Genesis chapter 10. I am going
to read the first 10 verses and take my text tonight from verses
8 through 10. The title of my message is The
Profane Tyrant. Genesis chapter 10. Now these
are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And unto them were sons born
after the flood, the sons of Japheth was Gomer, and Magog,
and Mediah, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshach, and Tyrus, and the
sons of Gomer, Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah, and the
sons of Javan, Elisha, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodonim. By these
were the Isles of the Gentiles divided into their lands, every
one after his own tongue, after their families and their nations,
The sons of Ham were Cush, and Mizraim, and Fut, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Sheba,
and Havilah, and Saba, or Sabta, and Ramah, and Saptika, and the
sons of Ramah, Sheba, and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod. He began
to be a mighty man, or a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty
hunter before the Lord. Wherefore it is said, even is
Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. and the beginning of
His kingdom was Babel, and Eric, and Akkad, and Chalnae, in the
land of Shinar. Let us pray. Our Father, we come
in the blessed name and perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ
the Lord, who by His shed blood bought His people back from their
sinful condition, put away their sin by the sacrifice of Himself,
and with his death satisfied the law's demands. Being made
a curse for them, for cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree,
he fully and completely accomplished their salvation and set them
in a right and perfect standing before a holy God. We praise
you beyond what we can. We thank you from the bottom
of our hearts that you undertook to do this for us. For we would
have never even asked for it, and never even considered it.
Wouldn't have been on our map at all, Father. But you, in your
great goodness and kindness, interrupted our career, intervened
on our behalf, and with your blood, purchased us. Thank you. Father, we pray for those who
are sick. Remember those who are not well. Father, we ask
your blessings upon them for Robert and for Wayne and for
Ethel and for Peggy Lambert. We'll remember Brother Steve
as he's recuperating from this eye operation that you give him
a quick healing. Pray for Debbie and Sarah and
Chris and the kids. Ask Lord your help for them.
Watch over me as I travel, Father, and bring me safely home to the
people. Help us Lord to worship you tonight as we consider the
greatness of your person. In the name of Jesus Christ we
pray, Amen. Now in this passage we are introduced
to a character that is ultimately tied to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the originator of all false
religion that encompasses all that is against God and the religion
that in the end will be annihilated by the Word of God coming from
the Lord's mouth when He returns Babylon the Great is where this
Babylon the Great began right here with this man named Nimrod
and that monstrous religion will seduce many nations of people
and it begins here in chapter 10 of Genesis with a single man
a son of Ham, a grandson of Ham, whose name is Nimrod. His name
and how he is described tells us much about his character and
his pursuits. His name means valiant and rebellious. Valiant and rebellious. When
we read the phrase, he began to be a mighty man in the earth,
he began to be That word means, that phrase means he profaned
something. He profaned something, which
suggests that rather being a great man for good, he profaned what
a great man should be. The description as him of a mighty
one in the earth comes from the root word meaning tyrant. He
was a valiant, proud, tyrannical rebel. That's what he was. The
Jewish encyclopedia describes Nimrod as he who made all the
people rebellious against God. He is also called a mighty hunter
before the Lord, but here again that language is important. The
word before has nothing to do with position or location or
proximity, but rather with attitude. It really means if you would
put it into modern-day vernacular, in your face. in your face, and
speaks to the overt pride and rebellion that he did in God's
face, in the face of God. He was not only a hunter of beasts,
but he was a hunter of men, and by all accounts, historically,
he was a great and astute politician. Now this is the man who, with
his descendants, would settle in the place that would later
be named Babel, where God confused the tongues. that was located
in a valley where the land of Shinar, that's where the tower
was built, and would later be where Nebuchadnezzar would raise
and erect a 90 foot tall golden tower, where Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego would refuse to worship his false god, his golden
tower, and they would be cast into the fire. And while Nebuchadnezzar
looked into the fire to three young men, he saw a fourth one
there, And He says it appears to be as the Son of Man. It was. It was the Lord Jesus
Christ who was in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
And He saved them. And what this tells us about
this religion is that it was founded by Nimrod. Founded by
Nimrod. And its place of worship stayed
the same throughout the Old Testament. Shinar. Later became Mesopotamia. Became Babylon and then Mesopotamia. and his influence carries on
to this day among all who would dare to reach heaven by the works
of their own hand and by their own doing. Nimrod is said to
be a king. This is the first mention of
a kingdom in scripture is the kingdom of which Nimrod was the
king. It says he was a hunter before
the Lord. Wherefore it is said even as
Nimrod and the beginning of his kingdom the beginning of his
kingdom. He is a pre-incarnate counterfeit
of the Lord who alone is king of kings and a great high priest.
