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Mystery
Babylon the Great |
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One chapter in the book of
Revelation (the last book of the Bible) describes a future superpower 'city' named “Mystery
Babylon”. Why is it a “mystery”? Because the identity wasn't revealed at the time
the prophecy was given. Obviously it would become known at some future date when
this country/city comes into existence. If
this country exists today, let's see if you can guess which it is based on
descriptions in the Bible.
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This city/country is
described as being powerful
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Sits on many waters (or
surrounded by water)
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Has many peoples and
languages
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Sexual immorality and false
religions are rampant
That's a good start. You might be
getting some idea, but there's more.
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The city is described as
being rich, proud, and even arrogant
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Indulges in “excessive
luxury”
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Thinks it will endure forever
Sound familiar yet? But wait,
here's more:
I submit to you there is only one
country in the world today which fits this description – the United States
of America. Many Bible scholars (and just ordinary, Spirit-filled
Christians) believe this chapter to be a direct analogy to the United States, or
what may be New York City, or what may be multiple U.S. Cities. Consider
that 99% of imported goods are brought by container ship.
In 'one day and one hour' it is
destroyed by its enemies; the apostle John writes that God lets this destruction
happen to bring about his wrath. The following description sounds just like a
nuclear attack:
...her sins are piled up to
heaven,
and God has remembered her
crimes.
6 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.
7 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.'
8 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.
11 The merchants of the earth
will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more ...
14"They will say, 'The fruit you
longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never
to be recovered.' 15 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
16 and cry out:
" 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and
scarlet,
and glittering with gold,
precious stones and pearls!
17 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?' 19 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!”
It is 'consumed by fire' in 'one
day and one hour'. This sounds a lot like a nuclear attack. In
fact, only a nuclear attack can destroy a city/country in one hour!
Warning - America will be destroyed
Sid Roth with guest Shane Warren - America's Future
Mystery Babylon and the
Christian Rapture
This catastrophic attack on
Mystery Babylon the Great appears to be the first event to start God's 'hour of
judgement' on the nations of the world – also known as the Tribulation — also
known as the Time of Wrath.
If there is a “Pre-Tribulation”
Rapture of the Christian church, then it would appear to occur right before the
'hour of judgement'. Notice at the beginning of Revelation 18, God says,
“Come out of her my People, lest should share in her sins”. Could this be the
first Rapture? When God speaks, it happens! (See the
Great Tribulation page for more).
This is why Christians around the
world need to seriously consider what will happen on the day New York
City/America is attacked with nuclear weapons.
So, if the USA proves to be
Mystery Babylon the Great, and Mystery Babylon the Great is destroyed at the
time of the Rapture, millions of Christians around the world – who are True to
the teachings of the Bible and have sincerely given their hearts and minds to
Jesus Christ – will likely VANISH (taken to Heaven) in the moments before the
attack.
Hundreds of millions of other
Christians will likely be LEFT BEHIND, as punishment for half-hearted, lukewarm
faith and following the doctrines of false teachers that have corrupted much of
the Christian church.
Al-Qaeda's U.S. Nuclear
Targets
WorldNetDaily.com reports
al-Qaeda has obtained at least 40 nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Union –
including suitcase nukes, nuclear mines, artillery shells and even some missile
warheads; it's alleged that the attacks will take place in daylight, so that the
whole world will be able to see the images of a mushroom cloud over an American
city.
Now, whether they have 40 nuclear
weapons -- or just one nuclear weapon -- if these attacks by Al-Qaeda are
Biblical we're destined to lose. And until you see Homeland Security
reading from Bibles, you can assume that the U.S. government does not concern
itself with Bible prophecy – if they did, right about now they would be sitting
in a circle holding hands and praying, because the terror attacks that are about
to hit America are supposed to be devastating.
