THE FALL OF MYSTERY BABYLON (צ)

In the previous chapter of Revelation discussed in the previous post, the identity of a mysterious woman riding a beast that had seven heads and ten horns was examined. It was determined that the creator of the beast was Satan, as seen by its scarlet color. It’s leopard-like features take us back to Nimrod, the builder of Babel’s infamous Tower. Nimrod’s name means “the rebellious leopard.”

The seven heads seem to represent all that the beast ever was – world kingdoms from Egypt to Assyria, to Babylon, to Medo/Persia, to Greece, to Rome, and finally to the uniting of all nations (i.e. the U.N. (United Nations) for a beastly world government in the end-time. We considered the possibility that the ten horns could represent a division of the world into ten political/economic regions – something suggested by the Club of Rome in 1974 and pursued as the goal of the United Nations ever since.

It was also noted that the “harlot,” opposite of the “virgin” in chapter in chapter 12, produced many “daughters” among the capitals of the world – as seen in the use of the Greek term for “megalopolis,” meaning “great city.” Megalopolis refers to several cities, whereas “metropolis” refers to a single large city. She is also typical of the mother of Satan’s diabolical son – the Antichrist. It is likely that the Antichrist will be born of a harlot.

It was also noted that the Greek gods of the fabled Zeus (Jupiter), Apollo and Diana were connected to Babylon’s mystery religion.

In medieval Europe, the society of the Holy Grail developed a heretical concept that the harlot, Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus cast seven demons (similar to the seven heads on the beast), became the wife of Jesus and produced the kings of Europe. Her cup was the grail, containing the blood of Jesus and thus, the seed of Europe’s kings. They tried to make the allegory of “MYSTERY BABYLON” fit their theory for world conquest.

The identity of the “great city” (megalopolis) has confused scholars down through the centuries. Most people want to point to one of her daughters, rather than the mother, and say, “There is MYSTERY BABYLON!” Indeed, she would not be a mystery if we could readily identify her.

Among the candidates are Rome, Europe, New York or the United States of America. The elusive “global village” was also considered, a term coined by the United Nations years ago. All of these fit some, but none seem to fit all the aspects of Babylon as described in the book of Revelation.

The Resurrection of Babylon

Some theologians in the late 1800s suggested that the ancient city of Babylon, the ruins of which once lay in the desert sands some 50 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq would be rebuilt in the last days. E.W. Bullinger suggested that Babylon would be rebuilt during a 33-year period prior to the Tribulation. He suggested 33 years, plus the 7-year Tribulation for a total of 40 years, thus constituting the final generation. Bullinger uses two Greek terms, συντέλεια Sunteleia, when the disciples asked him about the “end of the world” (Matthew 24:6), and τέλος Telos, when Jesus told them that “the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6). Bullinger suggests that the Sunteleia refers to the last generation and the Telos would be the last seven years, making 40 in all.

His 40-year generation theory did not materialize, but it certainly became a popular hypothesis. Even some Jewish rabbis thought that Israel’s national redemption would come in 1988. Bullinger suggested that national Israel would be restored during this same time. His predictions seem almost uncanny. Not only was Israel restored in 1948, but old Babylon was resurrected as well – however, restored only as a monument to its former glory. Saddam Hussein rebuilt the famous landmarks of the historic city. Iraqi workers rebuilt the walls, the Ishtar Gate, the via sacra (“sacred way” or main avenue), the famous hanging gardens, and many of the royal palaces.

Return of the Space Aliens?

We should note that Bullinger did not believe that Babylon would become a center for commerce. He wrote that she was a buyer, not a seller. The merchandise listed in Revelation 18 refers to luxury items only. And, indeed, just as he predicted, Babylon has not become a world capital. But, is it necessary for the city to have such a spectacular and wondrous resurrection? In Genesis 6, we are told that the “sons of God” (i.e., fallen angels) cohabited with the “daughters of men.” What if they returned? What if an armada of so-called “space aliens” were to “visit” our planet and take up residence there? Is that too far fetched? When the “bottomless pit” opens up in Revelation 9, the Apostle John mentions the Euphrates River. Perhaps he is telling us that the gate to the nether world is located near the Euphrates, at the site of ancient Babylon.

On the June 24, 2003 edition of Coast to Coast Radio Show, author Stan Deyo stated that he had seen an old drawing of the Tower of Babel and that it had a “star-gate-like” ring on its summit with steps coming down from it. He suggested that, rather than being a gate to the stars, it was a gate to a series of other-world-like dimensions.

Many skeptics and scoffers of the Bible like to point to the various biblical narratives of the Bible and in a mocking tone dismiss its authenticity, citing the ludicrousness that mankind actually thought that they could build a tower that reached into the heavens, or even heaven itself, being totally ignorant of what those types of verses are actually saying as revealed in the original language and the vernacular of that day …

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:1-9).

But what is actually taking place in this story of the Tower of Babel is that mankind sought to pierce the veil that separates this world from the evil and wicked world wherein evil spirits dwell in the heavens as revealed by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:12. In essence, they were building a tower that would reach “into the other side beyond the veil where evil spirits dwell” i.e. “reaching into the heavenlies where they dwell.” Mankind was not foolish enough to believe that they could actually build a tower that would physically reach into Heaven itself. Perhaps fueling this skepticism of the Bible on the part of many is the fact that depictions of this occultic tower present an image of its top ascending into where the clouds are floating in the atmosphere. Below is the most famous rendering of the Tower of Babel.

The work was done by artist Pieter Bruegel (1525-1569). It was finished in 1563 as an “oil on oak panel.” The original can be seen at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria.

The project that occurred at this infamous tower was an act of rebellion of mankind against God and his authority. This story is a documentation of mankind’s attempt at a connection with a false god i.e. idol worship.

Could such a gate as seen by Stan Deyo in that picture really exist? Could it provide the opening for the biblical “bottomless pit“?

It is here that it bears repeating something already covered in a previous article in this Revelation series. The following is an excerpt from that particular posting …

“It is thought by some scholars that when a demon principality (Ephesians 6:12) is overthrown from ruling a certain nation or empire, that principality is bound somewhere or taken out of the way and the new principality takes control of that area as the new conquering empire takes over world rule. This becomes an interesting possibility, or even a fact, to consider for we know that there were four major world controlling empires up until the prophet Daniel’s time. They are the four world ruling empires that are listed in Daniel’s prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’s prophetic dream …

“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:31-35). 

