Rev. Thomas Tyree, Jr., Pastor, Grace Bible Church of Costa Mesa, California |
Copyright © 1995-2014 Rev. Thomas Tyree, Jr., All Rights Reserved |
This study will present compelling evidence from the Word of God that prophetical Political Babylon of the Tribulation period is synonymous with the United States of America in prophecy. You might be somewhat skeptical about this eschatological viewpoint. The objective of this study was to determine whether this doctrine is in the Bible or not. Many Christians have been "burned" by prophetic teachers because they failed to base their teaching on the correct interpretation of the original languages of the Word of God. Remember, any area of Bible doctrine can be and has been distorted. Good examples of this are all of the systems of pseudo-spirituality that are taught as the Christian way of life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 puts Biblical teaching in proper perspective.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22)
We are to test Biblical teaching against other doctrines of the Bible for consistency. We, as believer priests, are to determine (by continuing to learn more Bible doctrines) whether new doctrines are essential doctrines not to ever be compromised or whether they are non-essential doctrines where differing theological viewpoints can be tolerated in our Christian way of living. During the course of this categorical study, you should test all of these points under the ministry of the Holy Spirit to see if they are good. By good, I mean the accurate teaching on the Biblical doctrine of Babylon.
The Principles of Interpretation of Prophecy (How to Interpret Prophecy)
1. Interpret the Bible Literally Based on ICE Principles. The acronym ICE stands for Isagogics, Categories, and Exegesis. Isagogics means to interpret the Scripture in its historical context. In this study, it means to interpret the Word of god with a view to determine historical setting that precipitated the particular prophecy. Categories means to compare Scripture with Scripture to determine its doctrinal classification. Exegesis means to analyze the Bible in the original languages used by the Divinely-inspired human authors.
2. Determine If the Prophecy Is Fulfilled, Unfulfilled, or Conditional. An example of a conditional prophecy would be the ones in Exodus where, in the future of client nation of Israel, they would be blessed by God if they lived under the Mosaic Law or would be cursed by God if they disobeyed the Mosaic Law. Remember, approximately every 13 verses in the New Testament have some reference to a prophetic event.
3. Recognize the perfect harmony of the prophetic Word.
4. Interpret the Scripture dispensationally.
5. Realize that interpretation differs from application and illustration. There can be only a single correct interpretation of Scripture. However, there will always be many different applications of any given doctrine, category, or verse of the Word of God.
6. Recognize the existence of figurative language, like idioms, similes and metaphors. We must realize that often behind the figurative Biblical language, the interpretation is to something literal.
7. Interpret According to the Law of Double Reference or Fulfillment
a. Two events widely separated as to time of fulfillment are brought together in one prophecy.
b. The near fulfillment becomes the frame of reference for the distant or the prophetic fulfillment.
c. The two are compared and/or contrasted.
d. In both the near and the distant prophecy, we appreciate the minuteness of detail in fulfillment.
e. Recognize the novelty of combinations (i.e., arrows and nuclear missiles; Christ as an human child and a Divine child).
f. Note the mysteries of contradiction. Example: prophesies related to historical Babylon did NOT get fulfilled in religious Babylon or Political Babylon.
g. Appreciate the nearness of fulfillment as an impetus for continued spiritual growth and maturity.
h. There are three concepts taught in the Scripture under the word Babylon. The first is historical Babylon. The second is religious Babylon. The third is Political Babylon. Both religious Babylon and Political Babylon are eschatological or prophetic. Historical Babylon is not.
The Major Biblical Passages Dealing with Prophetic Babylon of the Tribulation
Scriptural references for this section are: Isaiah 13:14-22 where you will find descriptions of Babylon, Isaiah 21:9-10, Jeremiah 50, Jeremiah 51, and Revelation 18.
1. Three Reasons for the Rejection of America as Being Political Babylon of the Tribulation
Many Christians reject the possibility of America being Political Babylon of the Tribulation. They generally object for three reasons. The first reason is that they think they are not living in the "last times" and the Rapture is not near. This attitude denies the doctrine of the Imminency of the Rapture. The second reason is they say this is a new interpretation of Political Babylon and, therefore, they cannot accept it. The third reason is simply prejudice. To them, this teaching is displeasing, therefore, they will not regard the soundness of the interpretation.
2. Where Does the United States Fit into the Prophetic Picture?
The Bible makes mention of a 10 nation confederation in Western Europe known as the Restored Roman Empire. It also mentions Gog and Magog as the King of the North with Gomer and Togarmah referencing what we know as Russia and her satellites today. The Scripture mentions nations such as Egypt, Libya, and Persia (Iran) and other Arab nations as the King of the South. It also mentions the Kings of the East as a Pan-oriental confederacy. SO WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF THE GREATEST NATION IN ALL OF MODERN HISTORY - THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ?
