Revelation Chapter 18:
“…and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” (Revelation 16:19)
Revelation 18 describes the fulfillment of the above verse. The words, “After these things” of verse 1 indicates that the events of chapter 18 will not take place until after the destruction of the false church, as described in the preceding chapter.
John saw another angel come down from heaven. This seems to be a different angel from the messenger who showed him the destruction of Mystery Babylon, for this angel is said to have great authority and the whole earth is lightened with his glory. He announces with a strong voice the fall of Babylon. Whereas chapter 17 spoke of religious Babylon, or the false church, our present chapter speaks of the literal city of Babylon, which will become the commercial center of the world during the last half of the Tribulation.
“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.” (Isaiah 13:19, 20)
“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 forever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.” (Jeremiah 50:39)
The above scriptures are clearly yet to be fulfilled because there is at present a new Babylon that has risen from the ruins of the old. The following are some excerpts taken from the book, “The Rise of Babylon” by Charles H. Dyer, written in 1991:
“For nearly two thousand years, Babylon was the most important city in the world. It was the commercial and financial center for all Mesopotamia. The arts of divination, astronomy, astrology, accounting, and private commercial law all sprang from Babylon.
As recently as fifteen years ago, all that existed on the site of ancient Babylon were dusty ruins, or ruins of ruins. But as of February 1990, over sixty million bricks had been laid in the reconstruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s fabled city. On the exact site of ancient Babylon, Saddam Hussein has reconstructed the Southern Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, including the Procession Street, a Greek theater, many temples, what was once Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room, and a half-scale model of the Ishtar Gate. Hussein plans to rebuild the hanging gardens, once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The restoration of Babylon began in 1978. The Iraqis are determined that the new Babylon will look as nearly like the old as possible. Saddam Hussein has made rebuilding Babylon the focal point of Iraqi nationalism. There are plans for hotels, playgrounds, recreation centers, movie theaters, and temples.
When I attended the Babylonian Festivals in 1987 and 1988, guests from all over the world gathered there. There were ballet troupes, opera singers, folk dancers, flamenco artists, and Bedouin dancers—all of these from different countries. “This is not just an Iraqi festival,” Munir Bashir told a writer for the Los Angeles Times. “It is a festival for the whole world, because Babylon was the capital of civilization once and has given the world so much.” Music and building and wedding celebrations continue in the city of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar was the only Arab ruler ever able to lead Arab armies against the Israelites and defeat them in battle. By rebuilding Babylon, Saddam Hussein was making himself the new Nebuchadnezzar, who also hoped to lead the Arab armies in victory over Israel. Colorful murals appear on the outer courtyard walls of the Nebuchadnezzar Museum in Babylon. One depicts Nebuchadnezzar supervising the construction of a temple; another shows him looking over the city he has built, and a third pictures him leading his army in battle against a city.
Saddam Hussein has rebuilt the temple originally constructed by Nebuchadnezzar. He is rebuilding the city of Babylon. But he has yet to lead his army in battle against a city, which the mural clearly shows to be the city of Jerusalem. Hussein wants to parallel the life of Nebuchadnezzar by leading his army against the Jews of Jerusalem!
Hussein’s name means “one who confronts,” and six days after becoming president, he confronted twenty-two of his rivals in leadership and had them executed.”
I have quoted at length from Mr. Dyer’s book on this subject to familiarize us with what has been going on in Babylon recently, all of which is a fulfillment of prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments. As we said before, Babylon will once again become the capital of civilization in commerce, business, pleasures and wickedness. This will be true of her during the last 3 ½ years of Tribulation.
Realizing the terrible wickedness of the present leadership of the country of Iraq, we can understand how Babylon will become the habitation of demons and the gathering center for every evil spirit. All nations will be caught up in her evil works, the rulers of the world will be joined to her, and the merchants of the world will become wealthy because of her.