The first empire in the image (the head of gold) is identified as the mighty Babylon. The chest and arms of silver representing the Medo-Persia empire, the abdomen and thighs midsection representing Greece and the legs of iron representing the mighty Roman empire and feet of iron and clay, a most unlikely mixture, representing the last days extension of Rome by the feet and ten toes. That said, that is a total of four empires. Are these four angels that are loosed from the aforementioned Euphrates River the same four fallen angels that ruled over their respective empires each in their own time? When one world-ruling kingdom or empire was overthrown by it’s successor, it is quite possible that the angel that ruled over the overthrown empire was bound in the Euphrates River, which runs between Iraq and Iran and this is where they will be released during the Tribulation period. Interestingly enough, there is an island located between Iraq and Iran at the bottom of the Persian Gulf area near the bottom of the Euphrates River named “Abadan.”

It is said to be one of the biggest oil refinery areas in that part of the world. As already pointed out, the name of the king angel over the bottomless pit is none other than Abaddon. It is quite possible that this island may be named after this king angel of the bottomless pit. Looking back at the past ruling empires, we see in scripture that the ruling dark, evil principality called the “prince of Persia” (Daniel 10:13) is named after the empire of Persia. The prince of Grecia (Daniel 10:20) takes on the name of the kingdom or empire of Greece. It is quite possible that “Abaddon” has taken on the name of an island called “Abadan” in the Middle East between Iraq and Iran. This is where the four angels will be loosed to slaughter a third of mankind. Abaddon himself, after being released from the bottomless pit, may possibly be the evil angel given the ability to unlock the four angels that are bound at the Euphrates River near an island that bears his name. It should also be pointed out that there is a huge trench that goes very, very deep beneath the water located in that vacinity of the world.  It is an interesting, and quite likely, scenario that has some biblical backing behind it.

Abaddon seems to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, angels in Satan’s kingdom. He then goes forth and organizes a 200 million man army in which the third part of mankind is killed (Revelation 9:16-19).

In his Dissertation of Hades, first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote that a gate stood at the entrance to the underworld: “For there is one descent into this region, at whose gate we believe there stands an archangel with an host; which gate when those pass through that are conducted down by the angels appointed over souls …” (Josephus, Discourse Concerning Hades, paragraph 3).

Then, he predicted that men would one day discover this “court” or entrance to paradise:

“The earth will not be then difficult to be passed over, nor will it be hard to find out the court of Paradise …” (Hades, paragraph 6).

He also predicted either space travel or trans-dimensional travel:

“Heaven will not then be uninhabitable by men; and it will not be impossible to discover the way of ascending thither” (Hades, paragraph 6).

One of the few things people find hard to accept among the prophecies of the Bible is the concept that there is an underworld – a dimensional region separate from this world – and a supernatural population of demonic creatures with which to contend. The Apostle John reveals that the devil and his hordes of fallen angels will actually arrive on Earth and walk among men. They may be around today, but in spirit form only. Demons may be able to influence and entice people, but without our being able to see them, we feel comfortable relegating them to the realm of the tooth fairy. We see the evil in modern-day areas of the world, such as Iraq and other hotbeds of evil (even in our own nation), and think the worst of wicked men, but have difficulty blaming their actions on an unseen force of evil influence. Verse 2 tells us that Babylon will “… become the habitation [dwelling place] of devils [demons], and the hold [prison] of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2), but we have no concept of just how this is going to be manifested.

So, again, I pose the question, “Could those illusive UFOs that have been blinking in and out of our atmosphere since the birth of Israel in 1947/1948 finally appear as a massive force of so-called space brothers wanting to “visit” this planet? Could they claim that they originally provided the DNA of all life, including the human race, on Earth?” Such a theory has been espoused for awhile now. The theory seems to have started with leading scientists such as the late Dr. Francis Crick, winner of the Nobel Prize for discovering the double helix DNA. Once an evolutionist, he decided that our genetic make-up is far too complex to have evolved. But since he could not bring himself to believe in God, he decided that “space voyagers” from a far galaxy once seeded Earth with all forms of life.

When Satan is cast out of Heaven, he will arrive on this planet with his entire entourage and cannot go back. His motley crew will be stuck in this dimension. At least 200 million of them could bring plenty of buying power, but few clothes, furniture, etc. Perhaps they will become insatiable buyers of the world’s goods for a few years. An alien population, at least as large as that of the twenty-first century United States would create a tremendous new market for the world’s merchants. Perhaps they will enter this world just south of Baghdad and occupy a significant portion of the country of modern-day Iraq (ancient Babylon). But entering this dimension, they might no longer be perceived as immortal. Isaiah writes that Lucifer will be regarded as weak – having lost his supernatural powers …

“All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? (Isaiah 14:10).

Could these supernatural and seemingly immortal angels become vulnerable to … say, atomic weapons? Is this why the world government will take upon itself the task of burning Babylon? If Babylon was an integral part of the world’s commercial or political system, it doesn’t seem feasible that the ten-horned coalition would hate it or want to destroy it. But if the city were to become the habitation of demonic creatures as the Apostle John describes that it will, even if many of them looked somewhat human, it stands to reason that the New World Order would want to rid itself of such a scourge. Remember that this Mystery Babylon woman is destroyed by the beast she is riding. In recent years, many researchers and insiders have revealed that the U.S. government works with so-called reptilians a.k.a. “space aliens,” which are really demonic creatures/entities posing as “space aliens.” Such a scenario should be firmly considered when getting into the nuts and bolts of the rising Mystery Babylon system. It is completely fathomable and very likely at this point that these evil demonic entities control the current and emerging A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) apparatus.

It is here that I’ll be quick to say that I only pose this possibility as an alternative to other seemingly impossible scenarios set forth by others. In the end, we probably cannot be one-hundred percent certain of the mystery. But given these fairly recent revelations and “leaked” documents from insiders, this certainly does stand a notch or two above any other explanation in my best and fairly educated guess. The world must await its future manifestation.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon Was a Daughter

This “MYSTERY” woman seen in Revelation represents the mother. But, being a “great city,” she is the mother of many daughters (i.e. cities) around the world. Nimrod’s Babylon was the mother. But Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon was a daughter of that mother. For that reason, Isaiah referred to the sixth-century B.C. Babylonian Empire as the daughter of Babylon …

“Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate (Isaiah 47:1).

