraham and of David's line; yet when Jesus was born in the little village of Bethlehem, they had lost all comprehension of what their whole economy was pointing forward to, they misinterpreted the promises and didn't recognize Him.

But God doesn't give up --
Every nation that has come upon the stage of action has been permitted to occupy its place on the earth, that the fact might be determined whether it would fulfill the purposes of the Watcher and the Holy One. Prophecy has traced the rise and progress of the world's great empires--Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. With each of these, as with the nations of less power, history has repeated itself. Each has had its period of test; each has failed, its glory faded, its power departed. (See Education p. 177}

But when the world makes void the law of God, what will be the effect upon the truly obedient and righteous? Will they be carried away by the strong current of evil?

Israel too often forgot her calling. Yet the Lord did not give Israel up without first doing all that could be done to lead them back to their allegiance to Him. Through long, dark years when ruler after ruler stood up in bold defiance of Heaven and led Israel deeper and still deeper into idolatry, God sent message after message to His backslidden people. Through His prophets He gave them every opportunity to return to Him. Elijah and Elisha lived and labored to point the people back to God, and the tender appeals of Hosea and Amos and Obadiah were to be heard in the land. Never was the kingdom of Israel to be left without noble witnesses to the mighty power of God to save from sin. Even in the darkest hours there were always some who remained true to their divine Ruler in the midst of idolatry. These faithful ones were numbered among the goodly remnant through whom the eternal purpose of Jehovah was finally to be fulfilled. { See PK page 108}

When rebellion against God seems to be gaining control of the world, the faithful ones will with greater earnestness hold aloft God's distinguishing truths. We are not left to our own direction. . . . We should consult His Word with humble hearts, ask His counsel, and give up our will to His. We can do nothing without God. {see also Maranatha 28}

The way of the worldly governments:


Matt.20:25-26 Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

The battle for dominion over others is an on going theme in scripture:
Even Christ's disciples fought over that! The verse above is actually in context of the disciples wanting positions of authority over others.
James and John presented, through their mother, a petition requesting that they might be permitted to occupy the highest positions of honor and power in Christ's kingdom, Jesus understood the motive that prompted the request and thus reproved the pride and ambition of the two disciples.

We can ask questions?
The Israelites asking (and receiving) a king, was, in a very real sense considered "Wrong". It was NOT the answer to their problems.
God was to be their King, but now a mere sinful human sat on the throne in Jerusalem. While there were a few kings that were fairly "good", most were evil and even the "good" ones had problems.

But, looking through the book of Judges, it seems obvious Israel needed good, solid leaders. By human reasoning, they needed a king. Everyone was doing what they considered right in their own eyes and things just weren't going "right". So won't a king be the right answer?

The problem was they (the majority, there were always some who remained faithful) but the majority had "forsaken" God long before they asked for a king. Indeed they were not depending upon God or seeking His presence in their lives.

God chose Israel as the depositary of priceless treasure of truth for all nations, and He gave them His law as the standard of the character they were to develop before the world, before angels, and before the unfallen worlds. They were to do this in His power, and strength. They were to seek His counsel and He would visibly answer them through the Urim and Thummim. These were special stones on the priests breast plate for divine guidance. Their names mean "lights" and "perfections", indicating their role in illuminating the will of God and ensuring perfect truth. They were consulted in times of uncertainty, allowing the high priest to receive direct guidance from God for the welfare of the people.
God had set before His chosen people a visible demonstration of the plan of salvation by giving them the sanctuary and it's services, all of which were illustrations of His plan and promise, His love and intercession, to save them from their sins.

Yet Satan had counterfeited even this in a huge way. Satan had inspired the surrounding nations to have temples and sacrifices as well, but the emphases there was not focused on God who would supply HIMSELF the Lamb to rescue mankind from sin. The focus became one of appeasing God by man giving a sacrifice to earn favor for himself. Thus sin was excused and even glorified and favors were bought by how many "gods" were given tokens to enlist their favor.

When people place the God of heaven on the same level as created "gods" governed by man's own reason, there is no power against sin. Sin works its chaos and evil.
Then people start looking for kings and authority figures in legislative halls to put restraints on the growing tide of evil.