Mystery Babylon the Great
Theories
For decades there have been
different theories as to who Mystery Babylon the Great is, as its destruction is
prophesied about in great detail in Revelation (Chapters 17-19), and also
appears to be prophesied in Jeremiah (Chapters 50, 51) and Isaiah (Chapters 13,
47). The prophet
Dimitri Duduman was told by the Lord in may visions that
it is the United States.
What Christians Need to Know
Right now it is very important
that you become true to the Christian faith, REPENT of any sin still in your
life, and become passionate about God's Greatest Commandment for our lives
(Matthew 22:37). Once you are 'right' with God, prepare you and your family for
a probable rapture (your family must be 'right' with God as well).
As talked about earlier in the 2 Raptures page, the rapture appears to occur right
before the 'hour of judgement' – and I believe that the 'hour of judgement' will
begin with a nuclear attack on New York City.
● Study Chapters 2 and 3 of
Revelation. Note that only the Philadelphia Church (and a number of believers of
the churches in Sardis and Smyrna) are guaranteed to be spared the 'hour of
trial' (hour of judgement). All the other churches are told to REPENT, or they
will be left behind to go through the tribulation. We know that these promises
apply to all Christians, because each letter ends with "Anyone with an ear
should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches." The Bible says no man knows the
day or the hour, but we are told to watch for the signs and "...when these
things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption
draws near." (Luke 21:28).
● Please note that Revelation
18:4 appears to describe the rapture, and it occurs just before Mystery Babylon the Great
is attacked.
● Read the Bible. As mentioned
above, read Chapters 2 and 3 in Revelation. Note that God is not pleased with
the majority of Christians, and requires repentance. One group of Christians
really has God ticked off and he threatens to 'vomit' them from his mouth for
being 'lukewarm'. What we learn from God's warning to these churches is that it
is not enough to just call ourselves Christians. It needs to be in our hearts
and reflect first in everything we do in our daily lives.
'Lukewarm' Christians are in the
same boat as Satan worshippers - NEITHER GROUP IS SAVED. That is the harsh
reality of what God warns all Christians in Revelation 3:16.
● Pray for sanctification by the
Holy Spirit. Here is a web page I found at
AllAboutFollowingJesus.org that
explains this very well. Most new Christians are un-familiar with the Biblical
teachings of sanctification, yet it is very important to know. Most people who
fall away from the faith likely due so because they never make a sincere attempt
to sanctify themselves with the Holy Spirit, which is a spiritual gift from God
for believing in Jesus Christ and repenting of your sins.
Here is the complete text of Revelation chapter 18:
1 After these things, I saw another
angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was
illuminated with his glory. 2 He cried with a
mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has
become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a
prison of every unclean and hateful bird! 3 For
all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual
immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her
luxury." 4 I heard another voice from heaven,
saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in
her sins, and that you don't receive of her plagues, 5
for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her
iniquities. 6 Return to her just as she returned,
and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup
which she mixed, mix to her double. 7 However much
she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and
mourning. For she says in her heart, 'I sit a queen, and am no widow,
and will in no way see mourning.' 8 Therefore in
one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will
be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is
strong. 9 The kings of the earth, who committed
sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over
her, when they look at the smoke of her burning, 10
standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the
great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one
hour.' 11 The merchants of the earth weep and
mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;
12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones,
pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every
vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass,
and iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon, incense,
perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, sheep,
horses, chariots, and people's bodies and souls. 14
The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you, and all
things that were dainty and sumptuous have perished from you, and you
will find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of
these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the
fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; 16
saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen,
purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and
pearls! 17 For in an hour such great riches are
made desolate.' Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and
mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away,
18 and cried out as they looked at the smoke of
her burning, saying, 'What is like the great city?' 19
They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying,
'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea
were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she
made desolate. 20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, you
saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on
her." 21 A mighty angel took up a stone like a
great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence
will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more
at all. 22 The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute
players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No
craftsman, of whatever craft, will be found any more at all in you. The
sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you. 23
The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the
bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for
your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all
the nations were deceived. 24 In her was found the
blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the
earth."
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| For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
--John 3:16 |
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