The Importance of
Names — Titles — Places
Amraphel king of Shinar
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; (Genesis 14:1)
  If we were given a list of world leaders during the time period of the great wars both WW I and WW II, we would want to know something about these leaders, and why the whole world was engulfed in war, but the simplest answer would be the evil heart of man. History is important. The Cain syndrome is alive and well on planet Earth. Let us examine these names in Genesis 14: first we have Amraphel, king of Shinar. This is the physical location where the seed of idolatry germinated. Shinar was the land of his ancestor Nimrod (from the loins of Ham). Nimrod was the first king mentioned in Scripture, and crowned in the land of Shinar.
  Is Genesis really the seed plot of the Bible? The last man who will rule with an evil heart upon planet Earth will be the man who is called the Beast, and this man will be crowned in the land of Shinar. He will re-institute, and re-energize idolatry, and the religious madness of Nimrod (the first conqueror to have dominion over all men); he succeeded by allowing the evil hearts of his subjects to run wild in their vain imaginations and actions, thus they willingly accepted social, financial and spiritual slavery. Nimrod was a hunter of men, so the world feared him. His descendant Amraphel was no better. His name by interpretation means ‘keeper of the gods.’ This fits in with the mind and heart of Nimrod; and Scripture is clear that this ‘keeper of the gods’ (Amraphel) was from the land of Shinar.
  In the Book of Zechariah, the last great flood of evil is described by an ephah of evil, and an evil woman cast within that ephah. This ephah is carried (yes, you guessed right) to the land of Shinar.
Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. (Zechariah 5:5)
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. (Zechariah 5:6)
And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. (Zechariah 5:7)
And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. (Zechariah 5:8)
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. (Zechariah 5:9)
Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? (Zechariah 5:10)
And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. (Zechariah 5:11)
  The connection of Amprahel to the land of Shinar is very important. One little location describes a spiritual deceiver who wanted dominion over man, over the soul of men, and over man’s spirit.
Arioch king of Ellasar
  Then we have Arioch king of Ellasar. In defining his name, we find that he was venerable, (not only aged, but reverenced as well) , this would reveal to us a man of pomp, self interest, and self motivated, most likely he sought the laud from others. He was king of Ellasar. Ellasar is a location, the location is unsure, but many feel that the meaning is more important than the location. For ‘God is a chastener’ of men, this is the meaning of Ellasar. In our text in Genesis 14 we see the complete power and chastening strength of the Almighty God against these four kings. Most likely this man took pride in his own particular idol; and like Nebuchadnezzar, who built his idol on the plains of Dura in the land of Shinar; this man (Ellasar) most probably had a similar image that he worshiped. The word venerable also describes the possibility that he liked to play priest as well as king over his dominion. He would probably be the one to give the benediction to the people, all this from the land of Shinar and the evil idolatry of Nimrod.
Chedorlaomer
  The next name in Genesis 14:1 is Chedorlaomer, however, let’s read on to Genesis 14:17, And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. In Genesis 14:17, only Chedorlaomer was mentioned of the kings of the east, this has great meaning, we see this in Isaiah 11:11. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
  And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. (Daniel 8:2) This sets the location that the palace at Shushan (the headquarters of the Babylonian kingdom) was in the province of Elam. A place of governmental strength and control.
  Chedorlaomer was the king of Elam, a man of great power, from a region of power, and most likely from a lineage of powerful important people, for one of the meanings of his name is ‘a king,’ probably decided at his birth. He is an interesting personality for in his name we also have another root meaning ‘a binding of a people,’ and/or ‘binding of the sheep.’ And that he ruled over a multitude, for his name also brings in ‘a generation of a handful.’ This describes, his kingdom. And yet, Elam has another root meaning ‘hidden.’ It also has the connotational suggestion of ‘nursing them;’ this powerful king was bringing up his subjects (like children) in the same evil that he embraced. Chedorlaomer’s name probably was more descriptive of his person, showing great pride and imperialistic dominance. Also in Elam we are reminded later in Scripture (several times) that these people attempted to invade Israel.
Tidal king of nations
  The last name in this list is the grand finale: it is Tidal king of nations; the text says it all. Here we have the unrestrained public organizer with a bigger head in thought than his body. It is no wonder that God placed this name last in the list to bring in the culmination of all nations. For in the end times, all nations will stand up against God’s Christ. Nations will try to overthrow (through battle) the Lord of lords, and the King of kings, but He will destroy them all by the fire out of His mouth; and He (in His great power) will end the domination of all the world leaders and their organizations. Tidal leads by force, and in his force he is related to the man of force in the prophecy of Daniel. The great unification of the nations has been tried many times in history. Nimrod tried, and God confounded their language, and scattered them wherein they were not able to easily communicate with each other. Since then, men have tried many times to unify the whole world, even in our age, we have the United Nations, we had or have a League of Nations with no power to unify the world. We have united efforts in the military power of the world, as NATO; and we have the ascendancy of the EU in their financial global commitment to control other world nations. Besides these global initiatives, we also have others, oligarchically united (clandestinely funded) organizations attempting to overthrow nations (and their peoples). Also in the battle for control over humanity, we have forceful financial organizations from their very inception with the despotic goal to force humanity into financial debt and bondage; through leverage, unrighteous laws, (Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? [Psalm 94:20]) (Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; [Isaiah 10:1]) and playing on the greediness of the hearts of their subjects, these financial syndicates rule over the hearts and souls of men by controlling all their possessions. In Tidal, the king of nations, we see a slavistic (my word for a slave society) state. This is a society that whenever Tidal passes by, they shout, Bow the knee, bow the knee.
