Posted on 04/30/2007 9:00:21 PM PDT by Quix
Quix: I've been undecided about whether the Bible clearly indicated Babylon was to be rebuilt in these END TIMES until reading as far as I have in this book. I believe this excerpt is an important one to prayerfully consider and that it is indicative of a wealth of well researched info in the book. I consider it well worth getting and reading all of—for anyone seriously interested in the END TIMES and Bible prophecy.
Babylon is where Satan located his headquarters and began his centuries-old battle against God for the conquest of the souls of men. It was there that the seeds were planted for all the major religions of the world. There, government had its earliest beginnings, eventually producing Nebuchadnezzar, considered by some to have been the most autocratic dictator in history. According to both Daniel the prophet and secular history, all world governments from that time on have been inferior to Babylon. [Qx: I wonder, in terms of what—efficiency? Not the best measure of the quality of life under a government, I’d say] Since the demise of Rome fifteen hundred years ago, no other world government has arisen—just as the prophet foretold (Daniel 2,7). Not that many haven’t tried! But they all failed, for God revealed that there would be only four world governments. Then at the “time of the end,” the world would unite once more under ten kings who would loan their authority to one man—a Nebuchadnezzar –type, if you will—who would do as he pleased, even “changing the times and seasons” . . . for a very short time. When Christ comes to set up His kingdom, He will destroy the city of Babylon, as well as Babylonian religion, commerce, and government. Then He will rule the world forever (Revelation 17-18). But first . . .
Babylon is mentioned 280 times in the Bible—more than any city except Jerusalem. It is easily the most important pagan city that ever existed, for there is hardly any city in the world that it has not in some way influenced—whether religiously, governmentally, or commercially. Her influence spread not only west to Rome, where it shaped all the developing nation states and most cities during the next two and a half millennia, but also to the east and south. Long before the word for it had been coined, socialism had been a Babylonian philosophy for the conduct of government, commerce, and religion. Most of the governments that followed it adoped many of its policies—a form of organized living independent of God.
Once Satan moved his religious, commercial, and governmental capital to the city of Rome (in the first century before Christ), he lost interest in the original site of Babylon, located in the present country of Iraq. The city was abandoned many years later and was gradually covered by the winds and sands of time.
Around the turn of the twentieth century, some Bible teachers began to popularize the idea that the abandoned ruins of the city fulfilled prophecy. To support their position they quoted some of the prophecies relating to the eventual destruction of the city, particularly those that predict that it will never again be built. It made for colorful preaching. But as we shall see, Babylon was never destroyed as the Bible says it would be, in a single day as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
The failure to take literally these prophecies about Babylon has led otherwise good men to make some fanciful attempts to identify the Babylonian cities of Revelation 17 and 18. I well recall hearing a noted prophecy teacher expound on those texts, predicting that New York City was the new Babylon of the twentieth century [Qx once believed that] and would soon be destroyed. Again, it made for colorful preaching . . . but it was wrong.
Many of us who take a literal approach to Bible prophecy have felt for years that the city ofBabylon must be restored before the Second Coming. In fact, when I wrote my commentary on the book of Revelation thirty years ago, I predicted that Babylon would be rebuilt. Little did I realize that Saddam Hussein, one of the cruelest dictators of our time, was launching such an undertaking as a monument to himself!
The main reason for believing that Babylon must be rebuilt depends on some unfulfilled prophecies concerning the city’s destruction. Let’s briefly consider five sets of these prophecies.
1. Isaiah 13 and 14 and Jeremiah 50 and 51 describe the destruction of Babylon at “the day of the Lord.”
A careful reading of these four chapters will reveal that the prophecies concerning the destruction of Babylon use the law of double reference; that is, they refer to two overthrows of Babylon. The first occurred in the seventieth year of Israel’s captivity. The second will occur on the day of Yahweh, that is, the seven-year Tribulation. At that time Babylon will be the headquarters of the world’s governmental, commercial, and religious systems—in opposition to the will of God. And at that time it will be utterly destroyed, never to rise again.
2. The ruins of Babylon have been used to build other cities, contrary to Jeremiah 51:26.
Jeremiah predicted of Babylon, “They shall not take from you a stone for a corner nor a stone for a foundation, but you shall be desolate forever.” It is reliably reported that at least six cities bear the marks of ancient Babylon in their buildings: Seleucia, . . . Kufa, by the Caliphs; Hillah, just a twenty-minute walk from ancient Babylon, built almost entirely from Babylon’s ruins; and Baghdad, fifty miles north of Babylon, also used materials from the ancient city.
These facts alone demand the rebuilding of Babylon, because when God destroys it as recorded in Revelation 18, no part of it will ever be used to build another city.”
3. The prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah indicate that Babylon will be suddenly and totally obliterated.
“Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed” says the prophet in Jeremiah 51:8 (KJV). And Isaiah 13:19 states, “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (KJV).
