The Middle East Conflict

and the Bible

Ferrell Jenkins

Is the return of the Jews to Palestine in the twentieth century

a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy?

Why do the Arabs hate Israel?
Is Saddam Hussein the successor to Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon?

Will Babylon be rebuilt?

What does Biblical prophecy say about Israel, Babylon and Nineveh?

Does God use nations to serve His purpose?

When and how will the nations turn their swords into plowshares?
The Middle East Conflict
and the Bible
l

Ferrell Jenkins

Some boast in chariots and some in horses,

But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.
They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.
Save, O LORD;
May the King answer us in the day we call.
David (Psalm 20:7-9)

Ferrell Jenkins
9211 Hollyridge Place
Tampa, FL 33637
 Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Israel, the Bible, and Premillennialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Biblical Background
The Land Promise Fulfilled
The Restoration Promises Fulfilled
The Problem of the Land
A Brief Survey of the Post-Biblical History of the Land of Israel
Events Leading to a Separate Jewish State
Modern State of Israel Not Biblical Nation
Problems Related to the Temple
An Everlasting Possession
The Restoration of a Repentant Remnant
Armageddon
Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Babylon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Ur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Other Ancient Sites in Mesopotamia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Gods Use of Nations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Identifying the Peoples of the Middle East. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Turning Swords into Plowshares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Moslem Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Israel in Prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Babylon in Prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Nineveh in Prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Maps: The Middle East; the Ancient Biblical World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Ferrell Jenkins, 1991-2003. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be re-
produced in any form without written permission from the author. Printed in the United
States of America.

Scripture Quotations
Most of the scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Version of the Bible
The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977.
Third Printing March 5, 1991
Internet Edition January 31, 2003

Visit Our Pages on the Internet:

Biblical Studies Info Page biblicalstudies.info
BibleWorld bibleworld.com

ii
 Preface
As the threat of war approached and fighting broke out in the Middle East I began to think of the material I
had, or might prepare, which would meet the needs of Christians. I saw several needs: (1) the need to be in-
formed about the Biblical teaching regarding Israel and other nations of the Middle East; (2) the need to re-
spond to the renewed rash of premillennial speculation regarding the end time; (3) the need to understand that
God is in control of the affairs of men; (4) the need to be aware of the spiritual peace that is available in Christ
and His kingdom.
Because of my travels to the Middle East, including Iraq, and because of the considerable amount of teach-
ing and writing about the book of Revelation which I have done, I thought that this material might be helpful
to others. The personal knowledge gained from multiple visits to the Middle East, and the acquaintance with
both Israelis and Arabs, has given me an insight which would not otherwise have been possible.
The material in this compendium comes from a variety of sources already in print. The essay on Israel,
the Bible, and Premillennialism first appeared under the title Practical Problems of Premillennialism in
The Doctrine of Last Things the Florida College lectures, 1986. Some minor revision and updating of the
material has been made. The material on Iraq, Babylon, Ur, and other ancient sites in Mesopotamia was in The
Book and the Land. This material has all been revised with substantial additions. The outline on Gods Use of
Nations sets forth the Biblical teaching to show that the LORD has been, and still is, in control of the events of
history. Turning Swords into Plowshares warns us not to trust in the weapons of warfare but to realize that
the only genuine peace is in Christ. The lesson also shows that what the Biblical prophets spoke about has
been fulfilled in the coming of Christ and the setting up of His spiritual kingdom, the church.
The three lessons on prophecy, dealing with Israel, Babylon and Nineveh are reprinted from Introduction
to Christian Evidences. One should consult that book for six additional lessons on fulfilled prophecy and
other lessons covering the full range of apologetics.
The promises of the LORD to Abraham and David are discussed fully in the revised edition of The Theme of
the Bible. We believe that this material provides an adequate response to the premillennial doctrine. There is a
discussion of Armageddon and other themes from the apocalypse in Studies in the Book of Revelation, and in
The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation.
The maps of the Middle East showing ancient Biblical sites and the current political divisions should help
the reader to relate the Biblical world to the world of today.
We trust that this collection of notes will be helpful as you study these important matters.
Ferrell Jenkins
Tampa, Florida
January 31, 1991
Minor updates, January 31, 2003

The Author
Ferrell Jenkins is widely known as a preacher, teacher, writer, and tour conductor. His preaching, which
began in 1952, has taken him from coast to coast. Since 1967 he has led study tours for Christians to the Bible
lands and other places. He has visited the Middle East about 35 times, including one visit to Iraq. For 25 years
he taught Bible at Florida College, and served as chair of the department for 10 years. His course offerings in-
cluded the book of Revelation and a course in the examination of prophetic speculations.
Jenkins is noted for his ability to analyze, organize and teach difficult material in a clear and understand-
able way. He has been active in several professional societies and is author of about 15 books.

