More again on mystery Babylon

 Some History of Babylon

Babylonia was a civilization in Lower Mesopotamia (central and southern Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged when Hammurabi (1696 – 1654 BC) created an empire out of the territories of the former kingdoms of Sumer and Akkad. 

The Amorites being a Semitic people, Babylonia adopted the written Semitic Akkadian language for official use, and retained the Sumerian language for religious use, which by that time was no longer a spoken language. The Akkadian and Sumerian cultures played a major role in later Babylonian culture, and the region would remain an important cultural center, even under outside rule.

The earliest mention of the city of Babylon can be found in a tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad, dating back to the 20th century BC. Following the collapse of the last Sumerian “Ur-III” dynasty, the Amorites gained control over most of Mesopotamia, where they formed a series of small kingdoms. 

One of these Amorite dynasties was established in the city-state of Babylon, which would ultimately take over the others and form the first Babylonian empire, during what is also called the Old Babylonian Period.

Neo Babylonia

The term Neo-Babylonian or Chaldean refers to Babylonia under the rule of the 11th (“Chaldean”) dynasty, from the revolt of  Nabopolassar in 626 BC until the invasion of Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, notably including the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. 

It was in the sixth year of the last king Nabonidus (549 BC) that Cyrus, the Achaemenid Persian “king of Anshan” in Elam, revolted against his suzerain Astyages, “king of the Manda” or Medes, at Ecbatana. Astyages’ army betrayed him to his enemy, and Cyrus established himself at Ecbatana, thus putting an end to the empire of the Medes. 

Three years later Cyrus had become king of all Persia, and was engaged in a campaign in the north of Mesopotamia. Meanwhile, Nabonidus had established a camp in the desert, near the southern frontier of his kingdom, leaving his son Belshazzar in command of the army. In 539 BC Cyrus invaded Babylonia and on the 12th of October, after Cyrus’ engineers had diverted the waters of the Euphrates, “the soldiers of Cyrus entered Babylon without fighting.” 

Belshazzar was executed shortly thereafter. Nabonidus surrendered. Cyrus did not arrive until the 3rd of October, Gobryas having acted for him in his absence. Gobryas was now made governor of the province of Babylon.

The Bible actually predicted the destruction of Babylon by Cyrus in Isaiah Chapter 45.

The Biblical Babylon

In 724BC the northern state of Israel with its capital Damascus was invaded by the Assyrians and the ten northern tribes were scattered around the globe. Just over 100 years later the southern state based on Jerusalem was put into servitude in 605BC by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon who later in 586BC sacked Jerusalem and took most of the population into captivity back to Babylon.

This features prominently both in Jewish prophecy but also in traditions and folklore. The famous lament in Psalm 137 said it all.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. Psalm 137:1

However in the first century AD, it was the turn of the Roman army to destroy Jerusalem and the temple. In the New Testament writings, Rome is referred to as “Babylon”. [1 Peter 5:13]

But is the Babylon of the book of Revelation Rome or something else?

This question has vexed Biblical scholars for centuries.

Islamic prophecy on Mecca and Medina

Mecca and Medina (Yathrib) are the two most Holy sites in Islam, yet strangely in Islamic eschatology, both are destroyed. Consider now the two relevant prophecies.

“The final battle will be waged by faithful Muslims coming on the backs of horses…carrying black banners. They will stand on the east side of the Jordan river and will wage war that the Earth has never seen before. The true Messiah who is the Islamic Mahdi…will defeat Europe…will lead this army of Seljuks. He will preside over the world from Jerusalem because Mecca would have been destroyed.”[Yawm Al-Ghadab, Safar Alhwaly]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The flourishing state of Jerusalem will be when Yathrib is in ruins, the ruined state of Yathrib will be when the great war comes, the outbreak of the great war will be at the conquest of Constantinople and the conquest of Constantinople when the Dajjal(Antichrist) comes forth. He (the Prophet) struck his thigh or his shoulder with his hand and said: This is as true as you are here or as you are sitting (meaning Mu’adh ibn Jabal)”. [Sunan of Abu Dawud Book 37, Number 4281:  Narrated Mu’adh ibn Jabal]

So in the End-Times, both Mecca and Medina will be destroyed and the Mahdi will rule his Islamic Empire from Jerusalem. If Allah is so powerful, why can’t he stop his two most Holy places from destruction?