The doctrine of the Imminency of the Rapture will never be suitably impressed upon the Church Age believers until this enormous enigma is resolved. Many theologians and Bible teachers believe that "Babylon the Great" is simply the capital city of the ruler of the Restored Roman Empire. Refutation of this concept lies in the communion of origin existing between "mystery Babylon" (religious Babylon) and "Babylon the Great" (Political Babylon). They have a common source. It is rather incongruous to assert that the ruler of the Restored Roman Empire so hates the one as to destroy her and yet so cherishes the other as to make it his capital city.
It is also absurd to think that the ruler of the Restored Roman Empire can construct a magnificent capital which is the center of commerce and politics in the entire Western world when he has a very short tenure of 42 months or three and one-half months per Revelation 13:5. The extent of Political Babylon is not limited to that of a great metropolis, but rather, it is extended to a great and mighty nation. This fact of Scripture makes it even more difficult to believe that Political Babylon is merely a city.
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. (Revelation 13:5)
It is important to note that all of the Scripture references presented in this study deal with a mighty nation. Is Political Babylon really the United States of America in prophecy? This doctrine was NOT prepared by seeking to prove that America was the Political Babylon of the Book of the Revelation. It was prepared because, in my many years of Bible study and interpretation of the original languages, startling and compelling similarities have emerged between prophetic Babylon of the Tribulation period and our own beloved nation that are difficult to ignore.
Identification of Symbols: The Principle of Code Communication
Code communication is seen in the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3. This refers to the trends which can exist in any local church of any generation of the Church Age. The principle of code communication is also seen in the reference to Jezebel in Revelation. The phrase, "Gog and Magog" is code communication for the final Satanic revolt against perfect environment at the end of the Millennium. Also in Revelation, code communication is used in the reference to Jerusalem as "spiritually Sodom and Gomorrah."
1. Babylon means "confusion" and is identified as Political Babylon of the Tribulation under the influence of cosmic evil.
2. Chaldeans symbolize such peoples as the Anglo-Saxons.
3. The Medes in the past were enemies of historical Babylon and were famous as archers. They symbolize Russian nuclear might or the nuclear weaponry of the King of the North in the Tribulation.
Uses of the Word Babylon in Scripture
1. Genesis 11 - the Tower of Babel. These principles apply to the United States as a nation.
2. The Chaldean Empire existed from 605 B.C. to 535 B.C. and is referred to as "the head of gold" in the Daniel 2.
3. Religious Babylon is the ecumenical religious system of the Tribulation under the leadership of Roman Catholicism. Religious Babylon is referred to as the mother of harlots in Revelation 17.
4. Political Babylon of the Tribulation (the United States of America in prophecy) will be a political and economic colossus and is referred to as Babylon the Great in Revelation 18.
Prophetic Political Babylon must Be Distinguished from Religious Babylon
1. They are different as to designation. Compare Revelation 17:5 to Revelation 18:2.
This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:5)
With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. (Revelation 18:2)
2. They are different as to destroyers. Religious Babylon is destroyed by the Restored Roman Empire whereas Prophetic Babylon is destroyed by Russia (the King of the North) per Ezekiel 38 and 39.
3. They are different as to direct statement. The phrase "after this" in Revelation 18:1 refers to the fact that after Religious Babylon is destroyed in Revelation 17, another Babylon is destroyed in Revelation 18 (i.e., Political Babylon of the Tribulation).
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. (Revelation 18:1)
Prophetical Political Babylon of the Tribulation must Be Distinguished from Historical Babylon (the Chaldean Empire)
1. Historical Babylon was not destroyed by the Fifth Cycle of Discipline but was left intact.
2. Political Babylon of the Tribulation is to be completely destroyed and left without a single inhabitant per Jeremiah 51:29. This verse refers to the annihilation of a national population.
The land trembles and writhes, for the LORD'S purposes against Babylon stand--to lay waste the land of Babylon so that no one will live there. (Jeremiah 51:29)
3. Historical Babylon did not permit Jewish exiles to leave before the Fifth Cycle of Discipline as stated in Ezra 1.
4. Political Babylon of the Tribulation will permit Jews and Gentiles to leave the country prior to the Fifth Cycle of Discipline. See Jeremiah 50:8-9,28, Jeremiah 51:6,9,45, and Revelation 18:4.
"Flee out of Babylon; leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock. For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. (Jeremiah 50:8-9)
Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the LORD our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple. (Jeremiah 50:28)
"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 pay her what she deserves. (Jeremiah 51:6)
"'We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the clouds.' (Jeremiah 51:9)
"Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:45)
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; (Revelation 18:4)
5. The enemies of historical Babylon came from the east as presented in Isaiah 46:11.
From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. (Isaiah 46:11)
6. The enemies of Political Babylon of the Tribulation come from the north as presented in Jeremiah 50:9.
For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. (Jeremiah 50:9)
7. Historical Babylon (the Chaldean Empire) was a river in a desert in the area called Mesopotamia.
8. Political Babylon of the Tribulation will become a desert by the seas (total contrast) as stated in Isaiah 21:1,9 and Jeremiah 51:43. These passages describe an overwhelming and phenomenal environmental judgment.