Nimrod was also a priest in this religion. And this religion is
well defined in chapter 11 and we will see that with the building
of the Tower of Babel. Nimrod died. It does not record
his death in the scripture. But Nimrod died and history records
that his body was cut in pieces and sent to different areas in
his kingdom, which was a practice that was sometime employed in
the Middle East. According to Judges chapter 19,
the Jews employed it in certain cases. In Judges 19 and verse
29 it says, And when he was coming to the house, he took a knife
and laid hold of his concubine and divided her together with
her bones into twelve pieces and sent them to the coasts of
Israel. It says the same thing in 1 Samuel
chapter 11 and verse 7. It comes as a threat. 1 Samuel chapter 11 and verse 7
it says, And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces,
and sent them throughout all the coast of Israel by the hands
of messengers, saying, Whoso cometh not forth after Saul and
after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear
of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
So this was a practice, and that was said what happened to Nimrod.
Whether it actually happened to him is not known. It is not
known, but we do know this, that he died. That he died. And we know this, his religion
did not die with him. His religion remained. And it
was carried on by his widow. His widow. And later it was embraced
by so-called Christianity. to this day carries on many of
the practices and exhibits much of its symbolism under the guise
or the name of Christianity. Now the one who propagated and
enlarged Nimrod's religion was his widow. Her name was Semiramis. Semiramis. She was his queen. She declared that Nimrod was
the sun god. And they began to worship Nimrod
under the name of Baal. One of the names which he was
called was Baal. One of the names by which she
was later called was Ashtoreth. We get our word Easter from that. Sometimes after Nimrod's death
and his promotion to deity because she made him a god. She said
he's the sun god. We've got to worship Nimrod.
We've got to worship Baal. About several years after he
died, Semiramis showed up pregnant. She got pregnant. She was a whore.
She was a whore. She got pregnant. She told all
who would hear that the sun god, Bayal, Nimrod, had visited her
and impregnated her. And she bore a son and she claimed
that the child born to her was the son of God. All this sound
familiar to you? Claimed to be the Son of God.
The incarnation of the Sun God, Nimrod. No doubt she knew of
the prophecy in Genesis 3.15 that the Lord made to the serpent
when He said, A woman's seed shall bruise your head, and you
shall bruise its heel. She claimed her son was the Messiah. The seed of woman. Another counterfeit. Her son was named Tammuz. And
his symbol was the cross. His symbol was the cross. The
cross of Tammuz is sometimes called a Tau if it has a circle
on the top, which is the origin of the halo that you see in pictures. But later it became a simple
plus sign that all his priests wore on their headband and their
clothing and their He was a pagan, it was a pagan
religious symbol and it always has been. People wear the cross
today as if it was a religious symbol of Christianity, but it's
not. When the Spaniards came into Mexico, among the Incas,
they found a cross in one of the temples that predated Christ
by 900 years. It was always a religious symbol
and this is where it started. Not on Calvary. It started with
Tammuz and was later adopted by Christianity as a religious
symbol. It was a pagan religious symbol
and that long preceded the cross of Christ. But it was adapted
by Christianity as a religious symbol and men still wear it
today and women do too. And also the symbols of Tammuz
were ritual fires, candles, rosary beads, halos, fish, see them
fish on the back of people's cars, and all manner of beasts. Well
that was predicted and it was said to be the mind of the carnal
mind by Paul in Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 verse 21 it says, Because that
when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. That means they
knew of God, they knew He was the Creator, they knew that He
was the Sovereign God, but they wouldn't glorify Him like that.
They glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful So
if they weren't thankful, that means they were looking to themselves
for what needed to be done, because when a person is thankful, it's
because somebody has done something for them, not that they've done
something for themselves. Neither were they thankful, but
became vain or empty in their imaginations, remember? What
was the cause of the flood was the thoughts and imaginations
of men's heart was evil continually. And after the flood, the same
thing, thoughts and imaginations of men's heart were evil from
their youth and their foolish heart was darkened. And they
changed the glory of the incorruptible, the uncorruptible God into an
image made like a corruptible man. then to birds, then to four-footed
beasts, and then to creeping things. They made gods out of
every little thing. Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts, to
dishonor their own bodies between themselves." So this is the beginnings
of the end of reprobation. Many years later, at the bottom
of Sinai, while Moses was up receiving the commandments from
the Lord, the people got all hasty and upset, and they wanted
a God to lead them back to Egypt. So they took off their earrings
and their bracelets, and they cast it into a pot and smelted
gold, and they made a golden calf. And that golden calf that
Aaron built at the base of Sinai, and he named it Elohim, which
is the name of God, that was one of the symbols of Tammuz,
the son of Nebron. So this religion is permeating
and remember that God set against Israel in the wilderness over
and over again and they even believe that possibly they carried
one of these statues into the promised land. He said against
Israel worship of who? Baal and Ashtoreth. They were worshipping. They said
they were worshipping God, but it already incorporated the worship
of Baal and Semiramis into their worship. And that's the way it
was. It was not only Tammuz, the son
of God, that was worshipped. Semiramis was also worshipped
as the mother of God. and was the beginning of the
Madonna and Child that is so big in religion today. That type
of Divine Mother Goddess permeated the religions of the world. It's
all over the world. From Asia to Europe to India,
when the tongues were confused at Babel, Semiramis and Tammuz
simply adopted different names because of different language.
But she was worshipped as the Mother Goddess, often pictured
or in a statue form as the Mother and Child. In China, she was
Xing Mu with her son. In ancient Germany, she was Hertha
with her son. The Druids called her Virgo Paritura
with her son. In India, she was Indari or Devaki
and Krishna. In Asia, she was Sibeli and her
son was Dioyus. In Egypt, she was Isis. and her
son was Horus, and that's just to name a few. All you have to
do is get out your iPad, now you don't need an encyclopedia,
and start looking this up, and you'll find picture after picture
after picture, drawing after drawing after drawing of these
mother goddesses and their sons, and they're all started at Babel,
when God confused the tongues, and they were still worshiping
Nimrod and Semiramis, and Tammuz, but simply under different names.
Simply under different names. So if you see Da Vinci's picture
of Madonna and Child, beautiful painting, that's Nimrod, or rather
Semiramis and Tammuz. That's who it is. That's who
it is. It permeated the world. This is the world's religion,
Babel is. This is the world's religion. Our Lord speaks of it in Scripture.
In Scripture, she is called Ashtoreth, the Queen of Heaven, she's called
in Jeremiah. And men are rebuked for worshipping
her. When Paul came to Ephesus, they had the Queen of Heaven
there. Also, her name was Diana, the Goddess Diana. She was a
woman with multiple breasts. And one statue of her is adopted
by Rome and said to be Mary. And she becomes a mediatrix,
someone to mediate between men and Christ. Now Christ is the
only mediator between men and God. But they say Mary is a mediator
between men and Jesus Christ. Because when Christ gets upset,
she takes him to her bosom and nurses him and calms him down
so he won't kill people. That's what she said. Where did
that start? It started with Nimrod and Semiramis. Tammuz in Rome she became Mary
and Jesus and various statues of the mother goddesses of other
religion were renamed Mary and Jesus and given the title of
Mediatrix and some the Pope that's there now calls her a co-redemptrix
which means that she aided in the redemption of men's souls. They're all Semiramis. They're
all Tammuz. the whorish widow of Nimrod,
whose religion is called in scripture the Great Whore Babylon. This is Nimrod. His introduction
for us is here in the 10th chapter of Genesis and the tower he will
endeavor to build will be in chapter 11. But this religion
is doomed for destruction. I want you to turn with me to
the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. chapter 18 I'm going to read a lengthy portion of
scripture but I want you to listen to how the Lord describes Mystery
Babylon and remember one of the titles one of the titles of the
Pope is Pontificus Maximus that literally means in the Latin
the keeper of the keys of Mystery Babylon that's what it literally
means So we know where he's at. He's still talking about the
mysteries of Babylon. That's why there's so much superstition
involved in that religion. Mysteries. Mysteries, symbols,
and sacraments, and things like that. So forth. They take the Lord's table and
make it into a mystery. Only the people can only eat
the bread, only the priest can drink the wine, and they say
the wine and the bread actually become the body, Corpus Christi,
the body of Jesus Christ and the blood of Jesus Christ actually
becomes those things. It's called transubstantiation.