Furthermore, the Psalmist, speaking of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, denounced sixth-century B.C. Babylon as a “daughter“:

“O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us” (Psalm 137:8).

Since the Apostle John reminds us that “MYSTERY BABYLON” is the “MOTHER OF HARLOTS,” it is not out of reason to think that the “great city” will include all of her daughters as well. In fact, in Revelation 16:19, we are informed that the “great city” (megalopolis) is divided, perhaps politically divided as well, into three parts (don’t forget the three unclean spirits that deceive the “kings of the earth“). Furthermore, the verse tells us: “the cities of the nations fell.” This is a lot of cities. Perhaps this “MOTHER,” dating back to Nimrod’s Tower, is judged by the burning of her daughters.

For that reason alone, all banking, all manufacturing, and all shipping could be ended. If Mystery Babylon were a single city, the merchants might shrug their shoulders and head for other ports. But not so here because they are out of business. There are no other ports. This so-called “global village” may be an illusive concept, connected by satellites, computers, telephones, televisions, internet, the so-called “internet of things” we now hear much talk about with the advent of 5G technology now being installed across the world, telephones, television, shipping, etc, but the actual cities involved in this global village could be destroyed during the battle of Armageddon.

When God tells us that the ten kings will “hate the whore” (Revelation 17:16), he could mean that they will despise and mistrust each other. Now, with these introductory remarks, let us now review Revelation 18.

The “Another Angel”

“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory” (Revelation 18:1).

As we approach this chapter, we are first drawn to John’s view of “another angel” – quite different from those previous heavenly-created beings that talked with John. Rather than speaking from the vantage point of Heaven’s portals, this messenger comes “down from heaven.” We are reminded of the story of the original Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:15) when “the LORD came down.” It happens again here.

This “another angel” is endowed with such power and glory that the earth is illuminated.

This heavenly light can be seen with noble clarity, especially since the light of this universe has collapsed. The sun no longer rules the day and the moon no longer rules the night. Therefore, his glorious light must be an object of comfort to the surviving righteous inhabitants of Earth and fear to the unsaved wicked who have tried to enslave mankind …

“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (verse 3).

Who is this “another” angel? Though he is not identified here, most scholars believe that he is the same “another” angel who takes coals from the heavenly altar in chapter 8 and casts them to the earth; the same angel who descends with the open scroll and stands with one foot upon the land and the other upon the sea in chapter 10; the same angel who rides upon a white cloud and holds a sickle in his hand in chapter 14.

It seems that these passages all describe the end-time work and ministry of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Joseph Seiss reminds us: “… the Father ‘hath given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man‘ (John 5:27). When Satan was cast out of Heaven, the celestial worshippers celebrated this authority, dominion, or power, as the particular possession of Christ, who is appointed to ‘put down all rule and all authority and power’ (1 Corinthians 15:24)” (Joseph Seiss, Apocalypse, page 407).

Of no one else can it be said that the planet reflects his glory upon the descending of this “another angel” to the earth. In the Old Testament, the Psalmist wrote: “let the whole earth be filled with his glory” (Psalm 72:19). The prophet Isaiah caught a vision of Deity and heard the seraphim say, “… the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Ezekiel saw the return of the Shekinah in the person of Israel’s Messiah and wrote: “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory” (Ezekiel 43:2). Habakkuk wrote: For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

Seiss continues: “We are not likely to be mistaken, then, in taking this Angel for the Lord Jesus himself, and the more so as the remembrance of Great Babylon to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of divine wrath is specially said to be ‘in the presence of God,’ as if God in Christ were then manifested and personally revealed upon the earth” (Seiss, page 407).

Babylon is Fallen … Twice

“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2).

Note that the cry is repeated – is fallen, is fallen.” This is not the first time that we have seen this in the Bible’s text. The prophet Isaiah also recorded the epitaph …

“And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground” Isaiah 21:9).

Note that Isaiah used the term “Babylon,” but John used the term “Babylon the great.” The first refers to the sixth- century B.C. Babylonian Empire, but John refers to a multiple of end-time cities, using the Greek term μεγάλη megalo, another reference to megalopolis, meaning “many cities.” As stated before in the previous posting (as well as here), when making the case that MYSTERY BABYLON is the demonically fueled “New World Order,” or global government city, it is quite telling that those whom we refer to as the “globalists” who are behind the scenes inhabiting the halls of power and pulling the strings in the course of world events and the very destiny of the world in their pursuit of a New World Order are obsessed with cages. In fact, it is known that bird-cage symbolism is very important to them in their occultic belief and practice system. Notice that in the aforementioned verse of Revelation 18 (verse 2), we see that MYSTERY BABYLON is said to have become the habitation of demons, the hold of every foul spirit and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. This is the exact symbolism that these Luciferian globalists were throwing in the world’s face at the 2020 Superbowl halftime show. You can see this at the 10:20 time marker in the Superbowl half-time show commentary video below.

Was Nimrod’s Babylon The First to Fall?

Is God telling us that his judgment will fall twice upon this evil city of Babylon? If so, when did it fall the first time? Is it possible that the first fall was in Nimrod’s day? We are told that God came down to see the Tower and confused men’s language. No one could understand each other. Families packed up their belongings and headed out to parts unknown. People were scattered all over the world, forming various nations. This was the time when God set his seal upon Abraham and called him to leave Babel – to travel west where he “… looked for a city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). This heavenly “city” has to be in contrast to Nimrod’s city. This “fall” has my vote.

Nimrod could no longer control the entire human race. However, he continued to maintain a kingdom in Shinar for many more years. In Genesis 14, he formed a coalition of four armies to spoil Sodom and Gomorrah. According to Jewish historians, Nimrod was “Amraphel.” The story of their defeat at the hands of Abraham offers a prophetic scenario of the future Battle of Armageddon. It is a prophetic view of Babylon’s final fall …

“And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah …” (Genesis 14:1-2).

These four kings represent the embryonic stage of the final world confederation. Amraphel, king of Shinar, represents Babylon; Arioch ruled the area later known as Greece; Chedorlaomer’s kingdom covered the territory that eventually became the Medo/Persian Empire; and Tidal, king of the גּוֹיִ֔ם goyim (i.e., Gentiles) according to rabbis, represents Rome.

