Bible Skeptics Take Note: Babylon Is Being Rebuilt, Just As Prophesised

flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com ^ | June 28, 2009 | Joel Rosenberg

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Regular readers of this weblog and my books know that Bible prophecy says the ancient city of Babylon, Iraq will be rebuilt and become the greatest center of wealth, commerce and power in the “last days” of history. The books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Revelation are explicit on this subject. Skeptics and cynics abound, to be sure, but the fact is Babylon is being rebuilt right now, in part with U.S. taxpayer funds. Iraqi leaders hope that eventually millions of tourists will come to visit, and real progress is being made. Consider today’s edition of Stars & Stripes, a U.S. military publication. They have a fascinating story this morning headlined: “U.S., Iraqi experts developing plan to preserve Babylon, build local tourism industry.”

Excerpts:

• Soldiers with the 172nd Infantry Brigade are exploring the ruins as part of a U.S.-Iraqi effort to preserve the ancient city and plan for the return of Western tourists.
• Members of the brigade’s 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment escorted a group of U.S. heritage tourism experts to the ruins last week for the first of several visits to develop a preservation and tourism plan for the area. U.S. and coalition troops have been criticized in the past for damaging and contaminating artifacts. In a 2006 report, the head of the British Museum’s Near East department said that, among other things, military vehicles crushed a 2,600-year-old brick pavement, and sand and archeological fragments were used to fill military sandbags. Now the rapidly improving security situation in surrounding Babil province has persuaded the U.S. State Department and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage to embark on the preservation project, dubbed the Future of Babylon Project.
• The State Department and the World Monuments Fund have committed $700,000 to the project, which will see U.S. and Iraqi experts develop a plan to preserve the site and develop a local tourism industry, said Diane Siebrandt, the U.S. embassy’s cultural heritage officer. The Babylon project is one of several that the State Department is involved in to conserve ancient sites in partnership with the Iraqi government, she said.
• Two people with expertise developing tourism plans for historic sites in third-world nations, Gina Haney and Jeff Allen, have been employed by the State Department to run the U.S. side of the project. They visited the ruins for the first time last weekend. Haney said the pair will involve the local community in the plan’s development, as they did with a similar project encouraging Western tourists to visit Ghana’s Gold Coast. “You could throw money at it and do all this work, but unless you can create a sustainable situation, your opportunities for tourism will run out,” Allen said. “The idea is to develop something that is going to be here 30 to 40 years from now and has benefits for the local people. We don’t want something that will only benefit outsiders.”
• The Iraqi government will be involved in the planning as well. “If you have 200,000 people a year coming to this site, you will have people staying at hotels, visiting restaurants, buying souvenirs,” Allen said. “The site is in some ways a revenue generator for the local community.” Babylon could be comparable to the Egyptian pyramids, which draw millions of tourists each year. But the area lacks the tourist infrastructure that has been built at sites such as the pyramids, he said. “There is nothing for tourists here, but if you interpret and present it in the right way, you can spark interest,” he said.
• Allen, who has experience designing walkways and signs for other heritage sites, said detailed planning won’t happen until authorities have worked out how best to preserve the ruins. The crumbling rocks of the original city are surrounded by more elaborate and modern fortifications, including a maze-like collection of interior walls built on top of genuine ruins during Saddam Hussein’s time.
• “Some of the past restoration work hasn’t been very good,” he said. “Saddam was trying to inherit the power of the ancients and continue that legacy. His restoration methods helped reinforce that vision of himself, and he created a pattern of restoration and repair work that benefited a certain agenda.”

  Last month, a British art publication had a story headlined, “Controversial move to reopen Babylon: State board of antiquities and heritage believes site needs more protection.” The story indicated that Babylon would be open for tourists on June 1st. Another recent story out of Taiwan noted that a Taiwanese tour agency is starting to take people to Iraq to tour — among other things — the city of Babylon as it is being rebuilt.

