Rebuilding Babylon. - Comments (12)

Category: Articles,Doctrine
Author: John Malone
Date: 20th November, 2006 @ 12:54:29 PM

The Great 70 7’s Prophecy outlined in {Daniel Chapter 9|Dan 9:24-27} is perhaps one of the most sweeping and marvelous statements of God concerning the fabric of time which he has {woven|Heb 1:2} around the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It offers such a remarkably precise chronology leading to the first coming of the Lord Jesus that mockers and scoffers say the book must have been written much later, because no prophecy can be so accurate!

Those of us who have a reading knowledge of our English Bibles, and have known the Great Prophecy may yet underestimate its controversy and power in the minds of men. Nevertheless, the precision of the prophecies of the Lord’s First Coming pale (to us) in comparison to those remaining.

At the forefront of those prophecies these days may be the condition of the cities of Babylon and Jerusalem.

First, the Biblically obvious. God is NOT building either one of those cities today. There is only ONE building by God today, and it is His church, built upon the {revelation of God the Father|Mat 16:15-18} to those who {place their faith|Acts 16:30-31} in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, {through the power of the Holy Spirit|1cor 12:3}. This work God has been doing since the ministry of the Lord Jesus on earth, and it continues on.

Second, the competition over these two cities has marked the history of the world. God has informed the world He will establish Jerusalem – specifically Mount Zion – under His Son. He has equally informed the world that He will not accept man’s establishment of Babylon, whether ante-diluvian or post-Jewish-captivity.

There are two relevant historical periods of Babylon that lead us to the yet future third Biblical epoch of that city.

The Tower of Babel
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563

The first history of Babylon occurs {just after|Gen 10:8-11;Gen 11:1-9} the Noahic deluge (AM 1656), and seems to be especially honored in Western Europe these days. This appreciation by European powers signals an imminent Japhethite rebellion, as that branch of the human family departs from the “tent of Shem,” contemporarily known to be faith in Jesus Christ. This rebellion is {prophesied,|Ezek 38:1-7} though the time frame is yet puzzling.

That rebellion, initially headed by the fellow whose name means “we will rebel” – Nimrod – was focused against God’s promised plan for the earth, founded in the Noahic covenant, with the added {codicil|Gen 9:24-27} ordering the responsibilities of Japheth, Ham and Shem wherein Ham became servant to his brothers. (see pamphlet)

Europe itself can trace its heritage back to ancient Babylon. The tribal spread after the confusion of tongues no doubt accounts for all the European people. In fact, Europe is probably more rooted in the “land of Shinar” than America is rooted in Europe! The only influence that has deterred Europe from embracing its pagan past has been Bible influence. With that now ebbing, Europe’s return to paganism is headlong.

Indeed, “Europe” itself is named after the pagan (Greek) mythological creature Europa which eerily correlates to symbolism found the the book of {Revelation|Rev 17:3}.

The second prominent epoch of Babylon featured God actually handing {world-rule|Dan 2:37-44} to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar at the commencement of Judah’s captivity (497-498 BC). This world-rule has continued in Gentile hands ever since. Importantly, Nebuchadnezzar spent {seven years as a “beast”|Dan 4:23-25} for his high-minded presumptuous boasting against God.

That 7-year “beast career” of Nebuchadnezzar prefigures the 7-year career of the “beast” who is yet to come – {the Man of Sin|2Th 2:3} – which marks the time immediately preceding the full venting of the wrath of God, and which is connected to the rebuilding of Babylon, and its prominence in the world.

So we know the end of the affairs of men and their culmination point. As much as our current affairs run on vectors leading to that end, we can see some directions emerging.

First, we see the world’s attention once again on the “land of Shinar” and Babylon. That land is presently being ruled by America and Britain, whatever others may claim. The condition of that land is very fluid. With the change of course indicated by recent US elections, it is possible to see the EU and the therefore the UN taking a primary role in that territory.

European Parliament; Strasbourg, France

Second, with the business ambitions of oil-rich Arab states such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia so apparent, it’s conceivable that a large-scale global project might well get underway to rebuild the metropolis of Babylon. The “global economy” needs a large scale project to absorb the enormous cash reserves piling up from windfall profits in oil, and the consumer-debt-based trade imbalances in China and India.

These cash reserves are so enormous, they present a challenge for any endeavor to have massive enough scale, short of a global war. The building of an opulent city/trade center as pictured in the Scriptures – {Babylon the Great|Rev 18:1-3}} – may be just the thing to fulfill the need, and bring to pass a new financial and monetary system to replace the one established in the early 70’s that is obviously now unsatisfactory, if not completely bankrupt.

Flamboyant Arab ambitions readily visible in areas such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE) could find a more suitable target in the rebuilding of Babylon, and European West financial interests would jump at the chance to make a new financial capitol which is neither dollar nor pound based.

Bible students look for the rebuilding of this city which has ever tended to rebel against God. The confluence of human ambition, rejection of God’s plan for the nations in their divisions, and the “peace and safety” movement all could find their focus in the establishment of a new world capital that is free from Christian influence, national identity, and the moralities that attend those establishments.

Third, we would anticipate a role for the Roman Catholic Organization, Islam, Hinduism, and wayward Protestantism in this endeavor. Indeed, the Vatican, which is the center of the ancient Babylonian priesthood, could contribute some of its considerable fortune to a project like this one, and even move its capitol into this newly built city, as a good citizen in the Global Chamber of Commerce.

We look for radical changes centered in the economics of our day as part of the falling away from the faith of our fathers. We know Babylon will rise again to dominate the world landscape financially, politically, and religiously.

We also know that it will fall in a single day when it is judged as certainly as Nebuchadnezzar was judged.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

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