This coalition of nations fought Sodom over its oil reserves. They also defeated the “Rephaim” (Genesis 14:5), an ancient term for a group of human/alien hybrids, born of women, sired by fallen angels. But Abraham, father of the Hebrews, defeated the coalition of nations with a mere 318 trained servants. Then, Abraham went to Jerusalem and gave tithes to Melchizedek, who presaged Christ as “King of Righteousness.” The scenario lays out a perfect prophecy for end-time events.

So, was Nimrod’s Babylon the target of the first “is fallen?” Though Babel was purported to be the “gate to God,” it became the very expression of “confusion.” And, though men “left off to build the city” (Genesis 11:8), the spirit of the Tower continued. People were scattered all over the world, but they spread the worship of the Tower as they went. Idolatry, and its diabolical system of astrology and goddess worship flourished. Towers – today called “pyramids” – were built in Egypt, India, China, Central America, etc., all for the worship of the sky gods – the constellations.

Was Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon The First to Fall?

Did the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar fulfill the prophecy of the first fall? Was the kingdom of Babylon destroyed and, in the context of Isaiah’s prophecy, predicted to rise again in order to be destroyed a final time during the Tribulation Period?

It is a historical fact that Nebuchadnezzar’s city has never been completely destroyed. The Medes and Persians simply occupied the city and changed the political structure of the kingdom. The city, itself, has not yet become forever desolate, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah …

“It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there” (Isaiah 13:20).

Men left off to build Nimrod’s city – it fell. But the spirit of Nimrod’s Tower continued. This statement is crucial to understand when nailing down the identity of the woman/whore called “MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT” that rides the beast in Revelation 17. This same evil spirit occupied Nebuchadnezzar’s “head of gold” and continued to provide cohesion to the rest of the body. For those novice Christians out there who may read this and not have a clue as to what I just said concerning Nebuchadnezzar’s head and the rest of the body, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream of a statue of a man in Daniel chapter 2.

Upon awakening, however, he discovered to his dismay that he was unable to recall the dream. Only Daniel, a prince of Israel, was able to recover the dream. Not only that, the Spirit of God enabled him to interpret it. This dream is a masterpiece of prophetic symbolism, probably the most renowned in all of scripture. It involves a great statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, abdomen and thighs of brass, legs of iron and feet of iron and clay, a most unlikely mixture.

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream also represents the progressive debasement of world empires.  His powerful monarchy was replaced by the split leadership of the Medes and Persians (Medo-Persian empire).  The prophet Daniel himself comments that they are inferior to the Babylonians.  That, in turn, was replaced by the four-way division of the Greeks, then came the representative democracy of the Romans, which after a time, degenerated into dictatorship and the feudal system of the dark ages. Such historical observations speak for themselves.  They represent the surface level of interpretation.  In this model, the head of gold represents the powerful Babylonian emperor; the chest and arms of silver are a less unified form of government.  In fact, the government of the Medes and Persians was far less stable than it’s Babylonian forerunner.  The brass midsection is still less unified, representing Alexander the Great’s Greek empire and it’s four ruling dynasties.  Two of these dynasties quickly disappeared.  The other two continued on for a while, then were absorbed by an expanding Roman dominion.  Rome’s iron rule is seen in the legs.  It has often been pointed out that the two legs represent the eastern and western divisions of the empire.  It has also been a matter of general agreement that the legs portray the declining state of world rule.  As the timeline of Gentile supremacy moves toward the feet, governmental instability becomes pronounced, approaching the breaking point.  The odd amalgam of iron and clay do indeed impart the perfect picture of decrepit, tottering governments, as witnessed in the churning revolutions and dissent of the previous and current century.

For the last approximately one-hundred years, the Russians, Germans, Japanese, Chinese, various European and Asian interests and the Western leaders have had their revolutions.  They have all taken turns in their attempts to establish world dominion.  But in spite of their efforts, there is the growing perception that we are only moving toward greater instability – in fact, toward a great global conflict.

The “head” of this statue is not destroyed until the toes are destroyed. Though the gold was replaced by the silver, brass, iron and clay, the evil spirit of Babylon, residing in the head, continues to control the body until its final destruction by the “stone … cut out … without hands” Daniel 2:45).

May I suggest that we consider Isaiah 13 and 14 in the light of John’s narration of Babylon’s destruction. We find that Isaiah supports the concept of a demonic spirit. This “spirit” of Babylon, extending from Nimrod’s Tower, manifested itself in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, and continues throughout history, until its final destruction during the Battle of Armageddon. This is the very essence of the identity of the woman siting atop the New World Order/global government beast that she rides in Revelation 17.

Isaiah’s Destruction of Babylon

As we quickly review Isaiah 13 and 14, try to imagine the prophecy as being fulfilled in a modern-day setting. But don’t be too quick to suggest an American coalition. This prophecy has not yet come to pass. First, God calls for a coalition of armies …

“my sanctified ones … my mighty ones … even them that rejoice in my highness” to come from “a far country … to destroy the whole land.” The time is designated as the “day of the LORD” or seventh millennium …

“The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty” (Isaiah 13:1-6).

The time for Babylon’s destruction is predicted to be when the “day of the LORD cometh,” a reference to the opening years of the seventh millennium, at a time when the sun and moon are darkened, a time when the LORD will punish the world …

“Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir” (Isaiah 13:7-12).

Fear will grip the human race as never before. The predicted birth pangs have arrived. The great Sabbath, or “day of the Lord,” speaks of the seventh millennium. The unsaved wicked will be destroyed. The sun will cease to shine. The moon will turn as blood. No longer will man be preoccupied with gold. Mankind will finally realize the greater worth – the intrinsic value of the human being – greater than gold.

Then, God will shake the heavens and Earth’s orbit will be altered …

“Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land” (Isaiah 13:13-14).

America’s role in the Middle East seems prophetic. Attention has been focused on that part of the world during these introductory years of the seventh millennium. However, what is predicted about the rise of world government, the utter destruction of Babylon, and the astronomical events in the sun are yet future. Isaiah’s prediction about a war that includes Iran is noted in the following verses …

“Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children” (Isaiah 13:15-18).

This may refer to the conquest of Belshazzar’s Babylon, but also could have a double reference to modern-day Iran and its current development of a nuclear arsenal.