  As Iraq becomes increasingly stable and secure, direct foreign investment is going to flood in, and Iraq will become the wealthiest country on the planet. Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest company, for example, is positioning itself to become a major investor in the Iraqi energy sector. Other major oil companies are doing the same. The Iraqi government in recent months has been developing investment incentive packages to draw in such companies. And this week, such energy companies will actually begin bidding for licenses to develop Iraq’s immense but badly atrophied oil exploration, drilling, and refining industry. Consider, for example, this headline from the Associated Press: “World’s big oil companies prepare for return to Iraq.” And this is just the beginning.

  Skeptics take note: the Bible is coming true, one prophecy at a time.

[BGHater]

‘direct foreign investment is going to flood in, and Iraq will become the wealthiest country on the planet.’

Okay. Sure.

[parsifal]

This isn’t the first time. I think this is like Babylon 5.

parsy, who really liked the Gilgamesh story, particularly the John Gardner one

[nmh]

I am taking note of allot of things ... .

I believe He is coming to remove His own in the very near future.

[MikefromOhio]

maybe not wealthiest country in the world (Hyperbole anyone?) but The Iraqis are still fairly westernized, they have a bountiful resource that is very valuable and they could also develop into a country for ex-pats and other workers of that type to help them build and run things.

Iraq has the ability to rebuild and become a very rich nation the question is WILL Iraq do it? Time will tell.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Very soon.

[combat_boots]

The Lion of Judah cometh.

[BGHater]

Oh, I believe that Babylon will be rebuilt, but this myth that sunni and Shia will ever get along is insane.

However, Iraq might become the epicenter of the world if there is a electronic hub built there.

Then all of the data traffic, commerce, trade and transactions that passed through there would create it on a large scale the worlds most important area.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

You might find this interesting:

http://www.rapturealert.com/2009/062809greatpause.asp

[nmh]

I'm not some idiotic fanatic but what is happening as I type this is pure prophecy in the news. Obama is certainly an enabler but too idiotic to be the one ... . Obama is pure evil and you can see how EASILY PEOPLE ARE FOOLED. They are being set up for someone worse and it's EASY to see how they will fall for it.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[MikefromOhio]

Possibly.

The Sunni and the Shia have gotten along before - let’s remember that before Saddam and really before the British cut Iraq lose after WWII, the Iraqi region was relatively stable.

Nature abhors a vaccum. When we deposed Saddam in 2003, that gave nuts like Sadr and Z-man/AQ a chance to lead the leaderless. As events have unfolded, Sadr got his fat butt shot by his own guys as we were closing in on him and we blew Z-man up with a Hellfire missile and AQ’s presence and support has pretty much ebbed away.

Nothing helps people be peaceful like a steady paycheck and something to do. This could conceivably happen in Iraq (whereas in Afghanistan the road will be much longer).....

[RansomOttawa]

So turning the ruins of Babylon into a tourist attraction is the equivalent of rebuilding the city and turning it into the seat of world government? OK, sure.

[nmh]

It is interesting. I will read through it.

We're pretribbers.

I see bittersweet times till He takes us home.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. But you are right; to see how slavishly people worship this fraud and three-card-monte pro is to understand how the world will embrace the Antichrist and regard him as god.

No, Obama's role is to destroy America since America is the final remaining obstacle to world government and he is fulfilling his role beautifully.

Things are falling right into place and the time is getting very short.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

I don't know exactly how it will be accomplished but you can rest assured what God said will happen with regard to Babylon will happen.

God has a long, long history of keeping His promises and fulfilling prophecy. Don't poo-poo it just yet.

[Dutchboy88]

Amen, even so, Come Lord Jesus.

[Shelayne]

I'm reading Joel Rosenberg's The Copper Scroll right now. It is the fourth installment in a series. In this book, a leader in Iraq rises and declares Babylon the new capitol and he convinces the rest of middle east to come together to become a superpower, after their countries and leaders are snubbed out in a single day. Of course, the enemy is really Israel, and they want to stop Israel from rebuilding the Temple on where the Dome of the Rock once was.