An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. (Isaiah 21:1)
Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!'" (Isaiah 21:9)
Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no man travels. (Jeremiah 51:43)
9. Historical Babylon (the Chaldean Empire) has been dwelt in since her fall. The city of Hillah stands among the ruins of ancient historical Babylon. This city currently has about 100,000 inhabitants.
10. Political Babylon of the Tribulation will not even be visited following her fall, much less be lived in as presented in Jeremiah 50:3,39-40 and Jeremiah 51:43. Today, tourists visit the city of ancient historical Babylon and lodge there among her ruins.
A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both men and animals will flee away. (Jeremiah 50:3)
"So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns," declares the LORD, "so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it. (Jeremiah 50:39-40)
Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no man travels. (Jeremiah 51:43)
The Comparison Between Ancient Tyre and Political Babylon of the Tribulation
1. Both are depicted as the dominant economic powers of their time. This is an example of how history repeats itself. Compare Ezekiel 27:3 to Revelation 18:9.
Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'You say, O Tyre, "I am perfect in beauty." (Ezekiel 27:3)
"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. (Revelation 18:9)
2. Both possess maximum arrogance as a result of divine prosperity. Compare Ezekiel 28:1-7 to Isaiah 47:8.
The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud. "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. (Ezekiel 28:1-7)
"Now then, listen, you wanton creature, 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.' (Isaiah 47:8)
3. Both practice economic internationalism. Compare Isaiah 23:15-18, Ezekiel 27:6, Ezekiel 26:17, and Ezekiel 27:33 to Revelation 18:3 and Revelation 18:9.
At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king's life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: "Take up a harp, walk through the city, O prostitute forgotten; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered." At the end of seventy years, the LORD will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothes. (Isaiah 23:15-18)
Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory. (Ezekiel 27:6)
Then they will take up a lament concerning you and say to you: "'How you are destroyed, O city of renown, peopled by men of the sea! You were a power on the seas, you and your citizens; you put your terror on all who lived there. (Ezekiel 26:17)
When your merchandise went out on the seas, you satisfied many nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of the earth. (Ezekiel 27:33)
For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:3)
"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. (Revelation 18:9)
4. Both became involved in anti-Semitism because of greed and inordinate ambition. Compare Ezekiel 26:2-3 to Jeremiah 51:34.
"Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, 'Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,' therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. (Ezekiel 26:2-3)
"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out. (Jeremiah 51:34)
5. Both were ruled by monopolistic capitalists. Compare Isaiah 23:8 to Revelation 18:23.
Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth? (Isaiah 23:8)
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. (Revelation 18:23)
6. Both underwent the immediate elimination of economic affluence because of the Fifth Cycle of Discipline. Compare Ezekiel 26:7-14,16 to Revelation 18:17,20.
"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you. He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons. His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. The hoofs of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground. They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea. I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more. I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekiel 26:7-14)
Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you. (Ezekiel 26:16)
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. (Revelation 18:17)
Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.'" (Revelation 18:20)
7. Both were entertainment and pleasure capitals of the world. Compare Ezekiel 26:13 to Revelation 18:22.
I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more. (Ezekiel 26:13)
The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. (Revelation 18:22)
8. Both fell, never to be revived. Compare Ezekiel 26:14,20,21 to Revelation 18:22.
I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekiel 26:14)
then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place in the land of the living. (Ezekiel 26:20)
I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more. You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign LORD." (Ezekiel 26:21)
The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. (Revelation 18:22)
Reasons for Identifying Political Babylon of the Tribulation with the United States of America
1. Political Babylon is described as last of nations or a later nation in history as in Jeremiah 50:12.
your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced. She will be the least of the nations--a wilderness, a dry land, a desert. (Jeremiah 50:12)
2. Political Babylon is said to have a mother nation in Jeremiah 50:12. Historical Babylon did not have a mother nation. We, the United States, do have a mother nation. It is England.