America’s occupation of Iraq was carefully executed so as to preserve the civilian infrastructure. But Isaiah says that a fire will consume the “beauty of the Chaldees,” similar to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. When this happens, there will be no restoration – ever ….

“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged” (Isaiah 13:19-22).

This is the final destruction of Babylon, as described in John’s account in Revelation 18. The wholesale destruction may be from nuclear weapons. But Isaiah does not stop there. He continues in the next chapter (Isaiah 14) with a continuing series of prophecies. Among them is a restoration for the nation of Israel. This began in 1948 and continues to this day:

“For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors” (Isaiah 14:1-2).

Not only will Israel be liberated from its Arab enemies, but will rule over the “strangers” who live in their land as well. Could these be current Palestinians who claim Israel’s heartland? God says the “strangers” shall become servants and handmaids to Israel in the kingdom. Isaiah promises a kingdom for Israel. In that day they will take up a proverb against the king of Babylon. However, his name will not be a passing dictator similar to what Saddam Hussein was or the like, but a future more sinister and diabolical ruler …

“And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us” (Isaiah 14:3-8).

Isaiah speaks briefly of the Messianic kingdom, but then gets back to the epitaph against this “king of Babylon.” It seems that he once had immortal powers, but now is weak like men …

“Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead [רְפָאִים֙] Rephaim – a Hebrew term for human/hybrid demonic spirits] for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:9-15).

Isaiah is not referring to the Antichrist here, but to Satan himself. And, as stated earlier in the previous posting, the name “Lucifer” comes from the Latin Vulgate, but the name given in Hebrew is הֵילֵל which consists of four letters – hay ה, yod י, lamed לֵ, lamed לֵ – that, if transliterated into English, becomes “HELL.”

The dead will look upon Mr. Hell and wonder how he could ever have been such a menace …

“They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

The glorious Messianic kingdom has come. The devil is defeated. He has not succeeded. His destination is Hell – his very namesake.

Why Repeat Fallen, Fallen?

Joseph Seiss suggests that these do not refer to two historical events, but to two stages of the fall …

“The twice-repeated word describes two separate parts or stages of the fall, answering to the two aspects in which Babylon is contemplated, referring first to Babylon in mystery, as a system or spirit of false worship, and second to Babylon as a city, in which this system or spirit is finally embodied” (Seiss, page 407).

If we were to try to separate these two references to Babylon’s “fall,” we should have to include the battle that has raged down through the centuries. There have been more than two judgments upon Babylon and her daughters. We have only to view the ruins of the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome, etc., to see the continuing struggle between good and evil throughout the history of man. So, perhaps Joseph Seiss is right when he says that the double use of the term represents the emphatic declaration that both the physical and spiritual sides of Babylon are finally, utterly and eternally defeated.

“Come Out of Her!”

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double” (Revelation 18:4-6).

This is a distinct reference to Israel. During this period, no one else can be referred to as “my people.” In fact, Jeremiah records similar instructions to those Jews who languished in the Babylonian captivity …

“Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks” (Jeremiah 50:8).

“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence” (Jeremiah 51:6).

“My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord” (Jeremiah 51:45).

In these Jeremiah passages, Babylon is in view. However, God may also be referencing the end to the end-time return of the Jews from all nations. It was this same Jeremiah who wrote …

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land” (Jeremiah 23:7-8).

If the major capitals of all nations are included in the destruction of “MYSTERY BABYLON,” then the return of Israel from all nations takes on ominous apocalyptic features. The 1948 birth of Israel and the returns that have continued ever since are preparing the world for Judgment Day.

The other school of thought is that God is warning the elite Jews to come out of their involvement with creating this evil world system. The phrase “that you be not partakers of her sins and receive of not of her plagues” is quite telling. Many have noted that those who are involved in the creation of the evil world government/Mystery Babylon system that we currently see rising has a very heavy occultic Jewish involvement. This is not to say that all Jews are involved, but that specifically, some researchers and expositors have named them as the elite who are descendants of the Jewish Pharisees of Jesus’ day. In fact, as I’ve stated in previous postings, Jesus himself linked the Jewish Pharisees to Satan by naming them as “serpents and vipers.” Some have said that they share the same bloodline of the Nephilim (see video here). Jesus called the Pharisees serpents and a “generation (translated family) of vipers” …

“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34).

This gets even more interesting when one considers that just a few statements earlier, Jesus linked them to Satan himself by saying …

“And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” (verse 26).

Then over in Matthew 23, Jesus again calls them “vipers,” but also calls them “serpents” by saying the following stunning words …

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:27-33).

Jesus also makes the point very succinctly by enlightening them and linking them with the certainty of Hell.  There is a very strong Hell connection taking place in Jesus’ narrative. Vipers and serpents are identified with Satan himself.  Further still, their bloodline can be connected to the Nephilim bloodline.  As we have already discussed, the Nephilim are the offspring of the mating of fallen angels and human women mentioned back in the book of Genesis 6.  This fact explains much for their seeming control of power behind the scenes that are steering the world’s destiny to a demonically fueled New World Order. In fact, in a previous article, it was noted that there are occultic Jewish writings at the location of the CERN project that sits on the territories of the countries of Switzerland and France. The writings are ancient Hebrew and sanskrit written on parchment and animal skins that are on display and preserved between plates of glass. The writings on these ancient parchments speak of bringing back the “former gods” and “ancient spirits.” Below is a picture of those occultic writings.

This is just one more clear evidence that there is a heavy occultic Jewish involvement in the creation of the emerging New World Order (see here). The evidence is also quite abundant that the CERN project will have much to do with opening the bottomless pit of Revelation 9. Perhaps now we can see the real narrative of who it is that is behind the implementation of the global government or the New World Order when God himself says to “his people” to “come out of her that you be not partakers of her sins and receive of her plagues.” They are clearly being “partakers” here (see also here and here).

“I Sit a Queen!”

“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow” (Revelation 18:7).

The Apostle John has previously told us that she “reigns over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18). Therefore, in one sense, she is a queen. But all that will change. Her burning is irreversible. Isaiah predicts the time when the “daughter of Babylon” will sit, not upon a throne, but upon the ground …

“Come down, and sit in the dust, O Virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne” (Isaiah 47:1).

Living “deliciously” embodies a self-centeredness and extravagance unequaled in the annals of history. Like Jezebel, she glorifies herself with every luxury. John records only luxury items in his list of merchandise.

