Page 274 - Foundations

Now they had a man to rule over them, and in this is a manifestation of the first anti-christ. The word
anti-christ means “in place of Christ.” An anti-christ is an usurper. It is one who takes upon themself
a role that God occupies. In becoming a ruler over other men, Nimrod was usurping God’s role. Those
who submitted to Nimrod’s rule were casting aside Yahweh’s rule over their lives. We see this
principle explained in the days when Israel demanded a king.

I Samuel 8:4-9
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him,
“Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to
judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said,
“Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to Yahweh. And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen
to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they
have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day
that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day - in that they have forsaken Me and served other
gods - so they are doing to you also.”

When the Bible states that Nimrod was a mighty hunter before Yahweh, the actual wording states that
Nimrod was a mighty hunter in the face of Yahweh. The Jewish rabbis understood the phrase “in the
face of Yahweh” to mean “in defiance of Yahweh.” It is no contradiction to suggest that Nimrod’s
act of establishing his own rule over man was an act of rejection and defiance in the face of God. A
further clue regarding Nimrod’s rebellion against Yahweh is found in a suggested meaning of his
name. Although the etymology of the name Nimrod is much debated, one possible derivation that I
have found of interest is the following.

In 1920, J.D. Prince also suggested a possible link between the Lord (Ni) of Marad and Nimrod. He
mentioned how Dr. Kraeling was now inclined to connect Nimrod historically with Lugal-Banda, a
mythological king mentioned in Poebel, Historical Texts, 1914, whose seat was at the city Marad.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrod]

The name Ni-Marad is translated “Lord of Marad.” Marad is much more than the name of an ancient
Chaldean city. The Hebrew word for “rebel” is “marad.”

Numbers 14:9
Only do not rebel (Hebrew - marad) against Yahweh...

James Strong provides the following definition for this Hebrew word.

OT:4775
marad (maw-rad'); a primitive root; to rebel:

This Hebrew word that is used as a verb in Number 14:9 is also used elsewhere as a noun.

Ezekiel 20:38
And I will purge out from among you the rebels (Hebrew - marad), and them that transgress against
me...