In verse 4, God calls to His people to come out of Babylon that they would not be partaker of her sins, and thus partaker of the judgment that is to fall upon her. God initiated the nation of Israel with a call to come out of this same region. Genesis 12:1 tells of His call to Abraham to leave that country, and now at the end of the age He again calls Israel to leave this place of sin. This reminds us of the time when God took Lot and his family out of Sodom before sending judgment on that city (Genesis 19). It is not God’s will that any man should perish.
Read Isaiah 13:19-21 and Jeremiah 50 and 51 and note how these conditions of Babylon and God’s judgment upon her were prophesied many years ago. Her destruction will come suddenly and she shall be burned with fire, even as Sodom was burned. Whereas the leaders of the world caused the destruction of Mystery Babylon, the false church, when the city of Babylon is destroyed both the rulers of the world and the merchants of the world shall weep and mourn. This is because the source of their riches has gone up in smoke! Now, instead of being joined to her in her luxurious living and wickedness, they stand “afar off” weeping and wailing because of their loss. It is sad that these men mourn so for loss of riches and yet feel no remorse at all for such unrestrained sin.
Verses 12 and 13 list some of the merchandise that will come from Babylon during her zenith of power, and the merchants will have been made wealthy from these things. All of the luxury and splendor that money can buy will be in abundance in this city. But then, “in one hour so great riches is come to naught!” When God moves, He moves swiftly. So now we see the total bankruptcy of big business. While this causes great lamenting and mourning on the earth, those in heaven are told to rejoice, for God has judged this terribly wicked place. Verse 21 is a fulfillment of Jeremiah 51:63, 64 and shows God’s assessment of man’s best achievements.
Verse 23 states, “for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” According to Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word for sorceries is “Pharmakeia”, meaning, “medication (pharmacy), (by extension) magic or witchcraft.” These two things, drugs and witchcraft, are often seen together, and both will be rampant in this city of Babylon. Thus all nations will be deceived. Then verse 24 gives the terrible indictment upon Babylon for the blood of prophets, saints, and all that are slain upon the earth. No wonder the saints in heaven are told to rejoice at her destruction. God is always just and He judges righteously!
Revelation 18 describes the fulfillment of the above verse. The words, “After these things” of verse 1 indicates that the events of chapter 18 will not take place until after the destruction of the false church, as described in the preceding chapter.
John saw another angel come down from heaven. This seems to be a different angel from the messenger who showed him the destruction of Mystery Babylon, for this angel is said to have great authority and the whole earth is lightened with his glory. He announces with a strong voice the fall of Babylon. Whereas chapter 17 spoke of religious Babylon, or the false church, our present chapter speaks of the literal city of Babylon, which will become the commercial center of the world during the last half of the Tribulation.
“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.” (Isaiah 13:19, 20)
“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 forever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.” (Jeremiah 50:39)
The above scriptures are clearly yet to be fulfilled because there is at present a new Babylon that has risen from the ruins of the old. The following are some excerpts taken from the book, “The Rise of Babylon” by Charles H. Dyer, written in 1991:
“For nearly two thousand years, Babylon was the most important city in the world. It was the commercial and financial center for all Mesopotamia. The arts of divination, astronomy, astrology, accounting, and private commercial law all sprang from Babylon.
As recently as fifteen years ago, all that existed on the site of ancient Babylon were dusty ruins, or ruins of ruins. But as of February 1990, over sixty million bricks had been laid in the reconstruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s fabled city. On the exact site of ancient Babylon, Saddam Hussein has reconstructed the Southern Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, including the Procession Street, a Greek theater, many temples, what was once Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room, and a half-scale model of the Ishtar Gate. Hussein plans to rebuild the hanging gardens, once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The restoration of Babylon began in 1978. The Iraqis are determined that the new Babylon will look as nearly like the old as possible. Saddam Hussein has made rebuilding Babylon the focal point of Iraqi nationalism. There are plans for hotels, playgrounds, recreation centers, movie theaters, and temples.
