Hi Mike!
MM> Please identify this Nebchadnezzar person for me;
MM> I'm a bit historically-impaired... :-)
Nebuchadnezzar is Saddam Hussein's "role-model" -- Saddam not
only wishes to emulate Nebuchadnezzar & his greatness, he also
claims to be the apparent heir or successor to Nebuchadnezzar
(he claims to be a descendant). This is incredibly ironic --
I'll elaborate at the end of this...
Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest & most famed king of ancient
Babylon. He was a Biblical and historical figure known for
creating one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar's exploits are well-documented in the Biblical
books of 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and most notably in the book of Daniel.
Nebuchadnezzar was the king who initally took the Hebrews into
Babylonian captivity for a period of seventy years. He was the
king who cast Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-nego (friends of Daniel)
into the fiery furnace (they not only survived unscathed, their
survival compelled Nebuchadnezzar to praise the Hebrew God --
that praise was quickly forgotten as Nebuchadnezzar continued
in his wicked & arrogant ways).
Nebuchadnezzar was later struck by the L-RD with madness -- his
hair, beard, and nails grew long & he roamed like a wild animal
... even eating grass like an animal. This madness was visited
upon him for his arrogance & haughtiness towards G-d, & lasted
for seven long years.
At the end of the period of madness, when sanity returned to
Nebuchadnezzar, he not only genuinely thanked & praised G-d, he
actually became the first and ONLY non-Hebrew contributor to the
Old Testament: all of Daniel 4 was written by Nebuchadnezzar as
a first-person account of how G-d chose to afflict Nebuchadnezzar
with madness, his seven years of insanity, and how the L-RD then
delivered him... and it was all presented to worship & glorify
the G-d of the Hebrews who had humbled him... From then on, he
lived out his days as a Believer and did kindly to the Hebrews
(not so his successors)...
Anyway, the irony I referred to? Saddam only sees Nebuchadnezzar,
the arrogant king of Babylon, and claims to be his successor...
BUT, to TRULY follow in Nebuchadnezzar's sandal-steps, Saddam
needs to be humbled & brought low from his exalted/lofty position
-- and he must learn humility before G-d -- the same G-d of the
Hebrews (or, in today's terms, Israel), and be a friend to the
people of G-d (again, Israel)... So, Saddam has his "role-model"
but he doesn't have his facts straight. Wouldn't it be a real
hoot if Saddam got a clue and went ALL the way in emulating
Nebuchadnezzar? He has already had his years of madness (still
doing it, too!) -- now we need to see him humbled and in awe of
G-d, ready to be a friend to Israel & yielded to G-d instead of
being a slave to his ego... oh yeah!
So, I hope I've enlightened you a little...
 [ Shoshona Bieman, Sysop: Shofar BBS  @  714-838-3837 ]
 [  Such a *NICE* Messianic Jewish, conservative Gal!  ]
 [ California "Got Ilk?" Contingent _ Fido @ 1:103/505 ]
--- Aeolus v1.2.1 (#49820837)
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