iii
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible
Israel, the Bible, and Premillennialism
Ferrell Jenkins
Noinother small plot of land has played so great a role
the history of mankind, over so many centuries,
as the land of Palestine or Israel. Serving as a land
bridge between the continents of Asia and Africa, the
land of Israel played a vital role in the history of the an-
cient nations of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia,
Greece and Rome.
The importance of Israel in modern history far out-
weighs its size. It is not rare for the evening network
newscasts to devote from five to seven minutes of its
program to this geographical area; sometimes fifteen
to twenty minutes will be so devoted. This little piece
of soil is to the United States a harbor of safety in the
midst of a turbulent sea. To most of the neighboring
Arabs it is a thorn in the side, an intruder who should
be pushed into the sea.
It shall be our purpose to take a look at the more re-
cent history of the Middle East in order to gain some
insight into the problems that beset the area. We shall
begin with the biblical background which has some
bearing on the current problems and then move to the
Turkish rule which began in the 16th century. After
this we will examine a few practical problems which
the premillennialist must face if he holds to his strict
literal interpretation of scripture.
The Biblical Background
The land, nation, and seed promises were made to
Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). At Shechem, God promised
the land of Canaan to Abraham (Gen. 12:6-7). The
land promise took the form of a covenant and is dis-
cussed in detail in Gen. 15. Notice Abrahams ques-
tion: Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? (vs.
8). God then gives the answer. (1) Abrahams seed
would sojourn and be afflicted in a foreign land (vs.
13; we know this to be a reference to the Egyptian
bondage). (2) After 400 years Abrahams descendants
were to return to Canaan (vs. 13). (3) The seed of
Abraham would return to Canaan in the fourth genera-
tion (vs. 16). According to Exodus 6:16-20 this was
the generation of Moses and Aaron. (4) The land could
not be possessed until the iniquity of the Amorite was
full (vs. 16). The Amorite was one of the important
groups living in Canaan at the time of Abraham. By
1
the time of the conquest the iniquity of the peoples of
the land was full (Dt. 9:5).
The extent of the land promised to Abraham is
spelled out in Genesis 15: from the river of Egypt to
the river Euphrates. The peoples who inhabited the
land at the time of Abraham are likewise listed (vss.
18-21). After Israel captured the Sinai from Egypt in
1967, some premillennialists said and wrote that the
river of Egypt is the Nile. It is generally understood,
however, to be the Wadi el-Arish, the southern border
of Judah, and not the Nile. One may consult the Bible
dictionaries for more information.
The Land Promise Fulfilled
After 40 years of living in that great and terrible
wilderness, as a result of their unfaithfulness (Num.
14:34), the Israelites came to the plains of Moab (Dt.
28-30). Here God made a covenant with them besides
the covenant which He had made at Horeb (Sinai).
The blessings and curses of the law are an-
nounced in Deuteronomy 28. If Israel obeys the will of
God there will be blessings upon them (Dt. 28:1-14).
If they fail to obey, then a host of curses, including
captivity, will come upon them (Dt. 28:15-68). The Is-
raelites knew that they were about to enter the land of
Canaan in fulfillment of the promise made to Abra-
ham (Dt. 1:1-8). At this point the reception of the land
was unconditional. The conditions set forth in Genesis
15 had been fulfilled. The land was to be received by
promise, but the retention of the land was conditional;
it was based upon continued obedience (Dt. 28:15ff).
The Lord set forth conditions upon which the exiled
Israelites might return to the land. They would have to
return to the Lord in order for Him to return them to the
land (Dt. 30:1-10). This would be fulfilled in their re-
turn from the Babylonian captivity. The Israelites en-
tered Canaan under the leadership of Joshua and
conquered the land (the book of Joshua). God fulfilled
His promise. There is abundant evidence that the Isra-
elites received all the land God had promised to Abra-
ham. (1) Joshua claimed that Israel possessed the land
and dwelt in it (Josh. 21:43-45; cf. Deut. 1:8). He said
Not one thing hath failed (Josh. 23:14-16). (2)
The Cities of Refuge provide another evidence of the
complete fulfillment of the land promise. The Lord
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible
promised six cities of refuge: three on each side of the
Jordan (Num. 35:9-15). Three were given in
trans-Jordan, with three more promised if God keeps
His promise to give them all the land promised to the
fathers (Dt. 19:7-9). Six cities are named in Joshua
20:7-9. This is evidence that God kept His promise
(Puckett 18-19). (3) Solomon reigned over all the land
(1 Kings 4:21). (4) The Levites testified after the re-
turn from Babylonian captivity that God had per-
formed His words (Neh. 9:7-9). (5) The Psalmist
declared that God gave the lands of the nations to Is-
rael (Ps. 105:42-44; cf. Dt. 7:1; 9:1,4,5).
The Restoration
Promises Fulfilled
As a result of repeated sin over many centuries God
sent Israel to Assyrian captivity (722 B.C.) and Judah
to Babylonian captivity (606, 597, 586 B.C.). God had
promised that a remnant would return from captivity.
Through Isaiah He emphasized that only a remnant
would return (Isa. 1:9; 10:20-25). Jeremiah prophe-
sied that those of both Israel and Judah would return
(Jer. 30:3-4; 50:3-4). The Lord had instructed Israel
that after they were in captivity, if they returned to do
the will of God He would return them to the land (Dt.
30:1-10). Such a return would have to be under the law
of Moses.
The remnant did return. The first group returned un-
der Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin, and
Joshua, the high priest. This was permitted by Cyrus
of Persia in 536 B.C. (2 Chron. 36:23; Ezra 1:3; See
Haggai 1:12,14; 2:2-3 for references to the remnant in
the land). The temple which had been destroyed by the
Babylonians in 586 B.C. was rebuilt, 520-516 B.C.,
under the instruction and encouragement of the proph-
ets Haggai and Zechariah. A second group returned
under Ezra the scribe in 458 B.C. (Ezra 1; 9:13-15;
Neh. 1:3-11). Nehemiah returned to lead in the re-
building of the wall of Jerusalem in 444 B.C.
(Nehemiah).
This means that all Biblical claims regarding the na-
tion of Israel were fulfilled in Biblical times and
should have no bearing on the issues today. Such,
however, is not the case.
The Problem of the Land
The reason premillennialists are so concerned with
the Middle East is because they believe that the events
surrounding the establishment of the state of Israel
provide a timetable for the setting up of the Millennial
2
Kingdom. There has been much speculation in recent
years that the events in the Middle East are preparing
the way for the complete restoration of the Jews to Pal-
estine, the second coming of Christ and the defeat of
the enemies of Israel, the setting up of the throne of
David in Jerusalem, and a literal earthly millennial
reign.
The earliest Zionists, such as Theodor Herzl, were
not especially religious, but as 1948 approached,
when Israel was declared a state, much emphasis was
placed on the Biblical promises. During the hearing of
the British Royal Commission on Palestine, David
Ben Gurion declared The Bible is our mandate.
Rabbi Fischman, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, gave tes-
timony before the 24th meeting of the United Nations
Special Committee on Palestine on July 9, 1947. He
was asked by Sir Abdur Rahman When was the
promise made by God? The rabbi replied, The
promise was given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob about
four thousand years ago (Smith, 46).
The extent of the land given to the seed of Abraham
was from the River of Egypt to the River Euphrates. In
an article entitled The Bible: A Fallible Guide, Time
magazine pointed out, If modern Israel claimed this
vast expanse, it would include not only Damascus and
much of modern Syria but parts of Turkey (The Bi-
ble: A Fallible Guide 32). Richard W. Dehann admits
that this 250,000 square miles includes most of the
Sinai Peninsula, Edom, Transjordan, Negev, Syria,
and in general the area occupied by the Arabian na-
tions (65).
Shortly after the June War of 1967, Carl F. H. Henry
wrote The Old Testament teaches that God has given
the land of Palestine to the Jews forever, but the New
Testament teaches that he is keeping the Jews in the
world so that they may participate as a nation in the
events connected with Jesus Christs return (997).
Charles C. Ryrie, of Dallas Theological Seminary,
asked Is this promise to Abraham relevant to the con-
temporary situation? He answered as follows: Pre-
millennialists (of which I am one) are quick to say yes.
They point out that something must be done with that
promise and that there are only four options: Either it
has been canceled, or it was fulfilled sometime in the
past (as in the days of Solomon for instance), or it has
been transferred to the Church and will not be literally
fulfilled, or it will yet be fulfilled. They feel that the
last of these is the correct understanding of the prom-
ise and that the Jewish people will possess that prom-
ised land completely some day. Therefore, any
movement toward that end is of great significance to
the premillennialist. The Six Day War in June, 1967,
in which Israel tripled its land, appeared to be another
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible
step toward the eventual occupation of the total area
from the Euphrates to the River of Egypt. And every
such gain is generally viewed with rejoicing, for the
furthering of Gods purpose for Israel seems to indi-
cate that the coming of the Lord draws near
(768-769).
Hal Lindsey asserted that the physical restoration
of the Jews to Palestine was evidence that the literal
meaning of biblical prophecy was to be taken seri-
ously (48).
Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin is
widely known for his view that modern Israel should
possess the land which ancient Israel had occupied.
The Time magazine of Sept. 20, 1982 includes a map
bearing the title Begins Biblical Israel. The article
says From the start, Begin showed how strongly he
had been influenced in his world view by the Old Tes-
tament. He began calling the occupied West Bank by
its biblical names, Judea and Samaria, and turned to
the prophets of old to justify what he felt was Israels
historical claim to the territory. He espoused the sanc-
tity of Eretz Yisrael, a term meaning land of Israel
and referring to the region that in biblical times would
have encompassed present-day Israel and the West
Bank (A Past That is Certain 28). In an earlier arti-
cle, Time mentioned Begins knowledge of the Old
Testament, saying The parts that Begin knows best
are the countless verses of the Old Testament that refer
to the existence of Erets Yisrael (the land of Israel) and
to Gods promise of a homeland for his chosen peo-
ple (The Bible: A Fallible Guide 32).
World attention has been focused on the Israeli set-
tlements in the West Bank. Even the Israelis have been
divided over this issue. Some, like former Prime Min-
ister Menachen Begin, have insisted that they have a
Biblical right to the land (A Past That is Certain 28).
A small but zealous group in Israel today, known as
the Gush Emunim (Group of the Faithful), believes
that Jews have the right to settle in any part of the West
Bank, since this land was included in ancient Judea
and Samaria (Those Disputed Settlements 12).
They frequently settle near an Arab village, but use a
Biblical Hebrew name for their settlement.
Along with a desire for peace, which we all share,
there is good reason to think that President Jimmy
Carters premillennial views must have been a moti-
vating factor in his Camp David accords with Begin
and Sadat in 1978. His recent book, The Blood of
Abraham, begins with a brief summary of the biblical
record of the promise to Abraham (Carter 4-7).
The premillennialists have thrived on the current
events of the Middle East. Tim LaHaye says It is
hoped that one day world Jewry will realize that Bi-
3
ble-believing, premillennialist Christians are Israels
best friends (63). The Jews do not accept Jesus as the
Messiah and therefore do not always welcome the
help they seem to be getting from the millennialists.
The millennialists have a problem which they share
with the religiously oriented Jews: Are they obligated
to occupy all of the land which God gave to Abraham?
My reading indicates that the Jews and the secular
press are more aware of this problem than are the pre-
millennialists. Some millennialists have stated that
the River of Egypt refers to the Nile. One Jewish
source says that the boundary of Genesis 15:18 pre-
sumably includes the Sinai peninsula as well as all of
what is still held by the King of Jordan (Frank). The
return of the Sinai to Egypt would seem to be a setback
for those holding this view.
The Post-Biblical History
of the Land of Israel
The Jewish Diaspora began when the Israelites were
taken by force into Assyria and Babylon. By the time
of Jeremiah there were communities of Jews in Egypt
at several locations (Jer. 42:14; 43:7; 44:1). There was
a Jewish colony at Elephantine, an island in the upper
Nile, in the 5th century B.C. Colonies in the cities of
Asia Minor were encouraged by the Seleucid kings of
Syria (Machen 39). Drumwright says By New Testa-
ment times it was estimated that more Jews lived out-
side of Palestine (perhaps as many as three to five
million) than lived in the homeland (2: 119). Many of
the cities Paul visited throughout Asia and Europe had
Jewish communities (e.g. Pisidian Antioch, Acts
13:14; Iconium, 14:1; Lystra, 16:3; Philippi, 16:13;
Thessalonica, 17:1; Athens, Acts 17:17; Corinth,
18:2-4; Ephesus, 19:8; Rome, 28:17). Jerusalem, with
its temple, was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70,
and the Jews were expelled from Jerusalem in A.D.
135.
The Jews continued to look upon Palestine as rightly
theirs, but the country was to be dominated by foreign
powers for many centuries. At the end of the Roman
rule, near the end of the fourth century, the country
passed into the hands of the Byzantine Empire. In the
seventh century the Persians had a short-lived reign of
twenty-two years. But a new and important force, des-
tined to dominate the area for centuries, was arising.
The Moslem Arabs, followers of Mohammed, gained
control of the country by A.D. 640. Their rule was in-
terrupted by the Crusaders between the years 1099 and
1291. There were, of course, Jewish communities in
Palestine throughout this time. The period also wit-
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible
nessed the immigration of Jews to Palestine (Vilnay
97).
The Crusaders were ousted from Palestine by the
Mameluke Moslems and continued to control the
country until the period of Turkish rule which ex-
tended from A.D. 1517 to 1917. The Turks began their
conquest of Asia Minor in the 14th century. As they
began to enlarge their rule, the Turkish army captured
Palestine from the Mamelukes during the reign of
Sultan Salim I in 1517. Palestine was only a small seg-
ment of the extensive Turkish empire, but the country
served as so often in the past as a bridge be-
tween the continents and a vital junction of the roads
and trade routes that crossed the empire (Vilnay 95).
Like the Mamelukes, the Turks were Moslems.
During World War I, the Germans were allies of the
Turks. The Turks tried to gain control of the Suez Ca-
nal, the lifeline of the British Empire. The famous
British General Allenby captured Beersheba, Gaza,
Ramla, and Jerusalem from the Turks between Octo-
ber and December, 1917. The British soon brought to
an end the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. In Oc-
tober, 1918, as the British neared Asia Minor, Turkey
sued for peace. By December, 1918, the British had
taken Damascus (Vilnay 99). The League of Nations
gave Britain the mandate over the country and she
ruled for 30 years until the creation of the state of Is-
rael in 1948.
Events Leading to a
Separate Jewish State
In 1880 Sir Lawrence Oliphant proposed Jewish set-
tlements in the Gilead area of Transjordan. In 1896
Theodore Herzl, an Austrian, articulated the dream of