3. Political Babylon is made up of peoples from every nation on earth as stated in Jeremiah 51:9,44
"'We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the clouds.' (Jeremiah 51:9)
I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall. (Jeremiah 51:44)
4. Political Babylon is the dominant economic power going into the Tribulation as indicated in Revelation 18:18-19.
When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 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! (Revelation 18:18-19)
5. Political Babylon is located in the midst of the sea as in Isaiah 21:1 and Jeremiah 51:13.
An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. (Isaiah 21:1)
You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come, the time for you to be cut off. (Jeremiah 51:13)
6. Political Babylon has a northern enemy as stated in Jeremiah 50:9,41.
For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. (Jeremiah 50:9)
"Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth. (Jeremiah 50:41)
7. Political Babylon exists contemporaneously with other nations such as Russia, the pan-oriental bloc, pan-Arabic bloc, the Restored Roman Empire, and the ecumenical system of the Tribulation and Israel as in Jeremiah 18:1-12.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. "Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, 'This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.' But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.'" (Jeremiah 18:1-12)
The Leading False Interpretations of Political Babylon of the Tribulation
1. Political Babylon is the entire world. Political Babylon is Satan’s cosmic system of evil.
2. Political Babylon is identical to Religious Babylon.
3. Political Babylon is identical with the Restored Roman Empire. The Restored Roman Empire is not destroyed by a northern enemy (i.e., Russia) as is Political Babylon. The Restored Roman Empire is destroyed by our Lord Jesus Christ in the climax of the Battle of Armageddon. This happens immediately after His Second Coming.
4. The ancient city of Babylon is to be rebuilt as a new Political Babylon. The false viewpoint here is that the Jews must return to that land during the Tribulation. That is how it is to become inhabited. Remember, Political Babylon of the Tribulation is not presented as a single city, but as a mighty nation of the last days.
Comparison of Political Babylon’s Enemy with America's Enemy Today
1. Political Babylon’s (America’s) enemy in the Tribulation will be a northern nation (i.e., Russia) as indicated in Jeremiah 50:3,9,26,41 compared to Ezekiel 38:15.
A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both men and animals will flee away. (Jeremiah 50:3)
For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. (Jeremiah 50:9)
Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant. (Jeremiah 50:26)
"Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth. (Jeremiah 50:41)
2. Political Babylon’s (America’s) enemy in the Tribulation is described as rapacious and cruel in Isaiah 13:18 and Jeremiah 50:42.
Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. -Isaiah 13:18
They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, O Daughter of Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:42)
3. Political Babylon’s (America’s) enemy in the Tribulation is armed with nuclear missiles as depicted in Jeremiah 50:9, Jeremiah 50:14,25, and Jeremiah 51:11.
For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. (Jeremiah 50:9)
"Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD. (Jeremiah 50:14)
The LORD has opened his arsenal and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Sovereign LORD Almighty has work to do in the land of the Babylonians. (Jeremiah 50:25)
"Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The LORD will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)
4. Political Babylon’s (America’s) enemy in the Tribulation fulfills God's plan by completely destroying the U.S.A. as referenced in Isaiah 13:3.
I have commanded my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath--those who rejoice in my triumph. (Isaiah 13:3)
5. Political Babylon’s (America’s) enemy has allies or satellite nations who will participate with her as presented in Jeremiah 51:27.
"Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts. (Jeremiah 51:27)
6. Political Babylon’s (America’s) enemy, Russia, will carry out a complete surprise attack on the U.S.A. as seen in Jeremiah 51:12,27,32.
Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen, prepare an ambush! The LORD will carry out his purpose, his decree against the people of Babylon. (Jeremiah 51:12)
"Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts. (Jeremiah 51:27)
the river crossings seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers terrified." (Jeremiah 51:32)
7. By close attention to detail, Political Babylon’s (America’s) enemy is identified in Isaiah 21:6-10 by the principle of the "watchman on the wall."
This is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees. When he sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert." And the lookout shouted, "Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!'" O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel. (Isaiah 21:6-10)
The Language of Accommodation and Nuclear Warfare in the Destruction of Political Babylon - the U.S.A. in Prophecy
1. There are unusual and constant reference to arrows in the overthrow of Political Babylon in Isaiah 13:16,18, Jeremiah 50:9,14,29,42, and Jeremiah 51:3,11.
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished. (Isaiah 13:16)
Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. (Isaiah 13:18)
For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. (Jeremiah 50:9)
"Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD. (Jeremiah 50:14)
"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. (Jeremiah 50:29)
They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, O Daughter of Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:42)
2. There are numerous references to fire in Isaiah 47:14, Isaiah 13:18, Jeremiah 50:32, Jeremiah 51:25,30,32,38, and Revelation 19:8-9,18.
Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. (Isaiah 47:14)
Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. (Isaiah 13:18)
The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her." (Jeremiah 50:32)
"I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth," declares the LORD. "I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain. (Jeremiah 51:25)
Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Her dwellings are set on fire; the bars of her gates are broken. (Jeremiah 51:30)
the river crossings seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers terrified." (Jeremiah 51:32)
Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs. (Jeremiah 51:38)
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." (Revelation 19:8-9)
so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." (Revelation 19:18)
3. The nation becomes a desert following her destruction without a human inhabitant remaining as stated in Jeremiah 51:43.
Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no man travels. (Jeremiah 51:43)
4. The land following the nuclear attack cannot even be approached by man as presented in Revelation 18:10.
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!' (Revelation 18:10)
5. The fall of Political Babylon of the Tribulation will occur in one literal hour of one literal day as stated in Revelation 18:8,17-18.
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. (Revelation 18:8)
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. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' (Revelation 18:17-18)
6. The conclusion should be that the U.S.A. suddenly becomes a radioactive desert as a result of nuclear warfare.
The Comparison of the Destruction of Political Babylon of the Tribulation with Sodom and Gomorrah
1. In this comparison, the Chaldeans of Isaiah 13:19 are destroyed in a similar manner when compared to the Anglo-Saxons in Jeremiah 50:40.
Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:19)
As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns," declares the LORD, "so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it. (Jeremiah 50:40)
2. The destruction is unexpected and sudden as seen in Isaiah 13:19.
Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:19)
3. The believers were delivered from Sodom and Gomorrah just as they will be delivered before the destruction of Political Babylon. This includes even the most reversionistic believers.
4. The destruction is by fire with fall-out similar to what happened to Lot's wife.
5. The destruction results in the elimination of human, animal and plant life. The result is a total desert.
6. The destruction results in the elimination of reversionism in the nation.
7. The destruction was caused by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Various Reactions to the Overthrow of Political Babylon
1. Her citizens "hands hang limp" and are completely terrified as stated in Isaiah 13:6-8.
Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. (Isaiah 13:6-8)
2. The vision of Isaiah 21:3-4 produced for the prophet both soulish and physical anguish. This becomes analogous to the pastor-teacher and the way that he is pained in his soul for his nation.
At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me. (Isaiah 21:3-4)
3. The president will NOT respond aggressively, but WILL be timid per Jeremiah 50:43.
The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. (Jeremiah 50:43)
4. World leaders that are financially dependent on Political Babylon will "mourn" as in Revelation 19:9.
Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." (Revelation 19:9)
5. Foreign business leaders will be hysterical over her fall as seen in Revelation 18:11.
"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-- (Revelation 18:11)
6. The King of the North (Russia) and satellite countries will be jubilant as stated in Isaiah 13:3.
I have commanded my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath--those who rejoice in my triumph. (Isaiah 13:3)
7. Believers are commanded to rejoice and celebrate the holiness of God per Revelation 18:20 and Jeremiah 51:48.
Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.'" (Revelation 18:20)
Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:48)
Political Babylon Will Fall Despite:
1. Her claim to the contrary per Isaiah 47:8-9 and Revelation 18:7.
"Now then, listen, you wanton creature, 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.' 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. (Isaiah 47:8-9)
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.' (Revelation 18:7)
2. Her experience in diplomatic affairs per Isaiah 47:9-15.
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. 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.' 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. "Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. That is all they can do for you--these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you. (Isaiah 47:9-15)
3. Her advanced technology per Jeremiah 51:53. Remember, integrity delivers a nation, not technology.
Even if Babylon reaches the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:53)
4. Her past military successes per Jeremiah 50: 22-23.
The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction! How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations! (Jeremiah 50:22-23)
Specific Categories Said to Be Destroyed
1. Young men as stated in Isaiah 13:18, Jeremiah 50:27,30, and Jeremiah 51:3.
Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. (Isaiah 13:18)
Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished. (Jeremiah 50:27)
Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 50:30)
Let not the archer string his bow, nor let him put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; completely destroy her army. (Jeremiah 51:3)
2. Children per Isaiah 13:18.
Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. (Isaiah 13:18)
3. Diplomatic corps as in Isaiah 47:13-14.
All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. (Isaiah 47:13-14)
4. Agriculture as in Jeremiah 50:16 and Jeremiah 51:23.
Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to his own people, let everyone flee to his own land. (Jeremiah 50:16)
with you I shatter shepherd and flock, with you I shatter farmer and oxen, with you I shatter governors and officials. (Jeremiah 51:23)
5. Bureaucrats and academia per Jeremiah 50:35.
"A sword against the Babylonians!" declares the LORD--"against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men! (Jeremiah 50:35)
6. The clergy as in Jeremiah 50:36.
A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror. (Jeremiah 50:36)
7. The military per Jeremiah 50:36.
A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror. (Jeremiah 50:36)
8. Foreign visitors as in Jeremiah 50:37.
A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become women. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. (Jeremiah 50:37)
9. National wealth as seen in Jeremiah 50:37.
A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become women. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. (Jeremiah 50:37)
