The history of the kingdoms of this world has been given to us in scripture, as well as everything in which we can be instructed in righteousness.
Everything that is revealed in scripture is for our instruction; but we cannot go away from scripture to get instruction anywhere else.
If you go to the writings of natural men to learn the history of the kingdoms of this world, you will there see the purposes of man brought forward by them, but not the purposes of God.
Natural men do not know the beginning or the ending of the things about which they speak, but God has revealed both the beginning and the ending; and those who know the mind of God are instructed thus.
Any one who is taught of God in the history of the kingdoms of this world, will see that the nation of Israel is the chief of all the nations in the mind of God.
" When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance."
The children of Israel, with their twelve tribes, are the chief of all the nations of this earth, and their land is called " Immanuel's lane It is the most important part of the whole earth in connection with the purposes of God; and it is so in the minds of His people having faith in God as to His purposes. The faith of Joseph is thus marked in scripture: " By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." Heb. 11:2222By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. (Hebrews 11:22).
If Joseph was walking by sight, and not by faith, then he would have made no mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and he would have given no commandment concerning his bones, because there was no appearance of the departing of the children of Israel at the time when Joseph died; but the word of God said that they were to depart, and therefore it was by faith that Joseph made mention of their departure.
In Gen. 15 we read the word of God which was upon the heart of Joseph at the time when he was dying. God had then said unto Abram, " Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance."
A natural man might say to Joseph, when on his death-bed, " Why do you talk of the departing of the children of Israel? Do you not expect that they and their children will have a comfortable home in Egypt; everything has been so prosperous there for you and for them?" Joseph in faith would answer to this, "O no. I know of a surety, that they will be but strangers here in a land that is not theirs." The natural man again might say, "But surely you and they have had such kindly treatment from Pharaoh, and from the Egyptians, that you need not dread for the future." But again Joseph in faith would say, "O the Egyptians will afflict my people, and will evil entreat them". And again this natural man might say, "What then are you saying about their departure? How do you know they will be able to go away?" To this Joseph in faith would again answer, "Because God will judge this nation, whom they shall serve, and after they shall come out with great substance."
It is thus that one taught of God knows the history of the kingdoms of this world, and of everything else of which God has spoken; as Joseph knew the history of Egypt and of Israel, not by the deceptive appearance of changing circumstances, but by the unchanging word of God who cannot lie.
Natural men, in the present day, can know as little of the closing history of the kingdoms of this world, as a natural man, in the time of Joseph, could know what was about to take place with regard to Israel and Egypt. Joseph knew it by faith, because the word of God was in his heart.
Until the days of Nebuchadnezzar no nation, except Israel, was set up above the other nations. If Israel had not provoked the Lord, Israel would still be exalted above the other nations, but God humbled them in judgment, and in judgment exalted the Gentiles above them. This took place in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.