a Jewish homeland. He established the World Zionist
Organization in Basle, 1897. The British offer of a
place in Uganda was declined. Zionism without Zion
would be paradoxical (Fisher 371). Tim LaHaye
credits an undocumented Encyclopedia Britannica ar-
ticle with the statement that Christian Millenarians of
the nineteenth century stimulated the interest of Jews
in returning to the Holy Land (LaHaye 62).
On Nov. 2, 1917 Lord Balfour wrote to Lord
Rothschild a letter, which became known as the
Balfour Declaration, which was favorable to the es-
tablishment in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people This suggestion had the approval of
the British cabinet as well as that of President
Woodrow Wilson.
On Nov. 29, 1947 the United Nations voted to estab-
lish independent Jewish and Arab states in Palestine.
4
Then, on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion pro-
claimed at Tel Aviv the establishment of the Jewish
state in Palestine to be called Israel. President Harry
Truman announced de facto recognition of Israel by
the U.S. 16 minutes later (Fisher 649). The next day,
May 15, 1948, war broke out. Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon,
Syria, the Arab Legion of Transjordan, and a Palestin-
ian Arab force fought against Israeli forces. Numerous
proposals for the partition of the land had been sug-
gested. As a result of this war, the area of Israel un-
derwent considerable expansion and Jerusalem was
declared the capital of Israel (Vilnay 108). From this
time on we would hear of the West Bank, a sizable
portion of land belonging to the Hashemite Kingdom
of Jordan, lying between the State of Israel and the Jor-
dan River.
As a result of the Israeli victory in 1948, many of the
Palestinian Arabs were either forced to or chose to, de-
pending on ones viewpoint, leave their homes. The
number of Palestinian Arabs from the area incorpo-
rated in Israel gathered in camps surrounding Arab
states totaled some 700,000 in 1949 (Fisher 653).
In October, 1956, Israel fought and defeated Egypt
in the Sinai. Earlier in the year, in a conflict over the
Suez Canal, the U.S.S.R. entered the politics of the
Near East and provided military and economic aid for
Egypt (the Aswan Dam) and Syria (Kinder and
Hilbemann 257).
The Six-Day War (June 5-10, 1967). The United
Arab Republic took over the guns at Sharm es-Sheikh
and announced the closing of the Straits of Tiran to Is-
raeli shipping. Israel tripled its land area in this
six-day war. Following an armistice the conquered
territories of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the
West Bank of Jordan, and the Golan Heights (of Syria)
remained occupied by Israel. The Israelis also cap-
tured Jerusalem and gained access to the Western
Wall of the temple area. The annexing of the Golan
Heights and the invasion of southern Lebanon further
fueled the fires of premillennialism.
Modern State of Israel
Not Biblical Nation
In a chapter dealing with Israel, the Indestructible
Nation, Robert Shank argues that the modern state of
Israel is an evidence that Israels Golden Age is near at
hand. He says:
On May 14, 1948, Israel again became a nation. Since
that time, despite fanatical opposition involving con-
stant harassment and four wars for survival, Israel has
continued to build and to gather strength. Today, of the
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible
Biblical Nation of Israel
1. Established Under the Law of Moses.
A. Saul, David, Solomon, et.al.
B. After the captivity return to be under
the Law (Dt. 30:1-10). Return was under
the Law. See Ezra 7:10; Neh. 8.
2. Had a King.
Saul, David, Solomon: Davidic line contin-
ued in Judah till Jeconiah (Jer. 22:28-30).
This means that even a restored literal king-
dom could not prosper. Yet David (Christ) to
be king in future (Ezek. 37:24-28). Refers to
spiritual kingdom, the church.
3. Possesses All the Territory Promised to
Abraham (Gen. 15:18-21), David (2 Sam.
8:3), and Solomon (1 Kings 4:21).
4. Had a Central Place of Worship the
Temple (1 Kings 8:1-10).
5. Priests of the Tribe of Levi.
6. Animal Sacrifices Offered.
7. Tribes Identifiable (2 Sam. 5:1-5).
worlds fourteen million Jews, three and a half million
are citizens of Israel. Israel is again a nation. (100)
In all candor we must say that the modern state of Is-
rael fails in every respect to be the nation of Israel
about which we read in the Bible. The chart above em-
phasizes some of the major differences. These provide
numerous problems for the millennialists (Jenkins, In-
troduction 96).
Problems Related
to the Temple
Since the Romans destroyed the Temple in A.D. 70
the Jews have not had a central place of worship.
When the state of Israel was formed in 1948 the only
remnant of the temple, the Western Wall (or Wailing
Wall), was in East (Jordanian) Jerusalem. Jews, with
the exception of an occasional dignitary, were not per-
mitted to approach the Western Wall. When the Israeli
soldiers entered Jerusalem in June of 1967 they moved
directly toward the Western Wall. Television reports
5
Modern State of Israel
1. No Longer Under Law of Moses.
Gal. 3:19-29; 4:21-32; Eph. 2:14-16; Col.
2:14-15; Rom. 7:4
2. No King.
3. Possesses Only Part of Land Promised
to Abraham.
4. No Temple.
The second temple was destroyed by the
Romans in A. D. 70.
5. No Priests.
The priesthood has been changed (Heb.
7:12).
6. No Sacrifices. After return from captivity
some were not allowed to eat holy things
until there was a priest (Ezra 2:63).
7. No Tribal Identity.
and news magazines showed grown soldiers choked
with emotion at being there. The Newsweek reporter
who went in with the Israeli soldiers quoted one Ser-
geant from Tiberias as saying I feel like I am coming
home after 2,000 years. The chief rabbi of the Israeli
armed forces, Gen. Shlomo Goren, stood at the wall
clutching the Torah. We are entering the Messianic
era for the Jewish people, he said (Terrible Swift
Sword 30). Just weeks before the war my first tour
group made its way through narrow alleys to see the
small portion of the Wailing Wall, which, at the time,
had houses built within a few feet of it.
Immediately after the war speculation was rampant
that the stage was set for the rebuilding of the temple
by the Jews. Both Jews and premillennialists talked of
this possibility. Within months of the War it was being
widely rumored that the stone for the new temple had
already been cut from Bedford limestone in Indiana!
(Messianic Hopes Run High in Jerusalem 5).
Thomas S. McCall and Zola Levitt fueled the specula-
tion with their 1973 book Satan in the Sanctuary.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible
They see, what they erroneously call the recapture of
the Temple site by the Jews, making it possible for
the Tribulation Temple to be built, Armageddon to
happen, and Christ to return (114).
Jack Van Impe suggests the $14 million Jerusalem
Great Synagogue, dedicated August 4, 1982, as a
thrilling parallel to the rebuilding of the Temple. He
quotes one of the chief rabbis as insisting that We
must never believe that this is a substitute for the Tem-
ple. Van Impe says However, observers note that
the Great Synagogue could well serve as the Tribula-
tion temple, adding that a sacrificial altar could easily
be constructed (32-33). The Great Synagogue is lo-
cated more than a mile from the Temple site.
The real problem is that Israel does not control the
Temple site. That is where the Moslem mosque, the
Dome of the Rock, has stood since the 7th century
A.D. The Israelis showed wisdom in not capturing this
spot which is one of the most sacred places to the Mos-
lem religion. Since the Israelites were told to worship
and offer their sacrifices in the place where God chose
to put His name (Dt. 12:5-6), it would follow that a
third temple should be in the same place. Any attempt
by Israel to capture the site would likely set off the
fiercest war yet.
Numerous incidents have occurred recently in the
temple area. An incident in October, 1990, which left
21 Arabs dead and 140 wounded from Israeli gunfire,
has been called Jerusalems most violent incident in
23 years. The trouble began when Gershon Solomon,
the leader of the ultraconservative Temple Mount
Faithful, promised to ascend the Temple Mount. The
rumor spread among the Palestinians that this group
intended to lay the foundations for a Third Temple on
the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque Solomon came but he
only displayed a banner calling for an end to Arab oc-
cupation of the site. A series of associated events
prompted rock throwing which endangered worship-
pers at the Western Wall below the Temple Mount. To
make a terrible story short, at some point the Israeli
police began to use live ammunition to dispel the
group. The rest of the story is another horrible chapter
in the long Israeli-Arab conflict. (Bloody Monday on
the Temple Mount 36)
An Everlasting Possession
The land of Canaan was to be given to the seed of
Abraham as an everlasting possession (Gen. 17:8).
Millennialists, as well as some Jews, make much of
this promise. The term everlasting (forever, perpet-
ual) is from the Hebrew olam and is defined as long
duration, antiquity, futurity (Brown 761); long
6
time, constancy, all (coming) timeFor all time, for-
ever (Holladay 267). From these definitions one can
see that the term can be used in the sense of unlimited
duration, or in the sense of a cycle or an age. The term
olam is used of many things in the Old Testament that
clearly are not of unlimited duration: covenant (Ex.
31:16; cf. Heb. 7:11-12); incense (Ex. 30:8); sabbath
observance (Ex. 31:17); circumcision (Gen. 17:13; cf.
Gal. 5:1-4), et. al.
In regard to the land of Canaan the term everlasting
must be used in the sense of a long time or long du-
ration, a cycle or age. At any rate, the Jews did not
possess the land for seventy years during the Babylo-
nian captivity, and they were absent from the land for
nearly two thousand years from the Roman destruc-
tion of Jerusalem until recent times. It has been cor-
rectly asked, How could it now be regarded as a
fulfillment of the promise to Abraham if they were
given possession of it only in a one thousand year mil-
lennial kingdom? Surely that promise has long since
been voided so far as fleshly Israel is concerned
(Boettner 98-99).
If premillennialists are to hold to their literal inter-
pretation of Scripture they must also come to grips
with passages such as 2 Peter 3:9-13 which clearly
show that this present earth is to be burned up. Then
what happens to the Jews possession of the land for-
ever. Perhaps they agree that everlasting has some
limitation!
The Restoration of a
Repentant Remnant
According to the promise in Deuteronomy 30:1-10,
the restoration of Israel to her land was to be condi-
tioned on her return to the Lord. Israel must observe all
of the commandments of the Law (vs. 8). As we
pointed out above, the law under consideration has
been taken away. Therefore, one should not expect a
return today. The modern state of Israel was estab-
lished in unbelief; it is composed largely of Jews who
are not religious or who practice a form of liberalized
Judaism. Some of the Israelis are atheists. On some
kibbutzim there isnt even a synagogue. On the part of
the Hassidim, the devoutly religious minority, there is
much opposition to anything associated with Christ.
The premillennial claim that the Jews will be instantly
converted at the return of Christ can not annul the con-
dition of Deuteronomy 30, especially since they hold
to a literal interpretation of scripture.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible
Armageddon
A word needs to be added about the battle of Arma-
geddon. According to Revelation 16:12-16 the kings
of the whole world will be gathered together into the
place called Har-Magedon. The kings will have their
armies with them (Rev. 19:19). The battle will be so
fierce that blood will come up to the horses bridles,
for a distance of two hundred miles (Rev. 14:20). The
valley of Megiddo, rich in its history of warfare, is
somewhat triangular and is no more than 20 by 15
miles in size. It is only about six miles across the val-
ley due north from Megiddo (Jenkins, Studies 15-16).
Literal interpretation has a hard time with this one!
Walvoord hedges by saying that the valley will be the
geographic focal point of the final battle (165).
Conclusion
God has a plan whereby all Israel can be saved. It
is through the Deliverer who has come to take away
sins (Rom. 11:26-27). The Gospel is Gods power to
save, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom.
1:16).
Selected List: Works Consulted
The Bible: A Fallible Guide. Time 25 July 1977: 32.
Bloody Monday on the Temple Mount. Newsweek 22
October 1990: 36.
Boettner, Loraine. A Postmillennial Response. The
Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views. Ed. Robert G.
Clouse. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1977.
Brown, Francis, and Driver, S. R., and Briggs, Charles A.
A Hebrew and English Lexicon. 1907. Oxford: Claren-
don Press, 1972.
Carter, Jimmy. The Blood of Abraham. Boston: Hought-
on Mifflin Co., 1985.
Dehann, Richard W. Israel and the Nations in Prophecy.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974.
Don-Yehiya, Eliezar, and Liebman, Charles S. Zionist
Ultranationalism and its Attitude toward Religion.
Journal of Church and State 23 (1981): 259-273.
Drumwright, H. L. Diaspora. The Zondervan Pictorial
Encyclopedia of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5
vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975 .
Fisher, Sydney Nettleton. The Middle East - A History.
New York: Knopf, 1969.
Frank, M. Z. The Bible and Geopolitics. The Israel Di-
gest. 20 August 1971.
Hendriksen, William. Israel and the Bible. Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1968. Deals especially with the resto-
ration promises.
7
Henry, Carl F. H. Next Year in the New Jerusalem?.
Christianity Today 7 July 1967: 997.
Holladay, William L. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic
Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1971.
Israel: A Nation Under Siege. Time 9 June 1967:
38-42.
Jenkins, Ferrell. Introduction to Christian Evidences.
Fairmount: Guardian of Truth Foundation, 1981.
. The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation.
1972. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1976.
. Studies in the Book of Revelation. Temple
Terrace: Florida College, 1983.
Kinder, Hermann, and Hilgemann, Werner. The Anchor
Atlas of World History, 2 vols. Garden City: An-
chor/Doubleday, 1978.
LaHaye, Tim. The Coming Peace in the Middle East.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.
Lindsey, Hal. The Late Great Planet Earth. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1970.
McCall, Thomas S., and Levitt, Zola. Satan in the Sanc-
tuary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1973.
Machen, J. Gresham. The New Testament - An Introduc-
tion to Its Literature and History. Carlisle, PA: Banner
of Truth Trust, 1976.
Messianic Hopes Run High in Jerusalem. The Gospel
Minister 12 Oct. 1967: 5.
A Past That is Certain. Time 20 Sept. 1982: 28.
Puckett, Franklin T. The Land Promise. The Preceptor
Aug. 1952: 18-19.
Ryrie, Charles C. Perspective on Palestine. Christian-
ity Today, 23 May 1969: 768-769.
Shank, Robert. Until The Coming of Messiah and His
Kingdom. Springfield: Westcott, 1982.
Smith, Wilbur M. Israeli/Arab Conflict and the Bible.
Glendale: Regal, 1969.
Terrible Swift Sword. Newsweek 19 June 1967: 30.
Those Disputed Settlements. Time 8 Aug. 1977: 12.
Van Impe, Jack. America, Israel, Russia, and World War
III. Royal Oak, MI: Jack Van Impe Ministries, 1984.
Vilnay, Zev. The New Israel Atlas. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1969.
Walvoord, John F., and Walvoord, John E. Armageddon,
Oil and the Middle East Crisis. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1974.
Winkler, Wendell, ed. Premillennialism, True or
False? Fort Worth: Winkler Publications, 1978. This
is one of the finest and most comprehensive works
available to refute premillennialism.
Zionism in Prophecy: The Return of Israel to the holy
Land: A Fulfillment of Biblical Promise. New York:
Distributed by Pro-Palestine Federation of America,
1936, in Moshe Davis, ed. Call to America to Build
Zion. America and the Holy Land. New York: Arno
Press, 1977.
This essay appeared originally under the title Practi-
cal Problems of Premillennialism in The Doctrine of
Last Things the Florida College lectures, 1986.
Minor revisions have been made.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 8