It is very compelling fiction.

[Jaime2099]

I believe Iraq’s/Babylon’s wealth will come when they merge with Russia as one kingdom. Since Russia combined with Iraq and Iran would be a ridiculous amount of oil and other means of fortune.

[RansomOttawa]

I don't know exactly how it will be accomplished but you can rest assured what God said will happen with regard to Babylon will happen.

That's a disputable conclusion - prophetic literature, being heavily shrouded in figurative language and symbolism, is necessarily obscure. I'm not so hasty to dogmatize on one particular interpretation.

[Lee N. Field]

I’m not a “bible skeptic”. I’m a dispensationalism skeptic. Different thing altogether.

[Watershed]

I see bittersweet times till He takes us home.

I agree.

2 Timothy 3: 1-2 - But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy....

[Matchett-PI]

Religious KOOK ALERT!

[john in springfield]

Aw Geez...

[Star Traveler]

Even Bible Prophecy teachers who know that Jesus is coming soon and the many prophecies of the end times will be fulfilled, don’t necessarily agree with one another on this one...

There was an interesting program from David Reagan’s ministry, Lamb and Lion Ministries (out of McKinney, Texas, just north of Dallas) — about this subject of Babylon, actually, more to the point, where will the Antichrist’s headquarters be.

You might take a look at it, as it involved interviewing many different prophecy teachers about this subject...

http://www.lamblion.com/television/programs_pretrib14.php

[GiovannaNicoletta]

• http://www.100prophecies.org/page2.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page3.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page4.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page1.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page5.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page6.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page7.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page8.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page10.htm
• http://www.100prophecies.org/page11.htm

God keeps His promises and fulfills prophecies and there's nothing shrouded in figurative language or obscure.

Here are one or two Biblical prophecies that have been fulfilled throughout history. Makes you pretty certain that all the rest of God's prophecies will be fulfilled as well, including those concerning Babylon.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

He duped the middle income people to vote for him because he said that none of their taxes would go up, and now, I just heard on TV CNN that Mr. Obama might have to break that promise to help pay for ?? Guess what ? medical , health care ....
Ummm ? isn't that what the taxes on tobacco, sodas was suppose to be for ?

[GiovannaNicoletta]

I think Joel Rosenberg's purpose was to demonstrate how Babylon is in the process of being rebuilt after having been nothing but ruins for several thousands of years.

Things are beginning to happen with an area of the world that been forgotten and ignored for a long, long time. And I'm positive that it's not coincidental that God said that Babylon would be rebuilt and be a major center of commerce during the Tribulation.

As an aside, a friend of my son's who had served over in Iraq was home about a year ago and, in the middle of a picnic, stood up and told the people there that they better make sure they're saved, because things are beginning to happen with Babylon. He would say no more about it, but I thought it was rather odd.

[karatemom]

I pray that be soon!

[Lee N. Field]

I think this is like Babylon 5.

Hmmm. The beast from the sea?

[nmh]

I truly don’t understand HOW they can believe a Demoncrat when they say they won’t raise taxes on the middle class? They truly have NO LOGIC or COMMON SENSE.

[Lee N. Field]

So turning the ruins of Babylon into a tourist attraction is the equivalent of rebuilding the city and turning it into the seat of world government? OK, sure.

Ho, ho. Just wait until someone eisegetes Isaiah 17.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Don’t be so hard on yourself.

[nmh]

Ah jsut wait till he OPENS THE BORDERS!

With companies not hiring and laying off, that will be fun! We can literally fight over jobs.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" I truly don’t understand HOW they can believe a Democrat when they say they won’t raise taxes on the middle class? They truly have NO LOGIC or COMMON SENSE. "
.....
It's as if they were blinded by something.... kind of like weird Twilight Zone Bizarro World all mixed up in one...
As things unfold day by day, min by min .... this is becoming more and more like a bad B movie becoming reality... just freaky ....

