Kingdom Builders

Kingdom Building Part 2 Kingdom Expansion

Gen. 14:1 "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; 2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. 7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar."

There was a time when Chedorlaomer, king of Elam had nine kingdoms or nations under his control. There came a time when five of those kings rebelled against the control and authority of Chedorlaomer. This set up a war between the four who remained with Chedorlaomer and the five who rebelled against him. Chedorlaomer was like Nimrod and Asshur before him a kingdom builder. He desired to have control of other people and to be considered a great king upon earth. Ultimately, people like him are really after world-wide dominance. This pattern carries throughout man's history.

A kingdom builder who has dominance does not easily give up that dominance against those who rebel against him. We are not told why the five kings rebelled, but there had to be something that they and their people did not like or agree with. This does not matter with a kingdom builder. Their desire is for world-wide conquest and they will stop at almost nothing including ruthless destruction of those who would oppose them.

The next thing we see about Kingdom builders, they use occasion of conflict or trouble to expand their kingdom. They justify this by saying such things as we need those lands to protect our borders against our enemies. Or these lands are strategic to the well being of the kingdom. Chedorlaomer used the conflict to expand his kingdom by moving against some of the kings and nations of people in the land of Canaan: "And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. 7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar." As you will notice the Rephaims, the Zuzims, the Emims, the Horites, the Amalekites, and the Amorites really had nothing to do with the conflict between the nine nations, but were just in the way of Chedorlaomer. He used the occasion of the conflict against the five nations who rebelled to smite their armies and enslave those people.

Part 3 The Head of the Kingdom Builders

Rev. 12:3 "And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads."

This second wonder that appeared in heaven (first heaven=Old Testament Age) was a great red dragon. The dragon is identified in v.9 "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world." The word, "dragon," comes from the Greek word, "drakon," meaning sea monster or sea serpent. This dragon appeared in the garden of Eden and deceived the woman and brought death upon all mankind. Six times in the Old Testament the word dragon appears. The dragon appeared to David in 1 Chr.21:1 "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." This dragon appeared against Job: Job 1:6 "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?" The dragon appeared as Lucifer in Is.14: 12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." The dragon appeared against Joshua the High Priest in Zec.3:1 "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" Besides these examples, there are many other times that the dragon is either portrayed as the serpent, or in types and shadows, or referred to as Satan in the Old Testament.

This dragon or sea monster is said to be red. The Greek word, "purrhos," means fire-like or flame-colored. This is probably where the idea of the flame breathing dragon comes from. As the dragon, he is the devourer, as the serpent, he is the murderer, as Satan, he is the deceiver, as the devil, he is the possessor. This great red dragon is said to have seven heads. Seven is the bible number of completion. Seven doesn't always appear as something good, but in this case it is showing the complete evil of the dragon. The head is the part of the body that controls, directs, and commands. In contrast to the dragon, the Lord is said to be the head over the church in the following verses:

    1. Eph. 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."
    2. Eph. 4:15 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"
    3. Col. 2:19 "And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."

We read in the book of Isaiah above where the dragon is an imitator when he said "I will be like the most High." The only way that Satan can be like the most high is as a mirror image. The image in the mirror is exactly the opposite of the object it is reflecting. For instance, the right eye in the mirror is reflecting the left eye of the object, etc. Whereas, the Lord is the Head of the church, the dragon is the head of everything that is evil. He is the head of organized crime, he is the head of false religion, false prophets, false teachers, false apostles, and false worship, he is the head of all corruption. He, however, is not the head of the Lord's church, or the head of those who worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. He is ever striving to become the head of these, however.

The dragon is said to have ten horns. Ten is the bible number of commandment. The commandments of the dragon are in direct opposition to the commandments of God. While the Lord said, "Thou shall have no other gods before me," the dragon leads in promoting and pressing for a multiplicity or diversity of gods. While the Lord said, "Thou shall make no graven images," the dragon promotes graven images. While the Lord said, "Thou shalt do no murder," the dragon is a murderer from the beginning. While the Lord's bride is said to be a virgin, the dragon's bride is a harlot and the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. The horn speaks of authority. The dragon has no lawful authority, but his authority comes from rebellion and what he can force upon others. It is unscriptural, unlawful authority.

The dragon is said to have seven crowns upon his head. This is indicative of his reign over the rulers of the darkness of this world. He is crowned with infamy, and blasphemy, and every evil work.