When I attended the Babylonian Festivals in 1987 and 1988, guests from all over the world gathered there. There were ballet troupes, opera singers, folk dancers, flamenco artists, and Bedouin dancers—all of these from different countries. “This is not just an Iraqi festival,” Munir Bashir told a writer for the Los Angeles Times. “It is a festival for the whole world, because Babylon was the capital of civilization once and has given the world so much.” Music and building and wedding celebrations continue in the city of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar was the only Arab ruler ever able to lead Arab armies against the Israelites and defeat them in battle. By rebuilding Babylon, Saddam Hussein was making himself the new Nebuchadnezzar, who also hoped to lead the Arab armies in victory over Israel. Colorful murals appear on the outer courtyard walls of the Nebuchadnezzar Museum in Babylon. One depicts Nebuchadnezzar supervising the construction of a temple; another shows him looking over the city he has built, and a third pictures him leading his army in battle against a city.
Saddam Hussein has rebuilt the temple originally constructed by Nebuchadnezzar. He is rebuilding the city of Babylon. But he has yet to lead his army in battle against a city, which the mural clearly shows to be the city of Jerusalem. Hussein wants to parallel the life of Nebuchadnezzar by leading his army against the Jews of Jerusalem!
Hussein’s name means “one who confronts,” and six days after becoming president, he confronted twenty-two of his rivals in leadership and had them executed.”
I have quoted at length from Mr. Dyer’s book on this subject to familiarize us with what has been going on in Babylon recently, all of which is a fulfillment of prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments. As we said before, Babylon will once again become the capital of civilization in commerce, business, pleasures and wickedness. This will be true of her during the last 3 ½ years of Tribulation.
Realizing the terrible wickedness of the present leadership of the country of Iraq, we can understand how Babylon will become the habitation of demons and the gathering center for every evil spirit. All nations will be caught up in her evil works, the rulers of the world will be joined to her, and the merchants of the world will become wealthy because of her.
In verse 4, God calls to His people to come out of Babylon that they would not be partaker of her sins, and thus partaker of the judgment that is to fall upon her. God initiated the nation of Israel with a call to come out of this same region. Genesis 12:1 tells of His call to Abraham to leave that country, and now at the end of the age He again calls Israel to leave this place of sin. This reminds us of the time when God took Lot and his family out of Sodom before sending judgment on that city (Genesis 19). It is not God’s will that any man should perish.
Read Isaiah 13:19-21 and Jeremiah 50 and 51 and note how these conditions of Babylon and God’s judgment upon her were prophesied many years ago. Her destruction will come suddenly and she shall be burned with fire, even as Sodom was burned. Whereas the leaders of the world caused the destruction of Mystery Babylon, the false church, when the city of Babylon is destroyed both the rulers of the world and the merchants of the world shall weep and mourn. This is because the source of their riches has gone up in smoke! Now, instead of being joined to her in her luxurious living and wickedness, they stand “afar off” weeping and wailing because of their loss. It is sad that these men mourn so for loss of riches and yet feel no remorse at all for such unrestrained sin.
Verses 12 and 13 list some of the merchandise that will come from Babylon during her zenith of power, and the merchants will have been made wealthy from these things. All of the luxury and splendor that money can buy will be in abundance in this city. But then, “in one hour so great riches is come to naught!” When God moves, He moves swiftly. So now we see the total bankruptcy of big business. While this causes great lamenting and mourning on the earth, those in heaven are told to rejoice, for God has judged this terribly wicked place. Verse 21 is a fulfillment of Jeremiah 51:63, 64 and shows God’s assessment of man’s best achievements.
Verse 23 states, “for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” According to Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word for sorceries is “Pharmakeia”, meaning, “medication (pharmacy), (by extension) magic or witchcraft.” These two things, drugs and witchcraft, are often seen together, and both will be rampant in this city of Babylon. Thus all nations will be deceived. Then verse 24 gives the terrible indictment upon Babylon for the blood of prophets, saints, and all that are slain upon the earth. No wonder the saints in heaven are told to rejoice at her destruction. God is always just and He judges righteously!