Babylon in the Bible

Now we turn to the Bible and examine some End-Times prophecy in relation to Babylon.

Both Revelation chapters 17 & 18mention Babylon and we see “Fallen, fallen is Babylon” Rev 18:2

We know from history that Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, extended his empire into Arabia and lived for ten years in Tema, which is now in Saudi Arabia.

The first clue comes from the Psalms.

Remember O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall, How they said ‘tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations! O daughter of Babylon, you devastator!  Psalms 137:7-8

So Edom is referred to as Babylon and Edom was the region including southern Jordan and Arabia which is dominated by Saudi Arabia.

And from another Psalm Edom (Saudi Arabia) is also mentioned for destruction.

Psalm 83 talks about the nations that have conspired to destroy Israel and that God will destroy them, and the first nation mentioned is Edom (Saudi Arabia). Psalm 83:6

I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it humans and animals, and I will make it desolate; from Teman to Dedan they shall fall by the sword.Ezekiel 25:13

Thus says the Lord of Hosts, is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Flee, turn back, get down low, inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him at the time when I punish him. Jeremiah 49:8-9

Therefore hear the plan the Lord has made against Edom…and the inhabitants of Teman; at the sound of their fall, the Earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea. Jeremiah 49:20-21

The glory of Kedar will fall. Isaiah 21:16

Note that the places mentioned, Teman, Dedan and Kedar are all in what is today Saudi Arabia and these are mentioned for destruction. Jeremiah gives another clue that Babylon must be near the Red Sea.

Well, Saudi Arabia certainly is. But there is more.

And the streams of Edom shall be turned to pitch and her soil to sulphur; 
Her land shall become burning pitch; 
Night and day it shall not be quenched and its smoke shall go up forever; 
From generation to generation it shall lie waste; 
No one shall pass through it, forever and ever. Isaiah 34:9-10

Note the reference to pitch, which is a by-product of oil, and Saudi Arabia has the world’s largest reserves of oil. It will be totally destroyed.

And one final clue as to Babylon’s identity.

the day of the Lord comes, cruel with anger, to make the Earth a desolation;

And Babylon… will be like Sodom and Gomorrah;

It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations,

Arabs will not pitch their tents there. Isaiah 13:9-20

the day of the Lord comes, cruel with anger, to make the Earth a desolation;

And Babylon… will be like Sodom and Gomorrah;

It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations,

Arabs will not pitch their tents there. Isaiah 13:9-20

Note that Arabs will not pitch their tents there. This must refer to Arabia.

The fact that the destruction will be like Sodom and Gomorrah indicates a swift destruction, probably by a nuclear explosion.

By examining scripture we find that the mystery Babylon in the End-Times can only be Arabia.

The Failure of Biblical scholarship

As Walid Shoebat has observed, conventional Biblical scholars have looked at the Bible prophecy through “western eyes” and hence make three fundamental errors.

1.0: With Rome in their sight, they misinterpret the seven hills in Rev 17:9 as the seven hills of Rome;

2.0: Rome is considered to be mystery Babylon because of a reference in 1 Peter 5:13;

3.0: The troops of the Antichrist in Daniel 9:26 are mistaken to be Roman and NOT Muslim.

One of the most popular textbooks on the New Testament is Raymond Brown’s’; “An Introduction to the New Testament” and on pages 792-793 he exhibits all these mistakes and hence can’t identify who the scarlet Whore is. Wikipedia also makes the same mistakes.[1]

1.0    The Seven Hills

 The seven mountains of Revelation are taken to be the seven hills of Rome. This is wrong on two counts. Mountains are identified with heads, so must be nations (not hills), and Rome has 8 hills if you count the Vatican! The Bible identifies Mountains as Empires or Nations by calling Babylon a mountain.

