SURVIVING BABYLON

 

Imagine if the Saviour and heavenly messengers appeared to you and greeted you like they greeted Daniel of old: “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved” (Daniel 9:23; 10:11,19). Why such an endearing greeting? Because Daniel’s righteousness was greater than the morally corroding influence of the city of Babylon in which he lived.

Daniel was only a youth when he was taken to Babylon during the first siege of Jerusalem in 605 B.C. He was trained there for service in King’s court. Because of his purity of faith which linked him closely to God, he rose to the status of incredible power becoming an Advisor to five kings and the Governor of all the Jews in Babylonia’s exile.

King Nebuchadnezzar was the beginning of Babylon’s greatness and glory. Using slaves from various areas of the empire, he inaugurated a massive building program to make Babylon the greatest city in the world.

From raising an artificial mountain and constructing hanging gardens with terraces, to walls surrounding the city that were so massive that one story houses were built on top of the walls on either side and even then there was space enough between the rows of houses that could permit four chariots to drive abreast (Samuel Fallows, ed., The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia and Scriptural Dictionary, s.v. “Babylon”, pp 208-9; 204-5)

The grandeur of Babylon was incredibly impressive but with such opulence and wealth also came moral decay, wickedness and iniquity. Will Durant, a secular historian wrote that “even Alexander [the Great], who was not above dying of drinking was shocked by the morals of Babylon (Our Oriental Heritage, p 244).

Babylon became the antithesis of godliness. The very name of this city became the symbol for worldliness, spiritual wickedness and Satan’s kingdom. Scripturally it is known as: “the great whore” and “the mother of harlots and abominations (Rev 17:1; 5; D& C 133:14; 1:16; 1 Nephi 13:5-9; Babylonia and the Conquest of Judah, Old Testament Student Manual p 244).

We, of the last dispensation live in ‘spiritual Babylon’. Satan has increased his influence in great strides seeking to destroy us.

Joseph Smith prophesied that he saw in our day “men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers….(History of the Church, 3:391). Are we there yet???

President Ezra Taft Benson said in 1979 that our generation “will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah…but there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God…..

“We follow a perfect leader – not just one who tells us to do what He thinks we should do, but the only one who can say that we should be as He is in everything…..” (In His Steps, BYU Speeches, 4 March 1979)

May we rise to become like the ‘perfect leader’ we follow to survive our Babylon and to be of such righteous influence whilst in it that those around us will call us “servants of the living God”, even as King Darius called the beloved Daniel (Daniel 6:20). And may we who center ourselves on Christ receive His approbation and hear Him say to us, even as He said to Daniel of old: “thou art greatly beloved”……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Daniel: Prophet of God, Companion of Kings)

DANIEL IN BABYLON

 

Never before has Daniel’s life touched me to the core. As I finished my study of his life this year, I wept when I read of the Saviour’s appearance to him who greeted him thus: “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:11). And not only Christ but also Michael who greeted him: “Oh man greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:19 and Gabriel who came to teach him and who told him: “I am come…for thou art greatly beloved” (Daniel 9:23).

 

When we talk of Daniel we almost always focus on his survival in the lions’ den. Daniel was only a youth when he was taken to Babylon in 605 B.C., during the first siege of Jerusalem.  He was trained there for service in the king’s court. Through his righteous influence he rose to the status of incredible power becoming an advisor to five kings and the governor of all the Jews in Babylonia’s exile. He was a prophet of God and a companion of kings. 

 

At the beginning of this year I read extensively about ancient Babylon and I was amazed at its grandeur and its corruption. I wondered how it was possible for a stalwart Israelite to live in such an environment and stay true to one’s faith. This is what Daniel taught me…..it is possible to survive Babylon…..and to even rise above it, if you have a connection with the God of Heaven. Consider just a few words of his worshipful prayer that testifies of this: “I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might……blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his….he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding……” (Daniel 2:20-23). Is it any wonder that the Saviour told him he was beloved; that He gave Him wisdom to interpret dreams; that He showed Him visions to the end of times; that He sent him angels to teach him? This connection with heaven was how Daniel survived Babylon the Great…..

 

We are living in spiritual Babylon today. We, members of Christ’s Church, are Israel, the royal priesthood, a peculiar treasure of the living God (1 Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:5). We are Israel, the chosen, not because of our superiority, but because of our willingness to believe in the Son of God. We are, therefore, harnessed with Him in the work of the redemptive power of salvation. We can survive Babylon and we can be of such righteous influence whilst in it that those around us will call us “servants of the living God”, even as King Darius called the beloved Daniel (6:20). And may we who center ourselves on Christ receive His approbation and hear Him say to us, even as He said to Daniel of old: “thou art greatly beloved”……

 

ODE TO DANIEL

Your spirit bears me up

On wings of faith and

I stand as a witness of

Thy holy name.

I fear not the height

Nor the depth

As I sail dangerous seas

Never mindful of the waves

That in the end bring me to Thee.

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: God of Heaven and Earth by Annie Henrie Nader)

THE PRIDE OF THE WORLD

 

Do you ever look at the world and get discouraged? Does it seem at times like the adversary is winning? Just one serious study of the Book of Ezekiel can make you see that this can never be so. Ezekiel’s detailed prophecies of destruction which befell the nations of ancient Near East gives us a clear picture that Satan does not stand a chance against Christ’s power.  It seemed for a long time that the adversary was winning there too as the Canaanite nations afflicted Israel and led her into idolatry but when Israel fell into captivity, Jehovah revealed His mighty arm in vengeance by destroying these nations and empires of Egypt, Assyria, Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Persia and Idumea. The Lord calls them ‘the mighty that are fallen….which are gone down to hell’ (Ezekiel 32:27). Egypt, which was the power to be reckoned with was probably the greatest tragedy. Ezekiel devoted four chapters (29-32) to the description of Egypt’s beauty, prophetic destruction and lamentation. Much like Tyre, Egypt’s splendour was destroyed because it sought to exalt itself to the status of God (Ezekiel 29:9; 31:10). 

 

After pronouncing judgment on these ancient nations and affirming that the destruction will be His doing (71 times no less),  Jehovah testified: “I have caused my terror in the land of the living” (Ezekiel 32:32). Why such terror and such terrible destruction? Because these nations were built up on excessive pride and what is built on pride cannot stand. Pride is the foundation of a kingdom that cannot last, the origin of which we know well. It cannot last because there is only one true and living God and we all know who HE is. 

 

And so it is with our world. The day is coming when the Saviour will come to reveal the arm of His power and crush the enemy of all righteousness. He who has said: “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God….I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:12-15), has never received a body, and though the king and ruler of world-wide empire of spiritual Babylon, he shall never have a tomb or monument to his name and the kings of the earth will exclaim in amazement when they see him cast down to hell: “Is this the man that made the earth tremble, that did shake the kingdoms?” (v 16).  Stripped of his power and his pride, he will not stand…..

 

Where is the sting of death,

The enemy of righteousness,

And humanity’s foe?

The fire of its power lies in ashes

Quenched at Calvary long ago.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Second Coming by Dan Wilson)