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Babylon has to be rebuilt before the Lord’s return.
July 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Now when it comes to Babylon being rebuilt, not all Christians believe this. In fact, some don’t like these prophecies at all. Why? Because it destroys their imminency doctrine and it puts off the coming of the Lord for many years. Remember, the so-called secret Rapture is just before the seventieth week of Daniel to save us from it. If the seventieth week is forty or more years in the future because Babylon has to be rebuilt, then that makes the pretribbers’ teachings false. Jesus is supposed to come in this generation according to them.
John Hagee, a pretribulationist, sees this problem and writes, “Many scholars once believed that Saddam Hussein would rebuild the city of Babylon as described in Revelation 18. If this were true, it would take multiplied decades for this “Babylon” to come to fruition, and the coming of Christ would not even be close to becoming a reality in our lifetime.” (John Hagee, Beyond Iraq The End of the Age, John Hagee Magazine, September/October 2004, Page 24.) John Hagee then goes on to list five reasons why Babylon will not be rebuilt. For the sake of fairness and hearing the other side, let’s discuss his five reasons.
“Reason # 1: The Bible makes it clear that Ancient Babylon has been destroyed and will never rise again.” (John Hagee, Beyond Iraq The End of the Age, John Hagee Magazine, September/October 2004, Page 25.) John Hagee quotes the first part of Isaiah 13:20 to prove his point. However, Babylon has never been destroyed. It was invaded and taken over by other countries, but it has never been totally destroyed like the Lord describes in Isaiah 13:19-20. “Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. ISA 13:20 She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there.” (NIV)
If this prophecy has already been fulfilled then there should be no Arab living in the area. Saddam Hussein (an Arab) built a palace there and restored many of the buildings in the ancient city at the cost of one billion dollars. Arabs live all around the ancient city. Their flocks pasture in near by fields. The whole country is filled with Arabs. If this prophecy has been fulfilled, then why are there so many Arabs? The truth is this prophecy has not been fulfilled. It’s still future.
This prophecy of total destruction given to Babylon from Isaiah in chapter 13 will take place on the Day of the Lord. When you read the part that we didn’t read earlier, you will see the terrible destruction that can only take place on the Day of the Lord.
Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land. ISA 13:15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. ISA 13:16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished. ISA 13:17 See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. ISA 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. ISA 13:19 (NIV)
In the middle of this whole prophecy about Jesus coming on the Day of the Lord to destroy Babylon, the Lord interjects a prophecy now fulfilled (verses 17-19) to the fall of Babylon in 539 B. C. Then starting in the next verse, the Lord once again speaks to the future rebuilt Babylon by saying this:
Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. ISA 13:20 She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there. ISA 13:21 But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. ISA 13:22 Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged. (NIV)
God will overthrow Babylon by His hand with fire. The total destruction of Babylon will be in the future because of all the Arabs living in the land right now. When this prophecy is fulfilled, there will be no Arabs in the land. Therefore, this prophecy has not been fulfilled. John Walvoord, a pretribulationist, writes this about Isaiah 13:20-22:
As far as the historic fulfillment is concerned, it is obvious from both Scripture and history that these verses have not been literally fulfilled. The city of Babylon continued to flourish after the Medes conquered it, and though its glory dwindled, especially after the control of the Medes and Persians ended in 323 B. C., the city continued in some form or substance until A. D. 1000 and did not experience a sudden termination such as is anticipated in this prophecy. (John Walvoord, The Nations in Prophecy (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1967) pages 63-64.)
Charles Dyer, another pretribulationist, writes:
…about the year 1000 a Jewish traveler, Benjamin of Tudela traveled to the Near East. He left a written account that was preserved…He also records that there were seven thousand Jews still living in Babylon, and he worshipped at the synagogue of Daniel, still on the site. The veil drops again until the beginning of this century. The German archeologist, Robert Koldewey, excavated Babylon and he records that inside the ancient walls were still three villages. He lived in one as he excavated. Babylon declined in importance, but it has never been destroyed the way God said it would be destroyed: in the day of the Lord, when God’s judging the world for its sin, totally wiped out, supernatural signs in the heavens, destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah so no one will live there for generations, or for a few months, or for a single night. (Charles R. Swindoll, John Walvoord, J. Dwight. Pentecost, and other members of the Dallas Seminary Faculty, The Road To Armageddon, The inside story is: Babylon: Iraq and the Coming Middle East Crisis, by Charles Dyer, page 124-125.)
