[club ambience] [crowd murmuring] [host voice – Watchman] Babylon… you’ve heard Nimrod. You’ve heard Pharaoh. But the next ruler on stage… built the greatest empire of his age. The king of Babylon. The head of gold. The man who built a statue so tall the whole nation had to bow. [crowd murmuring] Give it up for… NEBUCHADNEZZAR! [crowd roaring] [spoken – Nebuchadnezzar] Yes yes… bow appropriately. [crowd laughter] You see… unlike some kings in this room… I actually had style. [crowd laughter] Hanging gardens. Golden palaces. The richest empire on earth. Babylon wasn’t just a city. It was luxury with walls. [crowd cheering] [spoken] And then one night… I had a dream. Now normally when kings have dreams… they call their advisors. But my advisors? [crowd laughter] They couldn’t even tell me what the dream was. [crowd laughing] So I said: “Tell me the dream AND the meaning… or I’m turning all of you into building materials.” [crowd laughter] [beat begins] [rap] King of Babylon sitting high on the throne Golden empire carved in stone Daniel walks in with prophetic tone Tells me kingdoms rising after my own Gold then silver then bronze then steel Empires falling like a spinning wheel Said one day a stone gonna crush the deal Kingdom of God gonna make it real [crowd murmuring] [spoken] Now listen… when a prophet tells you your empire is temporary… that hurts your ego. [crowd laughter] So, I did what every king does. I built a statue. [crowd cheering] [rap – beat heavier] Ninety feet tall made of solid gold Musicians playing so the crowd gets told When the horns blow everybody fold Bow to the image like the law foretold But three young Hebrews in the back row stand Shadrach Meshach with Abednego’s hand They say “King we serve a higher command Even your furnace ain’t changing the plan” [crowd murmuring] [spoken] You ever threaten someone… and they just smile? [crowd laughter] That’s unsettling. [crowd laughing] So, I heated the furnace seven times hotter. [crowd cheering] [rap] Fire so hot guards fell dead Threw the Hebrews in flames instead But when I looked inside the furnace red There were four men walking where three had tread One looked shining like heaven’s Son Flames couldn’t burn what God had done Babylon crowd started coming undone Nebuchadnezzar realized who won [crowd murmuring] [spoken] Yeah… turns out you can’t roast people… when God’s in the oven with them. [crowd laughter] [beat slows] [rap – darker] But pride still growing like a royal disease Babylon palace brought me to my knees Voice from heaven riding the breeze “King your throne ends if you don’t appease” Next thing I know my mind’s gone wild Living outside like a forest child Eating grass in the open field Till heaven showed me who truly ruled [crowd quiet] [spoken – reflective] Seven years… like an animal. [crowd murmuring] You know what that teaches a king? Who actually runs the universe. [rap – final] Pharaoh had plagues Nimrod had bricks Rome had armies politics tricks But every empire eventually slips When heaven judges the throne it picks Babylon glitter fades like sand Kings don’t rule by their own command I learned that lesson the hardest way When God took my crown away [crowd murmuring] [spoken] So yeah… I still think Babylon was impressive. [crowd laughter] But I will admit something tonight. [crowd quiet] There’s only one throne… that never falls. [host voice – Watchman] Give it up for Nebuchadnezzar! [crowd cheering] [spoken – Watchman] Coming up next… a king appointed by Rome. A ruler so paranoid… he murdered children to stop prophecy. [crowd murmuring] Give it up for… HEROD. [crowd roaring] [transition music]