Burned in One Day and Hour

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her” (Revelation 18:8).

This is a specific reference to the destruction of the “great city.” It will happen in one day. If an army were to invade a large city, or use conventional weapons, it could take several days. However, if nuclear weapons are used, the whole destruction might take only minutes. In my opinion, the references to “one day” (verse 8) and “one hour” (verses 10,17 and 19) can only be fulfilled specifically if either nuclear weapons are used or some of the hidden advanced weaponry developed by organizations such as DARPA and the like are used i.e. the “rods of God” or something similar perhaps. Note that all three groups listed (kings, merchants and ship-masters) speak of her destruction in “one hour.” I know of no other way to accomplish such a swift, destruction, except by either very advanced hidden weaponry, nuclear or even possibly the approaching Planet X system.

The Lamentation Over Babylon

Verses 9-19 constitute a lamentation over the destruction of “MYSTERY BABYLON.” Three groups offer their sad refrains: kings, merchants and ship-masters along with their sailors. They weep for different reasons: the kings because of her judgment; the merchants because of their loss of merchandise; and the ship-masters because of the loss of their shipping empire.

The Lament of the Kings

“And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come” (Revelation 18:9-10).

These “kings of the earth” are to be distinguished from the “ten kings” – the horns that constitute the world government. These “kings of the earth” are always listed with the harlot. On the other hand, the “ten kings” are always listed with the beast that the harlot rides. Today, there are almost 200 nations with governing bodies, ruling monarchs, presidents or prime ministers, constitutions and economies. They will lament the loss of their idolatrous association with the megalopolis. Idolatry is far worse than an economic association. The idolatry they are guilty of is an adulterous one in which the worship of other-worldly beings were involved – highly occultic and a heavy involvement with that of the dark side of the supernatural. It is an idolatry in which the God of the Bible was declared to be their enemy and Lucifer their god. If Babylon belongs to the great cities of the world, then these kings lament the loss of their cultural, as well as economic ties. If Babylon refers only to the original site in Iraq, then I would be at a stupefied loss to understand their grief.

The Lament of the Merchants

“And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought” (Revelation 18:11-17a).

The merchants weep because their customers are gone. They have no market. The “woman” must constitute all of the great metropolitan centers because if she was just one city, the merchants could turn their attention toward other markets and customers.

The Lament of the Ship-masters And Sailors

“And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate” (Revelation 18:17b-19).

The ship-masters and sailors lament over the destruction of all seaports. They have nowhere to go. Their cargos have no destination. Nor will they ever again engage in the transportation of luxury items from one country to another. Their world has come to an end.

In reading these various lamentations of those associated with this system, one might get the impression that God is “anti-capitalist.” Let me be perfectly clear. God is not an anti-capitalist. In fact, God is very much pro-capitalism. In fact, during the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ upon the earth, Capitalism is going to reign supreme for those who go into the millennial reign of Christ still in their fleshly bodies …

“And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them” (Isaiah 65:21-23).

Here in Isaiah 65, God is going to institute true capitalism. Within the same verse, notice that he also does not have a favorable opinion of socialism or communism as he repudiates both – “They shall not build and another inhabit.” “They shall not plant, and another eat.”

How can I say that He is for real capitalism. Their exists today within this rising idolatrous wicked anti-human system a form of corrupt capitalism. This is what God is against. In a previous posting, it was demonstrated that America is the likely fulfillment of the Matthew 21 vineyard prophecy with it’s purpose within the plan of God to be the nation that would push forth the Gospel message of Christ to the nations of the earth before the end of the age occurs (see here). It has been the Lord’s lighthouse to the world. God put into place the right people at the right time to form this nation. That being the case, one can see that God has a direct hand in the creation of its functioning structure in which capitalism is one of the key components of America’s astounding foundational success.

God’s Vengeance

In the concluding verses of the chapter, God tells us that Babylon’s destruction, though carried out by the beastly ten kings, was orchestrated in Heaven. Babylon is the object of Divine wrath. God intends for her to never rise again …

“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Revelation 18:20-24).

Babylon’s destruction is a repayment for her ill treatment of prophets and saints. She deserves the total destruction meted out to her. At last, the souls under the altar are avenged.

It is here that it is important to point out that these Jewish Luciferian elites who are constructing this nightmarish New World Order are not actually “atheists” and “evolutionists.” They are dark, demon-influenced and dare I say possessed souls who literally worship Lucifer. They look at him as the “good guy” while they look at the God of the Bible as the “bad guy,” to put it in rudimentary terms. They are deceived and lost vessels of wrath who throw their Satanic agenda in our faces at every turn. It was Jesus himself who had some very harsh words for them when he was walking the earth i.e. the aforementioned “serpents” and “vipers” label he smacked them down with. Lest there be any doubt, take one look at any Superbowl halftime show on any given year and you can see them telling us who it is they worship (just to give only one of many other ways in which they tell us). They are openly showing us what they have already admitted long ago. They seem to tell us what they are going to do before they do it. They are known to control Hollywood and most all forms of entertainment along with the institutions of power. In fact, beginning at the 2:37 mark in the 2021 Superbowl halftime narration video below, you can well see who it is they worship when they throw the planet Saturn (representing Satan) in everyone’s face (Amos 5:26-27/Acts 7:43) followed by a display of various words such as “you lose” mockingly and tauntingly thrown in our faces.

“You lose? They are openly demonstrating their hatred of Christianity and Christians. Again, for those of you who have been following this Revelation series, you will know by now who the “they” really are as demonstrated in our discussion of chapter 13 two articles ago (here). This was also discussed in the article “RAISING HELL WITH CERN AND SATURN.” As we see her current rise, we can see her arrogant mocking (“I sit a queen and shall see no sorrow,” verse 7).

But how wrong they are. God is going to dish out double to them than what she has dished out to everyone else. It will be a glorious day.

The Revelation 18 and John 18 Duplication

When one has their spiritual eyes attuned while reading the books of John and Revelation, one will notice a very peculiar pattern and similarity of design that emerges.  It becomes obvious to the spiritually attuned and observant believer that the Holy Spirit led John the apostle to follow the same literary design in writing both his Gospel (the book of John) and the book of Revelation.  Though neither book originally had chapter divisions, both books follow an outline of subject matter in each chapter that correspond to each other.