When the power of God on the heart and mind is not the focus of life, when His law is not cherished as the great standard of truth, and people look to the state as the controller of morality, it has been demonstrated over and over again, that the laws of man were inadequate to hold in check the powerful tides of human passion, (they cannot hold in check societies passions nor the passions of the governing authorities) and the results were NOT the good they had envisioned.

Nations Part Two DOMINION

Who Rules the World?


In the beginning
And God blessed them, (The newly created man and woman) and God said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.? Genesis 1:28

Man, the crowning work of the Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been created, ?He was given dominion over all that his eye could behold; for "God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over . . . all the earth. . . . So God created man in his own image, . . . male and female created he them.? Genesis 1:26

SO DOMINION WAS GIVEN THEM BY GOD
Is dominion the same as ownership?

No --
Psalms 24:1,2 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it

So what does Dominion mean?

Historical Fact:
Dominions were the nations which in the past were part of the British Empire but which had their own government.
Canada is called the Dominion of Canada. It still has ties with Britain but governs itself.

Thus when Adam and Eve were given dominion over the earth. It was a gift from God for them to rule over HIS newly created planet, under His guidance. God was still the owner and supreme Ruler. But this was their home for them to rule over and enjoy in harmony with His loving ways.



THE TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL
What happened there?

Lucifer (the fallen angel who desired to exalt himself above God) was not allowed to harass the newly created couple anywhere in the garden of Eden, except he was allowed access to the tree of good and evil. Thus the warning was given, and the command, don't go and eat from that tree. If you do you will die.

What did the serpent really insinuate to Eve? That God was a liar, and they would have a higher position (be like God) if they rejected God's rulership.
Basically, he implied --Did God just give you dominion authority under Him? Reject His supreme rulership and you can be your own gods.

But what happened when Eve believe the serpents lie, and Adam disobeyed as well?

Mankind lost the dominion.


God is still the owner of this planet. He has not lost His position of authority and power.

BUT
mankind no longer has dominion under God's wise and perfect laws and guidance of love and peace.
Satan claims the dominion and inspires the nations to rule according to his self exalting, God defying ways.
So, throughout history, we see the kingdoms rise and fall, trampling upon each other, a sea of confusion, power, and failure, exaltation and misery. God is still there, He worked hard to get Nebuchadnezzar to denounce Satan's self exalting nature within himself, and honor the God of heaven, but by and large Satan's character manifested itself in the nations. Even Israel more often than not, lost sight of the true God and followed the gods and ways of the nations.

Continued
Nations Part Two DOMINION
Who Rules the World?

Daniel Two depicts the Metal Man stamping his way upon earth across the centuries.
Babylon with it?s ?golden headMedia Persia as silver
Greece with it?s thigh's of bronze
Rome tramples with its legs of iron
Divided Rome and Papal in feet.

Daniel Seven depicts the nations as ravenous beasts prowling over the earth. Emerging from the foaming turbulent sea of human populations.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
Can mankind ever win back the Dominion?

1Cor. 15:22 As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Christ the second Adam came as a human being, to take Adam's place at the head of the human race, to win back the Dominion for the human race.
Satan claimed that no human could really obey God?s unjust and restrictive law. He claimed the human race were all his rightful subjects. But Christ took on all the limitations of humanity, and lived a perfect life, thus showing Satan?s claims were false

Picture the scene of devil's third temptation with which he tried to seduce Christ:
He takes Christ up on a high mountain.
And then in a panoramic view presented
before Him all the kingdoms of the world that had been so long under his dominion.
He basically says to Christ -- "Look, I know you came to this world to gain back the lost dominion, that I now possess. You don't have to go through all that suffering and dying on the cross. I'm willing to give you what is rightfully yours. You can have the dominion. Only one thing I ask in thanks, just pay homage to me."

Preposterous!
Satan was actually asking Jesus (the Son of Man) to place him, satan, in the place of God as the supreme being to receive worship, while offering Jesus the usurped Dominion mankind had lost!
That would have been Satan's ultimate victory, placing Christ as ruler over the world under him!

