Four World Powers Revealed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

While visiting as a volunteer news journalist at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I stood before this captivating specimen knowing that more than 2,600 years ago Daniel and his three companions Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, could have viewed this same piece of art. It was previously a portion of Babylon's grandest entrance as stated in the publication Babylon-City of Wonders. "Clad entirely in deep blue glazed bricks and bedecked with relief images of hundreds of marching bulls and dragons. Reliefs of striding lions flanked the Processional Way which ran through the Ishtar Gate."." Some historians claim it was one of King Nebuchadnezzar's most famous achievements. Babylon was an exalted city that worshiped the false god Marduk. The king's lack of humility and love for the true God, enable him to seize Jerusalem and forcibly capture the Jews and bring them into exile in Babylon. The ruler of this city was truly a rebel against the true God Jehovah and his people. Babylon, a world power that was emboldened to challenge Almighty God by capturing his people but was later defeated by the Persians and today, has been completely annihilated.

Due to #Coronavirus the museum is closed. Anthony Mason of CBS This Morning television show had this compelling statement about the museums closing, “The Metropolitan Museum of Art the country’s largest museum. ‘We typically have up to 20,000 visitors a day this time of year,’ explained Daniel Weiss president and CEO of the Met.’ Anthony laughed and asked, Has it ever been like this before? Daniel said, ‘We have closed in moments of crisis, snowstorms and 911 for a few day but never like this.’ Anthony asked, What‘s it like to walk through this place being in charge of it? Daniel went on to express, ‘l’ve gotta say in this moment it is very eerie to walk through the museum in the middle of the day with the light shining through the windows and the objects looking magnificent and no one there. Total silence just me. It is not entirely a comfortable feeling. Anthony explained that, Weiss said the earliest the museum will reopen is July but likely later. Anthony also asked, Are you expecting when you do reopen that things will go back to normal quickly? Weiss stated, No. My own sense is that we will never see that normal again.’” I agree with Weiss, this #pandemic continues to claim victims even magnificent historical structures such as the Met.

My Pre Pandemic Tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The numerical order of these world powers is not what is relevant. The point of this article is to show how residents of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia defied their Grand Creator and is no longer in existence today based on their decisions. Carefully, notice how each world power was not only powerful militarily at the time but some residents had their own religious beliefs based on false worship, with elements of triad gods and human sacrifice. Culturally, each world power had magnificent structures that were exalted to the heavens. Enemies were always in pursuit of each world power's destruction, thus creating constant wars. Their self-exaltation and defiance of #Jehovah brought each of them to destruction. What can we learn from their decisions and experiences? What we don't acknowledge and learn from, we will continue to relive in a positive or negative way.

Assyria was another world power that was exhibited in #The Metropolitan Museum of Art. An empire that also had a close relationship with Babylon, although its residents were described as, "more energetic and aggressive." Their cruelty was considered to be one of the most violent empires in history. Sarab Uoysif, visited the museum the same day I visited and she expressed how "I wanted to see Mesopotamia because it is our history." Sarab, moved here in 2008 although her family has been here in the United States for more than fifty years. She explained how her mother is Chaldean and her father Assyrian. "They were warriors. There was a lot of bloodsheds committed by my people. The religious upheaval also still exist." Sarab also expressed how Assyrians still reside in areas north of Iraq and Iran. A sadness overcame her as Sarab humbly described how "Iraq was great. Everything has changed. Women were once free to be pilots, judges, and doctors. Everything now is done through religion. Everything is different from before. Women cannot drive cars. Their place is to take care of the home."

Ruins within the museum showed that Assyrians worshiped a triad god named Asshur. The publication Insight On The Scriptures, volume 1, page 202 described how, "One seal, found by A.H. Layard in the ruins of an Assyrian palace and now preserved in the British Museum, represents the god Asshur with three heads. The belief in triads of gods as well as that of a pentad, or five gods, was prominent in Assyrian worship." Secular history proves how the capital city of Assyria was Nineveh, which was infiltrated by Noah's great-grandson Nimrod, "a mighty hunter" and known rebel against Jehovah. (Genesis 10:8-12, 11:1-9) The volatile history of this once powerful nation was previously the homeland of Sarab's forefathers, had "an ignominious end." This brutal and violent world power called Assyria, defied the true God, was defeated by Babylon and today is heaps of ruins that no longer exist.

Ruins from the Medo-Persian empire was also displayed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Medes were located "on the Iranian Plateau from about the middle of the second millennium B.C.E. onward." They were known for their excellent breeding of horses, cattle, sheep, courier services and royal highways which their enemies, the Assyrians sought. The Persian army led by King Cyrus seized the Median capital. Additional research based on (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. Pritchard, 1974, p.305) mentions that "From this point forward Media merges with Persia to form the #Medo-Persian Empire." The ascendancy of Cyrus was foretold by God at Isaiah 8:28, "...who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose';" He was later used to fulfill that prophecy with the destruction of Babylon. The combination of Median and Persian Empire was also foretold by Jehovah's prophet in the book of Daniel 8:20, "As for the ram which you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia." Clearly, Almighty God had the ability then to intervene in the affairs of world powers to work in harmony with his will and purpose, especially when his people were held in captivity. Both Media and Persia had powerful military forces but they were eventually conquered by Alexander the Great. The Median-Persian Empire both served false gods such as Ahura Mazda and Mithra, a god of war. Once again a joint empire that disregarded their service to the true God and his warnings. Today, there are no such world powers as Media or Persia.