Both the Gospel of John and Revelation follow an identical outline for the chapters – for example, the seven lights in chapter 1 of both books; the Antichrist in chapter 6 of both books; the resurrections in chapter 11 of both books; a remarkable view of Christ in chapter 19 of both books. The same pattern emerges with each and every chapter of both books. This article will cover the similarities in every chapter and show elements of design that appear in consecutive order – the order that later became the same chapter in each book. Knowingly or not, John duplicated the design as he composed both books.

That said, there are four chapters in the Gospel of John that allude to the Antichrist. Likewise, the same four chapter numbers in Revelation cover the same theme. They are John 6, 12, 13 and 18, in unison with Revelation 6, 12, 13 and 18 (the very same chapter numbers as the Gospel of John). Note that, with the exception of chapters 13, each is a multiple of 6. John 6 presents Judas Iscariot as a devil (demon). Revelation 6 presents the rider on the white horse. Add 6 to that and you get chapter 12. John 12 shows Judas complaining because costly ointment was not sold and given to the poor. Revelation 12 shows the devil being thrown out of Heaven. Add 6 again and you come to chapter 18. In John 18, Judas betrays the King and his kingdom with a kiss. In Revelation 18, God destroys Babylon, the kingdom of the Antichrist. There it is … 6+6+6

Chapter 13 is also included because the infamous number stands for rebellion. In John 13, Judas leaves the upper room to betray Jesus. In Revelation 13, the beast and false prophet are introduced. Finally, in verse 18 (6+6+6) of Revelation 13, we are told to count the number of the beast – 666!

It is here that I wish to expand a bit upon the idea that I brought forth in a previous posting. Some contend that the Antichrist is not accompanied by a person called the False Prophet. The contention is that the Antichrist is indeed the False Prophet himself. In the posting, this was fleshed out a bit as to why that thinking exists. But here, I wish to add this additional clue that this may, in fact, be the case. Notice in this structural design between John and Revelation that you do not find anyone alongside Judas Iscariot among the twelve who betray Jesus in chapters 13 of both books. It is only Judas Iscariot himself. There is not a ‘false prophet” type of figure who helps Judas. But yet, in Revelation 13, the language seems to be that there will be a false prophet. The general case is made that the when the Antichrist and the False Prophet are both cast alive into the Lake of Fire in chapter 19, it is speaking of the Antichrist’s other function (that of a false prophet) along with him. The reasons for believing that there will not be a second person who is called the False Prophet were covered in the posting. But with this structural design between John and Revelation, I find it rather interesting as an additional piece of evidence that no one was alongside Judas Iscariot, who is a picture of the Antichrist in chapter 13 of Revelation. This is a subject that I choose not to be dogmatic about as this all may just be circumstantial evidence, but it is something to at least consider. Moving on …

In these two chapters 18, we see the clash of the kingdoms. In John 18:36-37, Christ stood before Pilate and said …

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:36-37).

Jesus stands before Pilate and says that the Messianic Kingdom is heavenly; that he is a King, and that he bears witness to the truth. On the other hand in Revelation 18, “MYSTERY BABYLON“claims to be a queen, of an earthly kingdom, filled with lies. In John 18, an earthly potentate passes judgment upon the Son of God, but in Revelation 18, the earthly potentate is judged by the Son of God: “… for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her” (Revelation 18:8).

In John 18:6, Jesus tells Peter: “… the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” But in Revelation 18:6, John writes: “Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.”

The Hebrew Letter Tzaddi

As pointed out in the previous posting, the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet bear an uncanny correspondence to the 22 chapters of Revelation, with each letter corresponding to its respective chapter of Revelation. In other words, the subject matter or theme/meaning of the letter correspond with the theme/subject matter of the respective chapters of Revelation. To reiterate the importance of the Hebrew language to the Biblical novice or new Christian, the Hebrew language is the original language of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament.

That said, with the destruction of Babylon in this chapter, you might wonder just how the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the letter tzaddi (צ), meaning “righteous,” could possibly fit. It turns out that you don’t have to look far to find it. God judges Babylon because she destroyed Solomon’s Temple. He is avenging the righteous. The righteous win:

“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her” (Revelation 18:20).

The tzaddi (צ) is a significant part of three letters: tzaddi, koph and resh (צקר). Together, they form a prophecy of God’s judgment in the end-time. Just as tzaddi (צ) stands for the righteous, resh (ר) stands for the wicked. The koph (ק) between them stands for the final judgment when the Lord places the righteous on his right hand and the wicked on his left. Note that the tzaddi (צ) lies to the right of the koph (ק) and resh (ר) is located on the left. Koph (ק) has its face turned toward tzaddi (צ) and its back against resh (ר). The elongated stem on the koph (ק) seems to represent the descent of the Lord on Judgment Day.

The tzaddi (צ) is one of the five Hebrew letters that can be written in two ways: צ and ץ. The bent tzaddi (צ) represents its normal use within a word, and stands for the humble saint kneeling in worship. But the elongated tzaddi (ץ), used only at the end of words, and called its “final form” (soffit), stands for the righteous man who has personally received Christ as Savior who will someday stand before God in praise. It is only through personally receiving Christ that one can be in correct (righteous) standing with God. Good works and an attempted sinless life will not suffice.

The last verse in chapter 18 tells us that God has not forgotten the righteous …

“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Revelation 18:24).

Furthermore, a righteous God brings about a righteous judgment …

“For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand” (Revelation 19:2).

Under these conditions, the tzaddi (צ) fits perfectly. And, as we shall see in upcoming chapters 19 and 20, the other letters, koph (ק) and resh (ר), also help to complete the picture.

Did the Apostle John know about all of these things? John was probably aware of the alphabetic designs of both his Gospel and the book of Revelation. Also, he may have been aware of the Passover liturgy in John and the Rosh Hashanah liturgy in Revelation. But it seems to me that John could not have had the ability to fill both books with so many intricate and interwoven designs while still maintaining the story line in each. Divine assistance appears beyond question. 

GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR YOUR INCLUSION IN THE RAPTURE AND ESCAPE FROM THE COMING WRATH

The demonstrably divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a coming horrendous seven-year Tribulation period of judgment upon Earth for all of mankind, no matter what your religion, belief or creed is, and even to those who don’t believe anything spiritual at all.  We can now clearly see the signs of this approaching nightmare.  However, as we’ve already seen, this same divinely inspired text that we call the Bible promises a dramatic escape from off the face of the earth before this horrendous time of judgment only to a certain category of people.  