Behold, I [am] against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee. Jeremiah 51:25

So Mountains are nations, NOT hills!

A beast is defined as a nation or empire that is influenced by Satan and the seven heads or mountains of Revelation 17 are then Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and Islamic (Ottoman).

2.0    Rome as mystery Babylon

In the first letter of Peter he says “Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings”. 1 Peter 5:13

In the time of the first century, Rome was indeed synonymous with the ancient Babylon, but Rome has not been responsible for 14 centuries of persecution. Islam has.

So Rome does not fit the requirement today.

3.0    The Troops of the Antichrist

The famous prophecy from the Seventy Weeks about who will be the troops of the Antichrist who is to come, is also misinterpreted by taking a western perspective.
 “and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” Daniel 9:26]

Conventional thinking says ‘the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and tore down the temple, so the troops of the Anti-Christ are Roman’. (It is accepted that the prince is the Antichrist here).

Who did destroy the Temple?

The Roman Legion under General Titus that destroyed the temple was X Fretensis and was a legion based in Antioch in southern Turkey. 

 
These troops were Arabs, Syrians and Turks who are today almost 100 percent Muslim. 

The cohorts that comprised Legion X Fretensis were:

a: Thracum: from Syria (Syrians)
b: IV Cohort Thracia: Bulgaria and Turkey (Turks)
c: Syria Ulpia Petraeorum: from Petra in Edom (Nabatean Arabs)
d: IV Cohort Arabia: Arabs

So the troops of the Anti-Christ are Muslim and NOT Roman.

Most scholars see Rome as the last empire in Dan 7 because they miss the references to:»»»

Mohammed Dan 7:8

and

Islam Dan 7:12

and they misunderstand the troops as Roman. Hence we get fallacious conclusions…

…like the Catholic church is Babylon and the next Pope will be the Antichrist!

Who is the Scarlet Whore who sits on the Beast

First we should consider what it means that the Whore sits on the beast. 

Walid Shoebat reasons by interpreting mountains as nations / empires and not as hills, the seventh beast empire was Islamic ending with the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922 AD. Revelation 13 claims that the “head” will be revived. 

 
That is, the Islamic empire will be rejuvenated coming from the same persecuting empires that preceded it, but NOT including Rome. 

This is a clear indication that the eighth beast empire will be Islamic, NOT Roman. 

» We have shown that the Babylon in the End-Times is Arabia and that the last beast empire is Islamic. Also, Mecca is the spiritual home of all Muslims and that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia which controls Mecca is corrupting nations with its oil wealth.  

» We should consider how Mecca / the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fits the whore of Babylon. 

» As the spiritual home of Islam, Mecca rules (influences) over 1.5 billion people on this planet, in every country. 

» The colour scarlet denotes royalty and of course the Royal House of Saud controls Mecca, the spiritual home of Islam. 

» Mecca causes people to fly planes into buildings, to blow up infrastructure, to strap bombs on themselves to blow up the Kuffaar, and to behead infidels shouting ‘Allahu Akbar”.

Consider attributes of the whore in Revelation 17 & 18.

1. The great whore is seated on many waters (peoples, nations and languages)
2. The kings of the Earth have committed fornication and are drunk with the wine (oil)
3. John was carried away into a wilderness where he saw the woman sitting on the scarlet beast
4. The woman was adorned with gold and jewels holding a golden cup full of abominations
5. The woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus
6. The beast shall hate the whore and will burn her up with fire
7. Her judgement will come in one hour.

Consider how Mecca fits the criteria.

1. Mecca influences over 1.5 billion people from all nations and countries
2. Western nations are desperate for oil from the world’s largest supplier
3. The Arabian peninsula is a desert wilderness, and Mecca is the spiritual home for all Muslims
4. Saudi Arabia does a huge trade in gold and jewellery and is subverting the west with oil money and funding terror
5. Islam has killed over 270 million people since the seventh century, and Islam demands the killing of all Jews and the destruction of Christianity
6. Islamic nations hate Saudi Arabia because they believe it has corrupted Islam and in Islamic eschatology, both Mecca and Medina will be destroyed, probably by a Turkey, Syria, Iran axis
7. The judgement could well be a nuclear device if it is to come in one hour.