To show further proof that this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, archaeological discoveries have found bricks and stones from the city of Babylon being used in other construction throughout this time period. The prophet Jeremiah writes this about the city of Babylon, “No rock will be taken from you [Babylon] for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever,” declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 51:26; NIV)
The fact that Saddam Hussein (an Arab) began to rebuild Babylon makes this prophecy still future. When God destroys Babylon, it will be desolate forever. No Arab will be moving stones around. In fact, let’s look at how far Saddam Hussein was able to rebuild Babylon before he was over thrown and captured. Charles Dyer writes:
I was in Iraq in 1987 and again in 1988 for the Babylon Festival. Most people don’t realize that Saddam Hussein started rebuilding the city of Babylon shortly after he became ruler in Iraq in 1979. Eight years after that he held his first Babylon Festival…Most people think there’s nothing left of Babylon, that the Bible says it should just be a haunt of jackals. No one can live there; no Arab will pitch his tent there…But since 1979 Saddam Hussein has been rebuilding the city of Babylon on its original foundations…Procession Street is the main street leading into Babylon. When I was there for the opening night of the Babylon Festival, they had a cast of thousands march down this street dressed as ancient Babylonian soldiers promoting the rebirth of this city under Saddam Hussein. Some of the temples and other buildings have been rebuilt. One of the temples, called the Ninmach Temple, was rebuilt on its original foundations…Even more exciting, Saddam Hussein has built one of his many palaces in Babylon on a hill constructed beside Nebuchadnezzar’s Palace. Actually, Hussein has two palaces in Babylon and many others throughout Iraq. He built his palace so he could look down on Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. (Charles R. Swindoll, John Walvoord, J. Dwight. Pentecost, and other members of the Dallas Seminary Faculty, The Road To Armageddon, The inside story is: Babylon: Iraq and the Coming Middle East Crisis, by Charles Dyer, page 105-107.)
Obviously, the city is on its way to being restored now. Once the oil begins to flow, the Arabs will rebuild Babylon to superpower status.
“Reason #2: The people of Iraq are not Babylonians. The majority of the population is Arab. Why would God punish Arabs for something the Babylonians did 2,500 years ago?” (John Hagee, Beyond Iraq The End of the Age, John Hagee Magazine, September/October 2004, Page 25.) When John Hagee quotes Isaiah 13:20 in his magazine to prove Babylon will not be rebuilt, he leaves out the last part of the verse: “…no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there.” Why? Because it contradicts what he is trying to prove. Now in Reason #2, he acknowledges there are Arabs in the land, and he wonders why the Arabs will be punished instead of the Babylonians.
The answer is simple. Most Arabs are Muslim. The Muslim nations in the Middle East would love to drive Israel into the sea and kill all the Jews. They have proven this in the past by coming against them in three wars in less than 25 years. This hatred will continue until God destroys Babylon and establishes His own kingdom on earth. Right after the flood, Babylon began the false religions of the world, which in time led millions of Jews into false religions and killed millions of God’s people. During the past centuries and right up to this time, the Islamic nations have killed millions of Christians and Jews. Every false religion originated in Babylon.
MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. REV 17:6 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 [Babylon] that rules over the kings of the earth… REV 18:20 Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.’ ” (Rev. 17:5-6;18; Rev. 18:20 NIV).
On the Day of the Lord, God will destroy this great-rebuilt city of Babylon filled with Arabs in one hour to avenge the Jews and Christians killed in this era and for all others. “He has condemned the great prostitute [Babylon] who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” REV 19:3 And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her [Babylon] goes up for ever and ever” (Rev. 19:2-3; NIV) If Babylon was destroyed in centuries past like John Hagee believes, why don’t we see the smoke from her destruction rising up eternally like this verse says will happen once Babylon is destroyed?
