“The burden against Dumah” (v. 11)
“The burden against Arabia” (v. 13)
“All the glory of Kedar will fail” (v. 16)
Dumah and Kedar are in Arabia as the text shows: “All the glory of Kedar will fail” (v. 16). All of the locations mentioned in Isaiah 21 are in the desert of Arabia, the region of Revelation 17 which is surrounded by many waters (seas). Arabia in fact, is referred to by all Muslims as Al-Jazeera Al-Arabia, literally the Arab Island or the Arab Peninsula or the “Desert of the Sea” (v. 1). Even National Geographic1 and Bernard Lewis2 recognize it as such.
Isaiah 21 also agrees with several passages in Jeremiah and Revelation that refer to Babylon. Contenders to this interpretation would have a difficult time refuting the very direct Biblical references. The names used in these passages make it clear that the reference is not to Rome or literal Babylon on the Euphrates river. Not once do they speak of Rome, Nineveh, Ur, Babel, Erech, Accad, Sumer, Assur, Calneh, Mari, Karana, Ellpi, Eridu, Kish, or Tikrit. All of these literal locations are in Arabia, which was part of the ancient Babylonian Empire.
There are many conjectures concerning Mystery Babylon. Some say that Babylon is the United States of America or the Vatican. However, none of these theories are supported by the text. Either students of the Bible build a mold from Scripture or they make the Scriptures fit their theories. There are really only these two choices. Once we read the text of Isaiah 21, it becomes quite clear: “An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea” (Isaiah 21:1). This is not the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, but on a literal sea surrounded by the mass of waters in the Persian-Arab sea, Indian Ocean, and Red Sea. It is also thought that “the sea” may be a reference to the Nufud desert, a virtual ocean of enormous sand dunes.3 The camel was called the ship of the desert, the only formidable vehicle to transport through the sea of sand.
ISAIAH 21
1)The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. 2)A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 3)Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travails: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. 4)My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. 5)Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. 6)For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees. 7)And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: 8)And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: 9)And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. 10)O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you. 11)The burden of Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? 12)The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come. 13)The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye traveling companies of Dedanim. 14)The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty; they prevented with their bread him that fled. 15)For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. 16)For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: 17)And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
Some might argue that the context of Isaiah 21 is only historical. But it is difficult to ignore the multiple references throughout the Book of Isaiah to Kedar, Tema, Dedan and Dumah. Dumah is in Saudi Arabia near Yathrib (Medina), and today is known as “Dumat el-Jandal.” Dumah, one of the sons of Ishmael, is also associated with Edom and Seir in Isaiah 21:11. It is believed by many that Kedar, another of Ishmael’s sons, is the line from which Mohammed descended. It is likely that Mecca is the “glory of Kedar” mentioned in verse 16. Historians generally identify Dumah with the Addyrian Adummatu people.4 By these and other references, we can conclude that Dumah stands for Arabia.
We will also examine the crucial text of Isaiah 34 with the destruction of Edom, including its oil. It would be impossible to allude to Isaiah 34 as a historic reference because the purpose of the destruction against Edom there is over the final Battle of Jerusalem, in which the Lord Himself will be present and fighting. In Habakkuk 3 this takes place in “Median” which is in Arabia. The Psalms even give us a literal reference to Edom being the daughter of Babylon (born of Babylon): “Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, ‘Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation! O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed’” (Psalm 137: 7-8).
Arabia is definitely the daughter of Babylon since it was made so by Nabonidus, who extended Babylon to Yathrib (Medina). This is a well-documented historic fact in which the Babylonian worship of the Moon-god was introduced to Arabia by Nabonidus.
In all of these Old Testament prophecies concerning the utter destruction of Babylon, they cannot be speaking of the ancient city of Babylon because it was inhabited for roughly five hundred years after these prophecies were given until around 141 B.C. when the Parthian Empire took over the region and the city was emptied of inhabitants. After this, the city slowly decayed. But it never suffered a fate anywhere near the utter destruction that was suffered by Sodom and Gomorrah—with fire raining down from heaven as many of these prophecies describe.
THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATOR
Speaking of the destruction of Mystery Babylon, we read: “No Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there” (Isaiah 13:20). This cannot be attributed to Rome as some teach. Arabs never pitch their tents there. The ultimate fulfillment of this verse is the destruction of the Last-Days Babylon. We know this because the passage speaks about: “the day of the Lord” (v. 9) with the “heavens not giving light” (v. 10). This is not historical, but End-Times related.
When the Harlot is destroyed, the smoke from her judgment will be seen from afar. One is immediately reminded of the scene from Manhattan on 9/11 when news cameras relayed images of the World Trade Center from across the harbor. One could see smoke and debris from the decimation of the Towers trailing off into the sky and over the ocean. Likewise, based on all that we read about the Harlot, she will also possess a long and visible shoreline that may be observed from opposing lands and by ships at sea. Where are these sea captains when they hear and view this destruction? Jeremiah tells us they will be in the Red Sea: “The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea” (Jeremiah 49:21).
Is Rome, literal Babylon, or America situated on the Red Sea? The Red Sea is a geographic indicator as to where the Last-Days Babylon will be located. Look at Mecca on any map and you will see that it sits near the Red Sea. Some may object that Jeremiah 49 is speaking about Edom, which was primarily located in modern day Jordan. Yet in Ezekiel 25 “Edom” stretches from Teman (Yemen) to Dedan (Saudi Arabia)” (v. 13). Greater Edom included all of the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
Notice the description of her destruction: “‘As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,’ says the LORD, ‘so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it,’” (Jeremiah 49:18). How was Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed? Was it not fire that rained down from heaven? Was ancient Edom ever completely destroyed like this in history? Jeremiah 49 is ultimately speaking of the Last-Day’s judgment of Mystery Babylon that is associated with
Edom. Throughout the Bible, only Mystery Babylon is also described as being completely and utterly destroyed in this same way. Beyond this, the passage specifies that the region we are dealing with contains the cities of Teman and Dedan which are nowhere near Iraq, or ancient Babylon.
The Bible also tells us that the Kurds (Medes) will be against Babylon. This is likely a dual fulfillment since today, the Kurds are hated by all of their neighbors: “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not regard silver; and as for gold, they will not delight in it; Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, and they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye will not spare children” (Isaiah 13:17:18).
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The Harlot’s Connection To A Desert
The Harlot of Babylon is described as being in a literal desert location: “Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman (a prostitute) sitting on a scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:3). It then should be of no surprise that Jesus warned us that before He comes, religious imposters will come out of the desert: “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out” (Matthew 24:26). Many commentators overlook this literal description of the Harlot.
It is largely agreed to by most that the Beast is the governmental aspect of the Antichrist empire, and that the Harlot woman city is the spiritual driver of this Beast mechanism. So the angel takes John into a desert to observe the Harlot. There, in the desert, she is also seen “sitting on many waters (peoples).” She is the spiritual source that influences these different ethnic peoples. However, later in verse 17, the angel explains to John that “the waters” which the Harlot sits upon should be understood allegorically as representing “peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” The woman exerts a strong measure of spiritual influence over a great mixture of multitudes of different ethnicities and languages.
The combination of these three descriptions (city, desert, sitting on many waters) also matches Isaiah 21, where Babylon is described as “the Desert by the Sea.”
While some insist that some of the Biblical descriptions of the Last-Days Harlot may bear some similarities to Rome, New York, or America when read by Western minds, the point is that all of the Biblical descriptions must be met, not just a few. Whatever solution to this puzzle one ultimately accepts, it must be both reasonable, and it must conform to all the relevant Scriptures. Does Rome, The United States, or New York City sit in a literal desert? If not, then these entities cannot be the fulfillment of these Biblical prophecies. Yet Saudi Arabia fulfills this description exactly.
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The Harlot’s Connection To Oil
Once we have established the connection of Mystery Babylon to Arabia and the desert, we can apply our literal findings to the allegoric references. The Bible gives us some allegoric clues about this Harlot as a provider of wine that intoxicates the nations (Revelation 17:2). Many Western Bible teachers associated the wine held in a chalice by the prostitute with the Catholic Church and the golden chalice used during communion. This conclusion is hardly hermeneutically responsible or Berean. While many of the Old Testament prophets spoke regarding Mystery Babylon, no passage in the Bible directly addresses the Harlot as does Revelation 17 and 18. As Revelation 17 begins, the Apostle John is introduced to the Harlot.