  The Holy Spirit is showing us through these names, the pomp, the might, and the determination of these four kings. Why are they going to war? Because they have stretched their kingdoms to the land of Sodom and the five cities of the plains. They had put the people and the kings of these cities in financial bondage to their kingdoms. They were made to pay tribute. Tribute is a word that is not used much in our age, but it should be (for we pay tribute in many ways, but we call it by other names). Tribute is much more than praise, and acclamation; it is taxation by an enslaved and conquered nation to its conqueror.
  These five kings rebelled against paying tribute. 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. (Genesis 14:2) All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. (Genesis 14:3) Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (Genesis 14:4) Their rebellion came in the thirteenth year of their bondage. These great kings of the east truly didn’t need this insignificant tribute from these five cities of the plains. It was not the lust of money or wealth, this war was instigated by the thirst for blood, satisfied by their swords. We have man against man with no god.
  In Hebrews 7:1, we have a man of God meeting with His God, Melchisedec. In Genesis 14:1, we have the enemy: man against man, and man against God. It is the enemy of the soul of man that stirs the nations, even though he has been cast down to the ground, Satan still works through the world stirring up the kings and leaders of the nations. It is always the desire in the fallen heart of mankind to usurp God’s authority over men. One of the vanities of Satan, and one of the reasons for his being cast down was that he loved pomp. (Isaiah 14:11; Ezekiel 28:12-18) He wanted to exalt himself above the most high God. Don’t we see this heart in these four kings unified in the deceptive religious cult from the land of Shinar.
The Odds: Four Against Five: One Against Four
  As the Holy Spirit describes these kings He also lays before us the number four. Four kings of the east, but they desired to rule over the north, over the south, over the east and over the west. They lusted for grandeur that they would not be able to keep, for they would fall supernaturally by the mighty hand of God. Now the 5 cities of the plains also had 5 separate kings. There were kings everywhere, (here a king, there a king, everywhere a king) man loves to have dominion. In God’s man, Abraham, we see a reserved spirit, and God gives us a view of His humble servant. Abraham was just a Hebrew, he had no kingly crown, he was only a man over his own house, and those who dwelt therein. The world was at war all around him, yet Abraham remained separated and apart from this conflict, he was safe in his God. This great battle of the four kings against the five kings was not fought in a corner. It took place in the vale of Siddim. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. (Genesis 14:3) The terrain surrounding the salt sea (which is the Dead Sea) at the time of this battle was a land not encumbered by trees, nor physical obstructions, however, there were great slime pits. And the four kings drove the five kings to those pits and overthrew them. And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. (Genesis 14:10) The Spirit of God also wants to inform us that these men of war (these four kings) had already defeated the minor nations in the land of promise.
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, (Genesis 14:5)
And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness. (Genesis 14:6)
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.(Genesis 14:7)
And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. (Genesis 14:10)
  They had overcome the Amalekites, and the Amorites; this was prior to the battle with the five kings of the plains. These 5 kings had been in financial bondage for 13 years, and it is quite evident that diplomacy had failed. This should be a lesson (out of Genesis 14) for the world to come, that throughout the history of mankind, diplomacy has only prolonged the agony of defeat. These five kings paid tribute to the united nations of the east; the world’s power stretched its military tentacles to this small almost insignificant part of the world. The lesson for us to understand is that once the world is united in power, it forms a multilateral national, or world power to control the rest of the world. Even the greatest nations will find themselves paying tribute to a global entity that denies their right to national sovereignty. When world power is formed, it is not to respect sovereignty, but to remove it. In this the Devil has been a mastermind in forming his unseen dominion over the souls of mankind. Once these organizations of the world are formed it is almost impossible to break away from them. That is why globalism is contrary to national independence and sovereignty. For the whole purpose of the disputer of this world lays in captivating the souls and hearts of men. Man thinks that there is safety in unity, when in fact, safety is taken away by unity when it is the powerful who are united. The object of being united (whether spiritual or temporal) is to bring all men into bondage to the Devil’s wishes. So God gives us a lesson, one that we should not forget in Genesis Chapter 14; as the children of God, like Abraham, we should be wiser than the children of men, and of the nations of the world. We should view our world as Abraham viewed his surroundings because he understood that he did not possess the things of this earth. He had lifted up his hand to the most high God, who was the possessor of heaven and earth.
  Let us consider Psalm 24 in this sphere of Genesis 14, the air around Abraham was charged with electricity, the situation was in embryo: an enslaved world versus a free man; a world at war with men in bondage to other men, yet the man of God, Abram, was a free man. He was chosen of God. He possessed the promises of God, and the land that he dwelt on was the possessed place of God. The land around Abraham, and the world that was his home did not belong to the mighty men of that world, but to God Almighty.
This article was taken in part from the study of the book of Hebrews, Chapter 7, verses 1 and 2 titled
There was a man sent by God.
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© Copyright 2018, Michael Haigh
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All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)