Iraq
I. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTRY OF IRAQ
A. The term Iraq means a cliff, a name given by the followers of Mohammed when they occupied this
land in the 7th century A. D.
1. The ancient name for this region was Mesopotamia, the land between the Rivers (see Acts 7:2).
In the Hebrew Bible the term Aram Naharaim [Aram of the Two Rivers] is used to designate the
area where Abraham and his family lived when they were on their way to the land of Canaan.
2. This land is a part of what has been described as the Fertile Crescent. In 1916 James H. Breasted,
an Egyptologist, gave the name Fertile Crescent to the fertile area which begins at the head of the
Persian Gulf and extends northwesterly through the Tigris-Euphrates valley to the area of
Padan-Aram. The area then moves southwesterly through Syria and Palestine to the border of
Egypt. A look at the map will show that the area under consideration shows some resemblance to
a crescent.
B. Iraq is rich in oil. Someone has described the country as a desert floating upon a sea of oil.
C. The three largest cities are: Mosul, in the north; Baghdad, the capital in the center; Basra, in the south.

II. THE HISTORY OF MESOPOTAMIA.

A. The history of Mesopotamia may be divided roughly in the following way: (See the time line in
Baker Bible Atlas, pp. 279-280).
Early Sumerian 2800 2360 B.C.
Sargon of Akkad dynasty c. 2360 2180 B.C.
Ur III 2060 1950 B.C.
Assyrian Empire 1118 605 B.C.
Neo-Babylonian Empire 625 539 B.C.
Persian Empire 539 331 B.C.
B. Many civilizations rose and fell here.
1. Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mongols, Otto-
mans, and British all played their parts upon this stage.
2. Iraq was the land of many firsts. Samuel N. Kramer says that Mesopotamians were the first
people on earth to live in cities, study the stars, use the arch and wheeled vehicles, write epic po-
etry and compile a legal code (Cradle of Civilization, p. 17).
a. The Sumerians produced the sexagesimal system the method of numbering by sixties, a
method still used in the measuring of time, etc.
b. Of the five known law codes which are older than the law of Moses, four of them come from
this area. They are the codes of Eshnunna, Lipit Ishtar, Ur-Nammu and Hammurabi.
3. Distant travel from the Mesopotamian area, as far away as Palestine, was not uncommon.
a. Sargon of Akkad (near Babylon) made raids on the Amorites of Syria and Palestine as early as
2300 B.C. (Vos, Genesis and Archaeology, p. 65).
b. Kings of the east traveled to the Dead Sea area of Palestine to fight with the kings in the valley
of Siddim (Gen. 14:1-3).
c. A Babylonian rental agreement states that the rented wagon could not be driven as far as the
Mediterranean coastlands. This shows that such travel was a distinct possibility and likely (G.
A. Barton, Archaeology and the Bible, p. 319).
C. The Arabic Civilization, during the rule of the caliphs (637 B.C. to 1258 A.D.) gave to the world
Arabic numerals. Algebra is an Arab science.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 9

D. Mesopotamia fell to the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century.

III. IRAQ IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

A. Size: Iraq covers an area of 167,924 square miles, but much of the area is uninhabited. By compari-
son, the state of California has an area of 158,693 square miles.
B. Population: The population of Iraq is approximately 18 million. The two major ethnic groups are
Arab (75%) and Kurdish (17%), mostly in the northern part of the country. The religious categories
include Shiite Muslim (62%) and Sunni Muslim (35%). About 3% is listed as Christian and other.
C. Significant political and military developments.
1. The British invaded Iraq during World War I.
2. In accordance with a League of Nations mandate in 1920, Iraq came under British administration.
Britian was also given the administration of Palestine, which included what we now know as Is-
rael and Jordan. The League of Nations gave France the mandate over the Levant states (roughly
modern Syria and Lebanon). During World War I Great Britain declared Egypt a British protec-
torate, which lasted until 1937 (The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, pp. 255, 416, 826).
3. Iraq became a kingdom under Faisal I in 1921 and the British mandate was terminated in 1932.
4. Oil concessions were granted in 1925 and the first export of oil began in 1934.
5. The government of Iraq has faced turbulent times including several attempted coups. Following a
military coup in 1958, Iraq became a socialist republic. The ruling party is commonly called the
Baath party.
6. Much tension has existed between the Arabs and the Kurds. The Kurds are not Arabs, but are
Sunni Moslems by religion. There was a major flare-up in 1962. I remember my Arab guide from
Baghdad being very uneasy among the Kurds when we went into that area to visit the sites of an-
cient Nineveh and Calah in 1970.
7. Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq in July 1979.
8. Israeli planes destroyed a nearly completed nuclear reactor near Baghdad on June 7, 1981.
9. Iraq went to war with Iran in 1980. The war began over the disputed Shatt al Arab waterway. Af-
ter the Tigris and Euphrates rivers merge, they continue for about 100 miles more to flow into the
the Persian Gulf. The combined waterway is known as the Shatt al Arab.

IV. MISCELLANEOUS FACTS ABOUT IRAQ.

A. Iraq provides the setting for the fabulous tales of the thousand and one nights, and is the birthplace of
Sindbad the Sailor [at Basra].
B. The skull of Neanderthal Man was found in the Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq. The skull was on dis-
play in the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad when I visited it.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 10

Babylon
Biblical, Historical, Geographical and Archaeological Information

I. GENERAL INFORMATION.
A. The site of ancient Babylon is located about 55 miles south of modern Baghdad, west of the present
course of the Euphrates. In ancient times Babylon was situated on the banks of the river. The rivers
frequently change their course.
B. The earliest ancient name given in the table of nations was Babel (Gen. 10:10).
C. The city reached its peak during the Neo-Babylonian empire (626 539 B.C.). The Bible referred to
Babylon as the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans pride (Isa. 13:19).
D. Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest king of the Neo-Babylonian empire (605562 B.C.). There is
abundant evidence of the activities of his reign. The best collections of artifacts are to be found in the
British Museum and the Museum of the Near East (part of the Pergamon Museum) in (East) Berlin.
In Berlin one may see the reconstructed Procession Street, the Ishtar Gate, and the decorated facade
of the Throne Room of Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon.

II. THE ISRAELITES AND BABYLON.

A. Daniel was in the first group of Judean royal youths taken into Babylonian exile in 605 B.C. (Dan.
1:1-6). He was educated in the literature and language of Babylon.
B. Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzars army March 15/16, 597 B.C.
1. This was the time when Jehoiachin and 10,000 captives were taken as prisoners to Babylon (2
Kings 24:8-16). The prophet Ezekiel was among the captives taken to Babylon at this time. His
prophetic call came in the fifth year of his exile by the river Chebar. Parrot says this may be
identified with the naru habaru, which, in cuneiform texts, designates a tributary of the Euphra-
tes that waters the city were Enlil, god of the earth, was specially venerated (Babylon and the
Old Testament, p. 124; Ezek. 1:1-3).
2. The Babylonian Chronicle, read by Donald J. Wiseman in 1955, briefly describes
Nebuchadnezzars military campaign against
Judah and tells of the capture of Jerusalem on
March 16, 597 B.C., the removal of Jehoiachin
and others to Babylon, and the appointment of
another king [Zedekiah]. This is the first exact
date of a Biblical event obtained from a factual
non-Biblical record. British Museum artifact
#21946.
C. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, de-
stroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, and took
away more captives to Babylon in 586 B.C. (2
Kings 25:1-22).
1. Evidence of the burning of Jerusalem by the
Babylonians was found by Kathleen Kenyon
in the 1960s. Yigal Shiloh, director of the
City of David excavation (1978-1982), re- This drawing from a clay tablet pictures
ported that evidence of the Babylonian de- Babylon as the centre of the cosmos. Re-
printed from Parrot, Babylon and the Old
struction in 586 B.C. was quite clear
Testament, p. 16.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 11

everywhere (Shanks, The City of David After Five Years of Digging, Biblical Archaeology
Review, Nov./Dec., 1985, p. 33).
2. Excavations in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem by Professor Nachman Avigad of Hebrew Uni-
versity uncovered what seemed to be part of a tower which jutted out from the city wall. On the
basis of the Late Iron Age II pottery which was found at the site of the fortification was dated be-
tween 800 and 586 B.C. Avigad reports that the surface at the foot of the tower was covered with
charred wood, ashes, and soot, among which were found a group of arrowheads found in 1975,
four of iron and one of bronze. The flat iron arrowheads were common in the Iron Age, but the
bronze arrowhead was a triple-bladed, socketed one of the Scythian type and of northern ori-
gin. These arrowheads were widely used by archers, including Babylonian archers, after about
600 B.C. Avigad says If we fit these discoveries in with known historical data, it seems likely
that they are direct evidence of the siege and final conquest of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., by
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.It seems that what we found is the first tangible evidence of
the fateful battle for the walls of Jerusalem, which terminated in the destruction of the entire city
and the burning of Solomons Temple (Avigad, Discovering Jerusalem, pp. 52-54). See also
Suzanne Singer, Found in Jerusalem: Remains of the Babylonian Siege, The Biblical Archae-
ology Review, March, 1976, pp. 7-10. Read 2 Kings 25:9-10.
D. Psalm 137 recalls the plight of the Israelites when they were in Babylon. By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion (Ps. 137:1). Read the entire Psalm.

III. THE PROPHET DANIEL WAS THIRD IN KINGDOM OF BABYLON (Dan. 5:7, 29).
A. Nabonidus was the last ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (556-539 B.C.). His son, Belshazzar,
though never called king in the cuneiform records, seems to have been co-regent with him (Dan. 5;
7:1; 8:1). The Verse Account of Nabonidus reports that Nabonidus entrusted the Camp to his
oldest (son), the firstborn, The troops everywhere in the country he ordered under his (command). He
let (everything) go, entrusted the kingship to him, And, himself, he started for a long journey (An-
cient Near Eastern Texts, p. 313).
B. A basalt stele shows Nabonidus before the emblem of the moon-god Sin, the sun-god Samas, and the
war and love goddess Ishtar (British Museum artifact #90837). A barrel cylinder of Nabonidus de-
scribes his search for the temple of the sun-god at Sippar, to find the ancient foundations which were
laid some 2000 years before his time. It records that he restored the temple (Ashmolean Museum,
Oxford, England).
C. Some tablets contained the names of both Nabonidus and Belshazzar. One contract contained an oath
taken in the name of Nabonidus and Belshazzar. Oaths were normally taken in the name of the king.
Raymond P. Dougherty, late professor of Assyriology at Yale University, showed that during the
later part of his reign, Nabonidus spent a great deal of time in Arabia. This would leave room for
Belshazzar to serve as king in Babylon, and explain why he could offer third place in the kingdom to
Daniel (Dan. 5:7,29).
Some Sources: D. J. A. Clines, Belshazzar, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
I:455-456; J. P. Free, Archaeology and Bible History, pp. 232-235; Wiseman and Yamauchi, Archaeol-
ogy and the Bible, p. 54; Price, Sellers, and Carlson, The Monuments and the Old Testament, pp.
306-307.

IV. THE RUINS OF BABYLON.

A. Visits to Iraq and Babylon have not been possible for very many people in our generation. Here we
are listing some of the things we were able to see during our visit to the site.
1. The main palace of Nebuchadnezzar. The palace contained five great courtyards surrounded
by many apartments and suites of rooms. There was also a summer palace a short distance from
the main palace.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 12

2. Nebuchadnezzars procession street. Originally the Processional Way passed between high
walls faced with blue enameled brick and decorated with rows of white lions with yellow manes
and yellow lions with red manes, each over six feet long (Larue, Babylon and the Bible, p. 54).
3. Ruins of the Hanging Gardens. Excavators found a series of 14 vaulted rooms surrounded by an
unexpectedly thick wall. Several factors led them to suggest that these were the remains of the fa-
mous Hanging Gardens the creation of Nebuchadnezzar. The Hanging Gardens were said to
have been one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
4. A half-size reproduction of the famous Ishtar Gate has been built at Babylon to serve as en-
trance to the excavated area.
5. Ishtar Gate. The earliest unglazed portion of the gate may be seen. The walls of the gate still
stand to a height of nearly 40 feet. On the walls one may see details of various animals including
the dragon of Marduk.
6. Reconstructed temple E-Mah, dedicated to the mother-goddess Ninmah. This temple was re-
stored by the Directorate-General of Antiquities. The main building was about 253 feet wide and
280 feet long.
7. The lion of Babylon. An unfinished basalt figure of a lion trampling a man was found by local
villagers in 1776 and was excavated in 1784. It was thought to have been in the museum of an-
cient Babylon.
8. One of the canalsof the Euphrates.
B. Many ruins from Babylon can be seen in the great museums of the world. The finest collection may
be seen in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Major items of interest include the following.
1. Ishtar gate and procession street. This beautifully
decorated gate and procession street have been re-
constructed nearly original size. The multicolored
tiles depict lions, bulls, and dragons. Excavations
were conducted at Babylon by R. Koldewey be-
tween 1899 and 1917. Daniel was in Babylon during
the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar (605-562), and
Nabonidus (556-539). Part of the Throne Room fa-
cade has also been reconstructed to the sides of the
gate. Two earlier examples of the materials of the
gate can be seen in a room along side the Procession Bull from Ishtar Gate at Babylon
Street.
2. Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 B.C.). A small inscribed cylinder describing the building activities
of Nebuchadnezzar is displayed in a wall case in a room beside the Procession Street.
Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned nearly 100 times in the Old Testament. He took Daniel and other
Judean royal youths to Babylon in 606 B.C., captured Jerusalem in 597 B.C., and destroyed the
city, including Solomons temple, in 586 B.C. (Dan. 1; 2 Kings 24-25).
3. Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah) was the young king of Judah who was taken captive
to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:15). The date of the capture of Jerusalem
(March 16, 597 B.C.) was learned in 1955 when Donald J. Wiseman, then of the British Museum,
read a cuneiform tablet from Babylon. About 300 cuneiform tablets, dating between 595 and 570
B.C., were found by archaeologists near the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. They contain lists of rations
such as barley and oil paid to the captives and craftsmen. Persons from various countries are men-
tioned: Egypt, Philistia, Phoenicia, Asia Minor, Judah, etc. Several Biblical names are included:
Gaddiel, Semachiah, and Shelemiah. Perhaps the most interesting name is Yaukin, king of the
land of Yahud (Judah), along with five royal princes. The name, pronounced Yow-keen, is known
to be an abbreviation for Jehoiachin. One document in which his name occurs is dated to 592 B.C.
These tablets show that the Babylonians continued to regard Jehoiachin as the legitimate king of
Judah and gave him special treatment while he was in captivity (2 Kings 25:27-30; Jer. 52:31-34).
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 13

The tablets were read by E. F. Weidner in the basement of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin,
after 1933.
Some Sources:Documents from Old Testament Times, pp. 84-86; Jack Finegan, Light From the An-
cient Past, pp. 225-227; Albright, Biblical Archaeologist 5 (1942), pp. 49-55; Ancient Near Eastern
Texts, p. 308 for translation; The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, II:811-13; Werner Keller, The
Bible as History, pp. 285-287; Wiseman, Illustrations from Biblical Archaeology, p. 73.