“One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: ‘Mystery Babylon The Great—The Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the earth.’ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus… The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:1-6, 18).
There are two very important descriptions of the Harlot that stand out: First, she exists geographically in a desert region. And secondly, we see that the “kings of the earth” figuratively commit adultery with her in order to obtain her “wine” in exchange for betraying God’s people. What desert “wine” intoxicates the earth, and causes this desert region to grow rich? What false religion teaches that the blood of Christians and Jews should be shed? What desert nation today is the geographical womb from which this false harlot religion was birthed?
THE WINE IN JOEL 3
Amazingly, in Joel 3, the Bible talks about both this wine as well as the harlot, including the reason for God’s judgment against the nations:
“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land. They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine that they may drink” (Joel 3:1-3).
It is sad that most claiming Christians do not know that the division of Israel and the treatment of the Jews is the main basis by which Jesus will judge the nations. Yet, many will bare the shame of ignoring one of the most important texts in Scripture. It is both fascinating and frightening to see such familiar elements of modern-day Middle Eastern politics portrayed in this ancient End-Time prophecy. Among the various crimes that the nations commit against God and His people, they are guilty of “dividing up My (God’s) land.” This is exactly what we see today as Israel is continually pressured to carve out Judea, the very heart of Israel, in order to create a Palestinian state and ultimately attempt to destroy Israel.
In typical Hebrew prose, we see the price paid for this sale of Israel whom God calls “My people”: “They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot and sold a girl for wine that they may drink” (Joel 3:3). We see that the nations will sell out Israel in order to coddle the Harlot and obtain her wine. The timing context of this passage is the End-Times: “at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem” (Joel 3:1).
I propose to you that the Harlot uses both Islam and oil as her “wine,” through which she seduces the nations of the world into committing spiritual adultery with her and compromising Israel. Of course, this is probably quite a new paradigm for many Western students of the Bible, but in the East, the new converts from Islam get it—quickly. This wine cannot be a simple issue, “For all the nations have drunk the maddening wines of her adulteries” (Revelation 18:3).
Babylon is judged because of her “maddening” influence that has used oil to turn many nations against Israel. By “maddening,” the text means an irrational hatred that fills the hearts of those who partake of her idolatrous doctrines. Even as the spirit of Islam today causes men to become mad with hate and rage, so also we see that the religion of the Harlot has the same effect. In the New Testament, when one becomes a follower of Jesus, they are filled with the Holy Spirit and bear the corresponding fruit in their lives: love, joy, patience, kindness and peace, etc. Islam produces the opposite.
Besides the spiritual aspect of the Harlot’s influence (Islam), we also see a financial dimension: The oil is used as a means to pressure and even blackmail nations. Today we live in a world that is addicted to oil. In the days to come, we will see the truly maddening effects of the Harlot’s influence when her “wine” is held as a carrot at the end of a stick from her oil-addicted clients. OPEC very recently announced that it has decided not to increase oil production in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this is clearly to hurt the
United States. In the 1970s, we saw the effects of the OPEC embargo when Saudi Arabia first woke up to her power. Should we be surprised that immediately after the formation of OPEC, the next organization to be formed was OAPEC (the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries), whose purpose was to exert pressure on the West specifically over its support of Israel?
In the years to come, we will see how desperate the addicts can become when Saudi once again uses her “wine” to affect the policies of foreign nations. In summary, one needs to ask, what Arab, Islamic, desert nation today both ideologically and financially supports the export of Fundamental Islam (the Antichrist religion) to the world? What Arab nation is the most likely to use oil-influence to affect the policies of foreign nations? What Arab nation’s oil net exports and production are more than three times higher then any other Arab member of OPEC?
Remember, the Bible says that, “…the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Revelation 18:3). The merchants of the earth have grown rich due to the abundance of this delicacy she offers: “O you who dwell by many waters, abundant in treasures, your end has come” (Jeremiah 51:13).
LITERAL OIL—ISAIAH 34
Many may still argue that the oil in Revelation 17 is an allegory of something spiritual. Once we study Isaiah 34, however, you will no longer have any doubts. In nearly identical language to what we have already read concerning Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17, 18, we read:
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