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Yes... very odd....
Was he in INTEL in Iraq ?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Just speculation ....
Would Damascus be destroyed by one of Iran's nuke missiles heading towards Europe but failed in it's boost stage and fell on Damascus ?
or ? would be a suitcase nuke that someone set off in Damascus ?
or ? the USA hitting Damascus in retaliation for something ?
or ? Israel dealing with Damascus ? ...
all are possible scenarios..

[j_tull]

This evening works for me...

[Costumed Vigilante]

If we would have used nukes, like we were supposed to, this problem would not have re-manifested in our lifetimes.

A verbis ad verbera

[visualops]

[Lee N. Field]

Except that that's not what Isaiah's oracle of Damascus is talking about.

(You'd do well to review the career of Tiglath-Pileser III.)

[parsifal]

I knew somebody would pick up on that! I get them mixes up sometimes, Babylon 5, Voyager 9, and Adam 12. Too many numbers.

parsy, who has faith

[Just mythoughts]

Well the want-a-be attempting to reenact that first flesh king of Babylon, Saddam already rebuilt all but the ‘gates’ of Ishtar which before he found himself in a pit was attempting to convince Germany to return those old gates.

Point is NOT only where the geographical location of Babylon but who is yet to be the king of Babylon, which means ‘confusion’.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

I don't know.

He refused to discuss it further.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Me too!! :)

[Visio]

This is not prophesied, rather the direct opposite is prophesied that Babylon will NEVER again be inhabited or rebuilt. This idea is twisted from Revelation speaking of Babylon in symbolic terms as the anti-christ power.

PROOF BABYLON IS PROPHESIED NEVER TO BE REBUILT:

Isa 13:19-22: “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

Also read Jeremiah 51:8, 25–26, 58, 63–64

Babylon will never be rebuilt because God said it would not, the bible nowhere says it will be... this is a false idea rendered from passages which speak in symbolic terms using the word Babylon to refer to a power which opposes God’s people. If your looking to the middle-east for end-time prophecy you will be deceived. Study Bible prophecy clearly, it can be understand and we can;t afford not to.

God bless, Randy

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Revelation 18:1-24

1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Contextually-speaking, this great, wealthy city of Babylon is portrayed during a period of time immediately before its destruction, near the time of Armageddon itself. But, obviously such wealth would take time to acquire — a city such as the one described here does not pop into existence overnight. Moreover, it is likely that such impressive wealth and commercial influence would be acquired primarily during the period of peace and prosperity that will exist before the pre-tribulation Rapture takes place. Therefore, since there will NEVER be any peace and prosperity for the world AFTER the Rapture occurs, it is reasonable to assume that Babylon will be rebuilt and accumulate most of its wealth BEFORE the Rapture.

So, it is interesting to observe that Saddam Hussein began the restoration and rebuilding of ancient Babylon several years ago in an attempt to recapture ancient empire glory while also discrediting biblical Christianity — supposedly because the Christian Bible allegedly predicts Babylon will never be rebuilt. Thus, on that basis, the recent rebuilding efforts in Babylon could represent the initial, literal fulfillment of a very sensational biblical prophecy that will achieve its complete and dramatic fulfillment under the rulership of Antichrist, the future “king” of Babylon. (Isaiah 14:1-10). Therefore, we must conclude that this biblical prophecy concerning Babylon was never intended to symbolize a country or some other city as some would have us believe; instead, it is a literal city coming to life before our very eyes.