Mecca fits to perfection the profile of the Scarlet Whore sitting on (controlling) the 

Islamic beast.

a specific city in a desert that has traded with the kings of the earth but is also linked to Mystery Babylon as well. Now Rome itself is not located in a desert. The Apostle John tells us this. “And he (the angel) carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness (desert) and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names.” (Revelation 17:3) The woman sitting on a scarlet beast full of contemptible names was seen in a desert. The prophet  Zechariah also speaks about this “woman.” “Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.” I asked, “What is it? ”He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.” Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it. Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, “To the country of Babylonia (Shinar) to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.” (Zechariah 5:5-11

Its location

The location of this “woman” we are told is in Shinar where the original Babylon had been built by Nimrod according to the book of Genesis. Shinar was a plain or desert in the region of Iraq near the Euphrates River. It was not the city of Rome, New York or Brussels the capital of the EU for that matter. There is one thing we must always keep in mind regarding Bible Prophecy is that it relates to the Middle-East and to those regions and nations surrounding Israel. The Bible itself is not a western book but a middle-eastern book and needs to be interpreted with a middle-eastern mindset and not with a western mindset.

Its Origins

 The original Babylon was a city in a desert that was an empire ruled over by Nimrod the first major type of the Antichrist in the Bible. The empire itself was a religious, socio-economic, political and militaristic empire. This was an empire with a global agenda that was an affront to God. When they were about to build the Tower of Babel they said; “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not scattered over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)  This was always Satan’s agenda. We read what he said in the book of Isaiah; “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:13-15)Just as God overthrew those building the Tower of Babel so God will overthrow the kingdom of Satan. Nimrod was defeated and so will the Antichrist be defeated. Nimrod’s empire was an empire that resisted and opposed the Lord. The mystery religions that were passed on down through successive empires had their source in Nimrod’s Babylon. Today among prophecy teachers there are five main views concerning the mystery of “Babylon the Great.” They are as follows…

1. The Church of Rome.

We have already mentioned Rome briefly. For many centuries now many Bible believing Christians have believed and taught that Rome is the “Mother of Harlots.” Of course when you look at the Papacy historically they had armies, an economic system and a religious system that dominated the kings and princes of the earth, at least in the west and to a degree in the Middle-East. The Ancient Roman Empire had “two legs” namely a Western and Eastern leg of the Empire. Rome was the capital of the Western Empire and Constantinople the capital of the Eastern Empire which came to be known as the Byzantium Empire. This Eastern leg of the Roman Empire lasted around another 1,000 years after the Western Empire had collapsed. Ultimately the Eastern leg of the Empire fell to the Turkish Ottoman Empire of Islam. Throughout its long and bloody history the Church of Rome persecuted and murdered Bible believing Christians and Jews. This is a fact of history.

Papal Antichrists

 Many of the reformers saw the Popes as Antichrists and taught that the final Antichrist would be a Pope. Of course the Papacy itself is Antichrist. The Popes title in Latin is “Vicarious Christos” but in Greek it is “Anti-Christos” i.e., to say “One who is against Christ and in the place of Christ.” The sense in which Popes are sitting in the seat of antichrist is because they have the final say in the way the Bible is to be interpreted to “the faithful.” Many erroneous doctrines such as Purgatory, Priestly celibacy, indulgences, penance, rosary beads, auricular confessions and many more unbiblical practices have been instigated and sanctioned by the Popes down through history. Now there is only one Vicar of Christ on earth and that is the blessed Holy Spirit of God the ultimate source of the Bible and the one who reveals its truth. (John 16:13-15) (2 Timothy 3:14-17) (1 John 2:20, 27). No man then takes this position on himself yet the Church of Rome says the Pope has this right. However, has the Church of Rome ever denied the Trinity? They cannot deny the Trinity as it is established doctrine that cannot be changed. However, the Antichrist denies the Trinity (1 John 2:22-23).

Roman Catholicism or Islam?

When you look at the practices, the position of the clergy, the symbols, the vestments and the enforced celibacy of the Priests and Nuns you have a mirror of the Mystery religions of Babylon. So the reformers were right to a great degree in their understanding of the Mystery of Babylon the Great. However, some of the reformers saw Islam and not Roman Catholicism as the source from which the ultimate Antichrist would come. Today one of the fundamental pillars of Islamic doctrine is to vehemently deny the Trinity and to persecute and kill those who believe in The Trinity.

2. The City of New York.

there are some prophecy teachers who identify Babylon the Great with New York as it is a city that sits near the sea and is the primary centre of trade and commerce for the USA in dealing with the nations of the world. In a very real sense it “sits on many waters” which the Bible says represents; “peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” Some could say that America itself is the City of Babylon mentioned in Revelation and when you look at the features of American life you can see the features that were conspicuous in Ancient Babylon and Rome for that matter.

Not in a desert

 America is multi-faith, obsessed with sport and the perfection of the human body. It is a socio-economic power, a multicultural society and a militaristic power. Furthermore when you see Cleopatra’s Needle standing outside of the Whitehouse and also outside of the Vatican in Rome it is clear that they are both connected to Ancient Babylon. The Needle of Cleopatra actually represents the Penis of Nimrod. Furthermore, when you look at an aerial view of certain streets in Washington near the White House you can see them laid out in the pattern of the 5 sided Occult Pentagram with one of its corners touching the Whitehouse. Most of the American presidents have been Freemasons. The Freemasons are a secret occult organization. Indeed when you see the Money preachers on Television, the wealth, the prosperity and opulence of many American conglomerates, the violence, the sexual immorality, and the many professing Christians embracing ecumenism and unbiblical doctrines indeed you can see the Mystery of Babylon the Great at work. However, New York is not in a desert. Is in fact New York the City of Babylon the Great mentioned in the Bible?

3. The European Union.

Many Prophecy “buffs” identify the last beast Kingdom with the European Union based in the city of Brussels. Out at the front of the EU building you have a statue of a woman riding a beast. Indeed many say that the EU is the revival of the Roman Empire. Of course to believe this you have to see Europe as the seat of the coming Antichrist and his empire. However the Bible says nothing about a European Antichrist. Does in fact the Antichrist arise in Europe or in America for that matter? Some even said that Obama was the Antichrist. Undoubtedly there will be some who will even say President Trump is the Antichrist. We always need to look at what the Bible says. Again it is not a western book! Many books have been written about the European Union. Like America, Europe has the same conspicuous features that were prevalent in Ancient Babylon. Brussels is certainly not a city located in a desert by the sea!

4. The World as a whole.

Most Amillennial teachers would probably hold this view. Because they spiritualise many texts that should not be spiritualised and they make general applications. For example, they often take prophetic passages of scripture that relate to literal Israel and try to apply them to the Church. When you look at the prophetic passages of scripture in the Old Testament there are passages that apply only to Israel while others apply to Israel and to the Church collectively. When you distinguish between those relating to Israel and those relating to the Church Bible Prophecy becomes much clearer and easier to understand. When Amillenialists see the mystery of Babylon the Great mentioned in relation to Prophecy they will say it means the whole world system generally and that the city is not a literal city at all but the whole world under Satan’s power. They are partly correct. They would speak of two cities namely the City of God (His invisible Kingdom) and the City of Satan (This present fallen world under Satan’s power) Augustine was the instigator of this view and who  denied a literal Millennium. He spiritualised many passages of scripture that were meant for Israel and sought to apply them to the Church. While Babylon prophetically speaking is described as a literal city in a desert by the Red Sea whose destruction is heard at the Red Sea it can also be applied to the wider world but not exclusively. It is a literal city that is destroyed in the last days but also has a wider application to the world’s system of government which will also be destroyed by the Second Coming of the Messiah our Lord Jesus.