A look at history reveals the city was never destroyed in the way these Hebrew prophets predicted it would be, which guarantees it must be rebuilt. Babylon declined gradually, over hundreds of years, and never was devastated in anything like the sudden conflagration that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. . . .
An interesting aspect to Isaiah’s prophecy is that, like the city of Sodom, Babylon is built over vast supplies of bituminous asphalt and pitch. When my friend, prophecy preacher Dr. Charls Pa, led a tour of Babylon in 1975, he was told that the asphalt is only ten feet below the surface of the earth throughout the whole city. And while that may indicate there is oil underground, it is also an ideal condition to produce its ultimate destruction by fire and brimstone. A volcanic eruption could easily fulfill the destruction of the city as described in Revelation 18. . . .
4. Isaiah 13:20 states that the ruins of Babylon are never to be inhabited.
The prophet declared of the devastated Babylon, “It will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation; nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.”
But as we just saw, Babylon was inhabited for much of ancient history even after the Medes and Persians conquered the Babylonian Empire. In fact, one writer records that about A.D. 1100, under the name of Hillah, Babylon was enlarged and fortified; in 1898 Hillah boasted ten thousand inhabitants.
And certainly it has never been true that ‘Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.” Both still occur to this day. Neither can it be said of Babylon, “Her cities are a desolation, a dry land and a wilderness, a land where no one dwells, through which no son of man passes” (Jeremiah 51:43) . . .
No, in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled, Babylon must be rebuilt, then destroyed in a mighty display of God’s righteous power.
5. An ancient rabbinic rule of interpretation says that when the Bible mentions an event twice, it means the event will happen twice.
If this rabinnic guideline is correct, then we can be assured that Babylon will be rebuilt, for both Isaiah and the apostle John use the same double verbs to describe its destruction:
Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (Revelation 14:8) Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! (Revelation 18:2)
During the early eighties I began hearing stories of rebuilding in Babylon. Several times I tried to inquire how to make a visit there so I could see for myself. My friend Dr Joe Chambers was invited in 1989 to make an official visit to the rebuilt city as a guest of the Iraqi government. When he returned, he wrote a book titled A Palace for the Antichrist, complete with pictures of the walls, the magnificent gate of Ishtar (the female goddess whose history dates to themother of Nimrod, the worship of whom is growing in the Western world), the palace of Nebuchadnezzar and three pagan temples.
On June 28, 1990, Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson took the nation to this incredible city of Babylon via their television program Prime Time Live. They pointed out that Saddam Hussein had spent over a billion dollars of his oil wealth rebuilding the city as a monument to himself.
It is difficult to explain the bizarre behavior of Saddam Hussein without thinking him quite possibly demon possessed. Before he ever declared the eight-year-long war on his closest neighbor, Iran—a conflict that cost both countries over a million men and crippled countless thousands of others for life—he already had earned the title of “butcher of Baghdad” for killing his own people. Even today [1999], if it were not for the United Nations and U.S. presence in northern Iraq, he would exterminate the Kurds living in his country.
Many Westerners still don’t understand what Hussein wasdoing when he invaded Kuwait and triggered the Gulf War. He had his eyes set not on little Kuwait alone but on the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Jordan—all the enemies of Israel and the very countries who own 70 percent of the world’s oil. . . .
Religiously, Saddam may give lip service to Muhammad and act like a devoted Muslim, but there is strong indication that he is actually a Satanist. A key is found in Dr. Charles Pak’s report of his 1975 visit to Babylon to witness firsthand the rebuilding of that ancient city. There, for the first time in his life, Dr. Pak witnessed the worship of the devil at a reconstructed temple to the sun. When you recall that Hussein is known to micromanage everything in his country, including that entire rebuilding project, you can be sure that a temple to Satan would not be there without his approval.
Certainly Hussein is not reported to be “normal.” What normal man would take his revolver and blow the brains out of one of his own generals merely for asking to be excused from a staff meeting (where Hussein was rambling on and on) because his wife had just called to say she had to go to the hospital to deliver their child? . . .
P143
You can be sure that any city mentioned seven times in two chapters as is Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18, will be a literal city. And since it is seen there as an enormously influential city, perhaps even the capital of government, commerce, and religion, it must yet be rebuilt. . . .
Add to the above, various reports I’ve read in the last year or three about the globalist’s plans to build their world government headquarters in rebuilt Babylon . . . and it definitely begins to be more than a little interesting.
I believe that LaHaye and Jenkins’ research is accurate and conclusive. I no longer believe that Biblically predicted Babylon of the END TIMES is New York or London or Hong Kong or Tokyo. Babylon is the only one that fits the prophecies so accurately. And that’s without considering the global government’s plans to place their headquarters there.
I also believe that the above facts demonstrate the validity of taking prophecies mostly—certainly overwhelmingly—literally where at all workable. We are seeing END TIMES prophecies come alive right before our eyes on CNN month after month.