.
Christ came to our world to stand at the head of humanity, to elevate and sanctify humanity by His holy obedience to all of God's requirements, showing it is possible for man to obey all the commandments of God when a person looks to God as their hope and guide.
It was NOT to rule over the nations according to satan's methods of government. (A lot of people still believe Christ will set up His reign over sinful nations and force them into compliance for 1000 years) But no, that is not why Christ came.

The work of Christ was to remove from the claims of Satan his control of man, (remember his claims were that people were his subjects, his dominion ruled and it was impossible to obey God), Christ could remove Satan's claims in only the way that He came--a man himself, tempted as a man, rendering perfect obedience to God that a man who by laying hold of divine power, not in Himself, but by faith in God's power can give.
Never would He side step God's plan and follow satan's plan -- that would defeat the whole purpose and plan of restoration. It would be saying, "yes, God's plan is too tough and hard, your way is much more pleasant to human desires". That's the very root of the sin problem.
Christ orders satan to leave!

Christ won the victory over satan with His life and death. But the battle is still raging!
The nations are still in turmoil. Revelations two beasts emerge. Satan is prowling over the earth trying to devour any resistance to his strategies and dominion over mankind.

But then we come to Revelation 10
A very important announcement from heaven is there loudly proclaimed!

Continued
Nations Part Two DOMINION
Who Rules the World?

Revelation 10 A magnificent heavenly Being announces with a loud voice that the timelines have come to an end. And Christ is beginning the closing work. A little book is open -- the book of timelines that was sealed (Daniel)
Those that grasped the book and devour it (eat it, study it) found it very sweet! Deliciously sweet, as they believed it pointed to Christ's second coming.
But the text containing the longest time line reads: And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred day (years); then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Daniel 8:14
The sanctuary, not the earth was to be cleansed. But what sanctuary? There were no earthly groups that had a temple that qualified.

But Daniel explains himself: At the end of those timelines:
7:9,10 He saw till the thrones set up, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

And what happened as that court commenced?
Daniel 7:13 He saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,

The Son of man is Jesus, Who took upon Himself humanity for the very purpose of restoring mankind's lost dominion. Here He comes NOT TO EARTH but He is brought before that heavenly court, before the Ancient of days

behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before Him.
7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

What was given to Christ as He stood in His humanity before the heavenly court?
An everlasting DOMINION.

Notice, it wasn't given to Christ in His Divine fullness, (As God Christ already owns and sustains everything) it was given to Christ as He represented the human race.

Revelation 3:3-4 tells us more:
Jesus tells that court, there are people down there on earth "they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

And in the end -- Jesus doesn't keep for Himself, the dominion that He won -- He won it for the human race: He will share it with all those whose names permanently engraved in the book of life. He presented them before the Father and all those angels as citizens who have washed their robes in His blood, and testify of Him in their actions and lives.

Daniel 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion (the usurped dominion inspired by Satan who works through human agents) , to consume and to destroy in the end.
7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

The Dominion restored to those who are in Christ in faith, and keep the commandments of God.

THIS WORK BEGAN at the end of the 2300 years.
The 2300 years pointed forward this closing work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.
The heavenly court has confirmed that Jesus won the Dominion (which God originally intended for mankind) He won it for all humanity that has turned from serving in Satan's dominion, and accepted God and His law and cling to Jesus, "their heavenly brother" as He nominates them to inherit the restored Dominion which He won for them.


What is the message -- the disappointed people in 1844 need to prophesy again. It's a cleansing message.[color:#3333FF
10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. ] 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.[/color]

When we compare that command with Lev. 16, especially verse 20, we see the day of atonement includes cleansing the worshipers (people), the tabernacle and the altar.

When this cleansing is done, Jesus will come to gather the harvest.

UNDERSTANDING SACRIFICE

It is understanding the sanctuary that helps us to understand Christ's sacrifice.

When John the Baptist proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God", what did he mean to convey to the crowd?

