In my ‘construction’ approach, I have tried to include verses from the bible in their original context as much as possible. I am not fond of the idea of basing an argument on one or two verses – perhaps taken out of context.
I trust this does not make the book more difficult to read through, but rather, more accurate. I have usually highlighted the main sections within these passages, in order to make the meaning more obvious.
I have placed together the majority of the relevant biblical passages concerning Mega-Babylon in an online document (see Appendix A), and colour-coded them for your convenience. Reading through these prophecies consecutively provides a clearer understanding of the cohesion between them.
There is no substitute, though, for checking out the scriptures themselves – reading through the prophets in the Tanakh and the prophetic passages in the New Testament – gospels, The Revelation, etc.
Although Jews and Moslems will obviously not view Yeshua (Jesus, Issa) in the same light as most Christians would, there is still, I hope, a regard for him as a Hebrew prophet and teacher, which should also apply to Rebbe Shaul (Paul) and to the apostle, John (Yochanan).
We live in a very complex world, whose future is now very uncertain. We really need to have something foundational in which we can put our confidence, on which we can base our faith. The problem might be that, like those who followed Joshua into the Promised Land all those centuries ago, we may then have to ‘choose Whom we will serve!’
But that will be up to you. I can only hope to present you with enough reasons to put your confidence in these men, who themselves, I believe, were inspired by the Spirit of God. If you find the evidence convincing, then what you do with that conviction will be on your own head – but at least I will have given you an opportunity to consider it.
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1 Mega-Babylon – past or present?
I have made it a point on a number of occasions in the past to study in depth the prophecies concerning the End Times. These were written down by Hebrew prophets and, naturally, many of their prophecies relate to the people and nation of Israel.
But many also refer to events of international impact and importance – events that will affect many nations beyond Israel and some that will affect every human being on earth.
In the fellowship group my wife and I were leading at that time (Sept. 2001), the events of 9/11 brought a desire from many for information on the last days. What did the bible say about these events and what else did it have to say that was relevant to us here and now?
In response to this hunger for understanding we had to turn once again to a study of these prophecies. A few years later I was asked to consider producing a series of talks for a local radio station and returned to this subject again.
Now, in the book of The Revelation there are two whole chapters devoted to a description of a city and nation which the author, John, describes as Mega-Babylon, or Babylon, the Great, (also as the ‘great prostitute’).
In the original Greek this phrase was written in capital letters. Strangely enough, today we have adopted the Greek word, mega, into everyday English usage – we talk about mega-bucks, mega-cities, etc. Interesting, because the city referred to in The Revelation is indeed a mega-city. So, I have chosen to use the term, Mega-Babylon.
Now the main target that stood out on 9/11 was obviously the World Trade Centre – a centre devoted to, and controlling, world trade. This immediately got me thinking – trade? Hmm?
Coming from the Northern Ireland evangelical Christian community – a bit similar to the ‘Bible Belt’ in the USA – I have heard a lot of interpretations as to what the ‘Harlot of Babylon’ represents. Many times I have been told – with apparently great authority – that this refers to the Roman Catholic Church, (or a mega-church conglomerate of world churches, led by and including the Roman Catholic Church). This idea has fuelled and justified much anti-Roman Catholic bigotry in Northern Ireland.
There are also those who believe this refers to a re-building of ancient Babylon in Iraq – a project which Saddam Hussein actually began (incidentally, employing a Northern Ireland construction company to carry this out). The 2003 US-led coalition, which invaded and occupied Iraq, has pretty much put paid to this idea – though some still hold on to it.
Yet others believe the city is Jerusalem – the prostitute idea referring to those who have turned away from the God of Israel, (which indeed IS the inference, though it can also be applied to other cities than the city of Jerusalem, as we shall see).
When we returned to a study of these things following the events of 9/11, the main thing that stood out in my mind about Mega-Babylon – as described in The Revelation – was that Babylon was all about trade. World Trade Centre? Trade? Was there some kind of connection here? Why did terrorists attack a building dedicated to trade?
Let’s look at the description of Mega-Babylon in The Revelation:
Revelation 18:7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen; I am not a widow, I will never mourn.’ 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the LORD God who judges her. 9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "‘Woe! Woe, to you great city, You mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’ 11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no-one buys their cargoes any more, 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves. 14 "They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: "‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’" Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! 20 Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.’"
This passage is all about riches, luxury, great wealth, merchants, ships, cargoes – in other words, trade! Are these not what the World Trade Centre was about, too?
Now The Revelation given to John is not the only Hebrew prophecy about Babylon. A number of prophets in the Tanakh (Old Testament) also described the destruction of Babylon. Of course, when these were written ancient Babylon was the only world superpower, but the problem is that none of these prophecies – with the exception of some of those of Daniel – has yet been fulfilled.