Finally, one of the grandest world powers of all was #Egypt. Ruled by both male and female governments. This once powerful nation also enslaved Almighty God's people. Egypt's residents were descendants of Ham. A culture whose economy really depended on the Nile River and the way that it flowed. An agriculturally enriched culture with main crops such as wheat, barley, and flax. There was an abundance of vineyards, date, fig and pomegranate trees. Their vegetable gardens provided the best source of products such as cucumbers, garlic, leeks, watermelons, and onions. When a famine occurred in lands surrounding Egypt, Jehovah allowed Joseph the son of Jacob, to go to Egypt as a source of salvation for God's people. Eventually, Jehovah's people continued to increase in numbers and were enslaved by the Egyptians after the death of Joseph. Now, it was only through God's salvation that his people would be set free from slavery.

The role of the gods in Egypt was vital. Volume 1, of Insight On The Scriptures, page 689 explains, "Frequently the god was represented as married to a goddess who bore a son, 'thus forming a divine triad or trinity in which the father, moreover, was not always the chief contenting himself on occasion with the role of prince consort, while the principal deity of the locality remained the goddess. (New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, 1968, p.10) The Pharaoh reigning at the time was even believed to be a god himself. Egypt had hundreds of gods or deities that they worshiped. The most popular was the trinity or triad of Osiris, Isis (his wife), and Horus (his son). Then there were the 'cosmic' gods headed by Ra, the sun-god, and including gods of the moon, sky, air, earth, the river Nile and so forth." It took tremendous courage and faith in Jehovah for such servants as Moses and Aaron to stand before Pharaoh, to proclaim God's purpose, as he looked down upon them and asked, "Who is Jehovah so that I should obey his voice?" Exodus 5:2, (#New World Translation of the HOLY SCRIPTURES).

The Egyptian culture was truly filled with magic and superstition but no respect for the true God. They worshiped animals and lacked spiritual and moral conviction. The ten plagues were an embarrassment to their gods and priesthood, still, this did not humble them to serve Jehovah. Eventually, the death of Egypt's firstborn and Israel's Exodus did not soften their hearts, into the realization that there was a true God; who was much more powerful than anything they had seen or dealt with. Eventually, Egypt was conquered by Babylon, Persia, and Alexander the Great. The defeat of Egypt proved that their Pharaohs were not gods but ordinary men. They should have put that faith in their Heavenly Father, who would have been r salvation for its residents. The world power of Egypt, with its numerous gods and mighty military forces, eventually had to submit and acknowledge, the true source of power which comes from our #Almighty Creator Jehovah God. Today, the world power of Egypt exists no more. What a tremendous lesson for us today.

Lessons We Can Learn Today from these Previous World Powers

What can we learn from the existence of these four previous powerful world powers? Is there a force much more powerful than anything a man can create in the form of a government? Mankind has tried for thousands of years to bring about a government that would supersede what our Heavenly Father wanted for us. Jesus, while on earth taught us to pray for a kingdom that would rid the earth of our problems based on the Lord's Prayer at Matthew 6:10, where it stated, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." (The Holy Bible Revised Standard Version) Do we understand what we are praying for which is God's will to occur on earth under the same kind of conditions that exist in heaven which is peaceful, under the direction of Our Grand Creator? In order to know what God's direction is, we would have to read and try to understand what is required of us, based on what the Bible teaches. Sure, many could say there are so many versions of the Bible and false teachers that it can get confusing. Remember, God cannot lie and he said there would be, ". . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all." We must also ask ourselves, whether we are repeating history through disobedience to God as discussed in the previous world powers of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medeo-Persia? Have you discovered who your Grand Creator really is? Do you really know what he requires of you as an individual servant? Love should exist within your heart for all nations, that would never allow you to harm anyone, regardless of race, creed or religious beliefs.

What could we learn from the previous world powers that no longer exist? Will, we one day be a world power that existed but due to our disobedience to Jehovah, we were annihilated as well? Think about it, only we can answer these questions for ourselves individually. Does your life sound similar to the world powers discussed in this article? If so, will you be a part of history that is nonexistent in the future? Only you can answer these questions. Do not get caught up in the environment and its politics but what is your personal relationship with God? In the end, it can be life or death in the future based on your obedience or disobedience toward our Grand Creator, who is the judge of all mankind in the end.

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For Free Home Bible Studies to learn more about God's new government or obtain more information on these previous world powers go to www.jw.org