“Reason #3: Ancient Babylon does not fit the Bible’s specification for “mystery Babylon” in Rev. 17 and 18.” (John Hagee, Beyond Iraq The End of the Age, John Hagee Magazine, September/October 2004, Page 25.) At the time that Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation, the Roman Empire controlled the world. Babylon was still a city, but declining. Even then it was a mystery: How would Babylon become a superpower again? Well today, we are asking the same question. How will Babylon be rebuilt and become a superpower? It seems impossible and that’s why many Christians believe New York City is Babylon. However, New York City is not Babylon! In order to get Jesus to come in this generation, Christians are coming up with all kinds of wrong end time scenarios.
It is true that the city of Rome looks like it fits the specifications of Babylon better today than Babylon. However, Rome is not Babylon. The Catholic Church headquartered in Rome is a part of spiritual or mystery Babylon through the false church. All those who are not born again in the Catholic Church are in a false church. She is one of the many prostitutes, but she is not Babylon. Babylon is a city that will come into being just like Israel became a nation again when many thought it would never come back. Just give it time.
Spiritual Babylon has many daughters called prostitutes who seduce the peoples of the world through false religions from the only true God. All false religions are a part of this spiritual Babylon. These false religions started in Babylon and they will continue to flourish until Jesus wipes out Babylon and set up His kingdom. Even though this is true, Babylon will become a great-rebuilt city no matter how many years it takes to rebuild her. It will become a superpower like Revelation 17 and 18 describes. It has great oil reserves to bring this about. The world will be knocking on her door to get her oil.
“Reason #4: Ancient Babylon, when on fire, is not visible from ships in the Mediterranean as stated in Rev. 18:17.” (John Hagee, Beyond Iraq The End of the Age, John Hagee Magazine, September/October 2004, Page 25.) Revelation 18:17-18 says:
“In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’ “Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, `Was there ever a city like this great city?’(NIV)
Nowhere in these two verses or anywhere else in the Bible does it say the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient city of Babylon is a little more than 200 miles from The Gulf that leads into the Indian Ocean. Once Babylon is destroyed by fire, it continues to burn forever. The oil in the ground may cause this. Whatever the cause, the perpetual smoke will rise high into the atmosphere and the wind may blow it toward The Gulf, allowing all the ships on the sea to see Babylon’s destruction.
Once they begin to rebuild Babylon, it is also possible they could dredge out the Euphrates so ships can get closer to Babylon. In the past, they had limited river freight routes using barges. They could do this again or even expand the dredging once the billions of dollars start rolling in from oil. The oil will make the people of Iraq very rich. They will buy goods from the rest of the world just like Revelation 18 describes.
“Reason #5: Intellectual resources in Iraq (Babylon) are one among the lowest in the world. Less than 58% of the country’s population over 15 years of age can read and write. History proves intellect is needed to lead.” (John Hagee, Beyond Iraq The End of the Age, John Hagee Magazine, September/October 2004, Page 25.) This is true if they were to begin to lead now, but for this reason Babylon will not become a superpower for many years. In the next forty years, Iraq can change that around. As of 2004, the nations have forgiven Iraq’s debt. Through the sale of oil, they will have the money to give a good education to every person in the country.
As you can see, John Hagee’s five reasons are not true. Babylon will be rebuilt and it will take many years for this to happen. The reason John Hagee has turned on his own pretrib teachers is because of the imminency doctrine. The pretribbers have been teaching Jesus is coming back in our lifetime. He realizes if Babylon has to be rebuilt, then the coming of Jesus is far off and the pretribbers in this generation will all be dead and false teachers.
If you want more information on this subject and why the Lord cannot not return until after 2040, read this book: Prophetic Reasons Why Jesus Cannot Return Before 2040, by Gene Stone at 1-866-909-2665.
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