V. ALEXANDER THE GREAT AT BABYLON.

The last headquarter of Alexander the Great was at Babylon. He had great plans to make Babylon the
capital of a new commercial empire. None of it, however, was to be. Alexander died at Babylon in the
grip of some sudden and mysterious disease in June of B.C. 323, after twelve years of rule and a mere
thirty-two years of life (Francis E. Peters, The Harvest of Hellenism: A History of the Near East from
Alexander the Great to the Triumph of Christianity, p. 54.

VI. BABYLON AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

A. Babylon came to symbolize godless society with pretensions (Gen. 11), persecutions (Dan. 3), plea-
sures, sins and superstitions (Isa. 47:8-13), riches and doom (Rev. 17,18) (Kidner, Genesis, p. 111).
Also captivity. Pentecost presents a new chapter: one gospel in many languages (Acts 2).
B. It was here in mighty Babylon that the LORD announced that the city would never be inhabited or
lived in from generation to generation (Isa. 13:20). It was also in this city that the LORD announced
that He would set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for
another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever
(Dan. 2:44).
C. Babylon is used in the apocalyptic imagery of the book of Revelation (14:8; 16:9; 17:5; 18:2,10) to
describe the harlot Babylon. In Revelation, the reference is to the great enemy of Gods people the
Roman empire. The description of Babylon and her fall is taken primarily from Ezekiel 2628. God
assures His people that just as ancient Babylon fell, never to rise again, the same will be true of the
Roman empire or of any power which seeks to make itself God. For further explanation of this point
see The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation, especially pp. 58-60.

VII. EFFORTS BY THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO REBUILD BABYLON.

At the time of my visit to Babylon only the archaeological ruins could be seen. A small amount of recon-
struction, typical to many excavated sites, had been done. Several times since my visit to Babylon I have
seen references to attempts by the Iraqi government to rebuild Babylon. In 1986, the Reuter news agency
reported that Iraqi archaeologists and foreign laborers were toiling in the scorching heat to restore Bab-
ylons crumbling ruins to their lost splendor. The article said For Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, recon-
structing King Nebuchadnezzars once-mighty capital is more than a project to attract tourists the aim
is also to inspire his people in the costly and grueling war with Iran, now in its seventh year. Babylons
governor, Arif Gita Suheil, is quoted as saying The president has signed an open check to reconstruct
the ancient city and revive the marvelous shape it had before the Persian aggression which destroyed it
more than 20 centuries ago. The government had already spent $27.2 million within the previous year
on a huge tourist city near the site. (Source: Subhy Haddad. Iraq rebuilding biblical Babylon. The De-
troit News, 9 Oct. 1986: G6.)
In a special report on Saddam Hussein, Newsweek magazine says They call him heir to the legend of
King Nebuchadnezzar. The report describes Husseins ambition to be leader of a Pan-Arab world.
Clues to that ambition are everywhere. But they are clearest in the ancient city of Babylon, where
Nebuchadnezzar ruled six centuries before the birth of Christ. There, Saddam has ordered a multi-
million-dollar restoration project and hopes to someday re-create the citys hanging gardens, once
one of the worlds seven wonders. Ancient inscriptions hailing Nebuchadnezzar as King of Bab-
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 14

ylon from far sea to far sea (an area that covers the modern states of Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan
and Israel) lie beside new ones boasting: Rebuilt in the era of Saddam Hussein (The Anchor
and Hope of the Weak and the Meek, Newsweek, Aug. 13, 1990: 23).
Charles Dyer of Dallas Theological Seminary was invited by the Iraqis in 1987 to attend the first an-
nual Babylon Festival. The purpose of this festival was to showcase the governments efforts to rebuild
the ancient city of Babylon. A second invitation was extended to him in 1988. The following report of his
trip appeared in Christianity Today.
Dyer says Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar appear to be important symbols for the Iraqi president,
Saddam Hussein. The official seal for the festival was a portrait of Hussein beside the ancient
Babylonian king. The portraits are drawn so that Nebuchadnezzar bears a striking resemblance
to Hussein, noted Dyer. He also says that Babylon is important to Iraqis because it unites them
against their two current enemies, Iran and Israel. It was the Persians (Iranians) who destroyed the
Neo-Babylonian empire of Nebuchadnezzar, while the Jews were once decisively defeated by in-
habitants of the present-day Iraq. Saddam Hussein portrays himself as the new Nebuchadnezzar
who will lead the Iraqi people to greatness, and the city of Babylon is his visible link to that past
greatness, said Dyer (Rebuilding Babylon. Christianity Today 18 Nov. 1988: 71).
Dyers book, The Rise of Babylon, has come from the press this month. It provides us with a first-hand
account of one who has visited Babylon twice within the past four years. For many years the only interest
in Babylon was as an archaeological site, but Dyer says that Husseins purpose for restoring Babylon
changed sometime between 1982 and 1987. His picures show extensive rebuilding of Babylon. A poster
for the 1987 Babylon International Festival features Saddam Hussein and King Nebuchadnezzar: From
NABUKHADNEZZAR TO SADDAM HUSSEIN BABYLON UNDERGOES A RENAISSANCE.
The LORD prophesied that Babylon would never be inhabited or lived in from generation to genera-
tion (Isa. 13:20; cf. Jer. 50:39). I have not thought that making Babylon a tourist attraction or national
park violated the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah. It seems, however, that President Saddam Hussein
had something more in mind. In this matter he is bound to fail. There is, of course, no link whatsoever be-
tween the ancient Babylonian empire and the regime of Saddam Hussein except that they occupy the
same territory.
To say that Charles Dyer is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary is to say that he is a
dispensational premillennialist. Knowing this, I was still caught by surprise to learn that he denies that
the prophecy of Isaiah 13:19 has been fulfilled. Isaiah says: And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the
glory of the Chaldeans pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be in-
habited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shep-
herds make their flocks lie down there (Isa. 13:19-20). Study the outline Babylon in Prophecy, on pages
2426, for evidence of the fulfillment of this prophecy.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 15

Ur
I. GENERAL INFORMATION.
A. The region where Ur is located was known as Sumer in ancient times. This is the land of Shinar of
Gen. 11:2; the Ur of the land of Chaldeans of Acts 7:4 (see Gen. 11:31); and the Mesopotamia of
Acts 7:2.
B. Ur was the home of Abraham, and the place where God called upon him to depart and go to a land
which He would show him [Canaan] (Read Gen. 11:27 12:3; Acts 7:1ff).
C. Joshua called upon the Israelites to put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River,
and in Egypt, and serve the Lord (Josh. 24:14).
D. The land of Sumer and the city of Ur had been a highly developed area since about 3000 B.C. Ur was
the brilliant center of Sumerian civilization and the capital of three dynasties of kings.

II. VISITING UR TODAY.

A. Ur is located 232 miles [374 kilometers] south of Babylon, near the town of Nasiriya.
B. The ruins today are grouped around the great temple of Babbar, the Sumerian Utu, the sun God.
C. The ziggurats seen in Iraq were staged temple-towers. A temple to the god was built on the top of
the ziggurat. At least 34 of these towers are known in Mesopotamia (Parrot, The Tower of Babel, pp.
2628). Each tower is shaped somewhat like a pyramid and stands between 70 and 160 feet high. The
ziggurat at Ur was excavated by the French under the direction of Andr Parrot in 1933. It still rises
some 60 feet above the plain, and is attributed to the third dynasty of Ur (2124 2015 B.C.), and was
extended by Nebuchadnezzar. Before undertaking the tour of Ur you are recommended to climb the
ziggurat which rises above the plain (The Middle East, 753). From atop the ziggurat one can see the
flat desert terrain for many miles.
D. Royal Tombs. The famous tombs here date from the first dynasty of Ur (27th 26th centuries B.C.)
to the end of the Akkadian period (middle of the 23rd century). The valuable items taken from these
tombs, under the direction of Sir Leonard Wooley, are on display at the Iraqi Museum, Baghdad, and
the British Museum, London.

The ziggurat of Ur restored.

This drawing shows probable
appearance, with steps and
terraces. (British Museum)
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 16

Other Ancient Sites in Mesopotamia

On this page we are providing a list of some of the lesser known ancient sites of Mesopotamia.

Ashur
Ashur is located on the west bank of the Tigris River about 60 miles south of Nineveh (Gen. 10:11). The
first Assyrian capital was here. The main attraction is a ziggurat.

Birs Nimrud
The mound of Birs Nimrud, the site of ancient Borsippa, is located seven miles southwest of Babylon.
This tower was long thought to be the biblical Tower of Babel, but biblical scholars now discredit that idea
and look for the tower in Babylon itself (Wycliffe Historical Geography, p. 32).

Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon was a favorite camping ground of the Parthian Kings during the last centuries before Christ.
The Parthians were the dreaded enemy of Rome. Devout Jews from Parthia were present at Jerusalem on the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9). Parthian cavalrymen may have provided the imagery of the first seal of Revela-
tion 6:2.
The only surviving building at Ctesiphon, the great Sassanian hall, is the widest single-span vault of
unreinforced brickwork in the world. The width is over 80 feet and the height from the pavement is 118 feet.
The building probably dates from about the third century A.D.

The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers

The Euphrates is one of the four rivers which formed from the one which flowed out of the Garden of
Eden (Gen. 2:10-14). It is the largest, longest and most important river of Western Asia. From its source in the
mountains of Armenia, which are nearly 10,000 feet high, the river flows leisurely for nearly 1800 miles until
it reaches the Persian Gulf. The land promised to Abraham extended from the river of Egypt to the great
river, the River Euphrates (Gen. 15:18). Both David and Solomon controlled territory as far north as the river
Euphrates (2 Sam. 8:3-8; 1 Kings 4:21, 24). The empires of Assyria and Babylon constituted the greatest ene-
mies of the Israelites. The Biblical prophets often put the Euphrates by metonomy for these countries to desig-
nate the place from which the punishment of God would come (Isa. 7:20; 8:7; Jer. 46:10).
The Tigris River begins in the mountains of Armenia and descends in a fairly straight course of about
1,000 miles to the Persian Gulf (Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands, p. 3). It is the Hiddekel of
Genesis 2:14 (KJV, NKJV, ASV). Most of the recent versions, such as the NASB, the NIV, and the NRSV,
use the term Tigris.

