The Bible Says Get out of Iraq, part 2

In part 1, I discussed the implications of biblical passages (Revelation 18, Jeremiah 50-52, and others) which warn us to flee Iraq because of the destruction that will come upon it. In this post, I will discuss how these passages are an echo of the past command given to the Israelites that they should return to their homeland and help rebuild the temple, the prophecy of the punishment that they would receive for disobeying this command, and the amazing fulfillment of the prophecy.

The Israelites had already been punished for their idolatry by being taken captive by the Babylonians for seventy years. The captivity had ended (because the Medes and the Persians had conquered them) and King Cyrus gave the decree that the people who were taken captive could return their own countries. God sent prophets at that time and previously to say that Jewish people should return to land of their forefathers. But some of them had become comfortable in Babylon and they had successful businesses. So they disobeyed.

Leviticus 26:17-18 warns, “…they that hate you shall reign over you…and if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.” Leviticus 26:21, 28 says, “…I will bring seven times more plagues…and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.” This was written by Moses, long before the captivity. God told Ezekiel: “For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, 390 days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah 40 days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” If one takes the total figure, 430 years (each day representing one year) and subtract the 70 years of captivity, one gets 360 years. If this remaining punishment is multiplied by 7 at the end of the Babylonian captivity, then this makes 2520 years of additional punishment. According to Grant Jeffery, if each year is counted as 360 days (as it was at that time), then this figure is exactly the number of days from the end of the Babylonian captivity (536 B.C.) to the rebirth of the nation of Israel on May 15, 1948! Isaiah 66:8 says, “Who hath heard of such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as Zion travailed, she brought forth children.”

The Bible isn’t some old book that has no relevance for political leaders today. How can you ignore a book that predicts events even in recent history with such astounding accuracy? As I said in my previous post, God will require our blood for the 50 million babies that have aborted in this country (Genesis 9:5, 6).

What about the idea that “Babylon” is really symbolic, and does not really refer to the modern day nation of Iraq? Dozens of prophesies about the gathering of the Jews back into the land of Israel are sprinkled throughout the books of the prophets. Bible believing scholars at one time thought that this meant Christians being gathered into heaven at the coming of the Lord (because the reestablishment of the Israelite nation seemed extremely unlikely). While I agree that there is a broader lesson that is being taught in Revelation 18, time and time again, the literal interpretation of biblical prophecy has always been proven right. Revelation 18:4 should be no exception. In my next post (which will be next Thursday), I will talk about the popular alternative interpretation of Revelation 18. I should point out that Grant Jeffery probably does not agree with my interpretation of this passage or my political position on the war in Iraq.