Episode 1: The Spiritual Rebellion Behind Babylon | Isaiah 14 Deep Dive

Welcome to the Sidebar — a new podcast where we go deeper into Scripture beyond the Sunday sermon. In this episode, hosts Zwai Zulu, Ansune Schoeman, and Richard van Lieshout unpack the poetic taunt in Isaiah 14 and explore a compelling question: Is this passage only about the king of Babylon — or is there a deeper, spiritual reality at play?

We journey from Genesis 10–11 through Isaiah, Daniel, and the New Testament, connecting biblical dots to reveal how the origin of Babylon — founded by Nimrod — is entwined with ancient spiritual rebellion. Could the pride of the Babylonian king mirror the fall of a heavenly being? We examine the Nephilim, the "sons of God," the meaning of Rephaim, and how ancient language points to a cosmic battle behind human tyranny.

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Recommended Resources:

-The Bible Project – “Spiritual Beings” series

https://bibleproject.com/videos/collections/spiritual-beings/

-Word Matters – Episode on Genesis 6

https://wordmatterspod.csbible.com/2016/08/08/episode-19-who-were-the-nephilim

-Expositional Leadership

https://www.crossway.org/books/expositional-leadership-ebook/

-The God Who Is There by D.A. Carson

https://www.amazon.com/God-Who-There-Finding-Place/dp/0801013720

Additional Articles:

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/satan-world-providence-christ

https://wordmatterspod.csbible.com/2016/08/08/episode-19-who-were-the-nephilim/

In this, they talk about 3 possible views on who the Nephilim were in a really helpful way. The two hosts share their own views, which also models charitable discussion when there are different ways of understanding something in Scripture.

https://www.crossway.org/articles/podcast-the-truth-about-satan-and-demons-iain-duguid/

In this they talk about not overestimating or underestimating the impact of the enemy. It's got a couple of useful parts!

https://www.crossway.org/articles/why-we-should-not-fear-satan-and-demons/