The Bible Says Get out of Iraq, part 3

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 part 2, I discussed 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, the amazing fulfillment of the prophecy, and the conclusion that the literal interpretation of the Bible is reliable. In this post I will talk about the broader lesson that we can learn from Revelation 18, various interpretations of the “whore of Babylon” and two reasons why scholars may overlook the literal interpretation of it.

Babylon Symbolizes Rome?

In Revelation 13 it describes a beast “having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy”. This is the leader of the one world government, called the “man of lawlessness” or the Beast. This is the same beast which is described in the book of Daniel as being the fourth of four beasts, each representing a four kingdoms—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The “whore of Babylon” is described as the woman sitting upon a “scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” (Revelation 17:3)

Verse 9 of Revelation chapter 17 says that the seven heads represent seven hills (mountains). Scholars connect this with seven hills in Rome. The NIV study Bible note says, “It is perhaps significant that Rome began as a network of seven hill settlements on the left bank of the Tiber. Her designation as the city on seven hills is commonplace among Roman writers (e.g., Virgil, Martial, Cicero).”

Verse 18 says, “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:6 says that the woman is “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus”. These statements also fit the description of Rome at the time that the book of Revelation was written and possibly in the future (a revived Roman Empire).

Revelation 18:3 says that “the kings of the earth have committed adultery with her”. Adultery is used as a symbol of idolatry. In the Roman world, when a nation was conquered by the Roman Empire, it was allowed to keep its god(s) and a temple to its god(s) was then erected in Rome. But the conquered nation had to accept all of the other gods of the Empire as well, thus creating a single religion for the whole world.

Babylon Will Never Be Rebuilt

Jeremiah 51:26, 43 indicates that Babylon would be destroyed and never again inhabited. Isaiah 13:19-21 indicates that Arabs would not pitch their tents there. These prophecies have already been fulfilled (with astounding accuracy) of the ancient city of Babylon—Arabs living in Iraq do not live in there because they are superstitious about evil spirits living there. So the conclusion by some is that Revelation 17 and 18 can’t be talking about the real Babylon because it according to Bible prophecy it can’t be rebuilt or inhabited again. But …

Babylon is Associated with Rome

The “whore of Babylon” IS NOT THE BEAST, but she rides on it. So this only indicates an association—not that she is Rome. The Hebrew word for “Lucifer” in the KJV and “morning star” in modern versions is used only one time in the entire Old Testament (Isaiah 14:12), and it is in context of the city of Babylon. Since Satan is “the prince of this world” (John12:31, 14:30), it is reasonable to say then that literal Babylon is the “great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth”. Revelation 17:16 makes it clear that the beast and the whore do not represent the same thing, because the horns of the beast will turn against the whore.

Revelation 18:2 says that Babylon “is become the inhabitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit”. The superstition of the Arabs is more than just a superstition! Look again at Jeremiah 51:26, 43 and Isaiah 13:19-21. These prophecies about Babylon never being inhabited again clearly refer only to human inhabitants, not spirits (or animals).

One does not have to look far to see satanic influence in the governments of the world and how the world is moving toward a one world government and an adulterous one world religion just as in Roman times. Satan is clearly using Muslim fundamentalism to make all fundamentalists (including Christian fundamentalists) look like intolerant fanatics who should be made second class citizens since they do not accept an absolute pluralistic society. I even heard conservative commentator Michael Savage make a comment to the effect that the evils of Islamic fundamentalism are proof that Christian fundamentalism is bad.

Literal Babylon does fulfill Revelation 17:6. Christians have been persecuted in Iraq under Saddam Hussein and in the current situation. The most likely interpretation, however, is that this refers to Christians being persecuted all over the world as a result of the satanic influence on the governments of the world. Babylon may be considered the capital of Satan’s kingdom in this world even though Satan’s throne (or seat) is in Pergamos. (Revelation 2:13)

The other thing that skeptics do not take into account here is that the term “Babylon” is sometimes used to refer to the ancient city of Babylon and sometimes it is used to refer to the entire region of Mesopotamia (or the nation of Babylonia). Nebuchadnezzar (called the king of Babylon in Daniel 1:1) was the king of the entire Babylonian Empire, not just the city of Babylon. There would be no point in giving a commandment to “get out of her” (Revelation 18:4) if this is referring only to a city that remains to this day uninhabited by humans.

In my next post (which will be next Thursday), I will talk about the broader lesson that we can learn from Revelation 18.