The prophet, Daniel, gave the famous interpretation of ‘the writing on the wall’. He was called in to the Babylonian court to interpret the mysterious writing which had miraculously appeared during a great feast for his nobles held by the king, Belshazzar, of ancient Babylon – regarded then as an impregnable city.
Daniel’s interpretation of the vision and the writing was that the kingdom had been numbered, numbered, weighed, divided and given to the Medes and Persians – and, indeed, it was! They sneaked into the city that very night, (after
diverting the Euphrates River and entering through the water tunnel), killed the Babylonian king, and took over his kingdom.
However, the city and its ordinary people were untouched and the Jewish population was unharmed. Everything continued as before – except under a new leadership. The only people to die were a few of the Babylonian rulers. Nothing in the city was destroyed.
Daniel 5:22 "But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the LORD of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the Gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 25 "This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN 26 "This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." 29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
When I realised that none of the other Old Testament (Tanakh) or New Testament prophecies concerning Mega-Babylon had yet been fulfilled, I decided to collect all these Hebrew writings into one document (see Appendix A), in order to focus more easily on their combined impact.
The relevant chapters are found in Jeremiah 50 & 51; Isaiah 13, 14, 47 & 48; and Habakkuk 1 & 2 in the Tanakh (Old Testament), and Revelation 17 & 18 (with some references also in chapters 14, 16 & 19), in the New Testament.
These prophecies concerning Babylon speak of her complete destruction. If they have not yet taken place, was this because the prophets were using Mega-Babylon as a code-word for a city and nation that did not as yet exist? Were they referring to a future, end-time city? And, if so, can we now identify a modern day city and nation that fits the profile of these prophecies?
So, why do I NOT believe that these prophecies have already been fulfilled, as many scholars and students of prophecy DO believe? Firstly, the prophecies refer to the fall of Babylon as occurring in one day – even in one hour:
Jeremiah 51:8 Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her! Get balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed. 9 "‘We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgement reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the heavens.’
Isaiah 47:8 "Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’ 9 Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells. 10 You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ 11 Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you.
Revelation 18:7 Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.’ 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the LORD God who judges her. 9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "‘Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!’
15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: "‘Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
"Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "‘Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!
Ancient Babylon WAS overcome in one hour. The Medes and Persians, unable to defeat her defences by frontal attack, slipped men into the city and Babylon was overcome from within.
However, the city was NOT destroyed (as the above prophecies state). Only the Babylonian rulers were killed. The Jews, held captive in Babylon, had no need to flee. Indeed, they continued to live in peace and security, under their new Medo-Persian masters, and later under the Greeks and briefly the Romans.
The book of Daniel continues on – referring now to the new Medo-Persian kings – as if nothing much had happened! No great catastrophe, no destruction took place and no burning by fire – simply a change of government! In 539 BCE Babylon became part of the Medo-Persian Empire and the city carried on with life much as before.
The prophecies of Jeremiah, Isaiah and John stated that ‘Babylon’ would be completely destroyed. But ancient Babylon continued to exist, gradually dwindling in power and influence, until about 1,000 CE, by which time the city seems to have completely disappeared from history.
Many modern historians even doubted that it had ever existed, until a German archaeologist, Robert Koldewey, rediscovered its ruins in 1899. Babylon was not destroyed in one day, or in one hour, in 539 BCE!
Secondly, in the prophecies of Jeremiah, Isaiah and John there are many warnings to the Jewish people to flee from Babylon:
Jeremiah 50:8 "Flee out of Babylon; leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock.
28 Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the LORD our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple.
Jeremiah 51:6 "Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the LORD’s vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves.
45 "Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD.
Isaiah 14:1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob. 2 Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. 3 On the day the LORD gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!
Revelation:18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
The Jews did NOT flee from Babylon in 539 BCE! A large Jewish population continued to live securely in Babylon until well into the New Testament era. Even counting their servants, less than 50,000 Jewish people, (a relatively small proportion), returned to Israel during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:64, 65).
Cyrus, the new Persian ruler, made a decree to restore the city of Jerusalem and its temple. Far from fleeing Babylon, they left with the full blessing of the Persian
king, who handed back to them 5,400 silver and gold vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had originally taken from the temple in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:7-11).
Even during the time of Yeshua, (Jesus), in the first century CE, there were probably more Jews still living in Babylon than there were in the land of Israel! So, if these prophecies did not relate to the Jewish population of ancient Babylon, what city are these Jews from, who are being told to flee?
This is a significant point, as we will now see, in relation to Mega-Babylon. My conclusion is that these prophets were using Babylon – the great world empire ruling at that time, and having a majority of the then existing Jewish population living under its rule – as a type of a future city and nation, also having a large Jewish population, but which also fits the other criteria described in their prophecies.
Habakkuk, another Hebrew prophet who spoke about Babylon, states:
Habakkuk 2:2 Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. 4 "See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness 5 indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.
The Whore and her Mother: 9/11, Babylon and the Return of the King Page 2