10. Transportation as in Jeremiah 50:37.
A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become women. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. (Jeremiah 50:37)
11. Young people, women and the elderly per Jeremiah 51:22.
with you I shatter man and woman, with you I shatter old man and youth, with you I shatter young man and maiden, (Jeremiah 51:22)
12. Politicians per Jeremiah 51:23.
with you I shatter shepherd and flock, with you I shatter farmer and oxen, with you I shatter governors and officials. (Jeremiah 51:23)
13. The President as in Jeremiah 50:43.
The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. (Jeremiah 50:43)
14. Businessmen as seen in Revelation 18:24.
In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth." (Revelation 18:24)
15. Commerce as in Jeremiah 51:36 compared with Revelation 18:23.
Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "See, I will defend your cause and avenge you; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry. (Jeremiah 51:36)
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. (Revelation 18:23)
16. Social life per Isaiah 21:15.
They flee from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle. (Isaiah 21:15)
17. The entertainment world as seen in Revelation 18:22.
The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. (Revelation 18:22)
18. The environment as stated in Isaiah 14:23 and Jeremiah 50:38.
"I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD Almighty. (Isaiah 14:23)
A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror. (Jeremiah 50:38)
19. All military armaments per Jeremiah 51:56-58.
A destroyer will come against Babylon; her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken. For the LORD is a God of retribution; he will repay in full. I will make her officials and wise men drunk, her governors, officers and warriors as well; they will sleep forever and not awake," declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty. This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Babylon's thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing, the nations' labor is only fuel for the flames." (Jeremiah 51:56-58)
20. All arrogant people as in Jeremiah 51:53.
Even if Babylon reaches the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:53)
Further Details Regarding the Fifth Cycle of Discipline to Political Babylon
1. It will occur AFTER the Rapture in the third year of the Tribulation as stated in Jeremiah 51:45-46.
"Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD. Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. (Jeremiah 51:45-46)
2. It will be announced by a special angel (Christ) and also by the 144,000 per Revelation 18:1-3, Revelation 18:4-20, Revelation 14:8, and Jeremiah 50:10.
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:1-3)
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; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. 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.' 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. "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. 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!' "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-- 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; 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 bodies and souls of men. "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 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 and cry out: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 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. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 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! Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.'" (Revelation 18:4-20)
A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." (Revelation 14:8)
So Babylonia will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 50:10)
3. Her citizens will be evangelized as in Revelation 14:6.
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people. (Revelation 14:6)
4. Her citizens will be given an opportunity to exodus before the Fifth Cycle of Discipline as stated in Jeremiah 50:16, Jeremiah 51:9, and Revelation 18:4.
Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to his own people, let everyone flee to his own land. (Jeremiah 50:16)
"'We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the clouds.' (Jeremiah 51:9)
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; (Revelation 18:4)
5. Her citizens will be arrogant, prosperous, complacent, and self-indulgent as stated in Isaiah 13:11 and Isaiah 21:5.
I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. (Isaiah 13:11)
They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields! (Isaiah 21:5)
6. Her leaders will be decadent.
7. She will be completely surrounded by enemies’ arrows as in Jeremiah 50:14-15,29.
"Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD. (Jeremiah 50:14)
Shout against her on every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done to others. (Jeremiah 50:15)
"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. (Jeremiah 50:29)
8. Her industrial and agricultural wealth will be completely destroyed per Jeremiah 50:26 and Revelation 18:17.
Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant. (Jeremiah 50:26)
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. (Revelation 18:17)
9. Her judgment will come suddenly, in one single hour of one literal day as stated in Revelation 18:8-10.
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. "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. 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!' (Revelation 18:8-10)
10. By her own greed. She has constructed her own historical trap, namely - trade with her enemies as presented in Jeremiah 50:24.
I set a trap for you, O Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the LORD. (Jeremiah 50:24)
11. Her military establishment will be impotent and annihilated as stated in Jeremiah 50:30 and Jeremiah 51:3,30,56.
Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 50:30)
Let not the archer string his bow, nor let him put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; completely destroy her army. (Jeremiah 51:3)
Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Her dwellings are set on fire; the bars of her gates are broken. (Jeremiah 51:30)
A destroyer will come against Babylon; her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken. For the LORD is a God of retribution; he will repay in full. (Jeremiah 51:56)
12. Her defense system will be destroyed.
13. Her discipline will be doubled because of her previous position with special blessing from God as presented in Jeremiah 50:29 compared with Luke 12:48 and Revelation 18:6.
"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. (Jeremiah 50:29)
But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48)
14. Her suffering is contrasted to her affluence in Revelation 19:7.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:7)
15. Every nation has suffered because of her policies as in Jeremiah 51:49 and Revelation 18:24.
"Babylon must fall because of Israel's slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. (Jeremiah 51:49)
In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth." (Revelation 18:24)
16. Her land, once the praise of mankind, will become an object of horror and fear as in Jeremiah 50:23 and Jeremiah 51:41.