Nimrod (Calah)
Nimrod is located on the east bank of the Tigris river about 24 miles south of Nineveh, where the Great
Zab River joins the Tigris. This was the site of the ancient city of Calah, built by Nimrod (Gen. 10:11).
Nimrod was built by Ashurnasirpal II (884859 B.C.) and served as the capital of the Assyrian Empire in
the 9th and 8th centuries B.C. The palace of Ashurnasipal covered 4,000 sq. feet.
The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III originally stood in the main square of Calah (Wycliffe Historical
Geography, p. 36). This monument depicts Jehu of Israel paying tribute and is now on display in the British
Museum, London.
The remains of a ziggurat, a staged tower, can also be seen at Calah.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 17

Gods Use of Nations

The LORD has opened His armory Jer. 50:25

INTRODUCTION:
1. Do you ever wonder if God has any concern for the world conditions today?
2. In this lesson we wish to call attention to a truth that is largely forgotten by peoples of every nation un-
der heaven. God has a hand in international affairs.

I. THE FOUNDATION OF HIS THRONE.

A. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Gods heavenly throne (Ps. 89:14).
B. Everything that proceeds from His throne is righteous and just. This includes His dealings with the
nations.

II. THE LORD RULES IN THE KINGDOMS OF EARTH. The LORD is the ruler in His spir-
itual kingdom and also in the kingdoms of men.
A. Civil government is established (ordained) by God and a minister of God (Rom. 13:1-4).
B. The nations are ruled by Him.
1. He is Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25).
2. He is king of the nations (Jer. 10:7).
3. He is the ruler over the nations (Ps. 47:8).
4. He is the sovereign ruler in the kingdoms of men (Dan. 2:21, 37; 4:17, 25; 5:21). Human history
is in Gods hand (Young, Daniel, p. 67).
5. He intends that the nations should seek Him (Acts 17:26-27).

III. HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF THE LORDS RULE AMONG THE NATIONS.

He judges nations in time, but individuals in eternity.
A. Assyrian Empire.
1. The LORD used Assyria to punish Israel in 722 B.C. (Isa. 10:5-16).
2. The LORD still held Assyria responsible (Isa. 10:12).
B. Babylonian Empire.
1. See Jeremiah 50:3, 14, 17, 18; 51:7.
2. The more wicked nation was used to punish the less wicked. Read Habakkuk. See esp. 1:11
Babylon still guilty.
3. The LORD used Babylon against Egypt (Ezek. 29:17-20; 30:24-26).
C. Medes and Persians.
1. See Jer. 50:25; 51:11.
2. The Lord prophesied the work of Cyrus nearly two hundred years in advance of his reign (550
530 B.C.) even though he had not known the LORD (Isa. 45:1, 4, 5).

IV. THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ON GODS RULE OF THE NATIONS.

A. Jesus said that Pilates power was from above (Jn. 19:10-11).
B. The powers that be are established (ordained) by God (Rom. 13:1).
C. Jesus claimed that He would come with the clouds against Jerusalem (Mt. 24:30; cf. Isa. 19:1).
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 18

D. Jesus is ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5).

E. Jesus is king of kings and lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16).

V. PRINCIPLES BY WHICH GOD JUDGES A NATION.

A. Righteousness exalts a nation (Prov. 14:34; 16:12).
B. Nations who forget God will return to Sheol (Ps. 9:17).
C. Punishment if a country sins against God (Ezek. 14:13).
D. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah could have been saved by the presence of ten righteous people
(Gen. 18-19; Mt. 11:20-24).
CONCLUSION:
1. The Lord does have a hand in the affairs of men.
2. Christians should be like salt and light in this world (Mt. 5:13-16).
3. Christians should pray for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and
quiet life in all godliness and dignity (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

Identifying the Peoples of the Middle East

According to the book of Genesis, all peoples are descended from Ham, Shem, and Japheth, the
sons of Noah (Gen. 10). The table of nations in Genesis 10 provides us with information as to the
general areas where the descendants of Ham, Shem, and Japheth settled. The table below lists the
three men with some of the peoples that descended from them. You will observe that descendants of
both Ham and Shem settled in the region of Mesopotamia. You should be able to locate many of
these names on the maps on page 29.
JAPHETH HAM SHEM
Gen. 10:2-6 Gen. 10:6-20 Gen. 10:21-31
Madai = Medes Cush (Ethiopia, Sudan) Eber = Hebrews
Javan = Greeks Babel = Babylon Elam = E. of Mesopotamia
Kittim = Cyprus Land of Shinar = Mesopotamia Ashur = N. Mesopotamia
Ashkenaz = Scythians Assyria, Nineveh, Calah Aram = Area of Syria
Mizraim = Egypt
Canaan = Canaanites
Caphtorim = Crete
The Israelitesof the Bible were descendants of Shem (Semitic) through Abraham, Isaac, and Ja-
cob (whose name was changed to Israel, Gen. 32:28). Many modern Jewsare not descendants of
Abraham, but are actually descendants of Japhetic proselytes to Judaism. The European Jews,
called Ashkenazim, fall into this category. Many of them have settled in Israel.
The Egyptians, Sumeriansand Babyloniansdescended from Ham. The Arabsof today are Se-
mitic. They claim descent from Abraham through Ishmael (Gen. 25:12-18). The modern Egyptians
are not descendants of Ham, but of Shem. They are Arabs who have no blood relation to the ancient
Egyptians. The Iraqis, especially in the southern part of Iraq, are Semitic Arabs. The Kurds, who
live in the north of Iraq, the Turks, and the Iraniansare not Arabs. The Palestiniansand Jordanians
are Semitic Arabs. Because there has been much ethnic mixing of the peoples of the Middle East
since the time of Genesis it is not always easy to classify them. Religiously, most of the Arabs today
are Moslems. (See page 21.)
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 19

Turning Swords into Plowshares

Isaiah 2:2-4

INTRODUCTION:
1. Our nation is once again engaged in a war on foreign shores.
2. This causes us to desire peace and to pray for peace.
3. Today I would like to spend this time discussing war and peace with you.
4. Our topic is turning swords into plowshares.

I. MEN HAVE TRUSTED IN THE WEAPONS OF WARFARE.

A. Israel was warned not to multiply horses (Dt. 17:14-17).
1. In ancient Israel religious and civil activities were combined in one nation.
2. The LORD gave instructions for the king as well as for the priest.
3. Horses were used to pull war chariots.
B. Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen (2 Chron. 1:14-17).
1. He built 4000 stalls for horses (2 Chron. 9:25).
2. He built cities for his chariots and horsemen (1 Kings 9:15-19). Megiddo was an important char-
iot city.
3. Solomon became an exporter of horses and chariots to the Hittites and the kings of Aram (2
Chron. 1:17).
C. One technique of war was to hamstring the horses of the enemy. David did this to the horses of
Hadadezer, king of Zobah (1 Chron. 18:4).
1. To hamstring was to cut the tendons in the back of the leg, thus rendering the animals ineffective.
2. This is parallel to destroying nuclear weapons or chemical warfare capabilities. Imagine knock-
ing out all of the enemies missiles, planes, tanks, and armored vehicles.
D. The LORD warned Israel against trusting in the weapons of war (Ps. 20:7-8).

II. ISRAEL WAS FREQUENTLY INVOLVED IN WARFARE.

A. Their first battle was in the wilderness shortly after the exodus from Egypt.
1. They were attacked by Amalek at Rephidim (Ex. 17:8-16).
2. The LORD was with Israel and they prevailed.
B. The Conquest was a massive war effort.
1. Israel was to utterly destroy the inhabitants of the land (Dt. 7:1-2).
2. Israel was successful in the conquest of the land (Josh. 21:43-45; 23:14-16).
3. But Israel failed to drive out the Canaanites (Jud. 1:28; 2:1-3). This caused Israel to partake of the
idolatry of the Canaanites and to marry them (Jud. 2:10-13; 3:6).
C. Saul was commanded to destroy the Amalekites but failed to do so completely (1 Sam. 15:1-9, 18).
D. The Assyrian invasion of Israel (2 Kings 17). Samaria was besieged for three years before the
Assyrians carried them into exile.
E. The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and Judea (2 Kings 24). Nebuchadnezzar carried away the
Judeans into Babylon.

III. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS FILLED WITH PROPHESIES OF A TIME OF PEACE.

A. A time when swords would be hammered into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks (Isa. 2:2-4).
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 20

B. A time when under the Prince of Peace there would be no end to peace (Isa. 9:6-7).
C. A time when the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the
calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them (Isa. 11:6).
D. What do these prophecies mean? To what do they refer? There are two approaches to understanding
these prophecies.
1. Literal interpretation. This is the dispensational and premillennial approach. Advocates of this
method of interpretation make these prophecies apply to current events.
2. Recognize them as prophetic imagery describing the spiritual nature of the kingdom or church
which was established on Pentecost.

IV. EXAMINING THE PROPHECIES.

A. The prophecy of Isaiah 2:2-4.
1. A Messianic prophecy which was fulfilled in the coming of Christ and the establishment of the
kingdom on pentecost in A. D. 30 (Acts 2).
2. Isaiah prophesied about 725 B.C., in the Assyrian period of world history. He foretold several
things about the establishment of the kingdom of Christ.
a. Time of establishment:the last days. This phrase is used throughout the Bible to refer to the
time of the coming of Christ and the beginning of the gospel dispensation (cf. Acts 2:17). Peter
said that all the prophets spoke of these days (Acts 3:24).
b. What is to be established:the mountain of the house of the LORD. This is the mountain to
which Christians have come (Heb. 12:18-24). It is the kingdom which cannot be shaken (Heb.
12:28). The church is the house of God, the pillar and support of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15).
c. Place of establishment:zion, Jerusalem (the same).
d. Extent of the blessings:all the nationsmany peoples. This takes it out of the realm of the
Mosaic dispensation. See Lk. 24:47; Acts 1:8; 15:7; 11:15 (Pentecost = the beginning).
e. Parallel passage in Micah 4:1-2.
3. In what sense will they hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks? When and how will it be that nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never
again will they learn war? (Isa. 2:4). The imagery reminds us of the words of the old negro spiri-
tual Aint gonna study war no more
a. The reference is to the spiritual nature of the kingdom.
b. It is one which is not advanced by the sword but by the word of God.
c. The kingdom is not of this world (Jn. 18:36).
d. The kingdom is not eating and drinking, but consists of spiritual qualities (Rom. 14:17).
e. This passage does not require, as premillennialists maintain, the return of Jesus to earth in or-
der for it to be fulfilled.
f. On the side of the United Nations plaza in New York city Isaiah 2:4 is carved into the wall. On
the grounds of the United Nations building, along the East River, is a statue which was given
by the Soviet Union. It shows a strong workman with a sword held downward in one hand. In
the other hand he holds a hammer. He is beating the sword into a plowshare. This is a nice
thought for the nations of the earth, but this is not what Isaiah 2 is talking about.
g. Homer Hailey says: Here the prophet is certainly not speaking of the world, for its people will
war continually, but rather of the all nations and many peoples who will come to the mountain
of Jehovahs house. He is describing the character of the citizens of the new kingdom. In the
holy mountain they will learn war no more. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain (11:9). Isaiah is not describing a future situation in which the nations of the world
will not fight wars; wars will always be fought. He is describing the character of the kingdom
of the latter days, the one to which the Hebrew saints had come (Heb. 12:18-29), and to which
men of all the nations may and do come today (A Commentary on Isaiah, p. 49).
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 21

B. The prophecy of Isaiah 9:6-7.

1. Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Lk. 2:14).
2. The gospel is the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15).
3. Jesus came and preached peace through the apostles (Eph. 2:17).
4. The church is the place of peace; a place where both Jew and Gentile can be one in Christ (Eph.
2:14).
5. Enmity will be removed and Jew and Gentile will be at peace. There will be no end to peace within
His kingdom.
C. The prophecy of Zechariah 9:10.
1. This passage is in a Messianic context which describes the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusa-
lem. Verses from this context are quoted in Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15.
2. This passage likewise speaks of the spiritual nature of the kingdom. It will not use carnal weap-
ons. A failure to understand this truth was one of the most basic mistakes of the Crusades.
3. The dominion will be universal; a time when all nations will flow unto it.
CONCLUSION:
1. Those of us who are Christians are citizens of a marvelous kingdom a kingdom of peace.
2. The real peace that we each need is to be found in Christ and His church.
3. We have a battle to fight but it is not material in nature. Read 2 Cor. 10:3-5.
4. Let us ever remember, as the prophet Elisha told his servant, that those who are with us are more than
those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16).