Jesus had not yet revealed to anyone the fact and meaning of his future death: His Passion was as yet a thing in the dim future, He was only beginning His ministry. The New Testament was not yet in existence.
The leaders and people who heard John's announcement, didn't really think of a Messiah coming to die, they were expecting a conquering Messiah to drive out the Romans and make Jerusalem the capital of the world. Animal sacrifice (and even human sacrifices) was a common practice in ancient civilizations, symbolizing devotion or honor paid to gods, appeasement, seeking favors of the gods.

Basically, the understanding of "the Lamb" we now take so for granted wasn't really understood back then. No, not even by the disciples of Jesus, some of whom had been John the Baptists disciples and witness the announcement "Behold the Lamb of God".

Why? Why did the majority not understand? Prior to the crucifixion?

They could have known.
They had the story of Abraham and Isaac
They had the story of Abel and Cain

They had the sanctuary illustrating the true meaning of sacrifice --

Why?
Do you notice there is no clear text in the Old Testament Bible that says in undeniable words, the Messiah will come, take all mankind's sins upon himself and die a terrible death on the cross, that we may be forgiven.

We can point to Isaiah 53, as to us it seems clear, but even that moving passage has been diverted from it's focus on Jesus great sacrifice, and has been said it is simply expressing suffering Israel.

We now have linked together many passages from the Old Testament, but for some they seem to be in a context not necessarily conducive to prove Christ's sacrificial death.
I find it interesting (and sad) that the Jewish nation did not see those little glimpse which are all through the Old Testament as pointing to Christ's ministry and sacrificial death for the our sins. Their own rituals and practices were all there to point them to this very thing.

Similar condition prevail in the end. Critics of the heavenly Sanctuary and Christ's closing ministry in the heavenly sanctuary are all through the Bible, but so many can't see these many references pointing to this truth. It's true the phrase "Investigative judgment" is not in the Bible in exactly those words, therefore, they say, it can't be true.

So why did the majority in the Jewish nation not see the meaning of John the Baptist's words, "Behold the Lamb of God"?

Monday's lesson gives us the clues.
Hebrews 10:1 For the law (governing the sanctuary ceremonies) having a shadow of good things to come, they were not the very image of the things, they can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the ones coming with them perfect. ...10:4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins

Why did the author of Hebrews stress the fact that animal sacrifices couldn't take away their sins?
Because people thought they could?

The patriarchs and prophets of old, looked forward to a coming Saviour, in whom they showed their faith by sacrificial offerings. BUT, the pagan counterfeit had crept in and people began to think they, by bringing a sacrifice, were paying for the sin, and the act of bringing an animal was, in their minds, the actual means their sins were taken away. So, during the time of John the Baptist, the ceremony had become the means to deal with sin, they weren't looking for a Messiah who would do what they could already do by bringing an animal to the temple.

In fact, the whole idea that they needed a Messiah to die for their sins, and to cleanse them, was a threat to their sense of security in their belief that they were the chosen children of God, they had the temple and its services, as long as they followed it's rituals was that not enough to signify they were saved, God's chosen?

The symbolic act of sacrificing a lamb was to impress upon people the terrible evil of sin and instill in them faith in a coming Savior who would die for them, but this act had erroneously in itself become their assurance that they were taking care of their salvation by offering God animals, and they didn't need a Savior to save them from their sin.

Now of course we, as Christians, have the New Testament, which plainly and with great emphases shows how much we need a Savior Who died for us that we may be forgiven and cleansed from sin. It is the central point from which all salvation flows.

But the evil one again puts a huge block in place in his attempt to destroy the value of this great sacrifice.

The whole purpose in Jesus coming to this world and dying for the sins of the world was not to condemn the world, nor to excuse sin, but to lift people out of sin, so that people may be fitted, transformed, to rejoice in a sinless forever world, It was not salvation in transgression and unrighteousness, but in forsaking sin, being transformed from within, washing their robes of character, and making them white in the blood of the Lamb.
There is no security of salvation in sin, but Christ came and died giving us assurance that He has done and will do everything for those who responding to his love, come in faith and surrender to Him, so that sin in their life will be overcome through uniting with Him , seeking His character and laying hold by faith His power and strength.