How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations! (Jeremiah 50:23)
"How Sheshach will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! What a horror Babylon will be among the nations! (Jeremiah 51:41)
17. Her cities and surroundings will be burned by thermal-nuclear war as presented in Jeremiah 50:32, Jeremiah 51:25, and Revelation 18:8.
The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her." (Jeremiah 50:32)
"I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth," declares the LORD. "I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain. (Jeremiah 51:25)
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. (Revelation 18:8)
18. Her land will be reduced to rubble. It will be a hot, radioactive desert without a single inhabitant. It will have contaminated swamps along with desert creatures living in ruins. It will be an unapproachable land by man as in Revelation 18.
19. Political Babylon of the Tribulation will never be revived as stated in Revelation 18:21, Jeremiah 51:26, and Isaiah 13:22.
Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. (Revelation 18:21)
No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:26)
Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged. (Isaiah 13:22)
Documentation of Political Babylon's Decent into Evil
1. It was a client nation established by God as stated in Jeremiah 18:9.
And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, (Jeremiah 18:9)
2. She had experienced unprecedented prosperity as in Jeremiah 51:7.
Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD'S hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. (Jeremiah 51:7)
3. As she became the economic leader of the world, she began a gradual decent into evil per 1 Timothy 6:10.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10)
4. What was her evil? Economic internationalism whereby she had led other nations into evil as seen in Jeremiah 51:7.
Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD'S hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. (Jeremiah 51:7)
5. She came under the influence of monopolistic socialists as presented in Revelation 18:3,9,23.
For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:3)
"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. (Revelation 18:9)
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. (Revelation 18:23)
6. Her citizens came under the idolatry of covetousness and were unwilling to break the control as seen in Jeremiah 50:38.
A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror. (Jeremiah 50:38)
7. Her "unseen" rulers (e.g., the Rockefellers / "Prince of Tyre") have clandestinely supported communism as in Isaiah 21:2. The result is world unrest, revolution and suffering.
A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused. (Isaiah 21:2)
8. This world unrest is due to universal covetousness as in Revelation 18:3.
For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:3)
9. Political Babylon (America in prophecy) is leading the nations in an unprecedented revolt against the Lord which will usher in the Tribulation as presented in Psalm 2:1-3.
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." (Psalm 2:1-3)
10. However, Jesus Christ is going to break Political Babylon's control over the nations by ushering in unprecedented universal freedom in the Millennium (1,000 literal years) at the conclusion of the Tribulation as in Jeremiah 50:34.
Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:34)
Reasons for the Overthrow of Political Babylon of the Tribulation
1. Economic internationalism as seen in Revelation 18:3.
For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:3)
2. Blind arrogance as stated in Jeremiah 50:29, Isaiah 47:7-8, and Revelation 18:7.
"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. (Jeremiah 50:29)
You said, 'I will continue forever--the eternal queen!' But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen. "Now then, listen, you wanton creature, 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.' (Isaiah 47:7-8)
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.' (Revelation 18:7)
3. Anti-Semitism per Jeremiah 15:11 and Jeremiah 51:34-40,49.
The LORD said, "Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress. (Jeremiah 15:11)
"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out. May the violence done to our flesh be upon Babylon," say the inhabitants of Zion. "May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia," says Jerusalem. Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "See, I will defend your cause and avenge you; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry. Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives. Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs. But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they shout with laughter--then sleep forever and not awake," declares the LORD. "I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats. (Jeremiah 51:34-40)
"Babylon must fall because of Israel's slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. (Jeremiah 51:49)
4. Idolatry and demonism as presented in Isaiah 21:9 and Revelation 18:2.
Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!'" (Isaiah 21:9)
With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. (Revelation 18:2)
The Relationship of the Seventh Bowl of Judgment to Political Babylon of the Tribulation
1. The seventh bowl judgment occurs at the end of the seven years of the Tribulation as seen in Revelation 16:17-21.
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. (Revelation 16:17-21)
2. It is characterized by the greatest earthquake in history, eliminating all islands, mountains, and all national capitals.
3. Jerusalem is not destroyed. However, it is divided into three parts.
4. There will be intense meteor showers or hailstorms.
5. In God's frame of reference it is Political Babylon which He has just destroyed.
6. For complicity with Political Babylon of the Tribulation, other nations will loose their capital cities.
The Relationship of this Doctrine to the Rapture and the Tribulation
1. The Rapture of the Church "awaits" the existence of the cosmic system evil of Political Babylon.
2. The U.S.A. today matches the characteristics that Political Babylon of the Tribulation will possess.
3. Scripture also prophesies an apostasy which concludes the Church Age as stated in 2 Timothy 3:1-7.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)
4. In the Political Babylon of the Tribulation, there will be small positive remnant of believers still consistently taking in and applying Bible Truth to their lives - the pivot of the Royal Family of God.