The book has many other examples of literal fulfillment of END TIMES prophecies either in the last 60 years or on the brink of being fulfilled. I consider it one of the better prophecy focused books that I’ve read in the last 35 years.
I think that the above paragraphs are indicative of the writing style and flow of the writing. It is very readable and fast paced, imho.
There are ample footnotes for each chapter but put annoyingly at the end instead of the bottom of each page. Cost considerations, I guess—or editorial stupidity.
I realize that many believers love to mock and dismiss LaHaye and Jenkins because of their fiction series. I was not a great fan of the series though I enjoyed the concluding one where Christ returned.
However, this is a pleasure to read and is full of meaty information, well documented. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the END TIMES—including those who have decided on their own wisdom that we are not in the END TIMES because all such prophecies happened long ago. This book proves otherwise in abundance.
Let this little aphorism embiggen[1] your spirit:
[1] "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man." Jebediah Springfield, AKA Hans Sprungfeldt
I would try and construct a rational response . . .
but I honestly find the post to respond to utterly nonsensical and thoroughly out of touch with the reality I’m familiar with.
I can’t begin, yet, to construct a thoughtful response.
After studying such for 45 years, I’m not the least bit in need of being convinced.
And, NO, it doesn’t have anything to do with distorted glasses and expectations reading things into headlines or the Bible. Not the least bit. Sheesh. This is not rocket science folks.
However, I may try and post a reference or two to the issue you inquired about. But mostly, you should do your own homework. You’ll believe the truth easier, then.
NOT AT ALL.
Not one 0.0000000000000000000000000001% worth.
Some do contend that the globalists have been at work setting up the world government for 400 years, at least. And, certainly satan has been at it far longer.
However, it would appear that you did not really read the 25 items. Many pieces of the Biblically predicted global government headed by satan end times puzzle
COULD HAVE ONLY occurred no sooner than our era since the prophecies were written.
It helps when you pay attention.
Now you know how everyone else feels. LOL
But, since you are insistent on being such a hotshot on that issue, please,
PLEASE,
tell me, what other centuries were there computer chip implants ready to be mandated for every man, woman and child on the planet without which it would be impossible to buy or sell legally?
Was it say around the year 250? Maybe 575?
How about 12250?
I give up—what centuries included such chips in the historic past?
Where is the evidence of those ‘historic globalists’ creating such ID chips in highly secret projects . . . with lives being threatened or disposed of for leaking such information in earlier years???
As you seem to be sure you are Gods agent.. and knowing the mind of God.... Please don’t put in a bad word for me since you are obviously closer to God. Thanks.
Well, folks at risk of brain fries from reading my . . . troublesome posts are certainly encouraged to do the honorable and healthy thing of skipping them entirely!
OOOOPs
12250 = 1250 A.D.
I’m in the business of trying to facilitate Christ saving people.
I’m not in the business of trying to damn people.
Regardless of their efforts to try and get me to change my focus or motivaton.
You are just a messenger... Jesus saves. Do not elevate yourself too much. Hubris is a sin. You are a messenger... no more and no less.
Ping me when that UFO shows up.
I’m in the business of trying to facilitate Christ saving people.
Perhaps you could point out the troublesome word in the sentence above. I never imagined a problem, when I posted it. I still can't find where the confusion came in.
Though I have observed sometimes in my own life that rebellious haughtiness can be a route for such junk.
Wellll, folks who actually READ my posts before arbitrarily and closed-mindedly trashing them
already know
that I’m forcefully against any association with UFO’s etc. I’m certainly not interested in pinging or encouraging anyone else to have any associations with such.
But, I do get your assaultive insulting intent.
One tiny problem. You assume to understand (be able to guess at) the mind of God. You show intense hubris. Read the book, accept it, embrace it, and don’t add nutty theories.
OK ?
Actually, I haven’t found much OK about any post you’ve sent to me.
But it should be obvious to well read folks that I haven’t included any nutty theories about my Scriptural perspective, AT ALL.
BTW, I wouldn’t expect me to agree with you on much—though I HOPE you are against HARXIST—SHRILLERY de Fosterizer de Marx . . . de Sade becoming President.
Understanding Scripture to say what it means and mean what it says is not that difficult or unusual a thing . . . except that it’s amazing how many don’t do it.
So many things are hidden in plain sight.
God certainly does use a lot of foolish things to confound the wise.
I am not sure that is true. Wasn't Allah the Moon god, (pre-Mohammad,) while baal was Mars?
At any point in time you could have said X government is now issuing ID's, checking names, etc.
As far as I know, computer ID chips are not a prophecy. You can't just take anything that happens today and say it is part of a prophecy.
First, you have to say what the prophecies are, and then see if something going on today fits.
You are doing the reverse. You are seeing what goes on today and then fitting it to prophecy.
Lay down the rules here, and I'll come up with stuff from any other time period.
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