The Bible also predicts that the final condition of Babylon will be similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah, namely complete and utter desolation as a result of massive amounts of fire and brimstone. (Isaiah 13:19) (Jer. 50:40). Obviously such destruction has never happened yet. Moreover, according to various Biblical scriptures, this final cataclysmic destruction must occur near the time of Armageddon, during the great and terrible Day of the Lord, when the entire world will be punished for their evil:

Isaiah 13:1, 4-6, 9-11, 13, 19

The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see... The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of THE KINGDOMS OF NATIONS GATHERED TOGETHER (i.e., Armageddon): the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for THE DAY OF THE LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty...

Behold, THE DAY OF THE LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land DESOLATE: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. FOR THE STARS OF HEAVEN AND THE CONSTELLATIONS THEREOF SHALL NOT GIVE THEIR LIGHT: THE SUN SHALL BE DARKENED IN HIS GOING FORTH, AND THE MOON SHALL NOT CAUSE HER LIGHT TO SHINE. AND I WILL PUNISH THE WORLD FOR THEIR EVIL...

Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the DAY OF HIS FIERCE ANGER... And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

If we read and interpret this passage of scripture literally, it states that when obvious signs of Christ’s Return are seen in the heavens, then the city of Babylon, which once was the “glory of kingdoms” and the “beauty of the Chaldees excellency” during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, “shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” This Scriptural passage states very clearly that the “Babylon” portrayed in this scripture is the Babylon that was ruled over by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans in the ancient land of Babylon, now modern-day Iraq. However, as demonstrated earlier, there are basic, fundamental reasons why we should be interpreting biblical passages such as this one in a literal manner. Therefore, the Babylon portrayed in Isaiah 13 at the time of its destruction, just before the Battle of Armageddon commences, will be the Babylon that was geographically located in ancient Babylon, now modern-day Iraq, and was ruled over by Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans.

Jeremiah 51:59-64

59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.

60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;

62 Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.

63 And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:

64 And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary....

The above passage of Scripture clearly corroborates Isaiah 13 when it predicts that the final destruction of the city of Babylon must occur at the geographical location of the Babylon that was familiar to both Seraiah and the prophet Jeremiah. In other words, they both understood Jeremiah’s prophecy as one that applied to the Babylon they knew, not to some city or country that would exist someday, in the far distant future, on the other side of the world. Moreover, it predicts that this Babylon must be destroyed through violence that will sink it just like a rock will sink when it is thrown “into the midst of (the) Euphrates” River, and that once Babylon sinks, it will never rise again. Furthermore, this prophecy also predicts that “none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.” So, without question, the preceding prophecies in Jeremiah 51:59-64 must apply to a rebuilt Babylon in our future that will be located near the Euphrates River in modern Iraq.

Other Scriptural proofs that confirm the ancient city of Babylon will be rebuilt are many. For example, Babylon will never be inhabited again after its final destruction — a prophecy which obviously has never been fulfilled yet, since the city of Babylon is inhabited by people at this very moment. Likewise, Isaiah 13:20 predicts that Arabs will never dwell there after its final demise, and that neither will shepherds. But, in modern times, both Arabs and shepherds have been dwelling there. Similarly, both Isaiah 13:21-22 and Jeremiah 51:37 predict that wild creatures of the desert will dwell around its desolate edges after its final and complete destruction. Jeremiah 51:26 also predicts that the stones of Babylon will never be used again for building purposes AFTER the final destruction of Babylon, but they are being used now. In all of these prophecies we have just mentioned, the context clearly indicates, in each instance, they refer to the Babylon that was geographically located in ancient Babylon, thereby precluding the possibility that these scriptures could be focused on a symbolic Babylon located elsewhere:

Isaiah 13:19-22

19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. (KJV)

Jeremiah 51:26, 29, 37, 42-43

26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.

29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.

37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

42 The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

43 Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth...

Jeremiah 50:39-40

39 Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.

As we saw earlier in Jeremiah 51:59-64, Babylon must be thrown down with great violence so that it will sink like a rock will sink when it is thrown into the Euphrates River — something that has never happened yet. (Rev. 18:21). In fact, a survey of Babylon’s history will show it was never destroyed in the various ways described in scriptures, and that its modern-day condition was simply the result of continued neglect and decay throughout the last several centuries of time. Actually, Babylon was a populated city during the time of the apostles (I Peter 5:13), and still existed five hundred years after Christ when the Jewish academies located there produced the Babylonian Talmud.