Put simply, an event is coming that will be so stupendous that it strains the mind to contemplate such an event happening.  It is an event that will see millions upon millions of people across the globe suddenly disappear without warning.  The millions of disappeared will have literally ascended into Heaven itself after instantaneously receiving a new glorified body fit for Heaven.  A body that will be able to withstand the atmosphere and glory of Heaven.  This event is known as the “Rapture.”  But the promise of escape is only to those who are “born again” in Christ.  This is why it is crucial to understand what Christ meant when he declared in no uncertain terms that only those who are “born again” in him will enter the Kingdom of God.  For the explanation of this, keep reading below.

In order to accept the offer of God’s grace and his salvation, you must take the crucial three steps of …

1. Agreeing – A belief and agreeing with God in all that he says in his word, the Bible, about the fact that you are separated from God, as every man and woman on the face of the earth are before accepting his salvation.  The Bible reveals that all are separated from him in a spiritual state of death, or said another way that the Bible reveals it, in a state of sin, that will result in damnation in the afterlife.  Agreeing with God in your heart that you are in need of his salvation.  The Bible reveals that God looks upon the heart of a man or woman, and thus, responds accordingly to the person who comes to him for salvation in recognition of his inability to save himself.  The Bible makes these facts very clear – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  The Bible describes these three kinds of death:  

• physical death (the state experienced when life leaves our bodies).

• spiritual death (spiritual separation from God caused by our state of spiritual death inherited from the first man Adam – the state of sin that results in our daily outward acts of sin, whether deliberate or not, whether omissive or not; and finally …

• the second death (the fixed state entered into by the individual who dies physically while he or she is dead spiritually). This state is entered into after the death of the body which results in punishment in the afterlife until the event of the Great White Throne Judgment occurs wherein the damned are resurrected from Hades, or Hell, and are judged according to their works and finally destroyed and cease to exist after being cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 14 refers to this tragic end of the unsaved as the “Second Death” (verse 14). It is this state of suffering entered into after physical death and then final destruction at the Great White Throne Judgment in particular which is the horrible result of receiving the wages of sin (unforgiven due to unbelief and rejection of Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ frequently described such a death as being irrevocable in a destiny which he called Hell.  He described Hell as a literal place of judgment (Matthew 13:42); a place of everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8); a place of torment (Luke 16:24,28); a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50); a place of remorse (Mark 9:44-48); of bitter memory (Luke 16:25), and a place originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).  In fact, Jesus more often warned about Hell than he spoke about Heaven.

It is not God’s will or desire that any person should be consigned to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), but rather that all should come to repentance of unbelief toward him and believe on him for the salvation of the individual’s soul.  But God’s justice requires that the “soul who sins” (remains in it’s state of death or state of sin) is the one who will die a second time after a long period of torment (Ezekiel 18:4).  So, agree with God, admitting that you are unable to save yourself and in a state of sin under God’s just condemnation for that sin and that you are in need of his salvation.

2. Believing – Then, believe that God does not want you to perish eternally in the torment of Hell because of your sin.  Believe that God loves you so much that he provided a way whereby he could still be a just, holy and righteous God, and yet pardon you.  Believe that God did not just overlook sin, but that he sent his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide salvation by personally paying the penalty for sin.  Believe that Jesus Christ, whose life, death, burial and resurrection is the best-attested fact of antiquity, did come to earth to live, die, rise again and ascend to Heaven in order to provide justification and salvation for all who trust him.  Believe that he, and he alone, can save you because he has fully satisfied the just demands of God.  Believe that you can’t become righteous in God’s sight by your own effort.  Believe that he wants to save you and that he will save you.  The Bible provides a solid basis for such belief …

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). 

“But God demonstrates his love toward us in this:  while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). 

God presented him (Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies the man or woman who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures … ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 

“Jesus answered, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out [drive away]” (John 6:37).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

3. Calling – It is not enough to agree with God, admit your need, and believe that Christ can and will save you.  You must act upon those facts. God’s requirement is that you repent of your unbelief toward him and actively call upon him for the salvation of your soul based on the fact that you cannot save yourself. It is unbelief in particular that damns the soul to its horrible fate …

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

You must be willing to completely turn from your own efforts to save yourself or from any other hope.  You must come to Christ, calling upon him for salvation and counting on the fact that he will do what he has promised.  This means simply taking the gift of pardon and eternal life which he offers.  Merely believing about Jesus Christ without coming to him makes as much sense and is as effective as believing that a medication can successfully treat a fatal disease, but failing to take it.  Yet again, the Bible emphatically and authoritatively provides the basis for such statements.

The word translated “believe” here means to “rest one’s entire weight and trust on the object or person in which the belief is placed.”  It requires action in keeping with the intellectual assent of that belief.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

” … but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The logical question you may be asking at this point is:  “how do I come to Christ and call upon him?”  The answer is that “calling upon the Lord” is just another term for praying, or talking to God.  To talk to God is not a complicated process, dependent upon some special rituals.  God has invited people to approach him through his Son in simple, straightforward terms.  In fact, Jesus approved of the dishonest, despised tax collector who simply prayed, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”  While the exact words of your prayer to God are not of vital importance (since God sees and knows the attitude of your heart), the following is the kind of prayer that you could pray in calling upon God for salvation …

“Dear Lord Jesus:  I realize that I need you.  I admit that I have sinned and that I deserve your just, eternal punishment for that sin.  But I am sorry for my sin and I am turning to you and asking for forgiveness.  I believe that you died and rose again to pay sin’s penalty on my behalf.  I come to you and open my heart to you.  I ask you to come into my life, forgive me for all of my sin and make me your child.  I invite you to take control of my life and to cause me to be the kind of person you would have me to be.  I thank you for doing this because you have promised that whosoever calls upon you, as I am doing now, shall be saved.  I pray this in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, I urge you to sincerely and genuinely express it to God as your prayer.  The Bible makes clear that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in our heart, God forgives our sins and counts us righteous, and that when we openly confess with our mouth what we have done in our heart,  God gives us assurance of that salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).

Recommended Reading and Viewing:

EXTRATERRESTRIAL INVASION PROPHESIED IN THE BIBLE

WHY THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS NOT COMPLETELY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

The next article in this Revelation series can be read in the link below.
THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB