"The King of Babylon" and Why Jesus is Coming 
"At the Time Appointed"
By Jack L. Frost

In the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, verse 36, we have the following scripture: "But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only". There is a great confusion among the members in the body of Christ, as to when the Lord Jesus will come again. Many, including those who hold to the (pre-tribulation rapture) view or contend that because of what is written in Matthew 24:36, Jesus could come any day, any hour, any time.

What I wish to do here, is set forth a clear scriptural explanation of why this verse is given. God does not act haphazardly. The coming of the Lord is set for an "APPOINTED TIME", according to Dan. 8:19 And he said, "Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end [shall be]". (Dan. 11:27-35).

There is a reason for Jesus saying, "No man can know", but of that day and hour, no man can know. We are to understand according to Matthew 24:15 what we read. Matt. 24:15 "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)".

We are to understand that we are to SEE the "ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION".

This is the event that the body of Christ is to look for before Jesus can come again. How little understanding there is about this event.

We are to look for and expect the coming of Jesus Christ, but we are to understand that before Jesus can come, which is at the end of the world, or the end of the age, this event must take place. We are to understand the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION. Note the "Desolation", this is a singular event that will begin years of desolations, connective to the Jews and the city of Jerusalem.

Therefore, we need to know and understand the prophecy of Jeremiah Chapter 25, verses 11, 12, & 13: "And this whole land shall be a desolation, [and] an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years". [12] "And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, [that] I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolation’s. [13] And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, [even] all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations".

Now note: There are seventy years prophesied. Now note Daniel 9:1- 2 "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; [2] In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem".

Seventy years of desolations must come upon the whole land of Israel and these nations, which includes both Israel and nations, which includes both Israel and Judah, and as Daniel speaks in 9:2, the city of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is where the abomination of desolation prophesied in Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; and Luke 21:20 must occur. Luke 21:20 "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh". It is on the Temple site, the Most Holy site, the Holy place, where this event must and shall take place. The Holy place is mentioned in Mark 13:14.

The abomination of desolation, in order to fit within the context of scripture, has to occur under "THE KING OF BABYLON" in order for the seventy years of Desolations to be accomplished or fulfilled. This is an important point to remember and understand.

King Darius of the Medes was not "the king of Babylon". King Cyrus of Persia, that commanded the Jews to return and rebuild the second temple in Jerusalem was not "the king of Babylon". They were kings of the Media-Persian Empire that brought down the Babylonian Empire when Belshazzar was king, as revealed in Daniel Chapter 5. This is a very important point to remember.

These seventy rears of Desolations have to occur under "the king of Babylon" as Jeremiah’s prophecies specifically reveals. Therefore, the reign of Darius and Cyrus do not count and cannot be included under "the king of Babylon".

There were only six "kings of Babylon" who reigned over the Jews, the land, and the city of the Jews, and the Most Holy site of the Jews.

Nebuchadnezzar was the first "king of Babylon" who reigned over the Jews, their land, and their city. Then there were five successive kings who followed Nebuchadnezzar. These are the only kings that can be counted or included. Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, was the king of Babylon 21 years and did reign over the tribes of the house of Israel who were in captivity during his reign, but the Jews were not under Naboplassar’s reign. Then Nebuchadnezzar became king of Babylon in the year 604 BC, when his father Nabopolassar died.

He conquered Pharaoh-Necho at Carchemish on the Euphrates river, just before he became king of Babylon. He pursued Pharaoh-Necho south, to the river of Egypt, a water course (usually dry), that runs across southern Judah, and received word that his father, Nabopolassar had suddenly died, when he reached the water course.

Therefore, he lift off his personal pursuit of Pharaoh-Necho, did not go into Egypt at that time, but made a hasty move back across the desert to get to Babylon, with troops in order to claim the throne as "king of Babylon". This was in 604 BC.

After Nebuchadnezzar became king of Babylon, he then conquered Judah, the Jews, and Jerusalem, in 604 BC. This is where Daniel Chapter One takes place. This is where Jerusalem and the land first became desolate, and it continued until his death in 541 BC. Within that time period, at 587 or 586 BC, Jerusalem was destroyed.

Altogether, Nebuchadnezzar reigned forty-three years as "The King of Babylon". Then Evil Merodach, his son, succeeded him as king and reigned for only eighteen months (as revealed in Zondervan’s Pictorial Bible Dictionary). Then, Neriglisser, his son-in-law, reigned as "king of Babylon" for four years. He was succeeded by Evil Marduk, who reigned only nine months. Then, another son-in-law, Nabonadius, reigned two years. He was succeeded by his son Belshazzar, who was a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned for fifteen years. These are the only "KINGS OF BABYLON" that reigned over the Jews, the land of the Jews, the city of the Jews, and the Most HOLY site.

Compiling all of their years together as "the King of Babylon", you cannot find where they served seventy years. You can find where they served sixty-six years total, and three months, plus the days that cannot be numbered.

This is why the abomination of desolation MUST occur under "the king of Babylon" in order to fulfill the seventy years prophesied by Jeremiah. This is why no man can know that day and that hour, meaning the precise day and hour of the Lord’s return.

While the end is set for a "TIME APPOINTED", known only by the Father, as Jesus stated in Matthew 24:36, is because only the Father knows how many days and literal hours will be required for these seventy years to be accomplished.

Then Jesus Christ will HIMSELF bring down the beast, or "the king of Babylon" and punish the land of the Chaldeans as given in scripture. This is present-day Iraq. Jeremiah 25:12 "And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, [that] I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations". Jeremiah 25:13  And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, [even] all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations".

And how many days and weeks we cannot know. This is why the Great Tribulation is set to take place the last three and one half years of the seven year covenant; but remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24:21&22: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened".

Note: The word "shortened" in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Holy Bible is the Greek #2856 and means: numbered, docked or cut short.

NO WONDER that no man can know, but the Father ONLY!

One of the supposed reasons that the ancient King of Babylon could not be the beast or "First Beast" of Revelation chapter 13 is that he died in a right relationship with God. It is an assertion that, when thoroughly examined, is left without any Scriptural verification.

In the following paragraphs I am going to present three separate proofs that King Nebuchadnezzar never repented and turned to the God of Israel – Daniel’s God. Any one of these three proofs is sufficient in itself to deny the unfounded claim of many today who just cannot grasp the clear, provable, and non-contradictable Scriptural teaching that "that anti-christ" of 1 John 2:18 can be no other man or king who has ruled this earth once prior in history than the same Nebuchadnezzar, who this second and final time is resurrected by Almighty God from the dead.

This is how he will counterfeit the true Christ – Jesus of Nazareth – and deceive the whole world, except those who have their names written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 13:8).

This is why it is critical to search out every Scriptural and detail regarding the beast. This is your only way to keep from being deceived into taking "the mark of the beast".

I am under Divine obligation to prove all things as it is written in 1 Thessalonians 5:21; thus, I gladly set forth three proofs that King Nebuchadnezzar never repented and became obedient to the God of Daniel.

1. Nebuchadnezzar never confessed Daniel’s God as his own God.

Not once can anyone ever find in the Holy Scriptures where Nebuchadnezzar ever confessed with his own mouth. If he had truly repented he would have turned to the Living God – the King Immortal – with his whole being and no longer compromised the faith. More than once he would acknowledge Daniel’s God, but would never say "my God".

After his dream in chapter 2 was miraculously interpreted to and for him by Daniel, he yet returned to his pagan worship and built the idol of image of gold in chapter3, verse1.

After the miraculous deliverance in chapter 3 Shad-rach, Me-shach, and Abed-nego, and his seeing a fourth man "like unto the Son of God" (from the KJV, not the corrupted translation which reads "like unto a son of the gods" as the NIV, NASV, and NRSV render), Nebuchadnezzar returned right back again to his arrogance, pride, and self-worship, as it is recorded in Daniel chapter 4.

The point is upon through examination of the first four chapters of Daniel that there is not one single time or precept to be found where Nebuchadnezzar confessed with his mouth that the God of Israel was his personal God.

2 . Nebuchadnezzar did not release and free his captives.

He did not send them back to their land and their city, Jerusalem, and to their "most holy site" where the name of God is established forever.

If Nebuchadnezzar had truly repented and become a follower of the true and living God, he would have freed his slaves and allowed them to return to their land and holy site to rebuild and worship. He did not free them, but kept the Jews and the house of Israel captive.

3. Nebuchadnezzar would have torn down the temple of his false god, Nebo.

He would have also removed the vessels taken out of the house of God in Jerusalem because these vessels were dedicated to the name of the God of Israel. The vessels were still there the night Belshazzar and the Babylonian Empire fell.

This is the key to understanding the Name of Blasphemy that is given to the Seven Heads in Revelation 13:1.

Nebuchadnezzar is the only King of Babylon who obtained the Name of Blasphemy, which is another conclusive proof that he is the "First Beast" – "That Anti-Christ".