Furthermore, the site of ancient Babylon will be one of the openings to the eternal “lake of fire” soon after Babylon’s final destruction:

Revelation 19:2-3, 20

2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 14:9-11

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Isaiah 66:22-24

22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Isaiah 34:8-15

8 For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.

9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness....

Jeremiah 49:13, 17, 18, 33

13 For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

33 And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.

Zechariah 5:5-11 predicts that a symbolic “wicked woman” (i.e., Mystery Babylon; Satan’s church) will literally FLY (by aircraft) to the “land of Shinar” (i.e., ancient Babylon; Iraq) to establish its new religious headquarters (i.e., “to build it an house”). Obviously this extraordinary biblical prophecy has never been fulfilled, so it must represent a future fulfillment:

Zechariah 5:5-11

5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.

6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.

7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

“Ephah.” The ephah basket measured at about one bushel and three pints. In this biblical prophecy, the basket symbolizes the economic and financial system that will support and undergird the empire of the Antichrist. Moreover, because it carries the wicked woman inside of it, the combination of these two symbols represent the close alliance and collaboration that will exist between the economic and religious systems within the empire of Antichrist. That is why we should not be surprised to see the rebuilt city of Babylon become the religious headquarters for the Antichrist while also functioning as a center of world trade and commerce during the “time of the end.” Evidently the melding of financial power and religious power and influence, combined with the miraculous abilities and prestige of the Antichrist, will simply overwhelm the sensibilities and intellectual honesty of most people. Thus, the rebuilt city of Babylon, the economic system, will coexist with Mystery Babylon, the religious system, at the same geographical location in modern-day Iraq.

“Wicked Woman.” As we will demonstrate in chapter 4 of this book, the symbolic “wicked woman” represents the mysterious, ancient Babylonian cult beliefs and rituals that dominated, or will dominate, the seven biblical world empires that oppress Israel at various times throughout her history. Because Satan is super intelligent and quite devious in his methods, these vile pagan and occult beliefs and practices dominated the religious beliefs and activities that prevailed in the ancient biblical world empires. Since it is more difficult for people, generally, to discern the true nature of false religious beliefs if they are blended in with significant amounts of perceived truth, that is precisely the strategy which Satan frequently employed, and will employ, to deceive people spiritually.

“Talent of Lead.” A talent of lead weighed over 122 lbs., which was an extreme amount of weight for a lid covering the top of an ephah basket. Even so, despite the unusually heavy weight of the lid, that still did not hold the “woman of wickedness” down, thus illustrating the power of evil.

“Two Women.” It is possible that the “two women” who carry the “wicked woman” to Babylon represent two major world religions, perhaps Islam and “professing” Christianity consisting of Roman Catholicism and mainline Protestant denominations.

“Wings.” The “wings” probably refer to the mode of travel employed when the “wicked woman” is transported to rebuilt Babylon, i.e., air-travel by modern airplanes.

As further corroboration of this interpretation of Zechariah 5:5-11, a careful analytic comparison of both Revelation 17 and 18 establishes the singular fact that “Mystery Babylon” (i.e., Satan’s church) and the city of Babylon will be located geographically at the exact same place near the time of their final and complete destruction. Here are excerpts:

Revelation 17

“The judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication (spiritual unfaithfulness).... and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy.... And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus... And the woman which thou sawest is that great city....”

Revelation 18

“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, AND THE MERCHANTS OF THE EARTH ARE WAXED RICH THROUGH THE ABUNDANCE OF HER DELICACIES... Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins...

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: FOR STRONG IS THE LORD GOD WHO JUDGETH HER. And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, alas, alas, that great CITY Babylon, that mighty CITY! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

“And the MERCHANTS of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls... and SOULS OF MEN.... Alas, alas, that great CITY, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls....

“And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, what CITY is like unto this great CITY! ...for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; FOR BY THY SORCERIES WERE ALL NATIONS DECEIVED. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”

Jeremiah 51:6-8

6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

One final reason which proves the ancient city of Babylon must be rebuilt at its original geographical location in modern Iraq is the prophetic prediction that the final overthrow of Babylon will be followed by “blessings” upon the nation of Israel. Furthermore, Isaiah 14:1-10 very clearly indicates that these blessings will be bestowed upon the nation of Israel during the Millennium, which will commence immediately after the demise of Antichrist, the king of Babylon, and their oppressor. (Isa. 13:19-22) (Isa. 14:1-10) (Jer. 50:4-7, 20).

Isaiah 14:1-10

1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

So far, it has been established in several scriptural analyses above that the ancient city of Babylon must be rebuilt at its original geographical location in modern-day Iraq. However, although the following scriptural references in Revelation can not likewise be used to prove conclusively that ancient Babylon will be rebuilt, they do provide interesting insight as to how rebuilt Babylon will be totally destroyed forever, near the time of Armageddon. For example, the rebuilt city of Babylon must be destroyed “suddenly” and in “one hour” of time. (Isa. 13:19) (Jer. 50:40) (Jer. 51:8) (Rev. 18:8-10, 17-19) (Isa. 47). Also, Babylon must be burned with fire, something which likewise has never happened yet. (Rev. 17:16-18) (Rev. 18:8-10, 18) (Rev. 19:1-3). Additionally, Babylon must be destroyed by an earthquake, which never has happened, and that earthquake must occur during the seventh plague, just before Armageddon and the Return of Christ. (Rev. 16:16-21). Finally, the soldiers of Antichrist must destroy Babylon with fire, very possibly even with a bomb. (Rev. 17:16-18) (Rev. 18:15-17, 21) (Jer. 51:59-64).

Finally, God's center of the world is Israel. Any and all Biblical prophecies are given with Israel as the only relevant point of reference. Any prophecies which are viewed in any light other than that of Israel being God's center of the world cannot be understood as God intended them to be and are therefore meaningless to the person who attempts to interpret them with no grasp of this fact.

[Joya]

Thank you, G.N.,

Flash Traffic latest (Joel Rosenberg),

http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/

QUOTING JOEL R.:

‘The front page of Tuesday morning’s New York Times had a stunning headline: “Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles.”

‘The drying up of this historic river in the land of ancient Babylon is so stunning, that even the Times had to note that Bible prophecy says this will happen in the “last days” of history, in the lead up to the apocalyptic battle of Armageddon described in the Book of Revelation.

‘Excerpts from the Times story: “Throughout the marshes, the reed gatherers, standing on land they once floated over, cry out to visitors in a passing boat. ‘Maaku mai!’ they shout, holding up their rusty sickles. ‘There is no water!’ The Euphrates is drying up. ...

‘The shrinking of the Euphrates, a river so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end times, has decimated farms along its banks, has left fishermen impoverished and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work.”

...

‘Please note did not add in the link above to the “Bible Gateway” website for Revelation 16:12. The Times’ online edition includes that link themselves. Apparently the newspaper of record now believes that the future of Iraq in light of Bible prophecy is part of “all the news that’s fit to print.”’

END QUOTE

[F15Eagle]

Remember the woman in Revelation is “mystery Babylon” - and she’s a city

[smokingfrog]

SOURCES

Iraq maps: Platts (oil fields), Associated Press, CIA World Fact Book (population), Globalsecurity.org, CNN, United Nations (palaces)

Saddam Hussein has built dozens of palaces. Most were erected after the Persian Gulf War and several are bigger than Britain's Buckingham Palace.
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/maps/iraq/iraq.palaces.html