The Moslem Religion

The Moslem religion was founded by Mohammed, who was born in Mecca, Arabia (now Saudi Arabia),
in A. D. 570. Mohammed opposed the idolatry which was common among the Arabs at that time. At the age
of forty he assumed the title Messenger of God and within a few years claimed to have received the Quran
(Koran). In A. D. 622 he fled from Mecca to Medina. This flight, called the Hegira in Moslem history, marks
the beginning of the Moslem calendar. In A. D. 630, Mohammed returned to Mecca with an army of 10,000,
conquered the city, destroyed the idols, and made the Kaaba the most sacred shrine in Islam.
The followers of Mohammed became a significant military force. They captured Jerusalem, Palestine,
Syria, and Persia. By A. D. 732 they had moved across northern Africa, into Spain, and into the heart of the
kingdom of the Franks. Today, about 800 million people are Moslems. Most, but not all, Arabs are Moslems.
There are two major groups: Sunnisand Shiites. A minority element, including most Iraqiis (62%) and most
Iranians, are Shiites, but the vast majority of the Moslems are Sunnis.
Moslems do not believe the Bible to be the Word of God. They do not believe that Jesusis the Son of God
or that He died on the cross. In the Islamic religion, the Koran is Gods final revelation and Jesus is only one of
28 prophets of God. They say that Mohammed is the last and greatest of the prophets. They believe in one god,
Allah. They say he is a majestic, omnipotent, transcendent God, and the one Creator God. To the Muslims
There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his Prophet.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 22

Israel in Prophecy
Deuteronomy 28

INTRODUCTION:
1. The LORD placed a high estimate on prophecy in Isaiah 40 44.
a. He called upon the Israelites, who were worshipping idols, to have their idols declare the end from
the beginning (41:21-26). This was something God could do, but the idols could not.
b. The nation of Israel could serve as the witness of the LORD that He had foretold the future (Isa.
44:6-8). The nation had actually seen the fulfillment of His prophecies in their own history.
c. Frederick the Great [King of Prussia, 1712 1786] received in answer to his demand, Give me
in one word, a proof of the truth of the Bible, the famous reply, The Jews (J.H. Gerstner, Rea-
sons For Faith, p. 112).
2. Review of Old Testament dates to be remembered in connection with this study.
1445 B. C. Giving of Law of Moses
931 B. C. Death of Solomon and Division of Kingdom.
722 B. C. Assyrian captivity of Northern Kingdom (Israel).
606 B. C. First group from Judah taken to Babylon.
597 B. C. Jerusalem captured by Babylon.
586 B. C. Jerusalem destroyed by Babylonians.
536 B. C. First group returned from Babylon to Judah.
520-516 B. C. Rebuilding of the Temple.
458 B. C. Second Group returns under Ezra.
444 B. C. Rebuilding of walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah.

I. THE PROPHECY OF ISRAEL IN DEUTERONOMY 28.

Date: c. 1400 B. C.
A. Blessings if Israel obedient (28:1-14).
B. Curses if disobedient (28:14-64). This becomes their history foretold.

II. ELEMENTS OF THE PROPHECY.

A. Israel to have a king (28:36). Fulfilled in Saul (1050 B. C.) and others.
B. Israel to be smitten, tossed to and fro, in bondage, serve other gods (28:25, 36). Note: they shall go
into captivity (28:41).
C. Israel to become a horror, a proverb, and a taunt among their captors (28:37; cf. Jer. 29:18; Ps.
137:3).
D. A nation from afar to come against Israel (28:49ff).
1. This could apply to Assyria, Babylon, and Rome.
a. Assyria took away King Hoshea of Israel in 722 B. C. (2 Kings 17:4-6).
b. Babylon took away King Jehoiachin of Judah in 597 B. C. (2 Kings 24:10ff).
c. Rome destroyed Jerusalem in A. D. 70.
E. Cities to be destroyed (28:52). Archaeology illustrates that this happened many times in the history of
Israel. Lachish, for example, became a fortified city of Judah after the division of the kingdom. It was
destroyed by both the Assyrians (701 B. C.) and the Babylonians (588-6 B. C.).
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 23

F. Great sufferings to accompany the siege. Some would even eat their young (28:53-57; cf. Lev.
26:29). Note examples of fulfillment:
1. A Syrian siege against Samaria. Woman boiled son (2 Kings 6:24-31).
2. In the Babylonian siege against Jerusalem. Prophecy restated (Jer. 19:9; Ezek. 5:10). Fulfilled:
Lam. 2:20; 4:10.
3. In the Roman siege against Jerusalem in A. D. 70. Josephus informs us that a woman named
Mary did a most unnatural thing. She slew her infant son, roasted him, and ate the one half of
him, and kept the other half by her concealed. He says that the Roman soldiers were seized with
a horror and amazement of mind when they discovered this terrible deed (Wars, 6.3.4).
G. To be scattered (28:64) and sold again into Egypt (28:68). Josephus tells of Jews sold into Egypt and
a glutted market (Wars, 6.9.2).
H. Josephus: Howbeit, neither its antiquity, nor its ample wealth, nor its people spread over the whole
habitable world, nor yet the great glory of its religious rites, could aught avail to avert its ruin. Thus
ended the siege of Jerusalem (Wars, 6.10.1).

III. ISRAEL TO BE SCATTERED BUT NEVER CONSUMED.

A. Israel to be scattered among the nations, but always a people (Jer. 4:27; 5:18; 30:11; 46:28).
B. Israel never to be a nation again (Jer. 19:10-11; 22:29-30). Study the chart on page 5 of these notes
which shows the difference between Biblical Israel and the modern state of Israel.
C. The Jewish people are scattered all over the world. In 1968 the distribution of Jews was as follows:
2,500,000 in Palestine; over 5,000,000 in U.S.A.; 2,500,000 in Soviet Union; Communities of near
100,000 to be found in Britain, France, Romania, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco and South Af-
rica (See The New Israel Atlas, by Zev Vilnay, pp. 10-11).

IV. THE REMNANT WAS RESTORED TO THE LAND.

A. Israel was to be scattered but they could return to the land if obedient (Dt. 30:1-11).
B. The prophets said that a remnant would return (Isa. 10:20-25), after 70 years (Jer. 29:10-14).
C. The remnant did return from Babylonian exile under Joshua and Zerubbabel in 536 B. C. (2 Chron.
36:23; Ezra 1:3; 9:6-15). A second group returned under Ezra in 458 B. C.
CONCLUSION:
The Jews stand as a monument to the fact that God has spoken in His Word. The history of Israel was fore-
told in minute detail.

This outline is copied, with minor revisions, from Introduction to Christian Evidences, by Ferrell Jenkins,
pp. 9596.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 24

Babylon in Prophecy
Isaiah 13:1722; Jeremiah 5051

INTRODUCTION:
The city of Babylon was one of the great cities of the ancient world. Babylons greatest king,
Nebuchadnezzar, described his city: Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom
by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? (Dan. 4:30). The city of Babylon covered an area
of about 200 square miles on both sides of the Euphrates River. There were 17 miles of walls wide enough for
chariots to pass on top of them. There were 250 towers on the walls and 8 gates, the most famous of which was
the Ishtar gate. Babylon had a ziggurat with a temple of Marduk on top of it, a great procession street, and a
network of canals. The hanging gardens were considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The
Babylonian empire, of which the city was capital, maintained world supremacy between 626 and 539 B.C.
The greatness and power of ancient Babylon can be appreciated by studying the archaeological remains
relating to the empire which are now housed in the British Museum. The best preserved and most impressive
monuments are to be seen in the Vorderasiastisches Museum (Museum of the Near East) on Museum Island in
East Berlin. The Ishtar Gate and the Procession Street are reconstructed there.

I. BABYLON IN PROPHECY.
Read Isa. 13:17-22; Jer. 5051.
Dates: Isaiah, 740700 B.C.; Jeremiah, 627585 B.C.
A. Babylon was to be completely overthrown and to be as Sodom and Gomorrah. It does not say that it
will be destroyed in the same way. The destruction would be complete. The Medes were to defeat the
Babylonians (Isa. 13:17-19).
B. Babylon was never to be inhabited or dwelt in from generation to generation (Isa. 13:20-22; Jer.
50:39).
C. The Arab will refuse to pitch his tent there (Isa. 13:20).
D. The shepherds will not make their flocks to lie down there (Isa. 13:20).
E. Wild beasts of the desert shall lie down there (Isa. 13:21-22).
F. The city to become as heaps (Jer. 51:37). Foundation stones of the ruined city would not be used in
other places (Jer. 51:26).
Note: It was in the midst of Babylon that God promised a kingdom which would never be destroyed
(Dan. 2:44).

II. THE PROPHECIES FULFILLED.

A. In the year 539 B.C., Cyrus the Mede captured the city of Babylon without even breaking down the
walls.
1. The Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484 c.425 B.C.) reports that Cyrus had his men to divert the
water which flowed under the city walls around the city. The invaders then went in under the city
wall and surprised the Babylonians who were having a drunken party (Herodotus. i. 191).
2. The Cyrus Cylinder (found by Hormudz Rassam, c. 1879) records Cyrus account of the Persian
conquest of Babylon.
3. The Persians made their capital at Babylon for a while, but by the end of the 5th century B.C. there
was a decline in the interest of Babylon. The Persians had capitals at Persepolis and Susa
(Shushan of the Bible).
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 25

B. Alexander the Great came to Babylon in 331 B.C. and was acclaimed by the Persian officers still
there. He set to work restoring temples. He intended to make Babylon the capital of a new commer-
cial empire and to build a port there. None of it, however, was to be. Alexander died at Babylon in
the grip of some sudden and mysterious disease in June of B.C. 323, after twelve years of rule and a
mere thirty-two years of life (Francis E. Peters, The Harvest of Hellenism: A History of the Near
East from Alexander the Great to the Triumph of Christianity, p. 54). In 272 B.C., Antiochus I built a
new capital at Seleucia some 40 miles north of Babylon on the Tigris River.
C. The Parthians: the appearance on the scene of the Parthians (124 B.C.) accelerated the decline
and stripped the city of her substance. The last mention of Babylon occurs on a tablet dating from 10
B.C. Her monuments had perished (Andr Parrot, Babylon and the Old Testament, p. 148).
D. What is Babylon like today?
1. Babylon is one of the most desolate ruins that I have ever visited, even though archaeologists have
done much work there.
2. Many ancient historians and travelers have spoken of the desolation at Babylon (Strabo, Dio
Cassius, et.al).
3. Many travelers of the 15th and 16th century A.D. thought the city of Babylon lay elsewhere
(Wiseman, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, I:390).
4. The most significant archaeological work was carried out by Germans under the direction of Rob-
ert Koldewey, 1899-1917. Werner Keller explains that the German archaeologists had to clear
away over a million cubic feet of rubble before they exposed part of the temple of
Mardukalone (The Bible as History, p. 299).
5. Edward Chiera, who excavated at Nuzi in 1927 and at Khorsabad in 1928, 29, wrote a letter in
which he described Babylon at that time. Here are a few excerpts:
On all sides is desertThe large network of canalsis now represented by a series of small
mounds of dirt, running in all directions. Even the Euphrates has abandoned this land by changing
its courseThe sun has just now disappeared and a purple sky smiles, unmindful of this scene of
desolation
A dead city. I have visited Pompeii and
Ostia, and I have taken walks along the
empty corridors of the Palatine. But those The Ishtar Gate
cities are not dead; they are only tempo- at Babylon
rarily abandoned Here only is real
death. Not a column or an arch still stands
to demonstrate the permanency of human
work. Everything has crumbled into
dust
Under my feet are some holes which have
been burrowed by foxes and jackalsIt is
beginning to be really dark, and the plain-
tive song of the Arab has ceased. Nothing
breaks the deathly silence (They
Wrote on Clay, pp. xi-xv).
6. H. V. Morton, who wrote so many travel-
ogues, spoke of Babylon in 1938: And as
we wandered over the lonely mounds, si-
lent except for the hum of the wild bee and
the hornet, I thought how literally Isaiahs
prophecy of the fall of Babylon had been
fulfilled. It is, indeed, overthrown as God
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 26

The broad walls of Babylon have been utterly broken, as Jeremiah prophesied; her gates
have been burned with fire; the city has indeed become an astonishment and an hissing with-
out an inhabitant. The words of Jeremiah have become literally true; the city is in heaps
(Through Lands of the Bible, p. 77).
7. It is true that the Arab will not pitch his tent in Babylon nor make his sheep to lie down there. This
is especially interesting when compared with the prophecy of Nineveh: and flocks shall lie down
in the midst of her (Zeph. 2:14). When I visited Babylon there were no sheep there, but at
Nineveh I saw many sheep grazing atop the ruins of that once great city.

III. SUMMARY OF THE FULFILLMENT.

A. The Medes did come up against Babylon. The city has become as Sodom and Gomorrah.
B. Babylon has not been inhabited or dwelt in for more than 2,000 years. Modern attempts of the Iraqi
government to reconstruct some of the buildings at Babylon for the benefit of tourists in no way ne-
gates this prophecy.
C. The Arab does not pitch his tent there.
D. The shepherd does not bring his flocks to Babylon.
E. Wild beasts have been there where kings and queens once walked.
CONCLUSION:
God has indeed spoken! The ruins at Babylon stand as a silent monument to the fact that the Bible is the
word of God.

Suggested Reading:Some recent special works on Babylon include:

Gerald A. Larue, Babylon and the Bible.
Andre Parrot, Babylon and the Old Testament.
Edwin Yamauchi, Greece and Babylon.
If the student would like to read the ancient documents, such as the Cyrus cylinder, etc., he should use the
following works:
James B. Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near East Texts Relating to the Old Testament (ANET).
(ed.), The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament (ANEP).
D. Winton Thomas, Documents from Old Testament Times (DOTT).

This outline is copied, with minor revisions, from Introduction to Christian Evidences, by Ferrell Jenkins,
pp. 103105.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 27

Nineveh in Prophecy
Isaiah 10:1214; Zephaniah 2:1315; Nahum

INTRODUCTION:
The ruin of Nineveh is located 293 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq, near the city of Mosul on the banks of the
Tigris River. Nineveh was occupied as early as about 4500 B.C., but rose to its greatest significance as the
capital of the Assyrian Empire. Middle Assyrian kings, Shalmaneser I and Tukulti-Ninurta I, enlarged and
fortified the city, and it became, along with Ashur and Calah, one of the main centers of royal administration
(D. J. Wiseman, Nineveh, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, IV:442).
Tiglath-pileser I (c. 11141076 B.C.), Ashurnasirpal II (883859), and Sargon II (722705) built their
palaces there. Sennacherib (705-681) built Nineveh on a grander scale. He said I have turned the city into a
residence which gleams like the sun (Zondervan Pictorial Bible Atlas, p. 353). He built and fortified seven
miles of walls. Nineveh was the most influential city of its time. The Lord called Nineveh that great city (Jo-
nah 1:2). After Sennacherib failed to capture Jerusalem he returned to Nineveh (2 Kings 19:36-37).
Ashurbanipal (grandson of Sennacherib) (669633 B.C.) built another royal palace which surpassed his
grandfathers house in splendor. The library of Ashurbanipal, containing some 10,000 different cuneiform
texts, was discovered by Rassam, 1852-53.
Much is known of the city of Nineveh and of the militarily strong Assyrian Empire. We have access to the
annals and Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, the Prism of Sennacherib, and other contemporary documents
and monuments.
Austen Henry Layard, an Englishman, working under a commission from the trustees of the British Mu-
seum, excavated the palace of Sennacherib beginning in 1847.

I. NINEVEH IN PROPHECY.
Read Isa. 10:12-14; Zeph. 2:13-15; book of Nahum.
Dates: Isaiah, 740700 B.C.: Zephaniah, c. 625 B.C.; Nahum, c. 625612 B.C.
A. The great and flourishing city to be destroyed.
B. To be captured when its rulers were drunken (Nahum 1:10; 3:11).
C. Destruction to be total (Nah. 1:9). The Assyrian threat would not rise up a second time against Judah.
The wound was grievous (Nah. 3:19).
D. The flooding of the river to be a factor in the overthrow of the city (Nah. 1:8; 2:6).
E. Fire associated with the overthrow (Nah. 2:13; 3:13).
F. To become a desolation and dry like a wilderness (Zeph. 2:13).
G. Shepherds to bring flocks to lie down there (Zeph. 2:14).
H. Those who passed by should hiss and wag the hand in amazement at the ruin of this city (Zeph. 2:15).

II. THE FULFILLMENT.

A. Nineveh fell in 612 B.C., under attack by the Babylonians, Scythians, and Medes. This information is
known from a Babylonian Chronicle (British Museum No. 21901). The Assyrian Empire fell in 605
B.C. at the battle of Carchemish.
B. The final siege lasted only three months, according to the Babylonian Chronicle.
The Middle East Conflict and the Bible 28

C. High flooding of the river assisted in the overthrow of Nineveh. The walls of Nineveh were made of
mud brick. Abnormally high spring floods caused breaches in the walls.
D. The Babylonian Chronicle says the victors carried off much spoil from the city and temple-area and
turned the city into a ruin-mound and heap of debris
E. The destruction of Nineveh was final. When Xenophon and his Ten Thousand Greeks fought their
way through the wilderness and mountains to the Black Sea (401/400 B.C.), they passed the ruins of
Nineveh but were not aware that some two centuries earlier the greatest city of the world had stood on
the site. Xenophon does not even mention Nineveh. An Englishman, Sir Anthony Shirley, journeyed
in the East at the close of the sixteenth century and observed, Nineveh, that which God Himself
calleth that great Citie, hath not one stone standing which may give meaning to the being of a town
(The Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands, pp. 38-39).
F. Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian of the first century B.C., left a record of the fall of Nineveh. Note
this summary of information:
1. The king of Assyria was unaware of his deteriorating military position.
2. He was over-aware of his victories against enemies.
3. He prepared a feast of animal and much wine and drinking for his soldiers (See I, B).
4. A prophecy was in the land which stated, No enemy will ever take Nimus by storm unless the
river shall first become the citys enemy.
5. The enemy continued the resistance for three years.
6. but after three years and heavy rains, the river, swelling wide, broke down a distance of the
city walls and flooded a portion of the city. The king panicked, believing the forementioned
prophecy had been completed. He gave up hope and ordered his kingly possessions as well as
concubines, etc. into a portion of his palace and sealing off that palace, burned the whole thing
down. The siegers, learning of the break in the wall, attacked this point, forcing entry into the city,
and took over as victors of the whole city. Arbaces [enemy general, FJ] was crowned its king and
given supreme authority (The work by Diodorus Siculus is in the Loeb Classical Library. This
section of material is quoted in McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, pp. 310-311) (See
I, D, E in the outline above).
G. Perhaps the most exciting thing about my visit to Nineveh was seeing the shepherds with their sheep
grazing on the ruins of this ancient world capital.
Note: Part of the description of the harlot Babylon in Revelation 18:7ff. is taken from the city of
Nineveh. Babylon and Tyre are likewise used to complete the symbol.
CONCLUSION:
The complete overthrow of Nineveh is another example of the fact that God has described history before
it happened. The Bible is the Word of God.

This outline is copied from Introduction to Christian Evidences, by Ferrell Jenkins, pp. 101102.
Please consult a good Bible atlas for exact locations, borders and terrain.
 Bible Study Materials by Ferrell Jenkins
The Early Church. First century Christianity as revealed in
the New Testament. Lessons identifying the unique charac-
teristics of the New Testament church. The 20 de- tailed les-
sons are grouped into six parts: The Early Church and the
Word; The Early Church Established and Described; The
Early Church: Its Organization and Workers; The Early
Church Assembled for Worship; The Early Church and
Daily Life; The Early Church, Church History and Today.
112 pgs. $4.95.
The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation. Old Testa-
ment background of the book of Revelation is examined in
detail. The place of Revelation in Apocalyptic literature is
considered as are the Old Testament books most frequently
used in Revelation. Descriptions of Christ, Titles of Deity,
and Old Testament Imagery are discussed. Bibliography
and index. This book has received favorable reviews in
many publications. Third printing. Highly acclaimed.
$5.95.
Studies in the Book of Revelation. Detailed outlines and
notes on the entire book of Revelation. Special material
dealing with introductory matters, the kingdom, Armaged-
don, and Revelation 20. Survey charts and a reading list are
included. Includes outlines on the letters to the seven
churches and a chapter which surveys the background of
Emperor worship in the Roman empire. Terminology which
was common to both emperor worship and the book of Rev-
elation is considered. Attractive new format. $3.95.
Did Domitian Persecute Christians? An exchange be-
tween Ferrell Jenkins and Arthur M. Ogden. Background
material for the date of the book of Revelation. $1.95.
Better Things A Workbook on Hebrews. An adult
workbooks on the New Testament. The lessons include
questions to answer and extra work/discussion questions.
The text of the New American Standard Bible is conve-
niently printed with each lesson. $3.95.
Gods Eternal Purpose A Workbook on Ephesians.
This adult workbook of 13 lessons includes study helps and
the NASB text in addition to questions. $3.95.
Biblical Authority. Practical lessons to guide the Bible stu-
dent in determining, understanding and applying Biblical
authority. A needed study. Attractive format. $2.95.
The Finger of God. A study of the Holy Spirit in eleven de-
tailed outlines dealing with the Godhead, the Deity of the
Holy Spirit, Jesus, apostles, gifts, conversion, indwelling of
the Spirit, the completed revelation, blasphemy, and emo-
tionalism. Attractive new format. $2.95.
Let Not Man Put Asunder. The Biblical teaching on Mar-
riage, Divorce, and Remarriage is set forth in these outlines.
Several contrary views are examined.
Introduction to Christian Evidences. This book contains
39 detailed and documented outlines on evidences of Chris-
tianity. Lessons cover Introduction, Theism, the Bible, Ful-
filled Prophecy, Jesus Christ, and the Resurrection of
Christ. Suggested readings included for each lesson. This is
an excellent book to help build and strengthen faith. Revised
edition. $12.50.
The Theme of The Bible. Gods plan for the redemption of
man is presented in outline form as the theme of the Bible.
This book has been widely used in classes. It covers topics
such as God, creation, man, the promises to Abraham, the
throne of David, blood, Jesus Christ, the church, future
events in the scheme of redemption, the covenants, and the
plan of salvation. Chronological chart included. Revised
edition. $4.95.
The Mid-East Conflict and the Bible. Answers to the fol-
lowing questions: Is the return of the Jews to Palestine in
fulfillment of Biblical prophecy?; Why do the Arabs hate Is-
rael?; Will Babylon be rebuilt?; What does Biblical proph-
ecy say about Israel, Babylon and Nineveh?; Does God use
nations to serve His purpose?; When and how will the na-
tions turn their swords into plowshares? $3.95.
Between the Testaments. The important four hundred si-
lent years between the Old and New Testaments are dealt
with in this material. Helpful in understanding the New Tes-
tament. Deals with Persian, Greek, and Roman history as it
pertains to the Jews. The Herods, synagogue, Samaritans,
development of the sects, and intertestamental literature
such as Apocrypha and Dead Sea Scrolls are also discussed.
[Out of print; in process of revision and enlargement. Some
copies available. Contact bookstore.]
Let Not Man Put Asunder. The Biblical teaching on Mar-
riage, Divorce, and Remarriage is set forth in these outlines.
Several contrary views are examined.
Charts on Institutionalism and the Sponsoring Church.
These charts were prepared for use in discussions on the is-
sues which brought division within the church during the
past few decades.
A Tribute to Melvin D. Curry, Jr. A festschrift to Curry on
the occasion of his retirement from teaching at Florida Col-
lege. Essays on Biblical studies, apologetics, church his-
tory, doctrinal studies, and sermons by former students and
colleagues. Hardcover, 324 pgs. $18.95.
Order From:
Florida College Bookstore
1-800-423-1648 or 813 985-9555
Visit the Biblical Studies Info Page
http://biblicalstudies.info
03/13/03