5. The evil present in the U.S.A. today foreshadows that which will be present just prior to the Rapture. This apostasy of Political Babylon will continue on into the Tribulation.
Application to the Christian in the U.S.A.
1. If the U.S.A. is Political Babylon in prophecy, it will not be destroyed before the Rapture.
2. If the U.S.A. is Political Babylon in prophecy, a constant increase in world and national evil will be evident.
3. If the U.S.A. is Political Babylon in prophecy, the United States will still be the dominant economic power at the time of the Rapture.
4. We are not going to be at war with communists to win.
5. The Royal Family will be delivered three and one half years before the Fifth Cycle of Discipline to America.
6. Using your grace provision, avoid idolatry and monetary reversionism.
7. Continue in your persistence of living in God's Word as in Hebrews 10:25.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
It is difficult to teach new concepts in prophecy because one must overcome the influence of great and revered Bible teachers of the past. Also, one must topple the inertia of the status quo. The biggest problem is the one the expositor faces when his interpretation runs counter to the best interest of his own beloved country. We do not become upset when we study the demise of Russia, the humiliating defeat of the armies of the Restored Roman Empire, the divine judgment on Egypt and her confederate Arab nations, or the annihilation of communist China at Armageddon. In contrast, let one word be said that ties in the United States of America with anything but blessing and honor forever, and you bring down "a hornet's nest" upon your head. Remember, the destruction of Political Babylon does not occur until after the Rapture of the Church and after the function of the "Mystery of Iniquity" has culminated in the religious apostasy of the Tribulation!
The seven points in this summary demonstrate the completeness and irrefutability of this interpretation of Political Babylon of the Tribulation period.
Babylon Is More than a City
Babylon is a great and mighty nation. Isaiah and Jeremiah's language is borrowed by the Apostle John in his description of the fall of Political Babylon of the Tribulation. John uses the Greek word for city, POLIS, which refers to a "city-state". Both Isaiah and Jeremiah refer to a nation, represented by the city of Babylon. These Old Testament prophets present an everlasting overthrow of Babylon "in a moment." This overthrow has not been fulfilled in history. Because John, in Revelation, rehearses the Old Testament prophets, it becomes apparent that the bulk of these combined prophesies relate to the future. Isaiah and Jeremiah give us an example of "the law of double fulfillment."
Add to this the fact that the prophesies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John compliment one another perfectly! There is no contradiction or confusion, no awkward or cumbersome device used to resolve any embarrassing passages. This study has adhered completely to the principles of literal interpretation of Scripture and has not spiritualized any part of these passages
Prophetic Babylon Is a Wealthy Nation at the Time of The Tribulation
Prophetic Babylon will be a wealthy, arrogant, covetous, reveling in luxuries (monetary reversionism), a great maritime power, the commercial colossus of the earth, a nation of supreme confidence which has no expectation of defeat or destruction. These are the essential characteristics of Political Babylon of the Tribulation. They find perfect duplication in our day, to the United States of America.
Prophetic Babylon Is Destroyed Before the Mark of the Beast Is Instituted
This fact is established by the messages of the second and third angels of Revelation 14. This demolishes the viewpoint that prophetic Babylon is the capital city of the ruler of the Restored Roman Empire. Prophetic Babylon is destroyed before the Man of Sin rises to the place of supreme ascendancy over the Western world and before the "mark of the beast" is established.
Prophetic Babylon Will Not Be Destroyed by the Lord Directly
Prophetic Babylon will not be destroyed by the Lord directly, but by Him through an agency of a confederacy of fierce and cruel nations from the north of Palestine. Remember, "Religious Babylon" (the ecumenical religious system) will be destroyed in the same manner by the agency of 10 kings aligned with the beast, so prophetic Babylon is annihilated by God, through the agency or a block of nations from the north, aligned with the King of the North, (i.e. Russia). It is important to understand this because it places the destruction of Political Babylon some considerable time before the Second Advent to deliver the Jews and confirms what was said in the section above.
The Inhabitants of Prophetic Babylon Are Forewarned to Exodus
The inhabitants of Prophetic Babylon are forewarned to exodus to the lands of their national origin before divine judgment falls. The Scripture that states "Forsake her, and let us go everyone into his own country," has definite implications which cannot be lightly glossed over! Mature believers in Prophetic Babylon and those identified with the remnant of mature believers will probably be the only ones to heed this command. Prophetic Babylon is a nation comprised of all of the nationalities of the world.
The Nature of the Destruction of Political Babylon Is Completely Unexpected
The nature of the destruction of Political Babylon is completely unexpected and comes by fire which, within one hour of one day leaves the land uninhabitable and a death trap to trespassers.
The Universal Destruction of Gentile Capital Cities
The universal destruction of Gentile capital cities under the seventh bowl judgment precludes the possibility of Political Babylon's singular and unexpected holocaust at that time.