The Rise And Fall Of Babylon
By: Michael Bradley
According to the Book of Revelations, the city of Babylon has to be rebuilt once again. This is another key event for everyone to really keep an eye on. Prophecy scholars are divided in their opinion as to whether or not the city of Babylon will literally be rebuilt again. After studying the verses mentioned below - I believe that the Bible is using literal interpretation and it is meaning exactly what it is saying. If this is correct - then the city of Babylon will once more be rebuilt so God can literally wipe this unholy city off the face of this earth!
The city of Babylon is in the country of Iraq. Back in the early 70's, Saddam Hussein started to try to rebuild the city once again. He probably got about half of it rebuilt before we took him out in our war with Iraq. It remains to be seen if Iraq will continue to rebuild this city once a new government has been put into place and things start to settle down.
God the Father has a SERIOUS PROBLEM with the city of Babylon. I personally feel that He is going to allow it to be rebuilt once again so that He can personally DESTROY IT HIMSELF. Here are the reasons why.
Back in the Old Testament in the book of Genesis, the city of Babylon was the first city where man began to worship himself in organized rebellion against God Himself. It was where Satan officially set up his initial "headquarters." The first official world ruler was Nimrod and he ruled from the city of Babylon.
Most, if not all of the false religions of this world, can be traced back to the city of Babylon. As you will see in the following verses, Babylon is called a harlot - because from out of her came all the other false religions that have set themselves up against the one and only true God of the Bible.
From these other false religions have come massive persecution of God's people throughout the ages. Satan and his demons have obviously been behind all of these other false religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.
It is a well known fact that many Muslims hate Christians, and there is horrible persecution going on even right now with Muslims slaughtering Christians in Sudan and parts of Indonesia. Satan and his demons rule behind these other false religions and he is the one causing all of this hatred toward Christians.
As we get into the 7 year Tribulation, God arranges for this city to be rebuilt again, and then He will "arrange" for the city to be destroyed by the Antichrist and his 10 nation confederacy in one day! The Antichrist will have no idea that he is being used as a "pawn" by God the Father when he sets out to destroy this city.
I have a feeling Satan may be able to read what I believe will be a very heavy sign from God as to why this city is being raised up again - just so God can personally destroy it Himself. I believe God is saying with the destruction of Babylon, that He is in the process of getting ready to "clean up the earth", and that all the false religions of this world are going to be taken out when Jesus returns back to our earth to set up His Millennium Kingdom.
God will first destroy the city of Babylon and everything that it stands for and represents. And then He will eventually come after Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, all of Satan's demons and all the other unsaved people of this earth when Jesus comes back for His second coming.
When the Millennium Kingdom is set up for the 1000 years, all the bad and unsaved people and Satan and all of his demons will be totally taken out so that we can have true peace on this earth during the 1000 years that Jesus will rule for.
As you will see in the following verses, Babylon is once again going to be rebuilt, and it appears to become a major governmental and commercial place in the world. The Bible says that the "harlot" will initially rule in tandem with the Antichrist. When the city is destroyed, the Bible says that a lot of the merchants, traders and seamen will mourn because they are no longer going to be able to trade and make money with her. The Bible says the kings of the earth were living luxuriously with her when she is destroyed, and they are all mourning because of the loss of wealth that will occur to them as a result of her destruction.
The Scripture Verses
1. This first verse tells us that the beast, who is the Antichrist, and his 10 nation confederacy will be the ones who will destroy this city. However, this verse then goes on to tell us that God Himself is the one who will "put it into the hearts" of the beast and his 10 nation confederacy to destroy Babylon. Here is the verse:
"And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, they will hate the harlot, make her desolate and burn her
with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give the kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that GREAT CITY which reigns over the kings of the earth." (Revelations 17:16-18)
2. This next verse goes further into the actual destruction of Babylon. Apparently the city is literally destroyed in one hour! Here is the verse that wraps up what God has to say about destroying this unholy place.
"After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.'
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury ... In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart,' I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow'.
Therefore her plagues will come in one day - death and mourning and famine. And she will literally be burned with fire, for strong is the Lord who judges her.
And the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, this great city Babylon, the mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore ... Rejoice over her, O heaven, and your holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her."
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found ... and the light of your lamp shall not shine anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth." (Revelations 18:1-24)
3. Here is another verse that says her destruction will come in one hour.
"For in one hour such great riches came to nothing." (Revelations 18:17)
Conclusion
1. Babylon probably has to be rebuilt sometime before the 7 year Tribulation starts. If it is going to be a
flourishing city by the time the Antichrist sets out to destroy it, it has to be rebuilt sometime before the Antichrist really comes to power in order to properly set the stage for it to be a "flourishing and wealthy" city again.
Prophecy students feel that its destruction by the Antichrist will probably come somewhere around the midpoint of the Tribulation or shortly thereafter. Remember, the Antichrist will rise to power more on peace and diplomacy during the first three and half years. It is in the last three and half years of the Tribulation that the Antichrist basically goes nuts and starts the mass persecution of the Jews and all who will not accept his mark. My guess is that Babylon is included in the last three and half years of his mass destruction of both people and countries.
2. You'll also notice that Babylon is destroyed in one hour by fire. The first verse above says that the beast will burn her with fire. I have to believe that the Antichrist will probably launch some type of nuclear missile or bomb on Babylon to completely destroy it by fire in one hour.
3. The Bible says our God is a jealous God. The first of the Ten Commandments is "You shall have no other Gods before Me."
The second commandment says:
"You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord Your God, am a jealous God ..."
All of the other false religions that have come onto this earth all have their origin with the ancient city of Babylon - and they all involve some form of idol worship.
With our God the Father being the one and only true God of the entire universe, He calls all of these other false religions originating out of Babylon harlots! That is because they are not the one and only true faith involving the God of the Bible. I've already done an article titled the "The Basics of Salvation Through Jesus Christ". The Bible makes it very clear that there is only one faith, one God, one religion and one Savior - Jesus Christ. God the Father will not honor in any way, shape or form any of these other false religious systems. All of these other religions are an abomination in His sight and they all have their origin with Satan himself. And the city of ancient Babylon was really the official starting point from where Satan really started to develop and work in all of the other false religions of the world today into each of the other countries around the world.
Once you understand and see the "big picture" as how God sees it, you can understand why He would want to resurrect the city of Babylon again, just so that He can set it up for its final destruction at the end of times.
The above verses also says this destruction is set up by God in order to avenge all of His people who have been martyred throughout history by all of these other false religions.
4. If you want to read more on Babylon and its final destruction, go to chapters 17 and 18 in Revelations. Those two chapters were too long for me to type out everything in this article. The above verses are highlighting the basics on this subject for you.
Note Revelations 17:3 where it says:
"And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
The woman is the city of Babylon and the beast she is sitting on is the Antichrist. This verse tells you that initially Babylon will be riding on and working with the Antichrist and probably helping him set up his agenda.
There are also predictions that out of Babylon, will come a lot more of the New Age Movement, along with a heavy increase in sorcery, magic and the occult. Demons and their supernatural powers will be at their peak during the end times, and the city of Babylon will also have a lot of occultic activity surrounding it which will help draw a lot of people from all over the world to visit there. This would probably explain why it is going to become so popular and wealthy again once it is resurrected.
All of the above is just another powerful "puzzle piece" given by God in the Bible to let us know when we really are starting to approach the end of times and the return of His Son to our earth to set up His 1000 year Millennium Kingdom.
Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching.
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Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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