Mystery, and they talk about it being a mystery. This is what
happens to the religion of this world. Babylon started with old
Nimrod right back here in Genesis chapter 10. Verse 18 of Revelation says,
And after these things I saw another angel come down from
heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with
his glory. It sounded like the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,
Babylon, the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the
habitation of devils. in the hold of every foul spirit,
in a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations
have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and
the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the
merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of
her delicacies. And I heard another voice from
heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers
of her sins, that ye receive not her plagues. For her sins
have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Reward her even as she rewarded you. And double unto her, double
according to her works, in the cup which she hath filled, fill
her to double how much she hath glorified herself. and live deliciously. So much torment and sorrow give
her, for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow,
and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come
in one day, death and mourning and famine, and she shall be
utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth
her. And the kings of the earth who
have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall
bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke
of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment,
saying, alas, alas, that great city of Babylon, that mighty
city, for in one hour is thy judgment come. The merchants
of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their
merchandise anymore. The merchandise of gold, and
silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen,
and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and thining wood, and all manner
of vessels of ivory, and manner of vessels of most precious wood,
and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors, and
ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour,
and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and
slaves, and souls of men, And the fruits that thy soul lusted
after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty
and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them
no more at all. And the merchants of these things,
which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off in fear
of her torment, weeping and wailing. and saying, alas, alas, that
great city that is clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, for in one
hour so great riches has come to naught. And every ship master
and all the company and ships and sailors and as many as trade
by sea stood afar off and cried when they saw the smoke of her
burning, saying, what city is like unto this great city? and
cast dust on their heads, and cried weeping and weighing, saying,
Alas, alas, that great city wherein we were made rich, all that the
ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness, for in one hour
is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, the Lord says
to his people, thou heaven and ye holy apostles and prophets,
for God hath avenged her on you. The mighty angel took up a stone
like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus
with violence shall this great city, great Babylon, be thrown
down and shall be found no more. The voice of harpers and musicians
and pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee.
And no craftsman of whatsoever craft, he be, shall be found
any more in thee. And the sound of the millstone
shall be heard no more in all of thee. And the light of the
candle shall shine no more in all of thee. And the voice of
the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more in all
of thee. And thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for
thy sorcerers were all nations deceived. And in her was found
the blood of prophets and of saints and of all that were slain
upon the earth. And after these things I heard
a great voice of much people in heaven saying, hallelujah,
salvation and glory and honor and power. unto the Lord our
God, for the true and righteous are His judgments. For He hath
judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her
fornication, and had avenged the blood of His servants at
her hand. And again they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke rose
up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders
and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat upon
the throne, saying, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. And a voice came
out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants,
and ye that fear Him, both small and great. And I heard, as it
were, the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters,
as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, hallelujah, for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. That started, and Cush begat Nimrod. He began
to be mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before
the Lord, where it is said, even as Nimrod, the mighty hunter
before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel. This is the character that started
the religion that is common to the world. Father, help us to
love you and seek to be thy people without the frills and the trappings
of useless religion. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.